Moved Again!

Sorry about this, but I’ve moved my blog again.  Check out the new look at http://www.brentpeak.com.

Thanks, Blogger!

Thank you, Blogger, for crashing!  Because you crashed my blog, I was motivated to give WordPress another try.  WordPress has changed a lot since I last tried it, and I love what I’ve been able to do to my website.

So, here’s my new site.  There aren’t too many new features at this point, but I love the look I was able to get with WordPress.

Thanks!

Whining by Voicemail…

Bobby Gruenewalk posted an interesting voicemail that LifeChurch.tv received recently. You can listen to it by clicking here.

It’s a good listen, but it reminded me of a much funnier one posted on Monday Morning Insight a few years back.

Click here for the original voicemail and here for the dance remix.

Some people have way too much time on their hands. The moral of the story: voicemails you leave can and will be used against you!

Is a free laptop too good to be true?

Is an offer for a free laptop too good to be true?  I’m hoping not!  I’ve already completed two trial offers that cost me $14 total.  Now, if I can sign up 10 more people to do the same thing, I’ll receive a free Sony laptop from the Bonus Network.  Tim Schmoyer with “Life in Student Ministry” has already earned several free items including an Xbox 360 Elite and an iPod Touch.  You can read about his experience by clicking here.  

How does it work?

1. Click on one of the links below and create an account.

2. Complete 1 or 2 trial offers.  I paid a total of $14 to try out Blockbuster Online for a month and to receive a trial DVD of financial advice.  Both are now cancelled with no further obligations.

3. Use the referral link on your “Status” page to sign up other people who will also complete 1 or 2 trial offers.

4. Once you’ve signed up the required number of people, start checking your mail for your free prize!

Still not convinced?

• “It’s a scam!”
  The site I found this network on is hosted by a reputable, well-known youth pastor who has received several prizes.  Check him out at TimSchmoyer.com.  I’ve also had to deal with the Bonus Network’s customer service already, and they were very prompt and professional.

• “I’ll start getting spam!”
  I signed up over three weeks ago.  No spam yet.
• “Completing offers costs more than the prize.”
  I’ve only paid $14.  No hidden fees.  Now I just need 10 more motivated people to try it out also.
• “I don’t think I can get referrals.”
  Since this is my first shot at this, I don’t have a rebuttal for that one yet.  But I’m working on it!  In the mean time, click here to read how Tim Schmoyer did it.

So, will you help me out?  If so, click on one of the available items below.  These links will take you directly to the Bonus Network site to create your account.

• iPod
• iPhone
• Wii
• XBox 360
• PlayStation 3
• Laptop Computer
• Plasma TV

IMPORTANT!!!  Be sure to use the links on this page so I can get credit for the referral!

Thank you very much!

Goodbye, Anton. I hope to see you real soon…

From the Duncan family’s blog…

The airport was today. Time to say goodbye to the 14 Russian Orphans who
have been visiting Tulsa this week. Host dads fought tears. Host moms gave up
the fight and let the tears flow. Young host children were extremely distraught
over saying goodbye to their new friends. Lots of hugs and wishing we could say,
“See you real soon.”

Anton was himself, through and through. Mr. Personality was as charming as
ever. All of the host families and adoptive parents walked the kids up to
security, said our final goodbyes and watched as they went through security and
headed to board the plane. All the way through the lines at security, Anton kept
wilding waving with both hands, calling my name, Juuuuliiiiii, and blowing me
kisses. We will miss him terribly. We pray for his forever family. For them to
hear clearly from God. For them to know without any doubt that God will equip
them to care for Anton’s needs in incredible ways. We pray for Anton’s safety,
for him to seek God, for him to use his leadership skills in positive ways to
honor God, for him to find his permanent home soon.

Anton and His Friends Have Two Days to Find a Family…

I’ve mentioned the group of Russian orphans who are in America this week hoping to meet their forever families. Ten of the fourteen children have leads on possible families, but the remaining four, including Anton, have yet to meet an interested family. My heart is heavy for Anton especially. He is such a neat young guy. I wish we could take him in.

Here is the latest email from Rebekah De Nooy with the Lighthouse Project:

Dear Friends,

I have a heavy heart tonight for Nikolai, Dmitri, Lima, and Anton B.,
since I have no leads and I am out of ideas. There are other children I am
not yet confident in, but I at least have significant leads for them.

