Morning Of The Cannibal Squirrel

This morning I heard the baby squirrels in the owl box squealing. When I investigated I found a squirrel had raided the nest and was eating one of the young head first. I still feel a little queasy.       If I were to guess at the reason for this behavior I would say this squirrel had some nutritional deficiency (probably calcium) that caused it seek the most easily available source of whatever it needed. It reminds me that none of have life without constantly taking the life of other flora and fauna. You live by consuming other living things and converting that plant and animal flesh into your very own. Animals can do no wrong you and I on the other hand can.  

Flora-dade Tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum
( Flora-Dade Tomato )

My Flora-Dade Tomatoes are beginning to ripen and I have been competing with the local squirrels to harvest them.

They are really lovely inside.

They have a sweet flavor but they are acidic as well. The flesh is a very nice texture as well. The plants are very hearty for South Tampa. I recommend for sure. I purchased my seeds from Shell’s Feed Store.

Eat Beets

I just pulled up a large beet from my garden here is South Tampa. I shaved some into a salad with Blue Cheese dressing and oh boy it was delicious!

Beets are like meats only no blood.

South Tampa Fellowship VBS 2011 Day 5

It's the last Day for our South Tampa Fellowship 2011 Vacation Bible School Big Apple Adventure! The week has been a joy.

Day 5 and the volunteers assemble for the last time in the morning meeting.

The pre-school department was busy just as it had been the previous four days.

Four hours a day for five days with a bunch of tireless two year olds.

Sign language by Christina. Some of the church moms ingeniously try to get the children to communicate non-verbally.

Babies !!!!

The tech crew who keep all the smoke and mirrors functioning.

Recreation lasted the whole five days out in the heat.

Dinner & Presentation!

The families started coming in the doors at 5 pm and in no time the fellowship hall was full of folks enjoying Marco’s Pizza.

The children were inspiring as they sang the songs and danced. Their enthusiasm made the presentation a real worship experience!

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(Php 3:13-14)

None of know where we will be next June but we will know that over 200 little ones have heard the message of Jesus and can rely on Him no matter what the future brings.

VBS over the years.

Here are a few videos from the past.

South Tampa Fellowship VBS 2011 Day 4

Day four and the day I always get a little sad. Your just getting to know all your new friends and in one more day it is all over.

South Tampa VBS 2011 Day 3

This is the half way point of our VBS for 2011. There are no guarantees in life other than the one. God’s will gets done in all circumstances. Looking back over the time that has flown by, and counting the time from Davis Islands Baptist Church first Vacation Bible School to this year’s South Tampa Fellowship VBS amounts to 15 years. There are a few of us who have been there for each one. God has been so gracious to give us so many. Churches come and go but God is always present with his people.

1997 - The Wild and Wonderful Good News Stampede: Telling Others about Jesus 1998 - StarQuest - A Galactic Good News Adventure 1999 - Mt. Extreme: The Ultimate Good News Challenge 2000 - The Fantastic Good News Ocean Odyssey: Diving into the Depths of God's Faithfulness 2001 - Truth Trackers and the Secret of the Stone Tablets 2002 - Amazon Outfitters: On Expedition With the One True God 2003 - The Great Kingdom Caper: Cracking the Character Code 2004 - Far-Out Far East Rickshaw Rally: Racing to the Son 2005 - Ramblin’ Road Trip – Which Way Do I Go? Club VBS: Beach Blast 2006 - Arctic Edge: Where Adventure Meets Courage Club VBS: SpaceQuest 2007 - Game Day Central: Where Heroes are Made Club VBS: Jungle Jaunt 2008 - Outrigger Island: Living God’s Unshakeable Truth Club VBS: Cactus Canyon 2009 - Boomerang Express: It All Comes Back to Jesus Club VBS: Truth Trek 2010 - Saddle Ridge Ranch: Roundin’ Up Questions, Drivin’ Home Answers Club VBS: Route 254 2011 – Big Apple Adventure: Where faith and life connect.

