tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56041542839346157192024-03-05T07:48:39.954-06:00A Contrarian's WayA Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-62484452653567530532014-05-10T15:21:00.000-05:002014-05-11T10:42:40.196-05:00Happy Mother's Day!Thank you Mom for all you did for me!<br />
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Thank you Julie for doing this many, many times and for each blessing you have brought to us.<br />
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A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-64918314669090061052014-05-01T01:18:00.000-05:002014-05-01T01:18:00.475-05:00#7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Say "Hello" to <b><u>Abigail</u></b>. Born on April 30th at 9:44pm and weighing in at 6 lbs and 12 ounces.</div>
A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-40597014967944263022014-04-26T13:47:00.000-05:002014-04-27T16:22:09.163-05:00Waiting...For those of you around the world wide web who follow, read, or just stop in on occasion to see what we Zilkies are up to, we have some news. Most folks local to St. Louis already know, but we recently realized that some of our friends from a distance don't yet know. (Drum roll please...)<br />
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The Zilkies are expecting child #7 here any day. On Monday, Julie will be 38 weeks along in her pregnancy. At any moment there could be a blog post with what I know will be an adorable picture.<br />
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Anyway, please be praying for Julie, the baby, and a smooth delivery. Thus far everything has been fine minus a lot of discomfort and some non-pregnancy maladies that Julie has endured. She is a trooper for sure!!!<br />
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<br />A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-62147438869504469842014-03-05T15:06:00.000-06:002014-03-05T15:36:46.980-06:00James 4:8<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. - James 4:8</b></span></i></div>
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These words from the the book of James in the New Testament have been of great importance to me since I first read and internalized them back in my youth. God gives us a promise here--one of many incredible promises in the book of James--that His presence is available to those who will seek after Him. This verse reaffirms another verse from the Old Testament which I have also loved since my youth...<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>You will seek Me and find Me when you seek for Me with all of your heart. - Jeremiah 29:13</b></span></i></div>
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So what does it mean to "draw near to God" or to "seek God"? This is a great question because these terms can seem opaque and not achievable since God is God and we are not. Yet, God has given all mankind a pathway to come near to Him through Jesus Christ, His Son. Sadly, many folks, even those who have believed in Jesus for salvation from their sins, struggle daily due to an absence of God's presence in their lives.<br />
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This is where the ancient practice of Lent comes in and can provide you and I in 2014 a wonderful opportunity to draw near to God. The author of Hebrews, after discussing the amazing glory of God and the grace of God given to us in Christ Jesus, exhorts us to seek after God..<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Heb-12-1" style="background-color: white;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also <b>lay aside every weight</b>, and <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30197A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>sin which clings so closely, and <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30197B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>let us run <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30197C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>with endurance the race that is <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30197D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span>set before us,</span><span class="text Heb-12-2" id="en-ESV-30198" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;"> </span><b>looking to Jesus</b>, the founder and perfecter of our faith, <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30198E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></span>who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30198F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></span>the shame, and <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-30198G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></span>is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Heb-12-2" style="background-color: white;">-Hebrews 12:1-2</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Heb-12-2" style="background-color: white;">We are instructed to "lay aside" those things that get in the way, weigh us down, distract us, consume our time and affections, in order that we may run the race God has set before us...looking to Jesus. The world in which we live is always competing for that which is most valuable to us...<b>our time</b> and <b>our affections</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Heb-12-2" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Heb-12-2" style="background-color: white;">Part of the expectation of being a Christian and following Jesus is to willfully deny ourselves of <b>the lesser things</b> we "want" so that we will have space and hunger enough to "want" and "desire" Jesus and communion with God through His Holy Spirit. Because we are human and our lives fill up with lesser stuff, we must make room and put aside these things because God is not going to squeeze Himself into the cracks of what is left.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Heb-12-2" style="background-color: white;">So on this Ash Wednesday, maybe God is calling you to draw closer to him with tangible steps that:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">combat our natural desires and impulses...