Thought and Thinker

Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.- Ralph Waldo Emerson


John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The above quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson made me think of this scripture and how it could be transposed in a similar way. "In the beginning was the Thought, and the Thought was the Thinker, and the Thought was the Thinker."

Kern County Science Fair 2007

We have had an adventurous day at the 20th Annual Kern County Science Fair. Blake's project won in the regionals and moved on to county. (I have a previous blog about his project.) Since Blake is only in 4th grade, he can not go any higher in the competition. Hopefully, he will make it to county next year and if he wins, he will then be allowed to the state level. Before judging began this morning, Dr. George Ka'iliwai, III spoke. He is a technical advisor for Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He had a great power-point presentation and two short videos of different aircraft he has worked on and clips of their maneuvers. The presentation was exciting and generated enthusiasm in the students to excel. Students were given an opportunity to ask questions and greet Dr. Ka'lilwai. Blake even got to take a snapshot with Dr. Ka'lilwai. It was a great educational day.

Psuedo Christians?

The below post was copied from my husband's blog. He wrote this a few months ago and I thought I would share it with you since my most recent posts address some of this issue.


Have we become pseudo christians projecting our moral judgments and morality in the place of a true relationship with Jesus Christ? No, I am not throwing away separation from the world, but it seems that too many "christians" think that only good moral living will get them to heaven! What about our intimacy with Jesus? What about our private time with Him? We have become corporate christians meaning that we have left our prayer closets and resorted only to prayer at church. We leave Jesus standing on the corner wishing for more than just a casual kiss, while we walk away flaunting our morality to a world who wants more than just another phony pseudo christian. I wonder if Jesus has ever thought about divorcing individuals whose sole concern was with what they looked like and not what they thought about Him? We don't take the intimacy between a husband and a wife into the public so why should we think that our relationship with Jesus should only be for public display. He wants time alone with us so he can talk to us personally and be with us. I want to look holy, and be righteous; I want to uphold standards that set me apart from the world but that should never become my primary focus. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me." I think we should all develop a relationship with Jesus that includes more than just looking the part. Good moral living and looking the part is only part of the equation. A life with Christ that is based solely on good morals and good moral judgment will last no longer than a marriage that is solely based on a public display of affection. Develop a life of private time and intimacy with God and you will find that you enjoy being with Him. It won't be a hypocritical life either, because you will want to please Him!

Hypocrite?

On my previous blog, I asked with what word you would replace "sportsmanship" from the given quote (see previous post). I first thought of the word "Christianity" but did not list it because I wanted to see if any others would give the same word. Both responses gave the word "Christianity." This brought me to the real thought - - - Is Christianity "preached" so much more than "practiced" and is that why the so-called Christian world is often called hypocritical? Yikes! I may have hit a nerve with some people. Why is the word "hypocrite" so often associated with church people? I have been told the only place you find hypocrites is in the church, but how can we change them?

Practice or Preach

One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than 50 preaching it.Knute Rockne

After reading this quote, my mind began to whirl as I thought of other actions with which I could replace the word "sportsmanship." Such as - - respect, equality, kindness, charity, faith, restraint... This list could get quite extensive. What would you rather see people practice versus hearing it preached?

The snapshots you see were taken last year during the Western All-State Youth Choir summer tour. I thought these pictures gave a good description of the above quote. Not only did the choir perform, but they also connected to their audience by offering prayers and friendship after the performance. They practiced loving people. I love the picture of the choir member with the young child, but I am also very drawn to the picture of my husband praying for a lady who is holding her children. I wonder what thoughts were going through the minds of her children. I also felt like she was facing a difficulty but wanted her children to be reassured that everything would be alright. Isn't the power of love and prayer amazing?

Winning Flip Flops

To promote the upcoming book fair, the school my two youngest children attend decided to have a most creatively decorated flip flop contest. Bryn and I decided on getting some of her hair accessories to see what we could come up with for her shoes. When Blake saw what we were doing, he decided to get his flip flops and put something on them. He found a couple of army men, a tree, and two lizards. Believe it or not, out of a school of nearly 900 students, Blake and Bryn won their grade level prize. From what I understand, they will receive a gift certificate to the book fair. Isn't it great when "fun" is incorporated into such programs? Both of my children love to read and enjoy participating in their school activities. What's your take on such contests?

You Talk, I Talk, What?

