Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Peter, Paul and Mary sang back in the 60's...

O, my bags are packed, I'm ready to go;
I'm standin' here outside your door;
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn;
Taxi's waitin'... blowin' his horn.
Already I'm so lonsome I could cry.
I'm leavin' on a jet plane;
Don't know when I'll be back again;
Leavin' on jet plane... O, babe, I hate to go.

I've put enough people on jet planes over the years that I really understand the sentiment of the song. Tomorrow we'll be taking Jen and Kaleb to LAX where they'll be leavin' on a jet plane... going to join Fok in Boston to begin life together as a new family.

I have those feelings of nostalgia for sure... those feelings that one era is ending inexorably morphing into another. More than those feelings, however, I feel joy and pride over all they have already done... and I'm looking forward to learning of and taking part in (even if only vicariously) the new adventure they are undertaking... the new life and family they are forging together... their hands joined with one another and with God.

Leavin' on a jet plane... go with God! Oh... and see you at Thanksgiving!

The Box!

Remember those really bad movies about prisons in other countries where troublesome prisoners were put in "the box"... a metal cell out in the sun with only a few holes for breathing? The prisoners always nearly died and had to be dragged out... usually delirius. Remember that? Ever been in one? I HAVE!!!

Our daughter is moving, joining her new husband, Fok, in Boston, where she will teach at Brandeis U this fall. Since she tossed all her grad-school-thrift-store furniture, she was able to get all her remaining stuff in one of those Smart Move Vaults, www.gosmartmove.com. Sooo... over the last two days Jeremy and I spent time "in the box" piecing together a giant puzzle of all her stuff to get it all in and securely tied off. I haven't sweated that much... well... since Houston. It really wasn't all that bad, and we got it in! Hurray!!

So, tonight we celebrate Jen's birthday a couple of days early; tomorrow we finish up loose ends; Friday we put jen and Kaleb on a plane for Boston. Thank you, Lord, for your never-ceasing care in all our lives.

3...2...1...

Well, it's 59 seconds to blast off for the first shuttle launch in 2.5 years or so. pretty historic. Keleb even woke early to watch. OK... there it goes... lift off!!!! The guy said, "...beginning America's new journey to the moon, Mars and beyond." They're up to 900mph... 2000mph at 1.5 minutes into the launch. Separation of rocket boosters... no "Challenger diasaster" this time. There are some cool shots from new cameras. The foam all seems to be good, so no hopefully no "Columbia disaster" this time either. Planet Earth is visible from the external camera, and it looks pretty cool. There goes the external fuel tank.! Wow... this is all amazing!!

Certainly even even more amazing as I watch this is the power and majesty of God who created all of this. We plan and work and do seemingly amazing things, yet they are such baby steps to the one who created it all, spans and sustains the universe... and has conquered sin and death on behalf of this world.

Trip South

Well, our grandson's (Kaleb) 3+ weeks with us have come to an end... where did the days go? In the morning we'll head south to take him back to his mom in Pasadena. He's missed her, but he's done really well, and this afternoon he said he thought he'd like to stay a few more days. Cute!! He and Nanna made bubble gum today, so maybe he just wanted some more chewing time.

When we get to Pasadena, we'll be helping Jen finish packing and loading her shipping pod. Then, Friday, we'll put them on a plane to Boston... clear across the country... will be looking for specials on airline fares. Virginia's really good at finding them. Hurray!!

Hurray!

The weekend was great! Our church family not only turned out for the sessions with Dr Siburt, but they fully participated in the dialog times with him. He gave us 12 suggestions during Bible class this morning, and we will be process and implementing many of them over the coming months.

We enjoyed a wonderful time of worship this morning, and Charles ended his time with us by sharing a wonderful lesson on humility and unity in the body. What a blessing! God bless each of you as well!

The Times, They Are A Changin'

Well, Virginia and her mom pulled out of the drive a little before 7:00 this morning on their way to Sacramento to get Ruby on her plane to Dallas. Not to bad, considering VJ wanted to get on the road a bit after 6:00. She said it best, "We're eating up the cushion on this end... glad we had one." It was really good to have her with us.

Kaleb is in his last few days with us. Tuesday we'll drive with him back down to Pasadena to help his mom finish packing up, load their pod, and get them on a plane to Boston on the 29th. We won't have them close (if a 6 hour drive is close) for now, but I hear Jet Blue has some good deals into Logan.

Of course, Jeremy and Amber will still be in Agoura Hills... yeah! Also, we'll spend a night or two with them while we're down there to help Jen.

The weekend with Charles Siburt got off to a good start last night, so my prayer is that as a leadership and as a church we'll learn and grow this weekend, so that we can take more steps toward being the body God wants us to be. Busy day today...

