Still no internet at home so this entry is
brief.
*Pastor Wesley called from Liberia yesterday.
*Our jump house outreach was a positive
experience.
*I listened to some of Matt and Justine's
concert in my car yesterday. I sure enjoy their
voices.
*I received an email from Florida that I had
been anticipating.
Last Sunday's Sermon:
click here
Sunday, September 23, 2007
I was working on this entry yesterday
afternoon. This sermon has been preached
and, Lord willing, should be online tomorrow
sometime.
Here was my rough outline:
Today's Message:
"Looking for Ties . . .that Bind"
Jesus left the synagogue and went to the
home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was
suffering from a high fever, and
they asked Jesus to help her. So he
bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it
left her. She got up at once and began to
wait on them.
Luke 4:38-39
Ties that
Bind us Together
1) PRAYER:
"and they
asked Jesus to help her."
2) WATCHING GOD AT WORK:
"He bent over her
and rebuked the fever"
3) SERVICE:
"She got up at once
and began to wait on them."
ATIE TO LOOSEN:
THE 'BUSINESS-AS-USUAL' TIE:
"When the sun was setting, the people
brought to Jesus all who had various
kinds of sickness, and laying his hands
on each one, he healed them. Moreover,
demons came out of many people,
shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But
he rebuked them and would not allow them
to speak, because they knew he was the
Christ."
"At daybreak Jesus went out to a
solitary place."
ATIE TO LOOSEN:
ANOTHER 'BUSINESS-AS-USUAL' TIE:
"they
tried to keep him from leaving them." (:42b)
The people were looking for him and when
they came to where he was, they tried to
keep him from leaving them.
OUR MISSION: "I must preach
the good news of the kingdom of God to
the other towns also, because that is
why I was sent." (4:43-44)
But he said, "I must preach the good
news of the kingdom of God to the other
towns also, because that is why I was
sent." And he kept on preaching in the
synagogues of Judea.
How to tie a tie: (
click
here)
to bind (for Jonathon):
a definition
Tefillin (
click
here)
Bind this Word on your
foreheads...around your neck, on your
chest ...
Acts 5:
We left off last time with a speech
given by Gamaliel to the Sanhedrin:
"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let
them go! For if their purpose or
activity is of human origin, it will
fail. But if it is from God, you will
not be able to stop these men; you will
only find yourselves fighting against
God."
Gamaliel's speech persuaded them.
They called the apostles in and had them
flogged. Then they ordered them not to
speak in the name of Jesus, and let them
go.
41-42 The apostles left the
Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had
been counted worthy of suffering
disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in
the temple courts and from house to
house, they never stopped teaching and
proclaiming the good news that Jesus is
the Christ.
Romans 2:28-29 A man is not a Jew
if he is only one outwardly, nor is
circumcision merely outward and
physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is
one inwardly; and circumcision is
circumcision of the heart, by the
Spirit, not by the written code. Such a
man's praise is not from men, but from
God.
Blessed Be the Tie that
Binds:
a podcast story
Day 18: 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer
'Ministering to
Martha'
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Yesterday, I helped
Joe tweak his resume' and he
took copies to nearly every bank branch in
Auburn. He has also applied online to most
of them. Cathy
left early yesterday morning to work a 24
hour shift for Home Instead. She is then
going to do three hours at another site
before coming home.
Daniel
is wrestling in a Sacramento Tournament all
day today. We are going to try to get there
to see him wrestle at least one of his
matches.
Last night, Joe and I let several late
episodes of the Andy Griffith Show play
while I worked on drawing prop plans for
Christmas in Mayberry and Joe applied for
Bank positions online.
Early this morning, I made a new
slideshow (click
here) to help us all brainstorm
about this community outreach. The famous
"Preamble Scene" is embedded on the same
page.
Vicki Novak is gonna be one of
the Darling Boys (with an upright Bass, Lord
Willing) and get her real, live brothers
here for the December 23rd performance.
For those of you who haven't seen an episode
of the Andy Griffith Show in awhile, I found
a website called liketelevision that has 17
shows online. I embedded their links in this
page to make it easier to navigate for the
cast(s) and crew(s) in Lodi and in Auburn (click
here for Mayberry Episodes).
...and now its time for me to get back to my
sermon-prep for tomorrow's message:
"Looking for Ties
...that Bind"
Luke 4:38-44
Acts 5:38-42
Romans 2:28-29
Remember, tonight
(7:30) is our outreach at the
Union Gospel
Mission. I'm on guitar tonight.
If anyone wants to join us, please call me
on my cellphone:
(209) 323-0727 ...or here's
the map.
Day 17: 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer
'Ministering to
Martha'
Friday, September 21, 2007
It is good to have my son,
Joe,
back in California. I'm sleeping better--not
because I was worried for him but because he
was a google-chat buddy who was
regularly online while most Americans slept.
Currently, Matt
Klein tends to be one of my
regular chat-buddies. Last night we were
chatting and I sent him the rough intro I
had made from my bed with a headset mic and
my laptop. I asked Matt to mess around in
his studio--if he had time.
me: break up 36 minute messages into
three parts with a
song in between, intro, outro...
and easily throw on a commercial
for the next upcoming BIG event...
and even a disclaimer..
'If you're listening to this message in
the year 2024,
then you'll need to ignore certain
dates ..etc...'
you know, kinda light-hearted...
subtle humor...
Matt: indeed...good stuff
The message you just
uploaded...
if you had to give the
listeners a quick summary of
what it was about and
certain questions it might
answer... how would you
put it into words...
example: "In
today's message, Pastor Rob tackles
the hard questions dealing with...."
me: Sort of a side-door approach to
the boring 'lecture-
writing' sermon thesis
statement. Yeah, Matt this could
be a great way to improve
everything...
"Jesus calls
his disciples to set free those who are
oppressed and held
captive in any way. In today's
message, we see how the
early Christians responded
to their own
deliverance."
Matt: I need about a 40 sec summary
me: "Ordered by
powerful forces to remain silent,
to no longer teach or
speak in the Name of Jesus,
a few brave Christians
defied the authorities.
Their civil disobedience
led to their arrest and even the
threat of death. An
angelic visitor sets these captives
free in order to continue
their bold witness for
Jesus Christ.
In today's message,
Pastor Rob challenges 21st
Century Christians to
thank God for their own
deliverance, to ask the
Spirit to empower them with the
Full Message of a New
Life.
It's gonna take a
lifetime to share a Full Message,
let's get started..."
Matt: man that's perfect. give me 15
and I'll have
something for you...
me: haha
cool
* Here's what
Matt sent me a few minutes later:
Matt: Let me know what you
think of this… I recorded a quick little
tune for the background… I mixed it rather
quickly but you should get the idea…
CLICK HERE
for Matt's Intro to Full Message, New
Life
Day 16: 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer
'Ministering to
Martha'
Thursday, September 20, 2007
I've been up for a couple hours playing
with tracks and effects to prepare for
BellRoad Radio. Here is the intro I made
for last Sunday's Message.