Never speak of yourself to others; make them talk about themselves instead: therein lies the whole art of pleasing.- J.E de Goncourt

I came across this quote and I immediately thought of how much I talk about my children and our happenings. I guess I am not too pleasing according to this quote. :) Since we are not face to face, how about some pointers on how to get you, my friends, to talk about yourself? Now we flip this quote to your side, and you want me to talk about myself. Help! What do you think is the proper manner of speaking on a blog?

Prayer Time

Prayers of dedication concluded the festivities for The Rock Church yesterday as the congregation, community leaders, and many out-of-town guests celebrated the completion of their new sanctuary. Following the dedication, we joined many friends at the reception at the Wilson Estate. Someone suggested the ladies leave their handbags in the prayer room. Soft, worshipful music was playing when I walked into this room and I was immediately awestruck, for in this prayer room is a miniature replica of the Western Wall or, as it is better known, The Wailing Wall. Instantly, I remembered the first time I saw The Wailing Wall in 1980 and how much emotion I felt at the sound of people "wailing" as they made their petitions to God. There are literally millions of small papers with written prayer requests tightly pushed between the cracks of the massive stones. As I stood before this replica in my friends home, I was overcome with a desire to build my own wall of prayer in my house. On the ride home, my husband and I talked about what room we would use in our home to construct this wall. References have been made to "prayer closets," but I want prayer to "come out of the closet." Before you misunderstand me, let me clarify myself. I know people who refer to their prayer closets are not trying to hide their prayers, but are rather referring to a more intimate time with God and I am not being critical of them. However, in today's society where prayer is being removed from schools and public functions, I would like to make an even greater stand for prayer. No, I don't need to have a specific room for prayer because we can pray "always." I just want to give prayer a place of honor and reverence in my home. A place where my children can find refuge and solitude. Where they can write their secret prayers, press them between the stones, and know that their prayer is received by God. I'm not sure how soon we will be able to construct our prayer room, but in the meantime we won't forget prayer time.

A Beautiful House of Worship

At left is a poster advertising the No Limits Conference that takes place annually at The Rock Church in Elk Grove, California. The background of the poster is part of the front of their new sanctuary. Tomorrow, I will be attending their dedication ceremony. I always feel a certain amount of pride when I see my "family" who is able to build beautiful structures in which they can worship. Sacrifice and dedication are the price of such an awesome church. You can view pictures at their website, www.therockchurch.org The Rock Church has not only brought benefit to their local community, but they are also involved in world-wide missions. Pastor Myles Young is also a recording artist with whom I was honored to record a duet a few years ago. If you are in the Sacramento area, you owe it to yourself to visit The Rock Church. It will be a great experience.

Parrot Talking

Lead your life so you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.- Will Rogers.

I ran across this quote and it instantly brought back memories of an African Grey Parrot we brought to the USA from Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. He was named Dak after the city in which he was purchased. This parrot quickly stole our hearts with his constant talking. He imitated everyone in the family including barking like the family dog. My Mother has a very hysterical, loud laugh and she doesn't believe her laugh is so big. But........Dak had it down. He would get to laughing like my Mother and the whole house would soon be in an uproar. Of course, Dak would say many different phrases, sing songs, and even mimic household noises such as the beep of the microwave. After more than 20 years in the family, Dak finally went to parrot heaven. We had a proper burial and cried. He is dearly missed. Well, I guess you understand Will Rogers quote is true. If you don't want to be embarrassed, don't let strangers talk to your parrot.

Angels, Harps, & More

Finally, I found a few moments to blog. At left, are photos of my darling girl, Bryn and her friend CaseyLynn. They were such darling angels at the Southern Ladies Conference "Angels Watching Over Me" Brunch. Harpist Amber Bowden played during the brunch and the beautiful angels sat at her feet listening intently until the wiggles took them over. They were so cute! I was the emcee of the brunch and I readily admitted, one of my life-long dreams is to own a gold gilded concert pedal harp and learn how to play it. Since I was child, I have always been drawn to harps. I think the instrument is beautiful in looks and sound. Knowing that such an instrument cost more than a nice car, my faith is weak in ever owning a harp. However, I do have a space saved in my living room just in case a miracle happens. Maybe loving the harp so much has caused me to wonder more about angels. I do believe there are angels surrounding me and my home. Each night as I tuck my little ones in, we pray and they always say, "...and, Jesus, keep angels around us all night." They truly believe that God has appointed angels to stand guard over them. There is much I could say about the conference, but I think I want to let my mind ponder on angels just a little more.

