It has been a month since....

Wow! It has been a month since our last post. (Be sure to read through this whole post to get to the very cute pictures at the end.)

What has happened since then.

1. I finished my first summer school module at seminary.
2. We visited my family in Pittsburgh. During that time
- Joel had his first "roller coaster" ride
- We also saw the Thomas the Train.
- We celebrated Josiah's first birthday.
3. We visited Krista's parents in Toledo. During that time
- We also went to the Toledo Zoo and saw the twin polar bears.
- I went to the graduation ceremony for Emmanuel's Class of 2007.
- We celebrated Josiah's first birthday.
4. Border's cut back on hours during the summer.
5. I started working maintenance here on campus two days a week.
6. We found out Josiah will probably need to get tubes in his ears. He goes to an ear/nose/throat doctor on 7/13.
7. Joel said he had one of the most exciting days of his life on 6/18. He received a paint splattered Thomas the Train in the mail and the swimming pool here at BBC opened.
8. The toe nail on Krista's big toe was almost torn off. She sees a foot doctor Monday (6/25) to see what needs to be done.

PRAISES:
!! Getting to see so many family and friends during our visits to Pittsburgh, Toledo and Canton.
!! It was great to be back in our Adult Sunday School class at Emmanuel.
!! God is so amazing in how He provides for our needs. I want to always remember to be thankful for that.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
* Josiah's doctor appointment regarding his ears.
* Krista's doctor appointment regarding her foot.
* My next summer class begins 7/9.
* I need to finish up a paper from my first summer module. The due date is this upcoming Friday (6/29)
* Preparation for the Jamaica Mission I will be going on this October.
* My work situation during the summer with schedules at Borders and BBC. It appears there will not be much conflict in scheduling.



Here is a picture of Josiah celebrating his One year birthday in Toledo. We celebrated in Pittsburgh and Clarks Summit also.



Two pictures taken of the boys by one of the girls in the dorm. Aren't they cute.

The Answer to the question

1. November 25 through January 10 is the Christmas rush

2. July 20-22 is only for this year. It is because of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release on July 21

Sorry I forgot to post the answer on Saturday.

Blackout times for Borders

I know I was going to post the answer tonight but I wanted to see if anyone else could correctly answer the Borders Trivia question I posted a couple of days ago.

"Since I have been working for Borders, there have been only two blackout times, that is days employees cannot ask off. Can you give the reason for both times period?

1. November 25 through January 10

2. July 20-22

I changed the posting of the answer to Saturday night.

You can leave your answers as a post/comment on this blog.

Role Reversal

This is Krista—I’m actually typing my first blog! I now know a glimpse of what dorm life is like for David! I am home alone while David is working (the boys are in bed) and I hear voices all around me…it’s Men’s Retreat here and our dorm is filled with men! If I choose to go to the laundry room I have to yell “Woman on the floor”, how strange is that? Actually I think I’ll choose to stay locked in my apartment!

I also want to share a blessing with you that David has not posted in his blogs. He was honored at the seminary Awards chapel as he was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for this coming year. The boys and I were there to see him receive it and are very proud of him for the hard work he has put into this year. It was a blessing financially as it is the same amount as a scholarship he received last year but is only given to first year students. God keeps proving himself as faithful Provider.

Borders Trivia!

Tonight I am going to work at Borders so I thought I would do something random.
A Book quiz for today:

Since I have been working for Borders, there have been only two blackout times, that is days employees cannot ask off. Can you give the reason for both times period?
1. November 25 through January 10
2. July 20-22


The answers will be posted on Tuesday night.

You can leave your answers as a post on this blog.

Jamaica Trip

BBS is sponsoring a mission trip to Jamaica from October 19 through 28. I have the privilege of going. We are going to be teaching a Biblical Leadership class at Fairview Baptist Bible College along with doing some other ministry in the area. The student leadership team at BBS is hoping to build an ongoing relationship with Fairview.

We had an organizational meeting today and it went very well. We have a great group of guys going along. Please be praying for us as we begin to prepare our curriculum and other things.

Done and empty

Seminary Finals are done.
The dorm is now empty.

Summer is here. Oh wait, I start a two week summer class on May 14th.
Oh well. I got my Greek exam score and semester scores back. I am glad I did o.k. with both scores.

Krista also made it through her first school year as a dorm mom. I think she did a great job this year. There definitely were ups and downs but I know she built some great relationships with many of the girls and she learned a lot about women's ministry.

We are so thankful for the ways God has provided for us during this past year. Spiritually, emotionally, financially and on so many other levels. He has provided us with difficulties and challenges to help us grow in our dependence upon Him. He has provided us with blessing and good times to help us reflect upon His amazing provisions. God is an amazing God.

Below are some family pictures we took this past week.

Finals week

Finals week is over and done with for me. I am not sure how I did on my two finals or two projects yet but I am sure they are done. Now I get to enjoy this week off before I start a two week summer class on May 14th.
My first year of seminary is completed.

The college is still in session until Friday's graduation ceremony. So, Krista still has four days until she finishes her first year as an RD.

Thinking about this year and the many different challenges it has been great to know there have been people praying for us. Thanks.

Finals Week

This week is finals week.
I have an exam Thursday morning 6:30 - Greek 2
My other exam is Friday morning 7:00 - Dynamics of Spiritual Growth

This week is also a busy week for Krista.
Tuesday night at 10:30 dorm meeting. They are going to be doing many things regarding next year. Room sign ups. Introducing new officers.
Thursday night is the RA/RD banquet.

This Thursday is Joel's last day of kinderstart, the prekindergarten class he has been going to on campus here. He has had a good year there and he is getting so tall. He also has quite the imagination. Friday, he was with a babysitter and asked if it was O.K. if they played the video games that he brought. She said yes and then looked through his bag but didn't see any games. He was talking about his pretend video games and preceded to play them with the babysitter and his pretend friend Matt.

Josiah has a couple of teeth coming through and he has started to crawl everywhere.

Please be praying for us here. God bless.

