#11

Brady Valen Theule arrived yesterday evening at about 6 p.m.,--all 8 lbs 3 oz. 20 plus inches of him. Blue eyes and blonde hair...he's a keeper! Chad and Julie, our son and daughter-in-law, are the proud parents and Kyle, Julianne and Nate are the siblings who will be fighting over/with him in the days ahead!

For Beverly and me, it is grandchild #11! And we are the "proudest of the proud" of all of our grandchildren--Sage, Eden, Zeke, Haaken, Kyle, Julianne, Nate, JJ, Milla, Owen...and now, Brady!

I am already wondering when I will get to see him and hold him. Grandma Bev will be heading to San Luis Obispo next week to take her turn at providing care and support for Julie. I will be here...working...appropriately jealous...and waiting for my turn.

Eleven grandchildren is an overwhelming number to me, in terms of the future. Thankfully, all of these grandchildren are being nurtured by godly parents so they are getting a foundation that will hold them steady for the challenges that lay ahead, and prepare them for life.

As a grandpa, I am always wondering what our investment as grandparents might be. We see our grandchildren sporadically throughout the year--three are in Texas!--but our communication is more frequent as we check on school, sports, birthdays, etc.

Every morning Beverly and I pray for each grandchild by name, asking for God's protection and provision for them as their still young lives are being shaped and formed.

That number just increased by one...#11.

Brady, we prayed for you this morning!

prayer time

In just a few minutes about 6-10 of us will gather in my office for prayer--we meet Wednesdays at noon. I always look forward to this time as we pray for the needs of our church family and community.

Our church is medium-sized; about 650-750 call Grace Fellowship "home" and on an average Sunday about 400 attend. We participate well in most things but we struggle with corporate prayer settings.

We are busy and a rural community so travel distance no doubt enters into the mix of reasons few come to pray. We have lots of older folks who have slowed the pace of their lives and a growing number of young families where children and work are factors in traveling to a corporate prayer site.

But it really makes no difference what the day, hour, occasion for prayer--we seldom come with the same interest that accompanies our scheduled potlucks, church worship services, and other special events. Smallest crowds always characterize our prayer meetings.

I want to be careful to draw too many unfair judgmental conclusions about all of this. In my forty years of ministry I remember accelerated interest in prayer following the 9-11 tragedy, the anticipation of the Y2K "crisis and events similar that reflected a state of fear and anxiousness about the future. Then getting a crowd to pray was much easier.

Prayer time is not about numbers, I admit. But I would love the day we scheduled a prayer meeting and had to get extra chairs.

Until then, I need to be faithful in prayer, and in calling our church to times of corporate prayer. The results are not for me to measure.

"I press on..."

We recently arrived at 3:12-16 in our study of Philippians, an incredibly important piece of scripture for me.

And for all of us.

At least for those of us who are continuing on in our journey to truly know Christ--in His power and in His suffering. Paul says some things here that are non-negotiable to me as I examine my own progress.

1. I have not arrived, nor will I, at my final destination until God calls me home. To assume any stance or posture of satisfaction and/or complacency is to battle the potentially lethal enemy of spiritual arrogance.

2. I have not already "been made perfect". Not that this should be a newsflash to anyone who knows me. I am not yet wholly mature, sanctified, completed, done. This divine work, thankfully, is ongoing.

3. I need a singular purpose--"this one thing I do"--to keep myself moving forward. The "goal" of spiritual maturity and the ultimate "prize" of eternal life are supreme motivators in the race I am running.

4. I cannot move forward if I am buckled over by past failures or basking in past accomplishments. Those have to be forgotten and cast aside. God has forgiven and forgotten the sins of my past. And my accomplishments are of no value in assessing the status of my relationship today with Him.

5. I reach ahead into the future with every disciplined fiber of my being committed to the task of finishing the race well, enabled and sustained by God's strength.

