I was contacted this year by the Portage MDA and was informed that I was going to be locked up September 16th to help raise money for Jerry’s Kids.  It was funny they asked if it was okay.  I have never been locked up before and quite frankly I never thought I would ever be asked.  It is an honor to support such a great cause.

please join me in supporting this great cause!  Click on the link to show your support

https://www.joinmda.org/portagelockup2008/srohde

I still remember the days that my professor Dr Hendricks tore us up on theology.   Before this day I thought I was pretty sure of what my Theology was.   Theology being my understanding of God.  In fact I had graduated from college and had went before the district board of ministerial credentials and was able to give my thoughts about God and how he operated.

Dr Hendricks assigned everyone in the class a theology book to read through and give a short paper on what this theologians view was and critic it  by telling where we landed in respects to their views.  It was a hard task, but we all managed to finish it.  Some had theology that was similar to what we thought we believed and some had opposing theology and others had some that kind of fell in the middle.

One by one we told about the theology and one by one we and mostly Dr Hendricks broke the theology up into pieces.   At the end of the two full sessions we all just were exhausted and wondering what we really believed.  Even the holiest of all theology, Wesleyan was torn up in shambles.  I am sure we all even questioned whether we knew anything at this point, but I remember Dr. Hendricks looked at us all and said to us:  There will come a point in your life and in everybody’s life that your personal theology will not work.  God will not be put in a box or a book or even in our own minds!   From this point on you are developing your own theology of God and when there are times that your whole understanding is destroyed, hold to what you know is true about God.

I am so glad that I went through that class!  I am so glad that God put Dr Hendrick in my life, because I needed that information for future use.  There was several times when my theology was destroyed and I sat on the steps saying to myself  “dang.”  It was those times that I have to hold on to the words of Jesus.  “for God so Loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in Him will not die, but have eternal Life.”  And ” I will never leave you or forsake you” or remembering the story of Job.

I have come to the conclusion that God can do what ever He wants with me to accomplish His mission, which is to bring salvation to his people. If God gave his Son to die for me & you,  what make me think I deserve better than his Son Jesus?

Often times people ask me or tell me “how can it be God’s will” for a Divorce or to be treated the way I have been or How can this illness be a part of God’s plan?   I have to say honestly that I don’t know, but I have to be okay even if it was God’s will!  I have to trust that nothing is a surprise to Him and He is working in my life to accomplish Salvation to the farthest away sinner!

The best part is that our theology may change but God does not!  1 Peter  that says:

” 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

We really are trying to make an effort to just stop and take a vacation. This years major problem was that Janet did not have many days off due to the birth of Adaline. So we took a couple of days off over the 4th of July. We stayed with my Parents in Milwaukee and took day adventures around Milwaukee. We went to the Milwaukee County Zoo, went on a boat tour and spent the day at Blue harbor resort in Sheboygan.

We had a great time away from life! The best part was that Grandma and Grandpa helped either watch the kids or help corral them. That was the best! Glad we took a vacation

For Christmas ( really day after Christmas) the Rohde’s have a baby Girl Adaline.

She is really sweet and perfect….right now so we are enjoying the Chaos that is in our house. everyone is adjusting. Life changes when you change from 2 to 3 kids. Especially when the 2nd kid is only 2. God bless you all that make it look easy.

For some time I have kicked around the idea of getting a shed. The main reason is to get the gas items and lawn/yard stuff out of the garage. I have looked at buying a cheap metal shed, building a wood shed from Menards or Lowe’s, having a friend help me build one from scratch. Duane, our senior pastor at Real Life has always suggest having one built on site. I always thought that it was too expensive, Until I found Yoder’s portables. They build the shed for you at their plant/shop and deliver it to your place when they finish it. It sounds crazy, but it is true.

They have sheds that are little 8X10 all the way to garages. All of them have lifetime rot or termite warranty. They will come and fix it. The other option that they offer is a rent to own, that is comprable to a U-store place.

I took Duane’s advice and got a 10 X 12 loft shed. Yesterday they delivered it. Or really they being one guy.

Before this delivery I had some prep work. First I prepared the area by using river rock.

Next I removed part of the chain link fence.

The Shed arrived on a Trailer with rollers and Tilt bed.

Then the shed was rolled off the trailer

The shed was lifted and set on wheels

Lifted the other side

He then took it into the yard

Put in Place

and dropped

This all took place, with very little help from me and within a half and hour.

It did cost a little more, but well worth the time and the effort and quality. For more info call 815-432-5529.

I knew that it would start sometime. You know the time when you take your child to the emergency room, because they have done some goofy thing to get hurt.

Last night it happened. Our oldest son was suppose to take a shower, but in the bathroom he was swinging with his legs up between the vanity and the wall. Then it happened he lost his grip rolled forward and whacked his head on the wall making a nice little impact cut. It was a mess! Blood every where and screaming, while his little brother was trying to find out what was happening, the dog trying to get in the action. I checked out the head first and figured it was a cut, got a wash cloth applied pressure to the cut, Kenneled the Dog and put the 2 year old in the crib, so I could deal with the cut.

After My wife and I sorted it all out and advice from Lois, we packed up and went to the emergency room. I half wanted to yell at him for doing everything but what he was suppose to do and half wanted to hug him. The other part was the cheap skate in me that is mad because we had to go to the emergency room and add another bill to my life. ( I know I am a cold cold person…..I got that from Janet last night too) After 3 plus hours in the emergency room Max got 4 staples and a great story and a valuable life lesson.

The hard part for me is not to ram that lesson down his throat. He is smart enough to learn not to do that again and maybe just maybe Mom and Dad do know what we are talking about. My favorite quote is from The movie Christmas Story when the boy gets the “red rider”BB gun and goes out and shoots the gun for the first time and he hits himself with a BB and repeats what his Dad said about a BB Gun “Ah you”ll shoot your eye out” only now it is “Aw I shot my eye out!”

Yes it is here the era of Emergency room visits. Now this is the Glamorous part of parenting!

The VW owners are increasing here in Portage. Pastor Brian has joined the group of VW owners. Last week he bought a 74′ Bug. The engine and mechanics of the bug are in great condition. The body is pretty good and the interior is….well um minimal at best. Here are some pics of Brian’s VW freshly tagged.

Here is the floorboard

Front

And the back

Welcome Brian!

This is the new location for my blog.  It formerly was http://www.reallifecc.org/steve/.

so set your RSS reader to here.  All two of you Mom and my brother Mike