What a difference a week can make.

This picture of Krista and Joel was taken today at the same spot the picture of the four Vibbard girls was taken last week. SEVEN DAYS AGO. Can you believe it?!?!?

THIS WEEK!

LAST WEEK!

Praise: Krista had a good NYC trip with the RAs this past weekend.

It is the next to the last week of classes for me.
1. My Missions group project was today.
2. A Greek test tomorrow
3. My Church History group project is Thursday.
4. A paper on the Spiritual Disciplines is due on Friday.

Then next week is Finals week. I have tests on Final exams on Tuesday (Greek) and Friday (Spiritual Growth)

More than a flurry

1. Snow
2. Josiah
3. Some prayer requests.

4. More snow pictures

1. Snow
My last post mentioned a flurry of snow and activities.
Today we had more than a flurry. They actually cancelled classes at noon because the roads were getting bad. On Mondays I have class from 9:00 to noon.
Here is a picture of Joel and I out having some fun in the snow. I put some more snow pictures at the end of the blog.

April 16th

2. Josiah
Here is a picture of Josiah. He is getting so big and crawling around everywhere.

3. Prayer requests

Dorm related:
-Tomorrow is the Vibbard tea to show appreciate to the staff and staff wives. Today snow has thrown a little curve ball into the planning process. There is a senior recital right before it. Pray for the setup, last minute details and that the evening would show the guests how much they are appreciated.
-End of the year details including new room assignments, Resident Assistant positions and dorm officers.

Class related:
This Friday Bible Memory Test (yes, those who had me as a teacher, now I have to take the memory verse tests)
Next week I have two projects (Global Missions and Church History)
Next Tuesday I also have another Greek test.
Then the following week is finals.

Family related:
Pray that we would be able to keep our focus during these last couple of weeks.
Pray for Joel and Josiah as they continue to grow.

4. More April 16th snow pictures
The view out our backdoor

Some of the girls from Vibbard enjoying an April snow day off.

A heavy flurry of activities along with...

a light flurry of snow last night describe what we have been going through the last week and a half.

Last Tuesday I took a Greek test in the morning.
Krista's family arrived that same day and we had a good visit with them. Actually I was very busy with work and classes but it was a good time.
Joel and Josiah especially loved playing with their cousins.

Seth and Josiah at Chuck E. Cheese

Picture of Josiah, Seth, Ben, Joel and grampa.

I am also coming quickly to the end of my second semester which means lots of projects, readings and exams.

Also pray for my job at Borders, I was able to have a couple of conversations with coworkers about Easter.

Krista also has a lot going on with end of the year things at the college. Next week our dorm is sponsoring an appreciation tea for the women on staff and the wives of the men on staff at the college. Pray for all the details with that.

April 2nd

Haven't posted in awhile.
I am taking a quick study break so I thought I would type a quick update.
Yes, it is Monday night, April 2nd and I am studying Greek. Big test tomorrow.
Yes, I know the NCAA basketball championship is on but I already know who is going to win. (I think).

Well anyways, we had a great time this weekend. The choir from Emmanuel was here at BBC. Even though our time with them was very short, it was great to see them.

Krista's parents, brother (Steve) and family arrive tomorrow. Pray for them as they travel.

Continue to pray for school, ministry and everything here.

The boys are doing well and growing quickly.

Spring Break!!

We are coming to the end of Spring Break!
We were able to spend a lot of time together as a family.
We went to the Discovery Center in Binghamton (kind of like a mini-COSI - kids science center).
This past week has been relaxing.

Josiah has been doing much better health wise. He loves standing with the help of some of his larger toys.
Joel is getting so tall. He likes to let Josiah wrestle him. Joel is also enjoying his kinderstart class.

Some class assignments coming up:
-a group report on Jon Huss for Church history
-a group report on the global ministry in the church for Missions
-2nd exam for Greek 2 a week from this coming Thursday.
-weekly reading assignments and Bible memory work.
Pray for diligence and focus as we begin the second half of this semester.

Here is some of our schedule for the upcoming weeks:
-The girls will be arriving on Sunday.
-Classes start up on Monday.
-Emmanuel Christian School's Choir arrives on Thursday for a choir festival. It is going to be good to reconnect with some of the students from the school.
-The following week some of Krista's family will be coming for a visit.
Pray for encouraging visits with friends and family over the next couple of weeks.
Pray for Krista's ministry with the girls especially as we enter the second half of second semester. Many events are coming up. Decisions need to be by students and other issues that may come up.

Krista and Joel's picture in the paper

Yesterday Krista and Joel had their picture in the Scranton Times.

If you want to see the picture go to www.scrantontimes.com
at the bottom of the page is "online extras"
then click on the "photo galleries" link
then click on the "today in pictures" link
then click on the "3-13-2007" link
make sure there is a check on the show caption box

Josiah and our visitors

Over this past weekend we had been waiting for some test results for Josiah. They were testing him for RSV. The test results came back negative but the doctor's office informed of that the test may have been compromised so they are not sure if we have a "true" negative. They are going to check him on Wednesday. He is using a nebulizer to help with his cough.

Please pray for him!
We are very thankful for the health insurance that we have.


Also this past weekend we had 3 visitors. Grammy, Aunt Deborah and Jacob came for a visit. We had a lot of fun together.

Memory Verses

In one of my classes we have have to memorize different verses. The verse I am working on this week is James 3:17:
"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peacable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."

The next verse reads "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

I have really been challenged by these verses and my conflict resolution class last week. What steps am I taking to make peace? Not keep the peace.

Enjoying the Snow and Church Conflict

Over the last couple of days the Rodgers family has been enjoying...
THE SNOW!!

I have also been enjoying my Conflict Resolution in the Church class. It has been very challenging and educational.

Some prayer requests for us are:
1.0. Krista's ministry with the girls in Vibbard Hall.
2.0. David's preparation for classes.
3.0. Good visits with family.
3.1. My mom, sister and nephew are coming out next week.
3.2. Krista's parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephews are coming out the first week of April.
4.0. Continue to pray for the leadership team at Heritage Baptist as the work through all the issue around the roof collapse in the family room (previous blog has pictures).
5.0. Pray for spiritual growth and hunger for us and those we are ministering to.

