Our Church Name Change

Today was a special day for me. We have been the city of Lakewood for many years and yet our church was still considered Tacoma Foursquare. Friday the paper work came through that now we are Lakewood Foursquare. I guess that I delight in what others would call a little thing. Praise the LORD for all things.

Also on this special day John was appointed as our Associate Pastor.

Good things are happening here. Thank you LORD!!

Honoring Pastor Tom

Vision Night

Sunday night at Stadium High School they honored Tom’s 25 years of Ministry. It was a great night of different people sharing and encouragement.

Pastor Burt share about the yoke. How the yoke for the oxen was carefully made with each ox in mind. It was made so it wouldn’t hurt the animal. Jesus never meant for us to be burdened under the yoke. But because of words spoken to us – you can’t …., you should …, you did it wrong, your time of ministry is done, or maybe you shouldn’t be in ministry…. – the yoke has become a stock. He spoke words of encouragement to us and had us break those stocks and put back on the yoke. Thank you Jesus!!!

Tom and I went up front

And Pastor Burt thanked me too saying I have been working right along side Tom. They gave him a framed plaque, roses and a beautiful Waterford© Crystal Clock.

Tom and I went down and people gathered around to pray over us.
Afterward we went out to eat with my sister Sue, nieces Amy & Natalie, youth leaders; Josh, Nichole, Jasmyn and her sister join us.

What a wonderful evening. Love ya all.

Tom & My Ordination

Tom & I were ordained. The eve of July 24, 2007 overlooking Jerusalem. Along with us on the same night Jerry and Judy were ordained. It was a great day all around.

The day began with us walking down the Mt of Olives. At the convention that night we saw the live program of the ‘The Covenant’. Later we went out on the balcony of the hotel where a previous wedding had taken place the night before.

Sunrise from the end of the hotel balcony

Night time viewThey had set out a table with two menorahs. Pastor Burt along with

our friends Scott & Pat who emceed the night.

As different people came up to share they lit a candle which promptly blew out by the wind

or blew upward.

They anointed our toe, thumb and ear.
Group prayer.

Next Tom anointed Jerry

And I anointed Judy.
Hugs all around.

In my wildest imagination I would have never dream that we would be getting ordained in Jerusalem. Father God is so good to us He gives us our hearts desire in the most awesome ways.

Some people have asked me why this was so important to me and I couldn’t explain why. Then while watching the video ‘The Covenant’ that Pastor Jack Hayford sent us for a Christmas present - which was another one of my heart desires- when I saw Samuel anointing David king as a young boy, I started dancing with joy because that is how I felt about getting anointed. Do you know that David killed Goliath after he had been anointed?

At the Jerusalem Convention they also honored Tom’s 25 years of ministry. Last night, January 27th, they gave us the plaque, pin, a beautiful lead crystal clock and roses. I will write another post about that. What a wonderful night.

The Holy Alphabet

I received this on
Wed, 22 September 2004

Whoever came up with this one must have had some Divine guidance!

A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know
I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking Him for all the things
L ove imparts to thee
M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone
Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command
U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
X alting God most high
Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

The $2 Bill... Everyone should start carrying them!

Don't know where this came from but it makes me laugh. How many of us have two dollar bills? I have a few.

I am STILL laughing!! I think we need to quit saving our $2 bills and bring them out in public. Our younger generation doesn't know they exist.

THE STORY:

On my way home from work, I stopped at Taco Bell for a quick bite to eat. In my billfold are a $50 bill and a $2 bill. I figure that with a $2 bill, I can get something to eat and not have to worry about anyone getting irritated at me for trying to break a $50 bill.

Me: "Hi, I'd like one seven-layer burrito please, to go"
Server: "That'll be $1.04. Eat in?"

Me: "No, it's to go."

At this point, I open my billfold and hand him the $2 bill. He looks at it kind of funny.

Server: "Uh, hang on a sec, I'll be right back. "

He goes to talk to his manager, who is still within my earshot. The following conversation occurs between the two of them:

Server: "Hey, you ever see a $2 bill?"
Manager: "No.. A what?"

Server: "A $2 bill. This guy just gave it to me."
Manager: "Ask for something else. There's no such thing as a $2 bill."

Server: "Yeah, thought so ."

He comes back to me and says, "We don't take these. Do you have anything else?"
Me: "Just this fifty. You don't take $2 bills? Why?"

Server: "I don't know."
Me: "See here where it says legal tender?"

Server: "Yeah."
Me: "So, why won't you take it?"

Server: "Well, hang on a sec." He goes back to his manager, who has been watching me like I'm a shoplifter, and says to him, "He says I have to take it."
Manager: "Doesn't he have anything else?"

Server: "Yeah, a fifty. I'll get it and you can open the safe and get change "
Manager: "I'm not opening the safe with him in here."

Server: "What should I do?"

Manager: "Tell him to come back later when he has real money."
Server: "I can't tell him that! You tell him."

Manager: "Just tell him."
Server: "No way! This is weird. I'm going in back."

