Elder Cleveland and Sis. Margie Becton

As I mentioned yesterday, we were privileged to hear Elder Becton preach on Sunday morning while we were in Nashville. Elder Becton was Les' pastor during his critical teenage years. Les was at the age where he was old enough to understand what was being preached and the decisions he made during that time would determine his life's path. I'm so thankful for a man of God who preached the truth!


Prior to the preaching, Pastor Becton told about Elder Becton wanting to get rid of many of his old books. Elder Becton was going to donate them to a Bible College, but Pastor Becton convinced his dad to give the books to him! They now have the "C.M. Becton Conference Room and Library" which holds all those books.



Pastor Becton also had his mother testify. Sis. Margie Becton is such an upbeat lady! The choir had just finished singing "Battlefield" and she said she was excited to still be on the battlefield, fighting for the Lord! She told about people in their home church in Mesquite, Texas receiving the Holy Ghost. After nearly 70 years of having the Holy Ghost herself, she is still excited about others being filled with God's great gift.

Elder Becton blessed us by playing the piano. That was an incredible treat! He played "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" and it was beautiful. As he was making his way from the piano back to the pulpit, Les said, "that was worth the price of our plane tickets!"

We had not seen Elder Becton in more than 10 years, so when he spoke at the wedding on Saturday, I thought he seemed so frail. But there was nothing frail about his preaching! He preached with passion and annointing! He preached from Acts 16:9 and talked about "Unconscious Need." He first spoke of the Macedonians, or unbelievers, not realizing their need for God. But then he spoke to the church and talked about the church of Laodicea having "need of nothing."

Bro. and Sis. Becton are both 80 years old and during his preaching he told that they both received the Holy Ghost on the same night when they were 11 years old! What a treasure to see people that have certainly been through just about everything life can throw at you, but they're still keeping on. And they're not just "barely making it" - they are overcomers with joy and victory! I wanna be just like them when I grow up!

My only regret is that the pictures I took during service were too far away and too dark to post.

Good Times in Tennessee

Les and I took a quick trip to Tennessee this weekend for the wedding of Alicia Becton and Brent Tidwell. Les has known Alicia since he lived in Nashville and the Becton family is special to us, so when we found out Alicia was getting married, we decided to make the trip. Of course, our first stop was:


Doug and Lori Long met us there, and after satisfying our hunger, we headed to their house. Doug and Lori are on a committee for a "Holiness Hill Reunion." This is a reunion of Tennessee Youth Camp campers and workers from 1975 to 1985. They are gathering pictures and it was great fun looking back. It was fun to me, even though I don't know everyone, the clothes and styles were the same in Tennessee as they were in California during that era. If you weren't part of that time, you missed some great styles - double knit polyester, "wing" hair styles and BIG glasses!!!

Saturday morning, Doug fixed a good ol' Southern breakfast of bacon, eggs, biscuits and chocolate gravy!! Mmm, mmm.

We made our way to the church at about 1:30 and were surprised to see that all of Les' family was in attendance! We knew his sister and her family were going to be there, but his parents and his brother and his family were also in attendance. Lance, Monica, Claire and Hannah were on their way from Indiana to Charleston, SC, and decided to detour through Nashville. Les had sent an email that we were coming, but his parents somehow didn't get it, so they were very surprised to see us! Les' cousin, Jonathan McElhaney pastors in Franklin, TN, so he and his wife Mitzi, along with their children, Morgan and Mason, were also in attendance. It was a mini, unplanned, family reunion!

Of course, it was a beautiful wedding! Alicia looked so pretty and Brent so handsome. I love to see a smiling bride walking down the aisle!

Officiating the wedding were Elder C.M. Becton and Pastor Ron Becton - the bride's grandfather and uncle. Another uncle, Pastor Rick Flowers, sang two songs. These men all played a part in influencing Les' life. Elder Becton was Les' pastor from 1976 to 1982. Pastor Ron Becton was the youth leader during that same time. Pastor Flowers was Les' first trumpet teacher in 1973. Also in attendance was Elder Charles Grisham, he was Les' pastor for a short time when the Grishams started a home missions church in Fargo, North Dakota and the McElhaney family was still living in Wahpeton, ND. I owe a debt to these godly men.

There were so many people in attendance, friends from long ago. I'm sure I missed many, especially since Les and I weren't together for much of the reception - I went with Monica and her girls, while Les stayed with Lance while they made their way through the crowd. I chatted with fellow bloggers - Allison, who I have known since she married Jerry in 1996, and Tammy, who I had never met, but who's blog I've stalked for a while!! There was also a mini Bible Quiz reunion with coach, Trudy Bledsoe, Alicia, Les, Lance, Lisa, and Larry Haskins.