The Littlest Angel

Do you ever wonder what our guardian angels look like? We talk about having "a hedge of angels around us" and "angels watching over us," but have you ever paused to contemplate what expressions are on their faces while they watch us? At left is Brenda Ghiloni's darling granddaughter who was an "angel" at our Ladies Conference brunch on Saturday. Those eyes are mesmerizing! She was the "littlest angel." I will leave you pondering what your angels look like and will write more later.

Once again...

Once again, I will be gone for a few days attending the Southern California Ladies Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel and Convention Center in Ontario, California. I will be singing Friday and Saturday. Join us if you are in the area. Look for a new post by Sunday.

The Rose

We have a new lady named Eunice that is attending our church. On Valentine's Day she brought a beautiful, long-stemmed rose and gave it in the offering. I found a bud vase in the kitchen and placed the rose on a display shelf that is currently on our main bulletin board. The following service, Eunice came to me and thanked me for displaying the rose. She then said, "When I saw this rose, it was so beautiful and I knew I had to bring it to Jesus, my true Valentine." Her sincerity touched me. She asked if I would take a picture of it for her and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. It is gorgeous and somehow I feel deep in my heart, that when this rose bloomed it was reserved for Eunice from the Creator, her Valentine.

UPDATE

For those who have asked, this is an FYI post. PayPal is now linked to my website where my CD's are now available for purchase. Thank you to all my friends who have expressed interest. You can reach my website by clicking on VISIT MY WEBSITE HERE listed in my favorite links.

Will You Listen...

Hi, everyone! I returned from the Western District Northen Ladies Conference, and thought it was time to catch up my blog. Hopefully, I will post next week about the ladies conferences after I return from the southern conference. Today, if you will indulge me, I want to brag on my 10 year old, Blake. Wednesday night was a youth service in which Blake was asked to speak. He loves to study and gave an original thought with minimal notes. His title was, "Listening to God." His first point was how Adam and Eve had a blessed life but because they did not listen to God, they were severely punished and removed from The Garden. His second point was about Noah and the Ark and how everyone who did not listen to Noah perished. He pointed out that Adam and Eve did not listen to God and people did not listen to Noah, the man of God. His thought was you must listen to God and the man of God that has been put in your life or you will perish. His closing remark was, "So do you choose to listen and live or not listen and perish?" We do know that this thought is most often presented as a case of disobedience but, for just being 10 years old, I thought he did a great job and I was the proud "soccer" mom. When Blake returned to his seat, his little sister, Bryn, stated very loudly, "Great job, Blake!" The entire congregation heard her and there was a rumble of laughter. Aren't children wonderful?!?!? I love 'em!!!

FYI

This is a "For Your Information" post. I will be away from my computer the next few days attending the Northern Ladies Conference at the Doubletree Hotel and Convention Center in Sacramento, California and will be singing Friday evening. Please don't give up on me, I will be back. Look for a new post no later than Monday, February 26. Blessings to you!

Update

PayPal is now linked and working on Bryce's website. Anyone interested in purchasing a CD may do so at www.bryceallard.com

In case you are wondering, yes I am shamelessly promoting my son.

Singles Conference Highlights

Friday and Saturday night we were honored to attend the Central Valley Singles Conference in Visalia, California hosted by Pentecostal Lighthouse and Pastor James McPhail. Special guests were The Olivers, Karen Harding, and the anointed ministry of John Arcovio who replaced Lee Stoneking. (Bro. Stoneking was snowbound in New York and couldn't get a flight out.) Our little girl, Bryn-Anika, received the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, on Friday evening during the Kids Crusade. She was soooo excited! Blake won the art contest both nights. Saturday afternoon we received a phone call asking if Bryce would sing at the Saturday evening service. He decided to sing "Not Performing" which is the title of his newly released CD. This was the first time he ever sang the song in front of an audience and, even though I have heard it many, many times, I could not help but cry. It is such a touching song and I was not the only one crying. Here are a few of the lyrics:

...The crowd is here while I sing my song, but if the music stops, they’ll be gone, I’m not performing for anyone but you. When the stage is dark and the curtains down and there’s no one but me, you’ll be around, I’m not performing for anyone but you.