It is only 20 seconds long but maybe it will
stir your curiosity and you'll want to
download the entire message.
20 Second Intro to
Full Message, New Life
To listen to the entire message,
click here
On Tuesday night, I went with
Fred Robertson
to a Gideon's Camp Meeting to hear the
President of California Gideons pitch the
international visions and goals for their
group. I thought some about the Big Picture,
my past experiences with certain Gideons,
and began to develop a plan for networking
with them. awat
Cathy and I had lunch at the Ale
House yesteday. We were served by a waitress
named Mowee2vnique.
At PP&P, Chet,
Jimmie, Christy, Pastor John, and
I went into the kitchen, and then into the
Nursery to minister to those who are serving
there. This is our 'ministry to Martha'.
Today, Cathy
went to Galt to teach at Marengo
Elementary School.
Mary and Bubby went with
her. Joe
stayed here with me. Joe rehearsed with the
BellRoad Choir last night.
Day 15: 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer
'Ministering to
Martha'
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Narrator: He woke up this
particular morning at 4:15 a.m. Noting that
this was indeed Day 14, he pulled out his
bedside, wireless laptop and started
listening to an mp3 of a Concert that Matt
and Justine had recently performed at his
local church. Knowing that these new friends
had a home studio, he quickly fired off an
email (as was his custom) suggesting that
these two new friends choose a song from the
same mp3 file and add that something special
that he called 'stuff'.
This type of networking was nothing new to
pastorob...
pastorob: I went back in my archives
to August, 2006 in order to refresh my
memory of how we did something similar to a
couple of Jebby's songs.
(fade in 'memory music' -- add reverb to
voice)
pastorob: My son,
Jerry,
was driving cross-country with
Cathy
and me to go back to our homeland (Michigan)
for a visit.
(fade out memory music; lose reverb)
cathy: As we were driving across
Nevada, Rob called Jebby
from his cellphone and asked him to
send him a couple songs. He wanted to try
overdubs on mp3 files sent as attachments to
an email. Rob asked Jebby to keep it very
basic--just voice and simple guitar.
Narrator: Once they got to Michigan,
the Pattersons visited
Greg Brayton at his home
studio. Greg had arranged for a drumset to
be there. Jerry added the double pedal he
had brought along and immediately overdubbed
the drums on two songs he had never before
heard. Greg added the bass guitar and more
guitar tracks (acoustic and electric).
cathy: Rob and I joined Greg to add
some backup vocals.
Rob spontaneously brought in two more
guitarists--just for the fun of it. I love
being part of the creative process.
Narrator: Well, that's it folks. That
appears to be what the Patterson family does
for fun. Let's give these songs by Jebby a
listen, shall we?
(close up of a moving curser and the sound
of a click)
By the Grace
of God
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
©
Jebby,
2006
Near the end, Rob's nephew Josh Wilson
adds some wah-wah.
Then, Coldwater Legend, Jamie Bailey,
comes in with some
leads (accompanied by Greg). Enjoy.
Day 14: 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer
'Ministering to
Martha'
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Yesterday, I confirmed that the computer
had crashed when the electricity went
out. However the good folks in the Sound
Booth (Bob and Rachelle) made sure the
tape was re-started.
So, I digitized the analog recording and
started the process of editing.
The website where I upload my messages
is experiencing difficulties still. None
of us are currently able to upload
anything until thei
r
replacement hardware comes in. As soon
as the sermon is online, I will update
this posting with a link.
The latest sermon was entitled: "Full
Message, New Life" and should you see it
listed on the sermonplayer, then go
ahead, download and listen to this
important moment in history.
Meanwhile, I'm listening to an unedited
copy of the CD in my car as I run from
place to place today.
I woke up
'feeling' somewhat oppressed this
morning. I immediately realized that I
should make it a priority to organize
certain prayer warriors to help me make
it through the end of this year
victoriously.
I then talked to the Lord before getting
out of bed. My old friend,
Jim Krim,
liked to yell aloud,
"Good Morning, Lord!"
several time each day--even on the job.
He was roofing during those years we
worked alongside each other in the
inner-city. I went with him onto job
sites periodically and enjoyed joining
him in that cry of his heart:
"Good Morning,
Lord!"
I was checking my INBOX and up popped
this greeting from my daughter-in-law in
the Philippines:
5:17 AM
sharontpatterson: good
morning... Daddy!
me: good morning, dear daughter.
Joe is still sleeping...
sharontpatterson:
yeah..
me: I'm gonna wake him up to see
if he wants to go to the men's breakfast
with me
sharontpatterson: I think he
went to bed last night.
late to bed
me: Did he stay up chatting with
you? I saw that he was playing some
games with you when I went to bed...
sharontpatterson: maybe up to
11? I think
me: He mentioned that you hadn't
ever played checkers before?
sharontpatterson: I'm still
confuse with the time
yeah...
me: It is 5:19 a.m. here right
now
sharontpatterson: ohhh...
me: What time is it in the
Philippines?
sharontpatterson: it's 8:35pm
I'm here at the internet cafe near the
schol
me: Does it cost very much?
sharontpatterson: nope.
me: Joe applied for a bank job
online.
A lady in our church wants him to come
do a small job for her today
sharontpatterson: yeah.. I'm
happy for that.
me: He really wants to work and
earn money as soon as he is able
sharontpatterson: Hope he's
getting well with his stomach trouble
me: We went into the local branch
of the bank to speak with a manager. She
was polite but said that they must rely
on their 'recruiters' to fill that job
sharontpatterson: sounds
good. He likes to do accounting. I'm
praying that he can have a good job that
he would enjoy
me: so, we will have to wait.
Is it alright if I post this?
sharontpatterson: yeah, it's
alright, Dad.
me: This way others will know
that I have a brilliant 21 year old,
newly married son, who wants to earn
money so that he can bring his wife to
the States and meet her new parents.
Well, I have to get ready for the men's
breakfast. It starts at 6:00 a.m.
sharontpatterson: Love you,
Daddy
me: Then I have to open the
church for a large gathering of women
called Bible Study Fellowship. It
starts at 9:10 a.m.
I love you too, dear Sharon.
sharontpatterson: WOW! that's
GREAT!
I have to go home too.
Getting late now.
me: OK. It has been wonderful to
chat with you, honey.
sharontpatterson: thanks,
Dad. God bless your ministry.
Day 13: 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer
Monday, September 17, 2007
Yesterday
was a good day in the House of the Lord.
We baptized a newlywed couple: Paul and
Heidi Peterson.
Then, the electricity went out at the
front end of my message. Of course, that
would shut off the Sound Booth computer
and tape machine, so I don't know
whether or not I'll have a copy of the
message to upload.
