Love it

Someone reminded me that I hadn't blogged lately. Yea, I know. Not enough hours in a day.

I did run to Chattanooga this week. I hope I haven't already told you. Steven Grabiner, OCI President, Wilbur Atwood, the President of Wildwood and I had a scheduled meeting with David Gates. All I can say here is that the meeting was productive of great good . . . I hope. Time will tell.

I also met with Rusty Mckee of Little Debbie fame. I was blown away. The man was so congenial that I felt like we had know each other forever and that we were the best of friends. My purpose was to raise funds for our new Lifestyle Center. I believe, true to my nature, that I did a soft sell. He assured me that I couldn't have come at a better time. Mckee's Little Debbie had a slump in profits since 2008 and now they seem to be recovered. Besides, we are getting close to the end of the year when these folks need to donate for business purposes. We'll see. For me, the friendship is worth everything. (A people oriented person am I.)

We had a cooking school this week. Breads. It was great. The people didn't leave till 9:30 PM. The people were genuinely grateful for the experience.

Our Lifestyle guests are just the grandest people ever. Eleven women and two men. The laughing-est bunch you ever met. All suffering terribly, yet full of godly joy. I think they'll live forever.

On Sunday, I need to fly to Washington DC. The General Conference of the SDA church has invited me to attend an all day meeting on Monday. They are paying for everything. David Fournier heard I was coming and offered me to stay with him. Love it. Too bad I already had a hotel room. I'll be sure to find time for Davey regardless.

Everyone asks how I am doing with my new ASI responsibilities. Truth is, I'm loving it. I'm way too busy, but I prefer that than having too little to do. So far, I'm keeping out of trouble and I am praying double time so I don't. I have lots of help from my two VPs and my Executive Committee and all the former ASI Presidents. Love it, plain and simple.

Sometimes I get invited to eat with the Lifestyle guests. Oriental day. Super good.

Same table.

Every evening I go to the mountains to pray.

Later.

Always Rushed.

Since we last talked EVI had its yearly convention. In may respects it was the best ever. We had a great speaker--Chester V. Clark III. The convention was better attended than ever. Leasa sent out invitations to many of our friends and a good number came who would not have thought of it.

The board meeting was done in two and one half hours. Try to beat that. Kevin Hogfeldt was our board chairman this year because Steven Grabiner couldn't make it. Kevin did a great job of it.

We then traveled to DayStar after the EVI board and got there around 9:30 PM. The DayStar board was very, very encouraging. The Lord is blessing them tremendously this year. I am truly pleased with what is going on there. They have 33 students, aiming for at least 35. There farm is on track to profit about $150,000 this year. They have awesome farmers.

We got back home at 9:30 PM that night.

The next day I nearly spent till noon on the phone with various ASI people. In the meantime, I am trying to write an article for ASI and I must start on our Faith Ventures also.

Tonight we have a reception for Philip and Dayna Smith. They were married a few weeks ago in CA., but being as they are staff at EVI, it is only fair that we celebrate with them also. Sorry, no pics. Maybe next week.

Visitor Convention Morning. Not the least nervous.

Aspen gold on the way to DayStar

Sunflower by the side of DayStar road

Castle Rock at DayStar

Ignacio Perez is my farmer. Great Year.

It's Time , , , To Be About Our Father's Business

I just returned from my first ASI Fall Retreat. Eleven of us gathered at Denzil and Donna McNeilus' home to do business. For some of the meals, George and Shari McNeilus, Garwin and Merrilee and Pat McNeilus joined us. Also a young couple that lives nearby. It was a very relaxing weekend (On one level.)

On another level, I was a bitstressful. I was told that I needed to take charge. (That is totally against my temper-mental makeup.) But, I chose to take charge and do it. I pretty well made up my mind to be myself and to participate fully in the program.

For recreation, we visited Pat McNeilus' steel operation and Garwin's One Day Church factory. Very impressive. More impressive, maybe I should say as impressive is Merrilee's shell collection. All that aside, we actually got a lot of work accomplished.

The most exciting piece of work was the theme for the next two years: "It is Time . . . To be about Our Father's Business." I delivered all the devotional meetings and in them I explained my vision for ASI. It was well rec'd and with that we formulated the title. My task now is to write an article, and sent it to the ASI magazine and the Review and whoever else might print it. When we choose our speakers for the next convention, we will expect the speakers to align themselves with the theme, but they will have the freedom to determine what is our Father's business in this late day and speak to the issue. I think it is genius. (No, I didn't come up with the concept, but since I am in charge, maybe I should take the credit. Not!) The Lord guided us through.

