Jim Jullie's Blogspot: Birthday X2!

Hello All,
Today is a big day! My oldest and youngest have birthday's today. Seventeen and nine. Can't believe it. It is amazing how time passes so quickly.

Trevor is such an amazing young man. God has a purpose for his life!

Sallie is such a great kid. We love her so much and are so glad we waited for "Jack" to join our family!

We had a lovely breakfast of eggs benedict compliments of Jim and the Limuru Farmer's Choice Bacon! What a treat! We are at such a high altitude, that making the blender hollandaise sauce is an issue every time. But, this time it was lovely (with the help of a little corn starch).

The BK Wing: We had some good progress this week with the wing because the contractor was able to get a load of ballast (gravel) up the hill! They started with the truck loaded to about 28 tons and got stuck somewhere on the steep part. They sent a small truck down to unload some of the weight and were able to succeed with about a 22 ton load! This is great news for us as now the contractor can get about 20 ton loads up here and continue the building. They have actually been making good progress this week even without additional building supplies.

the retaining wall covered to keep it moist

uncovering another column

Last Sunday was Titchie Sunday. It is the one Sunday of the term where the elementary school puts on a play for the service. This one was called "Nick at Night." It is a play about Nicodemus of John chapter 3

John 3:1-8
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
NIV

If you read on you will see that Nicodemus was struck with the truth. He was a member of the Jewish council so he was very important and well thought of. He finally understood what was staring him in the face: The truth of Jesus. Some people say we can create our own truth. How can that be? Postmodernism: A postmodern interpretation of religion emphasizes the key point that religious truth is highly individualistic, subjective and resides within the individual.^[9] (taken from wikipedia). There are laws of nature that rule. You can not fly because you think you can. There are also laws of the spirit. This assumes that you believe we all have a soul. Some things cannot be seen but are true. Look at Justice. Justice is something but we can’t see it. Does that mean it doesn’t exist? The judge follows the law (procedures) but was justice served? Ideas and thoughts are not physical things, but do they exist? You are the thinker. The 2^nd law of thermodynamics governs the physical world – bodies decays over time and then you die. But what happens to those thoughts, ideas? The choices you make in life – you are the choice maker and thinker (comes from the soul). Where is the thinker when the body dies?

Many people make up their own truths – take the example of the Scapular – Whoever wears this will not burn in the everlasting fire. This was a promise from an apparition of Mary given St Simon Stock. This promise was based on the Carmelite tradition that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock at Cambridge, England in 1251 in answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed order and recommended the Brown Scapular of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel to him and promised salvation for the faithful who wore it piously. Does it make sense that one would be with God forever just because he/she wore something? Sounds like another way to sell lots of things! Truth is real and solid whether you choose to believe it or not, just as the ocean is a large body of water whether you choose to swim in it or not. John 8:31-32
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
NIV

All this to say I am struck this week with how I see the Bible as truth and as such will use that as my guide. We will all serve a master, you just have to choose it. Is the master something you make up on your own (work, material things, inner peace, looks, nature, etc) or is it the words of God? Coming to believe that the bible is truly the words of God is another thing altogether. It takes many of us many years to see this, but once you do and receive Christ then you have the spirit of the truth = it grips your heart and changes your life! John 14:6 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
NIV
I will stop preaching now - thanks for putting up with me!

Timothy did an amazing job as Nicodemus. He was so proud when he got the part and he worked hard these many months to do it right. Here are a few still pictures and also a link to see a short video:
Click here to see a video

Our roads here are better then they were but there are problems waiting in the future. We went up this week to look at some of the potential problems. This one section of road will be the biggest headache and if it is not fixed, most likely, will eventually fall.