'Full Message,
New Life' was definitely
impacted by the unexpected interruption.
Hopefully, for the better...and
hopefully, we'll have a chance to
download it here later today.
We had an important business meeting
yesterday to approve the process of
filling two pastoral positions.
Joe, Cathy,
and I drove to Galt, after a relaxed
dinner, in order to attend the first
service of Le Luz de Cristo at the River
of Life church. It was good to see
Pastor Larry
and Deanna Brand again. He
has reached out to help
Scott and Ana
Bencker proceed with the call
upon their lives.
Elaine Hanley (from
Jebby's musical, 'Brothers') was also in
attendance. She is the choir director at
River of Life. I think that there were
about 30-35 in attendance.
Elizabeth
(
the
teen singer featured in our old youth
skit
'So
You Think You Can American Idol')
was leading worship with her older
sister. They are both talented singers
and were enjoyable to follow. It was a
blessing to see Elizabeth two years more
mature than the video shows.
Then, we went to FBC Galt because ou
friend, Beverly,
tipped us off that
Mike McCall was preaching.
We witnessed the baptism of
Misty Peterson
(mother of two teen boys also in that
old VBS Youth Skit).
Mike and
Robin McCall are planning to
visit BellRoad on Sept. 30th with a
couple I had married years ago (Tom
and Bridget Gray).
I've asked Mike to bring his guitar
because I do believe that I'm filling in
as the Worship Leader that morning.
Bible Study
Fellowship leaders are at the
BellRoad campus, bright and early,
getting set up for tomorrow's outreach.
Guess I'll go to the Soundbooth and see
if there's any leftovers from
yesterday's sermon.
Day 12: 40 Days of PP& P
Sunday, September 16, 2007
This morning I woke up at 3:45--wide
awake and ready to roll. It is now
nearly 6:00 a.m.
Cathy worked an overnight
with Home Instead.
Joe is still sleeping.
Mary, Daniel,
Cerissa,
and Bubby (the new puppy)
went to Galt to celebrate Daniel's
birthday. They're all supposed to go to
Horizon today with
Jerry and his girlfriend,
Kristen.
I suppose that the crew will need a
wake-up call.
I have been working on visuals for this
morning's sermon as it is still in the
oven (while listening to the unpublished
recording of Matt and Justine Klein--in
concert at BellRoad).
The thermometer hasn't popped yet.
Well, I decided that I wanted to have
another spontaneous version of 'Heart
and Soul' available to remind me of
family gatherings long-since-passed. My
brother, Richard, died in '86; my
nephew, Pat, died in the late nineties.
I don't see my brother, Mike, (or
sister, Barb) very often. If any of them
were around--and a piano was nearby--we
may have done something that sounded
like this:
Matt and Rob...'Heart
and Soul' (click here)
I get some strange thoughts sometimes. I
think churches around this nation would
be better off if the pastors journaled.
This way at least some of the
eye-catching, thought-provoking rabbits
they like to chase could be caught
BEFORE they get up to preach.
I was drowsy much of the day yesterday.
Perhaps I was living in sympathetic
resonation with Joe's jetlag. We took an
hour long nap yesterday afternoon, then
went for a long walk, father-son walk
under the Foresthill Bridge. There, we
spoke with a man for Lodi (Eric) who
sometimes makes the drive to Auburn to
pan for Gold in that river. He used to
attend a church in Rocklin.
Better check on the Sermon . . .
May God bless the public reading of
Scripture, His preachers, teachers, and
his worship leaders all over this planet
today. May, we--His people--be equipped
for His Work today.
Day 11: 40 Days of PP& P
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Last night I edited
Ron and Peggy Roloff's message.
I especially enjoyed hearing the process
of fielding spontaneous questions from
our 'studio audience' and hearing their
answers.
CLICK HERE to download
a copy
This morning there is a Biker Run from
our church to benefit the Deaf school
(Rancho Sordo Mudo) where Alisha works.
I was blessed to see my vision of a
photo-op come to pass. Glenn was there
with a high-quality, single lens reflex.
Lord willing, we will post the photos we
took later tonight.
Today, I'm also scheduled to go to
Auburn Grace
Community Church to
participate in a workshop for the 'Acres
of Hope' benefit concert (in mid
October)
Heidi and Paul are being baptized
tomorrow morning. I always think of my
sermon in context with the first
post-baptismal message heard by
individuals.
Tomorrow's Message:
I must set apart time to work on my
message sometime today. I'll write more
later (during sermon-prep time).
Day 10: 40
Days of PP& P
Friday, September 14, 2007
Joe is back from his 2007 World Tour.
As our firstborn, he has been the key
DreamTeam member that Cathy and I have
had all along. Being out of the country
hasn't really hindered his ability to
dreamcast with us. He is well aware of
BellRoad
University,
BellRoad Radio,
BellRoad
Laboratories...
...and is privy to almost-all-things pre-BR...
Joe is 'in on' the subtleties of every
'publicly-private' joke I have made
during my months at BellRoad through his
daily reading of this column. He has
spent time in seven different nations)
since he left America on Dec. 31, 2006.
First, he was in Moscow, Russia for 2
weeks, then went to the seminary in the
Philippines for 3 months, then to
Thailand to work at a refugee camp,
toured Malaysia, back to the Philippines
to get married, back to Thailand,
visited Laos, met up with the New
America Singers in Hong Kong, toured
India, Nagaland, then back to Thailand,
over to Cambodia for a week, back to
Thailand, took Sharon back to her
family's home in Davao,
Philippines...and then came through
customs last night at the San Francisco
airport.
He reports that the interviewer was a
bit surprised at his passport since he
left nine months ago.
Now that Joe's back for awhile, we will
work to 'ready' this corner of the
planet called Auburn by continually
checking the local lines cast toward our
500 souls goal.
Dreamcasting is sometimes hard to
journal publicly because we have to
anticipate the consequences of others'
action (and reactions).
From U.S. history, I learned a lesson
about forecastng from the HEADLINES
prepared on the eve of the
TRUMAN-DEWEY
election?
...and what about the final night of the
BUSH-GORE race?
My question(s) for the day:
Are you running your race unopposed?
(Remember...we battle not against flesh
and blood...)
Do you have
a deadline...
for tomorrow's headline?
Day 9: 40
Days of PP& P
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Christmas in Mayberry
searching for Fun Girls
Open Auditions are being held to discover
who will play the role of 'the Fun Girls' in
the upcoming production of Jebby's latest
play, 'Christmas
in Mayberry'.
"The Fun Girls" (Skippy and Daphne) are a
pair of fun-loving, blonde bachelorettes
comprised of the giggly
Skippy
and the gravel-voiced
Daphne.
The two hail from Mt. Pilot, the "big city"
near the small town of Mayberry. They are
overtly flirtatious, they love dancing, and
their appearance in town almost always means
trouble for Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy
Barney Fife (who both have steady
girlfriends).
