Boston Photos 1

OK... I promised Boston trip pics, so here are a few. This first one is a neighborhood street between where Jen and Fok live and Harvard.

Of course one of the reasons I went was that it was Kaleb's spring break.

Part of one day he and I "hung out" and enjoyed the sights. A playground...

...the place where George Washington took command of the American army...

... a cannon at the same site that was abandoned by the British...

...a statue of John Harvard (although I hear it's not really) that everyone wants to touch the toe for good luck...

More pics tomorrow!!

Boston, the Final Day

I know "final" probably sounds a bit melo-dramatic, but I just liked the feel. It was pretty chilly last night, and today dawned gray and blustery. We were pretty slow getting around, but the coffee was good, and Jen made some wonderful apple whole wheat muffins.

Late morning, Kaleb and I went out for a bike/run (me running, him biking) on a local bike path... have no idea who this is in the picture, but you can see the setting. :-) Kaleb has gotten really good on his bike, so on the longer stretches between cross streets he had to stop and wait for me. Kaleb was great on the downhill and flat portions, but I needed to give him a bit of a push on the hills. it was neat running along with him... reminded me of similar outings with Jen and Jeremy back 20 years ago or so. We were out for about an hour, so I was tired enough when we got home.

Mid-afternoon all four of us hiked to get some ice cream at a Toscanini's not too far away. The wind was in our faces on the way there,
but the ice cream was good! On the way home there was a light drizzle, but the wind was at our backs, so it was actually more comfortable.

Jen had given Kaleb a haircut yesterday, but she asked me to sort of even it up this evening... I gave it a shot. She had actually done the hard part, so all I had to do was pretend like I knew what I was doing. I'll post before and after pics when I get home.

Jen and Fok went out for a date this evening, and it's about time for Kaleb to get ready for bed, so I'd better close out. Blessings to all as you live in God's light!

Friday in Boston

You know, I wrote "Boston" in the title, but we're actually in Somerville. Just wanted to make that clear. This morning we got off to a relatively slow start, but Jen made some Peet's coffee, so it was a good start! The picture to the right is not their house, but it's similar in style. They have the first floor of a 3-story house that contains 3 apartments. Sort of a "shotgun" arrangement with all the rooms either side of a long hall. Actually quite a bit of space... 2 offices, living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, shared laundry in the basement. The rooms are pretty small but the setup is great for Jen and Fok to work.

Fok took me on a run down through Harvard Square and the campus to the Charles River where we joined numerous runners, walkers and cyclists enjoying the sunshine and crisp air. You know, one of those days when you feel God has given you a bonus. We didn't go too fast, so I survived OK... about 71 minutes, so I'll call it 8+ miles. (By the way, that is not Fok and me in the picture. :-)

Fok went in to work and Jen wanted to attend a couple of math lectures in her field at Harvard, so for lunch I went down to a little Salvadoran/Mexican place and picked up some food for Jen, Kaleb and me before she left. Kaleb and I stayed on at the playground for a while, and then we went home to get his Taekwondo stuff for class.

Kaleb loves to read, so right now he's in his room with a book. I think he practiced tying his Taekwondo belt a few times, but the literary allure soon drew his attention. Jen and Fok should be home soon. Tomorrow is the last full day of my stay. The week sure has gone fast... but I'm lovin' it!!

R.F. O'Sullivan's Pub

Today was a catch up day for me and Kaleb. Jen and Fok both went to their offices to catch up on some work, so Kaleb and I hung out and "caught up" too. He caught up with his reading, and I caught up on some odd jobs Jen wanted me to do. I love being able to help out with "handy-man" kinds of things. You have to understand... my "handiness" is limited to a pretty narrow spectrum of skills, so having the chance to actually be of some real help is pretty cool. I walked Kaleb to Taekwondo this afternoon and picked up a few things from the hardware store... pretty quiet day, but the weather was glorious. Thank you, God!


Just a few blocks down the hill and through the pedestrian underpass is one of Boston's top 100 restaurants... R.F. O'Sullivan's Pub. What they're famous for is their burgers... 1/2 pound of freshly ground sirloin, cooked however you want it and piled with cheese or mushrooms or.... and topped off with a side of huge steak fries and/or freshly made onion rings. Jen had decided that I might really like it, so Fok decided tonight was the night. The Red Sox were playing, so the place was packed and loud, but everyone (including us) had a great time. And my burger was superb!!

I think tomorrow Kaleb and I will take the train with Jen to see Brandeis U where she teaches. Then, he and I may do a little sight-seeing on our own.

Boston 2

Well, today Kaleb and I walked with Fok over to the Harvard campus and then on to Cambridge Commons where there is lots of grass and a pretty cool playground. Fok did a workout at the gym and Jen was gone to yoga class, so Kaleb and I played and walked around reading plaques on statues, climbing on Revolutionary War vintage cannon, and just having fun.

Later we met up with Fok and Jen and caught a bus down to check out some of the historic sites along the Freedom Trail (Paul Revere's house, Old North Church, Old State House, etc.). There were a jillion (is that a real word???) people out today, but spring has arrived... the trees are in bloom, the tulips are blooming, the sun was warm... it was a good day.

We ate dinner at a tiny sort of hole-in-the-wall Italian seafood place. Really good. Kaleb and I split mussels and linguini, and I had some clam chowder as well. This place is so small, you wait out on the sidewalk until they tell you to come in, and then you sit with the other folks who come in when you do... filling up the table. It was interesting... a young business man from L.A. completed our table, and it turned out he lives in Pasadena... not far from Cal Tech... small world. I didn't ask if he knows Kevin Bacon.

We rode the T (subway) to the station close to home and walked the rest of the way. Good day!! I know I promised photos, but I forgot to bring the cable to connect my camera to my computer, so I guess they'll have to wait.

One interesting bit of trivia. I noticed that they call the weekly or monthly passes for the T Charlie Tickets. Back in the 60s there was a song by the Kingston Trio called "The MTA Song" that described the plight of "poor old Charlie" who had enough money to get on the subway but not enough to pay his way off... dooming himself to life underground. I guess they decided Charlie was famous enough 1) that one no longer has to pay his way off the train, and 2) he deserved a ticket named after him. Check out this link for all the lyrics if you are so inclined. That's all for tonight!

Boston Visit

Monday morning I finished packing and Virginia dropped me off at the Pittsburg BART station for my ride to SFO. It was my first time to ride BART, and I had a plane to catch, so I was a touch nervous. But the ride went smoothly, and I found my way around SFO to my gate. All in all, it wasn't much longer than a car trip... maybe shorter in commuter traffic... and I was able to read the paper. :-)

The flight was long... but non-stop, and we even got in to Logan Airport a bit early. Jen picked me up at the airport in her rental that they had used Easter weekend, and we made it back to their place in Somerville.

