By Jonathan on 5/22/2008 5:32 PM

Here's a link to Yahoo's news story by the AP http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080522/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_retreat.

The gist of it is that the Texas CPS had no justification to take all those kids (more than 440) from their parents.  They did not have any indication that the children were in immediate danger, and they cannot treat all the families as a single household.

This is a victory for parent's rights,...

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By Jonathan on 5/1/2008 10:12 AM

Yep, I tore up some of our house this week.  One kitchen wall is coming down...  this will increase our kitchen by about 30 sq ft.  It's a supporting wall, so I have to build a support beam or header accross the new opening, and that'll take a little bit, but the main destructive work is done.

Anyway, I'll try to get some pics up eventually...  ;)

JS

By Jonathan on 4/14/2008 11:48 PM

I'm sure you've heard about the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints compound raid.

Police received a call from 'supposedly' a young girl of 16 who was trapped inside the compound, had a year old baby, and was repeated abused by her 50 year old husband, whom she was forced to marry.

Police have wanted to shut down this compound for years, they just didn't have a valid reason, but they had a plan in place.

They went to the ranch, took all the children (416), took the moms who wanted...

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By Jonathan on 3/24/2008 7:18 PM

News:

Well... not much going on.  We had a few days of spring, then another couple days of winter, including 37 degrees and snow flurries.

I posted some time ago about the kids all getting glasses...  Barak's were sabotaged and destroyed by his little sis, who then proceeded to destroy her own.  Katie broke hers as well.  We purchased insurance on Katie's and Grace's, so they were able to get replacements, and Grace again broke hers (they really aren't very durable, but this is a little...

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By Jonathan on 2/21/2008 1:19 PM

Well, this is a first for me...  as I was preparing to do an install (dishwasher) at a customers house the other day, I introduced myself to their dog.  It was a little yapper, and so I leaned down to put my hand in front of it's nose.  Now I've heard conflicting reports, some say palm up, as the dog will interpret that as respectful.  Some say palm down so that the dog knows you're not scared of it.  Well, I chose palm up, held out my hand, and that stinkin' dog bit my hand!

So now I have...

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By Jonathan on 1/27/2008 3:03 AM

Kinda odd to post this here, but I think many would find some resonance in this poem...  first, a picture:



Lonely Regret - Jonathan Smith

My soul reaches out to touch  But you're not found Spirit cries out for you  But hears no sound

You have turned  I saw you walk away For you I yearned  But you faded to gray

I opened...

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By Jonathan on 1/23/2008 5:26 PM

First... we all have glasses now (except Stephen).

We found out that Clarkson Eyecare offers a 'scholarship' for low-income families.  Being self-employed with seven kids we easily qualify.  Since we knew that the kids really did need glasses soon, we decided to go ahead and take a little charity (on that subject I may blog later, it'd be more than I want to do now).  All our girls are far-sighted and Ellie and Grace both have lazy eye and astigmatisms.  All the boys (again, except Stephen)...

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By Jonathan on 12/24/2007 6:24 PM

Thanks to my friend James Madden for this one:

To those of an areligious or an aChristmas persuasion: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, nonaddictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee. ...

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By Jonathan on 12/23/2007 5:43 PM

Jeremiah 5:31 Jer 5:30 An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: Jer 5:31 the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? "My people love to have it so". Often, the point of comfort, the arrangement we like, will not be pleasant in the end. Do our preachers tickle our ears with pleasant but false doctrine? Do our elders do what seems humanly wise and not what God says to do? The end may not be as pleasant......

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By Jonathan on 12/21/2007 11:59 AM

****This is actually from my blog on Shoutlife... I'm reposting it here b/c I'm going to continue the series and I no longer post much on Shoutlife****

First four notes, and the corresponding verses (from the ESV) in bold. My current comments after each. I Cor. 16:13 - act like... "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." I like the command, 'Act like men'. We have this convoluted idea of how a man acts, but I submit to you that what the world thinks of how a man acts is more like how a boy acts... May I learn to act like a real man....

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