Sunday, November 30, 2008

Christmas Lights


Christmas Lights
Originally uploaded by jonathanpenney11
Last Friday I hung Christmas lights on the front of my house. It's a nice tradition that takes about 3 hours. I always do this the day after Thanksgiving. For a long time, Christmas has been one of my favorite times of the year. I don't care for the hectic schedule. But I don't see any other way around it. I am steeped in preparations for our church's Christmas musical/drama. But, you know, I've been preparing church choirs and orchestras for Christmas programs for 26 years. So I know the pace. Anyway, I hope we all get a chance to slow down a little this season, downplay the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls, and have a chance to think about, perhaps even meditate on, the deep Truth of Christmas: Emmanual - God with us.

A Gospel Presention for our Time Part 2



Here is the 2nd part to the video I posted the other day. It completes the story. So check it out.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

A Gospel Presentation for our Time Part 1



I was looking through Christianity Today's RSS Feed and found an article about James Chuong to be interesting. He's come up with a gospel presentation that he writes out on napkins. The hook was set, so I checked out his website. I intend to buy his book called True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In. Anyway, check out his website, the book, and the cool video above, and let me know what you think. A book reviewer from LA, known as Icarus on Amazon.com, had this to say about the book:

Choung starts out with a simple goal - to describe a new way to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. What makes his book so good is that he recognizes the complex questions people have about the gospel. He retains the central truths that we are separated by sin from the God we were created to be in perfect fellowship with and that the finished work of Christ is the only way to restore that fellowship. He adds on to those truths some others that were previously seen as "Christian history" (what was God like before Creation was created? how did sin enter the world?) and some others that were seen as "Christian Living" (if I'm saved by grace, why should I go to the trouble of doing good? what should I/the church do about Sudan, the environment, or human trafficking?). He sees that individual sin leads to corrupted relationships and communities, and he communicates a gospel of salvation for individuals and healing for relationships and communities. Other writers in this genre (McLaren and Claiborne come to mind) go too far promoting the corporate aspects of sin and salvation to the detriment of the individual responsibility for sin and need for salvation. As I read Choung's book, I didn't feel like the gospel I love was being changed, diminished, or diluted - I felt like it was being strengthened by showing the big picture of why the gospel is truly good news for individual humans and the whole world.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Christmas at FBC Wimberley

Christmas is a wonderful time here at FBC Wimberley. Make plans to attend our Christmas musical events happening the first two weekends of December.

STOMP and Joyful Noise to Perform
1st Sunday in December

Our Children's Choir, STOMP, has been working diligently on their Christmas musical,
The Mystery of the Manger. This is a delightful celebration of Christmas, featuring great music, solos, and drama. Invite your friends to come and see this heartwarming Christmas event to open the season.

Sunday, Dec. 7th 6:00 p.m.

***************************************************************


Sanctuary Choir, Orchestra, and Drama Troupe
to perform 2nd Weekend of December

This year's Christmas music and drama presentation, presented by the music and drama ministries of our church, is called
The Word is Alive. It features a 44 voice choir, 18 piece orchestra, drama troupe, solos, and narration. The music is a great blending of contemporary and traditional Christmas songs. Be sure to make this event part of your Christmas traditions this year.

Saturday, December 13, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 14, 6:00 p.m.

*Childcare is available.

***************************************************************

Christmas Caroling on 3rd Sunday
of the Month

On December 21st, our church family is invited to go Christmas Caroling to some of our homebound church members. They always enjoy it when they hear us singing Christmas carols at their doorstep. Following this event, we will be having refreshments in the fellowship hall.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Eureka Springs Trip

After a 13 hour bus ride, including a few stops, we arrived at Eureka Springs, AK at 7 pm last Monday night. There are 45 people on this trip, including the bus driver. After arriving, it was off to the pool and hot tub, where we watched the late 20th century movie What About Bob? We watched Evan Almighty on the way to Eureka Springs. Our bus is equipped with a DVD player. Yes, this great movie, starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, was being shown on a screen in front of the pool. Sounds like fun, huh? And by the way, we got to see the more recent movie


But enough about the movies. Tuesday morning, after a filling breakfast at the hotel, I enjoyed a 30 minute walk. Then our group convened to go into town, where we got on a tram. The tram took us on a tour of Eureka Springs. It was very informative, as well as entertaining. I find this area of the country similar to Wimberley, except for the presence of tall pine trees, and thicker forests.