Weekend Is Coming

This is gonna be one crazy weekend! Dr Charles Siburt from ACU is coming in today for a consultation weekend to help us with leadership roles and our process for selecting new leaders. I wasn't here at Eastside for the last leader selection process three years or so back, but literally everyone who has talked to me about it cringes when they do. I guess there were lots of unkind things said and sort of a power struggle going on. (sigh) When we learn that leadership in the church is not about POWER but about SERVING. Anyway, sometimes bringing in someone with training who has a "fresh eye" on the situation can be really helpful. I'm praying that each one of us at Eastside can humbly our ideas to the table for discussion, but that we are also humbly able to listen and learn.

Virginia's mom, Ruby Bean, is also flying out Saturday from Sacramento to Dallas to spend time with Larry (youngest son) and his family. It's been good having her with us a little over a week.

The elders had a phone conversation with a youth minister candidate last evening... eager to hear how that went. With the leadership thing going on, we'll have to "back burner" a report on that until next week.

OK... better get going. Job One right now is getting out 70 or so 100+ page packets. Guess I need to talk softly and gently to the machine.

Beam Me Up, Scottie

OK, Ok... I know that way too many words have already been written about the death of "Mr Scott" of Star Trek fame, but, hey, I was in Jr High in the 60s, and later I was sort of a closet Trekkie... never owned any Spock ears or went to conventions, but watched all the re-runs and still watch re-runs of the spin-offs when I get the chance. I truly don't know much about the real man, James Doohan... but I always loved the character. He was honest, loyal, hard-working, always saw a problem as an opportunity, didn't mind holding his friends accountable, and had a sene of humor. I think many will miss Mr Scott.

It made me think about who are the people in my life with those character qualities. How about you? I've decided to make more of an effort to appreciate them now rather than just missing them when they're gone.

Well, better go... time for a run before it gets too hot.

Blindsides

I enjoy riding my bike to work 2 or 3 days a week if it's not too hot or cold... which out here in the Bay area (even the East Bay hills) is pretty often. It's pretty safe riding as well because there huge network of bike trails and almost all the roads have bike lanes. Even so, I've learned that I have to expect the unexpected when I'm riding my bike even more than when I'm in my car. This morning I was met on a narrow part of the trail by a man walking 2 pit bulls on very long leashes. I immediately got this vision of a bike, 2 dogs, lost of leash, and me all tangled up in a heap... so I just stopped. It all worked out, and the guy was very nice, "Sorry... they're friendly... sorry." There have been other occasional adventures as well, and I guess riding is risky in some sense. I've just decided that the benefits far outweigh the risks, and I keep riding.

After I got to the office I checked out Brandon Scott Thomas' blog and I was blindsided again. Here is in part what he wrote:

On Monday of last week Sheryl went in to get some things checked out. She could feel a mass in her abdomen on her right side that was concerning both of us. The doctor was also very concerned after feeling it. It was quite large. She sent Sheryl to the hospital for a CT scan. While she was there, they ordered more tests and Sheryl became very concerned. Meanwhile, I was at home with the kids and Kiki and we were praying and trying not to freak out.

The short of it is that Sheryl's kidney was actually the mass they were feeling. It is roughly the size of a football and has pushed all her other organs to the left side of her body. IT'S CRAZY!! The doctor isn't sure if it's functioning or if it will function again. And while this all sounds very serious, we felt like having a party that it wasn't a football sized tumor. It's funny what perspective does, isn't it?
We have an appointment at the urology surgery center on August 2nd. At that time they will try and figure out what's really going on. Meanwhile, Sheryl continues to walk around with her gigantic kidney. The amazing thing is (and this is a very good thing according to the Dr.) she is in no pain.

I know they feel blindsided as well. Let's keep Sheryl and her family in our prayers.

Legacies

This is a special week for our family... for dusting off memories and watching new ones take shape. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, our grandson, Kaleb, is with us for 3 weeks... and are we relishing every minute. At 6 1/2, he's a joy in so many ways, and even his occasional childish snits (is that a word?) and how we deal with them are gently woven into the fabric of relationship.

I talked with Pete Dunn at church Sunday, and he said, "I love being a grandpa. There are so many things I want to teach my grandson. He's only 4 now, so some things have to wait a couple of years, but I love being a grandpa!" One of the things Pete mentioned was lizard catching... I'm pretty sure nobody taught me the finer points of catching those quick little reptiles, but that is definitely part of the legacy Pete will hand down. I'm trying to teach Kaleb to read in character voices..."Use your normal voice, Papa!"

Perhaps more than anything, I think grandparents treasure the moments when they begin to see positive character qualities... like kindness and honesty and caring for the feelings of others... emerge in the tapestry of a grandchild's personality. Those moments are truly special... along with weird voices and catching lizards. You begin to see that your kids are doing a great job at the loom of parenthood... and you want to believe that as grandparents we've contributed a stitch or two.

