Tuesday Ends in Tucson

Every day is a gift from God!  I have to remind myself of that reality on a daily basis.  It is too easy to get caught up in the things I do, forgetting the people I work with and the God I work for.  I will try to me more intentional about that.

My week is settling in after a rough start yesterday.  The long night’s drive back from California on Sunday night spilling generously into Monday morning wreaked havoc with my body.  I got a late start to my day and was trying to catch up from that moment on.  The day ended in Mesa for the RRCS board meeting.  I am amazed at the level of commitment of that church towards the five students they presently have enrolled.  Their budget is tight, but balanced.  Their leadership is committed to the cause.  God is good!

Today will take me north to a meeting with the AAF and TAA leadership.  After that meeting I will be traveling to Tucson for a critical meeting with a local church and the local church school leadership.  It will be a late night, but it will be worth it.

Family Thanksgiving Recollections

Wow, it is truly hard to believe that I have gone all week without blogging.   It is now Friday morning.  I am sitting in anticipation at the breakfast bar at my son’s house in Riverside, California where I have been since Tuesday night.  My mom is cooking up a typical “heart attack breakfast” for the grandchildren.  I, of course, am making the supreme sacrifice as I share in the bounty to save my children from experiencing the full brunt of this culinary onslaught.  My body is conditioned to such meals since they were part and parcel of my childhood.  It is no wonder that I still retain the physiological evidence and girth.

Nonetheless, here I am waiting for my mom to finish making her home-made tortillas, beans from scratch with special seasonings and fresh cheese, breakfast links (Worthington), and some sort of savory and spicy breakfast stew with a cacophony of ingredients that may possibly violate some health laws in more than one state of the union.  There is even some homemade salsa to pour generously on whatever you choose to pile on your breakfast plate if in fact your mouth is not already sufficiently on fire.  Penny and I were commenting earlier today that we were going to make today a recovery day from the Thanksgiving Day feast of yesterday.

In all honesty, I did not eat that much yesterday.  I am still in my yearly recovery day for other reasons altogether.  We call it Family Thanksgiving Day—I call it physical abuse!  It began Wednesday night at the softball field.  It was the Annual Family Softball Game.  I was assigned third base (obviously because of my rocket arm).  Of course, I was assigned third base on the “geezers” team, who having not forgotten last year when we won the game against the “whipper-snappers” on our last at bat, chose to challenge them again this year.  The results were not the same at all. 

A combination of poor hitting, lousy fielding, and questionable base-running, weak pitching, and let us not forget old-age, combined to a score of 25 to 2.  We dived, we hobbled, and we jumped—all relative terms, of course.  The result was a forgone conclusion after the first inning.  My body was already beginning to feel the yearly angst of over-indulgence in the physical arena.  But this was just the beginning….

The Annual Family Rook Tournament followed.  It went into the wee hours of the morning.  My team, consisting of my life-long friend George and me, were eliminated in the semi-finals.  I went home to what my mind envisioned at the time as a good night’s rest.  My body had other ideas.  I spent the night trying to find a position that would not interrupt my aching muscles trying to find an excuse to wake up in knot.

The next morning I was awoken by my son who nonchalantly reminded me of our 7:30 a.m. appointment at the Eagle Glen Golf Course for the Annual Family Thanksgiving Golf Tournament.  There were eighty people present for this exercise in futility.  It is probably not a good idea to play golf on the morning after you have played third base for the losing team of a game that ended 25 to 2!  But this, of course, is not an option.  I got up and dutifully got dressed and piled the three golf bags into the trunk of my Prius.  Let me just say—it was a long day.  On a good day (which are fewer and fewer nowadays), when I actually get a chance to play (which is rarely), I have been known to shoot a golf score in the low 80’s.  That is a respectable score.  Yesterday, due to combination of age, pain, lack of practice, and mainly lack of skill, I broke the three digits before the round was over.  I did have some remarkable shots, mind you.  They were probably three in total.  These were more than obliterated by my dozens of attempts to make my body move in ways it was not prepared to move.  My back muscles were already atrophied—now they were breaking out into spasms.  The golf balls flew in various directions not intended when my mind envisioned and I mentally crafted the shots.  Nonetheless I gutted it out.  But the day was not over.