Our first stop on the tram tour was the Thorncrown Chapel. This chapel, completed in the 1980s, is an architectural wonder built in the tradition of Frank Lloyd Wright. As a matter of fact, the architect that designed the chapel was a student of Wright. The chapel’s music minister was there. She and I sang two verses of “Amazing Grace” together, which will be one of my best memories of the trip.


Another stop on the tour was the Crescent Hotel, built in 1886. Look it up on the internet. It’s supposedly one of the top 10 haunted places in America. Go figure. I will let you know if I see anything funny there when we eat dinner in the hotel’s dining room Wednesday night.


After the town tour Tuesday morning, we went to the Passion Play grounds. This is a huge production! You can spend a whole day here, visiting the New Holy Land, where Biblical actors interact with the visitors. Also there’s the very tall Christ of the Ozarks statue. It looks as large as the one in Brazil, but is not as tall. If they had built it taller, it would have had to have a blinking red light on the top of his head for planes to see. Somehow, people around here didn't think that was quite right. Additionally, there is a Sacred Arts Museum and Bible Museum.


The Bible museum has over 10,000 Bibles, including a page from a Gutenberg bible, several English bibles, and German bibles translated by Martin Luther. In this museum, I was reminded of those who translated the Bible into English hundreds of years ago. John Wycliffe did so in the 1300s. He wasn’t martyred, but his bones were dug up later and burned publicly to discourage others fr

om following in his footsteps. Then there was a translation by William Tyndale. This great man of the faith was burned at the stake as a result of his translating work. The Word of God is powerful indeed.


The Passion Play was as wonderful as I remembered it a few years ago. It seems like the whole community gets behind this thing to insure its continued success. There's a huge set, a very large cast of characters, and plenty of lighting with a few special effects. Definitely worth the effort to come and see this show. But I would recommend the summer time, as it was pretty chilly last night when we saw it!


Today is a free day where people can take the tram to town and shop until they drop. We’ll all get together again for dinner at the “haunted” Crescent hotel, followed by a music program at night – some kind of hoe down comedy show. Everyone is having a great time. We’re blessed that no one has gotten sick on this trip. Our bus driver, Thomas Martinez, has taken good care of us, as well as Harvey Reed, who organized this trip. I enjoy going on these trips because it gives me a great opportunity to fellowship with our church folks. It also gets me out of my usual routine, which is a good thing. That’s all for now.

Monday, September 8, 2008

The Greatness of God

I got this quote from reading Chip Stam's website Worship Quote of the Week. This is a thought-provoking website on all things related to Christian worship. In his research, Chip considers both historical practice and contemporary trends.

Today, vast stress is laid on the thought that God is PERSONAL, but this truth is so stated as to leave the impression that God is a person of the same sort as we are--weak, inadequate, ineffective, a little pathetic. But this is not the God of the Bible! Our personal life is a finite thing; it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in His hands; but we never have Him in ours. Like us, He is personal, but unlike us He is GREAT. In all its constant stress on the reality of God's personal concern for His people, and on the gentleness, tenderness, sympathy, patience, and yearning compassion that He shows towards them, the Bible never lets us lose sight of His majesty, and His unlimited dominion over all His creatures.

— J. I. Packer, KNOWING GOD. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1973, p. 74. 

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Port Aransas Vacation

If you read my last post, and watched the videos, you know I'm at a family reunion in Port Aransas, Texas. We've been blessed with good weather here and are safe from the path of Hurricane Gustav, unlike those East of us.

Yesterday, Leslie and I went on an 18 mile bike ride. One of the great things about riding bikes out here (or jogging, for that matter), is that everything is flat! So, we put our bikes in one gear and took off. Of course, the humidity is pretty high. But everyone who lives here is used to it.

Last night, we went fishing at a dock in Rockport; Leslie caught some kind of snapper and a few speckle.d trout, along with a dogfish and a catfish (Yes, there is something called a "dogfish." And they're very ugly-looking.). My brother-in-law, Randy, caught a slapjack, and a few others. Slapjacks are those fish you see jumping around in the ocean any time you visit this region.

