Hanging In There

I am still sniffling and trying to clear me chest of congestion, but getting there slowly.  Yesterday was a tough day.  I felt drained early in the day and I was out like a light by 10:00 p.m.  That is early for me. 

We got the first scholarship award letters out for the Arizona Adventist Educational Fund.  We awarded over $40,000 this initial year.  The awards were closer to $91,000, but we only had to impact the fund to the tune of $41,000 due to an Alumni Awards Foundation grant of $50,000 to benefit Worthy Students at Thunderbird Academy.  That was a blessing since it allows us to keep more in reserve for additional applicants this year and next.  It is amazing how God provided the funds we needed to assist students this year from sources that did not exist last year.  Even my boys are pitching in to the fund. 

In the haze of the past week, I forgot to mention that I got to see my daughter Amanda perform her first wedding ceremony last Friday upon my return from the family funeral in Idaho.  She did an awesome job!  She seemed confident and shared some very appropriate and personal words with the newlyweds.  I even took some mental notes for future reference.  God has gifted me with the privilege of seeing my ministerial gift pass on to the next generation.  I am so proud of my daughter!

As you may know already, my mother has been in and out of my home for the last couple of months.  Presently she is in residence, although she is itching to go back to Riverside where she can have access to more services that she needs due to her shoulder injury.  I sense she is beginning to feel her age and she does not like it one bit.  She is still trying to mother me—I guess that is what mothers do.  She tries to concoct healing potions and natural pills combinations to get me over my flu-like condition.  So far it hasn’t worked; or it’s working slowly with the only remedy that is fool proof.  I believe it is my wife Penny that tells me that she heard from a reliable source that Thyme is a sure-fire remedy for any flu/cold/cough/fever/etc.  I told her that what she probably heard is that “time,” not “thyme,” is what she was told will help you get over your sickness.  She was not amused!  I guess it is possible that “thyme” will help…over time.  Back to work—I have got to put in my thyme….

Introspective Moment

Today I am exiting from what seems a deep and thick fog bank in my life.  The last couple of weeks have been trying—to say the least.  The family crisis that crashed upon the relative peace of my extended family is well documented.  But it is the aftermath of the draining week that found me already battling with the preamble to a viral event that has me reeling, even as I find myself back at work after a couple of days trying to find my footing.

I have been corresponding with a young man, who is presently imprisoned at a facility in California, accused of murder.  He has been part of my life since the early nineties; during my tenure at La Sierra Academy and the La Sierra University Church.  He was a member of my drama group.  He was a friend of my children.  He played on the baseball team with my boys. He was, for all intents and purposes, a great kid.  But here he is, fighting for his freedom—hoping to once again have the opportunity to experience the simple pleasures we often take for granted. 

He admits he made some bad choices along the way, although he relentlessly clings to his innocence regarding the sordid event that placed him in the cold and unforgiving penal system.  The exchange of letters has been a bit difficult for me.  His letters are full of unfettered hope and fiery passion for God.  His words are saturated with references to his walk with God behind bars.  He talks about the books he is reading and the lessons he is learning—it’s all a bit much for me!  I don’t mean to sound negative, it’s just that I have been pushed into reconsidering my personal walk with God.  All of a sudden, my puny and insignificant devotional life is exposed.  My “too-busy-to-take-the-time-and-too-self-absorbed-to-notice-the-time-when-it’s-there-life” seems more than a bit empty and hollow.  It’s humbling to be exposed by a convict!

I need to take my time with God more seriously.  I need to feed my soul more consistently with themes that elevate me.  Doing good things is not good enough!  Being busy doing God’s work is not a substitute for being with the God of the work.  I am feeling a bit void and raw at the moment.  I recognize that a part of it may be my fragile health and general malaise.  But I also recognize that the “small still voice” of God still speaks to me in the most unexpected ways.  My dreams and hopes for the school system in the Arizona Conference don’t matter one bit if God is not at the core of it all! 

I am blessed beyond measure—but there is more blessing yet to receive!  Lord, help me.  By the way, pray for Nik.  He could really use our prayers right now as he depends on others to fight his legal battles.  He asked me to ask others to pray for him.  Thank you.

A Week for all Seasons

It has been too long since my last entry.  It has been a whirlwind with twists and turns I had not anticipated or welcomed upon arrival.  It was also a time of joy and family.  In other words, it was life at its best and at its worst.

First the joys—even long meetings can be a joy when you are with people you appreciate and when you are given information you need.  Such was the case at the Early Childhood Education Center meetings in Ontario, California.  These were held last week—part of a double dose of meetings, with K-12 Curriculum Committee serving as the back end of the meetings at the same location.  The meetings were long but informative, particularly in the area of Early Childhood Education, where we have a lot of catching up to do in the ECEC system in Arizona. 

The good news is that I asked the ECEC teacher from TCE in Scottsdale to attend.  Together we are committed to formalizing and tightening the ECEC process and accreditation requirements for the betterment of the system and for the benefit of the students who grace our centers.