The Annual Family Thanksgiving Feast came next.  Over one hundred people were in attendance for this part of the festivities.  I saw people I had not seen since—well last year at the same event in the park.  Little kids were just a little less so this year.  Old people were a little older.  We waited as long as we could but the natives were getting restless.  The welcome was given and special acknowledgments were made of new-comers to the event.  Prayer was offered and the line was formed.  I served my mom her plate and ran some errands.  By the time I was done, I had to scarf my food down quickly because it was time for the Annual Family Soccer Game (or as we call it—Mexico versus Bolivia). 

As the elder statesman in the game I was assigned goal-keeper for the Team Mexico.  It ought not to be inferred that the reason I was assigned goalie is due to the fact that I can no longer run with the young bucks (although this might also be true).  It is mainly because I have been serving in this role for many years due to my unexplained willing need set aside any thought of self-preservation in my desire to keep a goal from scoring.  I have many memories of feet and knees and other body parts colliding with me in an unforgettable moment of pain and exhilaration.  So there I was again at my post, still seething from last year’s loss to the Bolivian Team.  This year the score was 2 to 1 in favor of Mexico with 30 seconds left.  I could almost literally taste the victory.  I was already imagining the celebration and gloating at the expense of the opposing side of family members who would be deflated and crushed by their defeat at the hands of an obviously superior force and expert goal-keeping.  Then it happened—a last second thrust by the foe; a pinball-like series of deflections; a weak shot on goal that I moved to cover—then the awful sight of a slight, albeit accidental glance on the head of a Bolivian team member’s head a mere 10 feet from goal—enough to keep it out of my reach and into the very receptive embrace of the net behind me.

I have erased the scenes ensuing this unfortunate turn of events.  I am sitting here at the breakfast counter at my son’s house….only 365 days before next Thanksgiving Family Day 2012.

Shopping Gone WIld!

Day is dying in the west… and it is six o’clock plus in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I am still in the office.  My desk is clear.  My stacks are diminished.  My filing is neatly out of sight in a drawer set aside for just that purpose.  Nothing left to do but blog.  Penny is in town, but I have only seen her for a few minutes.  I heard through the grapevine that there have been sightings of her at The Kierland Commons Mall, The Scottsdale Quarter, and The Fashion Square in Scottsdale….  Note the fact that all of these shopping locations all begin with a “The”, which automatically raises the price by 75%.    Have you ever heard of “The” Salvation Army Store or The Goodwill?  I think not!  I am doomed to work until I turn ninety years of age in order to pay off my revolving credit cards!  Oh well….

I had a great day in the office today.  It is budget time in the conference office.  I enjoyed a somewhat lengthy meeting with the conference treasurer.  With the NAD Teacher’s Convention slated for next summer it was important to make sure we had the funds in place to assist the teachers in attending this division-wide educational event. 

Thunderbird Academy treated the conference office to a special Thanksgiving lunch in the school cafeteria.  It helped balance out the heavy morning outlay of personal funds and the even heavier financial bleeding yet to come in the afternoon.  It was great.  Penny and I got to sit down for a few minutes.  This was followed almost immediately by a Pie Feast provided by the Communications Office of the Conference.  They had planned the event prior to the invitation by the Academy, so we made the best of it and ate a lot of pie—mainly pumpkin and pecan.  Phil even located some pre-existing Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake in the freezer, which the group attacked with zeal.

Somewhere in the midst of that we actually got some work done.  Letters followed other letters.  A new phone call was placed immediately at the end of a previous phone call.  New emails were sent while other emails were requited with an appropriate response.  This bodes well for the days after Thanksgiving is over.  No boring days lie ahead.  No siree!  If only I can survive Fashion Square!

Hectic Sunday Happenings

Sunday night is here.  Penny and I kept quite busy most of the day with various activities that were in our schedule.  There was some necessary shopping for home and a baby shower at the conference office.  The baby shower was fun—we will just leave it at that.  There were a respectable number of male counterparts sentenced to a similar fate on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a good day all in all.

