Smoke in the Sanctuary

I'm a tad fearful of the picture to the left, hoping that my grandfather doesn't see it. Why? Among other things, I am wearing blue jeans (I'm sure he'd never notice the sportscoat...just the blue jeans). My grandfather has warned me in the past the near-sacrilege it is for a preacher to wear jeans.

Nevertheless, Suzi, aka the Woodward Park paparazzi, took this picture on Sunday night following our harrowing evening assembly, cut short by smoke in the sanctuary.

I told you on Monday that the general consensus was the Sunday evening sermon was "Smokin'." What I didn't tell you was it had nothing to do with my content or delivery!

Near the end of the sermon, the power went out in our building. Within a matter of moments, the power was restored and subsequently, smoke could be seen emanating from the vents above the stage. Several members -- already a bit tense from the loss of power -- had the most horrifying look on their faces, distracting my attention by pointing to the smoke over my head.

The building was immediately vacated and the Fresno Fire Department was summoned.

Apparently, a power surge had striken all of the power supply in the neighborhood surrounding our church property. The firefighters theorized that when the power went out, so too did the heating unit. When the power was restored, the heating unit immediately kicked back on and a piece of insulation was somehow sucked onto the heating unit, resulting in the smoke in the building.

Needless to say, the aftermath of Sunday night has illicited more response (pun intended) than any sermon I've ever preached. It was an experience they did not teach us how to handle at Harding, but a Sunday I'll not soon forget!

The Central California Coast

Last week, Thursday through Saturday, Mandy and I made the short trip over to California's central coast. We stayed at the Cayucos Beach Inn and the accommodations were outstanding. Thanks to the fact the inn wasn't full, we were given a free upgrade from a regular room to a suite. Cayucos is a quaint town, with great dining and antique shops.

On Friday morning, we woke up and headed north on Highway 1. I've always felt Arkansas Highway 7 in the fall was one of the most spectacular drives, but after driving California Highway 1 along the coast, I'm seriously considering re-ranking my favorite highways. The scenery was spectacular and the mix of ocean and mountains is nothing short of majestic. The handiwork of God on display was truly a faith-lift!

Just north of Cambria, we stopped off at a vista point to admire the elephant seals. Apparently, each winter, the seals make their way to the beaches and we saw hundreds of them on the beach. We couldn't believe how massive the seals were, but did notice the less rotund ones made it further upon the beach than the ones riddled with more girth.

As we made our way back toward Cayucos, we stopped off in San Simeon for a tour of the Hearst Castle. The Castle has been called the largest residence ever constructed in the United States. I've provided a link for you to read more about the castle, but suffice it to say, it was nothing short of amazing to see the art decor and the sheer size of the castle. The views of the mountains to the east and the coast to the west were amazing.

Mandy and I would like to thank Angi Santymire who took care of Tori during the day time and Kelley Young who took care of our girls at night for their sacrifices in allowing Mandy and I to get-away for some R & R.

In Memoriam: C.E. Mannon

There are so many things I want to share with you today. I want to tell you about our trip to Cayucos: the surf, the scenery of Highway One, the tour of Hearst Castle, the ideally quaint setting of Cayucos. Mandy and I had a blast and the central coast was as good as advertised.

And frankly, I thought I preached with some added zest and fervor yesterday, didn't you? Maybe a trip to the coast about, oh, once a month would be the perfect prescription!

But the trip recap will have to wait a day.

I also wanted to tell you about last evening's assembly. It's happened several times before that the electricity has gone out in the middle of my sermon (as it did last night). What made last night different was the fact that when the power came back, the sight and smell of smoke near the speaker well was evident.

The building was vacated. The Fresno Fire Department was called. Thankfully, the building didn't catch fire, but the general consensus was last night's sermon was "Smokin'!" Again, further evidence, to me, that a monthly getaway to the central coast might be ideal.

The pictures and tale of last night's ordeal, though, will have to wait as well.