Skippy
is characterized by her high-pitched,
grating laugh, and is attracted to Barney
(who she calls "Bernie").
Daphne
is the girl attracted to Andy and is best
known for her throaty greeting:
"Hello,
Doll"
For
a
real laugh, get involved by emailing me
today!
The SundayMessage™
is now edited and uploaded:
Hometown Prophet(s) part 2
It opens with a bit of piano work by
Sharon Cole.--playing
under my introduction.
Sharon may wonder to herself: "When did we
record that?"
My answer: "Hmm...that's the power of a
praying woman..."
Hear it for yourself:
click here (double click the
speaker icon)
At the end the song chosen for altar call
(Just a Closer Walk with Thee) is performed
by Vicki Novak.
I hope you get a chance to hear it. There
was a bit of some post-production done with
the demons' voices. At least, listen
to the demon-possessed man as he is
confronted by Jesus (FF to 17:00).
That should make you want to listen to
the entire message in context.
Cathy
woke me up at 3:20 this
morning--taking care of
Mary's
new puppy. The little Yorkie pup
almost died of hypoglycemia yesterday. She
was so lethargic. My girls took her in to
the North Fork
Veterinary Clinic. The
receptionist immediately diagnosed Bubby's
condition. They administered 6cc of
the remedy (50% dextrose) two times.
Now, its 3:58 and
Cathy
wants me to go back to bed. OK, so that's
what I'm gonna do.
Mary and I are driving to SFO
later today to pick up
Joe. I should get some
sleep.
Day 8: 40
Days of PP& P
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
My long-time, I've been up since 6:00,
received a letter from a new friend in
Pakistan and wrote back. I then received a
couple important questions from a former
BellRoader (now in Maine). I replied to the
more important question and will have to
have until later to answer the other
question>
I had to turn in my answer to this question
for the local paper's Expert Advice column
(see Sept. 13).
I've been studying episodes from my complete
Mayberry DVD collection in preparation for
the production. Seriously, if anybody an
interest in all-things-Mayberry, any ideas,
set construction skills, video equipment,
editing experience, please call me:
209.323-0727
Yesterday, I met with our head Trustee, Les
Andrews about some business matters. After
we discussed the items on his agenda, I
shared another work-in-progress: a job
description for a ministry that I would like
to see filled.
Those who have been reading my journal
through the months have been well aware that
we have needed a Worship Leader and help
with Media production and distribution. The
job description I am writing is for an
Associate Pastor with primary
responsibilities in Music, Media, and Youth.
I'm about to head into the office to
drop off some materials to my Mayberry
Project co-director,
Patrice Rosenau.
I've also started editing last Sunday's
Message:
Hometown Prophet(s) part 2
It should be uploaded later this morning,
Lord willing.
Don't forget to come to
BellRoad University
tonight. Supper is at 5:00 p.m. before the
classes. TeamKID
for the children!
Day 7: 40
Days of PP& P
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
My long-time, hometown buddy,
Greg Brayton,
wrote to us this morning. Remember, he's the
blind guy who has done the guitars and
production for almost all of my recorded
songs. Due to recent side-effects from
chemo, he has been asked by his church UMC
of Coldwater to take a one month leave of
absence.
He was flat on his back at the Medical
Center a few days ago.
He is scheduled for a CT Scan
this Thursday and will see the doctor on
Monday. Here's an excerpt from his email:
"He has me
scheduled
for what could be the last treatment
a week from Thursday. Wouldn’t it be nice if the x-rays came
out in such a way that he would cancel that treatment?
You betcha.
People say I haven’t really been resting
like I should. As I look back on the
last 2 months I see they’re probably right.
Very busy in the studio and out playing
quite a bit, just having a ball, but I think
it might be catching up with me. I’ve got
some wonderful new stuff for the studio, and
I’m just going nuts creating. I can hardly
stay away, yet I feel it when I get done.
I’m a little zapped.
Please pray for me. That I listen to
God. That I use my head. That I rest, as I
should...and that this might be the end of
the chemo for awhile. What the heck , if God
has other ideas He’ll let us know. That’s
just what I’d like to see happen. I feel
like I can rest up real well and then come
back strong to do a bunch more of God’s
music. I just have to remember to relax in
the mean time and let that music come in
God’s time with out my pushing it.
Thank you all so much for your
prayers and good wishes. I’ll write soon
Lord willing, with a real good report!
Greg
www.gbrayton.com
The first session of Bible Study Fellowship
starts this morning. I am planning to run sound
for the ladies. So, I'm leaving for Men's
Breakfast at 6:00 and will probably open the
church by 7:00. Hopefully, I'll get around
to editing Sunday's Message sometime today
too.
Please read yesterday's entry
again. I updated it rather late last night.
Day 6: 40
Days of PP& P
Monday, September 10, 2007
8:40 PM
update:
Matt Klein: Hey... I thought you
said you were going to add to your blog....
me: alrightee...think I will.
Matt Klein:
That's good...other than jason... your blog
is the only info I get for the outside world
concerning Auburn
me: I've been busy...real busy
with the Mayberry Project.....
Matt Klein:
Have they casted all the parts?
me: Oh no...not yet
Matt Klein:
what can I try out for?
:)
me: but it looks like we have Barney
Hmm...can you try out for any parts?!
Well...maybe...
Matt Klein:
I'm good with anything... I used to be in
theatre.
me: John Masters...the choir director down
at the church?
check this YouTube video:
click here
for
Barney does a solo
its a great bit...
me: Do you think that you might have
an inner-Andy?
--a simultaneous chat with Joe:
joseph: hey papa
me: did you look at that
article in the Georgia Baptist paper
about the CAMEL book (muslim stuff)
joseph: not yet
internet has some problems
me: well it is really good...they use
the Koran to bridge to the bible
it is successful
though controversial
hey, I'll send you the script that Jebby
wrote
take a quick look at the first scene
in your inbox now
me: joe joe,
are
you ready to come to America?
joseph: yeah
me: I'm looking forward to it, sonny
joseph: well
I should land about a half hour after I
leave Manila, or something crazy like that
because of the time difference
me: I purchased the COMPLETE Andy
Griffith Show boxed set....every season
joseph: WOW
me: so, busy on YouTube and such
doing research gathering for the actors....
plus the Mayberry Bible Studies cost 40
bucks for 4 shows ... not much to them. I 'm gonna copy the idea.. actually Jebby and I
talked over the idea of doing that years
before they came out with one...
joseph: yeah
that's much better
Totally worth it to get the box set
$40 bucks for 4 shows
That's crazy!!!
how much was EVERY SEASON??
me: 4 old shows...one verse, one
theme, some discussion
questions
$199 for seven seasons
30-32 shows each
season
good deal, eh?
joseph: well ... since we can watch
them over and over and over again
good
me: yeah...and why bother paying for
cable or satellite when I can just rotate an
Andy episode each day
joseph: yeah
me: with seasons I haven't even seen
since the original year
joseph: less than a dollar a show???
me: the later ones where Opie is a
teen
haha
you're right!!!
joseph: well if you stay busy
me: ..and they're all GOOD
joseph: you could probably stretch
them out
and never have to waste time on worthless
material
me: even for Morality lessons at
church
yeah.
we don't have a TV even set up in our auburn
apt
joseph: during your TV time you could
your half hour and then your
reflection/meditation time
me: just the old video projector on
the wall
and DVD or video
it works well to cut down
on that.
only chosen material
joseph: yeah
much better
like Bell Road Radio
choose whatever you want from the good stuff
me: did you see
www.bellroadradio.com
Matt made it for us
joseph: instead of tuning into
someone else's program
wow
back in California,
strange thought
me: what?
joseph: it'll be very different from
December...
living in Auburn, new church
**********
earlier this morning....
