This week has been quite an eventful week. On Tuesday dad and I flew (do to weather we flew the airlines) to San Antonio Texas with one way tickets to look at a 45ft Silver Eagle coach we expected to drive back. It was dark when we got there Tuesday and so we decided to make a final decision until we could look at it in the day light. It was a good thing we did, there were a lot of things that would need work that we did not have the time or desire to deal with, and dad did not have peace about it. So we told the lady that we did not want the bus, and she drove us back to the airport, we got there about 12:30. So I got my computer out and begin to look for flights back home, and while I’m doing this dad gets a call from a friend, who we knew was trying to sell there 45ft Silver Eagle, and well I don’t want say to much to early, so just stay tuned to our Family’s Journal, and in the next week or to you will hear the rest of the story. Ok, lets see, where was I, Oh yes, Dad I were stuck at the San Antonio airport with no tickets to get home. Well it was getting to be about 1:10 and I finely found some really good priced tickets online, the only problem was the flight left at 2:10. So dad went to the counter to ask about a flight home. About ten minuets later he comes back, “lets go our flight leaves at 2:10". So we run and check in our luggage and get in line for security. Its now about 1:30 and the line is long. We get through security and are putting our shoes back on at 2:00, our flight is at gate 15, so we run to the gate and sit down in our seats at 2:05, whew, we made it. We had a three hour lay over in Denver and landed in Omaha 9:18 that evening. It was good to be home.
The verse that came to mind is Pro. 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

After over seven weeks on the road we are finally home!! You can pray for us as we try to find a replacement bus/coach within the next three weeks before we head out west.

We (that would be us oldest eight children) are helping with taking care of the children for the Nebraska state home school convention as in years past. We will have about 200+ children the last Friday and Saturday in March. And as in years past there is a drama with a theme and biblical life lessons, and last year I made the drama team....as a bad guy. So this year you'll never guess what part they gave me....yep, another bad guy part. They say its cause a I make such a "good" bad guy. But I can't help but wonder, if there is such a thing as a "good" bad guy. Although I must say it is a fun part, and I'll give my best at being a "good" bad guy.

One thing on the trip that really touched me, and I'll share it with you is while ministering in prison, one of the prisoners made the statement that the first time he used a fork and spoon was in prison. Most, if not all these guys came from a rough family background, or no family at all. It made me think, what did I do to grow up in a family that loved me. Absolutely nothing, God placed me here, and for that I am very thankful. But if I had a childhood like most these men behind bars, most of whom either do not know there father, or hate there father, and wish they had never known him because, he was so abusive, I would be right in there with them. Its great to see how God takes and changes anybody when they surrender to His Lordship. For its not that I am better than they, I need God's grace, and forgivness just as much as they do. It is by God's grace and for knowledge (nothing to do with me) that I have grown up in a loving family, but to whom more is given, more is required. Its not how many talents I have, but what am I doing with the talents I do have, or should I say, that God has given me?

This afternoon we enjoyed our last full day in Orlando. We were able to spend the afternoon with the Timothy Pent Family, who had just gotten home Friday after serving as missionaries in South Korea. Back home if you were to go to the lake right now you would bring your ice skates, but not here in central Florida. The Pents had a boat, so Andrew and I were able to try wake boarding for the first time.

Getting up out of the water was bit tricky, but both Andrew and I were able to manage it on the second try. Although Andrew had the advantage having watched me do it first. Bethany is so good at making me look good!
This may look like a cool wakeboarding trick, or something like that. The truth be told, it ended with a big splash!

Something like this.

And here is my brother Andrew! He did pretty good too!

And yes, Andrew had some good splashes as well.

Yesterday we went salt water fishing with some friends in Tampa Bay, near St Petersburg Florida. The friends we were with told us you never know what you might catch when fishing in the bay. We caught 33 little silver looking fish, I forget what they were called, so little silver fish will have to do. I do know that they tasted real good. One of the guys that took us fishing caught a puffer fish. Unfortunately Bethany was not there to take a picture. But this fish puffed up so tight, it look like a ball, and it bounced like one to.
Then, just before it was time to go I got a bite on my line. I knew it was something bigger than normal. After five minutes of fighting it finally came to shore. It was a sting-ray!

Its weighed about 15-20 pounds, and had a wing-spand of about two feet or a little more.

Don't worry, we stayed clear of the stinger.

The stinger is the trophy of the animal. Kind of like the antlers on a buck. So we cut that off. I guess there is some meat in the wings, but we did not have time to work it up. So I will have to wait for another time to get to taste sting-ray.