31 cent dips and 2 scoops of Knepper love!!!

Q: What happens only one day per year and equals brain-freezes for the entire family?

A: Baskin Robin's 31 cent dip day!

We took full advantage. We thought you could only get one dip per person, so we printed out a map of all the surrounding stores within a 5 mile radius of our condo (3 stores) so we could gorge ourselves on 3 whole dips of 31 cent deliciousness. Luckily, we chose to go to the closest store first and upon arrival we found you could get up to 10 dips per person!

Denise Timm and Kelli Dexter from church were feelin' the 31 cent love, and a good time was had by all. Especially 18 month old Max Dexter who would eat his ice cream so fast he would have full body convulsive brain freezes.

On the way home, Isabelle kept chanting, "Ky-le, Ky-le, Ky-le." She's infatuated with young Kyle Knepper: the six year old son of the Blonde god (a.k.a. Craig "B.g." Knepper).

Her chanting must have been an omen, because after settling into our post-ice cream euphoric buzz, the Knepper's (minus the kids) were our first official drop-in visitors since moving to Michigan, which made the ole Condo in the heart of this bustling metropolis feel a little more like home.

You can't beat 31 cent dips and 2 scoops of Knepper love!

APK/ejk (we both contributed to this post)

Sit back & wonder at the God who thought up...Laminin

This is a clip of Lou Giglio speaking at a conference. It blew my mind! Enjoy.
ejk

Anybody Know Morse Code?

So I'm lying in bed last week catching up on my latest reading (Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels) and I notice a muscle in my left forearm is twitching quite vigorously. I told Erica to feel it and we both sat in gleeful wonder.

It's still doing it over a week later! Anytime my arm is at rest, my forearm twitches. So today I noticed the frequency of twitches reminds me of morse code. I think my body's trying to send me some physiologic-subliminal message. I'll let my forearm rest here and dictate the code:
.- .-. --- -. / .. ... / .- / ... - ..- -..

So there it is. Anybody know morse code?

APK

Rebellion never felt so good...

Aron & I had our first date night since moving to Michigan, & wow, what an incredible evening! If you're married & you don't do date nights...DO IT, like tommorrow night! We felt like kids again, which was much needed.

So we saw Ben Stein's movie, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed", and it was absolutely incredible - a MUST SEE! I literally felt the spirit of the Lord the entire movie.

It's crazy because you hear these prestigious men, so wise in the eyes of the world, speaking absolute non-sense. Yet in their blatent blasphemy & hatred of the God they believe does not exist, God continues to pursue them - despite their insults, despite their rejection, despite their utter disrespect. I cannot even begin to fathom the heart of this God we worship - so great is the Father's love for us!

Corinthians 1:19-21 (New International Version)
19For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

The moral of the story: Go to nearest theater & purchase a ticket. Then - sit & listen, both to the movie in front of you & the spirit within you.

all my love, friends...

ejk

ps..if you're new to the blog world, directly below each post, you'll see "comments" - if you click this, you can leave a comment if ever you are so inspired. It will go straight to our email & we can sort of live life along side of each other - even if from a distance!

...and they will say, "Everything happens for a reason."

We got the call a few days ago, and we didn't make it into the Battle of the Bands. Since our crazy trip to Cleveland, everyone's been asking, "what the heck was that all about? What was the purpose? Why?" After telling our neighbors (who we barely know) about the fiasco, they even exclaimed, "well, everything happens for a reason..."

I know I was given songwriting for a purpose. But something my failed attempts at popularity are teaching me is that I was not given songwriting so I could make it and have what I've always dreamed. This is a worldly wisdom.

Every good and perfect gift is from the Father, for the Father. God does not care how popular or successful my music becomes. What he does care about is that I'm being who he created me to be. Now, I could not stop writing songs as much as I could stop blinking (maybe not the best analogy, but the songwriter within had to avoid the overused cliche of 'stop breathing').

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: I don't know what the heck all that was for. I don't know the purpose of the crazy trip to Cleveland. I don't know why. But I do know one thing: Tony Packo's makes a darn good hot dog, and I would be less of a man not having had one.

I guess I do know one other thing. It's from Isaiah 55:8-11. God's purposes are not our own. Where I may see a failure at music, God may have had in mind a vividly memorable, hilarious, humbling adventure with friends. Who knows? Not me... and they will say, "Everything happens for a reason."
APK

Simple Wisdom

"We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body." Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm trying to learn from my 19 month old daughter. How to delight in every moment. To wonder at each bird perched in the tree or leaf dancing on the grass. To know that I am loved, and that is enough.

So - take it from Belle....

You are loved - extravagantly, with a passion.

You are delighted in.

