The Lord Forms the Light

I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. — Isaiah 45:6b-7

Palm Desert Sunset 2017

God forms the light to guide us during the day.

He creates darkness to help us sleep well at night.

He brings prosperity and creates disaster.

He is the Lord and there is no other.

The Lord accomplishes all of these things.

At the same time, He does not shower blessings just because I follow His way.

He leads me through the path of difficulty, giving me a chance to grow closer to Him and to rely on Him more and more.

He asks me to follow Him no matter what occurs.

And He continues to bless me, even through the tough times.

The Lord does all these things.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. — Isaiah 45:5-6

Palm Desert Sunset

God is Lord, and there is no other.

Apart from Him there is no God.

He gives me strength to get through any trials that come my way.

My Bible study group is reading Pilgrim's Progress right now.

Reading about the Hill of Difficulty that Christian climbs and the people he meets who try to take the easy path of Destruction or avoid the narrow way is very humbling.

I often act that way, too.

Even so, God gives me strength, forgiving me when I don't acknowledge Him.

From the rising of sun to its setting, people may know there is none besides Him.

Hidden Treasures

I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. — Isaiah 45:3

Palm Desert Flowers

God has shown me that He is the Lord.

He has given me hidden treasures — sometimes in the everyday occurrences of life.

God has stored riches in secret places, even right under my nose.

He is the God of Israel, but He is also my father.

He calls me by name. I am His.

These are some flowers we saw everywhere we went in Palm Desert.

We love them, but are not sure what they are called.

Once we find out, we will get some for up against our house.

The bright orange will be a wonderful contrast to our stucco.

Maker of All Things

This is what the Lord says — your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself. — Isaiah 44:24

God formed me in my mother's womb.

He knew me before anyone else did.

He has created all things - his artistry is all around me.

God stretches out the heavens.

He spreads out the earth by himself.

I praise Him for the beauty of His creation.

This was the view from our room last week in Palm Desert.

What a treat to have my morning coffee on the patio and to watch the geese waddle up on the grass in the evening.

The Lord is my Redeemer.

Burst Into Song

Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. — Isaiah 44:23

Palm Desert

This is another gorgeous view from our room while we were on vacation last week.

The mountains in the background looked as if they were ready to burst into song.

The palm trees stood tall, proclaiming the greatness of the Lord.

God has redeemed Jacob and has redeemed me.

He displays His glory in the beautiful world around us.

It is an overwhelming showcase for the majesty and glory of the Lord our God.

Sing for Joy

Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. — Isaiah 44:23

God has created the earth.

We sing for joy, joining the heavens in song.

The Lord has done this.

We cannot help but shout aloud.

The earth cries out in praise.

And we raise our voices in joy.

This morning I'll go hiking with some friends.

We may go through Mission Trails by the dam, or we may just go around our neighborhood for 3 miles. 

It will be fun to catch up and get outdoors.

Praise God in the firmament of His power.

Glory and Praise

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. — Revelation 5:12

Palm Desert Sunset

We just returned from a week in Palm Desert, relaxing by the pool and eating way too much delicious food.

Kirk got to play lots of golf.


And we enjoyed card games and other games with our friends.

Kaiser called Thursday to let me know that the CT scan came back negative.

They will do another one in six months, just to make sure I'm still doing fine.

I have been covered in prayers.

God is good, and he continues to bless me.

To Him be all glory and praise.

Faith Is Confidence in What We Hope For

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. — Hebrews 11:1

Faith is having confidence that God is in control.

He knows the big picture while I only see a dim version of just a portion of the whole.

This week we have been blessed to spend time with our friends in Palm Desert.

It has been relaxing and fun to get away.

Abby is not ready to come home.

Our place has been right on the golf course, overlooking a pond.

We have geese who come up to join us in the evening.

And we are swimming 2-3 times a day — from 12:30 to 2:30, 3:00 to 5:00 and 8:00 to 10:00 at night.

We did not do too much laying out because it was so hot.

But the pool was really refreshing.

I'll get in a one-hour swim on Saturday morning before we pack up to head home.

Kirk and Abby will probably sleep in.

God has blessed us with this time together.

We are grateful and refreshed.

Enlightened

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. — Ephesians 1:18

I don't pray as often as I should.

Rather, I spend my time doing other things that get in the way of my relationship with Him.

I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened.

I also pray for my friends and family members who don't know Jesus.

That their eyes and heart may also be enlightened.

So that they will know the hope to which He has called us.

And the riches of His glorious inheritance.

We are His own.

He has called us as His holy people.

The Spirit of Wisdom

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. — Ephesians 1:17

Today my boss and I had a conversation about how our news seems to divide us.

It used to be that we would all watch the same three news channels and would see the same news items, which were presented in very objective ways.