I'm getting excited. Imagine. I sincerely believe God will do something special with ASI in the coming days. Why else would He choose less than the least of all saints to be President?

So prays the Preacher for his Tribe.

Marilee McNeilus is an expert collector of sea shells.

She has amazing things in her collection

We visited Garwin McNeilus' One Day Church factory

Pat McNeilus' steel processing plant.

Steel comes in rolls.

From West to East

Today I've got to pack. I leave for Minnesota tomorrow early. The ASI Executive Committee is meeting for our annual fall retreat. Being the new president, I am expected to lead the pack into new territory, i.e. the new theme for the next two years and the wherewithal to implement the new theme. I am also expected to lead out in morning and evening devotions plus speak at the 11 o'clock service on Sabbath morning. And with that I will chair the board and act presidential. So far, no one's asked me to make lunch and sing special music. If they did, I would make rolled oats and sing "When the Moon Hits your Eyes Like a Big Pizza Pie, That's amore." So would go the rest of the meetings.

Actually, I expect the Lord to lead and to give us a blessing. (You may pray for yours truly anyway.)

Last weekend, five of us from EVI boarded a plane and flew to Las Vegas (Sin City.) Our mission was to train church members from various churches to do health work in preparation for the big evangelistic effort scheduled for next spring. The big effort was called "Babylon Rising." I say "was" because somebody--John Bradshaw--decided to rename it. The new name is so tame that I can't remember it. Anyway, we did our thing (rallying sermons, health talks, health expo, and cooking classes) and the Lord blessed abundantly.

During the same weekend, Las Vegas hosted the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contests. There was muscle every where. These self-centered gorillas are driven to show as much skin as possible. Why else take steroids, and look like a cartoon character? The problem, however, is that bodybuilding has grown to include woman, if that is what you'd call those creatures. They look like tall midgets--everything exaggerated.

Through it all, the Lord keeps supplying my poor brain with something to say for Him. I'm impressed and truly thankful. His biddings are enablings.

Love to all.

ASI is God's Problem

Sorry it's been so long. Lots to do and nothing happening. Well, I suppose anything can be interesting if it is written well. (Now we need to look for someone who writes well.)

Hey, did you all read Jason's blog of Sept. 3. Wow! The driving scene is like an action movie and the star of the movie saved the day. Things like that should happen to liven up things in my dotage.

Restoration Intl' just shared their third annual family camp meeting at EVI. The attendance was down a little. Labor day weekend is a factor; school started for some, is another. The economy isn't helping anyone, etc. Whatever. Everyone appeared to have a great time.

Many of our staff went up to the meadow for a corn roast last week. The corn was awesome, the fellowship, even better. We have a great family here at EVI.

I've been going up the mountain to pray quite often, lately. This ASI presidency weighs heavy on me. Not because of the extra work. It hasn't been anything to speak of yet, but I truly feel incapable of meeting my leadership responsibilities. For example: I am to lead the way. I am to come up with a vision that will inspire the ASI members into action. Well, I am the most un-visionary character you ever met. However, I am in position, therefore, God has to be my vision. Period. If God doesn't come through, then forget me.

Also, I need to speak three times in Las Vegas on the 16th of Sept through to the 18th, on health evangelism. Not exactly my forte, but praise God. I prepared one sermon today. Truth is, I'm going to pray my way through this. I'll let you know as God works.

An elk in our neighbors yard. We have elks in our field every day.

This is our own EVI Michelle. Meechee and I are great friends,

My wife in the mountains. I put her on an airplane yesterday. As I write, she is about four hours from landing in Dar Es Salaam. I'll miss her. She comes home in Dec and I intend to visit her in Nov.

This is the headstone for the young fella who died at EVI August 16. May we all die the death of the righteous.

Second Chance

Five couples from Eden Valley are spending a weekend in Silverthorne, Colorado-the Roeskes, the Hueys, the Katsmas, the Bates and the Fourniers. We just decided to get away. The house we are living in is a palace, actually, it is more like a wildlife museum--amazing--their are stuffed animals everywhere and the furniture is unique to Colorado. The folks who live here, Randy and Sandy Bright use the place to teach people about nature and animal biology.

We are not doing too much. We went to church at the Copper Mountain Chapel yesterday. That was good. After lunch, we rode a ski-lift up to the top of the mountain. After Sabbath, we played games and just sat around. This morning we cleaned up and watched one of those Christian movies called The Note. Made me cry for one and one half hours. I hate tear jerkers, don't you? I think my wife is watching it all over again--a gluten for punishment, or is that glutton? In any case, if you need to clean your eyes watch The Note.

