Glory in the Highest!

 What an amazing night we had last night! God could not have given us a more perfect time together as a group. 


We gathered late in the night at a field in Canton to watch with amazement the heavens before us. It was the night of the annual Geminid Meteor shower but we got so much more than that.

 With a beautifully dark night and an almost full moon, we watched as the meteors streaked across the sky. They were gone before anyone could shout, "I see one!" The moon did hinder the amount we could see, but it was beautiful in its own right.


Mr. Kramer and Mr. Hanback, armed with telescopes, ipad and the "Star Walk" app, shared with us just what we were looking at in the sky.  Many constellations were visible including the Big Dipper, Orion, Gemni, Taurus and the stars Sirius, Betelgeuese, and the planet Jupiter. After our great astronomy lesson, we had another awesome devotional time.

Warren shared with us the story of the Star of Bethlehem. Through research and technology, Christian astronomers have come to some very awesome conclusions about the star that announced Christ's birth. 
The principle players were not all stars but actually the planets Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest planets in our solar system. 
Jupiter made a journey through the constellation Leo and miraculously circled the star Regulus, which is near the heart of the lion, as if to place a "Crown" on the King star. Venus then joined in to form a conjunction with Jupiter and thus created the brightest light ever shined on the earth. Interestingly, Jupiter represents the father or the principle god of the Romans and Venus represents the mother or in the Greek, the bearer of light. How appropriate for these planets to participate in the greatest event in history! Do you think it was coincidence? No way! God is a God of great detail and He orchestrated this perfect combination just as He wanted it done. He used His creation, as He intended, to be signs that pointed to Him.

There are 5 main points to remember about the Bethlehem Star:
1. Coronation of the King of Kings- Jupiter crowned Regulus through retrograde motion
2. Lion of Judah-  took place in the constellation Leo
3. Birth of the King- Venus is the mother planet and the bearer of light
4. The brightest light ever seen on the earth-  Light of the World, through Jupiter and Venus conjuncting
5. A Southern Star- the southern kingdom of Judah where Bethlehem is found.

If God cares so much about the details of this "star" how much more does He care about you! 






Check out the following links: bethlehemstar.org and Louie Giglio's star sounds

Nature singing How Great is our God-louie giglio

9 months ago

youtube.com

Where the Rubber Hits the Road!

What a great day for a bike ride! Monday was the perfect day for a pack of wild children to go racing through the woods on bikes! It started off cool and became very pleasant as the morning grew. The Big Creek Greenway was a wonderful trail for our group. Many flat paths and loops provided even us old folks with an enjoyable ride.

We rode for about an hour and found a trail off the smooth path. Many adventurous souls followed the lead of Mr. Randol and went exploring.

Those who remained behind took to enjoying the beautiful fall leaves that were surrounding the ponds. There were several loops that went around water.



When the group came back together, we discovered a pump track. Who knew a bunch of dirt hills would keep the kids occupied for so long? Even some of the dads jumped in and rode around them too!

Mrs. Pearson gave us a great devotion taken from
2 Timothy 3. She shared with us that riding a bike is a lot like our Christian walk. We often do not have memories of learning to walk but we can all remember when we learned to ride a bike. How we first had training wheels and then our parents held on to the back of our seats until we could balance ourselves.

Being a young Christian is sort of like that. We need a lot of help and encouragement to understand what God is asking of us. As we grow and mature in our Christian life we can balance better. We never forget what we learned as a child and from whom we learned it because we trust those who have taught us the Scriptures.

Continue in what you have learned, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ.
                                            2 Timothy 3:14-15

                                                                 

Stand There on the Rock

The Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock." Exodus 33:21

Our October adventure took place in a very unique location, on top of the rock. We took a 2 hour journey to the northwest corner of Georgia near Lafayette. Pigeon Mountain, a spur from Lookout Mountain, is home to Rocktown, a series of natural sandstone rock formations.

The group had a great time exploring along the top of the mountain and climbing on the boulders. We had the opportunity to watch an experienced group of climbers demonstrate actual "bouldering" and saw how difficult that sport really is.