</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">and tell ourselves and Him that we are serious in our desire to be closer to Him. </span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Jesus' words in Luke are a great reminder and capstone for this post, because the love of God in Christ should compel us to nothing less...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"> <b>And he said to all, </b></span><span class="woj" style="background-color: white;"><b>“If anyone would come after me, let him <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25316A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span>deny </b></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="woj" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>himself and <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25316B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span>take up his cross <span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25316C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span>daily and follow me. - Luke 9:23 </b></span></span></i></div>
A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-81167102403809410772014-03-01T13:25:00.000-06:002014-03-01T13:25:29.702-06:00Retro Child Training - Parts 4,5These two videos cover the last two parts (4 and 5) of the first parenting seminar we hosted at Rooftop Church. There was a second seminar that built on this one that we hope to post in the near future. Reminder that the first three three sections are in a previous blog:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Part 4 - The Great Commission and Raising Global Christians</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Part 5 - Creating a Faith Community</span></b></div>
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***The resources we mention can be found In these two earlier blog posts:</div>
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<a href="http://www.jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2012/03/parenting-dojo-resources.html" target="_blank">Parenting Resources - Part 1</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2012/05/parenting-workshop-dojo-part-2.html" target="_blank">Parenting Resources - Part 2</a></div>
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A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-8266884012618468512014-02-25T15:57:00.000-06:002014-03-01T13:16:47.009-06:00Retro Child Training - Parts 1,2 & 3I say "RETRO" for two reasons:<br />
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(1) These are the first three segments of a parenting seminar Julie and I did in 2012...<br />
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(2) Some of these are "old-fashioned" approaches to parenting that have stood the test of time, yet presented in a manner applicable for our modern day. We hope they are an encouragement to you in your journey as a parent or parent-to-be.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Part 1 - The Importance of a Christian Worldview</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Part 2 - The "Big Picture" About Faith</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Part 3 - The Importance of Godly Wisdom</b></span><br />
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***The resources we mention can be found In these two earlier blog posts:</div>
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<a href="http://www.jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2012/03/parenting-dojo-resources.html" target="_blank">Parenting Resources - Part 1</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2012/05/parenting-workshop-dojo-part-2.html" target="_blank">Parenting Resources - Part 2</a></div>
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A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-63181790908459647702014-02-16T22:14:00.002-06:002014-02-16T22:14:43.466-06:00The Jesus Storybook BibleFor many years now, Julie and I have been recommending "The Jesus Storybook Bible" as a great children's Bible for your family:<br />
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We still think so and wanted to provide some additional information and background from <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/teach-children-the-bible-is-not-about-them" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">a great article written by the author Sally Lloyd-Jones</span></a>.<br />
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A couple years ago, Rooftop sent dozens of these books in Spanish with our Reynosa, Mexico short term mission team to distribute while serving there. If you don't yet have one...you may want to consider getting one as well.A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-59559075878575235002014-02-14T10:30:00.000-06:002014-02-14T10:30:11.064-06:00What Is Heaven Like?I recently preached a message on Heaven at Rooftop and I wanted to post it your viewing pleasure. As a little teaser, I talk about what the New Heaven will be like and a "cubic city" that is as high as it is long and wide...right there in the Bible.<br />
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A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-34270503119841252592014-02-12T12:02:00.000-06:002014-02-12T13:02:29.905-06:00A Long Time ComingThis past Sunday I finished reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, a journey I began back in July of last year. I hadn't read the Bible from cover to cover in a long, long time. The Holy Spirit lovingly convicted me that my reticence to do so was an indicator of my reticence to make time in my life for God, to quiet myself on a daily basis and to listen to Him and what He would have to say to me in His word. This feeling was amplified last summer after listening to <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/the-christian-spiritual-disciplines" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">this podcast by Jerry Bridges</span></a> which I would recommend if you have 15-20 minutes to listen. <br>
