Devil's Lake State Park

For the 4th annual Daddy & Boys Campout we joined Tom & Elizabeth at Devil's Lake State Park, located 30 miles north of Madison, Wisconsin.

Devil's Lake is a Midwest geological anomaly. With its 500 foot mountain peaks & crystal clear water, it looks and feels more like Lake Tahoe - not the middle of Wisconsin.

Activities consisted of swimming, kayaking, fishing, biking, go-carts, miniature golf, climbing to Balanced Rock & Devil's Doorway, snake handling at the nature center, and Uncle Tom's big catch (Peter). Thankfully, Peter was deemed not to be a keeper, and was quickly released with only a minor abrasion to his little toe.

Campers: Jeff (39), Tom (38), Elizabeth (7), Peter (6), Erik (5).

Indiana Oil Refinery Pollutes Lake Michigan

The State of Indiana and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows the BP Oil Refinery located near Chesterton Indiana to legally dump harmful toxins into Lake Michigan. We are talking about nasty stuff like mercury & ammonia. Yuck!

This has been happening for years, and BP just got another 5-year extension on a waiver allowing them to skirt the environmental laws that were designed to prevent this sort of pollution. What is happening!?

Twenty five miles to the north lies the city of Chicago, and its 3 million inhabitants. Where do all these people get their drinking water? You guessed it, Lake Michigan.

Looks like our government values BIG OIL more important than CLEAN WATER, and I find that truly disgusting.

Read the Chicago Tribune article

Kurt rocks till he drops!

As a typical 3 year-old, Kurt develops a whole new personality right around bedtime. It doesn't matter how tired he is, he just doesn't want to go to bed! While his brother (Pete-6 & Erik-5) are peacefully slipping into dreamtime, Kurt is either bouncing off the bedroom walls or sneaking around the house.

The following picture was taken last night when Annie and I came upstairs after watching the 10 o'clock news...

The Catholic - Protestant difference

The pope wrote a remarkable letter earlier this month that illustrates the defining issue separating Protestants & Catholics. It all boils down to apostolic succession.

Here is the Associated Press story on Pope Benedicts letter.

Every single issue that divides Catholics & Protestants hinges on the Catholic claim of apostolic succession. It’s the trump card the Catholic Church uses after exhausting all scriptural & historical based rational defending its traditions and scriptural interpretations.

Apostolic succession is the notion that Jesus made Peter his earthy successor, and gave him authority to establish a “church” that continues this chain of successors to help govern religion.

The Catholic Church stakes out this claim with controversial interpretations of scripture, along with letters issued by the early leaders of the Christian community in Rome. Protestants argue that early Christian history and scripture supports the idea that Jesus did not intend to create a religious institution, and instead of passing down a hierarchy of popes, he passed down his way of life as a guide to live – a life of love and forgiveness.

And there you have it in a nutshell.

Related Articles:

Ethan Cole - Christianity Today
Gerald Hunter - South Lyon Herald
Martin Marty - Newsweek
Carl Rollberg - Chicago Tribune
Bishop Vasa - Catholic Sentinel

Grand Haven Vacation 2007

This years Grand Haven trip started with a ferry ride from Manitowoc-WI to Ludington-MI on the SS Badger. We had a birthday party, celebrated the 4th of July, and had a great time at the beach! A bunch of us stayed in a 4 bedroom rental house, others stayed at the state park campground.