Gathering as a church family for worship today, we praised our Lord and used James 3 to encourage a consistent use of our tongues. Here's how we did that.

We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise
Blessed Assurance
Welcome and Greeting

This Is How We Overcome

Prayer

Reading: Romans 15:5-6

We Will Glorify

Reading: Philippians 2:9-11

At the Name of Jesus

Reading: James 3:9-10

Love One Another

Communion: Renewing Our Commitment to Love

When My Love for Christ Grows Weak

Boundless Love

Offering

Children’s Sermon

Invitation to Children’s Church

How Sweet, How Heavenly

Sermon

A Common Love

Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer

We Are the Body of Christ

Cross Quotes

I love this quote courtesy of Heartlight.org.

We never move on from the cross of Christ, only into a
more profound understanding of the cross. - David Prior

The cross is such a deep and powerful image... one that has grown more rich over the years. I think my favorite quotes about the cross (other than scripture) come from songs. Here are a few:

Upon that cross, of Jesus,

Mine eye at times can see

The very dying form of One

Who suffered there for me;

And from my smitten heart, with tears

Two wonders I confess:

The wonders of His glorious love,

And my own worthlessness.

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Knowing all He would endure, He still came.

Disregarding ev'ry cost, from the manger to the cross.

He still came just for me, He still came.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,

When at the Cross the Savior made me whole.

OK, those are a few of mine. What about you?

Assembling for Worship

Brice continued his "rubber meets the road" series from Galatians and James this morning by challenging us out of James 2 to love and serve all those around us, not just those like us.

Here's our order of worship for the morning:

Heavenly Sunlight
Firm Foundation

Welcome and Greeting
We Praise Thee, O God
Salvation Belongs to Our God
Prayer
What the Lord Has Done in Me
Reading: Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Hear, O Israel (1)
Reading: Deuteronomy 10:17-19

Hear, O Israel (2)
Communion: Responding to Our Savior’s Love
Surely the Presence
I Am Mine No More
Offering

Children’s Sermon

Invitation to Children’s Church

Shine, Jesus, Shine (refrain only)
Sermon
Let Us Be You
Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer
This Is How We Overcome

*******************************

And, totally unrelated but for any Trekkies out there, today is William Shatner's birthday. Now, aren't you glad you stopped by today's post! :-)

Quote of the Day

"Lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke." - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

New Kaleb & Claire Pic

You can check out a few more pics here and two video clips of Claire dancing to the music here. Enjoy!

Entertainer or Legitimate Influence?

Media personalities have always had opinions about politics and the ineptness of the Congress and other national leaders.

• Mark Twain - "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
• Will Rogers - "Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?"
• Bob Hope - "Carter wants to go to Washington. He'll feel right at home there - he was raised on a nut farm."

And, it continues to be true. Leno and Letterman and the other late night guys have plenty to say at the expense of politicians. Saturday Night Live has for years excelled at political satire and creating wonderfully humorous doubles of politicians.

They all have their opinions... they all make their points... they usually make us laugh and think... yet I know of nobody who seriously thinks of any of them as legitimate policy makers.

However, there is one exception: Rush Limbaugh. He has his opinions... he makes his points in creative ways and in very public venues... he tends to tell people what to think and laughs at those who disagree with him... and a scary number of people actually think of him as a serious policy maker. I just don't get it.

Yes, he's clever... yes, he's glib... yes, he has his own radio show... yes, he's become almost obscenely wealthy. However, when I'm looking for someone with good judgement about pretty much any topic (not to mention what should be done at a national level), the guy who is arrogant, always thinks he's right, enjoys bullying others, has failed at three marriages, and is a prescription drug abuser will not be at the top of my list. How about you?

Our worship assembly today was crafted around readings from the first four chapters of John using a fairly new translation called The Voice. We used 6 readers altogether in a readers' theater style, and everyone did a great job. One part was "what if here were actually here" commentary by the Apostle John as an old man, as if we were able to teleport him from the first century to our assembly this morning. Very insightful. Anyway, here's how the service unfolded.