Tomorrow is another story altogether.  There is a full docket of activities and tasks to complete and only a limited number of hours in which to complete them.  I want to be able to be on the road headed to California by Tuesday noon!  Penny will spend my work hours doing some early Christmas shopping…ouch!          

Friday Recap

Yesterday took me to the city of Tucson, Arizona, for some teacher observations and document deliveries to both schools.  While visiting the Saguaro Hills School for the second time this week I was treated to a children-led program on Thanksgiving.  The children did a great job.  The program gave me a living example of the impact Adventist Education has on young lives.  They spoke unprompted of their love for God and God’s love for them.  They read poetry saturated with spiritual themes.  The y also read creative acrostics immersed in spiritual concepts.  It was great!

I spent the afternoon at the Desert Valley School, also in Tucson.  I enjoyed seeing the lower grades practice their Thanksgiving skit for the following school day.  I did some classroom observations and participated in an evening school board meeting.

Both schools are dealing with similar budgetary and enrollment challenges.  There is a mixture of tempered concern and courage in the face of such challenges.  Seeing the faces of the little ones certainly reminds me why we do what we do!

On a personal note, Penny is scheduled to arrive later today!  I have to clean up before her arrival (and her white inspection glove).  We are planning to attend the Paradise Valley Church for Sabbath Services.

Interesting Query

The end of the day is close.  I am in the office working on some loose ends.  Some major challenges are looming.  Among them:

1)      Task Force Workers’ compensation packages for next year.

2)      Securing new funding to compensate for the loss to schools of the locally-funded option

3)      Working through the process of identifying a workable paradigm for re-establishing an aviation program without cost to the school and without exposing the school and the sponsoring associations to financial risk

4)      Four elementary evaluations with preceding in-services in the early new year

5)      An Education Board and eight boards squeezed between Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks

6)      Personnel challenges across the conference

I love this job!  By the way, a friend questioned the character of a person associated with recent initiatives to assist Adventist Education.  I was a little surprised since it would be small, if non-existent, contingent to help move this initiative forward if faultlessness was a prerequisite.  I am inclined to believe that the Bible and church history, in fact, is full of ordinary and fallible people who performed amazing things!  I count myself among those who are very fallible—it’s a human condition.  I am confident that God will accomplish great things here in Arizona—I am just thankful to be part of this process.

Change in Plans

Today got off to an early start after a very restless night’s sleep.  I was able to produce a newsletter for Arizona Conference educational stakeholders and educators.  It had been over a month since my last edition due to all the interruptions and detours that pocked my last month. 

My plans going to bed last night were to travel, after the office worship, to Yuma to do some observations and then stay for their monthly school board meeting.  I was rudely reminded by a morning email that there was a major conflict which made my entire day change directions.  Instead of traveling to the Yuma school I made the decision to remain in Scottsdale and do my observations at TCE. 

The reality was that my presence was needed at this evening’s meeting at TCE.  They had graciously moved their board meeting dates to facilitate my attendance at their meeting.  My theory is that Yuma must have moved their school board meeting thus creating the conflict.  I will have another major conflict tomorrow due to another changed school board date.

In any case I enjoyed my observations today at TCE.  I am beginning to use a new instrument for my formative classroom observations in the elementary system.  They incorporate more differentiated instruction into the overall observation.  It took me a while to edit the previous template, but the result is a much more comprehensive form that will not only provide the assessment, but provide the teachers with a list of areas that I am looking for as I conduct my observations.

The TCE board is going through a transitional stage.  It is creating some interesting dynamics.  It is to be expected that most systems that employ humans will eventually face dynamics that will require a spirit of cooperation that may be counterintuitive to our natural tendencies.  I like working with people—the process may get dicey at times, but I still believe most people want to get along and are willing to work to make the common good the goal.

Morning at Mesa

Can you believe it?  I went the entire day yesterday and was not reminded even once that it was 11/11/11.  I did not even have time to blog for the day.  Today is 11/12/11, which is aesthetically pleasing but does not have the same chronological or metaphysical impact as yesterday did for many people.

