Vacation Bible School

We are passed the midweek point of a spectacular week of VBS at Grace Fellowship. Yes, I am the senior pastor but I am also,along with my wife, the volunteer 3-4 grade and 5-6 grade Bible lesson teacher..what a great assignment!

Why me? We have 120 children participating and about another 50-plus teen and adult helpers in refreshments, crafts, music, administration, drama, teaching, recreation, assisting...you name it. I just wanted to connect with the children of our church this week. Every morning about 8:30 a.m. I show up to greet them by name, hug them,and generally let them know I love them--from the innocent two year olds to the "sophisticated" sixth graders. And I get lots of love back in return.

Two sessions of twenty-five minutes each Bev and I teach about the fruit of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience and kindness. As we have looked into the eager faces of the 50 plus children in our two classes, I have had an emotional moment or two thinking about the families they represent--their path to Grace Fellowship--and their role apparent as future participants in the body of Christ. What an opportunity to impress them with the truth of God's Word.

Each day the children come together to sing and are dismissed to classes that include music, recreation, crafts, Bible story time and Bible application. The opening session features a dramatic presentation by some high school teens, and every other environment--grade specific--includes age appropriate crafts (the older boys arte constructing bird houses!), interactive games, the Bible lesson and application time and a culminating session where everyone comes together to reconnect before heading home about 12:30 p.m. It is a long but worthwhile morning.

It is 5 p.m. and I am tired. Three days down, two more to go!

But I am energized by the realization that I am investing in the lives of young children who will, hopefully, look back some day and remember this as a special week.

It has been for me!

Father's Day

I have been reflecting upon my father's life the last few days. June 10th would have been his 86th birthday and the twentieth anniversary of his untimely death is later this year. The shadow of his life gives me pause to remember him today.

Dad was extraordinary in many ways. People who know me--and who knew him--tell me he was one of the kindest, most loving persons they knew. Though he was a large man, he was gentle and soft-spoken, and no one ever feared a temper tantrum or a vile word from him.

He was brilliant, though he camouflaged it well. He knew words in the dictionary I had never heard and he could remember pieces of history and other trivia that amazed us and made us laugh. He could read quickly and still recall details from what he had read. He had an incredible sense of discernment about people and their motives and was not easily deceived.

Dad was a motivator, even though he did not realize it. He used His presence and passion well, encouraging kids the world would have abandoned to go to college and to prepare themselves for service. At one time over one hundred teenagers had left the small church he pastored in Stockton, California, to travel cross-country to a small Bible college in Iowa to ask God how they could spend their lives serving Him. And now they are literally scattered aorund the world in churches, on the mission field...in various places of influence for the kingdom of God.

My twin brother is a minister. My oldest sister has spent most of her vocational life teaching in Christian schools. My younger sister is married to a pastor-chaplain, and now, for forty-one years I have been a pastor as well. All four of us live in the shadow of dad's love and influence.

On this Father's Day I want to honor my dad by seeking to live with a similar mindest to humbly serve God and to motivate others to do the same. In that way I can extend his legacy to me.

Grinnin' with the grandkids

I have eleven grandchildren and in the last ten days I have spent quality time with seven of them--five days with the three in Texas, and four days with four of the eight from San Luis Obispo. What a treat! I have learned a few lessons along the way...

1. Grandchildren make me happy. I can't count the times I stopped myself and thought, "Why am I smiling like this?" (Sadly, that is not typical of my commom facial presentation.)

2. Grandchildren make me tired. I hiked, swam, carried, hoisted on my shoulders, wrestled, ran, chased, hosed...these are all high-level action words that seemed to be "eternal", with the "tired" part only to be discovered at the end of the day when sleep was instant!

3. Grandchildren make me proud! I watched my son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, step daughter-in-law--carefully. They are all better parenta than I was and I am intensely proud of how they are raising their children with a good mix of love and discipline, freedom and boundaries.

4. Grandchildren make me concerned. I wonder aloud what kind of world they will live in. What values will be the norm? What role will their faith play in their lives when they get older? And,of course, I am curious about which of them I will see graduate from college, get married, and find their place of service in a needy world.

5. Grandchildren make me hopeful. I see in all eleven of mine with brightness and unlimited potential (a totally unbiased perspective). I see that being fashioned against a backdrop of intentional and careful nurturing by godly parents. I already see in some of them sensitivity, kindness and concern for others...and that gives me hope.