Hosanna
Lord, We Come Before Thee Now

Welcome and Greeting
Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus
Prayer
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
John Reading: The Voice that Is the Light
Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down

John Reading: The Liberating King
Majesty
John Reading: Water to Wine
Invitation to Children’s Church
Victory Chant
John Reading: A New Birth
In Christ Alone
Communion: Abiding in Jesus, the Liberator
Abide with Me
There Is a Redeemer
Offering

Jesus, Flow Like a River
John Reading: Living Water
Jesus, Draw Me Closer
Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer
This Is How We Overcome

A "Lofty" Weekend

Wow! This week has gone by fast. A week ago today we hopped a cheap SW flight down to Burbank to spend a couple of days with Jeremy and Amber, with the primary purpose of helping get Jeremy's office/studio moved from the second bedroom up to the loft. That bedroom will eventually be Baby Boy Johnson's room, but for now it was just important to get all Jeremy's stuff reset so they can take their time getting the room ready. Jeremy has a lot of music things going this spring, so this was the weekend to get it done.

The loft actually has two areas: the open loft area and a storage area. It originally just had a small crawl door access, but Jeremy and some of his friends added a full door and sheet rocked the walls inside. Sooo... it was ready to receive bookshelves, cabinets, and so forth.

In addition, Steve and Gail came Friday to help and to take some stuff back to their place for storage. It was a fun weekend, and... mission accomplished!

Looking up the staircase into the loft.

From the top of the stairs, looking at Jeremy's studio area.

Looking into the storage room.


From the door of the storage room back across the loft. Notice the opening behind Jeremy that overlooks their living/dining area.

And... the vacated room, now ready to be remade!

Bathroom Upgrades

Sometimes people remodel their houses because they just want a makeover; sometimes it's to repair damage of some sort; sometimes they want to be more green; sometimes it's just to replace something that's old and needs replacing.

We recently did some upgrades in our two upstairs bathrooms, and I guess you could say our reasons were the last two. The linoleum was over 30 years old, and was worn and ugly... it needed to be replaced. We also decided (because of a generous rebate through our water district) that it was also a good time to replace the old toilets with ones that use much less water... the green reason.

We love the new lino, and they did a good job putting it down. First they tore up the old flooring under the under the old lino and then put down new wood and floated it with a leveling compound before laying the lino. And it's amazing that the new toilets actually flush better than the old ones and use about 1/3 the water. How about that!

The shot above is the main bathroom off the upstairs hallway, although this "fishbowl" shot looks a little strange.

In our bedroom/bath area, we had them take out some carpet and extend the new flooring a little. The linoleum in the two areas is the same pattern, but the colors are different. That doesn't show up too well in the pics, but, trust me, it's true! :) We're enjoying the upgrades, and you can too... but you have to come visit.

Between illness and the inevitable fallout from "spring foward," our numbers were a little on the light side this morning. None-the-less, God blessed our time together.

Step by Step
Higher Ground

Welcome and Lord's Prayer

At the Name of Jesus

We Will Glorify

Prayer
Reading: Romans 8:1-2
I Will Praise You
Here I Am to Worship

Communion: A Response of Worship
In Memory of the Savior’s Love
O Sacred Head
Offering: Let Us Be You
Invitation to Children’s Church

Sermon
Lord, Take Control
Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer
Sing to the King

Sunday, 3/1

Brice was gone, so Kyle preached Sunday... great job, Kyle! Here's what our assembly looked like.

Footprints of Jesus
Hear, O Israel
Welcome and Greeting
We Have Come to Worship Him
Prayer
I Stand in Awe

Responsive Reading: From Psalm 46
Surround Us, O Lord
Reading: Philippians 3:10-11
How Deep the Father’s Love
Communion: Remembering His Love
He Still Came
Offering: Days of Elijah
Invitation to Children’s Church
Sermon
Here Is My Heart
Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer
Days of Elijah (short reprise)

Quote

The 17th century believer, philosopher, physicist and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, once said, "We are generally the better persuaded by the reasons we discover ourselves than by those given to us by others."

Sounds as if he is describing not only what he observed in the 1600's but also what he could not observe in our time. Perhaps just human nature?

Sooo... what are the implications for evangelism? Perhaps what we show others really is more important than what we tell them.

Truth

"The truth is always a compound of two half- truths, and you never reach it, because there is always something more to say." - Tom Stoppard

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - Jesus

Sounds like the beginning of an interesting conversation.

