Basic background

Have you ever read the books Patriarchs and Prophets and Prophets and Kings, by Ellen White?  If not, I highly recommend them!  They give such a balanced, understandable view of the Old Testament.  I think everybody should read those books.

Another book by the same author that I have found extremely useful in my life has been the book Education.  I believe I´m called as a teacher more than anything else.  At least, that seems to be where I have the most talent and success working for the Lord.  So, a book like Education fits right into my goals and intentions in life, and I have found that book so useful.  Challenging, convicting, but useful.

Those three books converge on at least one specific topic relevant to my life today, and that point is the schools of the prophets.  Education, pages 45-50, P&P pages 592-602, and P&K pages 224, 225, and 260.  Ellen White also writes about the Old Testament schools of the prophets in other writings, with other interesting information.

The schools of the prophets were set up in the days of the judges, by Samuel, to train young men up to be godly members and leaders of society.  The schools were staffed by teachers with a reputation for being pious, godly men, who were personally acquainted with God and His ways.  

The schools taught religion as a primary education, but they also focused heavily on practical training.  In fact, some of the teachers even supported themselves by working with their hands.  I haven´t found the quote again, but I remember reading one place that the teachers all had training in a trade that they could fall back on when the religious teaching didn´t pay the bills.

So, I´ve been called to be a teacher, and have worked as a Bible teacher in various capacities for ten years.  But I was very weak on the practical side of my training.  But when I read that quote, I was convicted that it would be best for me to follow a similar course as those OT teachers did.  I´m an incurable idealist, and always want to do things the right way.

So, here I am, learning landscaping, believing that that is a tent-making-like skill that will be useful in many places in the world, while still giving me the freedom to be a Bible-teacher and evangelist as a primary focus. I´m learning about plants, machines, working with and laying different types of stone, working with many various kinds of people, and how to be a Christian in the work-place.  Good, practical lessons.

The plan is to have other blogs giving more information on landscaping and other practical things i am seeking to learn in this time.  

Thanks for reading!  God bless you!

Plans change...

Ok, I saw that Joar has a link to my blog on his, so I´d better give a little explanation. 

I just bought a new (old) camera, and a macbook, and since I´m kinda the thinking, creative type, thought a blog would be the best way to make my presence known in cyberspace.  But my life is so full of other things, and blogging hasn´t taken high priority yet.

But, it´s at least way better than wasting all of my time on Facebook!  That´s my opinion, at least!

Now the blog is intended to be a place to air thoughts about preparing to do mission work.  I mean, we´re also trying to do mission work where we´re at, in Norway, while we are here, but the drawing in my heart back to Africa increases daily, and I´ve kinda set it as my life-goal for the next few years to do all that I can to prepare for return to full-time, active mission service.  

But, plans change.  I make lots of plans, have lots of ideas, and expect that maybe 5% of them will materialize, if God blesses.  But, the ideas may be good seed for thought for others, so as time permits, I´m hoping to post blogs on the different aspects of preparation for mission work, and the specific training I am going through, and intend to go through.  And, of course, to lay out some issues that pop up in life under way.

(Note to self:  Schools of the prophets, Photography, WFR, welding, landscaping, traveling through Africa)

A year ago we were planning to head back to America for a couple of years to live in a motor-home and spend time with my dad, while raising funds for returning to Africa.  Now we´ve bought a house in Norway while we are both working full-time jobs and preparing for a baby to come in August!  Wow, like I said, plans change!  

And the plans I´m daily thinking of and adding to are laid at the foot of the cross, and are most-definitely going to undergo dramatic changes before they become reality, if ever.

So, this blog started out to be a review of my new hobby of photography.  Now it seems it will be a review of life, kind of an open journal of Jason and Maggi and co.

Thanks for reading, and God bless you!  Have a great day!

jason