Filled With Joy

 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. — 2 Timothy 1:4

Last weekend I got a new laptop computer.

First I went to Costco, and they were all out of the Mac 16" laptops.

They called around, but all of their stores had only the display Mac available.

And they don't sell those — although they do sell them if they're PCs.

So I ordered from Apple online, and since Abby works for a school now, they threw in a pair of Apple earbuds.

And they gave me a discount on the accessories.

Plus a discount on the computer so it ended up being slightly less than Costco.

I ordered it for pickup so when I arrived, the salesperson brought it all out to my car.

Very convenient and easy.

Friday I sang for a memorial service at our church.

The memorial was for Patricia, who was 93 - her husband had passed away a few years before.

They were both very thoughtful and caring people.

Friday would have been her 94th birthday so the reception featured birthday cake.

Recalling Rita and Gary and my mom and dad, reminded me of the tears we've shed.

But we are filled with joy that they are in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus.

You Have Been Brought Near

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. — Ephesians 2:13

I have been searching for a new writer for our company for the past three months.

Today my candidate accepted our offer.

He will start in two weeks.

I am praising God for His goodness and His answer to prayer. 

I am also praying for my friend who is still looking for a place to rent for her family.

And for our neighbor Wanda who lost her husband last month.

Today was his memorial ceremony at Miramar cemetery. 

He was 90 years old and had suffered from dementia.

He and Wanda had been married for 67 years.

They were wonderful neighbors and special friends.

We  got to see her grandson who used to shoot hoops in their back yard.

He is now living in Denver and doing well.

God is good and we are blessed.

We Are God's Handiwork

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Ephesians 2:10 

God's handiwork surrounds us.

We are part of His handiwork.

The creation that God called very good.

We were created in Christ Jesus to good works.

God has prepared in advance for us to do good works for His glory.

We are not asked to decide to follow Jesus.

But rather to yield our lives to Jesus.

Not to force our lives in His direction.

But to turn our lives over to Him willingly.

Help us, Lord, to do just that.

God Raised Us Up

God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. — Ephesians 2:6 

God raised us up with Christ.

He seated us with Him in the heavenly realm.

He gives us passage to live with him in heaven.

We are blessed.

God Made Us Alive With Christ

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. — Ephesians 2:4-5

God's love for us is great.

He is rich in mercy.

Even though we don't deserve it.

He has made us alive in Christ.

By God's grace I have been saved.

Yesterday, our Aunt Jean passed away.

She is now with her Lord and Savior Jesus.

Here she is in 2017 on the occasion of her 90th birthday. 

She was amazing, and we miss her already.

I Will Not Be Shaken

 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. — Psalm 16:8

I don't always keep my eyes on the Lord.

But when I do, He helps me stand firm.

With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

This is the classroom Kirk had last year before he retired.

The globe his mom gave him is on the shelf in the corner.

He forgot to bring it home, but he's glad the new teacher was able to put it to good use.

The posters are some of the ones his colleague Mary gave Kirk years ago.

Kirk left them for his colleague, the new seventh grade teacher.

He was very appreciative.

We are so glad Kirk is retired.

Whoever Has the Son Has Life

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. — 1 John 5:12

God sent us Jesus to save us from sin.

Jesus was the pure sacrifice.

He gave his life so we can live with Him forever.

Jesus paid the price so we can have eternal life.

One day, we will live in heaven with Him.

Today I got an email from UCSD Health, where I had my radiation treatment.

They informed me that I'm eligible for the covid-19 booster.

I can get either the Pfizer or Moderna one - it doesn't matter which one I got originally.

So I'll be checking their website tomorrow to see what appointments are available.

California has a special Covid time off leave so I won't have to use my sick leave when I take time off to get the booster.

God has provided for our family.

RIde in Triumph

I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. — Isaiah 58:14

God will cause us to ride in triumph.

He will carry us over the land.

And will save for us the inheritance of our father Jacob.

The mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

And His goodness lasts forever.

He is righteous and holy.

To Live Is Christ

 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. — Philippians 1:21

Jesus loves us.

He died for us so we can live forever.

For me, to live is Christ.

Several of our acquaintances and friends' parents have died over the past few months.

Melanie, Ian, Celeste, Mark, Ken, just to name a few.

All of them are now with Jesus.

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

 

Joy in the Lord

And if you honor [the Lord's day] by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord. — Isaiah 58:13-14]

It is sometimes a challenge to honor the Lord's day each Sabbath.

There are so many other things to distract us from God.

That's why we worship together every Sunday as a family.

It helps ground our week in the Lord.

And helps us focus on our Creator instead of on ourselves.

Sunday morning worship get's us into God's Word.

And gives us a chance to sing praises to the Lord.

And to fellowship in community with others.

And to study His Word together as the body of Christ.

Call the Lord's Day Honorable

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable. — Isaiah 58:13

We found out this week that Kirk's high school buddies Ian and Pete lost their dad last month.

The memorial service will be next month.

His dad was 92, and Kirk has great memories of hanging out at Ian's house when his dad would come home from work and hang out with the boys even after putting in really long days as a doctor.

Pete was Gary's surgeon at Sharp Grossmont Hospital.

Last night we had a fun evening with some of Kirk's other high school friends.

Brian is in town and had us over for steaks and shrimp with Steve, Tim and Mike.

Steve cooked the steaks and shrimp to perfection on the barbecue.

Kirk brought a bottle of Turley that went great with the steak and shrimp.

We sat around the pool overlooking the beach, watching the sun set.

It was the perfect way to spend the evening before the Sabbath.

A Well-Watered Garden

You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. — Isaiah 58:11

When God guides us, we are constantly refreshed.

Like springs in the desert, God continually nourishes us.

