Elijah's Cave

We went through some tough years when we moved here in 1990, lots of dream bashing realities which finally drove me away from the denomination of my youth. The transition figure was a humble pastor named Bob, whose church provided a spiritual haven for us in our transition.

Sunday afternoon Bob and his family celebrated 15 years as a minister on ASU campus with a focus on the students from China, and many of the families from that old congregation provided a touchstone for me to see how God was working through pain to get me to see deeper and more wonderful truths about spirituality.

So many people from Bob's pastoral years have supported him in this mission because they knew he was the real thing, and, oddly enough, just a few years after he helped me that wonderful church kind of cast him adrift and imploded as well. Bob went    through his own dark night of the soul to find a new direction.

Bob Thompson greeting people after the service.
Seeing those faces, aged by 15 years, yet still the same people, reminded me that our journey cannot be without struggle, and dissapointment. Faith gets tested, new directions have new blessings, and it is all hard at time, but worth it.

Banquets are Nice

We joined a celebration of three of our family of believers for a combination of a 60th Wedding anniversary and two 80th birthdays. It was such fun and what feasting we enjoyed, fresh vegetables and fruits and cheeses for an hour, then succulent roast beef with potatoes and gravy and salads and hots smothered green beans.

The generation I serve really know how to throw good parties, and Laura and I feel privileged to share in these feasts. We enjoyed watching the dancing and shared a lovely slow dance as well. I was careful to slide my feet so as not to step on my spouses toes.

Six degrees of connection

I love this shot of a Sunday afternoon at a beach where the local Hawaiians play with dogs and kids and picnics.

My son Brian has a new pet, a dog named Six, one of those larger short haired black and brown kind of mutts. As a family that never had a dog this represents obviously his desires and choices and this is cool. So far the need to take the dog out for walks has caused him to meet actress Bernadette Peters who had known the dog since it was born, and to be near Chelsea Clinton in some kind of gathering.  This is life in NYC and Brooklyn where so many folks live in close proximity.

We did own a poodle when we were newly weds but her tragic death broke our hearts and we just never got back on the canine wagon.  Our cats came to us through the pressure decisions of our daughter but we have enjoyed our decade plus of having cats around the house.

I have been moving some of my photos from an older computer to my picture back up hard drive and seeing so many photos of our early marriage when the kids were young. I am so happy to have them, but still struggle with getting them organized into some time of system where I can find them in a timely matter to share them on this blog. A project of connection with my story. This new laptop I am using only has this years pics and my Hawaii and California Vacation so I need a better system.

As we plan our summer travel the issue of cats come up again. I feel so bad about leaving Big Kitty in the house with a cat sitter who stops by to check the food and water and litter box, and tries to companion her, but she does not connect with strangers. When Big Kitty goes to sleep we will probably be petless so we can pick up and go a bit more.

When it's all fixed

Attended a ground breaking at Chandler Christian Community Center for an addition to their facility.




From Julie Ferwerda:


It isn't getting together to build something new in the ages to come as much as it is getting 


together to heal...calling all captains and soldiers where family vs. family and brother vs. 


brother...sister vs.sister....brother vs.sister blood has been spilled and words have 


poisoned....since we are ONE then the same stories will be in the same room together


reconciling with the truth of loves forgiveness ~Joseph Brost

Ponder this thought with me today.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

A smartphone shot of a girl on a near deserted beach in Maui, 2010.

When mutual funds were invented, it was a wonderful way to spread the risk in savings to get money into the future in your savings plan. Turns out a major correction in the market means it takes more time to get savings growing, and in the last decade its been tough to be in market driven investing. We have run out of time for waiting for better times, and have a bit of concern for the near future, who doesn't.

We just got off the horse, onto a donkey, less risk, slow and more bond dependent. yet with the opportunity for greater returns. No one knows the future, but we have borrowed too much money as a nation, and we are glad to sleep a bit better over the security of our savings. The retirees I serve are constant examples of frugality, wisdom, and generosity.

I have tomaters

My Topsy Turvy has three different types of tomatoes just beginning to grow. Fun to watch the changes each day. Wish I had loved gardening.

 
We had a small group to enjoy Hook tonight, I was kind of shocked that the movie is over 20 years old now. A real enjoyable Spielberg with a great many themes harvested from the book.

Summer Schedule

Our Church runs year round, we have no Sunday School because we do not own the building where we worship, the funds to build the church were raised by this church, but it became a Chapel used by multiple congregations, long story, not my point.

We have a lovely room for our Bible Studies, and they run from October through April, seven on, five off.
As I type the group of ladies who meet here on Tuesdays are gone a week early because their teacher had to return to Washington State.

Our active country clubs become used more infrequently, golfers fight for the earliest tee times to avoid the midday heat, walkers are out early and late but not during the dead zone. These are all parts of the rhythm of life in a retirement community and a desert landscape.

At first it felt funny but now I get it and I love it. Laura and I launch into reading projects, we plan a short vacation as Laura loves being home in the summer. So, a movie nite tonight to end our Tuesday group, one more men's Bible Study tomorrow, a last Thursday study, and a shift in schedule. As I have never served one church this long, there is no looping back to old series, and as my life passion to find and enjoy answers in the presence of God goes forward, I have always new ground to plow. Life is growth in the light.