The week was concluded with an unexpected trip to Mexicali in the ever-developing saga of my dear mom.  I had just brought her the week before from her wanderings in California only to discover that she wanted to see a doctor—not any doctor, mind you, but a Mexican doctor.  This, in spite of the fact that she has total medical coverage here in the United States of America!  But it was off to Mexicali to drop her off at her sister’s home; a sister that was headed to Rancho Cucamonga for the week.  I was asked to take her to Cucamonga since I was already in the state.  I dutifully acquiesced and spent a very pleasant four hours getting very well acquainted with my 82 year-old aunt Rebekah. 

I made a rare appearance on Facebook to let people know that I was enjoying a restful Sabbath with my grandchildren and children.  It was a memorable day which included home church with the grandkids, a sermon, a great meal prepared by my daughter-in-law chef, a walk to the beach, and a lot of fun leading to sundown prayer with the family back in the condo.  It was then that our world was turned upside down.

My son returned a call from his cousin whose call had registered as missed on his iPhone.  I remember overhearing a brief reference to the Detroit Tigers game (my nephew is a big Tigers’ fan).  I sensed that the conversation did not develop as anticipated since I expected more discussion of the results.  Instead my son’s voice turned somber as I sensed something serious had taken place, but I did not know exactly what.

When he hung up his voice was ashen as he informed all of us that one of my nephews—7 years old, had been accidently shot and killed.  The details were painful to hear and more excruciating to imagine when placed in context.  What had begun as a family outing in Idaho with a dad, a son, and a nephew, ended suddenly with the youngest of the three fatally injured.  The wheels had come off my wife’s very close-knit family.  And just as suddenly the replacement wheels were set in motion to bring the family together for comfort and prayer.  We prayed there for the family.

The next day provided an opportunity for the family that had not already gone to Idaho to get together and pray together to assist the little cousins trying to grapple with tragedy and death.  It was a hard meeting with many tears by people of all ages.  I was asked to lead out.  It was a God thing.  We prayed together again.

Today I will be leaving at the conclusion of the K-12 Education Board to Idaho for the services.  Please send up a prayer for the family.  There will be need for much healing—it will be a long road.  But God is good—all the time!  How to see His goodness in this tragedy will be a God thing.

Sobering Thoughts

I am in the office late today since I have neither mother nor wife to beckon me home.  I am happy to be alive and grateful to have a purpose to my life and an opportunity to make a difference.  I am daily reminded that whatever good comes about from my labor in this place is a result of God’s work in spite of me.  It is totally a God thing—and that is not false humility.  I am amazed on a daily basis that God chooses to work through my feeble efforts.  I find myself in a position that requires more skill, more wisdom, more vision and insight that I could ever possess.  I have no choice but to trust in God’s power to transform my ineptitude into something useful, and why not, miraculous, for His praise and glory.

On Sunday the Arizona constituency voted to return me to my post as Superintendent of Education for the Arizona Conference for another five years.  I am not sure my family can deal with my being here for another five years.  Elyse, my granddaughter, will be over 10 years old!  Robert will be in the third grade by then.  And I will be nibbling at 60 years old.  On the other hand, God brought me to Arizona and I trust He will decide when to open another door to another ministry elsewhere or whether He wants me to remain at this post longer.  I certainly did not come looking or campaigning for this position.  Who knows, He might decide to send me somewhere that is even more distant from my family in California.  It’s a sobering thought.  Well, it’s not worth worrying about at this point.  There is a lot to do and time does not stand still for anyone. 

I am scheduled to preach at the YES SDA Church in the city of Surprise, Arizona.  Yes, you heard it—the YES Church in Surprise.  The acronym YES means something, but I do not know what it means.  The city name was chosen for obvious reasons only to the ones who chose the name.  If I find out I’ll let you know.  I am feeling very tired.  Good night!

California Rush

I finally have a moment to sit down and journal after the events of the weekend.  I just finished sending out my Monday Morning newsletter after having spent most of yesterday on the road to Yuma followed by a few hours at the school observation.  After a moment eating with my mother, who traveled with me on the way to California, I enjoyed a very relaxed and productive school board meeting.  It was close to midnight before I arrived in Riverside, where I spent the night.  I serviced my car and dealt with some Worker’s Compensation items over the phone.  I even managed to squeeze in a Thai lunch in Penny’s classroom.  I have some translations to deal with before the day is done.  Tomorrow I have all day WASC meetings in Ontario after which I will travel back to Scottsdale in order be home by late night on Wednesday.

It’s nice to be back at work without all the collateral activities which characterized the last couple of weeks leading up to the constituency meetings last Sunday.  In the end the day was long but all in all a very positive experience.  It was great to be able to field some questions in the afternoon from people who had genuine concerns.  I interpreted the fact that the time for questions regarding education overran the anticipated allotment as a good sign.  It was nice to know that people had questions—valid questions and were willing to make them public.  It was a learning experience for me.