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Today, in the hills of Southwestern Virginia, my mentor will bury his father. Last month, I asked you to remember in your prayers C.E. Mannon, father of my friend and mentor, Dale Mannon, who's health was failing. On Friday, Mr. Mannon lost the battle for his health, but won the war by his faith.

Mr. Mannon was a farmer, a teacher, a school counselor, and a preacher, having preached for over 40 years. He loved children and he loved God.

My fondest memory of Mr. Mannon, aside from Dale's uncanny imitations of his dad, is of a visit Dale, his wife Lauri, infant son Jedidiah, and myself took one summer while I was interning with Dale in West Virginia. One Sunday night following church, we made the jaunt south on I-64 to the Mannon homestead in Floyd for a visit with Dale's parents. I'll never forget the "tongue-lashing" ole Dad gave to Dale when we arrived! Dale and Lauri had two cars, a brand new car and a older model Honda. Dale, not wanting to run up the miles on his new car, decided we'd take the older-model Honda. After we arrived and pleasantries were exchanged, Mr. Mannon immediately began to dress-down his son for failing to use the new car.

"Son, don't ever put your family in your worst vehicle. It could break down. You could get stranded on the side of the highway. Whenever you travel with your family, always be sure you travel in your best vehicle!"

I've never forgotten that.

On our trip, we tended to the livestock on the Mannon ranch. We visited. I listened and I learned, not that Mr. Mannon was perfect, but that he was a man who loved God and his family. It was pure joy last month to be with Dale in Lubbock and to spend time listening to him recount the influence of his father and his faith.

Today, my friend Dale has the unenviable task of paying tribute to the life of his father. I ask that you remember the Mannon family today in your prayers, giving thanks to God that he provides for us, in our moments of grief, victory through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15.57).

A Prayer Request

One of the neat things about blogging is when serious needs arise, I know a whole host of prayer warriors who visit my blog will immediately lift up the need in prayer.

Tonight, it was announced publicly that our Associate Minister at Woodward Park, Joe Boe, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. In just seven months, I have grown to love Joe as a passionate minister and a genuine friend. Joe is an exceptional evangelist, with a fervent desire to seek and save the lost, throughout Fresno and the world. He is an integral part of the mission endeavor in Ethiopia.

Because of a family history with prostate cancer, there is a real need for some diligent intercessory prayer on Joe's behalf. I ask that each of you remember this dear servant of God in your daily prayers.

Thanks in advance for remembering and praying for Joe. I know I can count on all of you who visit my blog to be diligent to pray for Joe's health, strength and encouragement in the days ahead.

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Three weeks ago, Mandy and I had a get-away to Cayucos postponed due to illness. Today, everyone is well and, despite the rainy forecast, we are heading to the coast for a couple of days of R & R.

Talk to you again on Monday. In the mean time, keep praying!

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Signs, Signs, Everywhere there's Signs

One of the really neat aspects of ministry at Woodward Park is our Deaf Ministry. We have three wonderful ladies (Cindy, Jamie and Myrna) who interpret all of our assemblies for the deaf. Additionally, a deaf class is offered on Sundays and Wednesdays and on Tuesdays as a part of our Prime Time Tuesday.

Yesterday, Mandy, Trae and I took our first class to learn ASL (American Sign Language). Our teacher is one of the deaf members at Woodward Park, Judy Eberwein. To help us immerse ourselves into ASL, we attended the deaf class on Tuesday night, taught by Lee Dial from the Hanford church. Lee is a dynamo signer and is unparalleled in his expressiveness while signing.

We are excited about learning ASL and I am especially excited about reaching a point of proficiency in order to incorporate ASL into my ministry. We (Mandy and I) are also thrilled that Trae is so excited about learning ASL in the hopes it will provide an avenue of service for her as she grows.

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Alright, I'm coming clean.

The worst kept secret at last night's Prime Time dinner was the fact that I received a traffic citation on Tuesday morning from a Fresno cop.

My crime?

Failing to use my turn signal at a four-way stop when no other cars were stopped at the intersection.

I pleaded my case before the cop...to no avail. "Do you guys not give warnings?" I asked.