This morning Kaleb, who was asleep when we got in from the airport, came and crawled in bed with me so we could talk... not much better than that!!!! We got scones from a local bakery... I went for a run with Fok (nice way to scope out the neighborhood). In a little while I'll take Kaleb for a haircut (I'll try to post before and after pics), and this afternoon we'll to for his Taekwondo lesson.

Right now... I think Kaleb has the Stratego board set up...

Easter Means Spring Flowers

This was a busy and wonderful weekend. Friday night we showed The Passion of the Christ at our building. We did not have many come, but that movie is a graphically powerful experience for anyone who watches it.

Saturday we did our annual Eastside picnic and Easter egg hunt. It's always a fun event... especially for the kids. We usually do this event at a picnic area at Black Diamond Mines, however, because of all the rain we've had recently, we held it at the fellowship hall this year. Probably not as many folks as usual, but picnic lunches were still eaten, eggs were hidden and found, and all who were there had fun.

After the picnic we set up the foyer in the main building for the"breakfast fellowship" we had this morning during class time. Doug and Victoria were there also, decorating the auditorium, so Virginia and I helped out and had a good visit with them.

Saturday brought a break in the rain, so we got a good look at our California wild flower patch. The poppies are really in bloom right now, and a few other flowers are showing up too. Here are some pics from Saturday.

























































Today our Easter service was truly amazing. Lots of people... all focused on why we were there... great singing... Jarrod was "on"... the videos we used were powerful... and God, in his way, made the whole morning more marvelous than the sum of all the parts. Thank you, Lord.

Tomorrow I fly to Boston to spend a week with Jen, Fok, and Kaleb... maybe I should say with Kaleb and his parents. :-) It's Kaleb's spring break, so we should have some fun. Don't know if I'll have time to blog, but I'll catch up later if I don't. Blessings...

It's All About Timing

Here we are approaching Easter... a time when so many focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. I wonder who it was who decided NOW was the "right time" to do a media blitz about the Gospel of Judas... first "discovered" in the 70's? Talk about timing!! If you want a concise and balanced review of both the document and the coverage, check out Edward Fudge's last two GracEmails. In his update he gives a New York Times link to the actual text of an English translation... just look for it... if it's still active.

Virginia had a wonderful time at Kelli's and Rob's wedding. In addition to the wedding and getting to spend time with Jeremy and Amber, she also got to see lots of other folks who mean a lot to us... she had a great time. She posted some pics on Comcast Photoshow if you're interested. I was soooo.... glad she was well enough to go and enjoy herself. Talk about timing! :-)

Well... it's time for bed. Sleep well. God bless!

Flat Stanley II

Well... I promised so pics of Stanley's adventures with us, so enjoy!!

Here's a close-up of Flat Stanley.

Stanley getting buckled in for a trip.

Stanley at Praise Team rehearsal.

Stanley getting some work done.

Stanley visiting the Antioch Police Department where Virginia works.

Stanley at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Stanley enjoying Yosemite.

We have really enjoyed having Flat Stanley with us for a few days. I think he had fun. Seriously, this is really a fun school project for kids. I hope Kaleb learns a lot and has a fun with it.

Flat Stanley

We had a surprise guest arrive today. Well, we knew he was coming, just not the timing of his arrival. When I checked the mailbox, there was a large envelope that contained Flat Stanley, a letter of introduction, and a journal chronicling his visit with our grandson, Kaleb. Stanley started his visit with us by going to church with us tonight and sitting in on praise team practice. I think he had a good time... we even took some pictures. Maybe I'll post some later in the week. Kaleb says Stanley likes food, so maybe I'll get him to help with dinner while he's here. I think he wants to go to work with Virginia tomorrow, and I guess he can go with me to take her to the airport Saturday. I hope he has a fun visit.

Speaking of the airport, VJ's flying down south to attend Kelli Isaac's wedding Sunday with Jeremy and Amber. I wanted to go as well but couldn't really miss this Sunday. We're both really happy for Kelli and Rob.

Well... better go make sure Flat Stanley is ready for bed...

Leading Singing

We weren't really late heading out the door, but we were rushing to the car anyway. Making sure the kids were safely buckled into the back, I gave the keys to Virginia and climbed into the passenger seat. She started the car and, pushed in the clutch, slipped the transmission into reverse and backed out of the driveway. Taking out a plain 3X5 card and removing the cap from my pen, I opened the hymnal and began selecting songs for the worship service that would begin in about 20 minutes. After soliciting input from the kids and Virginia... didn't want to miss the opportunity to sing a favorite or two... I jotted down the requisite song numbers. Almost at the building and running out of time, I decided to check with the preacher before settling on a song before his sermon and an invitation song. Then, I could decide on a closing song during the sermon... hopefully finding one that would connect with one of his 3 points. As we locked the car and headed up to the building I began to relax a bit... after all, I was prepared.

I wouldn't say those were the "good old days," but sessions like that were a reality back in the 70s and 80s. My how things have changed... and for the better I believe... when it comes to planning worship. Words like prayer, planning, intentionality, Spirit, emotions, story... each of these has a role in weaving a weekly tapestry in the worship life of our church family. And I believe God uses these times of community worship to mold and shape us after His heart.

For a good chuckle, you might want to check out the link below. My friend, Karen, sent to me this morning. She found it at Worship Forum. Anyway, enjoy...
http://www.songleaderrevolution.com/

Outta Gas

Well, Florida was great and UCLA was not... guess they finally just ran outta gas. Actually, they had a few good moments, but not many. Two things: UCLA's heretofore awesome defense hardly slowed Florida down... and they were really cold when they had an open shot. Face it, Florida played an almost perfect game. Well, here it is April 3rd... and March Madness is over... go figure.

On a more positive note, Virginia is feeling much better today. She still has a bit of a cough, and there is still pain in her ribs, but her pain has gone from a 9 to a 3 or 4 in a day's time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying for her. Please keep those prayers going.

It's still raining here... April has continued where March left off. They say spring will get here eventually... I'll be glad. Think I'm ready to start riding my bike part of the time.

A Varied Saturday

I was working in the kitchen when the phone rang. It was my mom, and she said, "I bet I know what you're doing... watching the UCLA game, right?" Well, she was sorta right. I have had the game on, but, as I explained to her, I get pretty nervous when I just sit and watch a game that I have some emotional attachment to, so I'm usually better off just having it on so I can check in on the score but focus on something else. We talked for a little while, and after we hung up I checked the score. WOW!! I couldn't believe it. The Bruins had not looked like world beaters in their previous tournament wins (at least offensively)... LSU had handled Duke and Redick (3 for 14)... I just hoped UCLA could stay close. They were well up in the first half, and as I write this they're up 55-34 with just over 7 minutes to go. It looks as if we'll have a Florida-UCLA final Monday night. Wonder what I can work on while I listen to the game then?

Randy and I had a pretty good, if drizzly, run up the Somersville hills to the Black Diamond Mines this morning. I felt better than the last week... maybe there's a chance I can get back into decent shape as the weather warms up.

