Oh, what a day!

At 4:22 a.m. this morning I turned off my TV to try and get some sleep (I have been having trouble falling to sleep as of late). As I was lying there in my bed, wrapped in my covers, I heard a noise outside. At first I thought it might possibly be someone trying to break into my car but then thought it must be the neighbor leaving for work. But, as I lied there for the next 20 seconds or so I kept hearing this faint noise so I got up and opened my front door, nothing. I kept peering out my front door (not stepping out because needless to say, I wasn’t wearing much) but no movement. So I turned the light on, nothing. Turned it back off, nothing. So, I shut and locked my door and got dressed. Once fully clothed I went back outside and looked around my vehicle and saw no one there.

So, I went back inside my apartment (the garage in our family home was converted into a studio apartment, which is where I live) and peered out the window to see any movement outside, nothing. Though, it kept bugging me and I knew I had been hearing something. So, back outside I went. I walked down towards the driveway and noticed that the dew on the windows on the passenger side of my mom’s Jeep (same vehicle my mom has been trying to sell) had been wiped as if someone was trying to look inside. So, I slowly walked past the Jeep and peered in all of the windows to see if I could see anything. I thought maybe if someone had broken into the Jeep then maybe they had hid in there when they heard me come out my front door. I couldn’t see anything though. It was too dark. I went down to the end of the driveway and looked in both directions but could not see anything.

So, back inside I went. I went from my apartment to the house to lock the front door and turn off the outside lights so I could see clearer. I then went back to my apartment slightly opened the shades on the window and sat on the edge of my bed to see if I could see anything. I sat for about 3 minutes or so but something kept nagging me. Something, just didn’t seem right. So, I went to look for a flashlight…..found 3…..all of them had dead or no batteries. So, looked for batteries but couldn’t find any. Then I decided to check one last time and found a book light. So, I went back outside with my book light and shined it in the passenger’s window on the Jeep. Sure enough, I saw loose wires on the dashboard of my mom’s vehicle, where the CD player was suppose to be. Then I noticed the passenger door was slightly opened.

I went back inside and into my mom’s room and had her come outside to look. Whoever did it, thankfully, only stole the CD player from the stereo system. We decided to drive around the neighborhood (it is around 4:45-5:00 a.m. at this point) to see if we could see any suspicious activity going on. We never did see anyone with the exception of a jogger but did notice that the dew on the windshields of several cars had been wiped off. As we pulled into the driveway my mom called 911 at around 5:15 a.m. We waited and waited. It was just too cold to stay outside so we went inside and waited and waited and waited some more. Now, we technically live in the county so we actually have to wait for the Sheriff to arrive. Our congregation is also in the county and when we have had to dial 911 in the past from there and it has taken 2 hours or so for a sheriff to arrive.

At about 6:00 or so the Sheriff called my mom and said he would be out soon to take a report and to check out the cars in the neighborhood to see if any other cars were broken into. We waited and waited and waited and waited some more. At about 8:30 a.m. my mom was just too tired to stay awake any longer and went to bed. I was supposed to stay on lookout for the sheriff and wake her up when they arrived but at about 9:30 or so I fell asleep on the couch while looking out the window. I awoke at 11:00 a.m. (still have not seen or heard from the Sheriff since 6:00 a.m.) and went to my apartment to get some more sleep. Here we are ate 8:00 p.m. and the Sheriff still hasn’t arrived. It has been 15 hours since the initial call. It was been a long, frustrating, tiring day.

Web Surfing Suggestion

I was going through my old e-mails today and noticed this e-mail that I received from a friend this past summer.

He writes:

If you do a lot of web surfing, might I suggest using www.goodsearch.com, instead of Google. It will give money to your favorite charity for each search. I am sending my search money to Outreach International, but there are 100’s of charities that can use this.

Thought some of you might like to see and use this!

Remembering John Skoor – A year later

Tuesday, October 23rd, marked the one year anniversary since the world lost one of its greatest, John Skoor. A year ago John was swept to out to Sea by a rogue wave while walking along the beach in Mexico. I found a newspaper article from last year about it, click here.

I remember hearing about it as if it were yesterday. I had seen John just the day before his death at our annual Mission Center Conference. I was working when I received the phone call about John being swept out to sea. At that point we were still not sure if he was still alive or not. I don’t even remember who called me first about it. I received many phone calls and as the communications coordinator for my congregation, I also made several phone calls letting people know.

