Reconnecting

Last year I was criticized for being on facebook, now it seems those who criticized are now on facebook - or their wives are! One great benefit of this social network is that I have reconnected with some of my old youth group from First Baptist Church in Los Gatos, CA. I was there  25 years ago. Our first years of marriage living in a very small apt. and then owning our first home are great memories. Katie was born in Santa Teresa Hospital in San Jose. We had a great time and God did some wonderful things in our lives and in the lives of the youth!

I remember many late game nights with the guys, many basketball games in our driveway - we even had to get the city to reroute the power lines to the house because they interfered with my favorite shot! Lynn one day poured a whole bowl of oatmeal on Cindy Riggio's (now Cripe) head just because Cindy knew Lynn was too polite to do it! The youth helped repaint my home, Steve R. reminded me I "let him" til my yard! He put it this way in a recent facebook note.

It has become abundantly clear as the years have passed how short your time in California really was. As I look back it seemed like you were there for many years than you were, what an influence you had, and if I recall you were quite young as well. Thank you for the time and energy you spent on us kids. I have always been involved with youth since I was able, I give you and Steve Hammond a lot of credit for keeping me on the right track and not fearing scaring me off when you checked me. I am not able to make fun of your accent through words, I miss saying "Pastor Ken", also thanks for introducing me to golf, you have given me years of agony and wasted $$s, and at some level I still play, although I haven't improved much. Your turn, catch me up on your end. Say hey to "Lynn", do you remember the peanut butter sandwiches she made, with homemade bread, Oh and thanks for letting me till your yard, I dont even do my own yardwork, See Ya....

Steve is the one with the red shirt looking back at the camera!

One very memorable event was a "Choir Cruise". We cruised from San Jose to LA in a school bus that broke down on the way home. Jayne, seen asleep in the bus, lead the choir - they were really good, and we visited many churches singing and sharing Jesus. The big idea was for the youth to see how others worship, knowing the they would be spread out in many directions as the years passed. I still pray for these guys and for some I am still pastoring them and being pastored long distance!

For all my friends that have never seen my chin - enjoy the picture!

Music for your encouragement

When I was a brand new Christian, my youth pastor was a personal friend of a singer called Ken Medema, a blind man with a terrific talent to play and sing. He is able to hear a sermon and extemporaneously compose a ballad to captures the essence of the sermon. I bought his four 8-track albums. I had a 8-track in my orange and yellow van.

Tonight I found this on you-tube and it brought back many memories!

Belinda Furby's Challenge - First poem since 5th Grade

Belinda Furby had a challenge to write a personal  "fill in the blanks" type poem. Check out her blog.

I am from a Civil War era white wooden house with a big staircase and a hidden one I thought only we knew about, from Oscar Meyer bologna and Smithfield salty ham.
I am from the REVILO, a farm in ole Virginia surrounded by the aroma of magnolia and the taste of giant cultivated fresh blackberries.
I am from the large mahogony trees older than anyone knows, the bright purple of the overgrown crepe myrtle trees.
I am from yearly Christmas time family reunions and people who love to laugh, from O.B. & Elmo, Oliver & Pat and Gillis and Cross.
I am from the folks that value people who have time to talk and are honest workers not matter how much money you make.
From sayings like, "that is just a short walk"  and "this will be yours one day.
I am from church folk that lived it.  "Love God and treat everyone with respect, you don't know their circumstances" kind of salty folks.
I'm from Scotch/Irish who eat watermelon rhine pickles that they make themselves, warm yeast rolls made on a wood stove, fried chicken, blackberry cobbler made in large casserole dishes and ice cream at the bewitching hour (9 PM)
From the "stuffing Karen into a cannon until she is stuck story",  the grounding my kids until they repent, even if it takes months, school of parenting.
I am now an orphan since all my parents and older relatives are gone, but not really. I see them in so many memories and I still laugh.