Here are some pictures from Christmas Day. The last picture is Micah, Melia and kids talking to Micah's parents via video conferencing on the Internet. Micah's parents are in Austria.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Random Christmas Pictures
Here are some pictures from Christmas Day. The last picture is Micah, Melia and kids talking to Micah's parents via video conferencing on the Internet. Micah's parents are in Austria.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Yorkshire Pudding Perfected!
After three attempts I think I got my puddings right for Christmas Eve!
Can you believe that it is almost 2008?
Can you believe that it is almost 2008? In just a few days the New Year will be here! God doesn't wait until after Dec. 31st to begin a new thing. According to the Lamentations, God's compassion is new every morning. Great is God's faithfulness. In Isaiah 43:18,19 says: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
What new thing is God doing in your life? Where is God building a path and beginning to trickle streams of living water in the desert places of your life?
I believe God is doing a new thing at Westminster. I hear stories of changed lives. I see new ministries being born in peoples' hearts. I see a spirit of change and a willingness to risk in faith.
At our congregational meeting on Jan. 13 the session will share the 2008 vision plan. Through out 2007 at monthly meetings and special vision retreats your session has been seeking God's will and direction. This year we need to complete the playground. We are moving forward on being a green Church by beginning to utilize solar power. We are finding better ways to communicate between the two language groups at our church. We are restructuring the session and ministries to be a better fit with our gifting and calling.
Another important meeting will be Equipping 101, Feb. 3 at 3 PM in Mission Hall. This is a meeting for all church leaders, where we will go over the new structure of session. I hope all church leaders will be there.
God is always doing a new thing. Isaiah asks, "Do you not perceive it?" My prayer is that we would turn our eyes from past glories and past pains at WPC and that our eyes would be open to the new things God is already doing and will be doing in the midst of us. I hope this would be your prayer too as we step into 2008 as followers of Jesus.
What new thing is God doing in your life? Where is God building a path and beginning to trickle streams of living water in the desert places of your life?
I believe God is doing a new thing at Westminster. I hear stories of changed lives. I see new ministries being born in peoples' hearts. I see a spirit of change and a willingness to risk in faith.
At our congregational meeting on Jan. 13 the session will share the 2008 vision plan. Through out 2007 at monthly meetings and special vision retreats your session has been seeking God's will and direction. This year we need to complete the playground. We are moving forward on being a green Church by beginning to utilize solar power. We are finding better ways to communicate between the two language groups at our church. We are restructuring the session and ministries to be a better fit with our gifting and calling.
Another important meeting will be Equipping 101, Feb. 3 at 3 PM in Mission Hall. This is a meeting for all church leaders, where we will go over the new structure of session. I hope all church leaders will be there.
God is always doing a new thing. Isaiah asks, "Do you not perceive it?" My prayer is that we would turn our eyes from past glories and past pains at WPC and that our eyes would be open to the new things God is already doing and will be doing in the midst of us. I hope this would be your prayer too as we step into 2008 as followers of Jesus.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Lily's choir debut
Lily - the one in pig tails, made her choir debut on the third Sunday of Advent at Westminster.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Colbert Advent
I'm not sure why Stephen Colbert is singing and dancing like this - BUT WHAT A WAY TO START ADVENT!!!!!
Advent at Westminster
Year after year it seems that Christmas get farther removed from the One whose birthday we are celebrating. Hopefully during our worship celebrations at Westminster we can find ways to enter Advent and celebrate Christmas in ways that bring us closer to the real message and meaning God intended.
The Advent theme for this year is Advent Wreath: Full Circle. The circle of Advent Candles we light each year bring with them the traditional themes of hope, love, joy and peace. Each week's worship celebration we will focus the theme for each candle. The hymns, scriptures, and sermon will speak to those themes. The Advent services will be a bit more traditional as the Sanctuary Choir will be back in the choir loft, pastors will be wearing robes and we will sing all carols instead of praise songs. Various members and friends of Westminster have graciously agreed to share personal stories of how they found gifts of hope, love, joy and peace in their lives through Jesus. The overall purpose is to be encouraged and set free to worship God in new and creative ways during Advent.
Here are a few suggestions from www.simpleliving.org on how we can celebrate Advent in a way that brings us back to the true meaning of the season:
STOP - Evaluate absolutely everything you do for the Christmas season. Does it give life and joy? Does it bear Christ’s light into the world? If not, say “goodbye.”
PRIORITIZE - Family comes first. Make space in a hectic schedule to enjoy the beauty of the season together in your own home.