Later today, Leslie and I are going on a deep sea fishing trip. This should be a lot of fun! I'll have to let you know how it goes in a later post.

Justin and Faith are having a lot of fun, along with their cousin Patrick. I wish Justin could enjoy the trip more, but he's still hurting from getting braces on his teeth last Wednesday. Mamaw and Grandad are just having fun being around family. Randy and Holly are enjoying themselves, as well. They didn't have far to travel for this trip, since they live in Corpus Christi.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

We're at the Coast!

Are we crazy or what? It's hurricane season. And we're at the coast. Anyway, Justin filmed me in another couple of "moment" videos. One of them is a lot like all the rest we've taken. The other one is a little different. Enjoy!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Cousins Camp 2008 2nd Report

This morning we're in Midland, Texas. We are here for the outdoor Christian music festival called Rock the Desert. Last night we saw two bands, Family Force 5 and the Newsboys. Illusionist Brock Gill was also there. Tonight we'll be seeing Hawk Nelson, Red, and Switchfoot. Wow! That's a lot of music! My personal editorial is this: Newsboys can still rock the house after all these years! Last Thursday we all took an awesome train ride and enjoyed a picnic and swim up in Austin! Along the way, we visited a bike shop.

Enjoy these pics from Cousins Camp. By the way, there's a couple of people in the picture above that aren't one of the cousins, but they're like family anyway--our friends, Samantha and Emily Hall. Darby and Adam Rollins, are here at festival too, along with their parents, Don and Cindy. It's my first time to be at Rock the Desert, but several of the people mentioned above are veteran attendees to this awesome festival, including Leslie, Justin, Faith.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Cousins Camp 2008 1st Report



Well, it's the beginn
ing of Cousins Camp 2008 here at the Stephens House. Two cousins, Hannah and Sarah, arrived today. Two more, Claire and Jack Henry, are coming tomorrow. We're looking forward to a fun-filled week.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Big Bend 2008 Vacation Day Three

Yesterday evening Leslie and I hiked part of the way down to Mule Ears Peak. Check out the picture and you'll be able to see why it's named so. It's so serene out here. This morning I hiked a trail on the desert floor, and was amazed at the plant life. I'll bet it's a real sight to see when the plants are blooming in the spring.

The big story today is that Leslie went on a 30 mile bike ride
down one of the main roads here in the park! Both of us left early this morning, Leslie for her bike ride (read "marathon") and me for my wimpy 3 mile hike in the desert. You have it all here at Big Bend: mountains, desert, and river. This is our third time to come to the region.

It looks like we're in for a lot of rain later today, but that's fine. I heard Austin had some rain today. I hope Wimberley got some too. Tomorrow morning we will begin our trek home. We'll arrive home in time to pick up our kids from church. They've been at Student Life Camp in Shawnee, Oklahoma all week.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Big Bend 2008 Vacation Day Two

This morning Leslie and I went on a 16 mile bike ride along a long stretch of relatively flat road. It's amazing to look out at the vast expanse of desert that makes up a lot of this national park. For the first half of the ride, we had the wind against us, with the mountains in the background. Obviously, the ride back was more pleasant. Last night we hiked some more, bringing the total to 6 miles of hiking on the first day.

Later this evening, we'll go and explore a different section of the park, taking in some new views. We'll do a little more hiking and biking. What else do you do at Big Bend? Besides the bear, we've seen a rattlesnake, some javelina, deer, rabbits, skunks, and some of the biggest insects you can imagine! Are there any entomologists who can identify this creepy insect? I took a picture of this interesting 3.5 - 4 inch bug yesterday afternoon. Actually, I wanted to get in front of it to take the picture, but was afraid it might attack me! Hey, I'm no fool.

The weather has been warm, but pleasant, especially in the mountains of Big Bend where we are staying. During the summer, it's smart to d
o your outdoor activities in the early morning or evening before dusk. We're doing just that! Hope everyone back home is doing well.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Big Bend Vacation 2008 Day One

It’s Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008. Leslie and I are at Big Bend National Park, and having a wonderful time! Yesterday, at 2:30 a.m. our kids left for Student Life Camp in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I got to pray for everyone on the bus right before they left. Then I went home and went back to sleep. About 10:30 a.m., after packing the van, Leslie and I were off to Big Bend. It took us about 10 hours to arrive here, including the stops along the way.