But this week is special for at least 2 other reasons. Virginia's mom, Ruby Bean, is with us this week before heading on to Dallas to visit kids there and finally back to her assisted living facility in Nashville. Having her here reminds me of the many times I was in her kitchen as a kid or singing with the youth group in the "big room" at the back of her house in Oxnard. It's also been special watching her tell her wonderful corny jolks to Kaleb and listen to him laugh as he hears them with fresh ears.

My mom, Ruby Fern Johnson (yes, both moms are "gems"), is not with us this week, but she is in our hearts in a special way because she turns 87 on the 21st. She still lives by herself, drives, cooks wonderfully, and visits a friend in the nursing home every Sunday. She is without a doubt one of the strongest people I have ever known, and I just pray that a measure of her tenacity has found its way into the cloth of my life. Come to think of it, it may have skipped a generation, because my daughter inherited more than her share.

Legacies... we seem to leave them in one form or another... whether we want to or not. When I turn to look at those who have shaped me, I am thankful. When I turn back to look at those who are earlier in their journey... I am hopeful.

Thank You, Lord!

It was wonderful to have our Tuba City mission trip folks back with us in worship yesterday morning. They decided to make the trip in one LONG day rather than breaking it up... and I'm really glad they did. Their presence was inspiring and encouraging. Trips like that one always bring surprises in the way of challenges and opportunities to grow... and it sounded as if God really used this one to bring everyone closer and enhance that spirit of family. Thank you, Lord, for last week.

Our Junior High girls are so cool (and so atypical). The last few weeks (including yesterday), I've noticed them reaching out and grabbing new folks to sit together during worship. At an age when many kids are ONLY in tune with SELF, it sooo refreshing to see these young ladies reaching out to include others. Thank you, Lord, for that one-another spirit.

Lots going on... this weekend Charles Siburt will be with us to help us overhaul our leader selection process and give us some fresh insights on ways leadership here can be more effective. It will be a full weekend... mostly full of blessings. Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity.

Thank you, God, for showing us your Spirit in so many ways... help us to pay attention.

Ashes and Dust

Virginia works full time during tax season and part time the rest of the year for Cherry, one of our friends from church. This week there was an apartment fire across the street from the tax office building (an accident related to a roofing project), and it was pretty scary for a while until the fire department got it under control. After it settled down, they talked about what it would have been like to evacuate... what they would have grabbed... I think the computers ended up getting the nod. Pretty sure I would have grabbed the chocolate too.

This morning Cherry called the house with the news that she had gotten a call last night saying the tax office building was in flames... all those years of records... those computers still in the building... but the fire department once again did it's job and the fire was contained in another part of the building. I guess they'll found out if there was smoke or water damage today.

I tend to run around with this illusion that I can direct things in my life, yet in so many ways our lives are so out of our hands. I guess the obvious move here is to just remind myself and be thankful that God is not transient... that His promises are faithful... that He is in control even when all I see around me are ashes and dust.

DVDs and Sawdust

Every Sunday we come together to dedicate time to worship, study, fellowship, encouragement. There is always lots of planning and things going on behind the scenes that most folks don't even know about... all they know is what they experience on Sundays. Church, as a body, is just like that. I don't take much notice to my cells regenerating themselves or hairs growing in to replace the ones that fall out... but I'm really glad it's happening. Church, as a body, is just like that.

This summer our adult classes are meeting together in the auditorium and, thanks to the wonders of DVD technology, sitting at the feet of the speakers from this year's Pepperdine Bible Lectures. This is happening because a couple here at Eastside had the forsight to order the DVDs in case we wanted to use them, and most folks don't even know they did that. Church, as a body, is just like that.

I drove in this morning to freshly trimmed trees, branches piled, sawdust swirling around in little piles, and cut wood stacked up for someone to burn in their fireplace this winter. One of our regular guests, a retired gentleman with a great heart and lots of energy, has been spending his days the last couple of weeks taking care of much needed maintenance. Church, as a body, is just like that.

It made me think of the new lights we have in the parking lot because two of our members who are electricians and another who knows a lot about concrete dedicated time and energy. Church, as a body, is just like that.

It also brings to mind another couple who were baptized recently after first coming last fall. He was struggling with alcohol, and they were on the verge of divorce. After deciding to give it one more try... including church this time... they were warmly welcomed here at Eastside and gradually became part of our family. When they were baptized, it was a special event. Church, as a body, is just like that.

Yawn...stretch!

