Well, it's 11:00 and everyone's asleep but me, so I thought I'd update our blog a little. Football season is over and Andy and Pete had a great year. Andy was the leading tackler for JV at 46 tackles. He also had an interception and a 2 pt. conversion. Pete had two touchdown catches and an interception also. I have added a couple football photos.

Andy kind of surprised us and went out for basketball at the last second. He hasn't played in a couple years. He is enjoying being part of the team. The new coach is our neighbor across the street.

Lilli went to a missionary conference in Illinois this weekend with a group from church . She has been working hard to raise money for her upcoming mission trip to Cambodia. We have even cleaned the UNI dome a few times. That is a pretty dirty job.

Laura is wrapping up another semester at Hawkeye and is enjoying her job a lot. She really is a great teacher and cares for her students. Well, there are a few... :)

Have you ever seen the chalkboards at Starbucks? We wondered what they used and they told us Chalkink. I bought a couple sets of the chalk markers and have been drawing on our chalkboard in our kitchen, changing with the seasons. I enjoy tapping my creative side sometimes. Laura has a chalkboard in her office that I decorate also. I have attached a couple photos of my most current projects.

We're looking forward to our trip to Ohio next week to spend Thanksgiving with Steve and Rebecca and the boys. That will be a fun time.

I know I am kind of rambling, but I am writing what is on my mind. So, I will conclude tonight with a truth that God has been working in my life. Over the past several years I was becoming more and more discouraged with the direction our country was heading. I found myself riding the highs and lows of day to day politics and it was really getting depressing.

Through prayer, reading God's word and growing in my faith, it became perfectly clear to me that God was telling me that the earth is not our home. There is no reason to believe that this world will move toward God and his plan for our lives. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that things on earth will only get worse until Jesus returns to bring justice. Focusing on political solutions with the hope that it would move this country toward God only set myself up for disappointment.

I have been more intentional in focusing on God and doing His will in my life to the best of my abilities. I have listened less to talk radio, read fewer Drudge Reports, and have replaced that with reading God's word more and listening to things that will put the focus on Him. I found that I as I have grown closer to God, I realized how far I was putting my hope in people and politics on not on Him.

I still relapse and listen to Rush or Glenn every now and then, and have been reading Drudge more with all that is happening, but each time it brings back that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I have to remember again to focus on God, not man. God is in control. He never said that things on earth would be easy or that Christians would be loved here. Just the opposite.

It's 11:45 now, so I 'd better get some sleep. Good night.

Joel