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Along with the Bible, I wanted to read and review the resource "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart. There are some parts of the Bible that are just plain confusing. Basic questions like who is writing? To whom are they writing to? What is happening in their world that would give context to their writing? How does this passage fit into the larger story of God? These are all important questions and ones we should not just brush aside when reading the Bible. We should ask them and this book is a good resource in answering many of them.<br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-long-time-coming.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-81943443629741136732014-02-07T23:52:00.001-06:002014-02-07T23:52:53.905-06:00A Whole DecadeToday was our son Jonathan's birthday...he turned 10. Wow!!! A whole decade of life for the young man and what a blessed decade it has been. Jonathan, being our second child, is our natural joker. Whereas David plays the traditional "straight man" as the oldest child, Jonathan is full of hi-jinx, humor, and hilarity. He does not take himself very seriously and has already learned to play along with my fatherly jokes and friendly teasing. <br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-whole-decade.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-85158145847345924392014-01-29T11:47:00.000-06:002014-01-29T11:47:54.911-06:00Working the Phones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was 24 years old and finishing up my bachelor's degree after my time in the Marine Corps, I worked a number of different jobs. One of them was as a customer service representative for Penske Auto Centers.<br>
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What does a customer service representative do you might ask??? You answer the following type of calls:<br>
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<li>If one of our auto shops forgot to put oil in your engine after an oil change, or forgot to secure the oil plug in your oil pan (yes that did happen and more often than you would think possible) and your engine seized up 5 miles from the shop due to a lack of oil...</li>
<li>Or, if a technician did not remember to put the lug nuts on the wheels after changing them, or didn't tighten them enough to secure them, and then while a you the customer were driving down the highway some time afterward and suddenly your wheel literally flies off and bounces into oncoming traffic (I can only picture this one in my mind...but it did happen...more than once)...</li>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/01/working-phones.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-10930934515101067712014-01-23T14:22:00.000-06:002014-01-23T14:22:23.787-06:00Finally<i>And I, when I was with you brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and much trembling, and my speech, and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.</i><br>
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After many months of saying I would do it...I finally did. The above passage is <b>1 Corinthians 2:1-5</b> and for some time I have intended to memorize it. Today I did...I completed it...and hopefully will remember it tomorrow.<br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/01/finally.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-11548673654407467312014-01-17T15:04:00.000-06:002014-01-17T15:04:05.754-06:00Looking In the MirrorI am a complicated person...but then again aren't we all? In reality, I am no more complicated than anyone else, yet I like to think so because it makes me seem special. Through most of my life I have needed to seem special. Do you ever have similar thoughts??? By God's grace and His gentle guidance, I continue to learn more about myself with each passing year. I can honestly say that this surprises me. While we all will ascent to the reality that we continue to grow and learn throughout our lives, when I was younger I truly believed that at some point I would graduate and reach some level of self-knowledge, a "knowledge of God & life", or more clearly understand the "ways of the universe". This ultimate knowledge or maturity would propel me past the daily struggle of looking in the mirror and struggling to understand, WHO is that person looking back at me?<br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/01/looking-in-mirror.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-58294804338580870132014-01-14T15:30:00.002-06:002014-01-14T15:30:43.266-06:00Thoughts on HeavenOur church--<a href="http://www.rooftop.org/" target="_blank">Rooftop</a>--just began a new series on Heaven this past Sunday. We have been preparing for the series for several weeks with music, promotions, decor, and clouds suspended in the air...it looks really cool! In several weeks I will be preaching the message "What Is Heaven Like?" and as I have begun reading and studying I realize what a tall task this is going to be. Think of all the descriptions of Heaven or the different perspectives of Heaven, or all the attributes of an infinite God that are on display in Heaven. A difficult task this is sure to be!<br>
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That being said, this morning as I was reading I was presented with a perspective of Heaven which I haven't considered at length before. Heaven is the home of God the Father...our perfect and loving Father. This might not be "breaking news" to any of you, but this struck me as important. There is a relational component to Heaven that I seemed to have overlooked that may in fact be the greatest thing about Heaven--it is the one place that is truly home, where my/our true Father lives and waits for our arrival. My primary problem is that I am broken and I struggle to trust, love, and cherish relationships as God intends for me to experience.<br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/01/thoughts-on-heaven.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-52307663986224597882014-01-10T16:39:00.000-06:002014-01-11T09:47:35.522-06:00A Great QuestionEarly one morning this past week as David and I are sitting together in the living room, reading our Bibles and writing in our journals, I look over and see him fervently writing and then looking off into the distance. Interested in the thoughts of my eldest son, I asked him, "What are you thinking about?" Now David is an internal processor and often does not respond quickly with what is on his mind, but not this morning...