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April 26, 2006
2006 Travel Diary 2
For details on where we will be, click here
Cool Days but Warm Hearts April 25
We are now two-thirds of the way through our New England tour, having first ministered to families in New Hampshire at the state homeschool conference. God gave us a number of opportunities to counsel with hurting and searching families as there are few churches in the region. I would encourage you to remember this area of our country in your prayers, that God would bring a new revival and reformation to the state of New Hampshire.
After speaking Saturday at the convention, we traveled down to New Hartford, Connecticut where I preached on Sunday at the Covenant of Grace Church to a group remarkably similar to our church at home. Some of the men even helped us reconnect our trailer fender, withstanding the wind and rain to bless this travel weary family! Thanks Ralph and Mark!
This is a beautiful part of the nation, with rolling hills and a variety of trees, hardwoods and pines. Winter is just releasing its icy grip on this country, allowing blossoms to just start to appear. Quaint little towns pepper the highways, full of curio shops and white puritan-style churches. There is a sense of antiquity here that we have not felt in many years. We also had the opportunity to enjoy fresh maple syrup on homemade pancakes. Quite a treat on a cool spring day!
Monday, Stacy and our older daughters shared with the women of the church how God has led them to the convictions they hold in our family. While the women met, we men played a vigorous game of “wiffle ball” with the children. It was a joy to run the bases with so many little blessings. But it also helped me remember how old I am getting, as my muscles ached after the game!
Today, I met with the men of the church for a breakfast meeting and again this evening, discussing how men can effectively lead in church and at home.
These have been wonderful times of refreshing and fellowship!
But, we do miss home. On the way back to the hotel tonight, little Emma commented, “I want to go to my home. I miss my bed!” I must admit, I miss home – and all of you – as well.
Posted by jm at 07:31 AM | Comments (2)
April 20, 2006
2006 Journey Travel Diary
For details on where we will be, click here
Day 2
Day 2 of our journey has brought us to Lexington, VA. This day has been a bit more eventful than we would have liked. We discovered hills and a heavy load of books are not a good combination, even for a Ford E350. Our brakes started to overheat and smoke as we headed downhill in Birmingham this morning.
We then experienced a heavy thunderstorm outside of Chattanooga. As we listened to the radio warn us of golf ball sized hail, we noticed it was hitting our windshield. Don’t worry, it’s still intact.
Just outside of Knoxville, we noticed our right trailer fender flapping in the wind. Pulling over to the shoulder on the Interstate, I managed to rescue the fender before it flew off and caused an accident. It’s now in the trailer resting atop a large load of books. We’ll try to get it repaired in New Hampshire.
We enjoyed a meal in Bristol, VA tonight. We purposely did not call anyone we knew in Bristol, since we are on a tight time schedule at this point. But just as we all piled out of the van, who did we meet up with in the parking lot, but Eric Owens, president of the Highland Study Center. He joined us for dinner and fellowship and we were able to catch up on the happenings in Bristol.
Other events in the day included Jessica discovering that her father is indeed brilliant and wise as he answered every riddle she presented to him. She stood amazed. It’s good to be dad.
And of course, we all enjoyed celebrating William’s first birthday today. He grinned and googled much of the day, so he must know it’s a special day for all of us.
Lord willing, we’ll make it to New Hampshire tomorrow and will drop you a line then. Thank you for your prayers.
Your Servant in Christ,
James
Day 1
It’s 7:30 p.m. and we’re just making it into Birmingham. For those who didn’t hear, we decided to spend Monday tying up loose ends and left early this morning. It was a fairly peaceful day with no mishaps greater than James forgetting to close the gas tank. Of course, as I am typing this, several children are crashing and burning. I guess it’s time to stop for dinner.
Exactly 36 miles from our front door, Emma hollered the ultimate question from the backset, “Daddy, are we almost there?”
In His Service,
Stacy
Posted by jm at 08:02 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2006
2006 Conference Schedule
Preparations are in full swing: clothing sorted, inventory counted, menus planned, reservations made, and most importantly for us as Southerners – the weather forecast checked! The pressure is mounting for our annual conference season pilgrimage!
This will be another busy year. We will be keynoting four state conventions and speaking at several others. In case you are located near any of these events and would like to stop by and say hello, here’s our line up…
Our first event, the Christian Home Educators of New Hampshire will be April 21-22, held at the Manchester First Assembly. We will be sharing some new messages, including “When Jack and Jill Grow Up,” a session giving parents tools and ideas to help their older children commit their ways to Christ and His call. I will also be preaching that weekend at Covenant of Grace Church in New Hartford, Connecticut.
We will then head to Massachusetts, for the 17th Annual MassHOPE convention at the Worchester Center, April 28-29. Our focus at this conference will be a number of talks aimed at encouraging families to remain committed to the homeschooling road, seeking God’s blessing of the outcome.
Turning our van west, our next stop will be the 23rd Annual Michigan Home Education Convention, May 5-6 located in Lansing. We are praying the Lord allows us to be used to encourage many precious families in that wonderful state.
We will then turn south yet again, rounding out this first conference swing by attending the Arlington Homeschool Bookfair, May 12-13, where we always enjoy meeting old friends and making new ones!
We will then rest at home, allowing me to preach at our home church, Family Reformation Church, and to attend our local convention, the Gulf Coast Home Education Conference, June 2-3. Our dear friend Chris Klicka, Senior Counsel of HSLDA will be the keynote. It is such a blessing to serve the homeschool community of Houston!
Then, off we go again. This time keynoting the 22nd annual CHEF (Christian Home Educators Fellowship) of Missouri, June 26-28 at the St. Charles Convention Center. This will also be a special time for us, as we spend time with friends at Covenant Family Church in Winfield, Missouri, where I will be preaching.
We then have two more conference swings. July 7-8 will find us again in Alabama, speaking at the CHEF (Christian Home Educators Fellowship) of Alabama, located in Birmingham. Our last homeschooling conference of the year will be back in Texas at the North Texas Home Educators’ Network in Grapevine, Texas, August 18 -19. Another favorite run by some of our friends and co-laborers in our state organization, the Texas Christian Alliance, this conference is always a good balance of Godly support and great resources for the family.
As we cross the States, Stacy and I would be blessed if you could try to stop by and say hello. We would love to hear from you personally on how we can better serve you, your family, and God’s Kingdom. We also covet your prayers. Please pray for the families who will be attending these conferences, that they would be encouraged as they labor in the trenches, answering God’s call to train their own children, and that His message would be received and families healed and transformed for His glory!
We are already getting requests for 2007. If you would like us to come to your state next year, pray your state organization will give us an invitation to speak. We look forward to fellowshipping with you!
Posted by jm at 06:16 PM | Comments (1)