 After 2 hours of climbing and exploring the beautiful landscape we gathered under a large boulder for our devotion time.

God is often referred to as the Rock. As we looked around at the boulders surrounding us, the words great, mighty, immoveable and strength came to mind. It is so cool how God uses things like rocks to show us His great strength, and might. King David often wrote in the Psalms that he needed to run to the Rock of Salvation.

"Be my Rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my Rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me." Psalm 31:2-3

Boulders can also serve as a picture of something difficult in our lives, a burden. Isn't it awesome that the "burden" was rolled away from the tomb forever!  "The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations." Psalm 33:11

I wonder how many generations these boulders have seen.

A Walk in the Woods

 Our second adventure of the year provided us with the perfect weather for hiking. We set out to find a trail along the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains just north of Dahlonega. After winding around some crazy curvy roads, we found our trail head. 


DeSoto Falls was the perfect place for our first hike. One trail led us to a small waterfall and a second to a much larger, higher fall. The air was cool and clean and everyone felt so good to be out enjoying God's nature.


Along with our great hike, we had a bit of a history lesson too. DeSoto Falls found a place in the history books when some armor belonging to the explorer Hernando DeSoto was found in the area. This gave us a great lesson for our devotion time about doubting. Many folks doubted that the armor was DeSoto's until a second piece was found and offered more proof. This is similar to the way many people have doubts about Jesus and God and are looking for more proof. Jesus tells us to go out into the world and tell others about the great news and baptize those who believe; many signs will accompany those who believe. Mark 16:15-18

Besides the hike, our favorite thing to do was skip rocks in Frogtown Creek. All in all it was a great day to see what the Lord has made.

Row Your Boat

Wow! What a great way to kick off our new club! Canoeing on the Chestatee River in beautiful Dahlonega. Shout out to the guys at Appalachian Outfitters for making our trip so easy and wonderful!

Thirty-one of us hit the water moving at speeds we did not think possible for a canoe! The kids were all so excited that they rowed like no tomorrow, well maybe the parents did at the urging of the children. We took 12 canoes out for a 3 hour journey around a very beautiful part of the river.  At the half-way point we took a break for lunch and a swim. One of the high-lights was watching the pure joy the children had as they let the current carry them in the water. The giggle factor was way up!

We did actually take the time to enjoy the natural beauty that the Lord created. Each boat saw amazing things as they floated along, giant bird nests, sweeping tree limbs, turtles galore, fish and yes even a snake or two! The water was a bit shallow but that allowed us to view some interesting things on the river bottom; rocks of all shapes, glistening minerals, sunken tree branches and even a tire!

As the journey came to a close, we gathered around and talked about all the things we saw that God had made. We worship His greatness, awesomeness, and wonder of His creation.

Ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds of the air and they will tell you, or speak to the earth and it will teach you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

Ready To Go

Our informational meeting last week was a big hit! We have so many families interested in exploring God's big world that it will be an amazing adventure this year!
 Forms were handed out, equipment was displayed, and parents asked lots of good questions. The children that were in attendance had a fair share of inquiry too. We are all looking forward to our first adventure next week in the canoes!

The deadline to join us is Monday Aug 15th. Please send any questions to wdjk55@yahoo.com
Remember, the minimum age to join is 9. 

In the Beginning

      Welcome to a new and exciting adventure for you and your children! Genesis 1-ten is based on the Bible verse referenced. We want to provide home schooled children ages 9 and up, along with their parents, the opportunity not only to belong to an adventure club, but also to appreciate God’s big world by exploring and participating in it. All that He created; He called good and we want you to learn about and be a part of His good creation. 

Each month we have a different adventure set up in one of three categories, land, water, or air. Some of these adventures are pretty slow and easy; others will be more challenging and will push you to come out of your comfort zone. In all of it, we want to actively look for God and what He has given to us to learn and share.

Children learn by example and an outdoor adventure club is an excellent way to teach them about being good stewards of God’s creation and looking at it in a different perspective.  Parents, you will receive encouragement from your children in amazing ways.