Take 2 - Got some pictures !

Got some pictures in but they aren't in the order I wanted them in. Will have to work on that I guess. #1 The first one is all the "loot" he got. We had people bring 70 of whatever item they wanted. Ranged from 70 pennies from a friend to 70 chocolate kisses from me : )
People were very creative with their ideas.
#2 Then we have the whole gang outside after the party.



#3 is Bob's entrance at the party with everyone hiding off to the side.
#4 is the fantastic poster Ken had made up.
#5 his cake. HE BLEW OUT ALL 70 CANDLES WITH ONE BREATH !

WHAT A RELIEF !

What a relief is right. The kids actually pulled off Bob's 70th Birthday Party without a hitch!

It was a total surprise to him. We had 43 people in attendance at the Warrenton Community Center on the day after his birthday.... We had gone out to dinner on his birthday with friends so he wouldn't think we weren't celebrating and be suspicious. It was a blast. From friends we hadn't seen in ages to very new friends from our new church.

One will never know how many slips there were before that could have led him to know that something was up but they all seem to go right over his head never expecting anything like this.
The kids brought it up months ago and we set the date, reserved the room etc and then tried to keep him at home and not doing anything that day to pull it off.

I know it was a lot of work for the kids but it meant so much to Bob just to know they would take the time, effort and travel to honor him in this way.
THANKS KIDS FOR EVERYTHING.... IT WAS VERY SPECIAL !

So sorry -- I had pictures to add to this and for some reason, it won't load pictures. Will try later..

I'm Coming, I'm Coming

I am so far behind in blogging I can't believe it
Haven't shared Bob's birthday party or a zillion other ideas I have had.
But things are still busy, busy, busy !
I will be back -
don't give up

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...