The last batch of grandkids just left and headed home. We probably won't be seeing them for a couple of months--and the three out in Texas even longer (although one is coming here for eight days...I can't wait!)


Any way, I just looked in the mirror...and I am still grinnin'!

Fasting

The medicinal value of fasting has long been touted. Giving the body a "rest" under certain medical guidelines has, apparently, some impressive benefits.

In the realm of Christian faith, there is a tradition of fasting for spiritual purposes from its Old Testament roots in the Day of Atonement, to its inclusion as a concomitant to prayer, especially in times of repentance before God and appealing for mercy, all the way to its mention in the New Testament as a part of Jesus' experience in the desert when He was tempted by Satan. He later addresses the attitude in fasting and encourages its observation as a private thing, judged only by God.

I have fasted several times and discovered its benefit for me to be a purposeful focusing of my attention on God. When the physical needs of hunger are being set aside to cultivate a spiritual appetite for God it can be a valuable experience. I have found it helpful when doing a spiritual inventory of my life or when addressing a specific unmet need.

We are calling our church family next week to a time of prayer and fasting together. I am excited to think about what happens when we corporately pray together and seek Him to meet our needs. The phrase in Matthew 17:21, "some things come only by prayer and fasting", missing from the earliest manuscripts, nonetheless motivates me to earnestly come to God in prayer, and to puruse the most intimate kind of communication with Him, emptied of my physical urges.
I hope others will be joining me.

digging deep

We are probably like many churches that are experiencing the pressures of an unstable financial economy. In our county construction-related businesses impact a lot of our workers, as well as people associated with the real estate business. They have all been hit hard by the current housing market and building crisis.

Our church has a budget that grew about 10% this year, even with anticipated budget cutbacks and "tightening our belt" in every responsible way that we could. The bottom line is we are still not meeting our budget projections, and are being forced to cut our ministry expenditures accordingly. And this is painful, because our church continues to grow.

Church attendance grows at a faster rate usually than giving; at least that is our experience here. It takes time for people to get assimilated into the body and to say, "This is our church home; let's help take care of it." Giving is a matter of the heart and increased giving is the result of people saying "yes" to God when He tugs at their wallets. Because it is a spiritual matter, it cannot be produced
from "guilting" people to give or "brow-beating" them from the pulpit.

So what do we do while we wait for people to get into the life of the body, or, as we wait for them to mature in Christ and begin to understand what stewardship of their resources is all about?

We dig deeper.

We do all we can--and the sacrifical "more" God may direct--and we don't worry about what others are/are not doing. We simply obey God and do what He asks of us.

"Digging deeper" helps us discover we have more than we thought, that we have resources to be developed, that we can uncover more of our own time, talent and treasure if we just keep digging.

We'll get through this time because God's work continues and God continues to bless us at Grace Fellowship. We are digging deeper so we can celebrate the growth that we are experiencing together as God gives the increase.

I think I will grab my shovel and do some more digging...

pain and suffering

I am an observer of pain and suffering, and a recent participant, as well.

What I see in the lives of those with whom I sit in hospital rooms, counsel in my office, comfort at the rest home, encourage over the phone or via e-mail--whatever the venue--is a deepening need for the community of faith.

During my recent bout with kidney stones I was encouraged by cards, phone calls, e-mails, and the assurance of prayers. People offered their "sure-fire" antidotes as well, but the real blessing was that of my church family's connectedness to me during the three week ordeal.

The patient facing surgery, or battling cancer; the couple trying to hold their marriage together; the wife of an alzheimer's patient struggling with his disesse; the family weathering the storm of a son's addiciton; a new convert seeking to live out his new-found faith; a seasoned worker without a job. What do these all have in common? A need for the community of faith to come alongside them--not necessarily with words of theological reason and a formula for immediate resolution...but with simple love and concern.

I can do that...and so can you.

"Well, I woke up this mornin'..."

The lyrics of a WE FIVE song from the sixties begin with the words, "Well, I woke up this mornin', you were on my mind..." My story this week is a little different. When I woke up Monday morning, I felt something familiar...famiiar in the sense I remembered the feeling from several years ago. Sharp pains were pulsating through my lower back-kidney area and it took me just a few moments to realize, "I have a kidney stone!"

