Alpha Omega Institute, Author at Alpha Omega Institute

Are we Sure of the Glad Tidings…

Posted on Jul 28, 2017 in Blog Posts, Nuttings from the Front | 0 comments

I had the opportunity in July to minister to a great group of third to fifth graders at Glad Tidings Bible Camp (located in northeastern Nebraska). The week was mostly hot and humid, but it was sprinkled with a few more manageable days. This Coloradoan is not accustomed to the humidly. But as the days passed, I became much more acclimated. I began the week by asking the following question – “How many of you are not sure, if you were to die today, you would go...

The VBS package – Fun and informative

Posted on Jul 18, 2017 in Blog Posts, Stepaneks from the Front | 0 comments

Summer is a fantastic time for teaching at Vacation Bible Schools and camps. Rich recently took part in separate VBS programs in two different locations (as many as we can get). A comment we heard from one of the older participants was an encouragement. She told one of the VBS leaders – “Not only is he (Rich) teaching about the Bible, but he is also teaching about science. I learned more science in 30 minutes than I did in six months at school!” Another...

Sentiments from the Stepaneks

Posted on May 26, 2017 in Blog Posts, Stepaneks from the Front | 0 comments

As we mark our 20th year in ministry, we are continually amazed and humbled by the faithfulness of the Lord. We really didn’t know what the future held back in 1997 when we packed up our family and left the farm in Minnesota to go to Colorado. We didn’t know what to expect, but God did. He is trust-worthy in every area of our lives and has seen us through many good times and some trials as well. Even just last fall, as we were concerned about the short fall for...

Great Floods

Posted on May 25, 2017 in Blog Posts, Nuttings from the Front | 0 comments

The other night, I presented a program called “Noah? A Flood of Evidence” to a group of eager learners at AOI’s center in Grand Junction. Part of it dealt with the huge floods resulting from breached dams, including Lake Bonneville and Lake Missoula, both of which almost instantaneously carved enormous canyons. The next morning, I noticed Richard Stepanek’s earlier blog called “A Tour of Catastrophes,” where he mentions how traveling on their speaking trip from...

A NEW ADVENTURE EVERYDAY

Posted on May 18, 2017 in Blog Posts, Johnsons from the Front | 0 comments

Two mornings ago, as I was brewing my morning cup of coffee, I looked out of the kitchen window and saw a deer nibbling the leaves on one of our trees. It began to move off, so with coffee in hand, I adjourned to our living room for my morning Bible study. As I entered the living room I looked out the windows to see two more deer grazing in the yard. Even in the faint light, I could see that they were both does. Presently the other deer, that I had seen earlier,...

A tour of catastrophes…

Posted on May 16, 2017 in Blog Posts, Stepaneks from the Front | 0 comments

As Sue and I traveled through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon on a creation tour, we witnessed a number of different terrains and geologic features that speak of a catastrophic past. In Utah, we drove through what used to be ancient Lake Bonneville, which eventually drained causing a catastrophic flood which would carve the Snake River Canyon. The mountains of northern Idaho were a beautiful sight created by the world changing Flood in the days of Noah. As we...

They are talking about us…

Posted on May 10, 2017 in Blog Posts, Nuttings from the Front | 0 comments

I thought everyone would like an update regarding the recent JHBC Spring Geology Tour. Most everything went well except for… Bus problems at the beginning, even before the students arrived from Wyoming, left them stranded in Baggs, Wyoming for 2 nights. Then, on the very last evening, one of the students found out wings would have been helpful as he fell about 10 feet off a ledge he shouldn’t have been climbing on. We were so thankful he “only” broke his arm...

A LONG JOURNEY

Posted on Apr 28, 2017 in Blog Posts, Johnsons from the Front | 0 comments

The best laid plans and preparation don’t always go as planned. Last week we prepared our truck and 5th wheel trailer for its first spring road trip. We were heading to Albuquerque, NM, and a nearby community to teach at a church, followed by a three day homeschool conference, where we were speakers as well as having a booth. I had de-winterized the trailer, checked all the mechanical and electrical equipment and checked propane levels and tire pressures. Then the...

Encouragement circles around…

Posted on Apr 25, 2017 in Blog Posts, Stepaneks from the Front | 0 comments

I wanted to share with you an encouraging email we received from an attendee of one of our church seminars. At this particular event, I was teaching my Genesis Series starting with Genesis chapter one. Below is the email (the name and location were withheld by request). Hi Rich, Thank you so much for teaching during the Sunday school hour at our church this past month. I hope you can come back again if you have the time. There are so many more things I want to...

The Beauty of Water

Posted on Apr 21, 2017 in Blog Posts, Stepaneks from the Front | 0 comments

After a recent seminar tour, we discovered that spring is a great time to travel through the Pacific Northwest, especially when they have had an abundance of rain, along with a little snow. It makes for LOTS of water! We had the privilege of stopping to see several waterfalls as we journeyed through the Columbia River Gorge. They were very full and exceptionally beautiful, even in the rain! It was also fascinating to see the immense amount of moss growing on the...

Southwest Geology Tour Sights- Upheaval Dome

Posted on Apr 20, 2017 in Blog Posts, Nuttings from the Front | 0 comments

On the college field trip that Mary Jo & I are leading, we see many great sites, several of which leave us with more questions than answers. One such example is: what caused the unusual formation called Upheaval Dome? Was it a meteor that slammed into the earth at this spot? Perhaps it was a fluid like bulge of a salt dome pushing it up from below? Is it a volcanic outburst? Perhaps there were giant gophers in the past that dug this immense mile wide hole? All of...

A STEP BACK INTO TIME

Posted on Apr 19, 2017 in Blog Posts, Johnsons from the Front | 0 comments

Two weeks ago, Marilyn and I had the opportunity to teach at a Christian Academy in Vernal, Utah and a Sunday morning and evening at a church. Since Saturday was a free day, we went on a hunting trip, looking for a picnic and campground that I fondly remembered as a young boy. Sounds simple enough, but the last time I was there was over 60 years ago, and so my memory juices were really put to the test. I didn’t end up finding the campground … it is no longer...