  Over the years many mother’s at our church have stepped up to take on the monumental task of organizing each Vacation Bible School. In the beginning we did two weeks in half the space we have now. Women like Sandy Ayers, Leslie Durance, Beth Wiggins while caring for their own families have taken up the cause for the opportunity to spread the gospel. Years have past and many of the people who have made these events happen are on to other things. We are thankful to them for the standards they have set that continue to serve our church today. I see many of the children who were infants when it all began now leading groups of the next generation through the halls to their next activity.   Day three has been great!       Today was the ABC challenge. Admit, Believe, Confess. Everyone is presented with the message and as with everything we hear in our lives we must make a decision.       Many of the children responded and our pastors started them on their life long journey with Jesus by sitting with them one on one to give testimony to Christ in their own lives and answer specific questions.     Here is pastor Todd getting to answer a very astute question from one of the little people. “Who invented God? “, she asks. Yeah Todd who did invent God?     While the older children are orbiting the building the hordes of children the volunteers have produced are in the preschool area. This is a place of anguish and torment for everyone involved with only a monetary time of quite while the little humans push snacks of all kinds into their drooling little mouths. This is truly the frontlines of Christian service!     You do not have to work with the little people to make a invaluable contribution.     Ladies and gentlemen the beautiful VBS dancers or if you prefer the choreography girls. They are really good and the kids respond enthusiastically.       Pizzas up!  

South Tampa Fellowship VBS Day 2

It’s day two and were are hitting our stride. The routine has been established and everything is flowing smoothly! Everything is like a well choreographed dance.

The kids are making lots of noise and it is a joyful noise.I spent most of the day in the craft room snapping individual images of all the participants. you cannot help but be filled with delight when looking through your camera at all those joyful eyes!

Each pair of eyes represents a family. When you look into a child's eyes it is like looking into their home. God made eyes to give us sight. They are designed to see light but they have an uncanny ability to reveal our hearts. We live outside ourselves through our eyes and when we choose to we can pour out our soul with a glance. Eyes are windows. We can see out and others can see in! Light goes in and light comes out.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
(Mat 6:19-23)

There are so many loving folks who are caring for the little ones this week and they are making a difference that will last lifetimes!

Looking forward to tomorrow!

South Tampa Fellowship VBS 2011 Day 1

The folks over at Good Fathers pizza are busy cranking out the pies and we are packed with little people for this years South Tampa Fellowship Vacation Bible School!

It took about 30 seconds for all the kids to be fully engaged in the program and they will only become more vocal as the days go by! What a blessing to see little faces I have not laid eyes on for 12 months. May God bless them once again.

Today the kids learned about faith as exhibited by the centurion!

Not everyone was impressed with the proceedings. babies keep us humble. 

I was told to go to the craft room by quite a few people to record and image of the Lentil Jesus made by one of the volunteers. I went up to see what all the excitement was and found that it had been destroyed. Thank goodness someone documented it with their cell phone. I am still perplexed by the whole episode but it seemed to be a defining moment for more than just a few who were able to view the actual object.

VBS 2011 preparations have been made!

The time has come once again. South Tampa Fellowship is having it’s 13th Vacation Bible School.This year it is the Big Apple Adventure With about 240 little ones enrolled it promises to be a lively time! Five days of fun and exhaustion here we come!

Childhood Friends

Facebook is nothing new. Here are a few of the kids I grew up with in the neighborhood. They do not look very happy but these are not yearbook photos so who can blame them. Their is evil in the world and if you choose you can be a part of it. It starts out with little things but you can water it and feed it with alcohol and drugs to accelerate the process.

There is always hope and it is found in Jesus. Deny Him and you will blindly follow your own lusts. Acknowledge Him and he will free you from yourself and give you the power to live righteously. There is no other reason I am not in the images above other than Jesus.

If you are from around Hillsborough County you might be able to find some of your childhood friends.

Gathering Seed

Today I collected the seed in the above images. In order of appearance Bib Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, and Arugula.

Black Eyed Peas

I harvested all the Black Eyed Peas I planted a few months back.