<br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-great-question.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-83286039666691190332014-01-03T11:28:00.000-06:002014-01-03T15:47:40.596-06:00Morning Habits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For many months now our eldest child David, who is now 11, has been getting up most mornings at 6:15am, 30 minutes earlier than the daily morning wake-up time in the Zilkie home. He has been doing so in order to spend time praying and journaling. I invited him to try this daily practice at some point last year while I was up doing the same, and for incentive I offered him a cup of coffee from the pot I make and drink each morning. Initially he said "yes" because I know he likes to drink coffee and also because he was intrigued by my invitation to do what he saw me doing in the morning when he woke up. <br>
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<i>(***Let me step up on my soapbox at this point and encourage you parents to model the important things that you do in your life...for your children to see. You may not know it, but they are watching and for a time in their life they do look up to you and trust what you invest your life in is of potential value to them as well. Don't be afraid to let your children see you do virtuous things. I do not believe the words of Matthew to "hide in your closet so that your acts of righteousness are not on display" apply in this context. How else will our children learn the necessity and value of these same things in their lives if they don't ever get to see you and I doing it?)</i></div>
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</div><a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2014/01/morning-habits.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-129538517235534932014-01-01T14:09:00.001-06:002014-01-01T14:09:06.529-06:00Happy New Year!I wanted to send out a quick "Happy New Year!" to all our friends and family, as well as a prayer for you to experience the fullness of God's grace and truth in your lives. This morning I read Daniel 2-4 and how God is the great "Revealer of Mysteries". May God reveal very clearly to you His mysterious yet wondrous love for you and His perfect will for your lives this 2014.<br />
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A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-89122600860423740142013-06-19T21:48:00.000-05:002013-06-19T21:49:33.376-05:00A Kidney Stone? Really?Last night around dinner time as the Zilkie family was driving home from a serving opportunity in the city of St. Louis, Julie stated that her discomfort over the past couple of hours had gotten a lot worse and she might need to go to the hospital. Now I am thinking, really?!?! Here is the subjective dilemma of personal pain...nobody else can feel it for you. Julie had been mentioning some discomfort in her side on and off for several weeks but it never went anywhere. Recently she had felt some lingering pain in her neck and went to see the doctor but nothing was found. So initially when she said her side was hurting again, I didn't quite know how to respond. However, over the course of minutes the look on her face and her countenance changed severely and our recreational 20 minute drive home turned into a high-speed race for the emergency room at St. Anthony's Hospital.<br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-kidney-stone-really.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-85014881528725227392013-03-21T23:54:00.000-05:002013-03-22T00:03:40.276-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Thursday PM - Post #7Well today did not turn out at all like I expected or prayed. Hoping to spend time talking with the team throughout the day, I quickly realized this morning that we needed some extra attention at our work site. I am not the most experienced carpenter/builder, but as some of the bigger and more technical jobs were being filled, there were smaller jobs that had yet to be started. So today I went about framing and installing the door free hand which can be a challenging process. I did some other odd jobs like helping finish the siding on the home, cutting some excess siding and flooring up in the loft, and touching up some gaps in the trim to give the house a more detailed finish in those areas. Due to the work, I was not able to play with the boys hanging around the work site: Daniel, Omar, Antonio, and Caesarito (Little Caesar).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left) Antonio, Omar, Daniel & Caesarito </span></b></div>
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Yesterday I spent the afternoon playing soccer or "futbol" with these boys in an open area near their home. They speak no English and I only speak fragments of Spanish, but we managed to communicate enough to play some soccer. They walked into the brush and came back with four big stones that we set up as goals. Then we played two on two soccer with me paired up with each of the boys. Needless to say, i wanted every boy to experience the joy of winning so my team won all three games...it's for the kids you know. :-) </div>
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Playing with them reminded me of playing with my own children and I thought how much the Zilkie children would enjoy playing with these boys were they given the chance. On top of that I held them, picked them up, hugged them, touched their face and head...all things I do with my own children and I was blessed to do so. It appears they all have good families there in the Colonia, but still they live in "the dump". We are building a home for Daniel & Caesarito's family and I pray that this home blesses them abundantly. </div>
