WHAT'S THE CHANCE !

TIMING IS SUCH A FUN THING ! You go somewhere and do something entirely thinking only of the event or place you are going to.
Then paths cross -- unexpected paths. It is so COOL !
Wednesday we were in Beaverton for an appointment. A one time thing probably,
to a buiding we had never been in before. We were early so we walked upstairs and the door was locked for lunch hour so we walked back down the stairs to wait in the car.......WHEN just as we walked out of the stairway door into the foyer (THE SUSPENSE BUILDS !) the door opens and a tall young man walks in the door from the outside. WE ALL PAUSE --- But just for a second, and then we hear "Carsons?"
Standing there right in front of us was Jeff Capellan. We hadn't seen Jeff for years.
He was there with his briefcase in his suit all ready to head upstairs for an appointment on the second floor. He lives out of town - we live out of town. We had appointments on the same day, at the same time, at the same place. We were early so went back downstairs.... WHAT WAS THE CHANCE OF THE MEETING HAPPENING. It was so fun and we just laughed about it. We hugged, chatted a bit and all went our own way.
ISN'T LIFE FUN. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS AROUND THE CORNER !

Christian Heritage !

Sometimes I think we forget how important a place people in our past have on our spiritual lives.... Some gone long enough we don't often stop to consider how their lives affected ours even though we may never have recognized it.
Our spiritual walk was basically non-existent as we began our life together and yet we were being brought before our Lord without our even realizing it... to a point to where God finally led us thru the circumstances He planned to bring us to Him.
Faithful prayers of faithful warriors. One such as a little 5 foot lady (Bob's Grandma Rose) who loved the Lord and I'm sure prayed for Bob for years beginning when he was born premature and she went to the nuns at the Catholic hospital and asked them if they believed in prayer and lifted Bob up in prayer for him to make it thru those first few days of life. One whom I am sure added me to her prayer list as Bob and I started dating and were then married. One who way back prayed for her son as he was overseas in WWII facing battle after battle in the Army.
One day last week I was in our guest bedroom which is my "heritage room" of beautiful old things from our past and noticed the calendar of hers on the wall from 1945. Something made me take it off the wall and look thru it - although I had done that many times before it just jumped out to me to be looked at that afternoon.
It is all pictures of the men on the battle field in the Army and, bless her heart, as usual she had written all over it in her precious own handwriting which I have learned to love. Hard to read as she writes in circles sometimes on backs of pictures when she runs out of room but when you sit down and take the time to study her writings, there are precious little bits of our and her past that would be lost without her "hen scratches" of writing.
So I want to give this gift to you of her love and trust in Christ to keep her loved ones safe.... It goes like this in her own handwriting .......
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"He made it thru all the hell of war and came back safe to his little family Bob and Dennis and Elsie. Thank God for His care to Clint and the rest of us. I found myself on my knees many a nite at 3 am praying for Clint's safety, pouring out my need to God in prayer for my boy so far away from us. But always near to God. Since he came home much has happened to Clint. Nearly killed by a log at the West Coast Plywood Mill. It was God's will for him to live. Oh, that he may see God's goodness for him to carry out in his life on earth to the glory of God.
Now October 6th, 1961 his son, Bob, is in the service in Alaska. I pray for his safety now and always. And God's will be done in Bob's life. Not our will Oh God, but thine..God bless and keep him in your will. Keep him in our wonderful USA when the dark clouds of war still hang low over our heads. O Prince of Peace, do grant peace to all the world. In Jesus Name we ask. Amen
(She goes on)
By Rose Cole, In October 1961 a great grandmother twice.
In 1974 a great great grandnother to 10 and a sick husband to pray for and brother Dave too. My faith in God is as strong as it was on February 13, 1936"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Possibly the date of her accepting the Lord, I don't know -
She passed away in 1994 still trusting her Lord. She served God actively in the Salvation Army for many years before she went home to be with her Savior. What a precious lady in our heritage !!
Little do we know how much impact her faithful prayers had on us as we were drawn closer and closer to our Lord and then took the step to salvation in the fall of 1964.
Never underestimate the power of your faithful prayers for others !!

Kitty with a Bad Dream ?

The other night I was sure we were going to have an earthquake. I have heard of cats and dogs predicting things like that before they happen.
Chester woke me up at 3:30 in the morning just meowing and meowing.
He never wakes up until at least 6 or 6:30 to be let out. It was pitch black and he was out in the living room. I got up to see what was the matter and he was just acting weird. I picked him up and held him for awhile, then took him back to bed. He usually sleeps on the foot of our bed but this time he walked up to the pillow where I was laying, wanting to be petted again, then settled down in his normal spot.
I figured THE BIG ONE was out there waiting to happen but once he settled down, I went back to sleep. SO DO KITTYS HAVE BAD DREAMS ??
YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE ! He was fine the next morning and has been ever since.