Sunday morning was an awesome time. First Church Nashville had a single service, which included the choir singing, a testimony from Sis. Margie Becton, and preaching and piano playing by Elder C.M. Becton! What a treat. There is so much to say about Elder and Sis. Becton, I'll work on a separate post just about them!

Pictured below is Bro. Mike Rickenbaker, Assistant Pastor in Nashville. He is another "influencer" in Les' life and an awesome bass player!



We finished our trip with lunch with great friends - Doug and Lori, and Jerry, Allison, Jaden and Sophie! What would life be without friends!

Yet

On Tuesday night Bro. Kerr preached an awesome message from Habakkuk chapter 3, verses 17 and 18:

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

I don't remember the exact title of his message, but it was something along the lines of "having victory in spite of your circumstances." In the midst of his preaching, that little word "yet" got stuck in my mind.

Yet, just three little letters. Y.E.T. While there are many definitions of yet when used as an adverb, it changes when used as a simple conjunction. Yet, or nevertheless. There are numerous examples in the Bible of those who were tested YET trusted:

Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him."

Judges 8:4 "And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them."

1 Samuel 12:20 "And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;"

Psalm 37:25 "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."

Psalm 119:51 "The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law."

Our Supreme example was Jesus:

Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

There are others who had opportunity for healing, repentance and greatness, yet...

2 Chronicles 16:12 "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians."

Nehemiah 9:30 "Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands."

Isaiah 28:12 "To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear."

There's an old song that says, "He's never failed me yet." That is just a waste of a word! Jesus has never failed anyone at anytime! If you're waiting for Him to fail you, you're going to have a long wait! Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Jesus didn't fail yesterday, He hasn't failed today, and He's not going to fail tomorrow! Since that is the case, you can say, "No matter what happens today, YET will I trust Him." And not only trust Him, but REJOICE in the Lord and JOY in the God of your salvation!

Letter to My Bank

This is kinda funny and kinda sad...


Dear Sirs:

One of my checks was returned marked "insufficient funds"
in view of current developments in the banking industry,
does that refer to me or to you?

Revival Report

I can't believe I haven't written about the revival services we've been having! Our church is revived!! It has been an incredible two weeks and we start week three tonight. God is moving in the lives of young people, children, old people, saints, and visitors!

Our Evangelist is Bro. Scott Kerr, Jr., from Canton, Ohio and his preaching has been right on! His wife is a sweetheart and she has been playing the piano every night during altar call, so all of our musicians have gotten a break! It's been so awesome just being able to linger in the altar, not paying any attention to the music, because Sis. Kerr just makes it happen! They both have been a great blessing.

From Merriam Webster.com:

\ri-ˈvī-vəl\

Function:

noun

Date:

1651

1: an act or instance of reviving : the state of being revived: as a: renewed attention to or interest in something b: a new presentation or publication of something old c (1): a period of renewed religious interest (2): an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings 2: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract)

All the definitions above fit what is going on in our church, but especially "renewed attention to or interest in something" - there is a renewed attention to VICTORY and interest in Living for God!!

Can't wait to see what God has in store this week.

It Happened 20 Years Ago Today!

March 23, 1989 was the last night of Youth Convention in Bakersfield. This was the only night I had gone that year. I had driven down with my friend, Yvonne. Shortly after service, I was asked out by a young man that I had met the previous weekend. He was visiting from another church in another state (and that's all the details you're gonna get about him!)

Yvonne and I had wandered off on our own when our friend, Bro. Lee Wilson, came up. He was very excited to introduce us to a young man he had met while he and his family were evangelizing. A very funny exchange occurred at this point:

Me: "I'm already going out with someone"
Bro. Wilson: "Just come on, you never know"

I repeated these same words over and over as Yvonne and I followed him from one side of the lobby to the other. I was not convinced that I needed to meet anyone else that night. Although I knew my friends were getting concerned since I was soon to be TWENTY FIVE AND NOT MARRIED!! Oh my!! I obviously needed help!!

An exchange that lasted mere seconds occurred. I was introduced to Les McElhaney, but I had it in my mind, "I'm not interested, I'm already going out with someone else." And that was the end of it! Or so I thought! Yvonne and Bro. Wilson's wife, Ruby, were shocked at how rude I was! To tell you how brief our meeting was, Les doesn't even remember it!! What I didn't know until months later, Les was currently driving a Corvette and he had money in his wallet should a date opportunity arise!! (Anyone that knows Les, knows that money in his wallet is a rarity, but that's another story for another time!)