"No sir, we don't."

Something tells me the city of Fresno is suffering a revenue shortage.

Something else tells me this story will be told again during my Sunday evening sermon series on Paul's letter to the Galatians.

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Dealing with the traffic citation yesterday reminded me of something my friend, Gregg Worthey, once pointed out to me. While preaching in Selmer, Tennessee, Gregg often made the trek back home across the Tennessee-Mississippi state line to his hometown of Amory, Mississippi. During his travels, Gregg noticed a stark difference in the way Tennessee and Mississippi portrayed their seat belt laws on signs near the state line.

The Mississippi sign declared, "Buckle Up! It's the LAW!"

The Tennessee sign implored, "Buckle Up because Tennessee cares."

Do you sense the difference between the two signs admonishing the same aim? Whereas Mississippi's sign boldly declared their law for the driver and his/her passengers, Tennessee gently urged the same appeal with a spirit of goodwill and grace.

Throughout Galatians, Paul draws a similar distinction between "those who have faith" (The Tennessee approach, see Galatians 3.9) and "those who rely on observing the law" (The Mississippi approach, see Galatians 3.10). Those who have faith are blessed the same way Abraham was blessed -- on the basis of faith. Those who rely on observing the law are, in the words of Paul reaching back to the very foundation of the Old Covenant, under a curse.

As I admonished the Woodward Park family last Sunday night, let's never settle for second fiddle (the Mississippi approach -- the law that brings cursing) when first chair is available (the Tennessee approach -- the faith that brings blessing).

Tori's Birthday

Here's the big birthday girl. Tori turned three on Saturday and we celebrated with an extravaganza at Chuck E. Cheese.

Tori, her big sister, and her friend Hannah at the birthday party.

Trae and Tori pose for a picture at the birthday party.

And finally, Tori and her favorite Fresno State Bulldog cheerleader before Saturday night's game. We struck a gold mine at the game with Tori winning a free pizza as the "Fan of the Game." During a second half timeout, Tori and her big sis got to go out on the floor, once again, with the cheerleaders.

All in all, Saturday was a great day, with great memories of a special celebration of Tori's third birthday!

Happy Birthday Tori!

Tomorrow at high noon, a birthday bash will commence at Chuck E. Cheese's to celebrate Tori's third birthday. Three years ago tomorrow, God blessed our family with the birth of Victoria Chase. I'll still never forget what to this day is the most precious of all my memories of my girls. About twenty minutes after Tori's birth, she was crying uncontrollably when we placed her, for the first times, in the arms of her big sister. Trae instinctively began to sing "Jesus Loves Me" and, as if on cue, Tori's crying stopped. In the video capturing that moment, there are a few seconds when big sis and little sis lock eyes on one another, forming a bond that has only strengthened with time.

Since arriving in our family, Tori has been our spunky one. She talks ninety-to-nothin', her motor is always running, and her sense of humor and ability to crack us all up are pure joy. Tori makes us laugh, even when her energy level is off-the-charts.

What I love most about Tori, at this stage of her life, is her desire to say the prayer every time before meals. Whether in restaurants or at home, Tori is heart-broken if Daddy starts a prayer without asking her to pray. Her prayers are always sincere and from the depth of her heart.

So, Happy 3rd birthday, Ms. Tori Chase, and thanks for all the life and energy you bring to our family.

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"When the Israelites received the daily manna to meet their needs, they were instructed not to save for the future, because God would provide for them. My career in estate planning focused on getting the most money to the heirs with as little taxation as possible, but I have come full circle on this topic. My objective now is how to give away as much as possible, yet still provide an education for my children and a modest inheritance for them. If I leave them enough to live on without working, I will steal their opportunity to develop a relationship with God as their provider, and possibly get them involved in something for which their life was not designed. Passing money to future generations in foundations or generation-skipping trusts makes it unavailable for solving society's current needs.

God has provided society's current wealth to accomplish all that needs to be done in this generation. Our challenge is to see the money he has entrusted to us not as our own but as his, to be used for all of his purposes, right now" (Ralph Doudera, Wealth Conundrum, p.76-7).