Having a young grandson around the house certainly adds some spice to all our routines... actually it pretty much changes every routine. Another thing having Kaleb with us has done is to allow us to experience many of those little things we had totally fogotten about. Of course, one of those is reading with him at bedtime. Since Jeremy is now 25, it's been some time since we did that with him or Jennifer, and we're relishing that time with Kaleb. One really cool thing is that he likes to read the books to us as much as he ejnoys us reading to him. He sure reads well for six!!

Well, this morning we had one of those experiences I'd forgotten all about. It was early... not sure what time... Virginia was up (of course)... I was in bed still. The door to our room opened, and she brought Kaleb in crying very loudly about his ankle hurting; she put him on the bed... trying to console him... rubbing his foot. And me... not much help... just trying to clear the cobwebs from my head. It seems he had slept with his leg under him and his foot had gone to sleep. Pretty painful, but after a few minutes it started to feel better, and Virginia left us both in the bed where Kaleb squirmed and twisted and climbed my back until I suggested it might be time for him to get up. After he went downstairs I lay there for awhile and thought what a blessing it is to have him with us these 3 weeks.

After a bit I got up and went downstairs. Kaleb was working on subtraction... but that's another story.

Answered Prayer

This morning I received an email from one of our members with some great news. A mom-to-be and her quads, for whom we have been praying, are stable and all is looking good. Pretty big change from just a few days back when she was experiencing premature contractions and the docs thought she was heading for a way early delivery. Now things have calmed down and the babies are doing great. Two of them are even up to 2 pounds. Praise God!

That, of course, raises once more the age-old questions about answered prayer. When? How? Why? Why not? and so on. I know we've all been submerged in the idea that God always answers prayer... sometimes "yes"... sometimes "no"... sometimes "wait"... I just have never been able to get totally clear on which is which and how I know what the answer is. I always appreciate clarity, and that goes doubly for answers to prayer... I just struggle when the answers are not so clear. How about you?!?

Thank you, God, for listening... for caring... for demonstrating your love to us in so many tangible ways. Help us to have a growing faith.

Family

Ever had one of those moments when the thoughts of your family... with all the warts and issues and good times and special memories all wrapped up together... just warmed your heart all the way through? I've been feeling that the last couple of days. Our grandson, Kaleb, is spending about 3 weeks with us... OK, OK... I know what you're thinking... something like, "Well, duh, of course! He's your grandson!" And you're right, but that's not the whole thing. I think that with the wedding... friends visiting... Kaleb coming... Virginia's mom coming for a visit... 13 year old twins staying with us while their folks are on a mission trip... I've just been shaken out of my routine enough to remember how rich I am... what a real blessing it is to have a wife who truly loves me in-spite-of and so many other relationships that are so rich and deep. I'm thankful for all of them! And I pray that I won't let routine obscure that truth once all the current visits and travels have disappeared over the horizon.

Hot!

It's July... it's the East Bay... it's supposed to get hot, right!?! I guess I've been spoiled by the oh-so-pleasant temps we've been having... but I really like mid 80's more than mid 90's. Hey, I know... maybe we're having warmer weather so that those of us here in Antioch can better empathize with those on our mission trip to Tuba City, AZ, where the temps are... well... let's just say a snowball won't last long. Seriously, they're doing some really cool stuff in hot place... trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus... pray for them.

Out of the Blocks

The title of this first post sounds like I think of blogging as a competition... it's not that... the "old track coach" in me just likes that expression. Actually, I'm not sure how regular these posts will be, but something just moved me to get started today. Maybe it was my daughter's wedding last weekend... maybe it's because I've enjoyed the blogs of others... maybe it was our time in worship this morning... not sure what. But here I am, writing random stuff to be posted for anyone to read... whether or not it is actually read. Is it really a blog if no one ever sees it? I guess it really doesn't matter that much... writing usually does as much or more for the one writing as for any who might read it.

But, just 'cause I'm trying this out, I'll assume Jennifer's wedding is my catalyst and share a picture of the family. Jennifer is the one in the wedding dress. Her new hubby, Fok Yan Leung, is the one helping hold our grandson, Kaleb. We're on the left with Virginia's mom, Ruby, and our son, Jeremy and daughter-in-law, Amber are on the right. The picture and the reception that followed were on the campus of the California Institute of Technology where Fok completed his PhD in chemistry 3 years ago and Jen completed hers in Math earlier this summer.

It was a great weekend... and a blending of two cultures in many ways. Even though Fok was born and raised in Canada, his folks (no pun intended) are from Hong Kong, and we learned lots of cool new stuff about the "eastern branch" of our new extended family... including, but not limited to the right way to eat with chop sticks. It never ceases to amaze me that the more I learn about people of other cultures, the more clearly I realize that God made us more alike than He did different.

Well, that's enough for this first post. God bless you... no matter how or why you stumbled across my ramblings.