Does anyone have any ideas on what else we might do to promote these
remaining kids? Do you know anyone who works in radio or television?
Any friends who might be interested? Any adoptive family networks?
Anything else?

I am including the child profiles here:

Nikolai, d.o.b. 3/15/95

Nikolai is in 7th grade. He likes physical education and likes
drawing. He would like to be a builder some day. He has a best
friend whom he appreciates for his reliability and trustworthiness.
Nikolai’s one wish is to go to America to see what it’s like here.

Dmitri, d.o.b. 12/16/95

Dmitri is in 6th grade. He especially enjoys art classes and
drawing. He likes the color black. Winter is his favorite season
because the new year comes and children get presents. He likes to
eat potatoes and would like to have a cat. He likes his best friend, Denis
because Denis is a good student. Dmitri would like to be a worker when he
grows up.

Lima, d.o.b. 11/10/97

Lima enjoys math in her third grade class. Her favorite season is
summer because her orphanage sends kids to camp where they can swim. She
likes fairy tales; her favorite is a story about three pigs. Lima is
friendly and talkative, and she likes the color yellow; the orphanage social
worker calls her the “sunshine girl”! Lima likes to help and receive
attention. She would like to be a doctor some day because she wants to
help people feel well. Her biological sister has been adopted by an
American family; Lima dreams of seeing her again if she gets a chance to return
to America. She was able to speak to her sister on the phone Wednesday and
she couldn’t stop smiling or saying, “I love you!” afterward.

Anton B., d.o.b. 11/25/95

Anton is doing well in sixth grade; math and Russian are his favorite
subjects. His favorite color is black; his favorite season is
summer. He is able to crochet anything. Anton speaks a little
English. He would like to be a truck driver and have a family. He
believes in God, and told his interviewer that God tells us to forgive and be
kind. Because of this, Anton tries to be kind.

Please, if you have any idea, no matter how creative, please let me
know. Please also feel free to forward this information to anyone else who
might be able to help us help the kids. Please pray that we find the
families we need in the next two days.

God bless,
Becky De Nooy
Tulsa Lighthouse Project Coordinator
(918) 230-4504, through January
17
(918) 939-8325, through January 17
http://www.lhproject.com/
http://www.russianorphanlighthouseproject.blogspot.com/

An Amazing Baptism Testimony…

Last Sunday at Freedom Church, we witnessed the baptism of an amazing young woman. She’s a teenage mom who made the courageous decision to keep her baby.  She is also a resident at the Baptist Children’s Home here in Owasso.  Here is the testimony that she wrote.

Every decision I’ve made in my lifetime, big and small, horrible and wonderful, has led up to this moment. I’ve chosen trivial things like dressing a certain way and cutting my hair. And I’ve chosen significant things like moving 124 miles away from everything I’ve ever known and keeping my daughter.

Since I have traveled those 124 miles to Owasso, my life has turned around. I am not the same selfish, bitter, person always working to fill the void in my life with sex or drugs. I have started fresh and am filling myself with God. Instead of being frustrated and ignorant with and about the Lord, I am embracing Him. I’m surrounded now by Christian people that are giving me one thing I have always craved; love. They have shown me what love and the love of God truly is.

Today marks another decision in my life: the showing of my obedience to the Lord and the identification as Jesus as my savior.

Significant? I think so.

Caption, Please…

Yes, they’re smiling. I’m not sure if that’s a good sign, though.

OnePrayer: I love this kind of stuff!

What happens when churches unite in prayer, teaching, and ministry?

My heart is breaking, but I’m hopeful…

My heart is breaking for the 14 Russian orphans I met this morning at our church. I wish I could take a couple of them into our home and give them a family. They are sweet, beautiful children who seem to always have a smile ready to share. They are in America this week thanks to the Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project, in hopes that some of the people who meet them will be willing to adopt. I had the privilege of setting up some Nintendo Wii’s at our church today for these kids to play on while families came to meet them. It was fun seeing them learn to use the technology. The two pictured here really got into the boxing!

While my heart breaks for these children, I am hopeful that several of them will find a family while they are here. But I would hate to see some of them get a taste of friendship and love here in America, only to go back to their orphanage, never to return to a forever family. Even if you have no intention of adopting, I hope you’ll take a look at their pictures and profiles, and pass them on. You can download pictures here and the profiles here.

If you live in the Tulsa area, you can also help by attending a program these children will be performing tomorrow night, January 13, at the Church at Battlecreek at 7:00 p.m. The program is for the whole family. You can get directions here.