"Well, I woke up this mornin'..." and every morning this week with that stone on my mind and in my body, screaming for attention. A kidney stone is an unwelcome intruder. The most signficant think I heard someone say to me about the relative pain of having one was a woman who had had both babies and stones, and concluded that having the stones was worse! I can't compare so I will have to take her word for it.

This week has been an interesting adventure for me, and for my sweet wife, who has nursed me through it. Because the pain was intermittent in the beginning, I sandwiched in time at the office, led my staff meeting and shared lunch, did some disciplings-a few breaks when the stone wasn't screaming "Let me out of here!" In the other more painful moments I cancelled appointments, left my care group early, and abandoned plans to see my grandchildren--the most difficult decision of all. I made the call not to teach and preach tomorrow morning a few hours ago, because I was worried about unnecessarily punctuating my messages with gutteral sounds.

I am now on a regular regimen of vicodin--I know, I hate drugs!--and am drinking copious amounts of water. I have found relief in our jacuzzi tub (the world's greatest invention), and, believe it or not, walking--pacing thoough the house or walking on my treadmill. The concomitant nausea from the drugs has been my occasional companion but the pain is--for the moment--under control.

Yesterday's x-rays revealed that this was more than a bad dream. The technician pointed out what looked like a VERY LARGE stone to me and told me to keep my meds nearby over the weekend since my next doctor's visit is Monday.

When you wake up any morning it is difficult to imagine what lays in wait for you. In just a short period of time I have been transported from the mmagical island of Kauai and a week of sun and fun to a week of sad and bad. I am not complaining. Both menus are inevitably a part of life. When I woke up Monday I looked forward to a week of doing God's work, and spending time with my family. God had other plans.

No, I don't think He implanted a kidney stone to spoil my day. But He allowed me to have some time to really think about pain and how people I minister to deal with it every day. I tell people I will pray for them--and I do--but I feel more passionate today about praying with ferver for those who are hurting. Not surprisngly, the best words I have heard this week from those who have called me are, "I am praying for you."

I am not sure how this will all end up--I am praying for the "skip surgery" option. I do know this. When I wake up in the mornin', I will thank God for His constancy in my life...whether whispering His peace to me in Kauai, or, affirming His love to me in the jacuzzi tub in the middle of the night.

Miraculous deliverance from Kauai...

That sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? If you have ever been to the island of Kauai--and you are like me--you probably never wanted to leave! The lush green mountains, the crystal blue ocean, the rolling chartruese meadows sandwiched in between--all of this, enveloped by the intermittent cooling misty rain and sunshine--has a magnetic effect that whispers, "Stay,stay,stay...".

We flew to Kauai for a weekw ith our friends on the ill-fated ATA Airllines. of course, we did not know that when we left. We arrived in Lihue safely,s ettled in to our beautiful surrounding on The Point at Poipu...and received the dreaded phone call the second day.

"Hi, Dale. I have some bad news. ATA declared bankruptcy and closed up shop and your ticket home is invalid. Sadly, it appears there are no tickets available for at least two weeks and the cost is nearly $1000 a piece!"

My faithful travel agent, Donna, assured me that things would change as the airlines sorted through the mess and she would keep me posted on her discoveries. She proved to be a valuable asset in getting us home on time for a relatively minimal additional cost.

We had some nervous days wondering if we would have to stay an extra week and began researching our options, evaluating additional costs, envisioning a work scenario that would allow me to study and prepare for the work I needed to do if we had to stay.

Strangely, none of this really effected our time in Kauai. As much as I am prone to worry I affirmed (a) Donna was working as hard as she could to help us (b) the situation was really out of my control (c) if we had to stay we would some how manage...in Kauai. Where the extra funds would come from was the only thing I worried about, and, hopefully, we would have enough to cover the surplus.

God wonderously supplied another carrier to get us home--on time--with only a little additonal cost. We found that information out about the half-way point so we were able to breathe deeply, and settle back for a delightful week of rest and relaxation.

And that is the story of our "miraculous deliverance from Kauai..."

away...

For the next 10-12 days I will be away.

"Away" is a good place, wherever it may be. Sometimes we simply need a break away from the usual place.

I will tell you what "away" waa slike on my return...

Resurrection Sunday

A highlight day of the church calendar approaches this weekend. It is the day we celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead, following the ghastly events of the Passion week culminating in the osbervance of His death on Good Friday.