Virginia's cough seems a little better... her voice sounds better... but she coughed so hard a few days ago that she strained something in her ribs. As a result, every cough is really painful. I'd rather take a beating than for her to be sick, so this is hurting me too. Pray that she gets well soon. Thanks!

She's been working on videos for church. Last year and this we decided to use the Sundays up to and including Easter to focus on this Community of the Cross that God gives us through Easter. Last Sunday we did a Child Dedication service... really neat to see those parents and grandparents commit to raising their little ones in the Lord. And the other cool thing was our church family committing to be there for these families... to support them. VJ did a really cool video with pics of the the kids for that Sunday. Tomorrow we're focusing on the love and community that church should be, and we're using the ESPN version of that JMac story. Palm Sunday and Easter we'll have videos as well... but I don't want to let all the cats out of the bag. :-)

We bought a Tassimo hot beverage machine today. I got it when I returned an Espresso/Cappucino machine we got last week. It just didn't work as I'd hoped, so we decided to try the Tassimo. I think we're really gonna like it... more later.

Well, the game is winding down, and I need to "spring forward" all our clocks before bed time.

Wet Month

This last week has really ripped by... really busy. As a result, there are several things I could write about, but I'll hold it down to a relative few.

We are making history here in the bay area. According to the TV weather people, this month (ready with that drum roll...) will be the wettest in March in history, at least in terms of number of days with rain. In SF the record was 23 days in 1904. Yesterday tied that record, and today or tomorrow will set a new one. To boot, April will start wet as well. At least the hills will stay green a little longer this spring.

Virginia started her new job with the Antioch PD Monday, and she really likes it so far. She has been impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of the department as well as her supervisor's management style. Part of her orientation to the department is to spend time with other sections. One day she was with the dispatchers for 2 hours; she also did ride along and witnessed an arrest for a burglary. The software she'll be working with is pretty complex, but she's excited about the learning process. Now, if she would just get over that cough that keeps hanging on.

Lots of others have been blogging about the Nancy Grace show last night on the minister's shooting death in TN, so I won't say too much. In a way it's sad, because for so many in our culture suggestion and perception = reality, and too many count on the media for their perceptions. In a way, the strident history of at least some of our fellowship seems to be providing a brush with which to paint us all... really too bad. I guess I'm grateful for at least a couple of things: I'm grateful that Rubel Shelley was our spokesperson (and shudder to think what that show might have been like with some from our fellowship); I'm also grateful for this new challenge to embody Jesus to those around us. Live graciously...

Elite Eight!

OK... I just have to say something. I just watched the UCLA-Gonzaga game. I must admit that UCLA looked like a mediocre high school team in the first half, but what an unbelievable comeback to win!!!! I don't know if they can handle Memphis in the regional finals... they are so young... but I was blown away by their comeback tonight, so who knows?!?!

And, speaking of wild finishes... did you see the end of the Texas-West Virginia game? Talk about bang-bang 3-pointers...wow!!

And Duke eliminated... that means the two most likely candidates for the college player of the year (Morrison of Gonzaga and Duke's Reddick) are out of the tournament. Wonder if that'll increase the likelihood of someone else taking that award??

Oh well, that's enough... basketball isn't life. :-)

Spring for Real!

Wow! Today was a beautiful day! For the first time in quite a while I left the front door open because it was warmer outside than it was inside. That 70 degree air coming in just permeated the house... nice!

Earlier in the day I headed up over the hill to Contra Loma Regional Park. With all the rain we've had I wasn't sure if the trail over the hill would be muddy or dry, but thought it was worth a shot. There was a little mud in the low places, but easily avoidable, and trail running it much better than pavement... even with the hills. I decided to head out the south entrance to the park and run on Stewartsville trail for a ways... more trail running and a fairly decent grade to negotiate as well.

By the time I got home I my legs were letting me know they appreciated the outing, but it was definitely enough. What a great day for a run.

Spring?

Well, after a pretty nice weekend we had rain and 50's today... with snow down to the 2500 foot level. Doesn't sound much like early spring in the Bay Area, eh? But I'm not complaining... I've seen the blizzards and floods in other areas of the country... it's just sorta strange.

This is our third spring here in Antioch, and each one has been a little different from the other two. The weather hasn't been nearly as predictable as it was in Oxnard growing up. That's not a bad thing... just an observation. It's actually pretty nice, being surprised by the weather. Just goes to show you that, to quote Morgan Freeman's character in Robin Hood, God "likes wondrous variety."

I'm enjoying our spring... I hope you're enjoying yours.

Sunday... full and rich

Today was a really great day. I started out the day a little stopped up and raspy from my allergies, but steam, Claritan, and pseudophed fixed me up so I could talk and sing.

I've really enjoyed the bible class I'm leading this quarter. It's a small group of us and we've been examining prayer and our prayer lives for several weeks. Everyone is so open and our conversations have been honest and transparent. I know God will use out time together in this class to shape us.

Our worship time today was one of those special days. Everyone was really into the singing... lots of enthusiasm. We introduced "Show Your Power" from True Lift's My Everything CD, and the church responded well. We'll sing it again soon.

At 4:00 most of our praise team folks gathered to work on new songs. We spent most of our time with more songs from My Everything, and we also worked on "I Belong to Jesus," a powerful Dennis Jernigan song from ZOE's Consuming Fire CD. I think it will be a compelling song for Easter Sunday.

We ended our day with the youth group... singing (voice shot at this point), laughing, talking about this summer's mission trip to Tuba City, AZ... just a good time with the kids, Brian & Laura, and Mike.

We came home a bit on the tired side... but it was a good Sunday... full and rich.

What's Up?!?

Nothing ground-shaking to blog about, but there seems to be a lot of stuff going on.

Virginia passed her physical, the final "hurdle" for her new job with the Antioch PD, so she'll start that Monday the 27th. In the mean time, it's really crunch time at JetTax, and Virginia's training her replacement since there'll be two weeks left in tax season when she leaves. Cherry has been so supportive of Virginia. Thanks, Cherry!!

We're driving to Fairfield this evening to eat dinner and so VJ can use her notary skills to do a signing of some sort. We'll call it a date. Wonder where we should eat?

Praise Team will have a new song practice Sunday afternoon. We'll work on some more music from True Lift's My Everything CD... and maybe some others as well. Our group is so good about learning new stuff to incorporate in worship. I feel really blessed to work with folks with such good hearts.

Our next East Bay Praise Team rehearsal for the Pepperdine Bible Lectures is the following Sunday at Tri-Valley in Livermore. That's going really well also. If you're at Pepperdine in May, be sure to come worship with us at 2:00 on Friday afternoon in Elkins. I think you'll be glad you did.

My mom's coming our for a visit in May as well, and we're really looking forward to that. Then, Kaleb will be with us for a little while in June. Hey... that's the summer... I'm getting too far ahead. :-) Better go for now... I'll leave you with a pic of the police facility where VJ'll be working. Enjoy!