My boss used to work for Reuters and they had to be very careful not to call one side "terrorists."

We discussed how people now only view the news that aligns with their views.

As a result, it becomes very difficult to debate issues without getting passionate about it.

Therefore, I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

As we get to know Him better, we are able to really listen to others without being judgemental or critical.

God is our glorious Father.

Giving Thanks for You

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. — Ephesians 1:15-16

I am thankful for my friends who are praying for me and my CT scan today.

And for the nurse Bela who managed to get the IV in my arm after a couple of tries.

She even prayed when it didn't work the first time, and I joined her.

She told me about a doctor she used to work with who also prayed for his patients.

What a blessing!

I should have the results in a couple of weeks.

If everything is ok, they will send me a letter.

My doctor said I'm probably fine, but we just needed to make sure so we don't worry since I have a slightly swollen area in my neck.

I have not stopped giving thanks for my friends and family members and prayer warriors, remembering them in my prayers.

Included

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. — Ephesians 1:13

When I heard the message of truth, I also became a child of God.






Jesus died for my sins.

God's message for me is the gospel of my salvation.

He marked me with a seal when I believed.

God sent His Holy Spirit to live within me, just as He had promised.

The Holy Spirit adds new color to my life.

He gives my life purpose and meaning.

Wednesday I have my CT scan to confirm that I am cancer free.

I will work at home, then go over to my appointment at 11:00 and then continue to work at home for the day.

In a week or two my doctor will have the results back and will let me know how everything turned out.

The Purpose of His Will

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. — Ephesians 1:11-12

In Christ, we were chosen.

God has worked out everything according to His will and plan.

He works out everything to conform with the purpose of His will.

God does this in order that we might live for the praise of His glory.

We put our hope in Christ.

He is the author and perfecter of our faith.

This is June Lake, one of God's creations.

I am one of His creations, too.

And I am grateful.

The Mystery of His Will

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. — Ephesians 1:9-10

God is all wise and all understanding.

He made knows to us the mystery of His will, to bring unity to all things in heaven and earth.

God's plan is to bring everything in heaven and on earth under Christ Jesus.

We are part of that great plan.

This morning I walked around the neighborhood around Patrick Henry High School with some friends before church.

We were really warm by 9:00 - good thing we started early.
  
We got in 2.5 miles and some good hills. Pretty good for a warm morning.



 

Chosen

He [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. — Ephesians 1:4

God planned for me before the word was created.

He chose me as one of His children.

I don't worship Him just to be blessed.

I worship Him because of what He has done for me.

Yesterday Abby and I walked around Lake Murray. 

It was hot but beautiful.

The ducks were paddling on the lake and a few people were fishing.

It brought back memories of her birthday party on Lake Murray when she was in elementary school.

God has chosen us to be holy in His sight.

Praise to God

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. — Ephesians 1:3   
 

Praise be to God and to Jesus.

The morning began with sun shining before 8:00, and the birds are singing away.

We are hoping to have a couple of friends over this evening for appetizers outside on the patio.

This will be our first time to entertain anyone since the coronavirus hit our nation.

And we are still hesitant about gathering in groups.

Our church is hoping to hold a small service on Sunday to record the service for the following week.

This will be our first time together.

For the past few months we've been recording everything separately and our tech team leader, Adam, has been doing video edits to splice each portion together.

What a huge amount of work!

So we will be doing a very carefully social distanced service recording and it will play on July 19.

The plan is to do the same on the 19th to play on July 26.

Praise be to God our Father.

He has blessed us the heavenly realms.

He has given us every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ.

Justified by Faith

So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. — Galatians 3:24-25

We were under the law before Christ came into our lives.

Now we are justified by faith.

Previously the law was our guardian.

Now that we have faith in Christ, we are no longer under a guardian.

Today I went to the dentist for the first time in about 8 months.

It was my dental hygienist Julie's birthday, so her room was decorated.

I also saw our dentist, Dr. Russ, whose dad just passed away.

He was there with his sister Mary just before his dad died.

So we had a chance to talk about what a blessing it was, even though it is hard to lose a parent.

His dad died on their anniversary. How cool is that.

God's timing is amazing!


 

God, Our Mediator

The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. — Galatians 3:19-20

Our friend Mary lost her dad last week.

We are grieving with her.

At the same time, we rejoice that her dad is now in heaven with his wife and with Jesus. 

Even so, it's hard to lose your parents, as we know.

Our friend Lavonne created this beautiful arrangement for her.

The law was given through angels and entrusted to Jesus, our mediator.

A mediator implies more than one.

But God and Jesus are one.

We are grateful.

The Hope of Eternal Life

In the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior. — Titus 2-3

God promised us before the beginning of creation that we have the hope of eternal life.

People may not always be able to keep their promises.

But God always keeps His promises. He does not lie.