The wonderful picture of what God has done keeps me going. He has "taken hold" of me. He has "called me heavenward in Christ". I am daily grateful for God's pursuit of me and His plan and preparations for me to spend eternity with him. That makes the race worth finishing!

A friend of mine decided today to discontinue any kind of treatment for the cancer recently diagnosed, choosing instead some quality final days. Another friend, much older, has stopped eating and declared, "I am ready to go home". Both of these have run the race well and are ready for the "prize" awaiting them.

As for me, "I press on...". I am sometimes discouraged by my failures, and wonder why God even puts up with me. At other times I feel so overwhelmed by what God has called me to do, that I feel like stepping aisde and handing the baton to someone else.

But more often than not, I am buoyed by the picture of an athlete "straining" towards the finish line. singularly focused on the "prize", and I say to myself ,"I press on!"

an uncertain process...choosing a president

I mailed in my absentee ballot a few weeks early in antiicpation of the California primary. I worked through a myriad of depressing emotions, including (a) are there any good choices? (b) is this one a viable candidate? (c) what difference does it make...?

Here's my real problem. I take this whole process all too seriously. I read the newspapers, watch the television debates, sort through the internet "pundits" and try to see if I can make an informed decision.

I also pray alot about this. I encourage my friends to pray and sound the alarm of concern as loudlyas I can, and as often as they will let me, for my church, my family and my friends.

How much power a president has is really a subject for discussion. Some would argue that he current edition has usurped his powers (closer examination would reveal that as a presidential malady)...and the very fact that he can, makes his position one of considerable influence and power.

He is also monitored by a zealous congress and a watchdog Supreme Court. He is subject to the capriciousness of a predisposed press and the scrutiny of a deeply-divided American public. His popularity--should he ever enjoy it--is illusory and temporary at best.

The selection of a president--even if we get the one we want--signals nothing of certain change. The whims of the governing process are so financed and forged by lobbying interests that predicting the course of action under any elected offical is not worth betting the house on.

Here's where I am left...not fatalistically or even with a sense of determined resignation. Romans 13:1 simply states, "...FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT THAT WHICH GOD HAS ESTABLISHED."

God's soveriegn role in this while process is the only thing of which i am certain. He will not be surprised if Obama, Clinton or McCain shows up in the White House. He will not panic that we have elected an African American, a woman or a war hero.

We can be certain that He will be prepared to continue unfolding his divine plan for a lost world..and so we can rest in that confidence, whatever the process or political party in power.

How much do I want to know Christ?

The words of Paul inPhilippians 3:10,11 got my attention last week. "I want to know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead".

At a cursory glance, as a believer, it would seem almost blasphemous to say anything less than "I want to know Christ" but Paul takes it to a whole new dimension employing the practical and personal elements of knowing something--practical in the sense of experiencing what we say we know and putting it into practice, and personal, in the sense of deeply connecting with someone and knowing them intimately.

Paul further defines what he means by suggesting that to know Christ means we know the power of His resurrection, something decribed in Ephesians 1 as the "same power that raised Jesus from the dead". It i easy to stand in line and await the infusion of that power into our lives as believers, defined in II Peter 1 as "divine power that gives us everything we need for life and goldiness..." This is what God promsies a believer who is walking with Him.

Signing up for the second part of the "knowing Christ" program may be more tenuous and make us pause to reconsider--"the fellowship of sharing in His suffering". The apostles counted it a privilge to suffer for Christ and Paul suggests in II Corinthians that God's strength operates at peak efficiency when we sense our weakness. The promise, "My grace is sufficient for you", can take us through the veil of suffering and brings us to spiritua growth and maturity on the other side.

Knowing Christ is a combination of the power and the pain we experience in our daily walk with Christ. If we want to participate in the fullness of Christ, we can only do so when we willingly submit to both. I do want to know Christ.

SIXTY...AND COUNTING

It is a sobering thought to consider your life is--generously speaking--75% over. As I celebrated my sixtieth birthday this week, surrounded by an avalanche of well-wishers and "doom-sayers", I have reminded myself this is a significant time in my life.