I am sure the questions will not end.  In fact, they ought not to end.  Dialogue is what keeps a system healthy and honest.  We may, at the end of the day, not agree with the decision, but we can continue to share the passion for our convictions without surrendering our humanity or our Christianity.  Now it’s back to work.  The system needs some work and we’ve only just begun.  Does that sound like a Carpenter’s song?  (If you do not know why I would ask such a question…never mind!)

Countdown to Sunday

The day is off and running.  I can finally see the top of my desk again after having it been hidden from my eyes for many days under piles of work.  I am not done catching up, but I am further down the track than I was a week ago!

The upcoming Constituency Meeting scheduled for this coming Sunday seems to be on a lot of people’s minds.  The office has been a whirlwind of activity for about a month now, with the pace picking up the last few days.  I have been asked to lead the pre-session song service.   Phil Draper will be playing the piano and organ (not at the same time).  I am looking forward to that part of the program.  I must confess that I am not sure I am looking forward to the rest of the day at this point.

I recognize the need for organization and process.  A system needs to have these ingredients in order to survive.  However, I can’t help but note that these very same systems can become systems or self-perpetuation if there is there is no system of checks and balances.  Sadly, religious systems are not exempt from this transition from movement to museum.  Politics are not by nature evil—they are, after all ingrained into the human psyche.  Like civility, they are necessary to organize governance structures.  By the same token, civility can mask Machiavellian motives, and politics can become a weapon of mass destruction. 

Although I have never been on this side of a constituency meeting, I have been on the other side and have witnessed enough of the seedy side of humanity cloaked in religious-speak.   But this is the system of church governance we have been given, and it does work as it was intended to.  I do wonder if there will ever come a time when people of God will pray together for the Holy Spirit to make clear the choices that need to be made.  What ever became of casting lots?  How about the Urim and the Thummim?  I know a lot of people are praying earnestly for the meetings and for God’s will to be done; in the process as well as the results.

On a personal note as a student of human nature—I enjoy seeing such events develop and witnessing the various personalities that make such meetings unforgettable, often times for reasons not apparent to the people involved.  I do have a report to give towards the end of the session, but it should be brief and perhaps even offer opportunities for people to ask questions.  Maybe I am looking forward to the day after all….

A Night at the Ballpark

Wednesday morning is here already.  This has been an interesting week.  My desk is a disaster area.  I am not used to having a desk that is in such a state of disarray.  I have piles of unfinished work and projects that are in holding patterns until more information comes due.  I have major decisions that have to be made that require additional study. 

But in the midst of the seriousness of the day I took some time last night to attend a major league baseball game at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.  It was an encounter between the Los Angeles Dodgers (my team of choice) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (the local team who were already playoff-bound).  It was a game for the ages.  Actually it ended in the 10^th inning in a fashion that has only taken place four times in the entire history of major league baseball. 

The names are secondary, but suffice it to say that the Dodgers had scored five runs in the top of the 10^th inning and held a six to one run advantage heading into the bottom of the 10^th inning (the equivalent of overtime for the non-initiated).  I would say 99% of the time if you go into the bottom of the 10^th inning with a six run lead, you are going to win.  But that’s not all…it gets better.

 The first two outs took place in quick succession.  The Diamondbacks were down to their last out.  I would venture to guess that over 99.9% of the time you will lose a game if you are behind by five runs in the bottom of the 10^th inning with two out and nobody on base!  As a Dodger fan I was enjoying the moment with my Diamondback friend who had provided the tickets.  Most of the Diamondback fans had gone home by this time.  The ones that remained were present out of some misplaced sense of loyalty, but they were resigned to the inevitable loss.  What happened next is almost surreal.  I enjoyed every minute of it…seriously, if for no other reason than to see the change that took over my friend as the events developed.

In brief, a combination of walks, hits, and a critical failure by the Dodger pitcher to cover first base on what would have been the third and final out of the game led to two runs scored by the Diamondbacks and a bases loaded situation with the batter representing the winning run.  I had even kidded with my friend earlier that “hope springs eternal.”  He thought I was mocking him and made some snide remark about my insincerity.  One pitch to the “Tatman” (a moniker for one of the Diamondback player with an abundance of tattoos), however, and the game was over.  Just like that! 

A “walk-off” grand slam in the bottom of the 10^th inning—it was amazing!  The stadium erupted as if three times the number of people were there.  My friend was all smiles and was hollering like a kid.  I could do nothing but go around a “high-five” previously downcast Arizona fans that were now in various stages of celebration.  I am sure I will hear about it again.

In any case, I got home late.  My mother called me on the cell phone to ask where I was and when I was coming home.  I told her I was on the road and would be home shortly (aren’t I a good son?).  Thankfully I was already on the road when I took her call.  Of course I forgot to take my Dodger hat off upon my return and my mom quickly seized the moment to ask me if it was sunny outside—my mom has fine-tuned sarcastic side.  At least she didn’t lecture me on the evils of young boys staying out on the streets during the wee hours of the night…well, at least not until this morning over breakfast.  Oh, well….