The manager approaches me and says, "I'm sorry, but we don't take big bills this time of night." Me: "It's only seven o'clock! Well, then, here's a two dollar bill."

Manager: "We don't take those, either."
Me: "Why not?"

Manager: "I think you know why."
Me: "No really, tell me why."

Manager: "Please leave before I call mall security."
Me: "Excuse me?"

Manager: "Please leave before I call mall security."
Me: "What on earth for?"

Manager: "Please, sir."
Me: "Uh, go ahead, call them."

Manager: "Would you please just leave?"
Me: "No"

Manager: "Fine... have it your way then."
Me: "Hey, that's Burger King, isn't it?"

At this point, he backs away from me and calls mall security on the phone around the corner. I have two people staring at me from the dining area, and I begin laughing out loud, just for effect. A few minutes later this 45-year-oldish guy Comes in.

Guard: "Yeah, Mike, what's up?"
Manager (whispering): "This guy is trying to give me some (pause) Funny money."

Guard: "No kidding! What?"
Manager: "Get this .. A two dollar bill."

Guard (incredulous): "Why would a guy fake a two dollar bill?"
Manager: "I don't know. He's kinda weird. He says the only other thing he has is a fifty."

Guard: "Oh, so the fifty's fake!"
Manager: "No, the two dollar bill is."

Guard: "Why would he fake a two dollar bill?"
Manager: "I don't know! Can you talk to him, and get him out of here?"

Guard: "Yeah."

Security Guard walks over to me and...

Guard: "Mike here tells me you have some fake bills you're trying to use."
Me: "Uh, no."

Guard: "Lemme see 'em."
Me: "Why?"

Guard: "Do you want me to get the cops in here?"

At this point I am ready to say, "Sure, please!" but I want to eat, so I say "I'm just trying to buy a burrito and pay for it with this two dollar bill. I put the bill up near his face, and he flinches like I'm taking a swing at him.

He takes the bill, turns it over a few times in his hands, and says, "Hey, Mike, what's wrong with this bill?"

Manager: "It's fake."
Guard: "It doesn't look fake to me."

Manager "But it's a two dollar bill."
Guard: "Yeah?"

Manager: "Well, there's no such thing, is there?"

The security guard and I both look at him like he's an idiot and it dawns on the guy that he has no clue. So, it turns out that my burrito was free, and he threw in a small drink and some of those cinnamon thingies, too. Made me want to get a whole stack of two dollar bills just to see what happens when I try to buy stuff. If I got the right group of people, I could probably end up in jail. You get free food there, too.

Just think... that manager and server probably voted last week.........

Today Would Have Been My Sister's 49th Birthday

Today would have been my sister Jenny’s birthday.

It has been a hard day in our family for years.

She was with us for only a short time - 16 months.

She drowned just before Easter in 1960.

The below picture -

of her, my brother, and me is our Easter portrait .

Today I went to the funeral of my good friend, Glynis’ 23 year old son Klinton. That can be read about on his blog. Last week I didn’t know how I was going to make it through the service. It being on this day. Through a lot of prayer and pressing into the LORD, His peace filled my heart. And I did my own memorial for my sister during the service. Afterwards I felt a peace about my sister death that I have never known. It is very hard to discribe other then I feel different.

This last week I have thought a lot about life and death. Knowing that GOD is good and He doesn’t play games of meanness. There had to be a reason more than I understood about what we call traumas. This is what I have come to realize.

The joy of the LORD is my strength, period! GOD is a Good Father and He delights in us. He takes great pleasure in watching us enjoy His world. A good Father doesn’t purposely hurt His children. Watching love ones die or live with handicaps is so very hard but I think that even GOD’s heart aches with us. Will we trust Him when we don’t understand and delight in His presence? Or will we grow bitter and angry? His Son Jesus paid the full price for us to be with Him forever and He is worthy of all worship.

Ecclesiastes 3
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. (NKJV)

I know that no one wants to talk or even think about death but it happens to us all. I want to give you a hope! When our time is coming to an end - walking in the strength of the LORD keeps us going. In the LORD (I need to add that -in the LORD- is accepting the gift of eternal life through believing in Jesus, who paid the debit we owed. So that we could love GOD and enjoy GOD forever.) our body that is wearing out and dies get put in the ground as a seed but our soul-spirit (who we really are) goes instantly home (heaven). We will be changed as a seed that is planted looks nothing like the plant. All that I know is I am looking forward to the day when I am with GOD. I drink in the beauty here on earth that I can’t even begin to imagine the splendor in the presence of Almighty God.

1 Corinthians 15
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (NKJV)

He paid the price through His death and Resurrection because of His great love and delight in us. We are of more value to Him than we know. Just think in heaven the streets are paved solid gold. The walls of the city are precious gems. People are of the most value and every life precious. I pray that you will see the smile of GOD and feel His intense pleasure in you. Wow am I looking forward to being with my GOD!!!!! Rejoice

Zephaniah 3:17

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (NIV)

I pray this will touch your heart.