Giants or Dodgers? Part Two

The thing I've noticed about living in California is people here are passionate about baseball. I like that.

On Tuesday, I solicited opinions on which National League West team I should choose to support. My first love will always be the Texas Rangers and that is non-negotiable. Living in central California, however, means I should choose an NL West team to follow. The Giants and Dodgers are both an easy drive, traffic notwithstanding, from Fresno.

For the pro-Giant side, I offer up the following email:

"Joe (our Minister of Evangelism/Outreach at Woodward Park) is a Dodger fan. Do you really want to run with that crowd? Take another look at the pictures on your blog from the recent visit to San Francisco. What does LA have? A photo of an old sign that used to say Hollywood." No contest!

About the stadiums, Dodger Stadium may be historic because its old, but that's about it. It's in a ravine- a ravine is what we call a "wash" back home. Is that where you want to go to see a ball game? In San Francisco, you can see the Giants, see the bay and the Bay Bridge. An old stadium means old ways of parking; no routing of cars- everyone heads to the one exit all at once! What a mess! Also, there's no public transportation in LA. In the Bay Area, you can park your car in Livermore and take the BART all the way into Frisco all for a couple bucks (less than parking fee in LA!) Also, if you're on the BART, that's more time to spend with family/friends visiting instead of driving and white-knucklin' the traffic.

The Dodgers are the Prima Donna's of Cali -- nobody likes the prima donna.

If you choose the Dodgers, I'll question your sanity...just like I do Joe's!!!!"

And now, there's this email, espousing the pro-Dodger side. As you can tell from the passion and thought given to these emails, baseball is huge here. Anyway, nibble on this from a Dodgers loyalist:

Having been born and raised in Southern California, (Santa Barbara), I grew up with my ear to the radio, listening to Vince Scully and Jerry Dogget broadcasting the Dodger ballgames.

Comparing the Dodgers and Giants, brother, is like the proverbial case of trying to compare an apple and an orange: Good and evil, light and darkness, truth to lies. God's favorite color has always been blue, (skies, oceans, my wife's eyes), and Dodger Blue is a heavenly shade of blue. And my friend, have you ever eaten a "Dodger Dog?" Most people will agree that they are better than Tri-tip with potato salad and watermelon.

Then there's the weather - It's always cold and foggy in S.F. during the spring and summer, and almost always around 75 to 85 degrees at Chavez Ravine, where you and the girls can enjoy the ballgame in a T-shirt and shorts. When you go to a ballgame in L.A. plan on spending the night too, because you'll want to go to Disneyland the next day! By the way, if you are a people watcher, there are always Hollywood stars in the audience at a Dodger game.

As you know, Jim, S.F. is a modern day Sodom, and no place for a C of C preacher. On your way home, come up the coast and spend a day going through Santa Barbara. You'll find it to be the most beautiful and charming town on the West Coast.

I rest my case!

As you can tell, a lot of thought and insight have gone into the email response I've received thus far. As of yet, I haven't made a decision. You can continue to send your email pitches to jim@wpcoc.com and remember, no pro Oakland A's or Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim emails will be accepted!

Facing the Giants

Last night after dinner, I found my way to the recliner and settled in to watch a movie shared with us on Sunday evening by Mike and Erin Cliff. The movie, Facing the Giants, was a low-budget film born of the Media Ministry of the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.

I fully expected to enjoy the movie as my favorite films of all-time all have a dominant sports theme (Field of Dreams is off-the-charts my all time favorite; The Natural, Hoosiers, Rudy and We Are Marshall are other favorites).

What I didn't expect was my oldest daughter to sit as enthralled by the movie as me! Trae loved it and was gripped by the story.

The fictional story is about Grant Taylor, a six-year veteran coach of a private Christian high school football team. His life is beset with challenges, including a mediocre career record as a head coach and his fear of failure grips him. Once he turns his ambition over to God, trusting God to take control of the reins of his life, he and his team are blessed. Trae and I laughed and cried as we watched and shared our reflections on the movie.