On the other hand today took me to the Mesa Spanish SDA Church.  I had been invited a few months ago to preach for the main service.  As a side note, I had inadvertently double-booked myself to speak in two places at the same time during their original date scheduled.  Thankfully, we were able to re-schedule the date for today without much impact to their preaching schedule.

It was a bit of an odd request since I was asked to visit and preach a “stewardship” sermon.  Not only do I not work in the “stewardship” department, but I have had a career-long reputation for overlooking stewardship-type events in the church service.  I won’t even mention my shortcomings in the development side of my duties over the years.

In any case, I accepted the challenge without letting on regarding my hesitancy.  I preached a sermon entitled “La Fe de Oquis” with translated means “the Faith of Okies” but that with a play on words can come to mean “A Useless Faith.”   It would be difficult to explain the play on words that works for Hispanics of Mexican descent that is triggered by the use of such a title.  As it was I had to give sort of a history lesson on the Dust Bowl of the last century, in addition to labor relations in the Central Valley of California during the mass migration from the Dust Bowl States to the Central California.  Penny got lost in the language and claims she did not understand most of the sermon.  She stayed awake though, which is a good thing.

This afternoon I am headed to a wedding here in town.  Penny is getting herself ready.  This has provided me the time needed to blog a few lines.  She will be leaving tomorrow morning back to California.

New Day at Education COuncil

I am in the midst of the final day of the Fall Education Council.  I believe I have been here long enough to be able to make some valid observations of the differences that have taken place since the last council meeting in the spring.  The changes have been noticeable and positive.

The meetings this year seem to have moved at what seems a faster pace.  There is less lag time during the meetings and less fluff in content during the general sessions.  One major improvement is the fact the union colleges are no longer given a portion of the report time to give reports of what is happening at the university.  That alone has saved over an hour of time during the “report” portion of the meetings.  On the other hand, this year they sponsored the traditional Wednesday Ice Cream Fest after lunch.  It was truly a tasty treat.

Another major change is the move of the policy portion of the meetings to a time frame earlier in the program, thus more valuable discussion was made when the larger group was present and more energetic as they were previously had been in previous meetings, at the end of the session.  It was a great change.  Some pretty meaty items were discussed.

Two major issues that will have a direct impact on the Arizona Conference are related to task force workers and locally-funded employees.  These areas will require some creative thinking if we are going to honor the policy as it behooves us while protecting the viability of church schools that depend on one or both of these provisos in the policy to enrich, and at times, keep their local school open.  It will be our immediate challenge to find a way to bridge the gap.

Divine Intervention Needed

The meetings continue at Education Council in Ontario.  All day…Lord, help me!

Weekend Roundup

Daylight Savings Time kicked in here in California, where I arrived to attend the Fall Education Council for the Pacific Union.  Principals, educators, business managers, and superintendents from the entire conference congregate for a couple of days two times a year to work on policy, to review curriculum, to take in some in-services, and to network with other educators from across the five states that make up the Pacific Union Conference.  I look forward to these meetings for the fellowship as much as I do for anything that actually takes place, as important as some of those activities are for the direction and philosophy of education in the entire field.

There will be an official changing of the guard this fall.  Berit Von Pohle will be in charge of the Educational Council for the first time since the transition between Kelly Bock and Berit as Superintendent of Education for the Pacific Union took place in early July.  She has already demonstrated some extraordinary leadership abilities in her short tenure.  I am looking forward to see what transpires for the next couple of days.

In the meantime I spent a wonderful Sabbath morning at the Mesa Palms SDA Church in Mesa.  After preaching the sermon (Penny said it was great!) we got to eat some great food at the church potluck.  We even got to sit with the pastor and his wife—which also meant Penny and I got to take cuts to the front of the line.  That always makes me feel more than a bit guilty.  That didn’t keep me from benefitting from the courtesy afforded me. 

After that Penny and I traveled back to Riverside and closed Sabbath with the family.  Sunday was spent at a rainy flea market in Orange County and babysitting my grandson in the afternoon.  We all went to visit grandma in her new surroundings.  We managed to squeeze in a couple of meals—Bolivian and Vietnamese!  It was a good day.