Ron Howard

Yesterday Ron Howard celebrated his 55th birthday. Many remember him best for his Opie days on The Andy Griffeth Show (later Mayberry RFD) beginning at age 6. Others probably remember him best for his days as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days in the '70s and '80s. Perhaps you know him best as a really good movie director.


I have another memory of Ron Howard. Back in the '70s I worked at the Pepperdine gym for a little over a year, and for 2 or 3 years in a row Pepperdine hosted a competition between TV celebrities from the 3 major networks called Battle of the Network Stars. It was quite an event on the Pepperdine Campus the times we hosted it... TV cameras everywhere... TV stars everywhere... Lynnda Carter in street clothes instead of her Wonder Woman costume... the main locker rooms cleared of college athletes so the TV personalities could dress and shower.


Here's where my story gets interesting. We issued combination locks to the actors who were competing so they'd have a relatively secure place to store clothes, etc. if they didn't have their own trailer. Well, as things were getting started on the first day I was walking through the men's locker room, and there was Ron Howard trying to open his lock. My guess is, since he had been acting from age 6, he'd never had to open a locker or combination lock and just didn't know how to do it. He asked me to show him, and I did. He smiled, said that was pretty simple, and expressed his thanks. That's my memory... Ron Howard... a regular guy... a guy who smiled and said, "Thanks."


I have a specific memory of one more of the "stars" from that year, and, coincidentally, his birthday was yesterday as well. Robert Conrad (b. 1935) competed for the NBC team, and my memory is pretty much him acting like an obnoxious jerk and poor sport when his team didn't win a competition. Two guys... two totally different impressions on me. Happy Birthday to you both!

The Dance

When the Old Testament talks about dance, it is usually in the context of joyful celebration and/or worship. In 1 Samuel 18 David returns from a great victory, "the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes."

Years later as king, David brings the Ark of the Covenant to the City of David. As the Ark enters the city in 2 Samuel 6, "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets."

In one of his well-known prophesies of the coming Messiah, Jeremiah describes it as a time when,

Then maidens will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,”
declares the LORD.

Dancing seems to have often been a spontaneous outpouring of joy in response to the blessings of God. Of course, the prophets of Baal also danced in their competition with Elijah on Mount Carmel, and you may remember that John the Baptist lost his head because of one young woman's lustful dance before King Herod.

A few posts back I wrote about VJ and I taking a ballroom dance class that was being held in our fellowship hall; I got some interesting reactions. :-) Well, we're still taking the class, and one of our teachers shared the following with us about dance as a metaphor for our walk with God.

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the
other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle
cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one
direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving
beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE. When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I
would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let
God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies
are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as
God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

Now, I realize that learning a few ballroom dance steps and trusting God in the dance of life are not entirely the same, but I was touched and impressed by what Virginia wrote back to our instructor. I'll just close with her words.

Even though I try to keep my eyes open to God’s working in our lives on a day to day basis, I never expected to experience such a powerful application of how God leads us by participating in a dance class!!!

Thank you, Mindy and Mike, for sharing your gift and passion for the beauty of the dance with us. May we each be that connected and responsive partner to God’s gentle guiding as He displays His grace and love to the world through us.

"I more fear what is within me than what comes from without." -- Martin Luther

Quote

"There's always somebody who is paid too much, and taxed too little - and it's always somebody else." - Cullen Hightower

Home Again

Courtesy of Southwest Airlines, I arrived in Oakland a little ahead of schedule, Virginia picked me up, we grabbed a bite to eat, and I'm writing this from home.

It was good to be with Mom for a few days. Probably spent more time talking with Kent on the drive from Nashville than in several years. It's always fun to reconnect with people from our Cabot church family.

We picked up Louise around 10:00 this morning, enjoyed a late breakfast at IHOP, and I got the the airport with plenty of time to get some reading and other work done before boarding the plane.

Tomorrow... things on my list already. :-)

Back East

I remember when I was growing up in California in the 50's and 60's after moving there in '56 that people who were natives often referred to places like Oklahoma or Texas as "back East." I thought that was a bit odd because "back East" to me meant places like NYC or Boston. I guess it's all in your perspective.