I appreciated the movie in that it provided an opportunity for my daughter and me to talk and share about the themes in the movie. Certainly, when one surrenders to God, not everything in life turns up roses as in the case of Grant Taylor, but the movie was solidly rooted in Scripture.

I appreciated that very much and the avenue it opened for discussion with my daughter about life, faith and God.

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In the movie, Mark Richt, head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs makes a cameo appearance. Reading on-line, I learned that Richt covered his own expenses to be a part of the making of the movie.

I have long been a fan of Mark Richt. My appreciation for him goes back to 2001 when Mandy, Trae and I watched Arkansas play Georgia in Athens. As I read through the Georgia football game program, I was intrigued by the bio on Coach Richt. That night in Athens, I learned Coach Richt and his wife had adopted two Ukrainian children into their family in their effort to live out the calling of James 1.27.

I love the example of Mark and Katharyn Richt. It's one thing to look after orphans in their distress; it's quite another thing to take orphans into one's home and love them as if they were biological children. The Richt's are a wonderful example, to me, of living missionally.

Giants or Dodgers?

Beginning this week, pitchers and catchers report to Florida and Arizona for the beginning of Spring Training. I've always loathed the lull between the end of the Super Bowl and the beginning of baseball season (sorry, but basketball just doesn't do it for me like football and baseball). It is a tough withdrawal.

That brings me to the essence of my blog today. I will forever be a passionate fan of the Texas Rangers. I love the Rangers, despite the fact they've been mired near the basement of the AL West since the Doug Melvin/Johnny Oates era ended. With Major League Baseball's awful decision to sign an exclusive agreement with DirecTV for the Extra Innings package (we are DISH subscribers), I either have to switch satellite providers to get the Extra Innings package in order to watch my beloved Rangers or add an NL West team to my favored list.

I'm leaning toward the latter option.

Who should I choose? The Giants? The Dodgers? The Padres?

The Padres get little to no press in Fresno, their games aren't broadcast either, plus it's too far to travel in one day, so they are eliminated despite the fact there is a significant Rangers' connection with the Padres front-office. That narrows the choice down to the Giants and Dodgers. Both teams broadcast their games into the Fresno market. Both teams have exemplary voices calling their games (the Giants have Kruk, Kuip, Flem and Jon Miller; the Dodgers have the legendary Vin Scully and Charley Steiner). Both teams have beautiful ballparks (the Giants play in scenic AT&T Park; the Dodgers in historic Dodger Stadium). Both teams draw over 3 Million fans per year. And both teams are notorious rivals.

I'm opening the floor today for your feedback. I'll choose to follow one NL West team during 2007. Should I choose the Giants or the Dodgers?

Email me today at jim@wpcoc.com with your best pitch (and please, no emails pitching the A's or Angels).

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

On Saturday, Mandy, Tori and I kicked off our morning by

driving over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once in San Francisco, we made our way down Lombard Street, noted as the

"crookedest street in the world."

After Lombard, we made our way to the Embarcadero and Pier 39.



And then we headed down Jefferson Avenue and enjoyed lunch in the kid-friendly Rain Forest Cafe. We were seated next to an aquarium and Tori thrilled to the sights of Nemo and his friends swimming around us as we enjoyed lunch.

The blessing of spending Saturday in the city by the Bay was courtesy of the Lassen Street Church of Christ in Vallejo. They invited us to be a part of their annual Valentine-Sweetheart Dinner on Friday night. Mandy and I enjoyed very much being with our family at Lassen Street and the laughs from the "Not-So" Newlywed Game was a blast! A big thank you to Jimmie and Thelma Jones's grandkids for playing with and watching Tori during the dinner.

On Saturday, we were able to go into the city and enjoy the sights of San Francisco. The pictures are lifted from the internet because our day in the city was filled with rain, fog and clouds. Despite the weather, we had a great time enjoying the beauty of the city.

Has America Become Too Religious?