SIMPLIFY - Instead of a gourmet extravaganza, host potluck dinners or invite friends for a cup of Christmas tea and a plate of cookies.
DO IT DIFFERENTLY - Instead of hosting a dinner, go to a soup kitchen, give to the food bank and serve those who are not overfed this season. Now, that is welcoming one another as Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God.
SABBATH TIME - Savor the relationship you have with God, the relationships you have with others, the gift of this day. Be still. Listen. Give thanks.
Visit www.simpleliving.org for more great ideas.
Advent is also a great time to invite family and friends to worship services so they might learn more about the real meaning of Christmas.
The Advent theme for this year is Advent Wreath: Full Circle. The circle of Advent Candles we light each year bring with them the traditional themes of hope, love, joy and peace. Each week's worship celebration we will focus the theme for each candle. The hymns, scriptures, and sermon will speak to those themes. The Advent services will be a bit more traditional as the Sanctuary Choir will be back in the choir loft, pastors will be wearing robes and we will sing all carols instead of praise songs. Various members and friends of Westminster have graciously agreed to share personal stories of how they found gifts of hope, love, joy and peace in their lives through Jesus. The overall purpose is to be encouraged and set free to worship God in new and creative ways during Advent.
Here are a few suggestions from www.simpleliving.org on how we can celebrate Advent in a way that brings us back to the true meaning of the season:
STOP - Evaluate absolutely everything you do for the Christmas season. Does it give life and joy? Does it bear Christ’s light into the world? If not, say “goodbye.”
PRIORITIZE - Family comes first. Make space in a hectic schedule to enjoy the beauty of the season together in your own home.
SIMPLIFY - Instead of a gourmet extravaganza, host potluck dinners or invite friends for a cup of Christmas tea and a plate of cookies.
DO IT DIFFERENTLY - Instead of hosting a dinner, go to a soup kitchen, give to the food bank and serve those who are not overfed this season. Now, that is welcoming one another as Christ has welcomed you, to the glory of God.
SABBATH TIME - Savor the relationship you have with God, the relationships you have with others, the gift of this day. Be still. Listen. Give thanks.
Visit www.simpleliving.org for more great ideas.
Advent is also a great time to invite family and friends to worship services so they might learn more about the real meaning of Christmas.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
A great Thanksgiving with the guys!
I had a great Thanksgiving with my boys. We played poker and the new rock band video game. Great fun! The turkey came out very well and the gravy was awesome! Peter's new girl friend Tami was there too. Melia and MIcah were off visiting MIcah's grandparents. There is much to be thankful for and God is still good! Later Thanksgiving night I took off for Placerville to see my parents and my brother's family.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I've been having a great time relaxing and catching up on my studies in Orlando at my cousin Dave's beautiful home. There is a tennis court next door. I don't play but it has been fun to watch and you can hear all the grunts and groans and whoops as they hit or miss as the case might be. Reading by the pool and taking walks by the near by lakes has been refreshing. There has been a closeness of God's presence.
A real treat has been a book I discovered in my room called Patches of Godlight by Jan Karon. I was pleasantly surprised by this moving collection of quotes from a wide range of writers and thinkers.
Here are few short ones that I enjoyed:
Be faithful in the little practices of love, which will build in you the life of holiness and make you Christ-like.
Mother Teresa
I am certainly convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.
Florence Nightingale
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.
Abraham Lincoln
A real treat has been a book I discovered in my room called Patches of Godlight by Jan Karon. I was pleasantly surprised by this moving collection of quotes from a wide range of writers and thinkers.
Here are few short ones that I enjoyed:
Be faithful in the little practices of love, which will build in you the life of holiness and make you Christ-like.
Mother Teresa
I am certainly convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidel.
Florence Nightingale
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.
Abraham Lincoln
Sunday, November 11, 2007
God is good
I had a wonderfully fun dinner at a friend's home tonight and after I came home rocked Silas for a while and later when spending some time in prayer and meditation, I found this beautiful prayer:
Teach us, O Father, to trust thee with life and death,
And (though this is harder by far)
With the life and death of those that are dearer to us
Than our life.
Teach us stillness and confident peace
In thy perfect will,
Deep calm of soul, and content
In what thou wilt do with these lives thou hast given.
Teach us to wait and be still,
To rest in thyself,
To hush this clamorous anxiety,
To lay in thine arms all this wealth thou hast given.
Thou lovest these souls that we love
With a love far surpassing our own
As the glory of noon surpasses the gleam of a candle
Therefore will we be still,
And trust in thee.