Well, Thursday afternoon I headed "back East" courtesy of SW Airlines, landing in Nashville and spending the night with Kent and Susan. Friday Kent and I drove west to Cabot, Arkansas to visit Mom, so I'm writing this from her house. We're having a good visit; Kent will drive back to Nashville early in the morning, and I'll fly home Tuesday. We've missed having Virginia and Susan here... probably been 40 years since it's been just Kent and me with Mom and/or Dad.

We spent quite a bit of time cleaning up her computer today, and we installed a wireless network (hence this post). There are a few more things to do as well, changing light bulbs, fixing a shelf or two, maybe some other things. Ryan drove down from Harding in the afternoon, so it was good to see him. Mostly this visit is a time to enjoy just being together, including dinner at Dixie Cafe tonight. Thanks, Mom!

Quote

"I believe that professional wrestling is clean and everything else in the world is fixed." - Frank Deford

With all the difficulty the California Legislature is having just passing a budget, I'm beginning to think Frank may be correct.

The Hills are Greening Up

Even with the rainy season making a late appearance, there is green beginning to show in them thar hills. Hurray!!

View of the hills with a touch of green and Mount Diablo just poking up in the background.

Contra Loma hills in full green attire.

Sunday Assembly

Here's what our worship assembly looked like yesterday. Brice spoke from Colossians 2, emphasizing the reality that Jesus is the answer, in spite of all the arguments and other distractions the world has to offer.

Sing On Ye Joyful Pilgrims
I Love You, Lord

Welcome and Greeting (What draws you close to God?)
Come Worship Christ the King
Prayer
Reading: Colossians 2:6-7
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
Reading: Colossians 2:8-12
In Christ Alone
Reading: Colossians 2:13-15
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Communion: Motivation for How We Live
Bread: Nearer, Still Nearer
Cup: More Holiness Give Me
Offering: Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus
Invitation to Children’s Church
Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus
Sermon
Jesus, Draw Me Closer
Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer
My Life Is in You

Wash Out!

It is still raining here in the Bay Area... pretty windy and sloppy, but we really need the moisture. Many of the cities that a week ago were running 40% or so of average for this point in the winter are now running 60-70% of average. It seems that a south wind has caused this front to stall out, so we are to get more precip tonight into tomorrow. And, after a brief break mid-week, we're supposed to get more rain toward the end of the week. Maybe we'll get caught up to normal before it quits raining for the spring. Now the main issue will be mud slides on those hills that burned during the fires last fall. Oh well...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Bay Area Snow

It's been raining lately and is supposed to rain quite a bit over the next few days. When you live in California, rain this time of year is both expected and really needed. Basically, if we don't get rain through the winter, we just don't get it. Sooo... we gladly put up with some wet, windy, nasty weather so we have water the rest of the year.

Much of that water this summer will come from snow in the Sierras, and when the storms come from the north, as these current ones, they bring cold air as well as moisture, so the snow levels creep down. Our local mountain, Mt Diablo, is only about 3500 feet or so, but it has snow right now. VJ said it was beautiful this morning as she headed out and was able to catch a view through a break in the clouds. Here are a couple of shots I found, one from a distance and the other at the summit.

When it snows, the rangers close the road to the summit, so those who go to the summit have to hike 2-4 miles, depending on road conditions and where the closure occurs.

Happy Birthday Abe!

I love this Abraham Lincoln quote: "Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally."


Interestingly enough, Lincoln shares a birthday (even same year) with another person who has shaped the development of Western culture, Charles Darwin. Hmmm...


I think Abe would have been proud of this Marine. My guess is you will be too. Click here for the story and here for a video clip.

Sunday Assembly

Sunday Brice started a new sermon series. Over the next several weeks we'll look at our motivation and some practical aspects of Christian life. Here's our order of worship for Sunday's assembly.

Standing on the Promises
Come into His Presence
Majesty
Welcome and Meditation
How Great Is Our God
Prayer
Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:9,10b
You Are My All in All
Responsive Reading: Colossians 3:12-14
I Am Mine No More
Communion: Remembering Our “Why”
Why Did My Savior Come to Earth
More Precious than Silver
Offering
Children’s Sermon

Invitation to Children’s Church

Thy Word
Sermon
In My Life, Lord, Be Glorified
Family Matters & Shepherd’s Prayer
We Are the Body of Christ

What do you know!?!