March Madness

OK... I like college basketball and the NCAA Tournament as much as the next guy... I mean back in the day I was a huge UCLA and John Wooden fan. I mean way back when they wore those short basketball shorts. So... do they call them longs now? Just wondering. Anyway, as I was saying before I interrupted myself, I've always enjoyed the NCAA Tourney. But I just don't get all the hype that surrounds it now. And March Madness??? Hello... they play the finals in APRIL. What's up with that? Shall we go with April Psychosis??? I heard on the news that it is estimated that upwards of $4 billion in productivity would be lost to American businesses the next 2.5 weeks due to water cooler and internet time given to the Tournament. And for gamblers... wow!!! Think of all those games they can bet on!! Gambling... sort of like a voluntary tax for those who are really bad at math.

Enough ranting. I'm pulling for UCLA... guess I should check on when they actually play. Now... where did I put that tournament bracket............

Supper

Virginia is one step closer to her new job with the Antioch PD. She went for her physical this afternoon and passed with flying colors. They did say, though, that she might want to get her contact prescription changed in the near future... hmmm maybe that's why she still thinks I'm "handsome" :-) Well... I digress... after all, you'll notice that the title of this post is "Supper."

Because of the physical, she was pretty late getting home from work, so supper was up to me. Now, I'm not the greatest chef in the kitchen, but I am pretty creative... especially if it can be cooked in one pan. First a little olive oil... then 4 eggs to a soft scramble in the pan... add some steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, sliced yellow squash) and mushrooms... I sensed it was asking to become a south-of-the-border creation, so black beans came next, followed by some salsa/ranch yogurt I had made up... a little salt and pepper and a light dusting with 3 kinds of cheese, and all that remained was some simmer time. Virginia got home, so we started with a spinach Caesar salad before digging into the main dish. It was surprisingly good... and pretty healthy to boot.

Hmmm... I wonder if it would fit a category at the county fair???

Weather Transition

Today was one of those really strange weather days. It was really sunny and pretty (although a bit chilly) this morning into early afternoon. Then the wind picked up and clouds started to move in. By this evening it was cold and rainy, and not too far north and west of here, there has been snow down as low as 600 feet!! Now, for those of you who live in what we might euphamistically call "snow country," I realize that a little snow at that elevation is no bit whup, but for we Californians, any snow near the coast... especially in March... is worth noticing. True, true... if we want real snow we have to go to the Sierras... and they had 4+ feet of the white stuff in the ski areas over last weekend... but any snow around here will be fun.

It's supposed to be pretty cold throughout the bay area (lows 20s and 30s, highs 40s to 50) for the next several days... with rain and chances for snow. Me... I'm hoping to wake up one morning and see snow on Mount Diablo... or maybe even on some of the hills between here and there. Now that would be really cool Here's a shot from 2001.

Continuing to think transition, in a only few weeks, it will stop raining altogether for this season, the green in the hills will peak, things will slowly dry out, the hills will turn that California golden brown color, and by the late summer or early fall we'll be worrying about fires. The hills that look like this right now...

will soon look like this...

Now, that's not all bad... just life out west.

For now, I guess I'll enjoy the cold and rain... looking forward to soon being out on my bike and planting that vegetable garden.

Wednesday Already!!

Wow! I can't believe it's Wednesday already. After the busy weekend, I had sorta hoped for a slowdown this week, but... maybe tomorrow?!?

The church corporation meeting went smoothly Monday night. Brad did a good job as the MC, and there were some good ideas expressed during the "let's-talk-about-whatever-you-want-to-bring-up" section. People here at Eastside have such good hearts, and it often shows in surprising ways.

Speaking of which, after our Budget Sunday service on the 26th, I was talking with a couple of ladies about something else the next Sunday night. Somebody asked a question about the budget, and during the discussion it was revealed that one of the ladies gave up smoking after 40 years so she would have more to give; the other (on a fixed income) decided to increase her contribution as well, and the next day she received unexpected check that would cover 15 weeks of her increase. Cool stories!

The youth minister search is narrowing... more on that as we go along.

Tonight is our 3rd Wednesday night Oasis, and we have the most signed up to come that we've had so far! Speaking of which, I better go make sure things are set up... "If you're happy and you know it..."

Weekend

Whew! What a weekend! Friday after lunch Jarrod and I drove to Sacramento to get set up for our roles in the Northern California Spiritual Training Seminar at Cordova Church of Christ. We got the lay of the land and grabbed an early dinner at Chevy's with Chris Goldman, his family and some of the other presenters. Back at the building I met with the singers from Cordova (Vicki, Tim, Keith, Bill and Perry) to work through the songs we were singing that night and Saturday. As we rehearsed, Karen, Lauren, and Virginia arrived, so we had a full praise team.

Our worship that evening was really rich and set a great tone for the weekend. Everyone really joined in as we sang. Just before our worship, Larry Nunley from Valencia did about 30 minutes of comedy... funny stuff! He also did some teaching with the teens during the weekend.

Saturday was a full day. I taught 2 classes on Missional Worship and led twice more. There were several presenters, and about 200 folks benefited. Jarrod did a 3-hour in depth look at preaching through Acts. Dewey Howard from Lubbock did Adult Ed. Mark Henderson from Oklahoma City did the Leadership track. There were others as well... GREAT equipping weekend.

By the time we got home, I was bushed... went to bed a little early... nice!

Today, Shawn and Dee Collins joined our bible class to share about their possibility of working on a project with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Shawn just finished a degree in 3-D animation, and Wycliffe wants to do an animated bible that can be used in many areas of the world for the deaf. Shawn and Dee have asked our class to be their prayer support group as they go through the process. After church we went to lunch with them, so we got to talk a lot more. Such a great couple... so willing to go where God is leading them.

After lunch we went to Walnut Creek Kaiser Hospital to visit Nancy Low. She's doing some better, but she'll be in the hospital until she can eat regularly and get some strength back in her legs.

Tonight at church we did an"old fashioned singing" complete with requests and several song leaders. Just before church, Ruth called me to let us know she had taken Tim to the hospital with chest pains. We went by after church, and it looks like he had a mild heart attach. He's in good spirits and will have further tests tomorrow.

It was a busy weekend... but it was full of good stuff. Thank you, Lord, when you help me see with your eyes.

Oasis 2

Last night was our 2nd of six Wednesday night specials we're calling Oasis, and it was great again this week. The food was really good... can't believe we got a huge sloppy joe, green beans, salad, fruit, and ice cream for 3 bucks. And the energy was amazing... everyone enjoying one another... kids doing a sticker project with Ms Ruth... good singing... and time in our small groups. It was a good evening... one of those We Are the Body of Christ evenings.

Praise Team rehearsal was really good as well. Good songs, good mix of voices, great energy, and prayer. What a way to top off an evening.