It’s funny. I thought Leslie might enjoy going to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for something different this year, so I suggested just it as a vacation idea. We never go to the DFW Metroplex for vacation. It’s usually for some conference. But Leslie wanted to go to a quiet spot where we could get some hiking and biking in, and reconnect. We’ve had such a busy summer already, and have been meeting each other coming and going. So I was happy that she wanted to do this. Truth is I’d rather be in Big Bend than Dallas/Fort Worth any day of the week!



It’s in the middle of the afternoon, and we just got back from a 4.5 mile hike on the Window Trail here in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend. Now when you go on a hike in a state or national park, you always hope to see some wildlife. Well, today certainly did not disappoint. On the way down to “the Window” we saw black bear scat right in the middle of the trail; and it was fresh! We just continued on down the trail.



Once we came to the large opening in the rocks called “the Window,” we encountered a group of college-aged students. They were members of the Environmental Corps, which is an extension of Ameri-Corps. They were here to do improvements on some of trails here in the park. Thank God for people like this who take care of these park and wilderness areas.



On the way back to the trailhead, we noticed the Environmental Corps members standing in the trail, looking up in a tree. The leader of their group pointed up to the branches. There was a beautiful black bear with her two cubs! We must have been 25-30 feet away. It was pretty exciting. I’ve included a picture of the momma bear here. I’ll check in either later today or tomorrow. Thanks for reading.



Monday, July 14, 2008

Being in The Gospel Accordin' To Texas

Last Saturday evening LeRoy and Maggie Nienow held the awards ceremony for for those who participated in the 2008 production of LeRoy's musical The Gospel Accordin' To Texas, with additional music by John Pound. It was a lot of fun, and a relaxing recap to one of the most challenging things I've ever done. In fact, to borrow a line from the musical, "It was the toughest job I ever loved."

Back in the fall of 2007, when I played the role of the Padre in another musical directed by LeRoy, Man of La Mancha, LeRoy asked me to pray about auditioning for the role of Jesus Davidson in GAT. I said "yes." So after Christmas, I began to memorize the lines, not even knowing if I would get the part, since open auditions were to be held in February 2008.

Toward the end of February, maybe early March, LeRoy informed me that I got the part of Jesus. What a privilege and an honor to play the role of God the Son, as if the gospel story had occurred in Texas, circa the 1950s to the present. As I told the other cast members at the awards ceremony, I would have been happy to play any of the roles in this great musical. I had already heard how God had blessed this production in the past, and eagerly anticipated how He would use this present production.

It was held on weekends during the month of June. The stage was the beautiful outdoor venue known as the Emily Ann Theatre in Wimberley, Texas. We had a total of 12 performances, in addition to the Pastor Preview held a week before opening. Record crowds showed up to see GAT. And according to reports, several people left blessed and encouraged. To which I say "Amen." I truly hope and pray that I was able to act/sing in such a way as to draw attention to the real Jesus Christ and His gospel message.

I may never know how many people were blessed and somehow changed by seeing GAT, but I think it definitely had a positive effect on several of us who were in the production itself. I believe we're all better off for having been a part of this mammoth-sized retelling of the gospel message.

I thank God for the opportunity to play His Son, Jesus, as well as for the blessing of friendship with so many in the cast and crew. I'm also thankful for the encouragement received from others during the many hours of rehearsal. I tried to return the encouragement along the way. I'm especially grateful for an understanding wife, and children, who supported me so much during the rehearsals and shows. About 90 folks from my church and several friends from out of town, we're also able to come.

LeRoy is an outstanding director and actor. So it was a privilege to be directed by him. He says that much of the inspiration for GAT came from his having lived in Wimberley for eight years. After Man of La Mancha and The Gospel Accordin' to Texas, I wonder what he might direct next. Whatever it is, folks around here know that it's going to be top-notch! For an extensive slide show of GAT, click here.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

The Gospel According to Texas




Here are some publicity shots of me and some of the disciples who will be performing in the upcoming "Gospel According to Texas," a musical that will be performed each weekend in June at the Emily Ann Theatre, a beautiful outdoor venue here in Wimberley, Texas. The musical was written by LeRoy Nienow, along with musical collaborator John Pounds. Thanks to assistant director Angie Lassetter for the photos.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Reaping the Harvest - Galatians 6:9

It's a very exciting time in our church, and it's an honor to be serving as minister of music and senior adults, especially at the present time. Galatians 6:9 tells us to not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Although there have been times I've been "tired of doing good," I feel like our church is presently "reaping a harvest of blessing," as the verse says. Just look around and see all that God is doing in our midst! To Him be the glory.