This curtain hides so many failures they will never know, but you see everyone and still you come back to every show, and as I sing to silent seats I hear one single cheer from the balcony, I’m not performing for anyone but you.

Karen Harding followed Bryce and she bragged on him as much as I would. She then sang a song titled I'm Living In Graceland." Visit her website www.karenharding.com and read about the wonderful things happening. Karen wrote this song after reading about Elvis short time living at Grace Land. As she thought about this, she begin to think how Elvis only enjoyed his Grace Land for awhile, but as Christians we have the opportunity to live in grace forever. It is a wonderful song and has been nominated in the first round for a Dove Award. Karen is also up for a SGN Diamond Award for Bluegrass/Country song of the year. She is a wonderful lady with an anointed ministry and I am honored to call her friend. I have included a picture of Karen and Bryce.

Teacher of the Year

Not long ago I posted a blog about Influential People and spoke about one of my Sunday School teachers who taught me when I was just two years old. It is with great pride that I make this announcement - - - Sis. Jane Johnson received an official letter from the United Pentecostal Church, International stating she had been nominated and won the title North America Teacher of the Year of the Western District. Soon she will receive a special award presented by our district Christian Education director. I always knew she was the best, and now it is official. Sis. Jane is a hero to me and I love her dearly!

P.S. The picture is of Sis. Jane holding my baby girl, Bryn-Anika. Now five years old, Bryn is a student in Sis. Jane's class.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day! Tomorrow we will celebrate our 32nd Valentine's Day as boyfriend and girlfriend. Well, yes, we are husband and wife, but we celebrated Valentine's Day before we were married, too. AND....he is still my boyfriend. Since we have service tomorrow night, my "boyfriend" decided to take me out tonight. Our oldest son stayed home and tucked the younger ones in while Brian and I actually got to be - - - alone. What a rare thing for us! We went to T. L. Maxwell's in Bakersfield. It is an elegant five-star restaurant that has a very intimate atmosphere. I chose the Halibut and it was absolutely exquisite. After the lovely dinner, we went to Barnes and Nobles and roamed the aisles before heading to Starbucks and home. Such a lovely evening that came to an end all too soon. As we pulled in to the driveway of our house, I told my husband how much I had enjoyed being with him and I hated for the night to end. His response? "It will never end." Awwwww.........I am so in love! I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day sharing love with those dearest to you.

Project Released

IT'S HERE!!! I promised I would let you know when Bryce's CD was released and it is now here. Everything turned out so nice and I am so very proud of him. We don't have PayPal linked to his site just yet, but we are working on it. If you wish to order before we have the PayPal link, go to the contact page and e-mail us. www.bryceallard.com We will give you the particulars via e-mail. It is $17 including shipping and handling.

The Sword

When my middle child, Blake, was four years old, he became very sick with a persistent high fever. His blood count was out of balance, and the doctors were having a difficult time reaching a conclusive diagnosis. During this time, his temperature plummeted to 93 degrees putting him in a critical state. Warm i.v.'s were given to increase his temperature and many bags of antibiotics were administered. In a moment of delirium Blake called out for me and said, "Mom, I need to go to church because I have a message." I told him he was going to have to get better before he could go to church, but assured him his Dad would let him give his message. I then asked him what was his message? He began to tell me this - - "Mom, a sword can be used to cut or it can be used for celebration. The Word of God is a sword and we can use it to injure or to celebrate in a ceremony." I was, of course, amazed at the depth of his thought and knew that while he was delirious he actually felt God speak to him. It was obvious this huge thought came from God. This prompted me to think of Sis. Jane. (Influential People is a blog about her.) Sis. Jane always told me that I can find any type of story I wish to read in the Bible. If I want to read a murder, romance, or mystery, I can find it in the Word. Blood and guts or pomp and circumstance, it is all there. There are also stories of God speaking to and using children. The Word of God is amazing, awe-inspiring, and the map to salvation. I must add, Blake received healing and gave his message to the church.

READ MY COMMENTS FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.