Money and Church

Sunday was "budget Sunday" for us at Eastside, and it was without a doubt the most uplifting service of that kind I have ever been part of. From the get go, I sensed that nearly all our folks were able to set aside that part of us that usually tightens up when we talk about money at church and focus on things like a God who loves us, our many blessings in Jesus, all the good our financial gifts do, and even how God grows us through our giving as we allow Him to work in our hearts.

It was a challenging day for some of our Eastside family, but our shepherds all were spirit-led in their comments, and I keep hearing of families who are praying, asking God to help them grow in their giving. What a great day Sunday was!! I'm really looking forward to seeing God work among us over the next weeks and months.

Rehearsal

Yesterday afternoon the Tri-Valley half of our East Bay Praise Team made the trek to Antioch for our second rehearsal. Greg Brown was a bit sick, but those who were under the weather last month are well, so we were all present. The rehearsal went really well. Good singers... wonderful music... great energy. I'm really looking forward to our worship session at Pepperdine. I believe that God will use what we have planned... the songs... the texts from 1 John... the prayer... Kent Mereness' art to touch the hearts of those present.

I'm also looking forward to the morning session with Lynn Anderson. Not yet sure what songs we'll be doing or how many, but Lynn is such a great teacher that it'll be good to be there even if we sing only a couple of songs.

Today was Monday... and rainy... one of those "Mamas and Papas" days... but it didn't get me down too bad. However, I think it's supposed to rain most of the week.

Update on the Honda... so far no engine light.

Oasis

Oasis, our new 6-week Wednesday night offering, started with a bang last night. We had over 100 folks (over double our usual Wednesday participation) gather at 6:00 to eat together... enjoy fellowship... share some worship time... and take part in one of several discussion groups. The food was good (thanks to Georgia, Darlene, and Dovie), the worship was lively, the group discussions were engaging, and the fellowship was rich. There are a few details we'll try to tweak for next week, but it was a good evening. We wrapped up by 7:15 so families with kids could get home. The praise team practiced at 7:30, and we had a good rehearsal. Most of the other folks stood around and talked for 15 or 20 minutes before heading home. It was a great evening... can't wait until next week!

Today was an eventful day. We got a call yesterday that our refinance papers were ready to sign, so we took care of that this morning. On the way to the title company we got a call that our car (see Feb 15 post) was finished. It's hard to imagine that a rat did over $1500 damage. Thank goodness for insurance!! After work this evening we trekked over to Walnut Creek to get it. On the way home, we stopped for a relaxing and enjoyable bite to eat. That, along with a 6 mile run (beautiful day today), means I'll sleep well tonight.... think I'll head that direction. Good night!!

Monday

I know this will sound pretty weird, but Monday holidays are some of my favorite days to go to work. OK... pick yourself up, dust off your britches, and try to understand. You see, there's always been a part of me that relishes things like getting caught up when I'm behind, getting ahead on something that's coming up, checking things off a list, taking care of that nagging chore that I never seem to find time for... that kind of stuff. I hear you... psychologists write books about people like me... but I can't help it... just wired that way I guess.

Sooo... today is a school and bank and government and (probably lots of others as well holiday), and where am I? The office. :-) Now, it's not that I don't enjoy time off... it's just that... well, here's the scoop.

Virginia works at Jet Tax, right? Now, do people who work at tax offices take holidays this time of year... of course not. So, if I stayed home, I'd be without my sweetie.

Also, there are several things coming up for which I need to prepare... not just the normal weekly stuff, but extra things like a class I'm teaching at a conference in a couple of Saturdays, along with planning and leading worship a couple of times at that conference. I needed to look at our back wall projector, since it's been acting weird lately, and we have Oasis kicking off Wednesday night.

Could all of this stuff get done if I hadn't come in today? Sure... but... I have a secret. I'm the only one here today, so I can just "cloister" and work. Ah... if you only knew the endorphins I'm releasing...

Well... back to work!! :-)

Clouds

This evening Virginia and I went out for a walk around 5:30. The rain and most of the clouds had cleared out during the day. The air was still crisp with blue sky caressing soft billowy clouds that were catching the setting sun on the bottoms, turning them shades of pink and orange... simply beautiful. As we walked, we just basked in the beauty... and the blessing of being part of God's creation.

Later this evening we watched a piece on global warming... how it's no longer deniable... how we are contributing to it... how the arctic is melting, and the impact that will have on world climate... weather patterns... droughts... floods... super hurricanes...

Lord, forgive us and show us how to heal your world.

Saturday Morning on the Road

Spring weather didn't last. Believe it or not, it has turned cold... and even some snow on the area mountains... down to 1500 feet. Now, mind you, it's not cold like it's been in the mid-west or back east, but for the Bay area, 30 degrees over night is pretty cold.

Well, Randy and I hit the road this morning about 8:00 for a long trek up the paved hills to Black Diamond Mines. It was clear and crisp with no wind... and no snow at our elevation. I struggled... been too long since I ran that far... but the conversation was good, and it was nice to finish... guess it's sort of like banging your head on the wall because it feels so good when you quit. It stayed pretty chilly most of the day, clouded up gradually, and started a cold drizzle earlier this evening. I think it's supposed to last until tomorrow afternoon.

Our praise team in the morning will be sort of pieced together. With some folks gone, and some getting sick late in the week, I had to make some last minute substitutions. I think we'll be OK... glad everyone is so willing... such a great team spirit. And, what can I say about my wonderful wife. At first she wasn't going to sing this week. On Wednesday, I asked her to sub at soprano for Suzy (whom I forgot was going to be gone). Then, today I got a call from Karen with sick kids, so I asked Virginia to move over to alto and called Marla to fill in at soprano. Also, Mark has gotten sick, so Jarrod is filling in on bass with Brad. We're singing a great combination of older and new songs, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Maybe you can be there!!

Cars and Rodents

For the last month we've been dealing with an intermittent "check engine" light in the Honda. It first came on before we went to ZOE last month, and we took it into the shop. Their diagnostic said it was a bad gas cap, so we replaced it and headed to ZOE. On the way down, it came on again, so we took it back in when we got back, and they replaced a couple of solenoids. The next day it came back on once more, so we took it back yet again and they replaced a third solenoid. Two days later, it came on again, so the local Honda specialist we were taking it to refunded us some $$ and recommended we take it to Walnut Creek Honda (one of the dealers in the area).

In the mean time... while all this was going on, we also had a large (rat size) field mouse in the garage, and it was chewing plastic and rubber hoses under the hood. Really did some damage... but I caught him in a rat trap and ended his reign.

We dropped the Accord at WCH Sunday evening so they could begin checking it out and hopefully solving the mystery. After a day and a half of tests and cleaning out emissions hoses, they decided the only thing left to do was drop the gas tank and check the hoses that are connected to the top of the tank. Meanwhile, the cost of this venture continues to escalate.

We had the option of just leaving it alone, but in CA, you can't pass your smog test every two years if the "check engine" light is on. Now we just had it "smogged," so we'd have 2 years... but then it might not be able to be fixed... who knows. Anyway, we decided to bite the bullet and just have them drop the tank.

