AWANA year end ceremonies

For a few years now our children have been involved in AWANA. Their goal is to help churches and parents worldwide raise children and youth to know, love and serve Christ! They accomplish this mainly by helping the children do scripture memorization. The children also have a blast playing games and shopping at the AWANA store.

We have children in every one of the AWANA child-level programs. Here our boys are getting their "Puggles" certificates.

Erilynn was in Cubbies, Alena in Sparks and Hannah was in Truth and Training.

And here's a totally unrelated picture of them watching the hummingbird and seed bird feeders in our front yard. Call it a bonus.

Gymnastics competition...

The girls participated in their first gymnastics competition and did very well. Alena place 3rd in the floor routine exercise.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

We have a wonderful mix of culture and color in our neighborhood. We have Indians, Laotians and African-Americans as neighbors. And they all love to come to Hannah and Alena's Bible school where they sing hymns, read the Bible and play games.

Hollye purchased and set up a Slip-and-slide for our children and within ten minutes half the neighborhood showed up in their swim suits and volunteered to help test it out.

Camp Living Stones

Our church (Northside Baptist) has a men's retreat every year at Camp Living Stones. We have a great time and fellowship, do some free maintenance or construction for the camp and hang out with fellow Christian men and recharge.

One of the cool things at the camp is a climbing tower.

Which has a fun zip line for the fast way down.

Your voice does matter - Use it

I sent an email to Tyson foods regarding the matter I wrote about in the previous blog "Tyson proves to be a big chicken".

Today, they responded to me with the following email:

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Labor Day Reinstated as Paid Holiday at Shelbyville, TN, Plant
Tyson Foods Requested Change from Union
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Springdale, Arkansas - August 8, 2008 - Tyson Foods, Inc. announced today it has reached a new agreement with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), an American union, reinstating Labor Day as one of the designated paid holidays under the contract for covered employees in the Shelbyville, Tennessee, plant.

Tyson made this request on behalf of its Shelbyville plant employees, some of whom had expressed concern about the new contract provisions relative to paid holidays. In an effort to be responsive, Tyson asked the union to reopen the contract to address the holiday issue, and the union agreed to do so. The union membership voted overwhelmingly Thursday to reinstate Labor Day as one of the plant's paid holidays, while keeping Eid al-Fitr as an additional
paid holiday for this year only. This means that in 2008 only, Shelbyville employees will have nine paid holidays.

For the remainder of the five-year contract period, the eight paid holidays will include: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and a Personal Holiday, which could either be the employee's birthday, Eid al-Fitr or another day requested and approved by their supervisor.

This issue concerns only the plant at Shelbyville, Tennessee. Labor Day has always been celebrated, and continues to be, at the other 118 Tyson plants across the country.

The Shelbyville complex employs approximately 1,200 people. Approximately 1,000 workers are covered by the RWDSU union agreement at that location.


This proves that our voices and choices do make a difference if we're willing to make them known.

Tyson proves to be a big chicken

Right here in the heart of Tennessee in a little town called Shelbyville (which happens to be only about 20 miles away from us), workers at the Tyson poultry processing plant will no longer receive the NATIONAL holiday known as Labor Day off. Instead they will get the wonderful holiday known as Eid al-Fitr, the day marking the end of the muslim month of fasting known as Ramadan. They have also generously provided 2 "prayer rooms" to accommodate their large Somali-muslim workforce.

You can see the article here:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=202506

On an entirely different subject, a Christian was recently martyred by a mob of muslims in Somalia.

You can see that article here:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Persecution/Default.aspx?id=201016

I don't know about you but none of the chicken that graces my house will be from Tyson.

Around the house

Anybody out there remember "Easy Bake Oven"? Hannah loves to make treats for snack time. And the boys are usually eager to help her clean up.

Pretty picture of Alena.