Be Alert

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. — 1 Peter 5:8

Happy Hallowen!

Today we celebrated All Saints Day by remembering those who have gone before us.

So many wonderful saints who w were blessed to have known.

Then we went swimming - Abby and I got to share a lane.

The weather was perfect.

We're looking forward to handing out candy tonight.

Here are the pumpkins in our wall ready to greet the trick-or-treaters.

Grace and Peace Be Yours

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. — 2 Peter 1:2

In just two weeks, our friend Ilsa will move to Arizona.

Exciting for her, but sad for us.

We'll miss her in the choir.

And her friends at Ladle will miss her and the coffee she prepared each month.

Saturday we met at Stone Brewery to wish her bon voyage.

Rodney came in his shark outfit - his girls will be baby sharks!

We had a fun time together eating outside.

A beautiful night.

Wishing her God's peace as she moves on.

And hoping she can return and join us to sing for our Christmas concert.

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” — 1 Peter 1:24-25

As people, we wither and fade like grass.

Our glory starts to fade, just like flowers.

Here are some Plumeria from our friends Mary and Gary.

Even though our lives are temporal,

God and His Son Jesus are forever.

God's Word endures long after we're gone.

It continues forever.

God is eternal - outside of time as we know it.

It's hard to comprehend, but the bottom line is that He cares for us.

And God's love endures forever, just as His Word does.

We Trust in God

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. — Psalm 20:7

We don't trust in our armies,

or in our governments,

even though they may be ordained by God.

Rather, we trust in the Name of the Lord.

We trust in His Son, Jesus.

And we worship our God and Father.

As we get ready to celebrate All Hallow's Eve and

All Saints Day, we remember those who have gone before.

Our family members and friends - those who knew Jesus and served as our role models.

Like them, we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

The Lord Answers From His Sanctuary

Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. — Psalm 20:6

God anoints us with the power of His everlasting love.

He redeems us through His Son, our Lord Jesus.

The Lord gives victory to those He anointed.

He answers us when we call to Him.

And He extends to us the victorious power of His right hand.

Saturday evening we had our friends Walley and Nicole join us for dinner.

Nicole just got a promotion from her work.

Very exciting for her!

And Walley is dealing with the stresses of teaching middle schoolers.

And the bigger stressors of dealing with coworkers and admin who don't understand all that his job entails and just how much his routines help his classes run smoothly.

We had a great time catching up.

God extends to us the power of His right hand.

He answers us when we call to Him.

May the Lord Answer You

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. — Psalm 20:1

Saturday morning I met some friends and we hiked around Santee Lakes.

It was a beautiful morning, and we met some friendly people along the way.

We saw lots of ducks and some geese.

A fun morning to be outdoors.

And to thank God for His wonderful creation.

We Trust in the Lord

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. — Psalm 20:7

Today we had our BlesSING concert with the San Diego Street Choir.

The choir was joined by East Lake High School chorale - very talented young singers.

Our orchestra sounded great.

It was a lot of work on the part of our director, Rodney, and our orchestra conductor, Judith.

But everyone really enjoyed it.

And money was raised for our Street Corner Care ministry.

Our friend Bob Plimpton came, too.

He was very impressed.

He only wished he could have played the organ with us for God Bless America.

Our friend Shirley sang with us at the church service this morning and then went in for a CT Scan to try to find out why she has a large lump on her neck.

We are praying for wisdom for her doctors.