Why?

1. I want to finish well. There is nothing maudlin about thinking about being on the final quarter of a mile track. I can remember what is was like to run that final quarter--fatigued and worn from the first three--and hoping to sprint to the finish line. I never sprinted, but I could usually find some "extra oomph" to finish the race upright!

2. I want to live as if to prepare myself for heaven. I don't want to sneak in by the "skin of my teeth". I want to celerate my hope in Christ and say with Paul, "To me to live is Christ and to die is gain!" I have watched some of older saints of our church cross into eternity and I want to make a triumphant entrance as well by the grace of God.

3. I want to spend myself investing my resources in what really matters--my children and grandchildren, my friends--and in my sphere of ministry, seeking to reach those who don't know Christ, and strengthening those who are following him.

I couldn't even blow out my own birthday candles because I had a cold and sore throat (read earlier blog), not a great way to enter my seventh decade. But I was surrounded by my friends and my sixtieth birthday was something I truly celebrated!

sore throats

It started Friday--I could feel it coming--atacking my throat with itchiness, scratchiness, occasional pain, and a violent onslaught of mucuos. I know, it's not a pretty picture...but it is what it is, and it happens almost every winter at least once.

Sunday morning I awakened with my throat raw, my sinus cavity filled, and my voice raspy and weakened even though I was deliberate and intentionally quiet on Saturday--a difficult challenge for me any day of the week. But it was a huge church day with an important comgregational meeting, a special worship service and a potluck to follow. And I like potlucks--not so much for the food (I am always at the end of the line and it is usually "slim pickins")--but for the fellowship. People talk more when they are eating!

I made it through my sermon and headed for the potluck line just thankful I finished. It is amazing how God blesses what we do--however scratchy and raspy it may sound--when we are focused on simply serving Him.

It also reminds me that God is the one who makes the difference. No matter how eloquent we think we are or how resonant the sound of our voices (God, help me...), it is the work of the Holy Spirit alone that translates the message. God can use me, if He chooses, and He can use me even if I have a "sore throat". To God be the glory!

snow advisory

The weather alert feature on my computer just advised me of snow storms in the outlying higher areas with accumulations of over a foot in new snow possible tonjight and tomorrow. At 1000 feet I am just a few miles away rom the magical 2500-3000 foot barrier where the snow is actually measurable on the ground. the cold wind and rain remind me it is only a few miles away, literally around the corner from. My secretary lives about twenty-five miles away and shoveled out of a foot of snow to get to work this morning at 3500 feet!

The storm advisory warnings are issued to encourage us not to venture up into the higher elevations due to road conditions and possible threats to safety. It's enough for me to stay nestled in the comfortable confines of Jackson and sutter Creek, which layat the base of the Sierra Nevadas that house the winter snow.

Occasionally I like to venture out into the snowy conditions, head up nearby Highway 88 and view the snow. My four-wheel drive vehicle provides me with a measure of confidence, but I am not a "veteran" of driving in the hazardous snow and black ice. I trust the warnings issued by those who understand the condition of the roads. A coupl of weeks ago I experimented on some icy roads and the results were scary, to say the least. I was in "untried" territory.

Sometimes we think it is adventurous to ignore the warning signs and to explore areas declared "off limits" or unsafe. God's Word is full of road markers warning against the potential dangers lurking in the shadows on the pathway of life. These are in place to protect us from danger, injury, and even destruction. remember the words "There is a way that seems right to man but it leads to destruction"? These are not intended by God to limit our happiness, zeal for life and enoyment of His creation. But God knows the road. And it would be good for us to pay attention to the warnings of His Word.

I am not driving up-country today. More snow has fallen and the weather advisory today is to avoid drving on the icy wet roads unless absoultely necessary.

I feel safer already...

micah and audrey

Kicking a soccer ball...a key to evangelism. For five hundred boys in Kenya their passion for soccer has ignited a vision within the hearts of Micah and Audrey McElveen for an opportunity to reach them with the gospel.