Submission Notes

As promised, here are a few of my points given to The Pentecostals of Orange County at their marriage seminar. Last Wednesday's topic was submission. Ouch! The very word tends to make us cringe. Even so, we must be in submission just as Christ was to his parents and the cross. If submission in general is objectionable, so is Christianity. Included in this lesson were points made about authority, responsibility, task, beneficiary, motivation, and judgment. One great thing about submission is the benefits. Children are submitted to their teachers, but it is the child who benefits through the received education. Saints are submitted to their pastor, but the saints benefit from the ministry of the pastor. Likewise, a submitted wife will receive benefits. Now to the men, authority comes with responsibility. If you accept the authority, then you must accept with it the responsibility. Note that authority and submission do not match. Usually, submission has a much greater theoretical range than authority. Remember, submission is much harder to abuse. Because authority has been abused so much in the world, it often falls into marriage. If you are in authority, you are commanded to love those you are in authority over. I don't have time to give you all my outline, but the statement that I believe rings most true is this: Submission in marriage is a dance in which the husband always leads. Now before you crucify me by thinking I don't believe in women's rights, let me explain my statement. If the husband is in submission to God, his example of submission will lead his wife to submission towards him. Today, many couples use a unity candle as part of their marriage ceremony. When they take the two individual candles and join them to make one flame, they are symbolically stating, "We are one." In marriage, the couple must never forget they became "one." Marriage is team work. Bring out the best in each other, reach for the stars, and your blended best qualities will assure your team wins.

P.S. The picture is of my son, Bryce, and his cousin Cami. They were "hamming" for the camera at their grandparents 50th anniversary. Cami was wearing her grandmother's wedding dress.

Pets Are Family

On Wednesday, we once again went to The Pentecostals of Orange County to teach at their marriage seminar. Tomorrow I will blog a few of my comments on submission, but today I want to update you about Bella. On our way to Orange County, we went through the Inland Empire to make a hospital visit and Veronica came to meet us. (If you are new to my blog, Veronica is Bryce's girlfriend and Bella is the Lhasa Apso puppy Bryce gave Veronica for Christmas.) Veronica had Bella styling in a pink plaid dress with a pink bow in her hair. I am sure this dog thinks she is human. In fact, I told Veronica this dog looks like she is dressed for Youth Conference. I just couldn't resist adding a few pics to my blog. Just as Linda, Ronda, and Karla talk about pink and blue elephants, we have had a longstanding debate with my husband and Bryce. My husband would torment Bryce saying, "Pets are not family." Bryce and I would vehemently respond, "Yes, pets ARE family." Check out this picture with my husband letting Bella lay on his shoulder. Pets sure are family. Tell me about your pets!

Wonderful Quote

Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.- Helen Keller

You're My Brother, You're My Sister

My blog yesterday caused me to think of how we consider people around the world to be our "brothers" and "sisters" in Christ. Of course, I immediately thought of my family. The two boys in my house, ages 10 and 20, have such a love/hate relationship. They are typical boys who either love each other dearly, or fight like cats and dogs. Yet, in the midst of a most heated argument, if my youngest were to run out in the street in front of oncoming traffic, my oldest son would risk his life to save his little brother from harm. Likewise, if my oldest son were to fall and break his leg, my youngest son couldn't run fast enough to call for help. Why? Their brotherhood is stronger than their disagreement. Why would I want to forsake my brother because we disagree on an issue? My philosophy has always been "agree to disagree." Conflict and differences of opinion can be good. It causes one to consider the matter more deeply and can increase knowledge. If one is open minded and does not allow stubbornness to control them, their horizons have the potential to broaden. Unity is powerful, but rarely does it come with unanimous consensus. As for me, rest assured I believe in the brotherhood and sisterhood. You are valuable to me.

P.S. The snapshot is some of my "sisters" who I work with on our district ladies committee. They probably won't agree with me posting this picture, but I think they will still love me. :)

Give me your thought...

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.- Abraham Lincoln.

How does this quote inspire you?

Quote of the Day

He can do more for others who has done most with himself.- S.D. Gordon.

Beggar To Prince

Are there not... Two points in the adventure of the diver: One -- when a beggar, he prepares to plunge? Two -- when a prince, he rises with his pearl? I plunge!- Robert Browning.

WOW! I love this quote! If one desires pearls, he must first be willing to take the risk and plunge into the deep. We come to God as absolute nothing, begging for His Spirit and we rise to walk in newness of life, a prince/princess of the King.

P.S. The snapshot is part of the royal court taken at our 2006 Junior Royal Pageant.