Southern?

Well, since Sept. 21st was the day that prospective Southern Seminary students make their announcement of attendance official and public, I guess that I will have to wait until Sept 22 of next year to tell you guys that Sarah and I are planning to attend seminary at Southern in the fall of 2007! Sorry, you'll have to wait until then to get the news.

 

By the way, my fourth graders really frustrated me today so I took them to PE early and challenged them in basketball. Dude, they were nothing. I smoked them like Billy Madison playing dodgeball. It felt great. Here's the best part, everyone thinks I am just being a good teacher!!!

 

Adios,

   Ryan

Self Control: Chapter 3

I had to share some of this with you! Chapter 3 in Feminine Apeal is SO stinkin' good. I'm only a few pages into it. Here are some of the highlights and some points that hit me HARD.

1. self control is hard; is it thought of poorly in our society; not taught often, even in churches

2. TITUS 2 -- SELF CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL!
--it is inferred/directed to EVERY group mentioned in Titus 2. "We cannot afford to ignore it."
--if REQUIRED, it is ATTAINABLE through God's grace!

3. Self control requires effort, but it is based on the strength God provides
--"For this I TOIL, struggling with all HIS energy that HE powerfully works within me." Col 1:29
--Charles Bridges..."effective self control is divine grace"..."Have not repeated defeats taught us the need of calling in a better strength than our own?"

4.


What a huge need we have for self-control. How extremely important it is to learn self-control, practice self-control, and be disciplined in this area!!!

RYAN BEBEE TURNS 25

Congratulations Ryan for officially being a quarter of a century old!!

Some important facts about the day Ryan was born and this 25 years of joy:

1. Your car insurance could drop almost 20%!!
2. September 21 The Declaration of the Republic of Armenia State Independence Day.
3. September 21 is the 264th day of the year.
4. TODAY - SEPTEMBER 21 - Is The International Day of Peace HAPPY PEACE DAY!
5. 1827 - Joseph Smith, Jr., claims that the angel Moroni gave him a record of gold plates, one-third of which is "translated" into The Book of Mormon. (on this day!)
6. 1921 - Oppau explosion, a storage silo at a fertilizer producing plant exploded in Oppau, Germany, 500—600 killed.
7. 1937 - J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is published.
8. 1970 - Monday Night Football premieres. (VERY IMPORTANT!)
9. Ryan has the same birthday as Luke Wilson, Faith Hill, Liam Gallagher (oasis), Nicole Richie, Rickie Lake, and Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (1411)
10. Sept 21, 1986 Prince Charles admits on TV that he talks to his plants

And there is much more I am sure, but most importantly, Ryan James Bebee was born on this day!!!!!!! And I love him, and I am so thankful the Lord has blessed me with such an amazing husband!!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

Encouragement

    Do you ever wonder why at times it is so hard to receive encouragement, or maybe a compliment? I'm sure you have friends who always counter an encouraging word with some kind of self-demotion; as if they are trying to keep themselves from seeing God's work in their lives (which is what encouragement is meant to do, point others to see God's gracious activity in their lives).

    I'm not really sure why we respond this way, but my initial thought is that we are not used to encouragement. Maybe we aren't encouraging one another enough so we aren't accustomed to respond in the proper manner? I blame this on everyone else. You guys just simply don't encourage me enough, so please step up to the plate and dish out some encouragement so that I will learn to respond biblically. Please, do this for me (that sounds like a modern book on Christianity. I bet it would sell!). Not really, but I have been thinking about this a lot lately.

 

"...and let us consider how to stimulate (spur) one another to love and good deeds..."

 

    A couple of things strike me in this verse. One of which changed my entire approach to encouragement.

 

-- First thing is the phrase, "let us consider." For too long I have been waiting for opportunities to pop up for encouragement. This verse tells us to consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. That word consider means "to fix ones mind on" or "to give all attention to." This is an all out cognitive effort on our part towards encouraging others before we are ever even around them; although considering ways to encourage people while you are with them is a perfect time as well. This kind pf encouragement prescribed by the Lord takes diligence, thought, intentional planning and on top of that, the ability to carry it out, to deliver the premeditated encouraging words or actions.

 

-- The other thing that stands out to me about this verse is the desired goal of spurring one another on; love and good deeds. These are godly things we are talking about here. You want to zone in on the work of God in the lives of people, and spur them on to continue growing in godliness. My good friend Jason is a great basketball player, he smokes me every time we play. If all my encouragement towards Jason is towards his athletic ability I am not spurring him on to love and good deeds. If I see Jason handle a situation at school with a child with the love and compassion that the Lord has for us, I need to draw His attention to the fact that he dealt graciously with the child, demonstrating the love of Christ, and encourage him to continue doing so. True encouragement is locked in on drawing attention to the Lord's work in others lives and spurring them on in their God glorifying activity.

