Fire, Flood and Blond Hair

I beg your pardon,

I never promised you a rose garden.

Along with the sunshine,

There's got to be a little rain sometimes

Life is full of blessings because Jesus is "the orderer of all our experiences" IHP 265. Yet, some of those blessings come in disguise. On Sabbath morning we woke up to our second biggest greenhouse on fire. We lost about one third of it. It appears like the corn burner malfunctioned. It burned the shed down, the $15,000 corn burner and the plastic. We might have put the thing back together quickly except that we need to have a building permit to do that.

On the same day, the basement of the church flooded. The church really does't need anymore messes. It is in state of remodeling and we are meeting in our Village Assembly room. 

On top of that, my lover had her hair dyed. She looks good, but as usual her hair had to turn orange before it could be fixed. 

We leave in the morning for a five-day vacation in Florida. 

Blessings to all.

Dis-ordinary

I managed a weekend without having to speak. Believe it or not, I enjoyed that. I just went to church like an ordinary person. (As a matter of fact, that's what I am--an ordinary Joe.) I suppose preaching doesn't make me dis-ordinary, un-ordinary, or extraordinary either, but it does keep an extra amount of stress on me. The day was peaceful and dreamy. Janet and I watched a Christian movie after Sabbath called "Faith Like Potatoes."It was about a Scottish African farmer who was forced to move from Zambia to South Africa and to start over again. (The movie is based on a true story.) It was quite moving and realistic. The part where the farmer runs over his nephew with his tractor breaks your heart. Anyway, they exemplified faith where the rubber meets the road.

This week I preach in Copper Mountain. Then on Sunday Janet and I take a six-day vacation in Florida--around Tampa. Some friends of ours are letting us use their house. They are farmers in Michigan. The Sunday after that we have a board meeting at Uchee Pines, followed by the OCI Retreat and the Southern Union ASI Chapter. We get home on the 16th of April.

Our Lifestyle Session ends tomorrow. Very interesting. My wife played the role of Director for the past two months. She made wonderful changes and we wish we could keep her. Unfortunately, she is bent on going back to Africa on April 25 for one month. (Better than three.) She will return with Jason till after the National ASI Convention.

There you have it. Even life on the fast track can be boring.

Our Mission team arrives from Dominican Republic tomorrow. They've had a very successful evangelistic thrust. (I can't give numbers yet.)  

I'm trying to prepare a sermon for OCI. Sometimes it just doesn't get easier.

Lean hard on the Lord. When He says, "without Me you can do nothing," He means it.              

So says the Preacher to his Tribe.

Columbia Union ASI Chapter

The weather is unseasonably warm, like summer in Northern Ontario. I'm not sure whether we are suppose to bask in its warmth or to dread global warming. I guess I'll just bask. Why not, life is short.

Janet and I spent the weekend in Vienna, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC at the Columbia Union ASI Chapter. It was a good weekend. Not too much stress. The meetings were good--Ivor Myers and Henry Wright. I like Henry Wright's preaching. (That isn't to say Ivor Myers isn't good. He digs a lot of information out of the Bible that few people would ever see, but his style of preaching is a bit condescending. Perhaps it is cultural. Henry Wright uses similar approaches, except not so pronounced.)

There were many people and there was strong participation. The offering was weak, but I think the leaders included too many projects for the size of the congregation.

On Saturday night, those who were interested in joining ASI got together and everyone shared something of their ministries. We got to bed at midnight. (Bear in mind, the time sprang forward that evening as well.)

Janet and I don't need to travel for one and one half weeks. Isn't that cool? We get one weekend at home this month. Actually, we don't mind traveling, but it is hard on one's sleep and eating habits. Starting on the 25ft of this month, we will go until the end of April.

Am I making a difference? Only God knows.

It was  a blessing seeing David Fournier and Arwyn in Vienna. Too many people around to really enjoy each other.

Joshua, Texas

At the ASI Winter Board in Ontario, California, I spoke on the topic of "It is Time . . . To Be About our Father's Business." The upshot is that we are living in the Antitypical Day of Atonement. In the Old Testament that was the day that everyone of God's children "afflicted his/her soul" before God. They searched their hearts to confess and forsake every habit or hint of sin in their lives. They attempted to present Israel as holy before God through the righteousness of Christ. All this prefigured the state of God's people just before the second coming of Christ.

You know, dear ones, it is really hard to preach such messages and not be influenced by the thought. I'm convinced the time has come to be purified of sin in the fullest sense of the word. It is time to bring every habit into line with God's will. It is time to sacrifice every worldly inducement, every worldly ambition, every worldly aspiration to compete for position, things or money. We can't wait until the national Sunday laws are passed to think of internalizing the word of God. Lord, help us.

Last weekend, March 2-4, Janet and I spent at the ASI South West Chapter Convention in Joshua, TX. The whole weekend was very pleasant. There were many personal friends there that we knew from other places. Cute little Monika Moore was there with her husband, Jim. (Some of you might remember Monika from Dunlap TN.) Her parents were there also. Mike and Teresa Zygmunt were there, Ron Wolsey . . .

The speakers were Ron Halverson and John Lomacane??? John L's testimony was awe-inspiring. Amazing life and guidance from God. I got to share what ASI is about and the new things that are happening. It seemed to me a long way to go at great expense just to talk for a few minutes. But I am assured that my presence, as ASI President, is important. (Honestly, my supposed importance escapes me. Besides, I don't know how to act important, do you?--Please advise.)

All is well, anyway. This weekend, we will land in Vienna, (don't get too green with envy) it's Vienna, Virginia. As far as I know, we will be meeting with the smallest chapter in ASI. I believe some people (those who don't have the privilege of traveling so much), would envy my "privilege", but truly, as much as I appreciate the honor, it sure would be a blessing to stay home to walk the mountains a little more.

So says the Preacher to his Tribe.