Flying Home

We head back to the Mainland tonight.  It's been a quick two weeks in the some ways, but the past couple of days have seemed really long.  My Dad is still in CICU and I have really struggled with not being there.  He is stable, but still needs a miracle. 

We land at LAX around 5:30 tomorrow morning and our plan is to make a quick stop at home, then drive to Fresno.  Pray we both get some sleep on the flight tonight!

I called the airline earlier this week to see if I could change my flight if necessary and what it would cost.  Before I spoke to an agent I went through the prompts.  One exchange turned humorous:

Computer:  What is the last name of the person traveling?
Me:  McElhaney
Computer:  Please give just the last name.
Me:  McElhaney
Computer:  Is that the last name?
Me:  Yesssssss!

I guess there were just too many syllables!

Wordless Wednesday

E Komo Mai!

Aloha!  E Komo Mai ~ Welcome, come in!

I'll be throwing in a few Hawaiian phrases today while I give you a tour of our hale (house) at Discovery Bay.  There are two towers, 42 stories each, over 600 units.  We are in room 1319.

Below is our floor plan.  The entry way leads to the living room, with the lua (bathroom), then kitchen to the right.  Only rooms ending in 6 or 9 (06, 09, 16 and 19) have a lanai (porch or balcony.)  We were very excited to have a lanai, it makes the unit seem much larger!

Ho'okomo (enter, come in)...

Because our floors have light carpet, we ask our guests to walk kama'a 'ole (barefoot)

One of the things we are really happy about is our view.  What we couldn't figure out was why the TV was placed front and center, blocking the view!

It's really hard to get the lighting correct when taking pictures of our view!

As you can see, we changed that!  We don't even own a television, so we're certainly not interested in having one blocking our amazing view!

I'd much rather look out at the ocean than watch some silly TV show!

 

Just a standard bathroom...

I miss our double sinks just a little

Our bedroom with a view of the mountains...

We have filled our closet!

 There are plenty of linens...

I'm very thankful for this washer and dryer, right in our condo!

 

And a full kitchen with microwave and stove...

Dishwasher and double sink...

and refrigerator...

Of course, what you really want to do is sit out on our lanai!

Mahalo (thank you) and Kipa hou mai (come visit again!)

Prayer Request for My Dad

I got this email from Kim this morning:

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday when Lauren and Rick and I were at the hospital with Dad, he was having a difficult time with his breathing.  The nurse came in and spoke with us and said his CO2 levels were high.  I don't understand that well enough to explain it but she told us that if he didn't get better she would move him back to ICU so he could be monitored more closely. 

I received a call about midnight last night telling me they were moving Dad back to ICU.  When I spoke with the nurse last night she said Dad was stable and I did not need to come to the hospital.  I called ICU a few minutes ago and spoke with Dad's nurse Brooke.  She said Dad is stable.  He is intubated and they have him on a ventilator to help the breathing.  He is sedated but responding to commands and his vitals are good. 

This is all I know for now.  I will keep you posted as I hear more.

As always, please keep Dad in prayer.

Kim

We fly home on Thursday, and that feels like a very long time to wait. I know God hears prayers, no matter where we are.  As always, I appreciate all the prayers that have gone up on his behalf.

DQ and AMFM

Rainbow sighting at the end of my run this morning!

We have really settled in to our condo at Discovery Bay (I'm working on a grand tour post.)  I have found the perfect grocery/everything store!  Don Quijote has everything and the prices are great!  I've been calling it Don Q's, so it won't be confused with DQ (Dairy Queen.)  Soymilk was $2.97 at Don Q's, while it was $4.98 at Walmart.  It's a little over a mile from our condo, so I only buy what I can carry home.  I have made four trips in the five days we have been here!  Les went with me today (after a quick stop at Walmart) and we rode a taxi home with all our loot!

I also visited the Ala Moana Farmers Market (AMFM) today.  They had an interesting variety, but I can see that I need to get there earlier.  Hours are 8:00 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.  I didn't get there until about 10:30 and they were running out of some things. 

 

I got some amazing peanut butters - banana macadamia and mango macadamia.  I also got Lilikoi honey and banana bread.  And those little beauties on the plate - Mmmm!  Basil, sun dried tomatoes and cheese wrapped in fresh croissants, pulled right out of the oven while I was standing there!

Have you ever carried groceries home?  How far did you have to walk?

Friday Funny

We have decided to look for a used car to purchase here on Oahu.  We're thinking really cheap.  Something we can drive while we are here, then sell when it's time to go back home.  Rental cars, even just for weekends, are pretty pricey so we decided this made more sense.