I Corinthians 15 is the biblical source for understanding the significance of the resurrection and the key verse for me is verse 19 where Paul observes, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

The daily Chrfistian life with all of its challenges is worthwhile because of the sustaining presence and power of Christ. Andrae Crouch wrote many years ago, "If heaven were never promised to me, it would still be worth serving the Lord..." I often agreed with that verse until I revisited this scripture which says that if our hope in Christ is restricted to this life, we are are "to be pitied", or as the KJV suggests, we are "most miserable".

I found some further scripture that corroborated that thought, ""So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temproal and what is unseen is eternal", II Corinthians 4:18.

What is in focus in this scriptural context is the fact that many of us experience a variety of challenging cricumstances this side of glory. We are "outwardly wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all".

So Resurrection Sunday shouts hope to us! Sometimes we are not certain--if hard-pressed to respond--that the daily grind is sufficient motivation for serving Christ. We find our solace in the long-term objective of being freed from these mortal bodies and and transformed for the eternal reward thata waits us. That is why Paul would write at the end of his life, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing", II Timothy 4:8.

Resurrection Sunday approaches, and with it the reminder for those struggling with the daily "stuff" of life, God has something better in mind.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross...Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that youw ill not grow weary and lose heart", Hebrews 12:2.3.

Homeschooling

Alot of families at Grace Fellowship Church--over half of them, in fact--homeschool their children. More often than not their children are way ahead of their public school counterparts in the educational process. There is verifiable data statewide that confirms that.

"Parents do not have a constituitonal right to home school their children." Not every parent should/can homeschool their children. Some parents would willingly acknowledge that their own formal education leaves something to be desired as well as their patience quotient being inadequate for the teaching process. Others would have to admit, "I do not have the time or energy for this task". Undoubtedly, there are some parents who are not so honest about their weaknesses and have abused the homeschooling situation by not being diligent about the requirements and daily disciplines.

The family at the heart of the recent ruling by judges in Los Angeles County concerned one family who has a twenty year history of litigation in the juvenile courts regarding the care of their children. Sucha ruling should not have been used to punish an entire class of people who are committed to the regimen of effective homeschooling.

The Home School Legal DefenseAssociation in California has filed a contesting brief in this case, and the California State Governor has issued his own deprecation of this irrational order that potentially affects nearly 200,000 school-age children in California--the only state with such a prohibition.

What seems to be at the heart of such a ruling is the restriction of freedom and the imposition of regulations on parents seeking to provide the best education they can for their chidlren. Given the decidedly-secular propensities of the public school system and the high cost of private schooling, the option of homeschooling has become more inviting for concerned parents.

As a grandparent--my children all raised (private school "survivors")--I am concerned for my eleven grandchildren, some in public school, some in private school. At the very least I trust their parents to decide what are the best options for their children, and then to pursue them with the freedom to assess and access all the options available to them.

Should they decide to homeschool, I would support their decision and freedom to do so!

sunshine

The last few days have been pristine in amador County. A little cold, and a little windy...but crystal blue sky, "greening" hills and the first bursts of spring color.

And a whole lot of sunshine!

Yesterday several of our staff members took our lunches outside and sat underneath the comforting warmth of the eaely afternoon sun.

Last night, just before the sun slipped away for its evening "rest", I stood on my deck and breathed in deeply the diminishing rays of the sun as it vanished behind a mountain on the western horizon.

And this m0rning, when I rountinely went to get my morning paper from the front yard, I stopped for a moment, looked up into the sky above and whispered an invigorated "Thank you, Jesus" to the heavens.

What is it about the sun and sunshine? Psalm 84:11 tells us "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

As to the future, Jesus says, "...the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father...", Matthew 13:43.

No wonder I love the sun!

#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!

Men can sing!

I returned late Saturday evening from our Men's retreat--the rest would be coming home Sunday afternoon. There were 35-40 of us together for part of three days and what is still ringing in my ears is the sound of men singing!

Men can sing!

I felt as if I were surrounded by angels lifting their voices in praise to God. The sounds were unrestrained yet amazingly musical and beautiful. I imagined that this must be something like heaven, where people are pictured in Revelation as gathered together and singing, "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever." That group is described as "every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them...", a significantly larger group than our Men's Retreat!

Men can sing!

Even though we were relatively few in number, we sang uninhibited and unaware of anyone around us. We sang from our hearts--our work and worries a distant memory for the moment.