Three years ago Micah traveled to Africa as a young man, and so moved by the plight of the children, asked himself the question, "What can I do to make a difference here?" The result of that question has culminated in the organization of Vapor Sports , and the development of a template for ministry that Micah, along with his new wife, Audrey, have vowed to take to the needy places of the world. The slums of Nairobi, which comprise the second largest skidrow of the world, have become the target of their first outreach. Already twenty trained and paid nationals, along with twenty volunteers, administrate a soccer porgram for over five hundred boys there who gather together five days a week to pursue the passion of Kenyan children--soccer. Along with the soccer leagues established for tiered age groups for competition, Micah has instituted a Bible study program that is a part of the two and a half hour daily regimen. This totally indigenous work, coupled with a local church, provides a framework for touching the lives of young Kenyan children and re-directing the course of their lifes into something productive and something hopeful.

Miocah calls it a "niche" ministry, and because it meets a specific need, local officials have allowed them access into schools, given them exposure over television and interviewed them over local radio stations. How has it been received? As they "kicked off" their last season, over 2,000 Kenyan children came to sign up for the 500 spots available. It is incredibly sad to think that 75% of those who came had to be turned away.

A local church has provided land that has been turned into soccer fields and funds are now being raised for the expansion of this exciting outreach. Freddie,a four year old discovered in the slums, has become the poster child for this ministry. "Freddie stories", Micah's idea, bring laughter and tears when the details of his life are unfolded to reveal a small child fending for himself with a disinterested father and literally living like an animal to survive. Now adopted by the Vapor Sports family, Freddie is emerging from his hopeless existence into a life of once unimagined opportunity through the hope of the gospel shared by those who love Jesus.

Micah's vision for children and young people has been fueled by the verse, "Life is but a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes...", and is encapsulated in these three words--"Life is short!" We have only so much time to make a difference, and Micah and Audrey's passion for investing their lives is taking them across the country to build a financial base for their dream of establishing similar ministries around the world.

I'm in...how about you?

Christmas reflections

On Christmas morning we left early for the airport and flew to Dallas, Texas to spend the holidays with my daughter, Jennifer, and her family, and my son, Jeff,and his family. Included in the deal in a son-in-law, TJ (fatal flaw is he loves the Dallas Cowboys) and daughter-in-law, Jeannette (best quality is she loves the San Francisco 49ers). The frosting on the cake is three grandchildren--JJ(8), Milla (just turned 5) and Owen (2).

Back in the office two days later I am still smiling...

*I watched the 49ers with Jeff and Jeannette, get hammered by the Browns, but in between grunts and groans of disapproval, revelled in their company.

*I played Wii, a relatively new computerized television interactive game, with various family members and was consistently "skunked" by my eight year old grandson, JJ.

*I was joined in bed several mornings by Milla, my five year old granddaughter, the one with the smile and beautiful dimples.

*I took walks every day with my wife--and assorted family members--and felt rejuvenated by the cold Dallas morning air.

*I ate out at several restuarants but especially enjoyed the home-cooked meals prepared for us, including barbecued hamburgers and Asian lettuce wraps. I also had my allotment of Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream, a Texas delicacy.

*I sat in church with my son and his family and was excited to see that his family is a vital part of a great church in which they serve.

*I was reminded how blessed I am to have healthy children and grandchildren who love the Lord. This gives me a huge sense of peace.

We shed a few tears when we left. We are not sure when we will see the Dallas group again. Needlss to say, I msised my daughter, Andie, and her husband, Jason, who spent some of the holidays in Cleveland, and my son, Greg, who now lives in London. I dream of the day we can all get together!

We met earlier in San Luis Obispo with Bev's sons, Tim (Susie) and Chad (Julie, seven months pregnant), and seven of our grandchildren--Sage, Kyle, Eden, Julianne, Zeke, Nate and Hakken. Opening presents with them was exciting and delightfully noisey, to say the least. We look forward to seeing them more often since they are closer-by and sharing a few days of "Cousins Camp" with all of our granchildren over the age of four--that's eight of them--though the Texas group probably can't join us.