A newlywed couple came forward to request
baptism yesterday morning. A few individuals
asked to be included in the 'Christmas in
Mayberry' project. Two families showed an
interest in helping with October's Harvest
Festival.
I've gotta run open the doors for Bible
Study Fellowship's leadership team. So, I'll
probably write more later today.
Meanwhile, I would like those of you who are
'with me' to read this article I found while
considering 'methodology'. This has to do
with one 'method' for trying to reach
muslims with the gospel:
click here
Day 5: 40
Days of PP& P
Sunday, September 9, 2007
A short night for sleep. Went to bed around
1:00 a.m. and up at 6:00 this morning. Well,
all for a good cause. Last night, our son,
Jerry,
drove from Galt to Auburn (after work) to
bring Mary
back. He also brought his girlfriend,
Kristen, to
meet us. It has been over a year since Jerry
has had a serious relationship so this
particular visitation has created quite a
buzz in the family.
Jerry, Kristen,
Mama, and I took a long walk
around the duck pond outside our apartment
(11:00 to 11:40).
Daniel, and his girlfriend,
Cerissa,
were both spending the night with us. So
when we returned from our walk, we projected
home videos on the wall. The boys have both
produced a number of fun projects through
the years.
This was a wonderful way for aging parents
to spend a Saturday night--with our boys and
their girlfriends.
It is 6:16 and the Sermon is still in the
oven, so I'd better go see to it.
Day 4: 40
Days of PP& P
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Cathy went to work in Gold Run, so I worked
on my sermon at the office from 8:00 to
10:15. I also spoke with Jesse Medina about
the Hispanic Ministry.
The Chancellor, Cathy, and I did, indeed,
spend some quality time together. We talked
over the practical implementation of certain
outreach ideas we have had this year.
Family Camp was a full experience. The three
of us hung out with the Harjos (and their
friends the Dawsons) before supper. We
enjoyed a devotional message around a
campfire about the Blessings of God.
Before we went to bed last night, I checked
the Internet and saw that Joe was online
with some good news:
11:14 PM
joseph: I am going to forward it to
you
BUT ... bottom line
I am arriving on the 13th (Next Thursday)
at 7:30 PM in San Francisco
me: cool. I'll be there to get you!
joseph: great! I was hoping you
would :)
me: far as I know there's no
conflict..
but even if there was, I'd make a way
joseph: Sharon and I printed off some
papers today
so I am hoping to be able to bring completed
papers
that we can look over and mail out a few
days
after I arrive.
like all the activity at Bell Road
good idea looking into the Spanish ministry
me: yup
joseph: and the ol' video taped
theatre
worked well with the Backyard Bunch
lots easier than LIVE
me: yeah... this could be classic
because
it'll be in black and white
joseph: yeah
excellent
me: well, it'll be FUN to have you
here for the process
of doing whatever we'll need to
joseph: :D
Friday, September 7, 2007
Today is Day 3 of 40 Days of Pots, Pans, and
Prayer.
Cathy,
Sharon-the-Chancellor, and I plan
to go to
Cisco Grove tonight to
visit BellRoad's Family Camp.
Cathy has to work tomorrow, so we'll
return to Auburn late tonight.
Today's schedule is full
because I have to let my actions catch up
with Vision-Casting of recent days. It is
called preparation.
In months past, I have spoken with church
member, Jesse
Medina about starting a Hispanic
Outreach at BellRoad. In order to meet our
harvest goals for December, 2007, I need to
follow through with every idea God has given
to me for Auburn.
Therefore, while we were in Galt yesterday,
I met with Ana
Bencker.(a woman who has labored
alongside me in Galt to share the gospel
across a language barrior). Ana provided me
with several fully-produced Worship/Sermon
DVDs featuring my friend, Pastor
Francisco Camarena and singer, Luis
Enrique Espinosa.
Here is a web presence for these two men
with whom I have already co-labored in the
past:
Pastor Francisco
Camarena
and Worship Leader
Luis Enrique
Espinosa
Jebby
just sent me his 4th draft of 'Christmas
in Mayberry'. This prompts me to
introduce all my latter-day friends to one
of the best friends God has given to me in
the last decade.
Jebby
was one of the first people, Cathy and I met
when we first visited Galt. Our church
hostess, Laverne
Avila, from FBC Galt, had taken
us to a new neighborhood where they were
building houses (to show us possibilities).
At one model home, she ran across the street
to fetch her grandson's guitar teacher to
come and meet us. At the time, Jebby was the
Worship Leader at Horizon (Baptist Church)
in Galt.
We participated in a weekly prayer meeting
together and, as a result, became such
good friends. We discovered many areas of
shared interest (outside of normal 'church'
fare). Later, we learned that we shared the
same outcome on the Myers-Briggs Personality
Type Indicator (ENFP).
A couple years later, Jebby left Horizon and
attended our church under in an arrangement
called 'watchcare'. Those were some 'fun'
days at FBC Galt.
We continued to Trust and Obey, Walk and to
Pray. We watched our Lord move in amazing
ways in response to our spontaneous prayers,
petitions, and requests.
One answer to prayer was an open door to
become the Contemporary Worship Leader at
FBC Sacramento. This turned out to be a
wonderful opportunity for my dear friend.
God greatly used the saints gathered during
those glory days to empower Jebby. His
life-defining musical 'Picture of Jesus'
reached near-completion. (This composer
really never fully finishes anything he
starts...a classic
ENFP trait.)
My own personal Jebby Anthology:
From an autobiographical album from his
album, Paper Boy,
I Remember
© 1995
I Am So Grateful ©
2004
(from a Praise album called Grateful)
Here's an unreleased version of a song from
'Brothers'
Potluck in Heaven
If
these old wma files don't play on your
devise, you can hear other fully-produced
Jebby rock songs at this myspace page:
(myspaceJebby).