The Truth Project

We are just finishing up a 12 week study called "The Truth Project" at our Small Group this coming Wednesday night and we found it such a thought provoking study wanted to recommend it to anyone who has a chance to go through it. It is put out by Focus on the Family and is an In-Depth Christian Worldview Experience. It starts out with lesson 1 is "Veritology: What is Truth" and covers a different area of truth each week.
2 is Philosophy and Ethics: Says Who?
3 is Anthropology, Who is Man?
4 is Theology, Who is God?
5 is Science, What is True?
6 is History: Whose Story?
7 is Sociology: The Divine Imprint.
8 is Mystica: Am I alone?
9 is The State: Who's Law?.
10 is The American Experiment.
11 is Labor: Created to Create.
12 It finishes up with Community and Involvement: God Cares, Do I?

It has been such an eye opener to some deep thinking that I hadn't thought much about before. It dealt with four fundamental issues: Truth, God, Man, and the Social Order. At first I thought "Wow, this is deep." But the more we got into it, it became very clear that the ultimate goal was not to simply gain knowledge but to look upon the face of God thru it all - and be transformed in the process. Very rich teaching and very thought provoking.
If you ever get a chance to attend it, don't miss it !!

Besides the study, we had a great time gaining friendships with a really neat group of people. Everyone was very regular and we formed a bond with the group very quickly..
Had a surprise birthday party last night with the wife of the leader and had more time to just visit and grow closer together as a group in a social setting. We have had one couple over for dinner last week and found a lot in common with them. We sorted of bonded with them as they were as new to the group as we were. Most of the other folks had known each other in church for a long time and had been in previous studys together so we as "newbys" sort of hung together at first especially. God is so good to help us develop new friends and begin to heal from leaving our past church.

There is so much excitement here at NCFF and we are eating it up.
Attended a baptism a month or so ago where about 20 or so people were following the Lord in the waters of commitment. A week or so ago we had the Children of the World concert tour with about 20-25 children from Uganda do the both morning services. Fantastic!
This morning our Sunday School children all came down the aisles waving palm leaves and singing hosanna and did a song on the stage. (It's great to have so many children around.) Had our weekly "new baby" born announced the bulletin today. At least, it seems like it is almost weekly, we have so many young couples (Pastor Glen says " Don't drink the water !")

Next Sunday for Easter, both services will be held in the Seaside Convention Center. Reaching out to the community is the main emphasis of the church and it is being executed in SO many different ways. That is Pastor Glen's real passion - to reach those in need on the coast as well as cultivating the lives of the Saints.

Can you tell we're excited. We picked up membership forms a bit ago and will be getting them in soon.
Hugs to you all...

Be Careful !!!

I have been cleaning up all the stored stuff on my computer and came across this article I got on e-mail quite awhile back and realized how important this info is and I had forgotten most of it. So bear with me and read thru this because these are good things to have in our heads before we get into a problem and can't think straight !!

Because of recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation.
After reading these 9 crucial tips , get them them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow is the strongest point on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!

2.If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM . Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,
eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook,
or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!)
The predator could be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine and speed into anything,
wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car,
at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door . Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting
to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.
(And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.
(Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target)
4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a
vital organ. RUN, Preferably ! in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic:
STOP . It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle
or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her
"Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." The lady
then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street
and get run over. The policeman said, ! "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded
and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ---- This should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this when they profiled a serial killer in Louisiana.

Be reminded it is a crazy world we live in and it is better to be safe than sorry !! Pass this on to everyone you love and care for.

Don't You Love the Little Things

In my walk with God I have seen many tremendous prayers answered -
You know the biggie kind that just blow you away and think to yourself WOW - THAT WAS REALLY GOD WORKING! Those really build up my faith....
BUT then there are those little bittsy ones that I think sometimes I don't even realize are answers unless I am on my toes...
Hence my fun little answer this week came on Tuesday morning.
I have seen subbing for the WW leader in Long Beach this week as she was off with her kids for spring break. This meeting is 20 miles away across the river so I am on the road early to get over there in time to set up and be ready for the meeting with weigh in starting 30 minutes before the meeting does.
SO guess what - my quiet time just didn't fit in before I had to leave.
SO I start the car and the radio comes on and after being in Portland the day before it just happened to be tuned to a Christian station we had on driving home and there was a really interesting pastor giving me my daily devotion.....
HOWEVER as soon as I got across the big bridge and behind the hill the station faded. I had to laugh and just told God "OK, if you want me to be able to finish my devotion time, you just better bring my radio back in range."
And You Guessed It ---- before I had gone 50 feet it was back, clear as a bell even though I was still behind the hill.
I really think God does have a sense of humor and that he enjoys our sense of humor too. We have a great, very personal God !

Need A Good Laugh ?

THESE REALLY CRACKED MY UP.
HAVE A CHUCKLE TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY

Grandparents and Grandchildren

She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchfuleyes of her young granddaughter as she'd done many times before.After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper goodbye!"

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old,"he replied.

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out someof these yourself!"

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa.. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised."mine says I'm four to six."

A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother,"Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool."That's interesting," she said, "how do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to'i' and add 'es'."

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant,"said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him."Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties."They use him to keep crowds back," said one child."No," said another, "he's just for good luck."A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs,"she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants...