What an Ending!

We are home in Grants Pass now -- got in about 9:30 Sunday evening. But this past week... wow! Let me tell you about it. We had a great time Tuesday having breakfast with some friends and touring the Hatfield Marine Science Center. It was a gorgeous day and we walked around outside talking. Then my phone rang. Then it rang again. The first call was from the window people. They wanted to come Wednesday to install the new windows. Okay, no problem. The second call was from the carpet people. They wanted to come Thursday! Thursday!! I tried to talk him into waiting until next week when the house would be empty but they wanted to schedule it NOW. So we packed up and moved into the spare room in the garage. There we sat, me in my recliner working on my sermon, and Joyce on a foam pad reading a book in a little room stuffed with stuff. The carpet people didn't get there until noon so they had to continue their work the next day. But by 3:00 Friday. It looked great. Really great! Since we had to take our bed down we used the air mattress and foam pads and camped out in the living room. It was fun, it really was.

Saturday evening we packed the pickup. When I say packed, you have to read that as "stuffed full to overflowing and then poked back in." We finished packing a few things after church, cleaned the last of the places that needed cleaning, visited a church member who has cancer, and left town about 2:45. The people gave us a little thank you gift and had a cake with a sombrero on it -- sending us off to Mexico (which is next week).

Just for the record, let me say again: these are such great, loving, generous people. We thoroughly enjoyed our 7 months in Newport and will miss seeing everyone. Fortunately we will get to see them once a month for awhile as we go back to Newport to work with the new pastor.

And now, for the next chapter in our lives. We don't know what that will be, except that next week we will go to Mexico with the Grants Pass Church and most of July will be spent with Jana, Josiah, and Lilly. Because of the trip next week, I will have to miss adding a note to the blog, so the next one will be the first part of July when we get back.

And that's what's in my world. What's in yours?

Washing, Communion, and Baptism

It just keeps getting better, more blessings, more fun. Since this is Sunday, you can guess I'm referring to our worship today. We began a new start time today -- 10:30. Most of the people remembered. But it seemed we were very disorganized. The chorus CDs weren't cued and things like that which drive me nuts! But it was still a good worship. I preached about the time Jesus "cleansed" the temple by driving out those who were desecrating it. At the end we dismissed -- er, I mean we adjourned -- to finish the service at Longview Hills Clubhouse. Now, I need to explain. Quite a few of our people live in this modular home estate about a mile from the church -- across the highway and up the hill. They have a hot tub and we had people to be baptised. What a better place. So at the end of our church service we journeyed up the hill and had a hot tub service. Since there is not a whole lot of us (17 at this service, a few more at the church) we met in the hot tub room. I concluded the sermon there by reminding everyone that in the Old Testament they used ritual hand washing to indicate a heart and life that was right with God. So I washed the hands of anyone who had stuff in their lives that they were asking God to cleanse. It was a ritual washing but I think rather meaningful.

Then we participated in the sacrament of communion. Then... the baptism. Three people were baptised -- one was a teen boy and another a young adult lady. The third was a lady who just recently came to saving faith in Jesus. An interesting side note is that she used to live in Grants Pass and visited our church there in the middle 90s. She didn't attend long and we don't remember her (she doesn't remember us either). It was a great time! Love it!!

One picture is of the hand washing and the other of Austin just after being baptised.

at the parsonage. Got two pickup loads of old lumber and yard debris hauled off, power washed the outside (mildew collects easily here), cut a big hole in the living room carpet and put the piece in the room in the garage (office or spare bedroom), pulled the carpet in the smelly bedroom and discovered quite a few soft spots in the underlayment (moisture from ... oh no, not a dog!!!!). So the guys pulled that up and will replace it this week. The ladies re-stained some bad places on the kitchen cabinets and we did a few other odd jobs. The new carpet will be ordered tomorrow and will be installed when we clear out.

We have a man in ICU in the hospital. He had surgery on Tuesday and has a lot of recovery ahead of him. So, in addition to visiting him we have a lot of "getting ready to leave" stuff to do this week.

And that's what's in my world. What's in yours?

Progress and Plans

Progress is good. So are plans. We have both. It is happening. Regarding the work on the parsonage... new windows have been picked out and ordered. New carpet is picked out and will be ordered this week. The windows will be installed about the time we move out and the carpet right afterward. The kitchen cabinets need a little work and Larry and I are going to do that Wednesday. We have a work day scheduled for Saturday to do some general clean-up and a little painting. If we can save considerable money by removing the old carpet ourselves we will also do that Saturday (and if we have enough people). We might also power wash the outside of house. There will be a little painting outside to be done but that can wait until later.

I preached yesterday and will two more times. This coming week will be busy getting ready for a baptism we are going to have next Sunday. More about that next time. Joyce and I are anxious to get on with the next phase of our lives but are also going to miss these wonderful people. So we are a little mixed in our emotions. We face a busy summer so that will keep us focusing ahead, instead of looking back.

Wannna see the dead whale? I kind of thought it would be the highlight of your week!!! That is Joyce way off to the right and two of our friends are walking toward her.

Well, that's my world. What's in yours?