The Final Countdown...

James 4:13-15
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 


Our lives are but a mist, a vapor, a poof! Puts things in perspective doesn't it? We don't know what tomorrow or the next hour holds. We also don't know where God will take Timbers, and the students we teach in the years to come. Persecution? Prosperity? Maybe both? 

However, what we can hold on to is if the Lord wills, it will happen. I often go to Proverb 16:9 which states that a man makes plans, but God directs the steps. Type A personalities cringe at this, but one prayer I have oft repeated to myself is "Lord less of me and more of you." It's good to make plans, like the countless hours of people have spent planning for Timbers, but in the end it will be God who directs the future of Timbers, and this is a very good thing!

So "Lord willing" Timbers students and families in the years ahead will make a radical impact on 9-Mile, and the Kingdom of God, for if the Lord wills it will be!

Reminders:
-This Friday is the TIMBERS BLOCK PARTY! 
Come join us for food, fun, and fantastic axe throwing. Sept. 9th, 5-7pm @ the 9-Mile church. : 18616 N. Sportsman Paradise LaneI

-Monday 12th TIMBERS LAUNCHES!! 
Please feel free to hang out with us on the first day. No hiding what we're teaching kids around here, surprise it's Jesus. :) Also if you want to hang out more often we'd love for you to sign up as a volunteer.

-Please make sure to turn in all health forms to us either at the block party or on the first day. 

What We Are Diggin On: 
-We  are currently  working on some fun online content for families to start conversations home with your family. Look for those in the weeks ahead! Start by subscribing to our Youtube channel. 

-Want a shirt that shares the message of this post? Check out our "Lord Willin" shirt at the Timbers Gear shop. 


Blessings! 
Pastor Heath 

​

Happy Warriors...

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.


In the Redwall series the author, Brian Jacques wrote one of my favorite literary characters, a hare by the name of Basil Stag. 

When Basil first arrives he is seen as a fun-loving, easy-going, jokester,  with a quick smile and quicker whit. Later though you read that Basil is more than just a jokester, but is actually a lethal warrior. His battle cry was "Give 'em blood and vinegar!". 

Now, what does this have to do with James 1? Well, as followers of Christ, living behind enemy lines, we should take the same approach as James & Basil, and be Happy Warriors. 

So as trials lay ahead, which they will we need to serve our Lord with smiles on our faces, and the sword of the Spirit in our hands!

Now here's how to fight like a wild jackrabbit!
1. Be in God's word daily! Dads lead your children in Bible study. Tip: Read one chapter of Proverbs and one chapter of Psalms before bed. 

2. Attend church and serve faithfully. Don't go it alone (Hebrews 10:24). Never miss a Sunday, and then serve every Sunday. Don't be a pew warmer!

3. Last, but not least PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Pray for the Timbers staff for wisdom & energy. Pray for Timbers students for teachable hearts & hard work. Pray for Timbers families for protection over marriages. 



Reminders:
-9 DAYS TILL THE TIMBERS BLOCK PARTY! 
Come join us for food, fun, and fantastic axe throwing. Sept. 9th, 5-7pm @ the 9-Mile church. : 18616 N. Sportsman Paradise LaneI

-12 DAYS TILL TIMBERS LAUNCHES!! 
We cannot start this adventure on Sept. 12th, 8:00 am. Also please feel free to hang out with us for the first day. No hiding what we're teaching kids around here, suprise it's Jesus. :) Also if you want to hang out more often we'd love for you to sign up as a volunteer.

-Please make sure to turn in all health forms to us either at the block party or on the first day. 

What We Are Diggin On: 
-Get in those last few days of summer, and enjoy some outdoor dining at the 291 Brewhouse! Their Chicken Waffle sandwich has to be one of the best things this town has ever produced! 


-Need one last summer read? Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls is one of my all-time favorite books and a great family read-aloud. When you combine loose monkeys, bayou moonshiners, and a boy who just wants to earn money for a 22 rifle, you know you have a winner! 


Blessings! 
Pastor Heath 

​

Do I have to wear city pants?! 
"Dad, do I have to wear city pants at Timbers?" This was what my son said to me after I told him that that board had decided to require uniforms at Timbers. He calls anything other than sweat pants and activewear "city pants". 

When constructing Timber's uniform guidelines we wanted to design uniforms that were affordable for families, created unity and not distraction in the student body, and also allowed for kids to still be active for several of our activities. 

In many ways the guidelines remind me of the building codes my wife and I  experienced when building our home. 

Some codes we understood, and many we didn't, but thankfully we trusted our contractor and he helped us navigate them while we built. 

We would ask that you do the same in regards to uniforms. There are definitely reasons why we have chosen the standards we have. Now some may seem arbitrary or not what our children prefer, but be rest assured we have prayed through them and feel that they are a good fit for our kids. 

Consequently, there is a point where building codes start being a detriment to the building process. This happens typically when those who don’t have experience in the process make rules and regulations based on feelings or preference and not wisdom. That is why we plan to review our guidelines each year, and adjust to best fit the needs of families.

Please feel free to reach out with further questions about our decision unless you’re asking if guys can wear yoga pants  Those questions you can keep to yourself! 

 I'd rather be on the lake with my mind on God
Than in church with my mind on fishin'


Reminders:
-We have added some new styles and shirts to our Timber Gear catalog! A personal fav is the Timbers Baseball Tee. You can find them on our main page. We have also set the price points up so that we don't receive any profit, so as to make them more affordable for families. 