I love being with our team of ministers and staff! Sure, I get to do my part each week in preparing the music for the worship services, and in organizing and carrying out senior adult activities. But some of the most fulfilling times for me are when I get to do things with our staff, like this past week, when we fed the teachers and staff at Scudder. They received a blessing, and we did too!

Music Ministry

In music ministry, I ask you to pray that I continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit when choosing music for the worship services. I'm very thankful for the team of musicians that we have here at FBC! At the same time, please pray that the Lord would continue to draw people with musical gifts to our church. I would love for them to get plugged into the music ministry and use their talents to honor the Lord in our worship services.

Just think about all the music groups and soloists that we have right now, and thank God with me, for their active participation in using their skills to honor God each and every week: Sanctuary Choir, Praise Team, Orchestra, Bells of Praise, STOMP, Men's Choir, Joyful Noise, and the Ukeladies.

Kris Raven does a great job leading the Praise Team for our 10:45 a.m. service; Robin Williams has been blessing the church for so long as leader of the STOMP Children's Choir. Recently, David McCall has taken on the responsibility of leading the Men's Choir. And he's doing great with them! Neal Mallard is a "right hand person kind of guy" that organizes and distributes all the orchestra music for our 9:15 service. Each Wednesday Kathy Reno and Dorothy Martin work hard in the music library. These are the wonderful people that I simply couldn't do without! I also encourage you to read the blog entry below, where I mention the tech crew that works tirelessly in the audio/visual booth of our auditorium.

Senior Adult Ministry

Our senior adult committee continues to do a wonderful job planning and carrying out activities for our seniors. Pray that all senior adults in our church would see their place in God's big picture for FBC Wimberley! They are such a wonderful asset to our church in countless ways! I want all of them to have a connection with God each and every Sunday as they worship in our services, and a connection with each other, as they strive to encourage one another and build each other up in the faith. When opportunities come up to serve, pray that God moves their hearts with the realization that He is definitely not through with them yet!

It Takes a Village

Don't let the title of my article fool you. I'm not promoting a book here. However, I do want to tell you about some very important people in our church. These folks get to look at the backs of your heads every Sunday. But we would have a difficult time doing our worship services without them, I assure you. I'm referring to the Audio Visual / Media Team. They are Brian Daugherty, who runs sound and video, and his assistant, Matt Dragowitz; They are also Hannah Bryan, Lynn Johnson, Julia Williams, and Robert French, Jr., who run the media computer. These people see what they do as a ministry, and it's all for the glory of God!

This team is so crucial to the flow of our services that their value should never be underestimated! I can remember (I'm dating myself a little) when I could walk up to the pulpit, flip a couple of switches, and have sound. We had choir mics, a pulpit and piano mic. The instruments were piano and organ. We used hymnals. I'm still for the use of hymnals, by the way, especially for all you music readers out there. We didn't have a video projector or screen, either.

With our changing times and culture, we've added the necessary technologies to enhance our corporate worship experiences. And I wouldn't have it any other way. With all the technological advances, however, it's been necessary to form teams who know how to operate the computer programs, and sound reinforcement systems. That's why I'm so thankful for the people I mentioned above.
So you see, it really doesn't take a village. But it does take a great team of people like the one we have! Next time you're walking out of the auditorium, please take a minute to thank them for all they do.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

This Picture Pretty Well Sums It Up



Sunday, March 23, 2008

Simply Christian

I'm reading a book called Simply Christian by N.T. Wright. It's been compared to C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, and receives praise from people such as Anne Rice, and J.I. Packer. On the front flap, it says:

Simply Christian walks the reader through the Christian faith step by step and question by question. With simple yet exciting and accessible prose, Wright challenges skeptics by offering explanations for even the toughest doubt-filled dilemmas, leaving believers with a reason for renewed faith. For anyone who wants to travel beyond the controversies that can obscure what the Christian faith really stands for, this simple book is the perfect vehicle for that journey.