I found a 1997 Jeep Cherokee online within our price range.  Pretty low miles.  Listed in "good" condition. Les emailed the seller this morning with a few questions.  The seller's response:

It exploded.

Hahaha!!!  I guess it's not in "good" condition after all!  This really did make me laugh out loud, actually I was shrieking with laughter.  It's been a long time since we've looked at used cars, but this was definitely unexpected!

A Little Q and A

Les and I were chatting with a young lady from our church on Sunday about the lessons he taught.  She had two very good questions and I hope we had two very good answers!  I know many of my readers are young adults and teenagers, like this young lady.  Digging for answers is a good thing!  Understanding God's word is extremely important.  Here are her two questions and answers we gave her.

Q1  Why couldn't the religious leaders and Romans see that Jesus was God?  How could they abuse and crucify Him?
A  The Romans didn't care what Jesus did unless it interfered with their own wealth or pleasures.  Their main concern was keeping the Jews under their thumb.  The religious leaders were jealous of Jesus' following, but I also believe they were blinded (John 12:38-40)  Ultimately, there was absolutely no stopping Calvary.  Jesus was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) Jesus came to this earth for one purpose and it would be fulfilled.  Romans, Pharisees, Sadducees, Pilate, and Herod all played a part in fulfilling God's plan of redemption.

Q2  Why does Satan only attack Christians?  Why doesn't he go after other religions?
A  Satan only goes after those who believe the truth.  Those who are already blind don't concern him.  The only way Satan has to hurt God at all is to attack His children.  I blogged about the book "Demon: A Memoir" here, it was a fascinating read that gave me much to think about.  The main thing I took away from that book is that Satan hates it when man is given mercy.  We fall over and over and the blood of Jesus is there for us.  We are forgiven time and again.  Satan fell once and was never given a second chance.  He hates it when a sinner repents!  He is so jealous and he knows that destroying Christians is his only way of getting back at God. 

I mentioned yesterday that Les talked about all the hours leading up to the death of Jesus.  Jim Bishop wrote an incredible book about that subject called "The Day Christ Died."  Originally published in 1957, this book takes the four Gospels and puts them all together in order.  I highly recommend adding this book to your library.

Prayer Request for My Dad

My Dad has had a rough few days.  On Friday he was released from UCSF and returned to Hylond in Fresno.  Yesterday he was taken to Saint Agnes Hospital in Fresno.  He has two infections (urinary tract and one in his back.)  He is very confused (side affect of the UTI.)  He was admitted to ICU last night, Kim and Rick were both there with him for several hours.  Rick talked to ICU this morning and Dad is in serious, but stable condition.

It has been a series of one step forward, two steps backs.  We are continuing to hope and pray for the best.

The Scarlet Thread - It Ends With You

Les taught the adult Sunday school class while we were home.  We are finishing up our quarter studying about the Scarlet Thread of Redemption.  Our key verse was Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

The scarlet thread began with the killing of the first animal to cover the sins of Adam and Eve and concludes with the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross.  On February 10th, Les spent the entire lesson going through the hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion - starting on Thursday evening when Jesus celebrated the Passover supper with his disciples and ending at approximately 3:00 on Friday afternoon when He said, "It is finished."

Sunday's lesson was about applying the blood.  Jesus paid the ultimate price, but each of us must choose to apply or deny the blood.

Les spent quite a bit of time explaining how the blood can be misapplied.  He talked about the ideas of John Calvin, developed in the 1500s during the Reformation.  I have never heard it explained so clearly.  I've taken the liberty to borrow some of Les' notes to share here.

John Calvin’s core ideas resulted from him trying to reconcile the following 3 scriptural concepts:
a) It is God’s will that everyone be saved
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
b) Jesus shed His redemptive blood for all mankind
1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
c) The majority of people will be lost
Mathew 7:13-14 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:   Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Because he couldn't reconcile those three points, he developed the 5 Points of Calvinism:
1. "Total depravity," also called "total inability," asserts that as a consequence of the fall of man into sin, every person is enslaved to sin. People are not by nature inclined to love God but rather to serve their own interests and to reject the rule of God. Thus, all people by their own faculties are morally unable to choose to follow God and be saved because they are unwilling to do so out of the necessity of their own natures. (The term "total" in this context refers to sin affecting every part of a person, not that every person is as evil as they could be).
2. "Unconditional election" asserts that God has chosen from eternity those whom he will bring to himself not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in those people; rather, his choice is unconditionally grounded in his mercy alone. God has chosen from eternity to extend mercy to those he has chosen and to withhold mercy from those not chosen. Those chosen receive salvation through Christ alone. Those not chosen receive the just wrath that is warranted for their sins against God.
3. "Limited atonement," also called "particular redemption" or "definite atonement", asserts that Jesus' substitutionary atonement was definite and certain in its purpose and in what it accomplished. This implies that only the sins of the elect were atoned for by Jesus' death. Calvinists do not believe, however, that the atonement is limited in its value or power, but rather that the atonement is limited in the sense that it is intended for some and not all.
4. "Irresistible grace," also called "efficacious grace", asserts that the saving grace of God is effectually applied to those whom he has determined to save (that is, the elect) and overcomes their resistance to obeying the call of the gospel, bringing them to a saving faith. This means that when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved. The doctrine holds that this purposeful influence of God's Holy Spirit cannot be resisted, but that the Holy Spirit, "graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ."
5. "Perseverance of the saints" (or preservation) of the saints (the word "saints" is used to refer to all who are set apart by God, and not of those who are exceptionally holy, canonized, or in heaven) asserts that since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or will return to the faith.
 