John S. Hoyland, 1887-1957
Teach us, O Father, to trust thee with life and death,
And (though this is harder by far)
With the life and death of those that are dearer to us
Than our life.
Teach us stillness and confident peace
In thy perfect will,
Deep calm of soul, and content
In what thou wilt do with these lives thou hast given.
Teach us to wait and be still,
To rest in thyself,
To hush this clamorous anxiety,
To lay in thine arms all this wealth thou hast given.
Thou lovest these souls that we love
With a love far surpassing our own
As the glory of noon surpasses the gleam of a candle
Therefore will we be still,
And trust in thee.
John S. Hoyland, 1887-1957
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Mystery Dinner Theatre
The mystery dinner was great as always. Here is a link to pictures of the Vikings - Copy and paste this address into your web browser. www.rjweb.org/wpc/2007-10-mystery
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Come reach out to the world as they run by our church this Sunday!
There will be a 1/2 Marathon in San Jose, and most roads around Westminster will be closed starting at 4AM.
This includes sections of The Alameda/Santa Clara, Park, Hedding, Hester, Dana, and Bascom.
The best open route to the church will be Leigh to Hanchett Ave. from either San Carlos or westbound on Park. For a complete list of closures, times, and maps please visit
Even though it will be hard to get to worship this Sunday – BUT it is important that we all try to attend as a witness to our community!
The race starts at 8 AM. Come early and cheer on the runners. Our youth worship team will be playing outside on the front lawn.
Help needed with water –I still need a few more folks to help with water. Please email me and let me know if you can help with passing out water. I am also looking for two more large water containers to borrow that morning.
Come reach out to the world as they run by our church this Sunday!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Silas Arthur Mann has arrived!
Silas Arthur Mann arrived last night at around 7:45 PM. He weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz and was 20" long! He is a most beautiful baby - OF COURSE!!!!!!! Yeah MIcah and Melia!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
More Rich Wedding Pictures
I just recieved some more pictures from Rich Williams Wedding that I thought I should post.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Kick Off Sunday!
Here are some pictures from Kick Off - thanks to everyone who made it such a great success! The jousting was good fun!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Two More Poems
Click on the title of this post to find out more about the Writer's Almanac!
Poem: "Meadowbrook Nursing Home" by Alice N. Persons, from Don't Be A Stranger. © Sheltering Pines Press, 2007.
Meadowbrook Nursing Home
On our last visit, when Lucy was fifteen
And getting creaky herself,
One of the nurses said to me,
"Why don't you take the cat to Mrs. Harris' room
— poor thing lost her leg to diabetes last fall —
she's ninety, and blind, and no one comes to see her."
The door was open. I asked the tiny woman in the bed
if she would like me to bring Lucy in, and she turned her head
toward us. "Oh, yes, I want to touch her."
"I had a cat called Lily — she was so pretty, all white.
She was with me for twenty years, after my husband died too.
She slept with me every night — I loved her very much.
It's hard, in here, since I can't get around."
Lucy was settling in on the bed.
"You won't believe it, but I used to love to dance.
I was a fool for it! I even won contests.
I wish I had danced more.
It's funny, what you miss when everything.....is gone."
This last was a murmur. She'd fallen asleep.
I lifted the cat
from the bed, tiptoed out, and drove home.
I tried to do some desk work
but couldn't focus.
I went downstairs, pulled the shades,
put on Tina Turner
and cranked it up loud
and I danced.
I danced.
Poem: "Psalm" by Stuart Kestenbaum, from Prayers & Run-on Sentences. © Deerbrook Editions, 2007.
Psalm
The only psalm I had memorized was the 23rd
and now I find myself searching for the order
of the phrases knowing it ends with surely
goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever only I remember
seeing a new translation from the original Hebrew
and forever wasn't forever but a long time
which is different from forever although
even a long time today would be
good enough for me even a minute entering
the House would be good enough for me,
even a hand on the door or dropping today's
newspaper on the stoop or looking in the windows
that are reflecting this morning's clouds in first light.
Poem: "Meadowbrook Nursing Home" by Alice N. Persons, from Don't Be A Stranger. © Sheltering Pines Press, 2007.
Meadowbrook Nursing Home
On our last visit, when Lucy was fifteen
And getting creaky herself,
One of the nurses said to me,
"Why don't you take the cat to Mrs. Harris' room
— poor thing lost her leg to diabetes last fall —
she's ninety, and blind, and no one comes to see her."