Two days later many of us filled the Renton Community of Christ Congregation for a vigil. This was the first time I had ever attended a vigil. There was quite of a lot of emotion at that service. I got there early and thus helped with the parking. It was kind of surreal. So many people coming. News reporters were present, asking who they could talk to about what happened.

I think it was about a week and half later that there was a memorial service for John at a Church in Renton. We parked at the Renton CofC Congregation and took a bus that was provided for memorial service attendees to this other church for the service. There were so many at the service. The large sanctuary was completely full. Standing room only. We sat in the very back row of the main floor. It was a very touching service.

John is known for being a GREAT Artist. He painted a picture that is well known in our faith movement. It is a picture of Christ with his arms extended. I believe it is called something to the effect of “The Calling” but I could be wrong, that is just what comes to mind. Though, one of my fondest memories of John took place at the 2006 Fine Arts Retreat when he showed us another one of his talents. That would be tap dancing. It was so much fun to see! In fact, they ended up playing a taped version of his Fine Arts performance at the memorial service. It was a great addition to the service.

John was an all around Great Man. Loving Husband. Fantastic Father. Adoring Grandpa. Good Friend. When my grandma was dying of cancer the winter before John’s death, John was one of the last people to visit my grandma while she was still somewhat lucid. It meant a lot to her and the family. They were really good friends.

John will continued to be missed. This world is a better place because of the life he lived while inhabiting it.

To read his obituary, click here.

Two songs came to mind while I was thinking of doing this post. One of them I could not find a video for. Though, the other song did have a video. It is one of my favorite songs. It is called “When I get where I’m going” and was performed by Brad Paisley w/ Dolly Parton. To watch the video, click here. May it serve as a tribute to John. I think this song is a great tribute song for an artist. So much vivid imagery in the lyrics.

Bold Moves! – GPNW Mission Center Conference Testimony

This past weekend I attended the annual Conference in Portland, OR, for the GPNW Mission Center. Like all the previous conferences, I served as a delegate for the Cedarcrest Congregation, the congregation in which I attend. The theme for our weekend was “Bold Moves!” and it quickly became a phrase repeated all weekend long!

It is hard to put into words my testimony from this past weekend but I will do my best as humanly possible. My weekend started by picking up Erik Skoor in Everett and Leah Gowers in Seattle to make our journey down to Portland. Once there we stayed at Rachel and Jessica Porter’s apartment for the weekend. Friday night proved to be a sleepless night for me. I am sure it was the culmination of many things, one being the excitement of Saturday’s activities. All in all I only got 2 hours of sleep that night.

Conference began on a high note on Saturday morning with a worship lead by Christie Ostendorp, Mission Center Staff. It was a neat service where we got to hear about some of the congregations that have taken a “Bold Moves” approach to ministry and have changed some aspects of their ministry to help change a dying a congregation. Another touching aspect of the worship was when members of the mission center came in waving pieces of cloth and candles to form what would become the worship center. What a neat way to begin the weekend.

One of the other highlights before lunch was the introduction of the “Bold Moves” resolution (the one that I previously talked about here). Christian Skoorsmith presented this resolution, gave some background information, and then gave the body a chance to ask some questions. I continued to feel the excitement about this resolution that I had felt in preparation for the conference.

After the morning activities several of us young adults went to a little pizza place just around the corner from the church for a quick lunch. We enjoyed each other’s company while eating good food. But, before too long it was back to the church for the business meetings that would take place all afternoon. One of my favorite parts of the Mission Center Conference experience every year is the reports. I love hearing about the good things that have been going on with the different ministries of the Mission Center. In fact, this year YAPS and MAYAs were able to give a report to the Conference body on what we’re doing, which was pretty exciting.

Following the reports came the presentation of the budget and the “Bold Moves” resolution. There wasn’t one person that stood up against the resolution. The support was overwhelming. I went into the conference expecting to talk in favor of the resolution. There ended up being so much support for it that I felt that there wasn’t really anything I could say that hadn’t been said already so I chose not to stand to talk in favor of it but definitely gave it my approval come voting time.

