To See The Glory

What is sulumits retsambew?

Well it is a webmaster stimulus package…. well, sort of. Actually it is an SEO contest put on by Will Spenser at www.Netbuilders.org – The prizes besides bragging rights and SEO pride are $1000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd and $250 for 3rd positions on google for the keywords of “sulumits resambew” on June 15th.

Putting Airevilo Corp into the competition with only blog entries at “sulumits resambew” I will be using techniques learned over the last 10 years into practice along with experimenting with newer concepts and ideas that will either be discussed on the blog or tested within the blog (look for it)

Link to that blog with the anchor text (or keywords) of sulumits retsambew and we will return the favor with links to your site from one of ours.

As we homeschool we have the opportunity to see all of our kids work. Here is one of the examples of the witty items our daughter had written.  I had a good laugh reading this because she took a basic concept and almost made it seem not so basic.

How to Open a Book

            The process of opening a book is a very careful and time-consuming process. First of all, you have to find the right book to open. If you open the wrong book, you will be sucked in, unable to do anything about it. I’d suggest you find a book by a Christian author. They do not usually write about the things that will drag you in, but even then you should always be on your guard.

            Once you find the right book, you must know the book. You have to touch it, smell it, read the cover and get a taste of it. This makes it easier for you to open it. If you open a book without knowing it, you could get hurt. The side effects are: nausea, headaches, brain damage, heart failure, and a tendency to trip over your own feet while reading. As you can see, directions must be followed with the utmost care.

            Now we have finally reached the most important step: opening the book. First, place the book on a flat surface, such as a table, or dresser. Next, take three steps back; and three forward. Place your left hand on the front cover, and curl your thumb over the side. Take a deep breath, and shout, “Open, sez’ me!”

            Just kidding. All you need to do is flip open the cover. If you couldn’t do it at first, don’t worry. This happens to the best of us. Just keep trying until you get it.

            The only thing left to do now is to read the book. This is a very ancient process; many of the early Greeks did this to acquire knowledge. In modern times, though, we have no use for that. So pick up the book, sit somewhere comfortable, and let your eyes take in those words like they can’t get enough. Some people speed-read, as if they want to finish so fast that they skip over valuable words, but this is not a good idea. No, you must take it slowly, first reading the title on each of the beginning pages, then going on from there.

            The reading step is so important that it takes two paragraphs to write it all out. If you do this wrong, you have to go back to the beginning. I know I said opening the book is the most important step, which is true, for you have to open the book to read it, but reading the book takes the most care. This step is needed.

            I suppose I should tell you of the Do Nots. By their title, you can probably guess what they are. First, Do Not skip to the back to see how the book ends, this will spoil the fun of figuring it out. Second, Do Not skip the prologue, this is the most important part. Lastly, Do Not dog-ear the pages, you must keep the book in perfect condition so that it lasts for generations.

“Now read, read on, and read well.”

-Heather Rachelle Oliveria

When I am asked what I do for a living, I get some interesting responses when I tell them I sell cremation urns.  Many hesitate before they say something like “oh?” Some seemed frightened about it. I guess death is just something no one wants to be close to in anyway except when watching movies, which some are filled with death.

Bible urn

I will admit, it isn’t easy talking to people on the phone about urns. On the other end of the phone is someone who just lost a loved one, whether it be the husband of 40 years or the child of 5. The hardest for me is when it is for a child. I can’t imagine losing a child. My heart goes out to the parent knowing it must be a very hard thing to go through.

There is a positive side to selling cremation urns though – we are providing a quality product at reasonable prices. I can look a person in the face and go to sleep knowing we do what is right. Most of our urns are made in the USA and the quality reflects that. You can buy urns for less that are made in China or the Philipines, but you do get what you pay for. I have yet to see the quality even come close.

So, next time you ask someone what they do and if they tell you they are in the business of death how will you react? Will you stumble over your words not knowing what to say? Will you quickly change the subject because death scares you? Something to think about….

Being involved with online marketing for over the last 10 years, has taught me many skills in SEO and SEM. (SEO – Search engine optimization, SEM – Search engine marketing) These skills are invaluable for anyone trying to use the Internet for sales and marketing. Locally I have noticed most do not have a clue how to optimize their websites for search engines and I know there are plenty of scam artist companies who prey on the ignorant (really ignorant isn’t a bad word.)

What I have decided to do is offer a full day workshop on SEM and SEO here in Medford. I hope to pass on some of my knowledge and skill to those interested in implementing this technology for their own or client websites. I plan on putting on this workshop March20th. Putting all this information together in order for teaching has been quite the task and I don’t want to miss anything and make it as clear as possible for the attendees.

Let me know if you have any interest in this and I can let you know the details as they become set. You can see the business website at SEO Workshop

If you are wondering how this relates to us going to the Dominican Republic, it is a two-fold answer:
1. I plan on teaching different Internet related skills to those trying to improve their work conditions in the D.R.
2. By offering workshops here, I should be able to hire help with my current sites which will give us more options to move without having to sell the businesses first.

 Here is a cool story about tonight’s devotions with the family. We have been going through the book Training Hearts Teaching Minds (based on the Shorter Catechism.) We are on the question -What are the decrees of God?

