Missionary Broadcasting.com

In an effort to share photos in a more timely and efficient manner with friends and family, we set up a Harper photo blog back in August. For a while we were publishing a new image every day; that is until we moved, experienced a phone company mix-up and were without an internet connection for almost a month. Now we are back in regular-posting mode, although with three small children and a busy church and work life we can’t promise anything.

In the same tradition as our daily devotions, the photos will come at as steady a pace as we can manage. Simply click the next or previous buttons at the bottom right to peruse the entire collection. Posts are also tagged rather clearly, so you can visit entries featuring specific subjects or members of the family. If you’d rather have each new photo sent via e-mail, just type your address in this form and click the confirm link that shows up in your inbox.

By the way, even when we are not posting new photos or blog articles on a regular basis, we are always active on FriendFeed. Click to Latest tab at the top right of this site to see what’s happening on an almost hour by hour basis.

After a few stressful months at the office with little opportunity for time off, we decided to take a break last week and drive two and a half hours down the Parks Highway to Denali National Park and Preserve. Deborah and I have enjoyed several previous visits, but realized recently we hadn’t made the trip in nearly five years. The girls had a great time, and were especially interested in seeing “da wiver” (the river; see below). They had three opportunities on the way, as we crossed the Tanana and Nenana rivers and concluded our trip on the banks of the Savage River. They were very impressed with each sighting and kept asking for more.

Our Denali 2008 photos are now posted in the Gallery so you can take a look at some of the scenery we enjoyed. There are also a few pictures of Deborah, Hannah and Elisabeth taken along the way. Wind and rain kept Stephen mostly bundled in his stroller, but if you look closely you’ll likely see him (his blanket) in the background on one shot near the Savage River. Let us know what you think!

A particular passage of scripture is examined around our house more than any other these days; Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” With three children under the age of three, we find ourselves quoting/teaching it nearly every day of the week. During a recent family devotion time we captured the following audio. Click play or download below to hear how well-acquainted our girls are with this topic.

Download Obey Your Parents!

The Portland Head Light is a great place to visit if you happen to find yourself in Maine. Some of our favorite pictures were taken at this Cape Elizabeth lighthouse during a deputation visit in 2006. The other day I happened to run across another beautiful series of Portland Head Light photos. Since we have made an image of this lighthouse sort of a theme on our blog, we thought you might like to see them.

Tonight I am posting an experimental podcast. It is an “off the cuff” recording based upon a series of lessons God has been teaching me lately. While I had been thinking about posting such material for quite some time, I could never find an opportunity to get a clear, quiet recording in my very busy (and noisy) three-child home. It seems the only free moments in my day recently have been in the car; so I took my favorite portable recorder on an errand tonight and captured the audio below.

Here’s a rundown on the topics we discuss:

• Purpose of my trip. (00:00)
• The difficulty of raising children. (01:58)
• How God uses children to teach us things about Himself. (05:10)
• Dumpster diving. (06:48)
• Military ministry opportunities. (09:07)
• Contentment during small sacrifices. (11:15)
• Off the cuff broadcasting. (15:50)

Download the Off the Cuff MP3

I don’t know if I will ever record a feature like this again - it was an experiment - but I found it just interesting enough to post online. It is extremely impromptu, very roughly recorded and edited (note the cars passing, turning signals, etc.), but it gives you a real-life Harper family update that is purely Alaskan; like us. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

One note of clarification on the content of the recording: at about 06:10 I say that “God doesn’t work”. I understand the theological problem with this assertion, and only meant that He doesn’t work “in the same manner” we work. More specifically; He is void of all the fatigue and frustration that often comes along with human work.

“And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.” Many a Mother’s Day sermon has been drafted based upon this text. The faith displayed in these actions is both admirable and worthy of imitation. Jochebed chose to give up her son, trusting God to intervene in His life and use him for His own purposes. While this “giving up” of children is displayed for us so many times in scripture, especially in the Old Testament, it is often reluctantly embraced by the modern parent. I’ll never forget a speech one Bible college President gave several years ago. He spoke with great sadness about the dozens (hundreds perhaps) of students that expressed a desire to enter missions or the pastorate, only to be persuaded by their parents to choose a more “lucrative” field. Some even threatened to stop financing their education if they studied for vocational service. He was convinced pressure from parents was the number one reason his students chose not to follow Christ into the ministry. Does this passage specifically address the problem? Maybe not; but it does bring us face to face with a woman that was willing to release her son in total dependence upon God. Five verses later God rewarded her obedience by giving Moses back (for a season).

How quickly our newborn Stephen James is becoming a “big boy”. Here you see a glimpse of the transition we observe on a daily basis. From his very first photo to his first captured smile, our little boy has been a joy. Praise the Lord for a beautiful and happy one month old! Larger copies of the above pictures are available here.

“So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.” I have chosen a blatantly unpopular passage, that could use reaffirmation in our politically correct age. We live in a culture that is far too comfortable with divorce, and altogether too open to remarriage. The world would laugh to scorn those who believe the practice evil, even though the Bible is clear. Marriage vows are not the mere words we make them out to be. They are solemn oaths before God, that bind two people together in a public and legal promise. We make a covenant together before witnesses, enter into a documented contract recognized by government, and are pronounced man and wife by vested authorities. All of this formality somehow fails to produce true commitment, however, if it is not first established in the heart. No couple expects or desires failure; some simply refuse to close the door to all potential for parting. Those who marry are bound for life. Beginning our doctrinal discussions on any other marriage-related questions should begin with this basic affirmation. Disregard for cultural and emotional pressures doesn’t hurt either.

I was pleased to have both Monday and Tuesday off for Christmas. This is one of the rare times I’ve had four consecutive days away from work. We have all really enjoyed our time together. Here are a few pictures from our four-day weekend.

Merry Christmas from the Harper Family! Hope you spent the day giving honor and thanks to God for the gift of His son. (And had some fun with family too!)

It has been a difficult and very busy week. Praise God for giving me two wonderful reasons to stop and just have fun. As you will see below, we have established a pattern around our house. When I get home from work, the girls know it’s playtime.

The week has been so rough, I have even missed my regular, daily devotion post. Hopefully tomorrow things will slow down and I can resume our Joshua series.