• New iPhone Momma
My wife, Sharon, became the new iPhone Momma yesterday, Halloween Day. Going through Security at the airport on Monday, her phone came up missing. Well, she left the security area without it. After going to the restroom, she realized she did not have it and went back. It was no where to be found. Loosing her cell phone was disappointing enough, but loosing all the numbers was worse. How sad!
Sometimes a loss become an opportunity. She needed a replacement, so she went out and bought a new phone, an iPhone! Watch out world, this is now one connected woman! They did not have in stock a 4 GB model, so she opted for the 8 GB. What is really ironic, I do not think she knows what a Gigabyte is? Our oldest son, Ken, has an iPhone and just loves it. I am suspicious of his influence here. But I am sure he will offer his mother some pointers to know how the use this wonder, they call the iPhone. Also, I wonder how long it will be that the rest of the family to follow their lead, especially me. I do not have an iPhone.
• Kiddo Puppets Go to Ecuador?
It started several years ago with my Puppet Seminar in Sacramento. Nan Osborn decided to come and got “Puppet Fever.” With this training she went back to her church and started a puppet team. She ordered Kiddo puppets and started her new ministry with children. As the years have gone by she has had award winning teams with these puppets. She has started several puppet teams. Then moved to Lincoln City, Oregon, where, you guessed it, she started another puppet program. This summer she was the Puppet Trainer for a short-term mission trip to Loja, Ecuador. She took our Kiddo Puppets for her Training Seminars and then left them with the missionaries and churches to use for outreach.
Nan just sent me this report…
• My Flower Bouquet #2
These beautiful and uniquely shaped flowers were also shot in Estonia, kind of growing wild between two buildings along the street downtown in the old part of the capitol city of Tallinn. I think it is too easy to miss this beauty in our hurried life. Hundreds of people walk right by these unassuming beauties without even the slightest notice. The diversity of God’s handiwork can be seen even in unassuming flowers, if only we would take the time to notice. It is curious to me that so many adults just pass right by children and never really focus on them. I want to learn to always notice the children everywhere I go. Something of God’s image can be seen in them, but we have to slow down a little to notice it.
For a larger version…
• Ears 2 Hear
This Funny-Fun Foto demonstrates how we have to look a little silly to make a point. Here I am demonstrating how we have two sets of ears for Seminary students in an Object Lesson Workshop in Pakistan. It got their attention and I made my point that we need to have our ears on and open to hear what God wants to say to us. One of our team captured this photo, which I call my Ears-2-Hear Photo.
• What is a Blog Chain?
I am learning that Blogging is not just about rambling on and on about nothing that no one wants to read. This profound exercise called Blogging, is rather a well orchestrated narrated collection of links, like links in a chain that contribute to the whole for the purpose of the site. I guess you could say that each blog is like the “link” in the chain that holds the site together to make one strong chain of blogs. I know that I am still such a newbie blogger. However, I am working my way through the blog-world maze to learn how to do it and how to do it better. It is an art to collect appropriate links. However there is more to it…
• Fun-Factory Carnival
Here, we have the promotional flyer for the Halloween program called the Fun-Factory Carnival, an outreach event sponsored by the Community Alliance Church in Northridge, CA. Michael LaFond, one of my protege’s and good friend, and I, will be sharing the stage together. We will be Tag Team by alternating programs for evening on Halloween Night. What a fun time is planned with game booths, bounce houses, food and lots of candy for the kids. They have run this outreach event for the community for several years. It has continued to grow.
I will be dressed up in my Ring Master Outfit. Michael and I are looking forward to a good time serving together. They are expecting to attract over 2,000 people, mostly children and some parents. Pray for our preparation and that the response among the children will blessed by the Lord. I will let you know how it works out with a report later.
• Is This the Gerber Baby?
When I first saw this picture of my grand-daughter Madison, I thought she looks life the Gerber Baby. This was taken before Madison was a year old, she is 16 months now. It is one of my favorite pictures of her. As grand parents we were given this picture, but Sharon decided it would look nice in her office. So it was gone from the house. For me to enjoy this picture myself, I had to request another photo from Kevin and Sarah just for me for Father’s Day. Well, I got one and now this photo sits proudly on my dresser, as one of my treasures!
• Resolved: Fired Up to Help!
Malibu Presbyterian Church was totally destroyed this week.
This is not a news report, you have been hearing about the devastation of the recent fires in the Southern California region. The media has been covering the wild fire stories, non-stop for days. The devastation and loss to the region has just been overwhelming. It will be years for us to recover from some of this calamity. The impact to the region is huge. There is great need here. I just want to remind my friends and my new readers…
• My Floral Bouquet #1
I have had this crazy interest in taking pictures of flowers. I guess it all started a few years back when I discovered just how the “close-up” function of my new digital camera worked. So I began capturing those “close-up” memories of unusual shapes and pretty colors of flowers. Well, when they turned out so well, I continued to look for floral wonders on every trip. I guess you would say, I had interest, opportunity and I could do it. So I thought I would share a few of my favorites taken from my travels. This one was taken in Estonia.
For more….
• Barney’s Barrel
This Funny Fun Foto is based upon the reality that I started my big children’s outreach events in this Barrel. For years, I ran down the isle wearing this barrel. Then I proceded to humorously take it off. I had the interior of the barrel lined with all kinds of pockets. The barrel became my table, prop and hiding place for all the visuals that illustrated my Bible message. I often would tell the story of Barney’s Barrel, the same story, that was told to me as a child.
Looking back, I often felt very foolish doing this, particularly in worship services, but it was fun and memorable for the children. This Barrel, for sure, gave me a rather unique identity in children’s work. For twenty-five years this Barrel became my signature prop. I even designed a special Barrel that would come apart, so I could travel on a plane with it.