Greek test and Global Ministry Forum

Greek test this morning...
Not sure how I did. I struggled with several parts of it but I will know how I did in a couple of days.

Globabl Ministry Forum...
Last night's dinner and presentation was very good.
The sessions today were also very challenging.

We will write more later.

Greek Test

My Greek test, that was cancelled because of snow, has been moved to tomorrow (Tuesday).

Here is a local news article about Heritage:
http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=6104403

Heritage's collapsed roof.

Here are two pictures of Heritage Baptist Church's Family room roof that collapsed Friday night/Saturday morning. If you look at the pictures and see the second window on the brick wall that is Josiah's nursery room. Some information is included after the pictures.

Praises:

1. That this didn't happen Sunday morning when the early service is held in this room.

2. That Pastor Rob came in when he did and smelled the gas that was coming from the pipes that were broken.

3. That it appears insurance will cover most of the damage. The church took their fall offering and part of it was going to go towards some improvements needed in this wing of the church. That money will be able to be used somewhere else.

4. MOST IMPORTANTLY, that the church has been able to use this as an opportunity to be a witness to God's goodness. The local NBC affilate was at the entire service this morning taping segments of the service and interview people afterwards. Pray for opporutinities that will result from all of this.

PRAYER REQUEST

Part of the roof on our church here in Clark Summit, Heritage Baptist Church, collapsed this morning (Saturday). The section is over the fellowship hall and kitchen.

When we saw it Krista said praise the Lord it didn't happen when there was something going on at the church.

Please be praying for the pastoral staff, deacons and others as they decide what to do.

My Greek Test

School is cancelled.
Test post-poned.

Valentine's Day Storm

Last night Borders closed an half and a half early because of the storm.
Baptist Bible College and Seminary cancelled classes because of the snow.
I added a picture to the "view outside our backdoor" link on the side.


Joel making a snow angel.

Josiah watching the snow from the window.

A pleasant surprise!!

I received a phone call this afternoon from Shane Miller. He said he was over at the student center talking to someone from Santiago Christian School. Terry Roberts, the director of SCS for the last two years was there. It was great to meet and talk with him about the school.

It was great to talk with him and it brought back a lot of great memories from the Dominican.

Last week Toledo. This week the Dominican. God has really provided us with great opportunities to stay connected with places where we have served.

Laundry time

It is been over a week since I last wrote on here. Sorry about not keeping you up t0 date.

Josiah is doing much better. We are regularly running him through the washing machine to keep him germ free. Just joking but it provides a wonderful transition to a great picture one of the girls in the dorm took of Josiah.


A little more of an update.

Krista has a head cold or something going on. It just started today. Pray that it would pass quickly.

This past week we were blessed with a visit by some people from Emmanuel. It was great to people from Toledo. It was also a great reminder to me of how blessed we are to have family and friends in Toledo, Pittsburgh area and around the world who love us and care for us. God is amazing. It was very strange to see Adam Bomar in the student center of BBC.

Two of my three professors this semester told us their classes were very front-end heavy on work. That has proven true. VERY TRUE. I have a big greek test Thursday and a paper due on Friday

It has been difficult but next week begin a two week "break." Actually they are not breaks. February 19-21 is the seminary Global Ministry Forum (a seminaries title for Missions Conference). February 26- March 2 is a one week module class. The class I am taking during the week is conflict resolution in the church.

Happy Birthday to all of our family members who celebrated or will celebrate Birthday in February especially grammy and grandma.

Doing Better Today

Josiah is doing much better today. The doctor said his ear infection was pretty bad. She gave us a prescription that seems to be working well. Thank you for praying and continue to pray for him.

Also, I found out I have 16 credits that will transfer in from my other master's credits. That is a real blessing because it saves us money and time.

In class news, my classes seem like they are going to be very good BUT several of them have most of their work at the beginning of the semester (the first 5 weeks)

Krista has her leadership meetings tonight. She is doing well in her Resident Director position. Two big activities ( the Dorm leadership retreat and the late skate ) went well. The next thing is the girls in the dorm are responsible for decorating for missions conference, which is next week.

Prayer Request

Josiah has not been feeling well. The last couple of nights he has been waking up at 4:00 am. He also has not bee eating well. Please be praying for him and us. He has a doctors appointment today.

Late Skate went Grate. I mean great.

The Late Skate event sponsored by Vibbard last night went well. The students were great. Two of the rink workers actually commented on how great the group was. The dorm made some money on the event also. Thank you to those who prayed for the evening.

Below are two pictures from the evening.
This is a picture of Krista with some of the Vibbard girls.


The theme was twin night. Some Krista and I went as Steeler players (don't try to figure out who #06 is for the Steelers. It was the shirt I received from the guys who graduated from Emmanuel last year).
This was my VERY FIRST TIME ever ice skating. I didn't fall during the whole night. I also didn't venture very far away from the wall.

First Day of Second Semester

The first day of classes went well. I had only one. World Ministry and the Local Church.

Tomorrow, Tuesday,
I have Greek 2 from 6:30 to 8:50.
Then chapel from 10:00 to 10:50.
Finally Borders from 3:30 to 11:30.

FAMILY RELATED ITEMS:
We think Josiah has started teething.
Pray for him, us and the girls who live above him.

Joel is enjoying AWANA cubbies (Wednesday night Bible program for kids at Heritage). He is learning Bible verses and lots of other things. Below is a picture taken aftern their Christmas program.

DORM RELATED ITEMS:

Praise:

This past weekends retreat with the dorm leaders was a good time for them to connect with one another and prepare for a second semester of ministry.

Prayer request:
This weekend is the Vibbard sponsored Late Skate activity.
-Pray for all the details to come together.

-Pray it would be fun and safe for those who attend.

Our apartment is now finished!

The renovations to our apartment are now over.
We have nothing in the lounge area and life has gotten back to "normal" for the Rodgers family.
If you want to see the amount of work they did go back a couple of entries to see the beginning of the project.
It definitely has felt like our apartment has been changed from connected dorm rooms to a home.
The interesting thing about these two rooms is they are actually 2 remodeled college dorm rooms with the wall between them knocked out.

Just a reminder about the the praise requests regarding the next two weekends, check the previous post.

2nd Semester

I realized another thing that could be added to the "You know from Toledo" list.
120. You were VERY upset about at least one of the major BCS football games OR you don't care AT ALL about college football. (I feel I have waited long enough to make a comment the BCS)

The college students have made there way back to BBC. Krista has been able to have some good interaction with many of them. Last night they had their beginning of the semester dorm meeting. Krista thought it went very well. The next two weekends are going to be busy for her.

• This weekend the dorm officers and Krista are having a leadership retreat. Please pray that this would be a good time of bonding and planning with the officers.
• Next weekend Vibbard Dorm (our dorm) is hosting a Late Skate at a local ice rink from midnight to 2 am. Pray the girls involved with planning would be able to think through all the details. Pray also for students to attend, enjoy themselves and be safe.

I realized this past Sunday I made a mistake on one of my previous posts. I said that classes for second semester began on January 15th. I was wrong. They begin on the 22nd. The college classes began on the 15th. The "extra" week has provided me with an opportunity to get some more reading and studying done in preparation for second semester.

Our apartment renovations are done. I am planning to get some pictures on this website Thursday or Friday.

This past Sunday I "substitute taught" in our Adult Sunday School. I used a lesson I have taught a couple of times in Toledo based of a book I read several years ago. Well, Monday I received an email from Discipleship journal with the following link. You may want to check out the article especially here at the beginning of a new year.

10 Questions To Ask To Make Sure You're Still Growing
Are you more like Jesus than you were a year ago? One of the early explorers to the North Pole charted his journey hourly to ensure that he stayed on course through the white wasteland. At one point a strange phenomenon began to occur. As he checked his position, his instruments indicated that even though he had been moving northward, he was actually farther south than he had been an hour before. Regardless . . .
http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/1/1.97.9.html

Borders Bookstore moment:
Retail during the Christmas = Craziness. One specific story and the other one a general thought I had. The story is humorous and the thought is sad.

1. A customer came into the store before Christmas and said "I looking for the Barack Obama book. I think it is called The Silence of the Lambs."
2. I was shocked by the number of New Age and atheism books that were sold as Christmas. Richard Dawkins' God Delusion was probably one of the biggest sellers this celebration of God's amazing gift of Jesus. Barnes and Nobles lists it as their top seller in Religious books.

We live in a world where people are looking for answers. Our culture is spiritual but not religious.

Update

Some pictures of our apartment renovations:

http://drodgers1.photosite.com/OurApartmentRenovation/

Some pictures of the boys and Joel's stitches!

Joel and Josiah


Josiah on the couch!



Joel and his stitches!!

The Rest of the Toledo list

28.) You've been to a Mud Hens game.
31.) You'd take Beaners over Starbucks any day, and you use your Beaners card religiously.
32.) Your mayor has gotten into almost-fist-fights with people.
35.) You still have no idea what a Mudhen is, or if you do know, people think you're making it up.
36.) At least one person you know works for Jeep.
40.) You think having four all-girls and boys catholic high schools is normal.
44.) You'd rather drive an hour to Detroit than fly out of Toledo Express.
47.) You've been to Meijer's at 2am.
48.) You've ever been to Children's Wonderland at the Lucas County Rec Center.
49.) You hate the Blade, but read it anyway.
50.) You live in a suburb, but say you're from Toledo.
51.) You've eaten at Tony Packo's. (Bonus points if you can say it correctly.)
52.) You survived the North Toledo Riots of '05.
53.) Your basement, yard, porch, driveway, ditches, and malls flooded from June-August '06.
56.) You can finish this Banner Mattress commercial: "No gimmicks, no tricks till 200_"
57.) You got confused when they added onto the mall.
60.) You're torn between rooting for BG or UT.
64.) You know Major Magic's was way better than Chuck E. Cheese's.
65.) You know what Q-Zar is and have a favorite team color.
67.) You have at least one Race for the Cure T-Shirt.
72.) You've ever ridden the bike at Cosi. Extra points if you know what Cosi stands for.
74.) Your idea of a "family vacation" is a weekend trip to Cedar Point.
79.) You have four network tv news stations, but you only take two of them seriously
81.) You know your choice in colors on OSU vs. Michigan day cuts out any decent conversation with half of your friends, because unlike most of Ohio towns Toledo is 50% Michigan fans 50% Ohio State fans.
87.) You use the excuse that you love snow when you can't afford to spend the winter in Florida.
88.) You have had Green bean casserole.
89.) You are used to food festivals (German, Polish, Irish and every other festival) and go to them even if you aren't of the nationality.
93.) You drive around Sylvania cuz you know the neighborhoods with the best Christmas lights!
100.) You know that no Republican will ever win the mayorship of your city.
103.) You can pronounce Maumee correctly.
104.) You realize that the town of Oregon and the state of Oregon are pronounced differently.
107.) You know what speed to drive on the Trail at night so that you never have to hit the brakes.
108.) You know who Blizzard Bill Spencer is.
109.) Your mayor addressses residents' complaints about airport noise by proposing that the city moves all the deaf people near the airport.
117.) Ending up in Michigan after taking a wrong turn does not incite panic because it's like going across the street.
119.) You will always call MUO "MCO" and your parents will always call UT "TU"

Remodeling and more

This morning Joel is getting his stitches out. Please continue to pray for him.

We think we had a pink eye problem in the family. Joel and Krista had it but we think we got it early enough so that it did not get to bad.

In the midst of all of this our apartment is starting its second week of remodeling. Our kitchen and living room furniture is out in the lounge. Pray that the guys will be able to finish the job as quickly as possible. Pray also for flexibility on our part.