Back on January 19th, I went out on a limb with this bold prediction: "Fresno State will beat Nevada, who'll likely be ranked in the Top 10, when they play in the Save Mart Center later this year.

That limb broke last night.

Nevada showed up ranked #12 and the Bulldogs hung tough for a half before falling to the Wolfpack, 81-68.

The game was secondary, though, to spending time with Trae and Tori and watching them, once again, do their thing with the cheerleaders on the floor during a second half timeout.

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Later this morning, Tori and a recovered (finally!) Mandy will join me as we head to the Bay Area for this evening's Sweetheart Dinner at the Lassen Street Church of Christ in Vallejo. I am excited about the opportunity to speak after dinner this evening. The folks in Vallejo have had us there twice in the past for seminars and it will be great to renew some friendships that are very dear in our lives.

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I left the last post on ministry in Fresno up for three days intentionally. Perhaps you thought I'd taken a blog siesta, but I wanted that particular entry to get as wide a read as possible. For all you Woodward Park'ers, thanks for reading and thanks for emailing me your comments and insights. I appreciate your willingness to "think outside the box" with me. Right now, we're dreaming and envisioning. The day is coming, though, when the dreams and plans must become reality. I hope you're beginning to pray for God's direction, guidance and strength to minister most effectively to our city...all of our city.

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My Yahoo homepage has a link to a poll question that caught my eye: Has America become too religious? As I write this, there are 600-plus replies to the question. Interestingly, many believers in God have responded in the affirmative, yet drawing a distinction between being "religious" and being in "relationship" with God.

In Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller writes: "I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's heart into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God" (13).

Does your faith find you relegated to the realm of "religion" while forfeiting "relationship" with God? Jesus himself said the essence of eternal life was to know God (see John 17.3). There is a qualitative difference in knowing facts about God and knowing God; in knowing all about God and truly having relationship with God; in settling for religion when relationship is available for the taking.

Ministry in Fresno, California

I am grateful to be the Preaching Minister of the Woodward Park Church of Christ in Fresno, California. The Woodward Park family has blessed my family by taking us in and loving us as if we were their very own. It is humbling, rewarding, and eternally gratifying.

My family has now lived in California for half-a-year. The acclimation to California culture hasn't been too difficult; grasping the challenges of ministry in this city and culture, on the other hand, continues to stretch and challenge me in ways ministry in the south never did.

Consider, for example, the Fresno metropolitan area is home to over 1,000,000 people and is one of the fastest growing metro areas in California. According to a CSU-Fresno website, over 100 different languages have been identified within Fresno, making it one of, if not the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States (at Woodward Park alone, we have assemblies for English, Laotian, Cambodian and Hmong while supporting an inner-city church where the services are held in Spanish). According to an October, 2005 Brookings Institute study, Fresno was ranked as the city with the highest percentage of those living below the federal poverty threshold in concentrated areas (neighborhood clusters). In city-wide poverty rankings, Fresno ranks 16th among the nation's largest 50 cities.

To help grasp the sociological ramifications of life in Fresno as a window to ministry need, I have immersed myself in readings on California demography in general and Fresno county demography in particular. I'm learning more than I ever dreamed so as to better understand how to serve as an equipped minister in this multiracial, multicultural city.

Last Friday at Borders, I picked up Mexifornia: A State of Becoming and devoured the insights in the book. Mexifornia is written by current Stanford classicist professor Victor Davis Hanson, a resident of Selma (17 miles south of Fresno on CA-99), and addresses the immigration issue and its impact on life in Calfornia. Using his hometown of Selma as his laboratory, Hanson explores how life has changed in one small, central valley town in the course of his lifetime:

"I write here from the perspective of a farmer whose social world has changed so radically, so quickly that it no longer exists. Three decades ago my hometown of Selma was still a sleepy little town in central California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, between the coast and the high Sierra. It was a close-knit community of seven thousand or so mostly hardscrabble agrarians whose parents or grandparents had once migrated from Denmark, Sweden, Armenia, Japan, India, Mexico and almost every other country in the world, to farm some of the richest soil in the world. Selma's economy used to be sustained by agriculture -- in the glory years before the advent of low prices caused by globalization, vertically integrated corporations and highly productive high-tech agribusiness -- and supplemented by commuters who worked in nearby Fresno. The air was clear enough that you could see the lower Sierra Nevada, forty miles away, about half the year on average, not a mere four or five days following a big storm, as is now the case.