He satisfies our thirst.

So we can be like a well-watered garden, producing good fruit.

A joy for others to see.

And his living water never dries up.

He is like a spring whose waters never fail.

 

 

The Lord Will Guide You

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. — Isaiah 58:11

God will guide us wherever we go.

He will satisfy our needs.

And He will strengthen us.

When our frame feels feeble and small and frail, 

God will give us the strength we need to go on,

The Lord Will Answer

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. — Isaiah 58:9

When I call, God will answer.

The Lord is near.

When I cry for help, God will hear me.

And He will respond, "Here am I."

When I'm not sure what to do, God will lead me.

He has a plan for my life.

He guides and directs my path.

He knows what's best for me.

 

The Glory of the Lord

Then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. — Isaiah 58:8

God's righteousness goes before us and behind us.

His glory fills the whole earth.

And He is our rear guard.

Without Him we are nothing.

And we are grateful that He cares for us.

Your Light Will Break Forth

 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear. — Isaiah 58:8

On Friday, Abby had an interview for a job with Pt. Loma Nazarene University.

Today she did a PowerPoint presentation for some additional people there.

And then they offered her the job!

She will be an Enrollment Counselor for Graduate and Professional Studies.

She picks up her computer tomorrow and starts her training on Monday.

For now she will only go to the campus once or twice a week.

She will work remotely the rest of the time.

Best of all, she will be working at the Mission Valley campus, just 15 minutes from our house!

Her hard work has paid off.

To God be the glory.

Raise Your Voice Like a Trumpet

Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. — Isaiah 58:1

Sunday we worshiped God together as a family.

Kirk and I served communion.

We sang together — Abby, Kirk and me.

We prayed and heard God's Word. 

We worshiped with our household of faith.

With other believers and seekers of the faith.

We were blessed.

 

Don't Be Afraid

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. — Luke 12:6-7

Friday I joined the women's Bible study at our church.

We were studying Romans 7.

It was a great discussion with lots of great perspectives.

God cares about us.

There is no need to be afraid.

I am worth more than many sparrows.

The hairs on my head are numbered.

For a while I had no hairs on my head while I was going through chemo.

Now I have my hair back, and the hairs on my head are very precious.

 

The Lord Will Save Us

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. — Isaiah 33:22

Yesterday  morning I went to our church women's Bible study.

We are studying Romans 7 and had a good discussion about Paul's message.

He was speaking to the Romans, but his words are just as applicable for us today.

It was great to end the week and start the day reading God's Word together.

And sharing our insights.

Abby had her first interview today with Pt. Loma Nazarene.

Her next step will be a presentation.

God is leading us in the ways He would have us go.

Your Light Will RIse in the Darkness

If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. — Isaiah 58:11

God asks us to reach out to the hungry.

To meet the needs of the oppressed.

When we do, God's light will rise in the darkness.

And our night will become like the noonday.

Today I had my performance review with my supervisor.

He had nothing but compliments for me and my work over this past six months.

He is recommending that I be promoted to Vice President.

Our company usually promotes people to AVP - Associate VP first.

So he's not sure if I will be able to get the new title without that step.

Either way, it was a real blessing to be recognized for my hard work and accomplishments.

God has blessed me overwhelmingly.

I am grateful.

The Lord Will Answer

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. — Isaiah 58:9

When I call to Him, God answers me.

The Lord answers my prayer when I stay in close touch with Him.

When I cried for help, He heard me.

And He gave me His strong arm to carry me through my sickness and troubles.

He uses my times of discouragement to remind me that He is sovreign.

And to support me in my weakness and doubt.

He says to me, "Here I am."

And I am comforted. 

A few weeks ago, I reconnected with my former boss.

We had lunch in La Jolla at Barbarello's with my friend and former coworker.

A fun day of rekindling our friendships.

Your Light Will Break Forth Like the Dawn

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. — Isaiah 58:8

Today I had lunch with the Director of Planned Giving for my alma mater.

Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, Virginia.

She was out here on vacation and also spent time visiting a few of us.

It was great to hear about the things happening back at the college.

Students will be back in person this fall.

Back in the spring they were in a hybrid model, with some learning from home and others on campus.

Last fall they were all online, learning from home.

My friend Phebe Westcott is retiring as alumnae director for the college.

This is her last week at Randolph.

They only got about 7-8 applicants for the job.

And none of them were alumns, so they are continuing to advertise the position.

God tells us that His glory will be our rear guard.

His light will break forth through us, like the dawn.

 

 

Peace to Those Far and Near

 Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord. “And I will heal them." — Isaiah 57:19

God sends us His healing touch.

He heals our diseases and our broken souls.

He restores our bodies and our hearts.

God sent His Son Jesus to make us whole.

And He promises us no more crying, tears, or death when we live with Him in heaven.

Just as the Crape Myrtle is growing and blooming behind me,

God helps me to grow and bloom in Him.

He has not rejected me even though I'm a sinner.

Instead, He welcomes me with open arms.

God Will Heal Them

I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips. — Isaiah 57:18

God has seen our ways, and He will hear us.

He will guide us.

And He will restore comfort to Israel.

He will create praise on their lips.

God will comfort Israel's mourners.

Just as hHe comforts us when we mourn.

And He rejoices with us when we rejoice.

He creates us to praise Him.

He Whose Name Is Holy

For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. — Isaiah 57:15

Today is the first day of August.

Yesterday got up to the high 80s.

But we had a fun time in Solana Beach, celebrating our friend Nancy's 95th birthday.

A very fun time reconnecting with friends.

And enjoying delicious food.

And talking about our next road trip to Paso Robles.

Possibly visiting Dao vineyards again.

Thanking God for friends and wonderful times together.