In the Air!

For the past two years, we have been going to music camp at Bob Jones University and have really loved it. We really like the strong Christian atmosphere at BJU and have had wonderful teachers. This year we decided to try something a little different; aviation camp.

So why aviation you may ask. Well, I(Emilee) have always thought it would be neat to actually fly a plane. We have been very blessed to have been able to fly a lot commercially so I have been exposed to flight since a very young age. I love air shows as well, especially if the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels are there! I think that aviation is an interest that God has placed within me. So do I want to be a pilot? Well, not necessarily. I believe that first and foremost, God has called me as a young lady through his Word to be a keeper at home and to serve my father until The Lord gives me my own husband and family to serve. Maybe along the way it might be in God's plan for me to become a pilot in order to serve my father or husband, I just don't know what God has in store. It may just be though that God gave me this interest in order for me to more fully appreciate his creation and bring glory to his name. All this said, I really enjoyed aviation camp and have even a deeper interest than before.

I(Kyle) have enjoyed flying since I was really young as well and always thought that it would be neat to actually fly a plane. I enjoyed taking off and landing and the actual flying with the stick. I also enjoyed being able to use the different controls on our short cross country flight. We flew over some beautiful lakes.

These are our fellow aviators.

Kyle and I are third and fourth from the left.

The first plane I(Emilee) ever flew. It is a Diamond-20.


Inside the Diamond-20 with a flight instructor.
He let me do a lot!!


I love the bird's eye view!

The other half of the class waiting their turn.

Bob Jones University from the air.

Flight controls in the Diamond-20.

It's not that complicated once you know what does what.

A very cute biplane that we saw just about everyday!

The Cessna 1-72. It was the oldest plane that we flew.

The 1-40 which is a four seater.

This wheel looked a little out of place:)

A little blurry but I thought this looked pretty neat!

A beautiful lake on the South Carolina/Georgia border.

The Anderson airport which was our destination on the cross country flight.

Clear the runway!!

This was our where we spent many hours learning aerodynamics,

airplane mechanics, navigation and all that good stuff!

Kyle preparing for his trip.

The Greenville control tower. We were able to take a tour which was really interesting.

Everyone got to make an aluminum plane which was a challenge and lots of fun!

Freshly painted.

We learned a lot about plane engines.

We started the engine and felt the breeze!! It could hold us up with no problem!

A really nice sport plane.


While Kyle and I were in Aviation camp, Davis and Clara were in Junior Music camp.

Davis was second chair in the viola section(pictured here) and Clara was fifth chair in the first violins. It was amazing what a group of 9-13 year olds could learn and perform in 5 days!

Philip really enjoyed the concert!

"Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings."

Psalm 36:5-7

Happy Independence Day!

We would like to share some of our favorite quotes from our founding fathers. We have a great book called "America's God and Country" which shares a little about many different men and women that influenced America and a few of their quotes. It focuses especially on their view of Christianity. We took most of these quotes from that book.

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."

~George Washington

"The right to freedom being the gift of the Almighty...The rights of the colonists as Christians...may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institution of the The Great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament."

~Samuel Adams

God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."

~Thomas Jefferson

"In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor....And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?" "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: 'that God governs in the affairs of man.' And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this."

~Benjamin Franklin

When the Declaration of Independence was signed, Samuel Adams declared:

"We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come."

Just a thought; before we attempt to prove or disprove whether each founding father was or was not a Christian, we have to acknowledge something. The founding fathers whether professing Christians or not, thought and lived like more like Christians than most professing believers today! Just take a look at their words and actions. Here's one last quote that we love very much.

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

~Patrick Henry

My parents grew up in California where it was against the law to do fireworks. My Dad is now making up for lost time!!

The sparklers are always a hit. These were pretty smoky!

We had some red, white, and blue ones which were neat.

Grand Finale

The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Blessed are the thirsty

"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass as willows by the water courses, One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any."

Isaiah 44:3-8

The main point of today's sermon was this: the amount of God's spirit and blessing that he gives to us depends on how much we are thirsting and desiring him. What are we truly thirsting for? Is it the praise of men, wealth, fame, things, etc? What tree are you sitting under for shade which keeps you from truly thirsting after God?

Think about this. We all need and desire physical food and drink in order to live right? Pretty much the only time that we don't desire sustenance is when we are sick. So if we are not hungering and thirsting after God, then we must be spiritually sick!

So now on the practical level, we need to identify what is keeping us from thirsting after God and by his grace eliminate it. Because what is more important than knowing God and learning more of him?

So what will happen when we begin to passionately and desperately thirst after God and He fulfills his promise in Isaiah 44? Psalm 67 says this,

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That they way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him."

What are you thirsting for?