It turns out that that pesky field mouse had crawled clear back up on top of the gas tank and chewed some of those hoses as well. The good news is that it should fix the problem... the bad news is that it's expensive.

The best news in all of this is that, since the rodent caused the damage, it is covered under our comprehensive (after our deductible), so it won't be that bad. And we'll just go ahead and replace all the other hoses and wires with rodent damage. Won't get the car back until Monday, but at least we shouldn't see that "check engine" light for a while... unless, of course, there's a gremlin in the car in addition to the rodent.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Well, here we are... Tuesday, February 14, 2006... the latest edition of Valentine's Day. Hope you are enjoying the day! Ever wondered about the origins of Valentine's Day? There are several versions, but, if you're so inclined, just click here and check out some of them.

Valentine's Day used to be a pretty big day for Virginia and me because it occurs exactly 6 months after our anniversary, and, since our anniversary is also VJ's birthday, it seemed appropriate to make a little bigger day out of V-Day. Slowly, over time, we've lessoned the emphasis, so we usually don't do anything big anymore. I tell Virginia that every day I get to spend with her is special... and I really mean it.

Don't get the wrong idea... we don't ignore V-Day. We still do the "card thing" and either eat out or grill something. In fact, I went by the house this afternoon and put a couple of steaks out to thaw. That should be good!!

Let me leave you with this passage. Wonder what our world would look like if more of us actually lived it out... day by day?

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

Coming Together

Sunday was an interesting day to say the least. Of course, there are always the usual surprises (can you really have a "usual surprise"?) than you can never really prepare for but need to adjust to. We had a couple of those Sunday... in fact, Doug needed to fill in for me during our opening song because I was caught in the foyer doing "business."

However, that's not why Sunday was interesting. Before class started, I got a call from Lauren that most of the classrooms downstairs in the fellowship hall were wet. Apparently we had sprung a leak in an exterior pipe and it had run down into the classroom area. The sump pump that is down there didn't work for some reason, so all night there was water seeping into the downstairs, and by Sunday morning we had several classrooms and a hall with soaked carpet.

It was a pain, but it was neat at the same time to see several guys (and a couple of ladies) show up around 2:00 and spend several hours moving furniture and sucking up water in shop vacs. I did learn that on carpet it's much more effective (at least after you get any standing water) to just get down on your hands and knees and use the hose nozzle directly on the wet carpet... takes longer, but you can sure suck up the water. We got out a lot of water and left fans running. Today a couple of guys are fixing the pipe and letting it air out more.

It's kinda funny, but you wouldn't think about wet carpet, shop vacs, and sore knees providing an opportunity for spiritual community... but it did. The Holy Spirit is just amazing with how He uses things in our lives. Praise the Lord!

The Story We Find Ourselves In

Since last fall, Virginia and I have been choosing a book and reading it aloud, a chapter or two at a time in the mornings. We started off reading as we walked, but that didn't last too long. I found I couldn't walk fast enough while reading... and stay upright, so we separated the activities. Walking goes better without reading, and the reading is more reflective and interactive when I'm not worried about tripping.

The first book we read was Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller... highly recommend it. It helps you understand that for some in today's world, the best road to Jesus may not look like what most of us "churched" folks have grown up with. Next we read Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala. It's a wonderful story about the power of prayer in the life of a church in New York City. Then we decided to read Brian McClaren's New Kind of Christian trilogy. We just finished the second book, The Story We Find Ourselves In. It raises lots of great questions about how the church might need to look to be effective in the culture that is emerging in the 21st century. Certainly makes one think... and wonder... and pray... and see the need to trust God more and one's own understandings less. We just started the third book.

We're really enjoying doing this... it gives us a regular time to reflect and discuss ideas, spiritual things in general... and to pray together... and those times are special every single time.

Value

Today we had an appraiser come by to determine the current value of our house for our refinance. They say that in real estate value is determined by 3 things: location, location and location. It's amazing to me how home prices out here, where they are already among the highest in the country, continue to escalate. So, is our house worth its value? Good question!

This afternoon I went out for a run for the first time since I got sick a couple of weeks back. Didn't run too fast or too far (come to think of it I never run too fast anymore), but I did feel pretty good. Being outside on a gorgeous day... breathing fresh air with every stride... burning off a few calories... giving the heart a healthy workout. Is the time spent jogging or walking in the hills valuable... worth the time? You bet!!

Super Sunday

Our worship this morning was really good. As we continue our look at Abram's story, today we noticed how God's goodness to Abram allowed him to be good to Lot. What a challenge for all of us... and we shaped the rest of our worship to encourage us to trust God and be faithful to him and be good to others in our lives. We introduced two songs... the Lift version of Praise the Lord from the My Everything CD... great upbeat praise song. We also introduced the ZOE version of You Are Holy... great song of commitment because of who God is and all He does. The church did well with both of them. We'll sing that one several times throughout our Abraham series.

Our Family Circle met for a potluck lunch over at the Paslay house. Good food; good conversation; and we talked about visitation assignments for the remainder of the month. I love this group... so into trying to do good stuff for others. Thanks, guys!

Brian and Laura hosted the youth group for a Super Bowl party. Several of the kids came over, and among the food, the game, playing ball in the cul-de-sac, and a rousing game of cards, there was something for everyone. The Lescures are such good hosts for the youth group.

I was kinda pulling for Seattle, so I guess my team didn't win. However, all in all it was a Super Sunday anyway.

Technology

A while back Ron Skrehot turned me on to a really good deal for Norton Security with a 3-computer license on Buy.com. We didn't have up-to-date virus protection on the auditorium computers, so I ordered it. Today I finally got around to installing the software on 2 of the computers, and it was an adventure.

The older one runs Windows 2000 and had an older version of Norton, so, as per instructions, I tried to uninstall the old version before installing the new one. I got an error that it couldn't uninstall the old version because it couldn't find some file... so I couldn't install the new... hmmmm. Sooo... I just went through and deleted all the old files I could find (I know, I know, probably not the right thing). I was then able to install the new version, run live update and do a scan. There's still a problem when the computer boots because there's some file explorer is looking for, but once we get past that, it seems to work fine. Whew!! (Maybe Ron can fix it correctly.) :-)

OK... the installation on the newer machine went smoothly, but when it started the scan it locked up after about 600 files. I tried it again... rebooted and tried again... went to the Symantec web site to download a "fix" and tried again... NO CHANGE!! I'm sure glad I had absolutely nothing else to do today (he said with his tongue firmly implanted in his cheek). Soooo... I uninstalled Norton, rebooted the computer, installed it once more... and........... IT WORKED!!

I love technology... at least at those times when I don't hate it!!

When last I left them, the two computers were humming along just fine. Hope the gremlins stay away!!!