On this date in 1893, comedian, singer, pianist, and Emmy Award winning actor, Jimmy Durante was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Also, in 1906, monster movie legend, actor Lon Chaney, Jr was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

And in 1950, nine-time Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Spitz was born in Modesto, California. Hmmm... that means Spitz is a few months older than I am. However, I don't think I have any Olympic medals laying around... now where did I put that road race trophy...

FaithNotes

From Ron Rose's latest FaithNotes email.



Inspiration

"If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?" I asked the kindergartners.

"No!" the children answered in unison.

"OK, if I prayed everyday, went to church every Sunday, was even kind to the bullies, and kept my room neat and clean, would I get into Heaven?"

Again, the answer was,"No!"

"Well," I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"

One outspoken little boy yelled out, "You gotta be dead."

Don't look for the complicated when you talk with children, but be ready for truth.



Motivation

Ask someone close to you to pray for you this week. Tell them you are testing your faith. Invite them to ask God two things for you: (1)To put Jesus sightings in your path this week and (2)To do whatever is necessary for you to seize that moment. Now trust God to show up. It's a simple "childlike" trait. Look for Jesus in your opportunities to forgive, to accept, to listen, to serve, and to coach. He lives in you. Keep your eyes open for other followers of Jesus who are testing their faith. What will it take to see Jesus this week? Nothing! Just open your eyes and let it happen.



To check out more at Ron's web site, click here.

Various

As President Obama and the Congress, not to mention Governor Schwarzenegger and the California Legislature, fuss and arm wrestle over philosophical differences in this difficult time, this quote by Henry Kissinger seems to grow in significance: "The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously."

On this date in 1964, the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan show. I don't remember seeing it when it happened (my folks were more Lawerence Welk and Bob Hope people), but I do remember the impact.

On this date the very next year, U.S. troops were sent to South Vietnam, and we all know how that turned out.

"An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field." - Niels Bohr

... and finally...

"Though you can give without loving, you can’t love without giving." - Tom Drout

Grandkid Pics

Well, it's time to post some grandkid pics. We don't get to be with Kaleb and Claire as often as we'd like, so we really cherish the photos Jen posts for us!!

Believe it or not, Kaleb turned 10 in January!

Claire outside on the playground at her Preschool. Think she's used to being out in the snow?

Kaleb is such a good big brother! And he's sharing his love for reading with his little sis! :-)

Motivation

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

John the Apostle, 1 John 4:7-12, The Message

"We can do no great things; only small things with great love." -- Mother Teresa

Strength in Weakness

The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me… for when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:9,10b

You are my strength when I am weak,

You are the Treasure that I seek,

You are my All in All.

Seeking You as a precious jewel,

Lord, to give up I'd be a fool.

You are my All in All.
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame,

Rising again I bless Your name.

You are my All in All.

When I fall down, You pick me up;

When I am dry, You fill my cup.

You are my All in All!
Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your name.

Jesus, Lamb of God, Worthy is Your name,

Worthy is Your name,

Worthy is Your name!

Dennis Jernigan, 1990

The Day the Music Died

Fifty years ago today after a concert in Iowa, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper were all killed in a plane crash, one of the biggest tragedies in rock music lore.

I guess we owe the day's name to Don McLean and his 1971 hit, American Pie, but this happened in a simpler and more innocent time. Not many years later it was not uncommon to hear of overdose deaths and suicides, but in the 50's those abuses that existed were mostly behind the curtains of public image.

Today on the radio I heard an interview with the Donna of the Ritchie Valens hit Donna. She certainly had an interesting perspective about how times had changed. Her dad hated it that she was dating an Hispanic. Anyway, he wrote the song for her, and she heard it for the first time riding in a car with some girl friends. Click here for a listen.

Don McLean's lyrics not-withstanding, it seems the music didn't actually die that day after all.

Quotes... Plus

If the human mind was simple enough to understand, we'd be too simple to understand it. - Emerson Pugh

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. - Mark Twain

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On this day in 1933, Adolph Hitler dissolved the German parliament... the beginning of a very dark period in western civilization.

XLIII

How'd you do?

Out of the Mouths of Babes... Really?