I am wishing today that I was back here in that setting, my heart and mind fixed on worshipping Jesus. Though I am back in my office--saddled by the work of the day--I can still sing!

prayer, the first resort

Two days ago I was wrestling with some real issues in ministry and starting to worry about what path of direction I could identify for resolution. And then it hit me...I need to pray.

And I did.

Yesterday I sent out e-mails to about 30-40 church families inviting them to join me at noon today for a time of prayer at the church for these issues that are confronting our church family. Several responded that they would pray at work, or, at home, and a handfull showed up for the prayer time today. I felt that corporately as a body we needed to pray.

And we did.

But there was just a few of us. When it comes to prayer, that is how it usually is--just a few. There are probably some excellent reasons why at short notice people could not clear their schedules to join us for prayer at ther lunch break, but even when it is on the calendar for weeks, the response is pretty much the same.

Why is it that prayer meetings draw such a small crowd?

My experience is that prayer is most intensively pursued in a crisis, but even then, as a last resort. Once other alternatives have been exhausted, we think to pray. Maybe it is because of what we think--or don't think--about prayer.

I am convinced as we face the issues before us at our local church that the ONLY answer is prayer..and that prayer should be the first resort when we face challenges such as we are.

It may taken an even graver crsis for us to learn that.

what matters most

It's hard to avoid the fact that we are teetering on the brink of a recession. Given the plummeting housing market and again escalating oil prices, it seems apparent that we are headed for a bumpy ride into the new year.

About this time each year our church begins planning for its new budget. Effecting our planning is the gloomy financial forecast and a huge increase in our financial responsibilities to "set-in-concrete" items, icluding a large building payment. Through our first ten plus years finances have not been a significant issue but the combination of the current financial climate as well as the new financial obligations we have, has led us to a time of prayerful and careful contemplation.

We are faced with the prospect of cutting back ministry expenditures--there is, ironically, some flexibility here--and we are wrestling with how to do that, and at the same time, be faithful to our calling in Amador County.

I am more familiar with those kinds of issues in our personal finances--times in the past when our set payments have been such a significant part of our budget that we have had to make decisions about discretionary items, including how much we eat out, whether or not we can afford a vacation, how much longer we should wait for buying new clothes, etc. But as I think about those times I remember that we simply made the necessary sacrifices to get through the challneging times. Sometimes that meant cutting back, having a garage sale of things we really did not need or use, and even working a side job.

Whether at church or at home, one thing is certain. In order to meet budgets we must either increase income or cut spending--or, perhaps, a little of both. In the midst of those decisions we must prioritize what matters most. I am preaching Sunday from Philippians 1:12-18 where Paul talks about "what matters most" and "the most important thing". Paul said for him it was that the gospel was preached. At Grace Fellowship, I hope we will affirm our calling to the community and make the necessary sacrifices--giving more and spending less where we can--so that we can continue uninterrupted our ministry during challenging financial times.

I am skipping breakfast this morning. When I meet with the guys it will be just coffee for me...and maybe that saved $5 can be used for something more important. It's a small sacrifice to preserve what matters most.

practice what you preach

The responsibility of preaching and teaching God's Word is not to be taken lightly. I missed this part of my life while I was on sabbatical but re-entry into this world with all of its preparation and responsbility has been hugely (is that a word?) challenging.

I have chosen the topic of joy following my immersion in the book of Philippians for the last six months. Paul's teaching on this is fortified by his unswerving commitmnet to Christ in unimaginable circumstances, and it is all built around his persuasion, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain". There is a focus in those words that escapes me as I work through my life. I am struggling to choose joy over the stress and demands of pastoral responsibility. I am sorry if that is too transparent or self-disclosing, but preachers need to be "real" authentic people too.

It is important for me to be able to practice what I preach. I do believe what I say from the pulpit and in the counseling office. I have confidence in the Word of God. God keeps His promises.

And so this morning, as I sit before my computer unfolding another sermon, I am reminded of the credibility of the words I will share again on Sunday. They are words of life--words that work--and I must consicentiously choose to put them into practice.

I choose joy today.

LOVE and RESPECT

Our church is sponsoring a "Love and Respect" seminar taught by some alumni of the program in our local church. About thirty couples are participating and I am finding the lecture material helpful, shown on a video prior to small group discussion.