We have several pictures to post as soon as we find the cord that goes from our camera to our computer.

Classes start on the 15th, a week from today. Pray for the new semester.

January 2nd

We had a trip to the emergency room today.

Joel fell in the lounge and hit his head on one of our chairs, which was in the lounge because of kitchen and living room are being remodeled.
He cut his head pretty bad so he had to get 6 stritches on the outside and we are not sure how many on the inside.

He is actually doing well now but it was very scary. Prayer for his recovery and his visit in a week to get the stitches out.

Drive to Pittsburgh

Last night during my drive to Pittsburgh I heard a Caedmon's Call song that reminded me of a great truth. I cannot remember the name of the song but I remember the basic idea of the line that struck me.
"God's grace and compassion are my story." This New Year I pray I would be able to live out this truth.

These three verses really reminded me of this truth:
1 Corinthians 1:31 "Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
2 Corinthians 10:17 "But, 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
2 Corinthians 11:30 "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."

Toledo

We enjoyed visiting family in Toledo over the Christmas break.
While I was back in Clarks Summit, I came across this list that reminded me of Toledo.

O.K. I know I only lived in Toledo for four years but I saw this list and thought it was very funny.
There are more. The list actually contained 125 things. I deleted some and edited others.
So if you are from Toledo enjoy the list and feel free to comment about them.

If you are You know you are from Toledo when...
1.) You get tired of hearing about Katie Holmes.
2.) You have gotten or almost gotten a ticket in Ottawa Hills.
4.) You refuse to call it Westfield Shopping Center, because we all know it is really Franklin Park Mall.
5.) You freeze to death walking around The Toledo Zoo at 10 degrees because you want to see christmas lights.
7.) You know what Meijer is.
8.) If you see a driver that is driving erratically you automatically check for the Michigan licence plate.
9.) You know what Magic Wok is.
10.) Visiting Cedar Point is a tradition dating back to the elementary school years.
12.) You know who Jamie Farr is.
13.) Cosi was a yearly class field trip.
15.) You know what Krogering is.
16.) You felt cool going to Ohio State on weekends as a kid.
17.) When you can pick one of five Wal*Marts to drive to, all in a 10 minute range of eachother.
18.) You know where the nearest Tim Hortons is.
21.) You remember when Toledo didn't HAVE any Wal-Marts.
22.) "Everybody's Zooing It" means something to you, and you can sing the song, weird accent and all.
24.) Seeing a giant, neon-colored, plastic frog sitting on the sidewalk is nothing unusual.
26.) You're so used to driving in construction that you feel odd driving where you can't see orange barrels.
27.) You know where the origional tony pacos is at and you know what type of food famous people sign on the walls.

A quick Holiday update!

The Christmas break has been a little crazy!!

Here is a rundown of what our break has involved. (I am tired after typing all of this in.)

1. We left for Toledo on Saturday evening.
2. Arrived in Toledo around 1:30 am (i think) Sunday.
3. Went to Emmanuel Sunday. It was great to visit with friends and family. (We took a Regneir guided tour of the new remodeled high school Sunday night. It is very nice)
4. Christmas day with Krista's family. I left for Pittsburgh at 7:30 that night. Krista and the boys stayed with her family in Toledo.
5. I arrived in Pittsburgh around 11:00 pm Monday.
6. On Tuesday, I went to breakfast with my mom and get to spend a little bit of time with my sister.
7. I then drove to Clarks Summit. I got in at 1:30 pm and went to work at Borders at 3:30 pm.
8. Worked at Borders this week. And Saturday night after work (11:00 pm) I will begin driving to my mom's house where Krista, Joel and Josiah will be. Krista's dad is going to took her to Cleveland to meet my sister there.
9. We will spend Sunday at my mom's house.
10. Monday morning we will leave early for Clark Summit. I am scheduled to work at 3:30 pm on Monday.

First Semester is Done!

This morning I took my Greek final.
I have completed my first semester of classes at Baptist Bible Seminary.

I won't know how I did on the exam until after Christmas but I felt like the test went well. A lot of the stuff that I specifically made a point to study was on the exam so that was good. There were a couple of my answer that I know are incorrect but it is done and I know I passed.

Our schedule for this Christmas "break" is going to be a little crazy because my job is in the retail business and Christmas is the busiest time of the year.

On Saturday 5:00 pm were are going to be leaving Borders Bookstore for Toledo, OH
Pray we would make good time and that the boys would sleep in the van.

I will be leaving Toledo, OH on Monday night to travel to Pittsburgh. Krista and the boys will stay in Toledo until Friday probably. I will spend the night at my mom's house and then leave Tuesday morning for Scranton. I am scheduled to work on Tuesday at 3:30. We still need to work out some of the details on how Krista and the boys will get back here on January 2. A possible plan is my mom and Krista's parents meeting halfway between Toledo and Pittsburgh. They would then stay with my mom Friday through Sunday or Monday. On Sunday or Monday I would meet them and my mom halfway between Pittsburgh and BBC. Did anyone understand that?
If you did could you please explain it to me because now I am a little confused.

Monday Report

One final done... Principles of Church Growth.
One final left...... Greek on Thursday morning.

Not sure how the one this morning went. I knew the information but it was all essay questions so we will see how it is graded.

We are planning to be at Emmanuel for this Sunday mornings service.

Late Night Observations

Yes it is Saturday night/ Sunday 12:42 am. Late night at Borders. It has been a little challenging with the end of the semester work and the Christmas work.
Please be praying for my exams next week.

I was coming home from work and saw something I just had to comment on. Outside Target there was a line of people with big heavy blankets. One group even had outdoor heater of some sort. They were lined up waiting for.....
The Nintendo Wii. Target was going to be getting some in and these people just had to get this game for Christmas. This next statement may offend some of the younger readers but I am going to say it anyway.

IT IS JUST A VIDEO GAME PEOPLE!!! I played one frame (not game but frame) of bowling on it. It was interesting but IT IS JUST A VIDEO GAME PEOPLE!!!

That is the end of my late night tirade on the absurdity of our culture.

If you care to comment please do.

Seminary schedule for next semester

I have my schedule for Spring semester classes. I thought I would share them with you.
But before that, a prayer request. Pray the classes I take would be much more than an academic pursuit. It is my prayer that my classes would help me:
Know God
Know His Word
Be better prepared to serve.

Monday:
9:00 - 9:50 Chapel
10:00 - 12:15 World Ministry and the Local Church

Tuesday:
6:30 - 8:50 Greek 2
9:00 - 9:50 Chapel

Thursday:
6:30 - 8:50 Greek 2
9:00 - 9:50 Chapel
10:00 - 1:20 Church History

Friday:
6:30 - 8:50 Dynamics of Spiritual Growth
9:00 - 9:50 Chapel

I am going to be taking a one week module course from February 27 - March 2 with President Jeffery. The course is Conflict Resolution in the Church.

It getter close to the end of First Semester...

Next week is the end of First Semester. The college ends on Tuesday and my seminary classes end on Thursday with an exam.

Things that have been going on with us here.
Krista has been building relationships with the girls in Vibbard. It has been busy but fruitful. I know many of the girls have appreciated her. One of Krista's Resident Assistants (RA) is leaving at the end of this semester. She will be going to do her student teaching. I know Krista has greatly appreciated Jessica's insight and help during all the transitions. Please pray for Jessica as she does her student teaching. Also pray for Krista and the rest of the RAs as the prepare for second semester.

Joel turned four on December 8th. You can see pictures if you go back to a previous post. He is a big boy. His Cubbies Awana class has their Christmas program tomorrow night and the kids under 5 years old will be singing in the morning service.

Josiah turned 6 months old on December 8th. He is a little smiler who is growing so fast.

I have been very busy with classes and work. My job at Borders has been crazy since Thanksgiving. School wise, I preached my second sermon in James for my expository preaching class. I didn't do so well on my 3rd Greek test. Good scores on the first two are carrying me through now. I have been learning a lot about the church, people, my faith and my God both in and out of class.

Sometime I will sit down and try to put some thoughts down.

Major Seminary Things During Finals Week.
December 18th - Church Growth Final.
Some other projects due for this class.

December 21st - Greek Final.

God bless

Joel's 4th birthday!

Today was Joel's 4th birthday!

We had a little party at our apartment for him.

These are three of the other RD boys that are Joel's age.

They had a great time playing, eating pizza and an "Incredibles" cake.

It is hard to believe he is already four.

Below is a family picture with Joel's "Incredibles" cake included.

Krista made the cake and one of the girls from the dorm decorated it.

This picture was taken right before Josiah put his hand into the frosting.

Pictures from October beach trip that I forgot to post

As many of you know Krista and I lived in the Dominican Republic for several years. During that time we enjoyed beach trips during those months when it was cold here in the states. Well, our location has changed but we still enjoy a beach trip every now and then.



Josiah's first trip to the beach. It was a little cold and overcast but not a bad October day weather wise for NEPA.

Once your in the water for a little while it starts to numb your legs so you can no longer feel anything. Help, I cannot move. (This seemed like a good idea before I got into the water)

Krista and Josiah hiking through the woods

Josiah enjoying his first hike

At beautiful scene at Rickett's Glen. See if you can find David.

Josiah took this picture for us. He needs to learn how to zoom out but what can you expect from a 4 month old.

http://drodgers1.photosite.com/OctoberBeachTrip/

If the link isn't working, use the above website to see the pictures.

Pictures of Josiah

There are more pictures of Josiah at:

http://drodgers1.photosite.com/Pictures_of_Josiah/

Thanksgiving Break is over!

We were able to go to Pittsburgh to spend Thanksgiving day with my family. It was a good but quick visit. Joel loved playing with Jacob and Grammy. It was a quick visit because I had to get back to work on Friday afternoon. YES BLACK FRIDAY. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I was told I missed out on those crazy, psychotic 6:00 am shoppers. I hope I didn't offend any early bird shoppers.

Now we are getting back in to school life:
Krista is talking with some of the girls who have returned. Please continue to pray for her ministry with the girls of Vibbard Hall.
I am preaching tomorrow (Tuesday) on James 4:13-17 and have a greek test on Thursday.
By the way Clark Summit now has water. The problem has been fixed and the students loved their extended break.

I was so gently reminded by a caring soul that I haven't posted recently about the Steelers. Thank you Pastor Tom for that reminder. Well, God knew I didn't need the distraction of a successful Steelers season this year.

Thank you for your prayers and support. God bless.

UPDATE ON THE WATER DILEMMA

It turns out the Abingtons (an area of several smaller communities South Abington, Clarks Green and Clarks Summit) was the hardest hit by the storms on Thursday night.

This storm caused a main water line to break. Late Saturday night they found the break and started repairing it. It seems there may have been some other breaks in the line.

Since Thursday the community has been using reserve water which is running out. We have water but have been urged to conserve, which is the reason for the pot-a-johns on campus. This afternoon Heritage Baptist Church right across the street from us lost water completely.

It seems like the workmen are coming closer to fixing the problem but we are not sure how the problem will last. Reports have been from some time tonight it should be fixed to sometime Tuesday.

Please praying for the whole situation and pray especially for the local government authorities here and the administration at the school.

What a weekend?!?!

the severe rainstorms here in northeast pa have caused quite a bit of flooding.
it also caused a water main break here in the clark summit area. repair crews are trying to find the source of the break. there are water reserve trucks in the area for drinking water. right now we still have water but we are not sure how long it will last.

they are not sure when the problem is going to be corrected. if the problem is long term, the big issues on campus will be showers and toilets.

The picture at the top of the page is showing the port-a-johns they have started setting up around campus if we need to start using them.

Please pray the problem would be taken care of as soon as possible.

One of the great things I love about being on campus

One of the great things I love about being on campus at BBC is the music in the air.