Anyway, thanks for letting me share what keeps me smiling--wonderful memories of children and grandchildren--who we love very much!

a scriptural investment strategy

Whenever I read thse words from James 4:13-17, I am awakened again to the importance of seeking God as I "plan" my life.

"Now listen you who say 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that'..."

I have recently been teaching a three week Sunday School class on the subject "A Scriptural Investment Strategy". About sixty have bene participating in a workshop environment that included three sections.

Part #1 A "State of the Union Address", an overview of how I am--we are--doing in relationships to God, family, my job/vocation, etc.

Part #2 A "Survey of My Assets and Liabilities", inventorying my strengths and weaknesses, identifying potential areas of needed growth

Part #3 A "Strategy for Growth and Joy", an examination of scriptural principles to guide me in challenging myself to seek God's will in facing the new year

The final section included a "Twelve Step program for Reallignment", built around the concept that as believers we are commanded to "offer your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to god--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will", Romasn 12:1,2.

I believe that we can discover how to move from the self-centeredness of the pursuit of our own will ("plans") to a reallignment of our will with God's through His work of grace, because "now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness..." Romans 6:22.

Here are some suggestions to prayefully consider through this twelve step program...

R-ecognize where the areas of need for growth exist. Own them. II Peter 3:18

E-valuate the resources you have in Christ to address those needs. Thank God. Philippians 4:13

A-ffirm your need fo help from God and for personal discipline. Ask Him. Hebrews 12:11-13

L-ist what you can do to address the needs before you. Be intentional. II Corinthians 12:9

L-et go of any excuses that would keep you from moving ahead. Be firm. Philippians 3:13,14

I-dentify an accountability partner to help chart your progress. Invite someone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

G-et started by coupling your personal resources with the resources you need for help and support. Think carefully. Galatians 6:2-5

N-etwork with a small group--Bible study, care group, Sunday school class, etc.--as a necessary help/support resource. Make time. Hebrews 10:24,25

M-onitor your progress by measuirng where you are with the Word of God. Read daily. II Timothy 3:15-17

E-xpect this to be a process, not an overnight "fix". Be real. II Thessalonians 1:3

N-egotiate with others the support you need. Speak clearly. Romans 12:9-21

T-hank God for what He is doing today. Begin now. Colossians 3:15-17.

As we enter a new year I am reminded of these words from Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." If I want to invest in my life with things that will produce eternal dividends--things of lasting value--then I must embrace God's will--God's plans--for my life.

If I do this, I can face the new year with "hope and a future" that will surpass any plans I could make for myself independent of God. Reallgnment may be in order..take the steps.

(Materials are available through Grace Fellowship Church at 8040 South Highway 49, Jackson, California 95642, or, at 209-223-1971)

BRAIN TUMOR

So you wake up and you are in a hospital and a doctor is explaining your recent loss of memory, some of your unusual behaviors, and affirming your excellent health. He finishes by saying, "But, we have found a large mass on your brain".

It's on to a bigger hospital, more tests, anxious people crowding around to know how you are doing...and then another doctor arirves with the newest verdict. "You have a malignant tumor that has grown deep into your brain. We are going to try to take it out although I am pretty sure we can't get it all. We will deal with what's left after surgery is over..."

Now some friends arrive, family members begin to congregate...and the pastor comes. He sits quietly by your hospital bed while you are trying to make sense of everything that is happening, bewildered by a brain beseiged by an attacking tumor. Your pastor asks if you are afraid--you weakly nod your head--and he quickly affirms how natural that is but hurries to assure you of the confidence and peace we can have knowing God is on the scene.

Your pastor prays for you--your spouse is crying--and you are hanging on to every word, trying to make sense of everything that is happening. Trying to believe and to have faith, still confused by what you can't process because your brain is running on low.

And then the pastor leaves...your spouse follows him our of the room, hopefully to get some last minute tidbit of hope.

