The Journey to Manhood

When I was a child I was part of a group similar to the boy scouts, but organized through my church called Christian Service Brigade. My dad was a leader and worked with the boys that came through for almost 30 years of his life. In addition to the weekly meetings involving working through a handbook, building various crafts (most of which Mr. Joe Hoover had come up with), and playing dodge ball in the gym, we would periodically go on weekend camp outs to various locations.

One of the regular activities we would take part in as young men was building a fire. There is something very exciting and dare I say "dangerous" about fire and it captures the imagination of many a boy...including myself. Although I was taught to build a fire as a kid, I would also like to light papers and things on fire in my old garage growing up as well. Mom and Dad didn't know and I never burned it down so I guess all is good.

After graduation from high school I got a job as a camp counselor in West Michigan at Camp Kaskitowa for the summer. One or our responsibilities was campfire each night and about my fourth or fifth day, I was put in charge of the fire for the evening. Thinking I remembered everything I needed to know about a fire I got all the little twigs and leaves...also known as kindling...and I put together a fire for the evening. I had these big logs stacked up nicely and the kindling underneath. Well I started the fire and the evening program began. Sadly, I had forgotten one thing...the medium size sticks and branches necessary to bridge the gap between the kindling and the logs...about 5 minutes into the the campfire the fire burnt out.

Well, the lead counselor had one of the guys go run and get the gasoline, they doused the wood, and it quickly was ablaze. After the campfire was over the leader pulled me aside and said, "Zilkie, you don't know how to build a fire?" I was embarrassed and felt as if my manhood was on the line. My punishment for screwing up the fire was the privilege of building the campfire for the next week. (Which was some work gathering all of the wood necessary to burn a big fire for an hour or so.)

Fast forward 17 years and we are vacationing a couple weeks ago at the Lake of the Ozarks. There is a beautiful fire pit and I see an opportunity. I will begin teaching my children how to build a fire...the right way...just in case they ever are in charge of "campfire" later in their life.

First I had them collect three different types of fuel (wood) to burn. Kindling...smaller sticks and branches, and finally the bigger wood where the real fire and heat come from...


After they had collected and put it in piles we began the building process placing the little twigs and paper at the bottom. We then laid the medium size sticks on top of those in a tee pee formation. Finally we gently laid the larger logs on top without knocking the other sticks down. I handed the match to David and let him strike it against the matchbox and...wala...fire. He gently lit the paper on fire and watched the chain reaction. The paper ignited the twigs, the twigs as they heated up ignited the sticks, and the sticks and they got hot ignited the logs...

...just how I should have done it 17 years ago at campfire that night. No lighter fluid, no gasoline, just good old fashioned fire building and they did a great job.

...4 Months

Back in March one of my first posts was called "4 Days". That is the story of how we sold our home in Michigan in 4 days in a horrendous housing market and still got a little above what we were realistically expecting on the sales price. Well...

As of Thursday evening, we have a purchase agreement on our new home here in St. Louis. there are 4-6 weeks ahead of work to do before we close and then additional work to do before it is move-in ready. But we are thrilled and are so thankful for God's provision.

Instead of 4 Days, it took us "4 Months" to find the home that had all the "stuff" we felt was important for our growing family in this next Zilkie Home. Most importantly...

Near work - Our prayer was within 5 miles of the Rooftop building, we got 10 houses down the road...walking distance!!!

Reasonable Price - Finding a suitable 4 bedroom home here in St. Louis with all our "fixins" that didn't break our budget was not easy. We were having to look at homes way out of our realistic price range and were concerned how the financing would work out. We ended up within our predetermined range and budgeted allotment for a home purchase.

Big Yard - since our kids school at home, we needed some room for them to run, play, throw, catch, swing, and most importantly to David.."a yard that can hold my BIG KICKS" (as he told us he is getting bigger and our current yard can't hold his kicks and the ball keeps going into the neighbors yard). Our home is on an ACRE lot in the middle of the city of Affton...a real find for sure and plenty big for his "big kicks".

In fact, Julie made a list before we began of the things she felt we wanted and needed in our home and she prayed diligently over that list these past 4 months. It took some time, but our needs were provided for. Humble, God-focused, open-handed prayer is still and will always be both powerful and effective. God loves to engage us and our lives through our prayers to Him, both the "yes"s and the "no"s. In both cases, if we are praying, we come away knowing Him better and isn't that the MOST important thing???

Since we are on the subject we do ask for your prayers on everything working out up to and through the closing the end of September. In the meantime feel free to join us in thanking God for his many gifts to us...both the enjoyable ones (like our new home) and the struggles where we are separated from our flesh and our personal desires and are forced to lean on Him or crumble under the pressure.

We are so very excited to open up the Zilkie home very soon for some great dinners, great games in the "huge" yard, great parties and BBQs, lodging for distant travelers, and share with others the goodness God has so graciously shared with us.

Our First St. Louis Vacation

This past week the Zilkie family took their first vacation since moving to Missouri and spent the week at the Lake of the Ozarks. This lake is a man-made lake like many of the little ponds and lakes all across southern Michigan where Julie and I grew up and lived most of our lives. So when I received the offer to stay at a friends home there for our vacation, we gladly took them up on it. Our friends the Smiths have a nice house on a "man-made" lake back in Michigan and it is a fun little place for the kids to go and play...

Just like we didn't know what a "float trip" was or what "trivia night" was, so too "man made" means something completely different here in Missouri. As opposed to some bulldozers clearning out a big pit several acres big to make a lake...here in Missouri, they just build a dam, flood a river valley raising the water level 100 feet, and call the huge expanded river a lake and a massive one at that that. (Click here for map)

We had a good week and these are Jonathan's top 4 events from the week:
1. Watching all 11 episodes of Planet Earth together over a 7 day period
2. Going swimming in the lake
3. Ice cream and other treats
4. Papa reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" to the boys for the first time.

At least I made his top 4....

(Those receiving the email must click on the blog to view pictures.)

Eating Smores


Bagnell Dam


Julie and Selah at a picnic lunch


Zeke at McDs playland...loves the slide


The Family...and yes Zeke is pulling Jonathan's hair...love our family!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little break...

It has been several weeks since my last post and the longest break I have taken since starting this blog earlier this year. I am actually sitting in the break room at a church west of St. Louis attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. This is an annual leadership conference hosted by Willow Creek which is located in the suburbs of Chicago. There are hundreds of satellite locations around North America and the world which host this conferences via simulcast. I attended my first in Grand Rapids in 2001 and every one thereafter until 2006. After leaving Kentwood Community Church in 2006 (which was a host site as well), I had not attended one since. So here, three years later I am back and as usual Bill Hybels opened the Summit with his leadership message and as usual, it was very good and a shot in the arm in regard to leadership.

On a side note, we Zilkies are planning a little get-a-way here soon as well. Also, the 100 days mark is almost upon us so there is much to write and reflect upon as the summer winds down in the next month. In the meantime, it is good to be back engaging you my blogging friends and I will be back soon...