The Universalists Rebuttal
Universalists, on the other hand, simply deny that the majority of humans will be eternally lost, claiming that because the atonement was for everyone and God wants everyone to be saved, everyone will be saved. They may be out of God’s favor all their lives and die in their sins, but at some point after death every human being will be saved. Some Universalists even argue that Satan himself one day will be greeted with “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Both Calvinism and Universalism are False Doctrine
1. They neglect the preservation of the human free will.  God will never force himself on anyone.  His blood was shed for everyone, but there are many who know of the power of the blood and still refuse to accept this glorious gift.
2. God’s Spirit draws sinners and backslider to repentance without violating the right to resist the Spirit of God.
3. The Calvinists err in that they believe the blood of Christ is limited in atonement to only the predestinated.
4. The Universalists err by cheapening the blood of Christ to the point where it is not life-changing.

Many of today's religions embrace these teachings.  Pre-destination; once saved, always saved; we are all on different paths, going to the same place. Many of these have a seed of truth, but they stray far from the Bible.  You probably know people who hold to these beliefs.  I hope this will be helpful to you in your own understanding or in answering questions or showing someone the Way, the Way of the Cross.

My View

This is my view while blogging this afternoon...

Overtaken

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits
~ Psalm 103:2

I think the year was 1988 or so.  I was about 24 at the time, working as the school secretary at Truth Tabernacle Christian School.  I was doing my best to be faithful and leave my future in God's hands.  But sometimes I got discouraged.

One day I was walking from the school office to the church office.  Elder Morton stopped me and said he wanted to talk.  We slipped into the empty sanctuary.  There we sat and there he gave me a promise.  He told me he saw my faithfulness, he knew there were times I was hurting, but he spoke words to me that looking back now have been fulfilled over and over and over.

Elder Morton said, "Kathy, the blessings of God are going to overtake you."

I don't know what I have ever done to deserve the many blessings that have come my way.  Our current situation isn't the first time I have been overtaken by God's blessings...

In 1989, I met Les McElhaney.  He was THE ONE.  The one that God healed of Muscular Dystrophy when he was a little boy, then moved across the country as a college grad.  We married in 1991.  God's hand and blessing was upon both of us.
In 1996, I started working for Amgen, Inc.  The financial blessings of this job were tremendous.  A salary that was amazing, bonuses, stock options, a stock bonus.  I do not have a college degree.  This was truly the blessings of God.
In 2001, God opened the door for us to buy our current home.  The housing market was just starting to take off.  We sold our town home for a profit and bought our house at below market value.  Six months later we couldn't have afforded it.  God's timing on this blessing was perfect!
In 2003, Les got his first job as a Vice President.  This enabled me to quit my job at Amgen and be at home full time.  This was a long awaited blessing to both of us.
There are many, many more.  Daily blessings of health, food on the table, clothes to wear and vehicles to drive.  We've had some lean times in recent years.  Les has been through three job losses in three years.  Each of those times have been stressful, but we have had every need meet.

And now, I sit in a condo that we are not paying for.  I'm flying across the ocean on someone else's dime.  The one thing about this job that would have made it unacceptable was if Les and I could not be together.  We were not willing to live apart for six months.  God has not only taken care of us, he's overtaken us with His blessings.

I don't want you to think I'm bragging.  I haven't done a thing to deserve this!  But God, He is so good.  Proverbs 10:22 says, "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."  I want you to know that tears fill my eyes when I think about that 24 year old who received a promise and how much I have been blessed by the God of heaven.

