Thankful For A Mission Minded Church!! While leading a lesson on Thankfulness, my Sunday School Teacher asked us to tell things we are thankful for. We listed God, Family, Our Church, Our Staff, Our good health, and our good life in retirement as main choices. When I asked the same question to a group of our AWANA kids, they each had something they are thankful for. I am especially thankful that we have a Mission minded church. Our plentiful existence here in the United States is a gift from God. We enjoy abundance of foods, store goods and technology products. Anything we need is available at a local store in our neighborhood. Life is good. God is providing for us. Meanwhile racial, religious, and geographic strife run rampant across the World. People are sacrificing themselves to kill perceived enemies in the name of their god. Women and children are being slaughtered. People are starving, oppressed and dying from sicknesses. And our military loved ones are going into harms way to try to diffuse the turmoil, restore order, and guarantee our freedom. Foreign missionaries face life threatening situations daily as they spread God’s love. Local missionaries face similar but less dangerous situations as they work to start new churches in remote areas. Our church has a rich history of sending out teams to start churches. Kernville Baptist Church was started in 1962, New Cuyama and Trinity Baptist Churches were started in 1965, and in 1969 we sponsored the start of the Baptist Church in Keene. Other missions were started in the 70’s and 80’s, including the team we sent to revive the Buttonwillow Baptist Church around 1985. Plans are underway to start a new Church next year. I am so thankful that my church is Mission Minded. Our people are always gracious with contributions to our special annual missionary efforts. As we enter the holiday season, please join me in praying for those who are laying down their lives for our freedom. We each will also want to give as we can to further foreign missionary work. It’s what God expects us to do. (Mark 15:16) Grandpa Dick

Church is Taking Back Sunday from Satan!! Driving to Church on Sunday morning gives one a chance to see where God and Satan are at work. At one intersection, you can turn east into a Church parking lot, or west, into a parking lot for a bike and walking path. The number of cars turning east is about the same as those turning west. Others are turning into a park for a day of children’s sports and picnic activities. It seems like the sinful nature of common man is winning. Along the way families are seen washing their cars, watering their lawns, or playing in their yards. Men are relaxing on their porches with coffee, waiting for a day of Sunday TV football. In an age not too long ago, all stores were closed on Sunday. Sunday was set aside to rest, contemplate the future and communicate with God. One wouldn’t dream of doing something like “work”, or play organized sports. Our Sunday world has become a pot pouri of “sinful nature” activities. How can you explain this? What happened? What caused the scales to tip? Sorry lovely golden senior people, but I think it started with us. Yes, our generation still goes to church, but we, our offspring, and their offspring, have relaxed our Sunday standards. Actually, it started even before that. In 1924 the Olympics scheduled races on Sunday. One Scottish world class runner, Eric Liddell, refused to run in his specialty event because of the Sunday schedule. He stood fast in his beliefs, did not run in his event. Later, he was able to win an Olympic gold medal in another event not scheduled on Sunday. Since then, Satan has strengthened his foothold on Sunday activities. Some Churches are reversing the trend by offering Saturday services and small home “accountability” groups during the week. Other Churches have started children’s sports activities that include bible study. New pastors and ministers are rethinking how they should structure God’s work and are becoming very creative as new ways to worship are created. So, as these new programs are taking hold, there is hope and a bright future in store for us and our offspring. Traveling on down the street and turning into our church parking lot, I see neighbors coming across the street, cars turning in from all directions, and a hubbub of activity as the fellowship of God assembles for Bible study and Worship. Indeed, our future is bright. Maybe you should check it out. See you Sunday. Grandpa Dick

God’s Temple (Our Body) and God’s Church-Need Maintenance!!! Bev and I recently attended our High School class’ 50th reunion in El Paso, Texas. We rekindled relationships with over 100 old friends, and visited the old school and some of our favorite hangouts. Some of our classmates are in excellent health, others not so healthy. Several were using canes, walkers or wheel chairs, others (mostly men) had gray and thinning hair, some had hearing aids and many had glasses. Time has taken a toll on God’s 68 year old Temples. The gals seem to look better than the guys. As a reference point, here are pictures of what we looked like back then.There are a few, however, that look just the same as 50 years ago, and we marveled at their preservation. Most of the better looking ones claim to have a daily routine of healthy eating and regular exercise. We know that maintenance is required to keep our bodies up and running. There is an interesting similarity to the ageing of Church buildings. Once bright paint can fade to grey. Roofs require new coatings to keep from leaking. Stucco can crumble around foundations, and air conditioner filters can get clogged and hinder air flow. These and other maladies can be addressed with regular maintenance. When a congregation sees a need, they respond. Last Saturday morning a large group of volunteers came to church for a “work day.” Six teams were assigned tasks including stucco repair, filter changing, pew polishing, painting, lighting repair, and weed and debris cleanup. A big Grandpa Dick ‘tip of the hat’ to all that attended. More work needs to be done, but just like the maintenance required for our bodies, church buildings require ongoing care. Bev and I will continue diligently at both tasks until Jesus comes. Will you join us? Grandpa Dick (By the way: In El Paso the “Oasis Drive In” where we used to hang out and get a cherry limeade, is gone. There is a small restaurant and dry cleaners in its place.)