Back at It

Today was a milestone of sorts. During the last couple of weeks while I was getting sick and slowly recovering, I haven't been running or working out. Frankly, I just haven't felt like it. Today was my first day back. Didn't do too much, and it didn't take much to be enough after so many days off, but it really felt good to be "back at it." There's just something about running or working out... or even working in the yard on some occasions... that cleansing feeling of sweat pouring down my face... that feels good. Somehow, I just feel more whole or something.

Our Praise Team rehearsal last night was a good one. Good spirit in the room, and we even prepared two new songs for Sunday, Praise the Lord from Jeremy's My Everything CD and You Are Holy from the ZOE Ancient Future CD. You Are Holy started out pretty rough, but everyone kept working on it until I think it's ready for Sunday. I think it's a great song period, but it's especially good for this Abraham series because it talks not only about all that God is in our lives, but expresses a faith and commitment to follow him. I think the church will pick it up quickly.

Well, I'm a bit tired, so it's about time to get ready for bed. Being "back at it" means a bit more sleep is required.

Step by Step

Today we hosted the memorial service for Randy Moser's dad, Ray. Randy's mom and dad attend a small Lutheran church whose meeting place was not big enough to host this event, so we offered. Really didn't have much to prepare... just tried to be a gracious host and run the sound and video.

The minister did a really good job, and the service was pretty interesting for me. With our non-liturgical background, it was pretty neat to be in a service where there was a script and scheduled audience responses. Intermingled with that the minister and several family members shared memories and stories... and a few tears were shed as well.

The family had a bbq lunch catered in, and our ladies set the fellowship hall up nicely, provided desserts and drinks, and made sure everything ran smoothly. It was neat to watch the various family members and friends just talking and remembering and laughing together. Made me wish I had known Randy's dad. Also reminded me once again that this life is a journey of many steps... but we each must take those steps one at a time. Thank you, Lord, for relationships... help me to cherish them.

Life in a Blur

Really sick and miserable last week... engine light on the Honda (again)... Virginia's flight to Nashville for her mom's birthday... news about her new job... looking at refinancing the house... Randy Moser's dad passing... Sunday's coming... slowing down to relfect and worship... wonderful fellowship lunch with our Family Circle and some others... engine light on the Honda (a third time)... Virginia coming home sick and miserable... travel to Livermore for a great rehearsal with the Tri-Valley singers... back in the office... checking things off lists... slowing down to give thanks to God for the amazing ways He finds to intersect with my life in spite of my harried scamperings. Thank you, Lord!

Mom Bean's Birthday

Yesterday morning Virginia and I left the house at 7:30 to get her to Oakland for a 10:10 flight. Leaving that early, even in commute traffic, I thought there might be an outside chance we would be early enough to grab a cup of coffee before dropping her at the airport. Little did I know that there was an accident involving a tractor-trailer and at least one car. I realize that the folks in the accident, at best, had a REALLY long day, but all of on the freeway were impacted as well. The usual 50 to 60 minute drive took almost 2 hours.

However, Virginia did make it to her plane on time and arrived safely in Nashville to join in with her siblings to celebrate her mom's birthday this weekend. Oh, and she did have time to stop and pick up a cup of Peet's in the airport for the plane.

I'm pretty sure they'll all have a great time this weekend.

Sick

OK, today is two weeks since I started feeling like I was coming down with something. At first it was typical cold symptoms, and, after a few days, I started feeling better. Then, last Saturday evening it started coming back, and Sunday afternoon it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was useless for a day and a half... slept most of Monday. By Tuesday I was pretty sure I would live. Wednesday was better, and today even my congestion is breaking up some. (And I'm quite sure you wanted to hear that, right?!)

Tuesday, after being pestered by Virginia... bless her... I called Kaiser to tell them I was sick. Luckily I was coherent enough to negotiate the phone menu, eventually talking to a screener. After describing my symptoms to her, she connected me to an "advice nurse" who also listened to my symptoms. She made some suggestions, most of which I was already doing, but she was actually really nice. Pretty much it boiled down to "There's this bug going around that is keeping people sick 2 weeks or more, so keep doing what you're doing, and if you don't feel better in 3 days, call us back and you may need to come in." Well, I seem to be getting better, so I guess she was right.

Being sick is no fun, but getting well is.

Auditions

Well, tonight took me back almost eight years. Jeremy's senior year in high school he seriously wanted to go to Pepperdine, and we were working with admissions trying to figure out a way to make it happen. During a campus visit he found out about Won by One, a traveling a cappella group that represents the school. Sooo... eight years ago we set up the video camera and recorded an audition tape. He was selected to be in WBO, and that has had a tremendous impact on his life since.

Tonight Josh Spainhower and his dad, Doug, came over to record a similar video audition for Won by One. It was really fun to be part of the experience again. Josh talked a little, and sang three songs in his crystal clear tenor voice. Don't know what the outcome of the audition will be, but those watching the video probably won't hear a cleaner sound. Good luck, Josh!!

Virginia and I always really love this kind of thing. I guess it's just a hold-over from our youth ministry days, but watching kids set goals and getting to be part of their lives in even small ways are really special to us.... especially when we're walking along with them as they walk with the Lord. That's hard to beat.

ZOE Fresno

The trip to Fresno for ZOE West coast was great. As usual, the singing was wonderful, and the whole weekend we were challenged to be missional... to be salt and light in the community around us. Leonard Sweet was both brilliant and challenging. Mike Cope also challenged us, and Saturday night he commissioned all of us as missionaries in our communities... to go out and treat everyday people just like Jesus treated folks in His day. Hard to describe this kind of weekend in only a few words on this page, but suffice it to say next year is already on my calendar. The College Church does a marvelous job hosting this event.

Of course, we also got to spend some time with Jermy and Amber. We and they stayed at the Fosters along with the Gills. It's always great to get to see Jeremy and Amber, and Steve and Gail are wonderful hosts. We got to see a bunch of other folks as well. In fact, one of the greatest blessings of these kinds of events is the chance to reconnect with friends.

Wednesday Night

I always enjoy our praise team rehearsals on Wednesday nights. It's our time for singing through the songs for Sunday morning, working on any rough spots, laughing and enjoying one another, and, some nights, really feeling the Spirit among us as our rehearsal becomes worship. Tonight was one of those nights. The messages of the songs we sang, the passages we read, the people for whom we prayed... thank you, God, for inviting us into this time of worship tonight. Thank you for not requiring us to "get it right" before you ask us into fellowship with you. Thank you for tonight.

I nearly lost my voice as we sang tonight. I''ve been trying to get sick for almost a week, first sort of cold symptoms that went away. Then, yesterday, this congestion and a cough gradually came on, so I started with the decongestant and expectorant. I felt pretty shaky last night and this morning, but by tonight I feel pretty good... now if I can just get rid of this cough. Hope it doesn't turn to a sinus infection... I hate that. The worst part is that today Virginia is feeling bad... seems to be about a day or so behind me. Thank goodness for Airborn, or it might be worse for both of us. One good thing is that she's tougher than I am... always gets well quicker... maybe I'm just a wimp.