Sociologists call a small, cohesive town like the old Selma a 'face-to-face community.' As a small boy I used to dread being stopped and greeted by ten or so noisy Selmans every time I entered town. Now I wish I actually knew someone among the many I see.

The offspring of Selma's immigrant famers learned English, they intermarried, and within a generation they knew nothing of the old country and little of the old language. Now Selma is an edge city on the freeway of somewhere near twenty thousand anonymous souls, and is expanding at an unchecked pace...

Time passes; things must change. And so I accept transformations that are inevitable: a price-cutting Wal-Mart would drive out our third-generation Japenese-owned nursery, and multinational agribusiness would overwhelm the once prosperous Sikh family farm down the road. While I saw all this happening as if by time lapse, I hoped that the new Selma would at lease retain the language, customs, laws and multiracial but unicultural flavor of the old. But it has not" (1-2).

Hanson captures well the sentiment of many long-time Fresnans who've lived through the changing demographic of their home city. To walk through the mall or browse the aisles of Target reveals a city unlike any I've ever experienced: a veritable melting pot of cultures, languages and peoples who've descended on central Calfornia.

As a minister and disciple of Jesus, my heavenly citizenship must frame the way I see every person. I cannot look upon others as an impediment to my lifestyle; no, I give thanks to God that he is bringing the nations to our doorstep.

Our challenges are great. The needs of our city, immense. But I have faith that the God who enabled a band of twelve men to change the world in their lifetime can enable a strong, healthy congregation like Woodward Park to reach their city with the gospel by living out the mission of Jesus everyday.

Perryman and Vivian Denison

For four years (1995-1998), Mandy and I lived in Lake City, Florida. It was where our first preaching ministry occurred. It was in Lake City that we built our first house together. It was during our time in Lake City that our first child was born.

But the greatest memory of our time in Lake City centered around the friendships we made. One of those friendships was the relationship forged with Perryman and Vivian Denison. For many years, Perryman preached for the largest Church of Christ in Jacksonville, Florida. When Vivian's mom grew old and required care, Perryman and Vivian moved to Lake City and it was there that a deep, lifelong bond was formed.

For the duration of our time in Lake City, Perryman and I met every Wednesday to study God's Word and to share insight and wisdom. I learned so much sitting at his feet. Despite his retirement from full-time ministry, Perryman kept an office in their home and continued to study and prepare as though he were still in full-time ministry. I was privileged to meet with him in his study once a week. We prayed. We studied. We shared. And I grew immensely.

Yesterday, the Central Church of Christ had a special day to honor Perryman, who preached the sermon, upon the celebration of his 86th birthday (he and Mandy share the same birthday, February 3). Though separated by some 2,587 miles and three time zones, I had the privilege of introducing Perryman via a letter read to the assembly by Dr. Michael Stone, current Preaching Minister for the Central church. Here is the text of the letter I wrote in honor of Perryman:

Dear Central Church family,

Greetings from the other side of the United States, from Fresno, California specifically. Mandy and I so wish we could be with you today to celebrate Perryman’s 86th birthday.

When we came to Lake City twelve years ago, Mandy and I made an immediate bond with Perryman and Vivian. They hosted us in their home on our interview and early on, we discovered we had a lot in common since Perryman and Mandy share the same birthday (February 3rd).

During our three-plus years with you, Perryman took me under his wing. I’m sure you’ll remember that every Wednesday, Perryman and I met together to pray and study God’s Word together. I cannot even begin to tell you the ways that time with Perryman impacted my life and ministry! I can honestly say, without reservation, I learned more about the Bible and God’s will for my life and ministry sitting at the feet of Perryman than I did in my four years of college training at Harding University.