The movie might have been called Second Chance. It struck me.

(You know, artists are generally know to be melancholy. Strong emotional feelings drive strong responses. A writer definitely writes better when his mood is either very high, or more likely very low.)

I'm not saying that I am an artist. As a matter of fact, I think I am anything but melancholic. But like I said, the movie struck me. It was about a note that washes up on shore written by a passenger on an ill fated jetliner. The note is to "T". A lady who writes a column for a magazine finds the note and tries to find "T". It appears that everyone who sees the note is inspired to a second chance.

A few years ago (as I've said before) I was sunk. It just came clear to me. God gave me a second chance. He should have cast me aside. It is only of grace that He keeps bestowing honors upon me. Go figure.

So says the Preacher to his Tribe.

The Bright Side

German countryside.

Meetings in Germany

Local town in Germany

Tree outside my room in fall colors already. Cold and rainy.

ASI inauguration. On the left outgoing pres. on the right incoming .

I've finally found a moment so that I can write this blog. Sorry guys for making you wait so long. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity.

My son came to Eden Valley while I was still at the Oak Haven Convention. When I came home we had a great week together. Mostly we ate tomato sandwiches as much as we could. EVI tomatoes are the best. My Lover came home a week later sicker than I've ever seen her. We drove to Sacramento and the ASI meetings like that, but there she crashed. Finally, I have to get a prescription from doctor Emerson for anti-biotics, which did the trick. Praise the Lord.

In Sacramento, I met with two brothers, my three children, nine of my twelve grand children, and one niece with her family. I didn't have all the time I wanted to visit with everyone, but the little time I had was ultra special.

As you all know I was given the opportunity to preach at ASI three times on R by F in relation to the Three Angel's Messages. You cannot know how many misgivings I had going into those meetings. It seems I am never satisfied that I have the right material. But what I had was what God gave me. So, I went forward with the little I had. After every meeting I felt that God's Spirit was there to promote Himself. I'm so thankful. The last time I was asked to preach at ASI (that was in Dallas, TX) I literally gave up on the sermon I had prepared and preached more or less from the hip that Friday evening. I haven't been happy about it since. For that reason I was worried about my next performance. What can I say, sometimes the Lord humbles, sometimes we are better prepared for a blessing. Can you see how God prepared me three or four years ago to bless me this time? I can see it.

The Lord delights in confounding the wise at the hand of fools. He loves to humble the mighty using the weak. He grants the base things of this world power over the sophisticated. So He did at ASI. Of all the people He might have honored to be president of ASI, He chose me. Do you know who He chose. Two and three years ago, my usefulness had run its course. I was, in my own eyes, the biggest failure I'd ever met. It pretty well seemed like I had failed on every front. Going to Africa to help my wife was seen as the most merciful thing to do to others and myself. I could finish my course quietly and out of sight. Today, I am being blessed with a great honor as if I was somebody. At ASI I was caught completely by surprise. My heart by turn shrank and rose. Shrank into depths of despair then rose to heights of, should I say it . . . better leave it unsaid. I thank God for expressing confidence in me, but you all better pray for me. Except by a sustained miracle I am sure to fail.

The day after ASI I was suppose to chair a board meeting for OCI. I couldn't. I had to leave for Germany that morning. In Germany, I preached the same messages plus two and gave my testimony to some of the most humble and genuinely Christian people I've ever met. Tho' the weather was cold and rainy, the experience was great.

Unfortunately, I came home to our little David. He died three days later. I prayed a lot for him, but the Lord indicated that it is better this way. I accept that. The family understandably wrestles more with that concept. David is safe. I've never been more sure of anyone's salvation. He was baptized a few weeks ago and told me he didn't think to win this battle, but that it was worth it for his family's sake. Like Christ, he was willing to die to see others gain eternal life. He as a great witness, and only 17 years old.

A few weeks ago I was overjoyed to be able to announce to my wife that her container was gone. Yesterday, we found out that I made a mistake on the paperwork and I am causing her no amount of grief. That is bad and I feel terrible for the mistake I made, but there is bright spot in and through it all. If someone had made a mistake that was to cause me that much grief, I would be tempted to put them through a knot hole backwards. Tho' sincerely troubled, my dear wife has shown no temper or one sign of remonstrance toward me. It's a huge witness to me of God's grace in a person's life.

So life goes on. We'll fight and win tho' we lose a few battles. God be praised.