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February 28, 2008

If only we could sell air...

Photo_13What I hold in my hands may be one of the most ingenious inventions EVER!
Ladies and gentlemen,,,,
the bag of air.

I don't know who thought up the brilliant idea to put plastic around air and sell it, but kudos to that person.  They are probably very proud of themselves.

How did it happen? What was that first conversation like?  I am sure that there is some extremely funny comedic potential there that I can't quite conjur up.  Maybe Lowery can.  Or Cook. Or Bagby.

Seriously, can there be a more brilliant way to make money than selling air?

We've got bottled water?  We have captured light and can spread it around.  What about darkness?  How could we sell darkness?  What could that be used for?

February 21, 2008

Professor Wentz? Oh man.... are we in for it.

I got an email from Rondel Ramsey at Lincoln Christian College last week.  He invited me to teach a course at Lincoln in the Fall: Ministering to the College Campus. 
I emailed him back and agreed.  Immediately I began putting together a syllabus and topics that I would want to cover.  It's amazing how quickly you can do something when you are passionate about it.  I really enjoy working with University students.  So, this Fall (if all goes well and people actually sign up for the class...) I will be teaching a night class on Thursday nights.  If you know anybody who is interested in the class, have them sign up at lccs.edu

My wife also told me about another cool thing. If you are the son or daughter of a veteran who served during wartime, you can get a free University Education through the University of Illinois!  So, as soon as I hammer away my research project for my Historical Theology degree at Lincoln, I may jump into another masters degree at UIS next Spring.  We'll see.

February 20, 2008

Sermons Online

I haven't posted many of my sermons lately, but you can download them at our church's website here:

Thanks Daniel for putting them online!

January 29, 2008

Love

About 4 or 5 years ago I read Dan Allender's book "Bold Purpose." It was a very fun and creative read.  It was partly a narrative of the book of Ecclesiastes.  It inspired me so much that I picked up another book of his called "Bold Love."
Love is such a boring thing to read about.  It is really not even a concept that excites me intellectually.  Should it?  Maybe or maybe not, seeing as love may be more an act of the heart or the will than of the mind, at least initially.
Anyway, I am picking up this book to read because I think that I am realizing just how poorly I actually "love" people.  Real, tough, grace filled love is heart wrenching.  Boy do I need to grow.

9780842353519 Boldlove

January 05, 2008

Sermon

Download Immanuel.mp3

I finally figured out how to put sermons on my blog!  It took me a while to figure out the coding and junk, but here it is.  This sermon's volume is a little off because when I ripped it from the original CD you couldn't hear it at all.  I had to really boost the settings on it to hear it, so that is why it is the way it is.
Anyway, I will try to post more for those of you who would like to hear them.

I really enjoyed this sermon.  We had a lot of visitors in church this day and I think that I just felt like God was with me on this one.  Appropriate considering the title: Immanuel.

God bless.

December 31, 2007

Playland

We got a playland donated to our southwest campus this summer.  It finally got finished!  We only had to make a few adjustments from it's previous assembly.  Here is what it used to look like:
Saycheese

































Here is what it now looks like:
Photo_174

December 29, 2007

The Year in Review

Download wentz_family_memories_07.pdf  Click here to see a great picture book that I made with IPhoto.  It turned out to be an awesome book Shannon's Christmas gift.

Here is our Christmas Letter:
This year for the Wentz’s was an amazing one.  We had NO major transitions!  Yes folks, no new babies, new jobs, or new houses. However, plenty still happened!   Luke started kindergarten and is now 6 years old.  Logan started pre-school and is 4.  Mikayla started to talk and soon will be 2.

Each of our kids has a personality of their own as you can full well imagine.
Luke enjoys telling stories, playing his own versions of Pokemon with friends, and has recently picked up reading.  When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up he responded, “An animal trainer.”  He definitely loves animals, and this year saw the coming and going of several pets: a caterpillar named “Catty” on family vacation; a crawfish named “Loganchu” and a fish currently named “Trainer” who is still alive and well in the fish tank.

Logan has really enjoyed going to pre-school, where one of his favorite things is painting.   He loves hanging out with dad and playing with his child-hood GI Joe collection.  (maybe he’ll get some for Christmas!)   He is a great errand runner and usually finds himself going to the store with mom or dad or helping out in some way.  Logan wants to be a scientist and a dad when he grows up.

Mikayla is almost talking.  She certainly seems to know what she is saying, but nobody else has any idea what she is talking about.  Her sweet smile and personality make up for anything her speech lacks.  She can put a smile on a grapefruit. Having two older brothers, she has also learned how to get what she wants when she wants it.  When she grows up, we think Mikayla will pursue working with people in some way.  Funnel Cakes?

This year we are so thankful for being closer to our family and being healthy.  In May John started drinking Reliv, which has relieved his ankylosing spondylitis almost 100%.  He is able to wrestle with the kids, sleep through the night and do everything normal again.  This is an enormous burden on our family that has lifted!  Thank you for your prayers.  John also finished his classes in Hebrew and will begin writing his thesis for his masters degree this year in Historical Theology.

Shannon has enjoyed being able to help out at Luke’s school by being on the PTA.  She organized the school’s book fair and did a fantastic job, increasing their sales by 46%!  She also helps out immensely in Logan’s preschool, oversees the Sunday School at our Southwest Campus (which is going great!) and takes care of a family of 5 including a baby named Simon on Thursdays. Is there any limit?

Who knows what is in store in 08?  Only God knows.  And it is God that we thank and worship this Christmas.  May the Peace of Christ fill your home this season.

Sincerely,  John, Shannon, Luke, Logan and Mikayla Wentz.

December 14, 2007

It is Finished

My Hebrew is over!  Scored an A.
7 months.  What a run.  That was definitely a lot of hard work. 
Now all I have left is a research paper.

December 07, 2007

Rhett is really Brandon Lecrone

In my previous post, I proposed a conspiracy theory that Rhett from Rhettandlink.com is really Brandon Lecrone.  I present my evidence.

Brandon Lecrone participates frequently in Musical elements in Cincinnat, can play drums as well as guitar and can write songs.  Not only does he have a very quirky sense of humor and love cornhole he looks like Rhett! 

Rhett
                                                                                              Blecrone_2
Blecrone2

December 06, 2007

Ode to the Cornhole

One of the things I miss about living in Cincinnati is Cornhole.  I haven't played a round of cornhole for over a year!  It's driving me crazy.  Then, I get  a little video in my inbox today...  Oh man.  The memories.

For all of you UCC'rs, note the crazy resemblance of the guy with the red bandana in the video to Brandon Lecrone.Img_0119

February 2008

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