He has brought to light the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

We worshiped online today, sheltering at home with our family.

It was hot and sunny, but I got out for a walk with a friend at 7:30, before it got too warm.

We saw a small bunny running our way up the sidewalk.

He had no fear.

We can have no fear knowing that God is with us.

Grace and Peace

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. — Titus 1:4

In June, Hanabi and I sang Mendelssohn's "I Waited for the Lord" as a duet with our organist/choir director Rodney accompanying.

It was such fun to record it the month before with our awesome tech crew.

During this time of social distancing, we are singing 8 feet apart and to an empty sanctuary.

This was shown on Livestream as part of our June 28th, 2020 8:30 and 11am Worship Services at First Presbyterian Church San Diego

You can watch our clip on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/MusicAtFPCSD/videos/323480251993648/?t=0

And watch the full Live-Stream worship service here: https://www.facebook.com/FPCSD/videos/298386638007765/

Christ Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

Grace and peace from God the Father to you.

Servants of God

A servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. — Titus 1:1

Corn Hole Game

As servants of God, we are asked to do God's will in our lives.

This weekend we got out our cornhole game.

We haven't played in almost a year so we are a bit rusty.

We got better with practice.

It was hot, so we couldn't play for very long.

I did get one in the hole after a few rounds.

As a servant of God, we are asked to further the faith and to spread the knowledge of His truth.

Pilate asked, "What is truth?"

Jesus answered, "I am the way, the  Truth, and the life. Whoever believes in me will have everlasting life."

God Is the Lord of Our Nation

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. — Psalm 33:12

This weekend we celebrate the birthday of our country.

Last year we joined the crowds down the harbor to watch the fireworks.

My niece Victoria and her boyfirned Max were visiting us from Vienna.

We had such a great time together.

Hopefully they will come back for a visit again next summer.

And if my sister is feeling better, perhaps she will come for a visit, too.

We miss them all.

We are blessed as a nation that God is our Lord.

He has chosen us, His people, for His inheritance.

What better legacy could we ask for?

Christ's Ambassadors

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  — 2 Corinthians 5:20
 
Today is July 4, the birthday of our country.

It is also the 20th birthday of my company.

Axos Bank was founded in the year 2000 on July 4 as BofI Federal Bank.

This year we will be celebrating without the fireworks and crowds.

Usually we meet friends down at the harbor for the fireworks display.

It will be quite a bit different this year with COVID-19.

Perhaps we will watch some of the televised celebrations from the White House.

The music is one of my favorite parts, of course.

Last year, my friend Peggy made this beautiful Poke Cake for memorial day.

This year we watched an excellent Memorial Day tribute on PBS.

It was very moving, and honored some of our veterans as well as those who gave their all for our country.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors.

Happy Independence Day!

The Message of Reconciliation

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. — 2 Corinthians 5:19

Monday I returned to work back in the Axos Bank office full time.

It was fun to get to see lots of friends and coworkers who had been working at home for the past few months.

And the commute is great right now while most people are still sheltering in place.

At the same time, I'm nervous about having so many of us inside together when the coronavirus is spreading.

I brought extra masks for my colleagues.

And my boss made signs for my desk and those of my teammates, asking others to social distance and/or wear a mask, too.

After work, my friend had some of my girlfriends from church over to her home.

We sat outside at a safe distance and had a great time together.

I haven't seen some of them since the beginning of March, when our church stopped having services.

And I've missed them.

They have always been very supportive of me, not counting my sins and faults against me.

And they have lifted me and family up in prayer — I've done the same for them.

God has brought us together to be part of His family.
 

Reconciled Through Christ

 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  — 2 Corinthians 5:18

This past week was Kirk's first as a retired teacher. 

He had a chance to get out golfing with friends twice.

And of course, one of his crowns fell out, which meant a last-minute trip to the dentist.

Fortunately, they were able to fit him in, he saved it when it fell out, and they got it set back on the tooth where it belonged.

Here is one of the cars that was decorated just a week ago to celebrate his retirement.

He also received a very complimentary email from the superintendent of his school district, wanting to get together.

Then he threw out his back a bit with the golfing.

This retirement thing will be quite an adjustment, but he is up to it.

Congratulations, Kirk!

30 years well spent.

You touched many lives, both young and old.

And you inspired many students to go on and live up to their potential.

The New Creation Has Come

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Now that I follow Christ, my old sinful and dirty self is being put aside.

The old has gone. 

The new is here!

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation!

Sunday I made strawberry sorbet. 

It turned out a bit soft so it's now hardening in the freezer.

Even so, it was very tasty. 

I topped it with a sprig of mint from our garden.

My next recipe will use coconut cream.

We'll see which version we like best with a taste test.

Just as the strawberries became new when I made them into sorbet, how much more is God transforming me into a new creation!