 

The easy thing to do is compliment people in areas of little or no significance because that's the first thing that comes to mind. Train yourself to see the Lord at work in others lives. Think about ways to encourage people. Many believers struggle in their faith because they don't feel like the Lord is using them at all (I know I do). Be faithful to the Lord in drawing others attention to God's gracious activity in their lives.

 

Last but not least, remember the context of this verse. We have a great High Priest who has inaugurated a way for us to enter the holy place, where our hearts our sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Or how about this one, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore let us encourage one another and build up one another, just as also you are doing." 1 Thess. 5:9-11. If your struggling to see the Lord at work in others lives, just point them to the Gospel, the good news of Christ absorbing God's wrath in our place. You will find no greater encouragement than what you find in the gospel. Thanks be to God, who delivered us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins.

 

Thought, comments? Let me know what you think. I told you I would post something spiritual soon, but I didn't even think it would be this long.

 

Sola Deo Gloria,

   Ryan

My mistake

Just copy the link and paste it in your URL box (or whatever that thing is called).

Humble Pie!!

 Ok, I know I talk about teaching a whole lot, but this is pretty cool. Click on this link http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf, it will take you about 4 minutes to complete, and see if you could pass 3rd grade geography. Just grab the state name and drag it to it's state. Go ahead, let me know how you do. By the way, it took me 4 tries to finish. If you're at all like me, it will serve you a dish of humble pie; eat it and enjoy!

 

Ryan

Happy Birthday Ty!

A SHOUT OUT TO.....Ty Politte today for turning TWO!!

Happy Birthday my Ty-man from Uncle Ryan and Aunt Sarah!!!!!!

Here's a big thumbs up and "good job" from your "Bubba"!

4th grade stuff again

Well, today was a good day. A mouse was loose (a pet mouse) in class today and it ran up a girls pants; then something frightened it and it peed, on her undergarments. Gross huh?

We are having a bookfair at school this week and a student bought me a book. The name of the book is The Truth About Poop, by Susan E. Goodman, illustrated by Elwood H. Smith. This book is a hit in the 4th grade so I am glad that I have it. I thought I would share with you some of the things that I have learned from my new book. This is gross, but rather funny.
-- One jokester in the 1920's made a toilet seat that played the national anthem everytime someone sat down, forcing them to stand up again.
-- In the ancient city of Ephesus, rich citizens sent their slaves to the public bathrooms to warm up the cold marble toilet seats for them.
-- Geese poop once every 12 minutes.
-- Scienctists recently found a fossilized chunk of T-Rex dung that weighed 16 pounds. (don't ask me how they know it's t-rex dung)
-- Mole rats use the smell of each other's poop to distinguish between family groups (by rolling in it).
--Sloths are so slow that they devote one day a week to making their way down a tree to the ground where they poop. They make the most of the trip though and poop out 2 lbs, over 1/4 their body weight.

Many people say that whatever grade you teach, you start to sound and act like them. I hope this isn't true about me, although I know that it is.

Well, someday I'll post something spiritual, but today you get poop.

Mark of Divine Approval

Our church sends out an e-mail each day with encouraging articles. Always included is a small word from Spurgeon. I found this extremely encouraging today, and I pray that you do as well.

Mark of Divine Approval
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown Of Life, which the LORD hath promised to them that love Him"
(James 1:12).

Yes, he is blessed while he is enduring the trial. No eye can see this till he has been anointed with heavenly eye salve. But he must endure it and neither rebel against God nor turn aside from his integrity. He is blessed who has gone through the fire and has not been consumed as a counterfeit.

When the test is over, then comes the hallmark of divine approval -- "the crown of life." As if the LORD said, "Let him live; he has been weighed in the balances, and he is not found wanting." Life is the reward: not mere being, but holy, happy, true existence, the realization of the divine purpose concerning us. Already a higher form of spiritual life and enjoyment crowns those who have safely passed through fiercest trials of faith and love.

The LORD hath promised the crown of life to those who love Him. Only lovers of the LORD will hold out in the hour of trial; the rest will either sink or sulk, or slink back to the world. Come, my heart, dost thou love thy LORD? Truly? Deeply? Wholly? Then that love will be tried; but many waters will not quench it, neither will the floods drown it. LORD, let Thy love nourish mine to the end.

C.H. Spurgeon

Prayer

I LOVE MY JOB! This morning I was decorating birthday postcards (yes all you past counselors cringe just a little...but it's not that bad) and I was listening to John MacArthur!! Love it! I encourage you to check out Prayer and the God Who Hears You: Luke 11. It was so amazingly encouraging to seek our God in prayer, for HE hears, to pray according to His will, pray to exalt HIS NAME, pray that our lives might exalt His name, and prayer that the promises of God will be be real in our lives (sustaining bread, forgiveness..ect.). So convicting to PRAY more. Here's some good little quotes:

God is NOT a celestial vending machine;

Jim Packer -- The Christian prayer is "not an attempt to force God's hand, but a humble acknowledgment of helplessness and dependence."

Jamie Moore posted yesturday about journaling, and I too desire to journal more, b/c it draws out my mind to PRAY, to realize as she said, God's faithfulness!

