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Thursday, 16 July 2009 19:15 |
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It was great having my family visit this past week. My parents were on ‘vacation,’ yet, my father worked amazingly hard while he was here. Looking around the church property, he quickly noticed all sorts of projects that need to get done. My dad is my role model. He is not a person to just talk, criticize, or suggest things to get done, but rather, he dives in and leads by example. So, in the week that he was here we painted the church sign, removed dozens of acacia trees that were a fire hazard, and strategized how to reattach the cross to the church roof. I’m sure we would have finished that project too if he were staying for another week.
 I am incredibly blessed to have a dad and mom who have invested so much in me. They give me encouragement and motivation to live up to the potential that God has given me. Through modeling, discipline, and coaching, and years of support, I have a great foundation to become all that God has called me to be. In a day when many adults have abandoned their responsibilities as parents, or abandoned the idea of being a parent altogether, I am certainly humbled and blessed to have such amazing parents.
But what about those who have not had parents and mentors? I believe that the church community is to be that place of nurturing and encouragement. We should champion each other, and cheer one another on. We should be a community where it is safe to try and fail, and safe to receive both kind words and loving correction. Psalm 68:5-6 says that “God is the father to the fatherless…he sets the lonely in families.”
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Last Updated on Thursday, 16 July 2009 19:30 |
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More Progress and Teamwork! |
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Monday, 06 July 2009 20:29 |
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Little by little we are making improvements around the church and preschool. Thanks to a group from Northwest Baptist Church in Fresno, we were able to get several large projects done.
Cheryl Paquette oversaw the painting project. Ellia and Caleb helped scrape and prime the day before. Check out the before and after pictures of part of the painting project:
After
We also painted the shed and several other walls in the back play yard.
We also planted a tree and did some other landscaping.
Extra thanks to Lou and Donna who oversaw the landscaping and the Shulman family who helped with lunch.
And a big thanks to everyone else who came out to help, especially the youth from Northwest Church who did most of the manual labor.
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Last Updated on Monday, 06 July 2009 20:44 |
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More Missions and the Moon |
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 15:56 |
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In keeping with my previous post, here is a demonstration of what can be achieved with determination and vision. We recently completed a large project of replacing the floor in our 3 and 4 year-old's preschool room. Give a big thanks to Johnny Martinez who put in several late nights and did an amazing job! 
Also kudos to teachers Glenda and Samantha and the kids of this classroom who made the 'cow jump over the moon.' It is a classic :) 
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 June 2009 16:21 |
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 13:56 |
 This week I was listening to Public Radio and heard an incredible interview with a representative from NASA regarding the LCROSS mission that is launching in a matter of minutes (probably launched by the time you read this.) LCROSS stands for Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite. Its mission is to create an impact in one of the deep craters on the pole of the moon to see if there are any ancient ice buildups. If they confirm the presence of frozen water, it could be a prime resource that would hasten our return to the moon. It could even possibly become the foundation to the presence of a moon base which would be the launching point for missions further out in our solar system.
The mission involves launching a projectile into this crater to create an explosion, essentially excavating moon dirt and other materials in a way that the presence of water or other resources could be measured. This mission is fascinating for a number of reasons. For one, it was fast-tracked because there was some spare room on another rocket that is going up today. Essentially, this mission hitched a ride to the moon. Secondly, many NASA engineers and other personnel jumped on board, going above and beyond their regular responsibilities to make this happen on time. They saw it as a worthwhile project to invest in. Thirdly, some of the public responded very negatively during the question and answer section of the radio show. People felt that perhaps our money was better spent solving the problems we currently face, rather than thinking of the future. Others felt that we might mess up the moon, just as we have polluted much of the earth.
I, for one, am excited about this sort of project. Venturing into space was the fodder of my childhood dreams and imagination. There is much we can learn from this mission, spiritually speaking. For instance, the whole mission is a practical step toward a radically transformed future. It takes an amazing amount of creativity and determination to think about what things might be like, and yet to break things down into simple steps to get there. The scientists also made the most of a rare opportunity. Just a little extra room on a rocket, and a lot of extra teamwork helped this mission happen today rather than years in the future. Finally, it required a positive outlook. The NASA representative responded with candor to the naysayers. She viewed NASA’s investment in these sorts of projects as an investment in the future of humanity. Though humanity has certainly caused devastation and destruction through technology, it is easy to forget how agencies such as NASA also contribute so many things that benefit us every day. The byproducts of NASA’s research range form shoe insoles to in-ear thermometers. Read this article for more NASA inventions.
You can keep an eye on the LCROSS mission on their website.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 June 2009 16:28 |
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Saturday, 13 June 2009 12:32 |
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Sometimes as I go through a week I notice that it evolves into a theme. In my conversations, in my prayers, in the things I'm reading and watching -- the same words keep cropping up. I don't always recognize it right away, but this week it was pretty clear: learn to trust. In many ways we as people have learned not to trust. We've been hurt, abandoned, tricked, or played. We put our guard up so that we don't look weak, naive, or so that we can keep ourselves from being hurt again. These are defense mechanisms. I remember one of my psychology teachers telling me that defense mechanisms aren't bad...they do protect us from reaching breaking points. It is when we begin to live in our defense mechanisms on a regular basis that they become harmful to ourselves and to others. Everyone has their own mechanisms, some people lash out to keep people from getting too close. Others hide their emotions from everyone to avoid being betrayed. Sometimes we do the same thing with God. But God longs to heal us, and part of that process is learning to trust again. We have to learn to trust each other, being willing to be vulnerable to share with people the spiritual landscape in which we find ourselves. It also means trusting the processes that God uses to shape us, such as our daily circumstances. We also must grow to trust God with our hopes and dreams, knowing that God's wisdom far exceeds our own. One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11. "'For I know the plans I have for you,'declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future...'" The context of this passage is astounding. The exiles in Babylon wanted God to let them return to their homeland right away, but God's plan was that they stay there 70 years. The prosperity God offered was not an immediate deliverance. Instead it was the promise that, if they will learn to trust, God will be with them where they are at and will eventually bring about his plans. Learning to trust is a slow process. It takes leting our guard down, and risking our expectations not being met. But the end result is worth it: an abundant life full of love and relationships. |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 13 June 2009 13:19 |
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