Merry Christmas

It is up again yeah! Enjoy!

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

IT SNOWED CHRISTMAS DAY!

Jesse & Rebekah didn't make it home for Christmas this year.

They came up for Klinton's Memorial.

It's snowing!

SNEZHINA (snowflake) & JOSEPH

LILY & NAOMI

NICHOLE

Snezhi, Joseph, Jesse, Rebekah & Naomi

December 30,2007

Bear Attack in Churchill. MB

These are pictures of an actual polar bear attack in Churchill, Manitoba & were taken while people watched and did nothing to stop the attack!

Reports from the local newspaper say that the victim will make a full recovery.

This is not for the squeamish...

Merry Christmas! A Reality Check

Being merry at Christmas doesn’t depend on circumstances or most of us would stay in bed crying. Joy is a choice and comes from trusting in the LORD. Happiness sometimes depends on the things happening around us. But joy is from deep within no matter what the storms raging around us bring. This year I choose the LORD and the joy He gives. Yes, our family celebrates Christmas and Hanukkah to me they go hand in hand because Jesus is the victor over all. Hanukkah is mentions in John 10: 22-24 They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter. Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon's Porch. The Jews, circling him, said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you're the Messiah, tell us straight out." (The Message) Some other time I can go into more detail or if you want you can ask me.

Ecclesiastes 7:14
On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days
So that we won't take anything for granted.

Today I am crying but it is from emotional overload not the lack of joy or trust. Here are a few things on my plate not for your pity or to make you depressed but to show the LORD IS OUR STRENGTH and to declare the Glory of my GOD and my LORD.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so… a blogspot is worth a zillion. (HA HA HA)

Some of the things:

My Dad back in April was diagnosed with cancer. He is doing okay right now.

My brother’s wife’s father has the same diagnosis.

Tom’s Mom; http://www.anacortesnics.blogspot.com/

My Sister’s Family; http://howsluke.blogspot.com/

My Friend Glynis' Son; http://www.prayforklinton.blogspot.com/

All our relatives and friends in Iraq.

My friend Marion who lives on higher ground within in Chehalis, WA and is surrounded with people in great need.

AND……

Like I said at the beginning - I will rejoice in my GOD and trust HIM fully. Circumstances are always changing but Jesus is always the same and I will praise Him!

Happy Hanukkah

From our house to yours.

Celebrate !

Jesse, Hanukkah 1979 in Eilat, Israel

Joseph lighting the candles 2004

A fun dreidel pattern you can copy, make and play.
I made one for a friend who took it to her class,
She said the kids loved it.

Below the yellow dreidel that I made from the pattern.

Here is a fun song sent to me for the dreidel game

Dreidel Song

CHORUS:
With a twist of the finger and a whisk of the thumb
Away goes my dreidel with a whirl and a hum.
Land on a nun, settle down on a hey
Leap for the gimmel, shoo the shin away

Let’s play the game of dreidel.
I’ll show you how it’s done.
Look at the Hebrew letters
There’s meaning in each one.
The letters on the dreidel,
A lovely tale they bear,
Nes gadol hayah sham ---
A miracle happened there.

CHORUS:
With a twist of the finger and a whisk of the thumb
Away goes my dreidel with a whirl and a hum.
Land on a nun, settle down on a hey
Leap for the gimel, shoo the shin away

To start the game of dreidel,
You put a token in —
A shiny copper penny, a peanut or a pin.
Each player spins the dreidel
To see who shall go first.
Gimmel is high, next hey, then nun, and
Poor old shin’s the worst.

CHORUS:
With a twist of the finger and a whisk of the thumb
Away goes my dreidel with a whirl and a hum.
Land on a nun, settle down on a hey
Leap for the gimel, shoo the shin away

Now sitting in a circle,
We’re ready to begin.
First one and then another ---
Each player gets a spin.
You land on nun, that’s nothing.
A gimmel you take all
Hey gets half the treasure,
Pay up if shin should fall.

CHORUS:
With a twist of the finger and a whisk of the thumb
Away goes my dreidel with a whirl and a hum.
Land on a nun, settle down on a hey
Leap for the gimel, shoo the shin away

And that’s the way we play!

Words © by Roz Grossman. Music © by Gladys Gewirtz

Why Trampolines are so Dangerous in Ohio......

PREGNANT TURKEY

One year at Thanksgiving, my mom went to my sister's house for the traditional feast. Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to play a trick.

She told my sister that she needed something from the store. When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of the oven, removed the stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, and inserted it into the turkey, and re-stuffed the turkey. She then placed the bird(s) back in the oven.

When it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the turkey out of the oven and proceeded to remove the stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something, she reached in and pulled out the little bird. With a look of total shock on her face, my mother exclaimed, 'Patricia, you've cooked a pregnant bird!'

At the reality of this horrifying news, my sister started to cry. It took the family two hours to convince her that turkeys lay eggs! Yup................SHE'S BLONDE