A sermon (in four slices) that Jebby
preached as the final speaker during our
special nights of prayer in May, 2004:
'A Theology of
Suffering and Healing'
Jebby 1
Jebby 2
Jebby 3
Jebby 4
Joe Patterson pieced together this audio
MONTAGE
from Greg Brayton's
song, God Will See Us Through, used
as our theme that week.
Click here for 'The
Making of Elijah'
Click here for Jebby's civil war era
musical: Brothers. At the bottom of this
page is more Jebby background.
Jebby has helped me in the studio on a
couple projects:
Whatever
Philippians
4:9
Jeremiah 29:11
The
apostle Paul modeled mentorship (not only
for Timothy and Titus but also for me). This
version has Jerry Patterson on drums,
Glenn Parker on bass, and Jebby
on lead guitar. Recorded quickly one night
we were somewhat hindered by a latency issue
that we didn't understand. So, another
version was produced below. Unique to this
track, however, is Jebby sharing his
life-verse at the end.
Whatever 2
Philippians 4:9
Second-time-around. Bob
Kilpatrick recorded most of the tracks
for this version (at his studio in Fair
Oaks, California). Working with Bob as a
producer was fun--especially his animated
methods at pulling the guitar solos out of
Jebby's inmost being. Jebby came up with the
idea for shifting keys (guitar solo
sections), as per George Harrison's lead in
Octopus's Garden.
Turn Your Worries
Into Prayer
When I
returned from Liberia (Feb. 2004), Jebby
helped me record this song that I had just
written. He created the guitar intro and
wrote the bridge. I took the tracks to
Michigan where Greg Brayton was pleased to
collaborate with yet more guitars. My
nephew, Josh Wilson, sang the Jebby-esque
bridge.
Today, Pastor Jebby leads the
Ministry of Worship at Bear Cree
k
Community Church in Lodi, California. He and
wife, Ronda, recently took his first Sunday
off and visited us up at BellRoad. I asked
him to play at the altar for us. That
resulted in this soundbite from 1 Corinthians 10:1-14
Although circumstances and distance have
deprived us both of weekly VisionWalk
privilege, we are pleased to collaborate
across County lines on Jebby's latest play:
Christmas in Mayberry. Please pray
for our local production of this classic (in
the making).
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Today is Day 2 of
40 Days of Pots,
Pans, and Prayer (my BellRoad
University Class for Wednesdays during the Fall Semester).
Our first meeting took place in the Golden
Circle room. Our numbers were modest but our
other exciting classes were packed with
people. That was to be fully expected.
Chet, Jimmie, Nancy, and I
opened the class with an introduction to the
unique title for our 40 Day experience:
Pots,
Pans, and Prayer?
Perhaps you remember this scene in Luke
chapter ten:
As Jesus and his disciples
were on their way, he came
to a village where a woman named
Martha
opened her home to him. She had a
sister called
Mary,
who sat at the Lord's feet listening
to what he said.
But
Martha
was distracted by all the
preparations that had to be made.
She came to him and asked,
"Lord, don't you care
that my sister has left me
to do the work by myself? Tell
her to help me!"
"Martha,
Martha," the Lord
answered,
"you are worried and
upset about many things,
but only one thing is needed.
Mary has chosen
what is better, and it will not
be taken away from her."
Most of us have heard this story many
times. We've probably repeated something
akin to the views expressed below.
From Martha to Mary:
click here
Mom of 9 who share her thoughts:
click here
Sometimes Martha is treated unfairly:
click here
We called in the members of the Kitchen
Clean-Up Team and adopted them as 'signed'
members of our class.
John, Patti, Bobbi, and Wanda
were given a copy of our devotional for the
next seven days. They were also given a copy
of our optional text: People Sharing
Jesus (by
Darrell Robinson).
Pastor John Trafton,
Deacon Wolfgang, and Mathew
also joined us at this point.
Each week we will take
our Joyful Noise into the Kitchen to provide
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to which
can do their tasks. This way 'Martha' gets
to enjoy fellowship and spiritual nurture
even while 'working' so that others may sit
quietly at the feet of Jesus.
It is my hope that this fall unit will help
us discover those who 'feel like Martha' and
minister to them--wherever they are (i.e.
Nursery, Special Ministries, Buildings and
Grounds, etc.)
We are taking responsibility for becoming
the primary prayer warriors for those who
are 'working' in BellRoad University, Sunday
School, TeamKID, Seniors' Ministries,
College and Career, Youth and Children's
Ministries, and all other discipleship
and outreach
endeavors.
We purpose to become fully aware of our
workers'
personal goals and concerns. We will lead by
example in locating and meeting unchurched
people who need to be introduced to the
spiritual hospitality and solid teaching in
the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
We will continually promote a goal to
average 450-500 people in Sunday morning
attendance during December, 2007. We will
pray about slipping past (or kicking down)
the gates of Hell in order to reach that
goal. Perhaps we will be able to get author,
Darrell Robinson to come to Auburn
sometime during the four months which are
ahead of us.
40 Days of Pots,
Pans, and Prayer is open to those who
enjoy the idea of long-distance learning (or who
are in other classes during the time-slot).
If you would like to stay attuned with our
focused intercession for the Big Picture at BellRoad (and around the world), please
write me ASAP:
pastorob@gmail.com
On Day 1, Cathy and I booked the
Debut Gig for our newly-forming BellRoad
Seniors' Outreach:
The
BellRoad Revue
Thursday, November 15th 1:45
p.m.
Venue:
The Oaks of Auburn
The producers for The BellRoad Theatre Group
are also currently casting for a December
presentation of "Christmas in Mayberry" on
the Big-Screen (in glorious, full-retro
black & white).
Meanwhile, playwright, Jebby,
is producing a live version of the show in Lodi,
California during December. Cast members and
others will take a field trip to catch one
of their matinees.
An important scene at the very beginning is inspired by this clip from
Season 4 Episode 103:
Barney Fife:
Preamble
to the Constitution
It is very
important to have an Andy and a Barney who
'fit' each other. Any ideas? Please contact me
immediately.
Anyone interested in being part of the
Auburn cast or production team, please write
or call me today.
pastorob's cell: (209) 323-0727
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
First off, I wanna thank
Clyde McKinley
(and others) for praying for me. On Monday
morning Clyde asked me to 'slow down' and I
kinda brushed off his opinion.
However, yesterday, I had staff meetings,
office visits, and received a very important
phone call. Sometime around noon, I was
showing symptoms of exhaustion. So, I tried
to take a nap in the afternoon but it didn't
get me completely rested...
...but enough rest to make it to the
Sierra Community Chorus rehearsal with a
sound mind. Wow, what an opportunity that
is. Grace Earl
is the President and it is fun to watch her
in action. As well,
Lorin Miller is a wonderfully
enthusiastic Choir Director. My involvement
is currently limited to a singing in an
October 19-20 benefit concert (for Acres of
Hope) at
Adventure Church.
the rest of the Story?
