The Reim Times

April

We’re back for another episode of the Reim Times! This month was more jam packed than last month, lol…that would be an understatement. With graduation coming up, it seems time has ramped up its speed as well.

On the first weekend, we had the privilege of going to a Parent Summit at our church at Elmbrook. We had a blast learning some much needed skills and application of our doctrine to our parenting. Having a little bundle of joy…curiosity…tears…well, you get the picture. You need to have tools in your toolbox. So, it was great to see how the grace of the gospel could be applied in our Love and Logic class. In it, we learned how God has made each of us to be in dominion over Creation. So, we have a little leader we’re trying to lead, so it’s helpful, and even good to allow them to make decisions, as long as you set proper boundaries for their freedom. God made human beings to rule the planet…and this starts early. We have the inbred desire to want to control our surroundings, and this isn’t sinful by itself. It only becomes sinful when it’s used in the wrong context with the wrong view of authority. So, even though our son is born to rule, we must teach him that he isn’t the ruler of our house! J

The other session we thoroughly enjoyed was the first session when we arrived there. In it, the speaker spoke on how to love the Bible so that you can teach your children to love the Bible as well. He also pointed out that you don’t need to learn something every time you read the Bible. Just like with your parents, they don’t always teach you every second they have with you. Sometimes, they just want to spend some time with you, relax, enjoy the moment, look at the scenery, have companionable silence. If we come at the Bible wanting to get something out of it every time, we’re going to be disappointed. I know that goes against everything we’re taught in church, but it is so true. Just like in a movie, sometimes you need to watch it through and then, after a bit time, go through it again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a movie a few years later and I suddenly notice or get all the jokes that went over my head when I was little. It’s the same way with the Bible. Sometimes, we just need to sit back and enjoy the Bible for its historical narrative and the storyline, and then once we’ve got a good grasp on that, then start going into the particulars. And then, share it! Whenever I’ve watched a movie that I’ve loved, I almost can’t keep myself from telling someone about it. I want to know what they thought and if they are as enthusiastic as me; and then, when I meet someone who hasn’t seen the movie, I tell them why it’s so great and why they should watch it. It should be the same way with the Bible. Until we love it, we won’t have the desire to share it, and until we read it, we won’t love it.

Anyways, enough digressing: back to main stage. From the 11^th to the 21^st, we enjoyed Spring Break. I got to join Olivia at her nannying job, and we just relaxed in general. It was so good to catch up on sleep a bit. Oh, and we read Blink by Ted Dekker. If you haven’t read it, I definitely recommend it. It explores the sovereignty of God and how He allows free will.

Right before Spring Break ended, Tannin took his first steps on the 19^th, right before Easter Sunday. For Easter, we went to Elmbrook and enjoyed their service. In it, Stuart Briscoe basically presented an apologetics sermon on how we can know that Christ really rose. I’ve read Lee Strobel, so it was kind of cool to hear the same material from someone else, and to so many people!

On the 26^th, we got to enjoy our Senior banquet. In it, we got to go around the class and hear what each one’s plans were after leaving NTBI. For us, our plans had changed dramatically from what we had first thought. During Spring Break, we got a call from the president and was informed that an intern position had opened up for both of us to stay. We had already told everyone in Alabama that we were coming, so we were torn. After a few phone calls and a few talks with God, we ended up deciding it would best for us to stay another year at NTBI as interns. So, Olivia will be working in the Nursery and as a Receptionist, while I will be working in the kitchen, adding yet another trade to my resume, lol. It should be a great opportunity to get to know the staff and students better, invest in our church more, and continue to build relationships with the people in our small group and the community at large. All in all, we are pretty excited. We’ve planned to visit Alabama for the summer to spend some time with my wife’s family before heading back up to the cold North and get back in the swing of things at NTBI.

Please continue to pray for us as God continues to lead us towards missions. Going to school here has really opened our eyes to the different possibilities within the foreign mission field, and we need more direction than ever. Thanks for reading. We love you guys! Signing off.