On my return to my office following sabbatical I have been reminded of the continuing need for counseling in marriages that are struggling. An article in the SACRAMENTO BEE today reminded me that less than 50% of marriages will make it to the twenty-five year mark. As I see the young children in many of these marriages--some of them needing counseling because of the abuse and dysfunction to which they have been exposed--my heart is truly grieved. The cycle of divorce and remarriage is undeniable as well as the legions of children who are forever scarred and left in the train of its impact.

When I go to the seminar at our church on Wednesday evenings, I sit in the back and survey our families who have chosen to attend. When I hear the simple truth that "women need love and men need respect", and think how simple that statement is, and consider how that is translated into life, I am encouraged that thirty couples are being handed some great tools to ensure they do not become a part of the sad statistics that tell the tragic story of failed communication.

a sad story

Back in the office just a few short days. I have already been reminded what a sad world we live in when we live without moral guidelines. When our decisions are only self-serving with no consideration of their impact on others, we are doomed to the ultimate consequences of being alone. When the choices we make fail to take into account the long-term repercussions, we are left to the short-term allurement of feeling "high", with the inevitable residue of "real life".

Someone chooses to lay their ministry aside just for an evening and now their future is clouded with only the certainty of incarceration and hopeful rehabilitation.

Someone decides that the rigors of marriage are too great, and leaves God, husband and children and family aside to escape to her secret place with a new companion.

Someone drives their motorcycle into a cool evening breeze and , unexpectedly, into eternity, when he is broadsided by a negligent driver. A wife and three children are left to grieve.

These are all sad stories--stories that did not have to be--but came to pass because someone in the heat of the moment chose wrongly--carelessly and selfishly.

Don't be a part of your own sad story. Consider your choices and your decisions. And ask God to give you the courage and the insight to choose wisely.

FIRST SUNDAY BACK

It is abouit 7:30 a.m. and in 90 minutes I will be back with my church family, assuming the role I had before I left for my sabbatical--the role of pastor. It is a role I relish, and a role I missed while I was gone.

I relish it because God has called me to it. in so doing, He has made me in such a way that I find my greatest joy when I am serving God as He intended for me to do.

It is a role I missed. Separated from our church family and not preaching and teaching each Sunday left an empty place in my heart. I discovered that when I am not doing what God created me for, something is missing. This is not to say that rest and study and rejuvenation were not eseential for me, but the whole experience created a renewed passion for the work God has called me to.

I will be teaching from the book of Philippians for the next several months--the product of several months of study and writing before and during my sabbatical. The title of my series is "Designed for Joy". It is a reaffirmation of my conviction that true joy comes from understanding my relationship to the gospel--what God created me for, what in grace He has done to accomplish His divine purposes in my life, and the joy that comes from responding in obedience to His call.

It begins again this morning for me. It's my first Sunday back and I am full of joy.

Headed home...

It's incredible that my thirteen weeks of sabbatical will be over this week. In some ways it has been a long, long time because I have been separated from my friends, my home and my passion to preach. On the other hand, it seems as if it was just days ago that we told our friends "good-bye" at a church potluck, and then headed out for a wedding I performed in Temecula...and then on to twelve weeks of rest and relaxation, courtesy of our church family at Grace Fellowship.

These have been great days. I have rested, hiked, read, written, sat by the beach, eaten too much, swam in the ocean, visited other churches, journalled, exercised, played with grandchildren, shopped, looked at real estate, and, generally, lived without a watch or a schedule.

Day after tomorrow we are headed home.

I am ready.

The Word was preached!

We visited the church where Bev's son, Tim, is the pastor. He has been gone the last two weeks so we were especially anxious to hear him. He preached from Psalm 37 about the justice of God. We were challenged to consider how we respond to the situiations of injustice around us and pointed us to Jesus' example in giving up His life for us when He was unjustly accused.

It was a great sermon and it was a special treat to sit in church and hear the Word of God preached clearly.

And it was great to know it was my stepson I was listening to...makes a stepfather proud!

the beach

I can't afford to live at the beach: I have checked prices in every beach town along the California coast and even a bungalo is out of my reach! But I can enjoy the beach...and that I have done as we have spent about eight weeks of our sabbatical located within a short driving distance from the ocean.

We have visited Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Montana de Oro Beach, Shell Beach, Los Osos Flacos Beach (bet you never heard of that one), Grover Beach, Oceano Beach, Morro Bay and Guadalupe Beach whle here on the Central Coast. What they have in common is the Pacific Ocean and there is something about its beauty, sound and fury that draw me to it.