A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-52299925351342147162013-03-21T07:50:00.002-05:002013-03-21T07:56:02.103-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Thursday AM - Post #6Am I my brother's keeper? This is a question that has been asked going all the way back to Cain and Abel and its implications are many. Here in Mexico the question has a specific meaning and application. You see, not speaking Spanish I can spend time and play with the children, have very brief interaction with the folks we are building the homes for, and then pray for them knowing that the Holy Spirit will bridge any and all cultural and language barriers. Yet my scope of ministry to the locals is limited. But I also feel the burden of ministering and serving these fellow sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father while traveling with and serving them. <br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-reynosa-mexico-trip-thursday-am.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-81380958271516660072013-03-20T22:57:00.000-05:002013-03-21T07:26:55.416-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Wednesday - Post #5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This evening I am tired after another long day, but a full day it was. Here are some pictures that illustrate some of what we did today. I hope you enjoy seeing some of what we did and I will share more tomorrow. Good night...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatEQUQh44lsaUhDZCtiXjaEjzL3VkFEJ2B7ESZ3cYw9PMz5QH9vZG_8p_qecdXVXM7aX03PyWenYPt8LvNOvTAfyjH0QrxZQXvAZ8uthiCuhvUnm7_odH6xneZKYBS-yYquo4jw2_wMA/s1600/IMG_0438%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatEQUQh44lsaUhDZCtiXjaEjzL3VkFEJ2B7ESZ3cYw9PMz5QH9vZG_8p_qecdXVXM7aX03PyWenYPt8LvNOvTAfyjH0QrxZQXvAZ8uthiCuhvUnm7_odH6xneZKYBS-yYquo4jw2_wMA/s400/IMG_0438%5B1%5D.JPG" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rugged and run down home we visited early this morning<br>
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</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-reynosa-mexico-trip-wednesday-post.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-27326178803251848872013-03-20T06:11:00.002-05:002013-03-21T07:34:20.356-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Wednesday Morning - Post #4This morning as I opened up the Word to see what God might have for me here in Reynosa on Wednesday morning, I continued reading through Romans chapter 1. The last couple days this idea of "exchanging" has really come alive to me. One of the great, if not the greatest atrocities that man has committed is that he...we...I have exchanged God, His glory, His truth, for much, much lesser things. In the beginning we hadGod fully and intimately and yet in our sin and rebellion, we "exchanged" the beauty and glory of God the Creator, the Infinite One and instead chose lies, foolishness, creatures and created things. From God's perspective and any human glimpse of reality or what is actually true...this really is criminal. <br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-reynosa-mexico-trip-wednesday.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-68866293854641655722013-03-19T23:15:00.001-05:002013-03-19T23:15:07.278-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Tuesday - Post #3Well today was a hot one, but the show must go on. We leveled out the very uneven ground in our family's yard, put down some cinder blocks, and began to build a solid 20' x 12' floor, one wall and started on another. <br>
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One of the things that really impacted me today was the husband and father of the home, Caesar. He was present with us the whole time and he was working right alongside us every chance he could. Imagine you are Caesar... <br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-reynosa-mexico-trip-tuesday-post-3.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-19607638801125972402013-03-19T06:25:00.001-05:002013-03-19T23:18:27.651-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Monday (cont) - Post #2So this morning after praying last night and getting up early to see what God had for me in my "thirst", I continue reading and studying through Romans 1. Well this morning I read verses 22-23 which are <i>"Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."</i><br>
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Well, we all in our sin and rebellion have exchanged God for our own feeble and fruitless desires and control and in so doing we are fools though we claim to be wise...this is me for sure. And yet, recently the Holy Spirit has been reminding me that in Christ, I can exchange my own efforts, my own sin, my own flesh, my own control back for God, for Jesus Christ my Savior and the Lord of all. <br>
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<a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-reynosa-mexico-trip-monday_19.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5604154283934615719.post-18749860425827808832013-03-18T21:54:00.000-05:002013-03-19T06:25:47.977-05:002013 Reynosa, Mexico Trip - Monday - Post #1The week leading up to my mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico has been so busy and consuming. Shoot, most of you don't even know that I am on a mission trip right now because I didn't have the time to let many people know. The past couple weeks have been quite busy but full of good stuff and also an incredible blessing. Although I didn't have much time to get ready and prepare for this trip, God was faithful time and again.<br>
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Two weeks ago most of our family got sick with a nasty bug which knocked most of the Zilkies out anywhere from 3-6 days. I got it and lost 12 pounds in three days heading into last weekend. I was so weary and dehydrated so bad that 4 quarts of Gatorade and everything else I drank was just consumed by my body as I recovered from the sickness. It felt like I could not drink enough or get enough fluids to satisfy my body's needs.</div>
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</div><a href="http://jeremyzilkie.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-reynosa-mexico-trip-monday.html#more">Read more »</a>A Contrarian's Wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13935316226956320828noreply@blogger.com1