Every hour the bells in Jackson Hall ring out a hymn. This morning, after spending about two hours in the library editing papers and reading books, I walked out of the library and the hymn "All Creatures of Our and King" began playing.

What a great reminder for me that even in the midst of studying, working, going to class or whatever I am doing I need to lift up my voice and sing Alleluia to God.

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Refrain
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
Refrain

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
Refrain

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.
Refrain

And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
Refrain

And thou most kind and gentle
Death,Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.
Refrain

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
Refrain

Toys for Tots

check out this article.
does anyone else find the headline strange?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15753237/?GT1=8717

No news is...

How would you finish that statement?

Well, we haven't updated in over a week so let me finish it from the Rodgers' perspective.

No news is a sign that lots of things are happening.

I haven't really had time recently to sit down and write.

Here are some recent photos: http://drodgers1.photosite.com/Octandnov/?page=1

Several class assignments quizzes and things coming due.

Working retail in November is definitely interesting. I have been getting a lot of hours. Maybe to much with family and my class load.

Life as RDs is always a challenge but we are learning more and more each and every day. Krista continues to build relationships with the girls.

Joel is growing up so fast. It is hard to believe that in less than a month he will be four years old.

Josiah is a little cutey with his "crooked smile" (a phrase used by my mom). He will be six months old on Joel's birthday.

Here are is a list of some random things (from the serious to not so serious) going on with us.
1. November 28th is my next sermon in my Expository preaching class.
2. November 30th is my next BIG greek test.
3. (Not so serious) I need to overcome the depression I am going through as I consider the Steelers tremendous dropoff from last year to this year.
4. (Not so serious) The "BIG GAME" (OSU/UofM -listed alphabetically in an effort not to offend any family or friends) is still a big deal out here I thought could escape the madness in a move to PSU territory but it cannot be avoided. One of my profs grew up in Ohio and is a huge OSU fan. The chaplain is from Michigan.

The Day after Yesterday

Krista is getting better. Continue to pray for her.

It is Wednesday and I made it through all of my tests, my sermon and other things.

All of my projects were completed on time (I think)
I did well on my Greek test
I am not sure how I did on my Principles of Church growth test.
The sermon I preached on James 2:14-19 went o.k. It was weird to preach to 6 guys who were writing notes down during most of the sermon and knowing the notes were about my preaching style.

Thank you for your prayers.

PROSKUNEO worship concert!

We had a great time of fellowship and worship with some friends from the Dominican Republic on Friday night.

Josh Davis is a friend of our who taught with us in the D.R. was here in the area (well actually it was 2 hours away but well worth the drive) for a concert at the Calvary Bible Church, which is pastored by the father of Sharla, another friend who taught with us in the D.R.

We along with some other friends had the great opportunity to fellowship before the concert over dinner.

Then we went to the church for the concert and some other coworkers from the DR showed up at the concert. What a blessing.

Beyond all of the fun getting together with old friends was the worship time.

Friday was a difficult time because of it being the anniversary of my dad's passing away but I could not think of a better way to spend the time than worshipping my Lord and Savior.

I would love to say that the whole night was an amazing blessing but I must confess there were times driving home when I was struggling emotionally. Because of a faithful God and my dad's faith, I am confident of where he is today but still two years later there are questions I would like to have answered and conversation to have. I know these will not happen this side of glory and I know I need to continue to learn how to submit these things to the Lord.

Below is a picture of the group from the concert.
(my blogspot is having some issues with pictures)

Monday is done!!

A very busy week and lots of prayer needs and praises.

Krista is not feeling well. She has a bad sore throat and just picked up a prescription that will hopefully help her get better. Pray she would feel better quickly.

I have a five day work week this week. Please be praying that I would be able to be a godly testimony to my co-workers.

First week back to classes after four weeks of interim.

Monday classes are done.
Handed in my projects and took my test. Not sure how I did. Some of it seemed really easy and other parts a little more challenging.

I am going to begin my final preparations for tomorrow.
Greek Test
Preach a sermon on James 2:14-19
One of the quotes I am using in my message is a Jim Elliott quote:
"To believe is to act as though a thing were so. Merely saying a thing is so is no proof of my believing it."

We had a great time with the Jacobs last week.

And an amazing time worshipping with friends from the Dominican Friday night (read the Proskuneo post)

Praise and Prayer requests

Praises:

1. The Jacobs are coming visit this week from Tuesday to Friday. Pray for a good time together and much needed refreshment for us.
2. Krista has received encouraging feedback from several girls regarding her ministry as the Resident Director
3. A good day away for Krista and I. We went on a hike at a beautiful park that had some great waterfalls and scenery. (pictures coming soon to our blog) We also had dinner out.
4. My module class (one week intensive classes offered during the month of March) was very challenging.
5. For my job at Borders. The manager seems to be very flexible with my school schedule. Pray that as I finish training my hours will increase.
6. **Praise for the prayer, financial supprt we have been receiving from so many different people. God is so amazing.

Prayer requests:

1. Pray for my family this week. On Friday it will be the two year anniversary of my dad passing away.
2. For daily wisdom for Krista as the dorm mom of Vibbard.
3. Wisdom for Krista to know how to balance time with family and the girls and for me in balancing my responsiblities. To know where to draw boundaries.
4. For opportunities to have spiritually challenging conversations with people. For me at work and for Krista as she goes through her day.
5. Some of you may have heard about the big train wreck in Pennsylvania. It happened in the town my mom and sister live in. There were no injuries but pray for the clean up and the families that were evacuated. Links to the story. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,223097,00.html https://mail.bbc.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/21/train.fire.ap/index.html
6. A reminder of a previous, but important, prayer request. We start regular classes back up on October 30.

• On October 30th I have a test in Principles of Church Growth.
• On October 30th I have a project due in Principles of Church
• On October 30th I have a project due in Personal Evangelism
• On October 31st I have a test in Greek
• On October 31st I have a quiz in my preaching class
• On October 31st I have to preach my first sermon in preaching class. My passage is James 2:14-19

There are so many other praises and prayer requests we could share. Pray that we would be see God working in our lives. We know he always is but sometimes it is hard to take the time to see how.
We pray everything is going well.
God bless.