UT Football

To borrow a line from Eron Plevon, "Texas is still #1 in my heart." The game was incredible. I have never seen or heard anything like it in my life (and I will probably never again). The noise level even exceeded the cheers on a sunday afternoon at Sovereign Grace Baptist church when Randy would hit home a point in his sermon. Wow, I was amazed. My voice was left at Royal Memorial Field and now my 4th graders have to listen very carefully to hear their instructions. One thing that was really cool; buckeye fans are true sportsmen. They were very respectful and said only good things about Texas. I was in Austin all day saturday and never heard cross words exchanged about the two teams (except playful joking at times). All in all it was a good day Saturday. Texas has a lot to learn this year and I am looking forward to it. Well, one thing I can say for sure, had Tarell Brown used his head last week the ballgame would have been completely different. It's rediculous that one player would jeapordize his teams season because of foolishness. Well, they need Jesus just like I did.

 

Hook Em,

    Ryan

4th grade activities!!

A girl peed in her pants today while sitting in class. I called on her to give me an answer and she immediately started crying and said, "I had to pee really bad and I peed in my pants." I sent her to the nurse where we have extra clothes. It was crazy, especially the trail she left while leaving the room, as well as the aroma that followed! I just thought I would keep you posted on life in the fourth grade!!!

 

Ryan

Feminine Appeal

Ok ladies! All of you wives out there HAVE to read this book! Shea Politte and I have started Feminine Appeal by Carolyn (CJ's wife) Mahaney. Let me just tell you, we are on the second chapter, and it is both encouraging, and convicting, and such a huge blessing all in one.

It focuses on the principles in Titus 2, and expands on them. This week was the Delight of Loving My Husband. I'm not sure about some of you, but in my life, I missed out on many mentoring opportunities from older women. And now, I'm not surrounded by very many...so I have loved hearing such sound and practical advice from this godly woman, and then having Shea keep me accountable to put into practice these principles. (PS for San Angelo folk, you may be jealous at this, but on Wednesday I visited none other than the beloved Bakerstreet and went to the Phi Lamb rush to meet with the officers...lots of fun! Then went to Eldo to see the Polittes!)

So let me just tell you: I LOVE MY HUSBAND RYAN BEBEE!
And I know many of you love your husbands as well, but we have to CONTINUE to LEARN how to love them (that's what it says in the verse -- teach them how to love). So convicting. B/c sometimes I think I already KNOW how...so if you have the time...pick it up (and maybe even get a partner) and get going!

There are some GREAT Spurgeon quotes in the book that I will have to share with you after the weekend.

Weekend agenda??
--Strawn vs. Abbott tonight at 7:00; we'll update you on the results. It's a Dawson brother show down
--UT vs. Ohio tomorrow at 7:00; Ryan is excited about actually GOING to the game tomorrow!
--Sarah will be swimming and hanging out tomorrow...and watching the game in the air conditioning and a comfy chair...can't wait!

Something New

I learned something new today. When you type something in Microsoft word, and then cut and paste it into your e-mail and post it on the blog, all the apostrophes will turn out to be little boxes. Cool huh?

 

Sola Gratia -- Ryan

Encouragement

As I endeavor into the world of blogging, I think of the one thing that happens almost every time I read another’s blog; I am encouraged. Often times when we read about our brothers and sisters in Christ we find great encouragement from the Lord’s work in their lives. For example, Eron Plevan’s blog always encourages me towards greater understanding of God’s word as well as fleshing out previous thoughts or conversations that I have had. Dustin Butts has great poetry that I truly enjoy. Since I am new at this blogging thing, that’s all I’ve got right now, but there will be more I am sure. It is my desire to encourage with this blog and be encouraged from your comments and blogs. 

 

On a side note, we practiced skip counting today in fourth grade. Since I only teach math, that means that I practice skip counting with 80 kids. For those of you who don't know what skip counting is (i hope you do), it is a tool to help kids with their math facts. Example: To remember their 7's, we chant as a class: 7,14,21,28... until we get to 84 (7x12). That being said, if the Lord ever chooses to bless me with a flock that requires three services every sunday morning (with the doctrine that I believe and preach, that's not likely), I don't think that it will ever be as straining on my voice as today was. Praise the Lord for using 80 fourth graders to prepare me for His greater calling on my life! Thanks for reading this.

 

Sola Deo Gloria,

Ryan

The Beginning of something GOOD

After a long debate, and an extremely long discussion in the car on the way to work this morning, Ryan and I officially decided......

(if you are guessing right now...hold your breath--it was a hard decision, and many people will be affected by this decision...the ramifications are hard to determine even at this time)





...to start our own blog! Yeah! So check us out! We'll keep you posted on the Camp Buckner life, the Bebees in general, Tales of the 4th Grade Nothing (the Mr. Bebee classroom), and all other important events in the Hill Country.

1st off -- for those of you who dont know, you can officially shoot the white winged dove (with a proper hunting license of course).

More posts to come soon!