After the business meetings were over some of us young adults stayed behind to help set-up for the Square Dance. Once set-up was over about 5 or 6 of us went to a Greek restaurant for dinner. The food was excellent! Once finished it was back to the church for the dance. The dance served as a fund raiser for Outreach International. Everyone that came to the dance seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Following the dance the young adults went bowling at a local bowling alley. 13 young adults came and we bowled from about 10:30 pm to 1:00 am. We had so much fun. We bowled to upbeat music, laser light show, and glow in the dark lanes. Saturday was definitely a very busy but great day! I had no problem sleeping that night.

On Sunday we ended the weekend with the closing Worship Service. Apostle Susan Skoor gave the morning message and did a fantastic job. She is so gifted. There were two ordinations as well during the service. One of the highlights of the weekend for me came towards the end of the service. Towards the end we sang “Let Justice Roll Like a River” and “The Spirit of God like a Fire is Burning”. It was so evident that the Holy Spirit was there with us. I could just feel it. I had to stop singing every once in while to keep the tears from flowing. The Spirit was just impressed upon me so much. Following the service and some clean-up we finished our weekend by eating at a really good Mexican Restaurant and then headed home.

It was such a good weekend. I left on such a spiritual high. I realized how much I wish we had 2 conferences a year like other mission centers do. We do not come together as a Mission Center nearly enough.

Recipe of the Week – Breakfast Casserole

This is a recipe that my step-mom used to make for brunches on Holidays. It is very good. One of my favorites growing up, though, it has been a while since I last had it.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

2 Slices Buttered Bread
2 Cups Milk
6 Eggs
1 Pound Cooked Sausage, Bacon, Ham, or Crab
1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Regular Brick Medium Cheddar Cheese, cubed
4 Cups Shredded Hash Browns

Directions:

Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Place buttered bread side down in dish.
Then layer meat, cheese, hash browns, and cheese.
Mix eggs, milk, mustard, and salt together.
Pour over top of casserole.
Cover and let sit in fridge overnight.
Bake in a 350-degree over for 1 hour.

Makes 8-10 Servings.

Recipe of the Week – German Pancakes!

This is one of my favorite breakfast foods. Though, I usually have it for dinners. My mom made this recipe often while I was growing up. Even to this day I usually make it about once every two weeks because it is so easy and quick to make. Like regular pancakes or waffles there are lots of options of stuff that you could put on top of it. Personally, I prefer Peanut Butter, Syrup, and Powdered Sugar. Some other good options are Marmalade, Berries, Whipped Topping, etc.

German Pancakes

Ingredients:

½ Cup Unsifted Flour
½ Cup Milk
¼ Teaspoon Salt
4 Extra Large Eggs
¼ Cup Butter

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees. Combine the flour, milk, and salt; add the eggs, one at a time, whipping with a wire whisk after each addition. Melt the butter in a 9” round cake pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve with your choice of toppings.

Employment Update!

So, today I applied at a temp. agency and was offered two different temp. positions. I took the one that would allow me weekends off so I can keep up with my church obligations. I will now work in Bellevue, WA (about 45 minutes from where I live), Monday thru Friday. I will be working the swing shift; 4:30 PM to 1:00 AM.

The job is working in a factory taking shirts out of boxes, putting size labels on the shirts, and then putting them back in the box. I will do this until I get a permanent job but at least this will allow money to start coming in. I will be making about the same that I was making at my previous job.

I’ve been tagged – The Good and Bad About Christians!

This past weekend I was tagged by Mike at Still a Night Owl for a meme that was started by Will Hinton and inspired by the book “UnChristian” written by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. I had not heard of this book before this meme but will definitely have to read it now. The rules are this: write 4 things about Christians; 3 negative perceptions and 1 positive thing that Christians should be known for.

1st Negative:

“Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner” theology. Christians are known for this type of rhetoric and it disgusts me. This can be so degrading. First of all, whose job is it to judge what is and isn’t a sin? Not ours, but, Christians often do so  with their narrow perception of the written Word presented in the Bible and other forms of scripture. Second, this is usually done with no love intended at all. It has become a useless quote that is said to make the person saying it feel more justified in their belittling attitude of hate.