A friend sent me this email entitled Judas Asparagus. It purports to be the result of an assignment for a child to write a book report on the entire Bible. It's pretty funny, so enjoy it; however, I have my doubts that it originated with a young child. Why? Well, see if you notice the humor that sounds not-too-subtly adult. :-)

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

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Virginia flew to Dallas today... actually, as I write this she is still in Albuquerque due to mechanical trouble. She'll eventually get to Dallas. Her mom is there visiting due to the birth of Larry and Erin's little girl, Nicole. It's also her mom's and uncle's birthdays, so Janet will throw a party and they'll have a great visit. I'll hold down the fort here, and she'll fly back Sunday night.

Now... think I'll go steam some asparagus...

ZOE Fresno

VJ and I drove down to Fresno Friday for the annual ZOE West Coast Worship Conference. It kicked off at 7:00 Friday evening and wrapped up a little after 6:00 this evening. We rolled into the driveway here right at 10:00.

It was a really good weekend. We got to hang out with Jeremy and Amber and her folks, Steve and Gail. Jeremy sang bass with ZOE, replacing one of the regulars who couldn't make the trip. The singing was incredible as usual; the class we attended was thought-provoking and challenging; the worship sessions were powerful. And... one of the best things about this kind of event is getting to reconnect, even if just briefly, with so many. God has a way of shaping each of us through our interactions with others, and seeing people we have known for a long time or even a short time just reminds me of that.

Ballroom Dancing

Sooo, our friend Anna emailed wondering if the ballroom dancing class she was taking could meet in the fellowship hall because their were too many couples for the tiny room they were using, including two other couples from church. They would even switch from Wednesday to Thursday nights so VJ and I could attend. Such an offer!!

Well, I cleared the class meeting in the FH and we attended tonight. Now, in our growing up years neither VJ nor I were dancers, and even if we were, the twist is nothing like a good waltz. So, we started pretty much from ground zero, and we had to learn fast to just keep up. The rest of the class had a whole week on us!!

So, tonight we learned and practiced several waltz steps: the hesitation, the basic box, the diagonal, the streamline, and the lady under the arm (or something like that). Now, learning and practicing does not mean mastering, so I guess we'll go back next Thursday night. Rest assured that no photos or video clips will be posted on this blog.

Vino Bella

MLK's birthday was a holiday for Virginia and we were about to lose some timeshare points with Shell Vacations, so Sunday afternoon we drove up to the Vino Bella resort in Napa for a couple of nights away. It's a new and very nice resort... probably the nicest one we've stayed in over all these years. You can check out photos and virtual tours here.

Monday we hiked for almost 3 hours in the hills of a county park, of all places. it was actually pretty good hiking with some good views of the valley. We closed out the day by driving north to Calistoga for an early supper before heading back to our place.

It was a short get away, but it was fun!

Inauguration Day

Many words have been spoken and written about today. Rather than add a bunch more, I'll just add these... tears... a warm sense of pride in being an American...

Special Friends

Most of us are blessed with good friends whom we see regularly. Time spent together serves as soil in which the relationship grows, and often God uses those relationships in special ways, sharpening and challenging us along the way.

Some of us are also blessed with friends whom we seldom get to see but who seem to be kindred spirits, and there is a closeness that spans both time and distance.

Such is the case with Arlin and Pamela Hendrix, longtime friends and missionaries in Lyon, France. Because of who they are I'm pretty sure we aren't the only ones who feel as we do, but we do consider them to be special friends. Part of that is a common bond in Christ, but the Spirit has woven our hearts together over the years through common experiences, goals, victories and challenges. The result is that when we do have the blessing of being together, it is almost as if we have not been apart.

Such was the case this week. Arlin and Pamela have been stateside on furlough, visiting sponsors, raising support, etc., and their trek of 23 cities eventually brought them to Arlin's home area in Fresno. Thursday they drove north and we drove south, meeting for a long lunch in Turlock. What a blessing it was to be with them, even for just a couple of hours.

Over the years Arlin and Pamela have become such a blessing to missionary efforts in the French speaking world. With Lyon as a base of operation, they reach out to touch works elsewhere in Europe, several African countries, and as far as Guadeloupe in the western hemisphere. Click here to check out their web site.

Thank God for special friends!

