http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley recent pleonast.com entries by user sdbaxley en-us http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=595388 Well, I cast my vote this afternoon. I expected a long line, but only waited all of 3 minutes to get my ballot. I made sure to color in the squares fully so that no one could wonder who my vote was for. Unfortunately, my vote will count little enough. McCain will carry Texas without question, so from the electoral standpoint it didn't really make much of a difference. But, I said to myself, that I at least wanted to edge him up a notch in the popular vote count. This was my first time to vote from within the U.S. since I was in college back in 1988. My votes in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 were all by absentee from the Czech Republic (that is, at least, when I received the ballot, which wasn't the case in 1996, and in 1992 the ballot came so close to the election date that I doubt it was counted by the time it made it by mail back to the U.S.!) The system got better with time, the last couple of years I was even getting local election ballots for Dallas County that I could mail ... 2008-11-04 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=594000 Information about our brothers and sisters in Christ in Zimbabwe, and what we as individual Christians can do to help: Open Hearts. 2008-11-01 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=577109 Well, it has been a really busy 7 weeks since we arrived in Texas on August 1. We managed to put down a deposit on a house on August 1, it was the 2nd house we looked at (we are NOT overly picky people!) We moved in on August 14, and our shipment from the Czech Republic arrived on August 28. Nothing was lost or broken (ok, Ivana did break one glass while unpacking it). We also have most of Ivana's papers in order: * she received her Permanent Resident Card (green card) * Social Security card (her application never got from point A to point B, so she had to reapply) * Texas DL (she passed on her first try!) The kids have all started school, and seem to be adjusting well. Anna is in the 5th Grade, and really likes all 3 of her teachers. Adela is in 2nd grade, and although she was bound and determined that she was NOT going to go to school, and even if she did, she WASN'T going to like it, this morning she ran from the car to the front door of the school because she was so excited... 2008-09-18 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=558585 We arrived at DFW early Friday morning after a slight delay with our connection in Atlanta due to stormy weather. Ivana went through "processing" at Atlanta with the Department of Homeland Security. This seems to have mostly been a matter of fingerprinting her with ink in addition to the digital fingerprints taken at the embassy in Prague. She has still not received her permanent resident card, so she has to keep carrying her passport. We're also waiting for her social security number, which is mainly important now so she can apply for a Texas driving license. Hopefully both of those documents will come soon. We were with the church at North Beach yesterday for the first time. The folks there gave us a very warm welcome. We are looking forward to working with this fine group of Christins. As far as I know, there are not many conservative congregations in this part of north Fort Worth. Since this area is experiencing a lot of growth and expansion, I really believe the... 2008-08-04 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=554059 Our phone line is going to be switched off tonight around midnight in anticipation of our move to the U.S. next week. With the phone goes out internet connection as well. Once we arrive in the U.S. on July 31, I can be reached on my cell number which is (214) 212-0888. 2008-07-24 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=552575 Well, specifically, the North Beach St. congregation in Fort Worth. The elders there have invited us to work with them, and we have accepted their invitation. Our first Sunday there will be August 3. We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with the congregation in that growing area of the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. 2008-07-20 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=549696 We just got home from a 3-day trip with the Lustyk family (from the congregation in Litomyšl) to far Southern Moravia. We managed to see an amazing number of things in the time we were there including the Baťa Canal. Here are some photos of the kids on our boat ride on the Canal, which was a big highlight of the trip for them. Adela: Anna: Samuel: In the first lock of the canal: In the bow of the boat: 2008-07-12 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=548452 Another photo from the Berlin Museum. This basalt stele depicts the Assyrian King Sargon II who is mentioned by name in Isaiah 20:1 in reference to the conquest of Ashdod. Ferrell Jenkins has a nice section discussing Sargon II in his article Biblical Insights From Archaeology which can be found here. 2008-07-09 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=546395 Another artifact I really liked in the Berlin Museum were these lions. They were a part of what was called the "Processional Way" that led from the Ishtar Gate. I couldn't help but think of Daniel 6 when I saw them. 2008-07-03 http://www.pleonast.com/user/sdbaxley?l=5&entryID=545176 I recently preached a sermon on Daniel 5. During that sermon, I mentioned the walls of Babylon and the Ishtar Gate in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin. I thought I'd post a photo from our visit there in February. My understanding is that it is not reconstructed to its full height in the Museum. 2008-06-30