We're going to ZOE West Coast in Fresno this weekend, leaving really early Friday morning and driving back late Saturday. Karen Koonce is riding down with us, so she's coming over tomorrow night to stay over for an early Friday start. Otherwise she'd have to leave REALLY early Friday to get here from American Canyon. It should be a great weekend. We'll be staying with the Fosters, and Jeremy and Amber will be there, so not only ZOE, but a bonus weekend as well.

Well, lots to do before Friday morning... including getting well... hopefully!!

Mission Follow-up

Today at noon Virginia, Darlene, Jacque, Wade and I represented Eastside at the Mission Christmas follow-up lunch at the New Hope church offices. It was mostly a time for the leaders of the planning group to just say "Thank you" to those who helped plan or worked as volunteers back on that first Saturday in December. We had some great Mexican food catered in, and there were about 40 of us there. It was really neat to see folks representing several different churches eating together, talking together, basking in our shared faith, and committing to work together in 2006 to put together another big event for the poor and homeless next December.

This group is fortunate to have Dee Collins as our planning leader and chief communicator. She is gifted, she is passionate about ministry, and she loves the Lord. She and her husband give a significant amount of time and energy to this project. Thank you, Dee.

And, speaking of energy and passion, Darlene told me that she and Georgia will become part of the planning team, joining John in representing us at meetings beginning in March. I think they will bring gifts to this team, and their involvement will make it easier for Eastside to perhaps be even more involved this coming year. I'm looking forward to it.

Lectures Preview

Last night about a dozen of from Eastside made it over to Tri-Valley in Livermore for the annual Bay Area Kick-off Dinner for the Pepperdine Lectures (May 2-5). Some of us have teamed up with the TV praise team to form an East Bay Praise Team that will sing a couple of times at Lectures, and we sang a little last night. Others went just for the fellowship.

Jerry Rushford is an enthusiastic and gifted teacher, and he always has something worthwhile to share at these dinners. Last night he talked about some of the "hows" and "whys" of the division between the Churches of Christ and the Disciples of Christ a hundred years ago... some of our common misconceptions included. He also talked about some of the current dialog that is growing between us c of c folks and relatives in the Conservative Christian Church. All interesting stuff.

The Pepperdine Bible Lectures is probably the most diverse educational/fellowship/encouragement offering in our fellowship. It is truly unique. If you're interested, just click the link above for all the details.

Prayer

We're beginning this New Year by emphasizing prayer. It's not that we haven't been praying, it's just that we want prayer to be even more important to our church... we want prayer to become as organic for us as breathing. We'll be talking about prayer, teaching classes, encouraging others, and offering new opportunities for prayer. My prayer is that God draws us to Himself and teaches us all.

Well, we've been collecting resumes over the last of months, and I guess you could say that we officially "kicked off" our new Youth Minister search last night at the elder/staff meeting. Over the next few weeks we'll be praying a lot that God steers us toward that person who will be the best match of us. Pray along with us, will you? Thanks!

Good Day!

Today was one of those days that go by really fast... good stuff all day. Saw the count from Sunday... worship and class attendance were both up a bit higher than average. Looks like folks are "back" from the holidays... hope folks stay committed to class.

Ron Skrehot came by and helped us work through some issues on our church computer network. He said our hardware setup is good, and the glitches we had were easily solved... at least by someone who knows what he's doing. :-) Lunch and conversation were good as well.

I sent out a longer than normal prayer list this morning. We had a number of prayer requests posted at the Sunday night Reunion service.

Jarrod and I had a really good conversation this afternoon. It's really neat to have someone with whom you can toss out ideas, role them around, weigh them, chew on them and, over time, come up with something that works.

Kaleb's birthday is today... seven years old. We sent him an interactive ecard this morning and called this afternoon to sing to him and see what he bought with the book store gift card we sent him. When his mom asked him what he wanted for his birthday, the first thing he said was a new "chapter book." Hence the gift card, so he could pick out his own... ended up with one that picks up where the last episode of Star Wars leaves off. Maybe he'll read it to me.

Reunion

This week the New Year has definitely made its presence felt. People returning from holiday trips... schedules are gearing back up... all those things I put off are demanding attention. It's been a busy week, but somehow it all feels good. I know that going from December to January is really no different than going from April to May or September to October, but there's just something about it being a New Year that makes it all seem... well... NEW. You know what I mean... fresh... unspoiled... full-to-the-brim... starting over... almost as if God gives us a "do over"... a chance to delete all the mistakes and failures of last year and begin again... a time to recommit, to persevere, to make better decisions, to grow more closely into that person God wants me to become.

One of those special things will happen this Sunday night. We'll have our first Reunion Service of 2006. Reunion is a time for our Church Family to gather for worship... both some traditional forms... and some more interactive activities that stretch us, draw us closer together, and offer parents and children a chance to interact with God and one another. I'm looking forward to our first 06 Reunion. Maybe you can be there too.

Surgery

This morning about 6:45 our time, Virginia's mom, Ruby Bean, went into surgery for a masectomy. The surgeon had said that this surgery usually took 2 to 4 hours, and it took about 2.5 hours... things went as expected... no big surprises. I think we'll find out the lab results Monday or Tuesday.

We heard that, in typical Ruby fashion, she had found a cartoon (probably a masectomy joke) and had it pinned to her gown when they came to take her to the OR. Virginia's sisters tell us that before the surgery she was keeping all the nurses laughing.

We are so thankful that Ruby came through the initial surgery so well. We know she will be in a lot of pain over the next few days, so we appreciate continued prayers of those who may read this. Thank you!

Amazing things happen at times like these. Those who know Ruby are aware that being early or on time has never been a big priority... especially if it's early in the day. Yet, she was on time for her surgery... amazing.

Rose Bowl

For some reason, maybe growing up in the 60s in Southern California had something to do with it, I have pretty much always been a USC fan (except during basketball season when I rooted for UCLA... but that's another story). I think part of it was all the exciting running backs they've produced over the years. I first remember Heisman winners from the 60s, Mike Garrett and O.J. Simpson. Later Charles White and Marcus Allen were Heisman winners, along with should've-been-winners Ricky Bell and Anthony Davis. I remember one year in the 80s when Notre Dame was up pretty big at the half, and Anthony Davis (AD) ran the 2nd half kickoff back for a touchdown, scored four more times, and led USC to a huge comeback win. And then there is Sam Cunningham, who had a great NFL career with New England, yet he doesn't come close to cracking the USC elite. If you just have to know more, you can click here.

Then there's Texas... over the years I've admired their program and pulled for them quite often... not tonight.

Sooo... here I am sitting with 1:04 left in the game... USC with a 5 point lead and Texas driving... I'm sweating bullets... :-)

Vince Young just scored... defensive end lost containment. 19 seconds for USC... almost surely not enough time.

Texas wins 41-38.