-Make sure to get your PACE information in and done so we can start ordering curriculum. 


-Mark your calendars! Please take time to start planning for next year's Timber Event dates as they are required for families to attend. Timbers Calendar 


What We Are Diggin On: 

-Viking Chess? I'm in! Our family was introduced to Kubb by another Timbers family and we have been loving it ever since. 


-As we prepare for music classes in the fall, The Peterson family is an amazing group we have been gleaning tunes from. Their versions of Tulsa Time & Be Thou My Vision are pretty amazing! 

Blessings! 
Pastor Heath ​

Do you hate your children? 
Umm...no! You say. And yet the Bible states that if we do not discipline our children we hate them! 

Proverbs 13:23 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Loving Biblical discipline is so not cool right now. Many, even Bible-believing Christians don't know how to discipline their children in a way that is in accordance with the scriptures. 

And so our parenting pendulum swings back and forth between all love and no law, or all law and no love, and our children are caught in the whiplash. 

But don't worry never fear because at Timbers we want to bless our families with a biblical parenting DVD called Getting to the Heart of Parenting. As the dad of seven rascally kids, and having been one myself, I can testify directly to the biblical wisdom gained from Paul David Tripp as he walks you through how to biblically parent your kids, plus the guy is really funny. 

Our plan is to send these out to families at no cost to you, but consider it your first homework assignment. It's also great to watch with your kids, just be ready for some moments of pride swallowing! 

Reminders:
-Please remember to send us a fun family pic, so that our prayer team can start praying for your family. 

-Make sure you have filled out the Timber's Family Hour form as well Timbers Class Recommendations.  


What We Are Diggin On: 

-Another Summer Reading? The Sinking City. Fish people, magicians, and written by an amazing Christian Author who just happens to live in Moscow, Idaho. Doesn't get better! 


-Nothing says summer and backyards like some Spike Ball! And let's just say we may have some Spike ball tournaments next year at Timbers so you'd better practice up! 

Blessings! 
Pastor Heath 

I wanted to say thank you for praying for us and our families as we completed our A.C.E. administrator training last week. You should be happy to know both Zach and I finished top of the class and with only one demerit between the both of us. 

Having been part/subjected to hours of state-led teacher training both Zach and I can say without reservation this was the best educational training we've ever received. We learned as our own students will learn with PACES and both retained, and comprehended at a level that shocked us.  

Plus everything we did was pointed back to Christ! What a breath of fresh air that was.  

In addition to our training, we gained a better understanding of some of the logistics of the school and we will be sharing those in the weeks to come. 

Timber To Do: 
-Get those uniforms bought soon! Make sure to refer to the handbook for detailed uniform descriptions. Jiffyshirts.com is a great site for a wide selection. Bulk selections come with discounts as well. 

-Make sure you have filled out the Timber's Family Hour form as well Timbers Class Recommendations.  


What We Are Diggin On: 
-The folks at Answers in Genesis have some amazing apologetics videos as well as animal programs for the kids. They even have a Roku app. 

-Tired of learning your animal facts from Dora The Explorer? Tune in to the Notes From the Field podcast to gain Christ-centered knowledge about some of God's most amazing creatures. 

Blessings! 
Pastor Heath ​

30 Days has September...!
We have finalized our school calendar for the 2022-2023 year, and I think you will like what you see! 
One thing we ask is that you please plan to attend any family events and treat those as sacred. We truly want 100% attendance on those event nights. That said we understand unforeseen family events, however, not wanting to miss the season finale of Shark Tank isn't one of those! 

Reminders:
-Please remember to send us a fun family pic, so that our prayer team can start praying for your family. 

-Make sure you have filled out the Timber's Family Hour form as well Timbers Class Recommendations.  

What We Are Diggin On: 
-Summer Reading? Wingfeather Saga is a great one to get your kids hooked on! 

-Pastor Mike Winger has been a great resource for our apologetics courses. Check out this video on 

Blessings! 
Pastor Heath 

What floats your Timber's boat? 
  As kids end one school year and head into the wilds of summer, we thought it would be great to hear from your family what you were most excited about for next year at Timbers. We sure have a few things we're excited for!

 Send us a short 5 to 10-second clip of something you or your kids are excited about for next year at Timbers, and we may feature you on our Timbers Facebook page. Camera Shy? No worries! 

Along those lines, we are asking that each family send us a fun photo of their family to be used by our staff to start praying over our Timber's Families. It will also help us put names to faces. Make sure the photo includes your whole family, and feel free to send a memorable one. :) 

We are also working hard on designing some super rad classes for next year and we'd love your input. Please follow the link below to give us some ideas of things your kids would like to learn next year. 
https://forms.gle/Sb6SU5ceK6k3cUb16

Last, to get a better idea of help for next year we want to know how you may like to fulfill your family volunteer time. Please follow the link to complete. 
https://forms.gle/4Mo3CxqR6jRNrWs48

Reminders:
-Get your ACE test done, or Cori will hunt you down. :)
www.acediagnostictest.com/diagnostictest/

Needs: 
-Know someone who does screen-printing? We need a guy, or a gal. Timbers Swag is on its way!

What We Are Diggin On: 
-Have a 4th Grader? Get free entrance to any federal park with outdoor pass: Free Federal Pass
-Get your Grain on! Have fun with this wood grain memory game. Wood Grain Game
-Need a theological Oomph! This is the series for you! Worth every minute and a driving force behind what we want to share with kids at Timbers: American Gospel: Christ Crucified

Blessings! 
Pastor Heath ​