And now for THE REST OF THE STORY (taken from Our Anniversary... kinda, in a way, posted on August 18th):

August 18, 1989 was the final night of Camp Meeting in Santa Maria. I had gone for the week and was planning on staying for Senior Camp which started the next day. This was my final year of eligibility as a camper, having turned 25 the previous April.

After service, my friend Yvonne and I were talking to Ruby Wilson when we spotted "him". His name was Les McElhaney and I had been introduced (briefly) to him at Youth Convention the previous March. At Youth Convention I was already going out with someone else, so I wasn't extremely friendly to Les - much to Yvonne and Ruby's dismay! This time, I was "free" and decided to thank God for second chances! When Les didn't even remember meeting me, I was happy to start over! This night was the beginning of something very special that eventually led to our marriage on May 25, 1991.

We spent all week of Senior Camp getting acquainted and finding out our common likes and dislikes. Because I had been a Senior Camp fixture for so many years, and Les was actually on the staff, the rest of the staff was very kind to let us stay out later than usual getting to know each other. I remember Bro. Harvey Cantrell coming by, shining his giant flashlight on us, smiling and letting us continue sitting there!! And the Hoppers helped me out when a certain pest from Fresno wanted to sit in on all our conversations!

And that's the whole story! A brief meeting, a second chance, and a lifetime of love! I'm still glad I met Les 20 years ago today, even though he doesn't remember me!!

Happy Birthday, Krysten and Lauren!

Happy birthday to my favorite nieces, Krysten and Lauren! I can't believe you're 22 today. I was your age when you were born! The years have flown and I love you more today than I did when you made your appearance 22 years ago today. You were so tiny (3 pounds, 9 ounces and 3 pounds, 4 ounces) but our family fell in love with you immediately! Although you were about 7 weeks early, we were so thankful that you were breathing on your own the first day, it was just a matter of getting your weight up so you could come home.

I have loved watching you grow up. I'm so proud to be your Aunt Kathy. You have always been best friends. You are sweet and kind, funny and loving. You're smart and thoughtful. You're beautiful and strong. I love our late night/early morning talks - we never run out of things to say!

How did we get from here:


To here:


So quickly?!

Happy Birthday! May this be your best year yet! I Love You to the Moon and Back!!

P.S. To any of you who can't tell my girls apart, Lauren is on the left and Krysten is on the right in both pictures.

Changing Seasons

Today is the last full day of winter. "Spring comes in between the 19th to the 23rd of March and at different times. It changes on a yearly basis because the first official day of spring is the (Spring) Vernal EQUINOX. This is when the sun is directly above the equator. It rises due East and sets due West and does not do so on the exact same day every year since the calendar is not exactly 365 precise days every single year. In 2009, spring will arrive on March 20th, as stated above and the sun will be above the equator, crossing to the northern hemisphere at 11:47pm (ish)." (From WikiAnswers.com)

I know there are people in other states that are celebrating! It has definitely been a cold winter, even cold for us in So Cal, although it was 90 yesterday! Since we've had quite a bit of rain this year, our hills are green and it's beautiful. And I'm looking forward to my roses blooming soon.

The changing of seasons, and a conversation I had a couple weeks ago, had me thinking about the word "season." When we think about weather, seasons are usually the same each year. But life seasons are a different story. There were many definitions for the word season, but this one stood out the most:

"an indefinite period of time"

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 states

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

The Hebrew word season in this case is defined as "an appointed occasion."

Hebrews chapter 11 verse 25, speaks of Moses, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." The Greek definition of season here is "for the occasion only, that is, temporary." A person may enjoy the "pleasures of sin for a season" that is their entire lifetime - in view of eternity, a lifetime is temporary.

Unfortunately we can't know how long a season in our life may last. I've read several bloggers writing about their "season of singleness." Mom's "season" of cancer lasted for 8 years. For some, the "season" of childhood ends too quickly. There are seasons of sorrow that cannot be defined, it seems that season will reappear when we think we're over it. There are seasons of doubt and guilt that last longer than they need to when we don't accept the forgiveness that God offers.

Whatever season you are in, there is an additional verse in Ecclesiastes that you can believe: "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time."

Place of Refuge

I reread the account of the Cities of Refuge in Deuteronomy chapter 19 this week. It reminded me of a trip that Les and I took to the Big Island of Hawaii in 2006. While checking out all the possibilities for tourists, we read about Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. Translated, the "Place of Refuge at Honaunau."