Deuteronomy 28:1-3 says:

1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

This chapter goes on to list many, many ways the blessings of God are promised.  But in verse 15, the tone changes:

15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

This chapter has 68 verses -  14 are dedicated to blessings, while the other 54 focus on curses!  I had never realized that.  So while I am overwhelmed by blessings, I am equally thankful that I have not been overtaken by curses.  The curses of the unfaithful far outnumber the blessings of the faithful.

I don't know why there are those who live righteously and still have a life of pain.  I don't understand why Rod was born with hemophilia and was taken from us too soon.  I don't know why Mom was stricken with cancer when she was my age.  While I don't understand and I'm certainly undeserving, I never, ever, want to be unthankful!  So this post is simply to take the time to say, "Thank You, Lord."

Take A Little Time


Chorus 1
Thank You, Lord
I just want to thank You, I just want to thank You
Thank You, Lord
I just want to thank You, I just want to thank You

Verse 1
There were ten men in the Bible days
They had been sick for so very long
But one day Jesus passed their way
And when He spoke, their disease was healed that day
But they all went on their merry, merry way
And only one returned and said
I've got something, something I'd like to say

Chorus 2
He said, I just want, I just want to take a little time right now
And thank the Lord for all He's done for me
I just want, I just want to take a little time right now
And thank the Lord for all He's done for me

Verse 2
What the Lord means to you maybe I can't see
But this one thing I know the Man is everything to me, yes He is
I remember the time when a job for me was so hard to find
Still the Lord made a way for me just in the nick of time
I remember when I was sick and my doctor said I wouldn't get well
But the Lord touched my body and right now I'm able to tell

Chorus 2
That's why I say, I just want, I just want to take a little time right now
And thank the Lord for all He's done for me
I just want, I just want to take a little time right now
And thank the Lord for all He's done for me


Verse 3
Lord, I don't want to be guilty of being like the nine
That went on their way without thanking You
But I want to be like the one who returned
I can see him now as he pressed he way through the crowd
With tears of joy in his eyes, and he began to say, Thank You, Lord!
Oh Thank You, Lord!  Thank You, Lord!  Thank You, Thank You, Lord!


~Words and Music by Andrae Crouch

And We're Off!

We are headed back to Hawaii this morning for our second trip.  I'm really excited to have a place to really move into this time instead of living in a hotel.  We enjoyed being home.  I was so busy, but I got everything on my list DONE!

Les spent last week working and he was loving it! It has been several years since he has had an enjoyable job.  He's had work, but many days he dreaded it.  So now I can say I'm thankful he lost his previous job!  He is so energized and excited to start each new day.  This is really an answer to many prayers.  Thanks to those of you who knew our need and prayed for us.

So here we go, Hawaiian Adventure Part 2.

Aloha! A hui hou kakou (until we meet again)

Making a Welcome Mat for Your Enemy

Pastor White preached an amazing message last night.  His title was "Making a Welcome Mat for Your Enemy."  He told the story of the city of Churchill, Canada (population ~900.)  Each year in October and November, polar bears move from their summer habitat on the tundra back to seal-hunting territory – the pack ice that forms every winter over Hudson Bay. The bears gather along the shore, waiting for the ice to freeze.

10 foot polar bear at the San Diego Zoo

While this brings many tourists to this tiny town, it also brings danger.  Polar bears are the largest bear on earth. The average mature male weighs between 900-1500 pounds and stands over 8 feet tall.  During polar bear season, the residents have several ways of staying safe.  They keep their cars unlocked with the keys in them - if a bear heads your way, get in the nearest car for a safe escape.  They have also developed "welcome mats" - these are pieces of plywood with hundreds of nails sticking out so that when the polar bear comes up to pad across your porch, he’s going to get a paw full of sharp nails.

Pastor White compared preaching to making a welcome mat for our enemy.  Every time the Word comes forth, you are handed a nail.  Most of the time, preaching is for future use.  You may not need what was preached at your church this past Sunday, but you will.  Take that nail and pound it in.  Each nail, each message, makes it harder for the enemy of our soul to get in.

During the preaching, Pastor White had two young men bring in a piece of plywood and start pounding nails.  He used 6" nails, sturdy and tough enough to make an impact.  He had them make a place about the size of a bear's paw.  He then invited anyone who could remember a particular message that nailed it for them, to come and drive a nail in.

I thought of many messages in my life that have made a difference.  Times when I chose to follow the straight gate instead of the broad way.  I'm so thankful for preaching!  It is the only way we are going to be saved!