In bed you try to sleep. Tomorrow is surgery day and you want to be ready. What was that surgery for again? Your mind is cluttered with fragments of information, unable to be processed. What you can remember is who Jesus is...and so you call out to Him in the darkness of your room.

when a young person dies...

A week ago yesterday I was called to the hospital where a thirty-two year old mother of three children had died in her sleep. She was a sepcial part of our church family and a special friend to me. We had spent time together on many occasions visiting about her life and more than once we had prayed over the telephone for the migraine headaches that haunted her. In the past year her husband survived brain surgery and we walked together through that crisis with her family as well.

As I stood with this young woman's mother, she grieved quietly by saying, "Mothers are not made to bury their daughters..."

As I visited with her husband, her sisters, her extended family and many of her closest friends, I was struck by the fact that when a young person dies we are "gifted" with a sharpened sense of our mortality.

Six hudnred people filled our sanctuary and the local mortician commented to me that this was one of the largest funerals in our small county...because the news of a young life interrupted in full bloom has such impact.

As I have listened over the past days I have heard young people and older folks alike say to me in many different ways the same thing--"We need to be more serious about our relationship to God because we don't know what time any of us could be called home..."

When a young person dies, reminded of my mortality, I am also reminded of my hope in Christ. Ii is enough to make me think about living every day as if it could be my last...and rejoicing about what lies ahead in Christ.

reflections on a special day

The weather was unseasonably beautiful(crisp and sunny), the food was predictably scrumptious (we have great cooks!), the music was appropriately praiseful (the McCarty family outdid themselves), the envronment was "family-style" warm(there's a new word picture)...

The turnout was somewhat disappointing...but only in the sense we could have fed more and we know there were many who missed an opportunity to experience the legions of workers we had positioned to serve up an afternoon of God's love!

Still, in the final analysis, after I had joined with others imn the final tasks of scouring food-pitted pans and shining the stainless steel kitchen sinks, what stood out in my mind was only intense satisfaction!

*We fed over 225 which included 75-100 from the community who came with various needs

*We had nearly 150 workers from the church who helped in some way to make this outreach happen

*We gave out over 50 coats and jackets to needy families

*We reveled in the testimonies of many there who expressed their thanks in varied responses whose central theme was, "Thanks for a place to come where we felt loved".

*We went home tired but energized, full of turkey and overflowing with thanksgiving to God.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribale gift!" II Corinthians 9:15

thanks...

We will be saying "thanks" to God on Thanksgiving Day by feeding approximately 200 people--homeless, elderly, needy, lonely. We have a glorious opportunity--yes, that is exactly how I feel about it--to share the love of God with them and to express our thanks to God for His goodness to us!

Anout 125 of us are lined up for the task. We will begin gathering together tomorrow morning--some have already been setting up tables, decorating, cooking--and opening the doors to the public at 11:30 a.m. We are preparing a wonderful home-cooked meal, sharing special music and testimonies of God's faithfulness, and distributing gifts for each child and coats and sweaters to those who need them.

When it is all over about 75 of us will remain to share Thanksgiving together and to rejoice in what God has done.

Can't wait!

Help!

Sometimes I am overcome by the masses of people who need help. Today is one of those "sometimes"...

...someone needs help because their propane bill is behind and they are sleeping in the cold without heat

...someone needs help with gas money because they are homeless and have been moved from the location they had been illegally camped in

...someone need help because they are in a fractured relationship and they are really hurting

...someone needs help because everything they say seems to estrange them even further from the love of their life

...someone needs help because they are struggling to keep their head above water as they wrestle with addiction


There are alot of us who need help; in fact, at some level we all need help. To each of these who come we can offer prayer for God's guidance and direction...and $25 for gasoline, "catch up" monies for the propane so the gas can be turned on, empathy for the hurting one, counsel for the who offends without thinking, and a "pep talk" built on the promise of God's strength for the one who is trying to say "no".