An ancient "place of refuge" lies firmly protected behind the mortarless masonry of the sixteenth-century Great Wall. Those who broke ancient Hawaii's intricate system of kapu (taboo) - perhaps by treading on the shadow of a chief, or fishing in the wrong season - could expect summary execution unless they fled to the sanctuary of a place such as this. As chiefs lived on the surrounding land, transgressors had to swim through the shark-infested seas. If successful, they would be absolved and released overnight.


We found the similarities interesting to the Biblical account. A place to escape. A place of refuge. But in both cases, the one seeking refuge had to flee to that place. The Israelite had to escape the avenger of blood, while the Hawaiian had to swim through sharks.


Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge." What a relief! I don't have to run or swim, but my refuge is in God! What a place! Have strong confidence today that God has a place of refuge for you.

Saint Paddy's Day

Are you wearing green today? If so, why?? I didn't find a lot of info on Saint Patrick or why he is celebrated on this day. I believe he was a priest to the Irish, thus the green! I still don't know why pinching was allowed at school if one didn't wear green...

Don't ruin your vision looking for a four leaf clover, I don't think there is one in this picture!


Enjoy my favorite Irish blessing (or curse!):

May those that love us, love us;
And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts:
If He can't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.

Solvang

The only way to describe our weekend is "aaaahhhhh...."

We arrived in Solvang around 1:30 on Friday afternoon. We wandered around in a few of the shops, including the Solvang Shoe Store, where I tried on some cute shoes!



We met Jim and Nancy Austin for dinner. Jim retired last year from the company Les works for. This was Jim's 20th year to ride the Solvang Century. They have stayed at the Petersen for many years and we enjoyed catching up with them.

This is "our" room - room 338.


Our room overlooks this fountain. With our window open, you can hear it, adding a very relaxing touch.



Les was up bright and early Saturday morning for the Solvang Century bike ride. He met Jim at 6:30 and off they went!

I went back to sleep after he left and didn't wake up until 8:00! That is sleeping in for me. I met Nancy around 11:00 and we drove over to Los Olivos to check out a couple shops there. We wandered through a metal sculpture garden checking out these characters and their friends!


Les sent frequent text updates on his progress and we enjoyed a relaxing dinner at the Petersen on Saturday night. After sleeping in on Sunday morning, we enjoyed a sunny morning, bought some cheese, crackers, and 3 brands of blueberry jam at the Vinhus!





And we made reservations for next year!

A Little March Getaway

For the past several years, Les and I have taken the second weekend in March to escape to Solvang, California. This lovely little town is filled with shops, restaurants, and bakeries year round, but on the second weekend in March, it is also home to thousands of cyclists! This is the annual Solvang Century & Half Century. Yes, Les is one of those cyclists - he opts for the full Century (100 mile) ride, while I enjoy the town.


It was about 4 years ago that we stumbled upon what we consider the jewel of Solvang - The Inn at Petersen Village. We weren't originally going to stay in Solvang - hotels are sold out months in advance of the ride weekend. So Les found a place in Lompoc, close enough that he could get to the ride. To make a long story short - that place was a dump and we checked out after one night! Saturday morning found us exhausted from lack of sleep and Les opting out of the ride because it was pouring rain, and it started hailing mid-morning! Because of the weather, other riders had also canceled, so hotels were sporting "Vacancy" signs that had not been on the previous night.


Our weary feet led us to the Petersen, and what a welcome we received. The lady behind the desk found an available room, and instead of making us wait until the normal 3:00 p.m. check-in, she sent housekeeping to clean it immediately! Within 30 minutes we were checked in and taking a nap!

The Petersen is one of the most peaceful inns we have ever stayed in. The staff is friendly and professional. Breakfast and dinner are both included in the cost of the room and the food is delicious. Les and I always come home from this weekend refreshed and feeling like we've been gone much longer than two days. Just typing this is making me relax!

I'm sure I'll have pictures to post when we get home.

Comfort

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

This verse really spoke to me the other day. I have experienced the God of all comfort many times in my life and I want to be a comforter with His comfort. In my own feeble way, I can't give much comfort, but His comfort makes the difference. I've said it before, but one of the most comforting phrases I've ever heard is not "everything is going to be alright," or "God has a plan", but "I am praying for you." Those words bring comfort.

Advice from a Giraffe

Stand tall.

Reach for new heights.


Don't be afraid to stick your neck out.


Preserve wild places.


Eat fresh greens.


Be head and shoulders above the rest.


Keep your chin up!