This morning we walked along a Coastal Walk with the Pacific Ocean on the bluffs below us and fibe million dollar homes above us in the Shell Beach area. It was a bit foggy and overcast with the sun peaking through the last part of our walk. It was exhilarating! As beautiful as the mansions on one side were, God's creative genius as reflected in the ocean views easily surpassed them.

We will be back in Sutter Creek in about two weeks; the beach will be miles away but the memories of our weeks here will remain for a long time.

grandchildren

Tim and Chad, Bev's two sons, have seven children between them and Chad and Julie are expecting their fourth in February. Jeff, my son, has one child and Jennifer, my daughter, has two children, so there are ten grandchildren...or 10.5 right now.

One of the bonuses of our sabbatical in the Nipom area is spending time with the seven grandchildren we have nearby. Sage, Eden, Seke, Haaken, Kyle, Julianne and Nate--these are the kids we are enjoying when we are able to make connection these five weeks. We had three over to swim, babysat for four last week for two days, and then had six over to swim on Saturday. We are discovering that we are older now, and that being grandparents is, gratefully, different than being parents. Our grandkids are delightful--well-behaved and very loving--but they are filled with bottomless energy and ravenous appetites so keeping them busy and fed is a fulltime challenge...but worth every minute of it.

I am missing my grandchildren in Texas, but enjoying our grandchidlren here. We are thankful for this additional benefit of our sabbatical.

nipomo

A recent quesiton on Jeopardy revealed that Nipomo, California has the best micro-climate in the United States. That is where we are for these last five weeks! The picture above shows an area just a few miles west of Nipomo, the end of a 1.5 mile hike that brings you through beautiful terrain to the ocean.

The weather has been foggy but this evening it was beautiful. We enjoyed being in Bev's son's church in San Luis Obispo (Grace Church) but it made us homesick for Grace Fellowship. It is healthy for me to sit back and to listen to someone else share the Word and to be challenged in my personal spiritual life. I have been studying Philippians and am enjoying the things God is showing me that I hope to share with ym church family on my return.

final phase

 

Final Phase

We are home for a few days after a terrific time at Santa Cruz and Felton. We enjoyed the ocean, cool weather and several visits from friends. We worhipped three or four times at Mt. Hermon Conference grounds, situated just a few miles from us.

We leave Wednesday for Nipomo and will be near Bev's family for the next five weeks (they live in San Luis Obispo, about twenty minutes away). Many of you have e-mailed, written--asking if I am writing. I have done most of my preparation work and will begin the task of writing, hopefully, in this next phase, although I have no lofty goals for completion. Thanks for all the notes of interest and support.


One thing we know for certain--we miss our church family. We look forward to the day we will be worshipping together with you and serving with you again...soon!

checking in

We are at Mt. Herman tonight checking our mail and listening in on a service. What a neat resource for us, just five minutes from our camping spot.

We enjoyed Santa Cruz Bible Church for the second Sunday and were impressed with the clarity of the presentation of the truth of God's Word--a welcome voice here in Santa Cruz County.

Beverly and I are enjoying our alone time together and with God. We are asking God to reveal Himself to us in a way that will rejuvenate our spirit and hearts for ministry...it is working! We are already anxious for September and our return to our church family.

In the meantime, we are thankful for our faithful staff and church family. God is working at Grace Fellowship and we sensed His presence when we sneaked in last Sunday. The Word of God was preached well, and we felt challenged and encouraged by the Word we heard.

Out of sight...but not out of mind...

We paused from our sabbatical for a moment to join a young couple in holy matrimony yesterday. And what a holy day it was!

This young man and young woman are special to me. The young lady has overcome some horrible obstacles in her life and is now emerging as the woman God intended for her to be. Her husband of one day--with an equally challenging past--is growing up as well, and working regularly at learning a new trade and assuming responsibility for the family to which he has committed himself.

There was a tearful moment for all of us when I paused during the ceremony to say a personal word about my special friends--and it was bathed in the awareness of the miracle that God alone can perform in redeeming our lives.

This couple I suggest, is all of us, emerging from our pasts of failure and immaturity, and grabbing hold of the hope we have in Christ that truly tranforms us.

This was a meaningful pause to celebrate the joy of serving Jesus!