The door was open. I asked the tiny woman in the bed
if she would like me to bring Lucy in, and she turned her head
toward us. "Oh, yes, I want to touch her."
"I had a cat called Lily — she was so pretty, all white.
She was with me for twenty years, after my husband died too.
She slept with me every night — I loved her very much.
It's hard, in here, since I can't get around."
Lucy was settling in on the bed.
"You won't believe it, but I used to love to dance.
I was a fool for it! I even won contests.
I wish I had danced more.
It's funny, what you miss when everything.....is gone."
This last was a murmur. She'd fallen asleep.
I lifted the cat
from the bed, tiptoed out, and drove home.
I tried to do some desk work
but couldn't focus.
I went downstairs, pulled the shades,
put on Tina Turner
and cranked it up loud
and I danced.
I danced.
Poem: "Psalm" by Stuart Kestenbaum, from Prayers & Run-on Sentences. © Deerbrook Editions, 2007.
Psalm
The only psalm I had memorized was the 23rd
and now I find myself searching for the order
of the phrases knowing it ends with surely
goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever only I remember
seeing a new translation from the original Hebrew
and forever wasn't forever but a long time
which is different from forever although
even a long time today would be
good enough for me even a minute entering
the House would be good enough for me,
even a hand on the door or dropping today's
newspaper on the stoop or looking in the windows
that are reflecting this morning's clouds in first light.
New Poems
I found some new nice new poems from the Writer's Almanac that I want to pass on. The first doesn't look like a poem - but it is!
Poem: "Seagulls" by Louis Jenkins, from North of the Cities. © Will o' the Wisp Books, 2007.
Seagulls
There were no seagulls in the harbor, none at the marina. I saw none in the air. There were no seagulls at Canal Park, or McDonalds, or at Russ Kendall's smokehouse, or at the Kmart parking lot, or any of their favorite hangouts. It's winter and snow is falling, but I don't believe seagulls fly south. I've often seen them standing around on the ice all day, as if they were waiting for a big bus to come and take them to a casino. Where are all the seagulls? This is not a question I ever thought I'd ask myself. You get used to someone being around and if they go away you miss them. That's how life is. But seagulls are primarily a nuisance, and if you can't count on that, what can you count on?
Poem: "Seagulls" by Louis Jenkins, from North of the Cities. © Will o' the Wisp Books, 2007.
Seagulls
There were no seagulls in the harbor, none at the marina. I saw none in the air. There were no seagulls at Canal Park, or McDonalds, or at Russ Kendall's smokehouse, or at the Kmart parking lot, or any of their favorite hangouts. It's winter and snow is falling, but I don't believe seagulls fly south. I've often seen them standing around on the ice all day, as if they were waiting for a big bus to come and take them to a casino. Where are all the seagulls? This is not a question I ever thought I'd ask myself. You get used to someone being around and if they go away you miss them. That's how life is. But seagulls are primarily a nuisance, and if you can't count on that, what can you count on?
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Lily and Jedi
Lily and Jedi had fun playing in the backyard the other day with a big blue ball and a card board box house. I was glad I grabbed the camera
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Link to more camping pictures
There a lots more great Hot August Moons camping pictures at http://www.rjweb.org/wpc/2007-08-camping/index.html or click on the title of this post. 
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Even more Rich wedding pictures
Rich had three good friends attend and Leanne had three good friends attend we all hit off really well and had a fun time. After Rich and Leanne left on the honeymoon we took a walk downtown and then returned for a quick jump in the pool. The night before we sat around the kitchen table with the lights out, watching a mid-western thunder storm and telling tales about Rich and Leanne - Great fun!
Rich's Wedding Part Two
The ceremony went well. The bride was lovely and Rich looked pretty good too. Everyone had a great time. Here are a few more pictures - sorry no dog pictures and no house pictures - maybe next visit I'll get some of those to share...
Rich's Wedding Part One
Many of the readers of this blog know Rich Willliams. I am in Neosho, MO this week to perfom his wedding. His bride is a great gal named Leanne. Between them they have 5 dogs! Cabboose, Barnabus, Angel, Rock and Mister. Sort of a yours, mine and ours type of thing. They bought a beautiful historic home that I will try to get some pictures of tomorrow. And maybe a few dog pictures too. These pictures are from the rehearsal. There is an awesome mid-western thunder storm going on right now - it is 2:30 AM - lightening is flashing! Thunder is rolling! My hotel windows are wide open. It is really great!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
