A Fun Day Back East

We have arrived in Washington, D.C. and, as you might expect, we are having a blast! We are now with all the kids and grandkids and debating which part of the Smithsonian we want to see today. On Thursday we went to visit a friend of Julies, Margaret Hluch, who is a wonderful artist with woven artwork. Her husband, Kevin, works with clay, but all free formed and no wheel. They have this marvelous place in Frederick, Maryland that was a dance hall and entertainment center for blacks. Ike and Tina Turner performed there. The building was left abandoned for decades and was pretty well destroyed when they bought it, renovated it and made their studios downstairs and their marvelous home upstairs. You will see pictures of their work and one picture of Julie, Ingrid, and Margaret. This is amazing art! You can also see the molds Kevin uses for lids and trays. Many of them came from China. We had a great day here!

San Francisco Beauty

The past two Sabbath afternoons we have gone down to the area around Golden Gate Park, the Presidio and the Cliff House Restaurant. The first time was the day after the Chile earthquake and we were looking out over the ocean at the time any tsunami activity was due. We saw the most spectacular wave action clear out on the horizon. Unfortunately I did not have my camera at that moment. Last Sabbath we simply hiked along the coastal trails and soaked in some much needed sunshine. We have determined that we need to make more time to enjoy God's beauty all around us. Life is short! I hope you enjoy the pics with us.

BUSY

No pics this time. Just busy with too many board meetings this week on top of the regular meetings, classes, and preparations. We're really looking forward to next week. We'll leave late (11:35 pm) Wednesday night and get to D.C. around 7:30 am. We'll spend Fri - Sun nights at the Hilton Garden Inn on 14th St. with all the kids and grandkids from the east side of the country. Always lots of fun to go to the museums and other fun places with the little ones. We'll be back Monday night and have to hit the road running to get ready for the following weekend. One of the fun parts of the weekend is that it will be Beck's 5th birthday. I expect we'll hear plenty of laughter and squealing and other things that remind us of the joys of grandparenting. Hope you all have as much fun as we're going to have and I also hope you get a lot more rest than we will!

IN FULL BLOOM!

As you can see, the Vulcan Magnolia is really in all of its splendor this year! We enjoy this beautiful tree so much. Many cars actually stop and the people get out and look at it. Neighbors ask to take pictures with their families in front of it. I guess we should charge!

I've been able to make some good progress on the book this week since I don't have to preach on Sabbath since our Pathfinders will be in charge of the service. That's good news as I really need the time to focus.

We met with a precious family last Sabbath where the wife is losing her battle with cancer. We have several other church members in similar conditions as well as families undergoing relational, financial, and other physical challenges. As I look at that I see how blessed we are, but I also see how fleeting and fragile our lives are. I have so many members and friends who have died from, or who are currently battling, cancer that it just makes me wonder when it is going to hit our immediate family. Life is certainly precious, but also unpredictable. My only hope is to stay close to Jesus. It's not about what I know, but WHO I know that counts.

May we each blossom like the Vulcan Magnolia in our front yard!

Beauty Amidst Sorrow

I conducted the funeral today for the 102 year old member. It was interesting to witness the pain in the eyes and faces of the four living children (three had died), all of whom were in their late 70's to mid 80's, as they laid their mom to rest. No matter how long you have them, you're never ready to let go of mom. Perhaps the fact that they had her so long made it so difficult to comprehend that she was actually gone. And so we have mixed emotions everywhere we look, but God is always there and we can always find evidence of new life and hope if we look for it.

I hope you can enjoy these beautiful blossoms in our front yard. We watch them now daily as they will be completely gone in a few days, but they are glorious while we have them. Our loved ones are the same way. Enjoy the beauty of your family and friends today. Tomorrow they may be gone, but we still have the promise of an even more wonderful tomorrow.

May God bless you and keep you in His hand today.

Nice To Have A Long Weekend!

Wonderful to have an extra day to the weekend. Ingrid dealt with a big project in repainting one of the guest rooms. I was available to help when needed, but spent a great deal of time working on the book as well as other items that would need to be done during the shortened week, like weekly letter, sermon, and all that good stuff. I also have two funerals this week which only adds to the list of things needing time and the lessening of time in which to do it all.

We are fully enjoying some spring like weather. The Vulcan Magnolia in our front yard is starting to bloom already and we are ready for some warmer weather and sunshine (bike weather!), but we are not complaining as we talk with our kids back east and their 45" of snow with more coming today!

So, I wish you and yours a blessed week as well. Keep the faith!

OK, I'm back

I am back and after having read blogs from other colleagues I am chagrined to realize that I have not been faithful at blogging unless I was traveling or leading up to something. I hereby resolve to change that and get blogs up at least twice a week and hopefully more.

So, what have I been doing since I last signed in? Well, aside from the usual church items, which seem to keep me more than busy, I've been writing on the book, "The Journey." I am now about halfway through it and picking up speed. I do hope to have it done this spring and published asap. The writing of it has been a journey in itself and it does take a lot of time. Anyway, no more excuses. I'll just ask your forgiveness for being slack on this blog and get back to business.

I am currently working through a sermon series on "Challenges Facing the Church in the 21st Century." Challenge #1 was, "Do Not Worry", #2 was "Perceptions", and #3 was "Apathy." This Sabbath will begin to cover #4, which is "Truth." I may take two weeks to work that one through and then move on to "Reverence." It has been a fun series and well received even though I've been very much to the point. You can go on the church website and still pick up this series. Go to napasdachurch.com and click on Worship Services. Let me know what you think. I love feedback.

Much to do, but I'll post again at least by the weekend.

Blessings