I am spending the night in Ontario.  I have an early morning meeting with the PUC Educational Leadership Committee.  I am still getting used to all the committee work I participate in as part of my job description.  I am learning the ropes, but I am determined to master the information that will make me a better asset to the committees I serve.  It’s not about me—it’s about the people I serve.  They deserve the best I can be for them.  Good night.

Of Computers and Life Lessons

Well, it’s Friday morning and I have a full day of tasks to complete on this day that the conference office is closed.  Last night I attended a very important school board meeting in Laveen, Arizona—where the Maricopa Village School is located.  I came back to the office to pick up my computer which I had left there, intent in getting a head start on my work for today.  Boy was I in for an unpleasant surprise.
My computer went berserk!  Before the night was done whatever glitch had affected my laptop had literally wiped out every file and every program on my laptop!  Everything was gone—files, internet, programs, pictures…everything!!!  Obviously I did not get anything done last night.  I was dreading today when I went home after a futile attempt to recover anything.

I believe God got me out of bed at about 12:30 this morning.  I was impressed to return to the office where I had left my laptop going through a scan to see what had caused this collapse.  While in the office I cancelled the scan and discovered the “system restore” function.  It gave me two dates as options: one yesterday, the other—October 31.  I chose yesterday.  Bad decision!  It restored the system which had already been purged of whatever Trojan horse had entered the system to the moment right before the virus struck.  I got to see, first hand, the process of collapse.  It was disheartening.  It restored the laptop to the moment all files were wiped out.

After cleaning out the system again, I set the system to restore, but this time to October 31.  I got tired of waiting for the computer to restore at about 2:30 a.m.  It was just frozen (not totally since an icon was spinning).  I went home and left it doing whatever it was doing. I did a lot of praying before going home and before going to bed for good.

This morning I woke up not knowing, but hopeful of, what I would find when I got to the office.  The fact that I am writing this blog is a testament to the fact the God impressed me correctly to do the needed steps to restore this machine.  God is good! 

In the big scheme of things I guess it’s not a big tragedy.  It would have been a major inconvenience to have to reconstruct financial programs and try to assess how many documents were lost forever due to the collapse.  I was prepared to accept the loss but a bit perplexed as to how I would get the computer set up to work today since it was totally stripped of every program, not just every file!  Lesson learned.  Number one:  Back up files regularly!  Number Two: Being restored is better than being lost.  I like that.  But the third one is just as important:  Be careful what you let into your system.  Something innocent can have tragic results.  Finally:  Know your sources.  Stay away from the unknown. 

I don’t know the exact moment when the virus got into my system.  I can only speculate.  But trust me I am going to be a lot more careful about emails and hyperlinks from sources I do not know.  I thought I was vigilant—I will be even more vigilant.  Somebody out there is trying to mess me up—mess all of us up, in fact.  We cannot let our guard down—ever.  That kind of sounds like a life lesson as well. 

On a positive note—Penny will be flying in later on today and spending the weekend with me.  That’s pretty awesome.  I will be in a better state of mind now that God has restored my computer and files to working order.  I better get busy.  I need the make the house presentable for my special guest!

Exciting Times

The three AZ Conference officers returned today from their North American Division (NAD) year-end meetings in Washington, D.C., Silver Spring, Maryland to be exact.  Major votes on women’s ordination and locally funded employees were among two of the significant votes taken.  The first, at least for the time being, places the NAD out of compliance with the General Conference policy.  There are people in this division who feel very strongly about this issue and the contingent has voted to go out on a limb so to speak.  I am sure the vote was not without painful discussion on both sides of the issue, since even the NAD is not monolithic in its position on ordination as it pertains to the women of the church.

On a personal note it was nice to see the officers back—at least two of them, today.  The third one had a secondary appointment that kept him from being in the office. 

A major meeting also took place between the GC auditors, the AAF leadership, TAA administration, and AZ Conference officials—yours truly included.  It was one of those moments when you know history is taking place.  As you may know TAA and the conference office has entered into a partnership with AAF (Alumni Awards Foundation) to provide management and funding to TAA as they work to make it a model school.  Today was one of those days that was bound to take place sooner or later as the reality of the partnership becomes cemented into the day to day operations. 