Fall Update

Check the link on the side "The view out our backdoor." Some great fall pictures.

I recently wrote a friend and said something like this "Life Gets Crazy. God is always Good."

We are continuing to learn what our roles and responsibilities are here. Joel, Josiah and Krista went to a corn maze on Friday with the girls from the dorm. They (Joel and Krista) said it was a lot of fun. It is called Roba Farms (http://www.robafamilyfarms.com/fallseason.htm).

I have been working "normal" hours at Borders (not 11 t0 7). It has been good to have a job. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us.

I just finished a week long module (one week class for one credit with some post-class work). It was a great class taught by Dr. Bill Rudd.

There have been challenges in dorm life, seminary, job and family but we know that God is bigger than anything we could ever face. Pray we would live that truth out daily.

I know may family and I would especially appreciate your prayers this month. Two years ago this month my dad passed away. Please pray for extra strength for us during this time. I know my mom and sister would appreciate the prayers and I would to considering what my schedule is like that Monday and Tuesday at the end of this month. Lots of work and lots of emotional stuff. Thanks.

Just wanted to give a quick post to let everyone know we are still here and the God is always Good.

Job Update

Thank you so much for your prayers.

I was great to get together with Pastor Tom last week. It was good to talk with him about what God is doing at Emmanuel and to tell him about what God has been doing here.

I do have a permanent part time job at Borders. I have been working there third shift for the last week and a half (as a matter of fact I need to leave in a couple of minutes). The temporary third shift job was an opportunity to get a foot in the door for regular shift times.

They have been very flexible with my seminary schedule.
A couple of specific prayer requests:
1. Pray I would get enough hours to meet the needs of our family.
2. Pray I would not get too many hours so that my studies would slide.
3. Pray I would be able to balance the husband/father/student/employee life.
4. Pray I would be honor God with my actions and attitudes at work.
5. Pray I would be a testimony of God's grace to my co-workers.

Many other things to post about but I have to get to work!
God bless!

A quote from one of my readings

I found a good quote in one of my reading assignments. The book is called Revitalizing the Sunday Morning Dinosaur: A Sunday School Growth Strategy by Ken Hemphill

The quote is:
Carnality is the attempt to do supernatural work with natural strength.

Well I looked up carnal at www.m-w.org. He are the definitions listed there:
1a: relating to or given to crude bodily pleasures and appetites
b: marked by sexuality
2 : BODILY, CORPOREAL
3a: TEMPORAL
b : WORLDLY

I don't want to try to do what God wants me to do in my own strength.

The Late Shift

Monday night was my first night working third shift (11pm to 7am) at Borders Bookstore. Please be praying that by the end of next week I would know if I would have a permenant part time position.

We take a month "break" from our regular classes during October. It is not a formal break. We have module (one week - 9:00am to 1:30pm) classes we can take for the weeks. A week class is one credit. I am planning to take two classes (two of the four weeks). We start classes back up on October 30.
On October 30th I have a test in Principles of Church Growth.
On October 30th I have project due in Principles of Church Growth.
On October 31st I have a test in Greek.
On October 31st I have a quiz in my preaching class.
On October 31st I have to preach my first sermon in preaching class. My passage is James 2:14-19.

Krista led her first dorm devotions on Tuesday. That is a devotional time with all of the girls from dorm. She talked about the fear of the Lord and what it is and isn't. The dorm theme passage is Joshua 1:9.

Joel started school last week. Kinderstart is a once a week program the elementary education majors do on campus on Thursdays. He also started Awana's Cubbies three weeks ago. We will have to get some pictures up of him in his Cubbies vest.

Josiah is really a smiler. He smiles when his cheeks are tickled. He is getting soooo big.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. God bless!!

UPDATE

Be sure to check out the pictures in the three previous posts.

CLASSES:
My first Greek test 91.8. Not bad. Most of the students did very well on the test and most of my mistakes were stupid little ones like accent marks or a missing letter or word. It is definitely getting more and more challenging.
Others classes are going well also. I am definitely learning a lot and reading a lot. At this point I have already read 6.5 books along with many articles. Add 95 Greek vocab words to that.
Please continue that in the midst of all the studying I would grow in my love for the Lord.

WORK:
My last post talked about my job offer at BestBuy. Well, much has changed since that post. Monday I am beginning my job at Borders Bookstore. It is a two week job that will probably turn into more. After prayerful consideration, the Borders opportunity just seemed like a better fit. Please be praying for this position and how it will fit together with my school schedule.

DORM LIFE:
We are still adjusting to life in the dorm. It is busy but good. Krista is definitely being stretched in different ways but she has been doing great. She has been getting to know many of the girls. She has had 2 trips to the emergency room with different girls and lots of conversations.
Joel loves having all these "big sistas" (as he says). As I mentioned in a previous post he is quite the little showboat.
Josiah is also making his presence known in the dorm. He does this by looking extremely cute or crying extremely loud.

Thank you for your prayers.

Please feel free to post on these blogs or email us.

God bless!!!

Trains, Trains and More Trains!!

We were able to see lots of old steam engines with grampa and gramma this week.

There is a steam engine museum near our house. It was a lot of fun. There is so much stuff to see and do there.
Here are some pictures from our visit.
http://drodgers1.photosite.com/SteamtownTrains/

Joel the Blackhawk helicopter pilot.

On September 21, the field behind our dorm became the landing pad for a Blackhawk helicopter. It was quite a site.
http://drodgers1.photosite.com/BlackhawkPilot/

The reason the helicopter was here at BBC&S was because September 21 and 22 were chaplaincy emphasis days. Chaplains from different branches of the military were here to share about their ministry in the military and to see if there were any students interested in the chaplaincy program.
BBS has a site explaining the chaplaincy program. The site also has links to chaplaincy sites for different branches of the military and different chaplaincy organizations.
http://www.bbc.edu/seminary/mdiv/chaplaincy.asp