When I was a kid - back in the black and white TV days of the 1950's - one of my favorite TV shows was Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges as Mike Nelson. Check out this clip. His character was one of those good guys who always did the honorable thing... and he did much of it under water.

Two of his boys, Beau and Jeff, followed him into acting, developing careers of their own.

Lloyd died in 1998 of natural causes after 60 years of marriage to the same woman, Dorothy.

His birthday is today, a day he shares with Martin Luther King Junior. I'm pretty sure his legacy as Mike Nelson will not be remembered in the same way MLK is remembered, but to a young boy in the 50's, he was someone you could count on. Sooo... Happy Birthday, Mike... er... Lloyd.

Doing What Is Right

Isaac Asimov once wrote, "Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right." Now, there are plenty of things that Asimov said that I would take issue with, but I think he may be hitting uncomfortably close to home with this quote.

Have you ever heard anyone who has broken a rule or a law in order to help someone justify what they did by saying something like, "I know what the rule said, but I just felt I had to do what was right?" I have... I may have even said something like that... I've certainly heard others and sympathized.

I think Jesus would understand as well. Remember that the Pharisees of his day had, with mostly honorable motives, created a system of rules... a morality if you will... that detailed how to live before God but that sometimes stood in the way of doing the right thing as understood by Jesus.

Sooo... when does a particular understanding of what is moral fail us? How do we know? Are there times we need a better informed moral compass? Difficult questions to answer fully to be sure, but perhaps something to think and pray about... as we look for opportunities to do the right thing.

Pepperdine Lectures Preview Dinner

Virginia and I attended the annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures preview dinner hosted by Tri-Valley in Livermore this evening. We got there a little early to sing through some songs with the praise team for the evening. She sang soprano tonight and I was a tenor.

After dinner and some worship, Jerry Rushford, Director of both Church Relations and the annual Bible Lectures at Pepperdine did his usu all wonderful job of promoting the Lectures, setting the stage scripturally, and weaving in hymn stories. When Jerry speaks, I always learn something and there is usually a surprise of some sort.

Anyone reading this who has even a remote opportunity of attending the Bible Lectures, May 5-8, needs to check out this link to find out more. It's a wonderful experience... AND it all happens in Malibu!!! Hope to see you there!

A Birthday

No, not mine or Virginia's. Today is Kaleb's birthday, and it's really hard to imagine that boy is 10 years old. Wow!! I seriously remember when I was 10 years old in Mr Silverstien's class, and I remember things about his mom being 10 years old. We moved to Houston when Jeremy was 10 years old. How can Kaleb be 10 already!?!?!

Happy Birthday, Kaleb!!

You're a great kid and a wonderful grandson.

And, you share a birthday with a wonderful song writer, Joan Baez. Here are the lyrics from one of her songs, Blessed Are:

Blessed are the one way ticket holders on a one way street.

Blessed are the midnight riders for in the shadow of God they sleep.

Blessed are the huddled hikers staring out at falling rain, wondering at the retribution in their personal acquaintance with pain.

Blessed are the blood relations of the young ones who have died, who had not the time or patience to carry on this earthly ride.

Rain will come and winds will blow, wild deer die in the mountain snow.

Birds will beat at heaven's wall, what comes to one must come to us all.
For you and I are one way ticket holders on a one way street which lies across a golden valley where the waters of joy and hope run deep.

So if you pass the parents weeping of the young ones who have died, take them to your warmth and keeping for blessed are the tears they cried and many were the years they tried.

Take them to that valley wide and let their souls be pacified.

College Roommates

Whew... this week has gone by fast. Last weekend we had the chance to connect with Virginia's college roommate, Karen Kukta. She flew up from SD on Friday and stayed with us until Sunday afternoon. VJ and Karen don't get to see each other often, so they cherish the the times they are able to be together. It was a fun weekend.

Happy New Year!!

Jen, Fok, Kaleb and Claire stopped back by after Christmas in Canada and headed home today. Soooo... our house seems rather quiet and empty. Karen Kukta, a longtime friend who lives in San Diego, is coming for a visit tomorrow, but I doubt she brings quite as much energy as Kaleb and Claire. :-) Here are some pics from the last couple of days.

My three girls.

Claire making a point.

And sorting out the family shoes.

Grandkids are among the greatest joy!!