When I think of Perryman, I think of a tireless servant of the Lord. I think of a man with a passion for the truth who is able to convey his insight with grace. I think of a man with a big heart for the lost, the least, and those learning the way of Jesus.

There have been many times in my ministry when I’ve asked myself, “How would Perryman handle this?” “What would Perryman say in this situation?” My life and my ministry have been eternally impacted by his example.

Paul admonished the Corinthian church to “follow me because I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11.1). In the same way, throughout my ministry and for the remainder of my life, my aim is to follow the example given me by Perryman, because Perryman follows Jesus in an authentic, transparent manner.

Perryman, I wish I could be there at Central today to join in the celebration of your 86th birthday. I’m guessing your uncomfortable by all the attention you are receiving, but because you have impacted all of our lives, you are most deserving. I think I speak for many when I say, we are eternally grateful to God for your impact on our lives.

With Jesus’s Love,

Jim Gardner
Fresno, California

Today, as I pray, rest assured I will thank God for sending Perryman and Vivian Denison into our lives. Their influence is impossible to overlook in our ministry and our marriage.

Who has influenced your walk of faith? Why not take some time today to send them a letter, give them a call, and pray thanksgiving to God for the person(s) who most influenced your faith.

Silver Linings and the Super Bowl

Yesterday we should have been in Cayucos. Instead, we remained in Fresno and that allowed me to experience some real silver linings:

*Witnessing the baptism of Christina Parra. Christina has been visiting Woodward Park for some time as a guest of Cheryl Rowe. Christina is pregnant with twins, was hospitalized earlier this week, and upon her release decided it was time to become a disciple of Jesus by being immersed.

*Received a phone call telling me I'd won a special drawing at SportClips as a result of filling out a survey following my haircut on Wednesday. I love SportClips...nothing passes the time of getting a haircut like being able to watch ESPN.

*Tori and I got to spend some quality time together. It's not often little sis gets to do something fun that big sis misses out on, but last night, Tori and I made it to the Fresno State/Hawaii game while big sis hung back to help out with mom. We saw a stinker of a game (the Warriors won 54-42, forcing me to rescind my prediction that the 'Dogs will beat Nevada next week) but had a blast together.

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What's your Super Bowl pick? Having lived all my life in the Eastern and Central time zones, I'm used to missing the first half of the Super Bowl due to the evening assembly. In the West, the game begins at 3:25, meaning it's the second half that runs alongside the assembly.

Thank you, DVR.

Do you take Chicago's defense prowess or Indy's offensive machine? I'm banking on Indy's defense playing as strong in the Big Game as the playoffs, a minor miracle in the turnaround compared with the regular season.

Colts - 24, Bears - 10.

Cayucos

For the first time in I can't remember when, my dear wife and I get a break for a couple of days. Don't get me wrong, we love our girls very much, but occasionally, a couple need a getaway.

Our getaway begins today.

For the next two days, Mandy and I are going to enjoy some R&R time on the central California coast. Based upon a recommendation, we are going to Cayucos. We've been to San Francisco. We've been to Monterrey. Our summer vacation plans are to take the girls to San Diego for some time at the World Famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and...for dad, some Padres baseball at Petco Park.

Today, though, it's just me and my bride. This is our first trip to the central coast and we are excited about taking in Cayucos and Morro Bay. As an added bonus, this getaway is motivated by the fact that Saturday is Mandy's birthday (no, I'm not telling you how old she is!)

Here's hoping you have a blessed Thursday and Friday. I am anticipating the down time on the coast will be a blessing for us. I'll be back on Monday with a special tribute to a special man who just happens to share a birthday with Mandy.

Till then, "the Lord bless you and keep you. May he be gracious unto you and give you peace."

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Cayucos Trip Update (I typed the above on Wednesday afternoon): Well, our weekend getaway has been postponed for three weeks. Mandy has come down with the flu and is running a temperature of 101. I am thankful that the Cayucos Beach Inn is kind enough to allow us to move our reservation.

Oh well...guess I'll be back at the blog tomorrow.