Well, I went to bed at about 11:30 while
falling asleep to a livingroom movie, then
woke up at 3:30 with a congestion-headache,
checked email, say that Joe was online. My
nurse, Cathy, was still up, so I asked her
to chat with Joe, while I went back to
sleep.
3:27 AM
me: are you on?
joseph: yes!
3:29 AM
me: I
woke up with a headache...
so got up and took some meds...
thought I'd check email before
going back to bed...
it's 3:30 a.m. here
here's mama
joseph: hi mama
3:30 AM cathy: how are you doing?
joseph: ok
long day today
cathy: why is that?
3:31 AM joseph: we finally got the
NSO copy of the marriage certificate
cathy: good. What time is it there?
3:32 AM joseph: 635 p m
cathy: It is 3:32 right now here. Dad
goes fishing... checks the internet all the
time to see if your on or if something is
happening on the internet
3:33 AM have you been reading Dad's blog?
joseph: usually
not in al ittle bit
dad . . FISHING??
3:35 AM cathy: I worked 7pm to 7am at
one place and then went and worked 830 to
330 in another place.
Fishing...checking his Internet lines...
We caught you right now.
joseph: oh ...
3:36 AM
cathy: don't have to work until Friday
unless I have to do some fill ins. Our
church has Family camp this weekend. I would
love to go, but have to work.
...and onward went their chat while I began
to fall into a deep sleep that lasted until
8:30 a.m.
Am now fully awake and fully rested. I'm
sitting up in bed still at 9:15 a.m. (having
emailed back and forth with Emma,
taken a phone call from Tanya in
Galt, and am about to make some calls for
Visitation(s) during this day. Cathy
is off today so she's gonna be my Visitation
partner.
I'm filling in for Curt as Worship
Leader this Sunday while he's leading at
Family Camp. So, I'll need to choose the
songs today. Sharon Cole is gonna
play piano for me (Yeh!!!) and I think we're
gonna have Vicki Novak on Bass. It
should be fun getting ready to lead Worship
when the people gather.
The Fellowship Meal
is again being served on Wednesday nights
starting today at 5:00 p.m.
Then TeamKID begins at 5:30
The Fall Semester at BellRoad University
also begins with classes this evening. Here
are the offerings for Wednesdays:
Experiencing God
with Faye and Clyde McKinley
The Praying Woman
with Sharon Cole
40 Days of Pots,
Pans, and Prayer with Pastor Rob
Sunday night there are several other classes
being offered. Click here for a complete
listing of our courses:
BellRoad
University
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
No, I didn't get to go see Weird Al last
night. Just too much effort required.
Anyway, I spent several hours up on BellRoad
yesterday--editing the sermon (hangin' with
the tile layers and talkin' with
Deacon
Mike). So, I got home in time for a nice
walk around the Regional Park with
Cathy
before she left to do an overnight with Home
Instead.
That was the second walk of the day for
Cathy and me. Early yesterday morning we
went out to play Improvisational Tennis,
then went on a long, long
VisionWalk. On our
way back home, we met up with
Clyde and
Faye and was invited to go on
their walk through the park. So we did.
We met up with a Nepali woman name
Bina, a
tattooed lady (seriously) named
Lori, and a BellRoader named
Fred. Fred has his
grandkids, Joe and Abby, with him.
The SundayMessage,
Bibliomancy (is) for Dummies, is now
online:
click here and look for at at the
top of the player's list.
Aubrey
spent the night with Mary last night. We
went out for a night walk, I pushed Mary in
the pool (and probably destroyed her
cellphone in the process). Well, we stopped
by the workout room and on the cable we saw
"Little People, Big World" on the TLC
channel (for the first time).
g2g to men's breakfast, then open doors for
the Bible Study Fellowship leaders mtg, then
have a 7 am meeting with a BellRoader. busy,
busy, smiling, busy.
Hey, here's a late night chat with
Daniel
from Australia. Then, he was on again when I
woke up.
10:33 PM Daniel: hey rob!
me: hi Daniel
10:34 PM whaz happening?
10:35 PM Daniel: :)
ummm
at the moment i'm just having a bit of a
break
me: hmmm
Daniel: i have to head to a meeting
in half an hour or so
me: gotta girlfriend these days?
10:36 PM Daniel: lol
no
me: my son, Joe, is leaving his bride
with her family in the Philippines. She'll work on her MBA
and he'll come to the U.S. to work, save
money, and start immigration process for his
wife.
10:37 PM so, I'll be glad to have him around
again.
haven't seen him since Dec. 31st
Daniel: ahhhh
yeah immigration stuff can take some time
my father remarried to a filipino lady
me: hm
10:38 PM Daniel: and brought her to
live in Australia
me: yeah, my boy made a good choice.
his lady is a mature christian...about six
years older than him
Daniel: oh yep
awesome :)
i was in a car accident a couple of weeks
ago
and wrote-off my car
10:39 PM me: So, are you ON a
break..or just taking a break?
oh...man, the car accident...
Daniel: taking a break
me: did you get hurt?
Daniel: i've been ridiculously busy
lately
i think i actually do need a break from
things for a bit
ummm yeah i suffered a 'neck soft-tissue
injury'
me: hurt?
10:40 PM Daniel: today was a cold day
and it hurt quite alot
me: hmm..will it recover completely?
Daniel: i'm seeking to get the
insurance company to pay for medical costs
for ongoing physiotherapy
yeah given some time
me: OK
well, when does your semester end?
10:41 PM Daniel: mid to late november
me: We're looking at a couple to lead
Worship, they'v got skills with Choir, Youth, Media...and
stuff..
a married couple, 33 and 31
Daniel: oh cool
that'd be handy :)
10:42 PM me: Matt plays piano,
guitar, sings (like Keith Green) and
writes...
his wife, Justine, is a sweetheart and a singer...
Daniel: awesome
me: but I don't think that the
activity would need to stop you from coming
to live with us for awhile if you would want
to....
10:43 PM You could still be our
artist-in-residence...
lol
we'd still do the 'hey check out how this
guy talks' thing...
Daniel: haha
me: so seriously...
Daniel: yeah i'll see how i go with
this semester
10:44 PM i have ministry responsibilities
here for the time being
me: OK....
well, keep it in prayer
Daniel: sure thing
me: cuz it could be FUN...
Daniel: yeah i don't doubt that
me: and HEAVILY evangelistic
10:45 PM song-writing, recording, acting
like we're cutting-edge missionaries...
and reaping the benefits of actually seeing
souls saved!!!
So, keep in touch.
Daniel: for sure
me: g2g. my daughter has a friend and
they wanna go play some night tennis
10:46 PM Daniel: i just havent been
online that often lately
so much sstuff going on
sure
me: i have to be bodyguard.
bye
Daniel: haha i understand
fatherly duties
take care
cheerio
5:27 AM Daniel: two times in one day!
this has to be some kind of record
haha
me: Hmm
well, I've been to sleep and back during
your day...
