OHB Stage Band Trip to Branson, MO

Right now I'm at Stone Castle Inn found in Branson, MO. It's a cute hotel, each room has a painting above each bed and the outside of the building has several stone structures. It's split between three large buildings, like links in a chain set in a giant parking lot. The first building has the lobby and check in desk. Food is served in the second building which also houses the main pool, hot tub, and game lounge. The last of the three buildings is mainly rooms, cleaning storage lockers, and also has a pool for guests. Everyone's trip to Branson began yesterday morning.

Tuesday was the Oklahoma Homeschool Band's (OHB) Christmas concert. So all the families loaded up for the rehersal and concert, and all those who drive long distances to go to the concert also planned to stay overnight. I stayed the night with my sister at our Stage Band (jazz) Director's house in Edmond, OK. This was the preview for today's adventures...

TODAY...began

at 5 am

when my darling sister woke me up so she could take her shower and do yoga. For about 20 minutes I made my attempt to sleep but failed and drug my body out of bed. As I've been sealing my clothing in plastic bags on this trip Ihad to get all my clothes out then grab the clothes for today and repack what wasn't for the day. Later I would realize that I would need to unpack to repack my pajamas. Figures. I got dressed, got coffee, stripped the bed with Beth, then we quietly tidied up the room. All of this before our hosts came out to check on us.

Just after

6:30 am

we piled into Mr. Rye's truck and hit the road. I gave dirrections as his navigator and we arrived a few minutes before departure time. The night before we had written on my family's suburban (The Tank) with chalk paint, so when they arrived a few other cars in our caravan painted their's as well. Then after driving to Branson for an hour and a half, the truck needed gas. At this stop we met up with one more car, and painted 2 more cars. Again, at the next stop we joined up with another car and 2 more cars were painted. By now all but two or three cars have been decorated.

About

11:00 am

the caravan arrived in Joplin, MO for an early lunch. The plan was for the group to meet in the Starbucks parkinglot then have an hour to eat wherever they wanted and regroup to continue to Branson. Plans never quite work out so it was more than an hour, but not too long before we were back on the road. Antiscipation ran high as turns became more frequent and billboards for our hotel, dinner reservations, and concert building came into view.

Hours ahead of schedule we pull into the Stone Castle Inn, so we gathered in a bunch and went over rules then dispersed to do as each pleased. After unpacking and settling into my room, the boys went to swim, Mom is napping, Beth is chilling, I'm writing this update before heading down to play Apples to Apples with the gang.

We'll be eating

at 6:00 pm

then going putt putting. I'm looking forward to the putt putting. If I have time (and brain cells left) I'll try to write more after we settle in for the night.

Have a great evening!

Trombone 3 out!

Love,

Jessie Bear

John 13:34-35

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

To The New Year - Family (Part 5 of 7)

There are a lot of things families can do as traditions. I follow a blog called The Art of Manliness it's one of my very favorite blogs. I probably read more articles from them, than any other blog. They have several fun articles about traditions that I had to add them on this series.

Family
- Yearly Form -
This can be especially fun if you have younger kiddoes! Simply make a form that asks for their name, date, and things that will show their growth as they get older. Such as: favorite color, favorite song, favorite Bible verse, favorite sports team, favorite animal, best friend, height, favorite thing to do, etc.

Then put their forms into your families "New Year" (or the name you give it! after all, it's YOUR binder!) binder, so that in future years you can look back over the growth you've all had.

- Be more patient with relatives -
So, when I asked people about "New Year's Day" resolutions, I got a surprising amount about working on being more sociable with their relatives. Coming from a pretty close knit family, it's sad to me that so many need to have this as their resolution…BUT…I will say, I know what it's like to have rougher relationships, and work on fixing them or risk losing them.

Relationships take investment, if you are unwilling to invest, chances are they won't try either.

Christian, here is the deal.

If you are related by blood….honor your father and mother (even if you've got a bad relationship).

Mark 7:10

"For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’"

Matthew 15:4

"For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’"

Ephesians 6:1-2

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),"

If you haven't seen this person in years…love your neighbor as yourself.

Galatians 5:14-15

"For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another."

James 2:8-9

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."

Romans 13:9

"For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”"

If you hate their guts…love them anyways, show them that Jesus transforms people, and give mercy as you have been given mercy.

Matthew 5:43-45

"“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

Luke 6:35

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."

If they are a Christian…love them as Jesus Christ loves them.

John 13:34

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

- More Family Less Tech -
My generation seems engrossed with discovering how many screens can captivate our attention per day. Even myself, I can be "watching" (just listening) to the TV, texting a friend, and typing up an email…that is THREE screens going at once. That may sound like a lot, and I guess it is, but it is nothing to what happens when my brother is working on his music…he says "I'd like to have at least a quad set up." That is he would like to have at least 4 computer screens for his music work alone! Not to mention another screen as his phone.

So, if you have too many screens in your life, and not enough IRL interaction maybe try some of these:
- unplug for one day a week,
- at home put your phone on your dresser or in a drawer,
- leave your phone at home when you go to church or on a date,
- turn the WiFi off after 7 pm,
- unplug while on vacation/during holidays,

- Spend time Outdoors -
I love to be outside! I love to go hiking, walking, try my hand at almost dying while attempting parkour…
But adventure does a body good! This past summer I jumped off a 27' waterfall! (and I didn't die!)

So take time to go camping with your family, or do something outside with your college group. Just get outside and do something fun and soak up some vitamin D.

Matthew 22:34-40

"But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And he said to him,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the great and first commandment.

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”"