Your father will always take care of you.

You are never alone.

No matter what chaos or worries storm your world,

Take joy in this.

ejk

Defining Value

I know where to look to define my worth.
I know anything less than a word from God will leave me unfulfilled.
Yet, I am ashamed at how often I COMPARE myself to others for validation. It happens so subtly - so instinctively, I am often unaware that I have even done it.

My favorite prof in college - Dr. Mark Smith - once taught me a lesson about comparison.

To Compare myself to another is to tread on enemy territory.
If I compare and come up short - I am walking in the direction of envy.
If I compare and come out on top - I am running toward pride.
Both are dangerous sins that only serve to steal my joy and separate me from God - to cloud the vision of the unique person he is creating me to be.

I don't know how this struggle plays out for the men, but as a female, I can definitely see the trap.

May you walk in confidence today - in the freedom to be uniquely you - fully adequate - & fully alive in Christ.
If we truly claim this, how could this change the way we live?
ejk

Everyday life...

I just thought I'd share a peek into our silly existence here in Kirk Haven.

Every day is full of exploring and adventure....

I'm not sure what Belle thought she found, but I'm sure you can figure it out!

EJK

3 broken down cars and several gourmet hot dogs later: Cleveland still rocks.

I'll keep it short. We were between Toledo and Cleveland to go audition for the Battle of the Bands at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame when the van broke down. We were stranded for 3 hours (finding various ways to entertain ourselves) when the parents of two of our band mates showed up to save the day.

On to Cleveland (four hours late) and we walked in as the last band was walking out. We plugged in, played three songs, and left, literally. No sound check. No warm up. No small talk.

We hit Tony Packo's on the way back through Toledo for some World Famous Gourmet Dogs and some fabulous reminiscing.

In bed by 1am, up at 7am for Worship services, and found out at church that the family whose van we had borrowed (and left broken down in Ohio) had another car break down in the same day! I thought this to be quite peculiar. That is, until I walked out to start my car and go home after church. It started, ran for about 5 seconds, and it broke down!

3 broken down cars and several gourmet hot dogs later: Cleveland still rocks.


APK

Cleveland Rocks!

Some friends from church and I are heading to Cleveland tomorrow to audition for a christian battle of the bands. There are 18 bands auditioning and only 6 are making it to the competition, which is being held on May 4 at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. We're pretty excited/nervous and we're going to be playing three songs I wrote/recorded (check them out by clicking on the link 'aron's music').

One of the songs is called 'the coming of a dream...' It would definitely be a dream come true to play at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, but we have to make it through tomorrow. Here's a poem I wrote that eventually inspired writing that song:

"What is the purpose of grass?
I don't know, but it's a pleasant path on which to pass.

What is the purpose of trees?
I don't know, but I enjoy their shade by quiet fields and wild streams.

What is the purpose of my being?
I don't know, but my brother loves me.
I make my sister smile.
I am the joy of life to my wife
And I am the world to my child.

They never even told me
But I noticed all these things
As I passed above the grass,
Beyond the shade of trees"

What is the purpose of all of this? I don't know, but Cleveland Rocks!

APK

God is Speaking

by aron kirk

If God spoke, what would He say?
Something profound in some ordinary way?
If you listened, what would you hear?
A spoken Word-- quiet, clear

God speaks to you in trees
He says, "Hold my light within your leaves
And take it down to parts unseen.
Save it up for winter's cold
When limbs are bare in frosty hold.
Use your branches to protect those smaller
Who will grow up as sons and daughters.
Show them wisdom in taking root--
This their joy as I shine through you."

God speaks to you in clouds He says,
"Loosely hold those dreams for now
Trust my rain will bring them down
Until that day show others the sky
Ask them what shapes they see in white
For some have seen only dark clouds of fear
Tell them, 'Hold fast, for these skies will clear'
And when they do take in blue sky
The vastness of my love in height."

God speaks to you in fields
He says, "This is how your heart should feel:
Wide open; quiet; peaceful; still.
In rows of hope I plant my seeds
A harvest matures as you believe
A field transformed: what once was bare
Bears fruit for many to take and share."
And in that sharing our purpose is shown:
To yield a crop for the One that sows.

If God spoke, what would He say?
Indeed, profound are His ordinary ways.
As we listen, He is all around
Speaking Truth--without a sound.

A Glimpse into Kirk Haven

Drumroll please....The first post!

We have been blog lurkers for months on end, but today is the day that our passive participation ends! We are diving in to the world of blogging...scary, we know! (the scary face as interpreted by Belle)

We've decided to share our world with everyone who means the world to us. So hold on...we're taking you with us on this journey to which God has called us, and we can think of no better people to live it along side!