2nd Negative:

The loss of personal accountability. Christians are so quick to judge others for their shortcomings; whether they be justified or not. We are often quick to criticize those who we feel are not living the “ideal” Christian lifestyle. We get too caught up with what others are doing instead of worrying about what we’re doing. And too often times we criticize others for the same thing we are already doing. “You can’t drink alcohol!”, then go home and have a glass of wine with our dinner. Or how about “Maybe you should loose some weight” as we go and get our Super Sized meal at McDonalds. Maybe it’s the parent telling their child “Thou shall not hit” when it comes to hurting a sibling but then punishing the child by spanking them. Ok, so some of you won’t like that last one and that is ok, but, it is still my feeling on the subject. So many times Christian say these things to make ourselves feel better about our own shortcomings.

3rd Negative

My God is better than your God. The idea that being a Christian makes us better than everyone else and everyone must convert to Christianity and be “saved” or they are going to burn in hell! This theology leads us to wars; some physical, some spiritual. It causes families to divide and friendships to cease. We fail to see that maybe we all ultimately believe in the same God but we all take different roads to get to Him (or Her; whatever your interpretation). Christians commit crimes all the time and we don’t blame our religion for it but if a Muslim commit a homicide then all Muslims must be bad.

The Positive

Christians should be known for Love. Yes, it seems simple and the obvious answer. Almost everyone that does this meme will probably answer this last question with the same answer. Christianity is about Love. Everything good about it can be traced back to Love. We have a story to tell. The story of a man who embodied what it means to Love without condition. We should be known for extending the olive branch to our enemy. For accepting everyone regardless of religious affiliation, sexual orientation, color of skin, and class in society. For providing worship opportunities without the fear of condemnation. All can be achieved with Love.

What a great exercise this has been. Reading this, it may be hard to understand why I am a Christian minister when I see Christians living these negative perceptions. The answer is in the positive. I can not let Christians continue to perverse a religion that should be about Love when so many use hatred to try and get the message across.

I tag Shannon, Christian, Nick, and Stacie. Once tagged you are supposed to mention the name of the person that tagged you, Will Hinton, and the book “UnChristian” and then answer the questions on your own blog post.

Thank God!

Yesterday I planned and presided over the worship service at my home congregation, the Cedarcrest Congregation in Marysville, WA. The theme for the day was “Thank God”. Pretty simple theme overall, right? Admittedly, I didn’t put as much time into the planning of the service as I could have. Actually, better yet, I didn’t myself into as much of the planning process as I could have. Instead of immersing myself into the planning of a service like I would normally do I just kind of brushed it off as an easy theme and thus easy service to plan for. This is unfortunate as it is not only a disservice to myself but also disrespectful to the One for whom deserves the most respect, our Heavenly Father.

Though, as I was sitting there experiencing worship yesterday I realized just how important the theme was. Was it a basic theme? Yes. But there was a greater importance to this simple theme. So many times we go through life being selfish for what we have been given. We congratulate ourselves for a job well done instead of thanking God for our blessings. We forget that it isn’t about us.

I was reminded yesterday that everything is a blessing. Whether it be as big as the miracle of the birth of a baby or as painful as the loss of a loved one or as simple as the next breath you take. We forget to recognize the blessings in our life. At least I know I do. Sometimes we don’t recognize that something was a blessing until after the event took place. Sometimes it could be days, months, years, decades after the fact until we recognize the blessing. Sometimes we never recognize the blessing.

I realized this past weekend that I need to take more time to thank God for what I have been given. Whether it be taking more time to fold my hands in prayer or just simply saying, “Thank You” when encountering a small or big blessing. 

I found out I was going to be presiding over this past weekend’s service back in June and not long after that I heard a song called “Hey God” by Lonestar. I knew I immediately wanted to play it in yesterday’s service. The song is about thanking God for everything. I felt led to play it after the Prayer Concerns. It ended up working out really well for that point in the service. Though it is not the best video of it, I was able to find a video for the song on youtube. To listen to the song click here and check it out. The actual song starts at about 40 seconds past the starting time of the video.

D&C 46:9 - “And again I say unto you, All things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the spirit; and ye must give thanks unto God for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with; and ye must practice virtue and holiness before me continually. Even so. Amen.”.

Congratulations!!!

Some friends of mine have been able to adopt their first child. This has been a process that has involved many prayers from loved ones around the world. I am so excited for them and just wanted to give a shout out! To read about it and see some pictures visit Still a Night Owl!