If anyone has read this book, let me know what you think. I would also like to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Funny Cartoon


It's the Easter season. Lots of people will be dying eggs for this coming Sunday. Anyway, I thought this cartoon was pretty funny.

Monday, March 17, 2008

One in Four Adults (18-29 year olds) Claim no Religious Affiliation

I read this blog tonight. It's by Mike Slaughter, Senior Pastor of Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, Ohio. I agree with the gist of his article. Read it for yourself.

Christians who are Scaring the Heaven out of People

why church?

CNN released the results of a survey this week that revealed more than a quarter of adult Americans have left their childhood faith for another religion or no religion. One in four adults in the 18-29 year old range claim no religious affiliation. The United Methodist Church, of which I am a part, continues to lose members at a rate of 80,000 per year. Only 4.7% of UMC clergy are age 35 or younger.

Why are a growing number of younger Americans finding the Christian faith to be irrelevant? Could it be that many who claim the way of Jesus are literally scaring the heaven out of people? So many who claim to be the prophets of Jesus come close to scaring the heaven out of me, like the self-righteous prophets who equate the Prince of Peace with a vindictive terrorist god who creates hurricanes of destruction as judgment against homosexuals or abortion advocates....


Many in the name of Jesus have connected Christian faith with conservative partisan politics that defend the rights of the unborn but seem indifferent to the plight of the poor, the inequities in the availability of health care for the masses, hospitality toward the alien, and the wellbeing of the planet. Jesus is neither right nor left. Christian politics must always be prophetic and never partisan (Italics mine). Christians must act as the moral conscience for both sides of the aisle, always advocating for peace with justice and the orphan and the widow. The Gospel is good news for the poor. If it doesn’t cover the poor, it is not the Gospel!

Why are a growing number of Americans finding the Christian faith to be irrelevant? I won’t even begin to try to explain those creative Christians who see the image of Jesus on such things as cinnamon rolls!

God bless...



Posted By: Pastor Mike Slaughter on Feb 26, 2008 10:00AM

*Read this blog in its original context here.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

New Worship Schedule


Today we began our new worship schedule. FBC Wimberley is now holding 3 morning worship services each Sunday, along with 3 Sunday Schools! Pastor Mark and I talked after the 3rd service, and agreed that we weren't feeling too run down. I'm confident this new schedule is going to be great for our church, and will open up some potential growth areas. Praise the Lord for how He's working in the life of our church. The baptismal waters keep getting stirred, sometimes two or three Sundays in a row!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Focus Weekend 2008

The youth of our church just finished their annual "Focus" weekend. This is a time of intense discipleship and Bible study. Congratulations go out to Craig Yates and Kris Raven for their hard work in organizing the event. We were one of the host homes, and held the record for the most youth in one house. We had 17 middle school girls in our home for two nights! I have to admit that for a time on Saturday I "escaped" to Austin, but Leslie was there to keep things under control. Jamie Lowry was very brave to lead all those girls in Bible study, and she did a great job!

On Sunday morning, Gary Henderson, who hosted some of the high school girls, shared a wonderful testimony of how the students went over to the new church property and worked hard to clear what he called "old world growth" - cedar trees, etc. This "growth" was impeding progress on building the church parking lot. Anyway, I think what he said went a long way in encouraging our church members about our students, who are the future of our church and community.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Juenke Family Christmas Picture


Here's a picture of the Juenke family at the Hunt House, where we celebrated Christmas. It was wonderful to have everybody together again. Pita gave a short speech telling us how thankful he was to have made it through this year! In a previous post, I mentioned that he's in complete remission. We're all thankful for that!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Man of La Mancha


Here's the cast photo from the Wimberley Players production of Man of La Mancha. Last night my family joined some friends from the cast for dinner. We had a great time and shared some nice memories.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Successful Hunting Trip



Here are pictures from the recent hunting trip. Leslie and Justin both got does. Looks like we'll be having venison for awhile! Thanks to our friend Robert for allowing us to hunt at his ranch. Justin's going to try to get one more hunt in this weekend.