In this case the need for clarification of roles and processes became necessary due to a recent General Conference yearly audit of TAA.  It became apparent to all present during the audit exit interview that GCAS (General Conference Auditing Services) was not familiar at all with the new governance paradigm in place between the entities that participate in the new governance format.  It was a stimulating and at times tense discussion as roles and definitions of the Memorandum of Understanding were vetted out and clarified for the sake of the auditors.  In the end it was a great meeting with all parties feeling better about having taken the time to bring the group together, if for no other reason than to ensure future audits are implemented with the new paradigm in place and clearly understood by all parties.

It is exciting to be part of something new and innovative.  I do not know where it will lead.  A lot of prayer and thought has gone into it, but we are in uncharted waters.  It will require a lot more of both prayer and thought in the future as well.  Good night!

           

Staying Busy!

I am back from California after an overnight delivery.  My mom is now under the care of someone who can look after her needs as she convalesces from old age and a hurt shoulder.  I got to work late in the morning and have not left the office since.  I finally got the bottom of my TO DO list which has since added a couple more tasks.  It never ends.

This coming Sabbath I am preaching at the Mesa Palms SDA Church in the City of Mesa.  I am preaching on the Book of Ephesians, with special focus on Chapter 2.  I am looking forward to it.  I have not been at the Mesa Palms Church before, at least not on a Sabbath.

 Tonight I will work out for the first time in about three weeks.  I was very disappointed not to have participated in the Mud Madness Triathlon this past Sunday.  I had to man a Tax Credit booth all day.  At least I had some shade.  Penny treated me to samples of food from all over the parking lot.  I repeatedly asked for a Mexican Torta.  Lots of people kept raving about it all day.  She chose to feed me other good things.  When I finally insisted she bring me one, she went and was told they had sold out!  Very disappointing….

The day was not hot, but the sun was pretty intense.  I didn’t even get a chance to see the people maneuver their way through the mud section of the race.  This year there was a mud section under some netting, followed by the grand finale mud pit with accompanying mountain of mud in the middle of the finish line pit.  I missed it all!  I will blame it on the stubborn and uninvited cold that refuses to leave the all-too-inviting comforts of my aging system.

By the way, I know it’s been a long time since any comments have been posted on my blog site.  This in no way means that comments are not accepted.  In fact I do receive regular comments from an anonymous commenter that are a regular staple in the catacombs of my blog site.  Since there was a time when the comments (and my accompanying responses) got a bit dicey for some, the comments went underground.  I still enjoy reading the comments, regardless of their content.  I save the comments.  So, unless you want your comments to be posted as a condition of submitting them, feel free to send your comments.  I will read them.  Who knows, I may choose to post a memorable comment or two along the way.  Gotta go….

November Already?

Where has October gone?  Daylight Savings time kicks in Saturday night (not in Arizona!).  No one came to my door last night looking for candy.  It’s a good thing, because my mom was lying in wait for any little devils who might dare approach.  I worked late last night, but she called me regularly to let me know that she was sitting in the rocking chair in the living room awaiting my arrival—I suspect she was also waiting for any costumed hellions who might come knocking.  I am sure glad no one came to my door!

On the subject of my mom; she is heading back to California later on today.  She has decided that she needs more attention and therapy to help her get over her chronic fatigue.  I don’t have the heart to tell her that she is 80 years old!  She thinks she is 18!  In any case I will set off this afternoon and return early tomorrow morning.

I am still trying to catch up on my work in the office.  I put a major dent in it yesterday—that felt good.  I visited the Maricopa Village School and spent a couple of hours discussing a litany of items that will be coming up at Thursday’s School Board meeting.  A lot of great things are taking place at MVCS.  It is quite apparent that Satan is not resting while things begin to develop.  He has raised a couple of storm clouds.  We will be praying that there is some divine intervention to beat back the clouds.

Back to “bachelor” living come Wednesday!  It’s kind of funny—the principal of TAA lives in the duplex next door to me.  His wife is in Texas.  Mine is in California.  I wonder if I look as somber and subdued when I am walking back to my duplex as I perceive him to be?  Pretty sad!