5:28 AM Daniel: really?
me: writing my early morning blog....
at the moment
Daniel: oh true
it didn't seem like long ago that iw as
talking to you
me: yeah...I don't usually sleep more than 5
hours or so...
5:31 AM Daniel: really?
wow i don't think i could function on such
little sleep
me: yeah...that's how I get so dang much
done, man...
Daniel: but apparently as you get
older you need less sleep
5:32 AM me: hey, yeah, that's right...I
remember my grandma(s) getting up REALLY
early..
of course, they weren't night owls like
me....
I'm a night person...AND a morning person
Daniel: haha yeah it seem the
stereotype that old people go to sleep early
and wake up early
thats impressive
honestly
i'm definitely a night owl
5:33 AM even now it's 10:30 and i'm
completely awake.. no chance of me getting
to sleep before 1am
5:34 AM me: Well, you should read
through my blog a bit and reacquaint
yourself with the great Call of God upon
your life to come and help me in northern
California...
lol
seriously
btw, can I publish our chat from last night
and this morning
?
Daniel: haha
5:35 AM sure thing
me: inquiring minds probably wanna
know, "Hey, what happened to that guy from
Australia?!"
Daniel: haha true that
he's still around
as mystical and super-spiritual as it may
sound, i'm allowing the Holy Spirit to lead
where i go and what i do
5:36 AM me: Well...mmm...yeah...that's
what I mean. So, you'd better wake up and
read my journal before you go to bed. We
need you here, man...
5:37 AM at least for awhile
Daniel: hehe
i'll see what i can do
me: more than they need you there,
methinks
Daniel: haha i dunno about that.. i
tend to keep the music team here afloat...
but yeah i definitely haven't discounted the
idea of coming over
5:38 AM we'll just see, given some time
me: oh really? You haven't reproduced
yourself in ministry yet?!!!!
get with it man.
Daniel: lol
me: 2 Timothy 2:2
Daniel: i need to raise up other
muso's
thats the key
me: yup...2 Timothy 2:2
Daniel: it's about discipleship,
training, and moving on
yeah
5:39 AM i've immersed myself in alot lately
i'm doing religious education in primary
school
working alot in mental health
morning and night church music ministries
and community picnics etc
5:40 AM a few small groups through the week
plus uni
its crazy!
5:42 AM me: yeah...well g2g, my
friend. bye
Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor Day here...It is 6:47 as I start. I've
been up since 5:30 writing a heartfelt,
private email to one of our missionaries
serving in another country. I have chosen to
keep the thoughts expressed private.
However, as a personal reminder of important
mission friends in church history, I would
do well to
click here ...and then to
click here.
Whew! Yesterday was packed with emotion,
excitement, vision-casting,
vision-rehearsing, listening, formative
humiliation...mmm, yeah, that Sunday had it
all.
I'll say it again:
Jebby
was
visiting BellRoad 2 Sundays ago; I asked him to
play for the altar. This scripture reading
took place at that time:
CLICK HERE
1 Corinthians 10:1-14
Last night, I called my son, Jerry, on the
way home from the church building. I wanted
to check if he had attended church. He had
(yeah, at Horizon--in Galt). This pleases
me. My entire household (six of us--now
seven, with Sharon) were connected at
churches in our different contexts.
We talked and prayed with the wolfgang, we
prayed after church. We interceded by name
for their two oldest children and our two
oldest children. Meanwhile, their youngest
and our youngest both sighed (more than
once...) that we leave the discussion and
prayer...and go our separate ways...to EAT.
Meanwhile, our 'middle' kids sat and
listened to the parents reason together. I'd
say...yup, both families are a
work-in-progress...to the glory of God.
Although there was no formal service (or
class) last night, I was prepared with
Video, Audio, High-speed internet
connectivity, the Truth Project promo, the
Barney Fife clip, an book by Coach Eby,
another old book by Darrel Robinson (Total
Church Life), the congas, the Radio
Microphone in a prepared room (Room 900) to
pitch VISION and to PRAY.
Deacon Browning and Cathy saw my
presentation. Then we talked, listened,
talked, reasoned, cast vision, shared
hearts. It was good to be in the house of
the Lord with like-minded believers. Cathy
left around 10:00 to pick up Mary from her
placement. The Deacon and I ended (on our
knees) at 11:05.
Yeah, a good day yesterday.
Today? Well, I'm gonna check on my
sermon recording to see if it took...
If so, I'll edit it, Lord willing and get it
online.
Then? Hey, its Labor Day. A nature
walk is my custom for this calendar event.
Tonight? Well, Weird Al Yanckovic is
the free artist at the State Fair tonight.
He puts on a 'family-friendly' show.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
On Saturday night, I made this preparatory
video for the Message:
Bibliomancy
(is) for Dummies
The message will precede the
Lord's Table
Jebby
was
visiting BellRoad 2 Sundays ago; I asked him to
play for the altar. This scripture reading
took place at that time:
CLICK HERE
1 Corinthians 10:1-14
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Joe wrote to us on Thursday night with news
that he might come to the U.S. to start the
immigration process for our daughter-in-law,
Sharon.
He made mention that he would get a job,
save some money, and help Dad with BellRoad
Radio. At the same time I received his
letter, I had gone to Sony Software and
revived a download of a video editor I had
purchased from them years ago. Joe had used
the program (VideoFactory) to do edit a
video of an ea
rly
performance of Picture of Jesus.
Having never read the manual, I've only used
intuition to make videos with it. Since it
allows mixing of two separate video tracks
and three audio tracks, it is a powerful
tool.
So, inspired by recent conversations, and
Joe's news, I pieced together this rough
promo for the fun of it. I worked through
various glitches (and a system restore) to
get it to this stage:
YES and AMEN
Oh, I used some pianistics from my bootleg
Matt Klein CD.
I'm heading over to the Campus for the Men's
Ministry. We're looking to have 400 chairs
tweaked and ready for the harvest ahead of
us.
Tomorrow's Message is entitled
'Bibliomancy (is) for Dummies'
I announced Wednesday night that this would
be a preparatory message for sharing the
Lord's Supper, this message is being taken
from
1 Corinthians 10:1-33.
Faye understood why I'm taking stopping at
this doctrinal Rest Area to stretch. he
journey across the terrain of Acts, Luke,
and Romans is probably going to take us
three years.
Later today, I hope to produce another
audio-visual recording. This process will
help me sort through issues I want to
address in the message tomorrow.
I hope that my co-laborers in the Gospel
will eventually benefit by periodically
watching these brief documentaries. They
should serve to remind us of the teaching
and preaching we have experienced as the
result of our corporate devotion to the
public reading of Scripture.
September, 2007
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