Mail from afar...

I love mail. On some days, there's even something more than bills and junk - that happened a couple of days ago.

I got a letter. Not just any letter. A letter from Uganda (via Texas and the Cashes!). And it was a real letter - handwritten and everything!

Reading the words carefully written by my friend Jasper lifted my heart and brought tears to my eyes. What a blessing she is!

It's at these times that I wonder if I am really living where God means me to be - or if I am called to live somewhere else.

My heart misses Africa.

The Unexpected

I work in NE Portland - inner NE, near the Lloyd District. It's an entertaining area of town - to say the least. After working here for 3 years - there are certain things that you expect when you see certain vehicles, etc. Today - well, what I saw was unexpected.

Next door to our office is a 7-11 whose customers don't always lean to the 'normal.' As I was walking by, there was a big, black, Cadillac Escalade truck beginning to pull out of its parking space in front of the 7-11.

I must admit, that what I saw was not what I expected to see. Instead - driving the Escalade with it's windows down was an elderly white man - not the driver I would have expected to see. And - he had the windows down and was singing at the top of his lungs to none other than Waylon Jennings.

It was fabulous! Not only because was the driver and his choice of music were unexpected in this area of NE Portland, but because I too sing in my car.

Just not generally to Waylon Jennings.

Apple Pie and Voltron

Have you ever tried to explain to a teenager the whole idea that Jesus is the Son of God, yet Jesus 'is God'? You start off by using the verses where Jesus says: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30) and "The Word was God" (John 1:1) just hoping they get it the first try? It's not an easy discussion, for adults, much less teenagers!

The subject came up in a bible study with Claire and Lindley this week. So - my weak attempt to explain the whole idea was, of course, to reach for the "Apple Pie" explanation. Just how is this discussion related to dessert, you ask? Let me explain:

God is all the ingredients/individual pieces that it takes to make the apple pie.

Jesus is the apple pie itself - the actual physical representation of all of those ingredients.

The Holy Spirit is the smell of the apple pie. You smell it and you know it is apple pie - even without seeing the pie itself.

So it works like this: God is everything - Jesus became the physical representation of God on earth ("He made himself flesh" Philippians 2). The Holy Spirit is the essence of God/Jesus left behind to guide us.

It's not a perfect explanation - but it seemed to work.

The response from Claire: "So - Jesus is God in baked form."

Claire makes me smile. I don't think God has a problem with her sense of humor because it emphasizes her understanding - and its better than her not getting it at all.

For entertainment value, I found this description on-line today from an anonymous writer's response to a question about the Trinity. Some of you will appreciate this more than others:

"I see the Trinity as Voltron. There are a bunch of smaller robots, but they all combine into one huge robot. The small robots are Voltron when combined, yet he can detach an arm and send it somewhere. It's an "arm of Voltron", but it's part of the whole"

OK - so kind of like apple pie, right?

The Bible is Zelda?

There are certain teenagers with whom I love to talk about "God things." Claire Buehler is one of those teens. Tonight during a bible study we were talking about how the bible is always relevant and how you can read a passage one day and it will mean one thing - and a year from now you may have a complete different understanding of the same passage. I explained to Claire and Lindley (my niece) that it was why my dad could re-read the bible year after year and never grow tired of it.

That was when Claire popped up with "The bible is Zelda!" The excitement on her face was not mirrored in mine - because I was confused for just a second. Then she looked over at Lindley and repeated, "You know - the bible's like Zelda - no matter how many times you've played it there's always something more to do or to find."

It's not a conventional connection - but she gets it!

And - I can't wait until the next study!

It's the Little Things...

It doesn't take much to make me happy sometimes. As a matter of fact, all it took tonight was a little "birdy" who let me know that they have opened a new Sonic very near where I live! Some of you who peruse this may wonder - why is that such a big deal? Well - let me explain. With the opening of this store, there are exactly TWO Sonics in the entire state of Oregon. Therefore, the opening of the latest Sonic in Wilsonville, Oregon, is a joyous happening for all!

God bless Sonic - and God bless you!

This Our Song of Grateful Praise...

Just a couple of photos and lyrics from one song - because to describe what praise at FaithQuest means is beyond my capability.


For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies
For the love which even from our birth
Over and around us lies.



For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night
Every hill and valley, tree and flower
Sun and moon and stars of light.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Lord of all to Three we raise,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
This our song of grateful praise



For the Church which evermore
Lifts her holy hands above
For the offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.


Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Lord of all to Three we raise,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
This our song of grateful praise.