 So after going through the days short devotion and a couple of verses I asked the kids “What should we do if we don’t notice God’s glory around us?” and I got an immediate response from Silas who is 4, he piped up with “open your eyes.” We all kind of laughed but also thought “how profound”, because really that was what I was looking for. You see, if we don’t see God’s glory all around us, then we must have our eyes closed because His glory is shown from stars in the skies to the people on the ground.

 But that’s not all our 4 year old said, he followed it up by saying “get out of the dark.” Again I was saying to myself “wow, how simple yet profound” Because, you see, if we are living in the darkness of this world we are going to miss God’s glory even if our eyes are open we will still just see darkness.

 Again, that isn’t the last of this little ones wisdom. He then followed that up with “turn on the light.” Now, this may have been influenced some from a couple weeks ago. We had watched a family movie where there was a child who was called “the seeker” and he was the one chosen to seek out 4 items and something else hidden or the darkness would take over the world. I was trying to use the movie made with man’s concept of good being an equal and opposite of evil such as the common religious belief that satan is somehow equal to God in power. I have been trying to keep this lie from infiltrating my children’s minds so I talk a lot about God’s infinite power and that even satan is subject to God, such as a court jester. One false move and off with his head. Anyways, in that, I was telling Silas that the darkness can’t exist with light and all we have to do to get rid of darkness is turn on the light. How can we turn on the spiritual light? By letting God’s light shine through us or reflect off of us.

 These simple 3 steps in perfect order from Silas: “open your eyes, get out of the dark and turn on the light” How much do you think that could solve in your walk? I know I will reflect on that simple answer, that is so profound.

Are you looking to support a great mission group?

We visited Jon and Shannon Haslett last year when we took a trip to Sosua, Dominican Republic. We met them through the Tunnicliffes. They run a program in the Dominican Republic that is an extension or continuation of what they have been doing in Venezuela for years.

Read about their history here: http://www.ninosdelaluz.org/know_history.html

 We contacted Jon resently about working with them for a year (or more) depending on the Lord’s leading.

 Please pray for that ministry and that God uses the Hasletts and others involved to reach these children.

We returned home on Saturday after driving about 6-1/2 hours from the San Francisco Airport. It is Monday and I am still in the fog.  Between the jet lag and a little uneasy stomach, I am not really here. Besides leaving even larger pieces of my heart back in the Dominican Republic.

We had a great 2 weeks with a group of 19. I believe it was 13 teens from 13 to 19 years old. What a great group of kids and young adults, they all behaved maturely, worked hard and had fun despite some long days.

We had opportunities almost every evening to minister throughout the city, from rough areas on the streets to a church service out in a park. We were blessed to be a part of the ministry that the staff at JUCUM (YWAM) has there. This is one awesome group of people who love the Lord and serve Him with all their strength.

Street ministry in the D.R.

Praise God!

He did it. He provided all the funding. Some of it came on the day we were to turn it all in – and it was quite a bit. Thank you to all of those who helped financial and through prayers.

Just a few days left before we leave. So many things to take care of and we are quite excited about the trip. We did get one thing done (mostly…) we sprayed the house this last weekend.

Just to let you know, heavy boom lifts on hard tires can get stuck to easily off of pavement. So, I rented a boom to get to the peaks and dormer windows on our house. I drove it onto the front lawn, leaving a 1/2″ indention everywhere I drove it. Then I tried to drive it back onto the driveway, but it would just spin the tires. Tried with plywood and 2X4’s as instructed by the rental company, but no go.

I then turned and went the other direction and figured I would try to drive around and into the backyard to access 2 of the dormer windows as planned. I got over some bark area and was going onto the sidewalk. The lift is wider than the sidewalk and as 2 wheels went over the side where more bark is, they sank. It so happens that under that area the clay ground was still really wet and clay leaves no traction. Well, we tried to help it out with a pickup and cable but that didn’t work. $95 and 5 minutes with a tow truck, it was back onto pavement.

So, the lift didn’t quite get used as planned and I still have the facia of one dormer window to get to probably by a 30′ to 40′ ladder. But the house is sprayed and looks really good.

Pictures to come shortly….. maybe.

I think we are coming to the end of the fundraising…. It is always hard to ask people for money and this time, like times before we did as much “working” for the money as possible. Jessica did 3 different yard sales, two of which was with donated items, the last one being at our house for 2 days.  (Now, for the trips to Good Will and maybe the dumps.)

Thank you to everyone who donated or supported our efforts!

Now with less than two weeks remaining before we leave, we are preparing for our trip by packing items and getting things ready and planned for the kids who will be staying with grandparents.  As any mother reading this would know, this is a hard thing for Jessica, to leave all her kids for 2 weeks, but the Lord is good and they will have fun.

So, it is getting here fast! We are leaving for the Dominican Republic on the 13th and at this time there are 17 people on this trip. About 10 of them are High Schoolers (or close in age). 

Please pray for those going, finances for the trip, and for God to use us throughout the trip to reach people, to bless His children and to give Him glory.

The Lord will be stretching all of us before and during the trip and the adversary will want us to be in discord, discouraged and overall defeated. We pray that we will fight the battle in the Spirit and not each other :~)