Help! When you go to God you have gone to the right place.

All I have to do is direct people that way, even though the sheer enormity of those who need help--just like me--can be frightening.

I am glad "God" is what we have to offer here.

honesty

Someone mislead me this last week. They said something was true and it was not. When confronted with their deception, they continued to deny they said it, even though others affirmed they heard it as well. Their dishonesty affected alot of people.

Someone said I lied today. It was over a small thing (lies are really never "small" or "white") but the sting of those words--which were untrue--was painful for me because I value telling the truth and hearing the truth. This unwarranted accusation affected only me. I am uncertain that this person feels they did anything wrong in calling me a "liar".

Being honest is not always easy. I used to lie before I was a Christian; in fact, I told the same lies so many times it is difficult to remember what was actually truth and what was fiction. When I became a Christian I purposed to start telling the truth. The first truth was that I weas a sinner and a liar and I needed God's help to change my behavior.

That's been forty-two years ago now and I have slipped and shaded the truth since more than once. But I never felt good about it and I have sought to be honest in all of my words from that day forward.

Whether being misled--and failing to discern it--or being called a liar--and not deserving it--it is clear to me that "honesty is the best policy". That phrase might be worth remembering...

a family wedding

I just returned from a family wedding. This was from Beverly's side of the family so there were alot of people who were unfamiliar to me. Still, I concluded this weekend that family weddings are a good thing!

*They provide a time for families to come together; we live scattered apart from one another and this provides an opportunity to "catch up" with members of the family we don't get to see very often.

*The insitution of marriage is being diminished by today's pundits so our presence at a wedding affirms its importance to us!

*Weddings provide a format for us to remember the marriage vows we made to each other--however long ago--and to "renew" them in our own minds.

When the next family wedding comes around and you are less than excited about attending, remember the values to be rediscovered!

what makes a great worship service,,,?

I would like to bottle up what we shared last Sunday in our worship service and have a drink of it each week because it was a great worship experience. Why? Let me share a few observations...

1. We shared Communion. Someone said to me that Communion challenges us to be honest about our walk with God and opens us in a unique way to the Holy Spirit's gentle tug is His direction.

2. We sang loudly. There is something about opening our hearts ad voices unto the Lord and lifting our praises full voice to the heavens. There were a few moments Sunday when we actually did that together as a body!

3. We participated in the message. There were verbal "amen's" and other directed interactive expressions throughout the message that made it come alive in our reactions and responses.

4. We prayed together--some before church, many during church and some in small groups after church. There was a special awareness of God's divine presence.

5. We shared together. After church there were fellowship pockets all over the sanctuary, in addition to the refreshment area. People were conecting with one another in a loving way, not unlike that suggested by our text in Philippians 2:1-4.

It was the Word of God in action, our lives an outward expression of the inward affirmation of the truth of God's word.

Let's take another drink from that bottle as we come to church on Sunday and truly worship together once again.

I can't wait...can you?

ORDER...PLEASE

I like order in my life. Paul adds a postcript to his I Corinthians teaching regarding the operation of the gifts in the body of Christ when he says "...everything should be done in a fitting and orderly manner..." I find comfort in those words because confusion and disorder hamper me since I am a perfectionist by nature. Throw in a little impatience and you can see what drives me crazy!

So...we are experiencing disorder in our home. We are having some repair work done following a seemingly "harmless" water leak in our refrigerator's ice maker connection and our kitchen has been pretty much unusable with much more work yet to be done!

And company is coming for the weekend.

I am having to learn to step back, take a deep breath, and to remember there are alot worse things that could happen to me than what is happening at 282 California Drive. A neighbor fell and broke her wrist and is experiencing severe pain and reordering of her personal schedule. Another friend recently lost his home and has moved into a rental. Still another friend is dealing with horrific challenges at work that would be enough to throw anyone into a funk.

So I can survive this season of disorder.

But I am glad that our God is a God of order, and that He gives grace to handle life when it isn't as orderly as we wished it was!