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  I Corinthians 1:18

Food for Thought: Lent

This week marked the beginning of the Lenten Season.  This "is a solemn observance in the liturgical year of many Christian denominations, lasting for a period of approximately six weeks leading up to Easter Sunday." (source)

I really didn't know anything about Lent until I reached adulthood.  If school mates observed it, they never talked about it.  When I began working, I met several who followed the custom of giving up something for Lent.  I remember one co-worker who decided to give up alcohol.  He talked about it every single day.   He was counting down until he could have his next drink.  Others gave up chocolate and made a big production out of their sacrifice.

"But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6:17-18

Please don't misunderstand me, I think there are times when all of us need to be more focused, we need media fasts, we need to push away from the table, but it is our daily life that counts.  Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  We can't do it for 40 days out of the year, then go back to living life for ourselves.

In recent days I have also read about how negative Lent is.  "I don't want to give up anything, so I'm going to do something good instead."  This is such typical human behavior.  We don't want to do the hard things.  We want to take the path of least resistance.  I just couldn't help but think - "Calvary wasn't easy."  Jesus took the difficult route.  He gave all for mankind.  He died for us, while we were yet sinners.  He didn't stop halfway up Golgotha and say, "it's too hard."

I want to live my life, everyday, in a way that is pleasing to my Master.  There are things that I don't do, places I don't go, because I want to please Him.  I want to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Take Up Your Cross
Take up your cross and follow Jesus
Take up your cross every day
Don’t be ashamed to say that you know Him
Count the cost, take up your cross and follow Him

To My Valentine

Dear Les,

On this day that we celebrate love, I wanted to review the vows we repeated on May 25, 1991:

I, Kathy, take you Les, to be my wedded husband.
Other than deciding to follow Jesus, this is the best decision I ever made!  You're not only my husband, but my best friend, my partner in adventure and travel!  When we were on Oahu for our honeymoon, I know neither of us ever dreamed that 2013 would take us to Hawaii for an extended stay, but we're together, in the will of God, and that's what matters.

To have and to hold, from this day forward, 
I don't regret that we waited on the holding part until our wedding day.  Our courtship was so fun, filled with getting to know each other while waiting on the physical.

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
We've had it a lot better than many.  We've survived multiple job losses and been through times of great blessing.  With God on our side, it's definitely been better and richer.

in sickness and in health, 
When I think about how sick you were our first week in Hawaii, I have been overwhelmed with thankfulness that I was there with you.  I can't imagine how horrible I would have felt if you would have been 2500 miles away and that sick.  I wasn't able to do much, feed you NyQuil and pray, but being with you was so important to me.

to love, honor and obey, 'till death do us part. 
You're so easy to love!  And you've never caused me to want to dishonor or disobey you.  You don't lord over me, you lead my example, you're loving and kind and so fun!

Happy Valentine's Day to my forever sweetheart!

Wordless Wednesday (And Why)

Taxes were on my to do list for this visit home. I never wait until April, I just like to get them behind me!

How Did You Tell Your Pastor?

We met so many wonderful people at New Life Pentecostal church.  I felt right at home in a multicultural church ~ you know heaven is going to be "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," right? (Revelation 7:9)

Anyway... we had a conversation with one of the young men of the church.  As we were getting to know each other, he asked Les, "How did you tell your pastor you were coming to Hawaii?"  I loved Les' response, "Well, it didn't work that way.  I didn't tell him anything.  We talked about the opportunity and I asked him to pray about it, to help us find the will of God."

I believe there is a balance in seeking pastoral counsel.  Every single life decision does not require that counsel.  Paper or plastic?  Eureka or Hoover vacuum?  Ford or Chevy?  But there are times when only the man of God can help.  We enjoyed our first three weeks in Hawaii as I knew we would.  But enjoying something doesn't mean it is the will of God.  I think Les must have counseled with Pastor White more in the three months he was unemployed than he had in the past 10 years!  This was such a big, life altering decision.  We could not go forward without our pastor's prayers and counsel.

I've observed many people who "tell" their pastor what they are doing.  Many times they tell him after the fact when they have a mess on their hands that they are trying to clean up.  I always want to err on the side of caution.  While my heart is a bit torn being away from Victory Tabernacle so much, I have great peace that with our pastor's prayers behind us, we are exactly where God wants us.

"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."  Jeremiah 3:15

I think the proper order is:
God tells the pastor
The pastor tells us
Not the other way around!

We Came Home to Winter!

This was our 8th trip to the Hawaiian Islands.  All the previous trips have taken place in May to celebrate our wedding anniversary, so the temperature difference hadn't been very noticeable.  It was noticeable this time!  I got up at 6:00 a.m. to run and saw this:

and this:

Oh my!  Just a little shocking!

Moving Day!

After three weeks of living in a hotel room, we are finally moving into our condo today. Just in time because we fly home tonight! The condo we are moving to was occupied until last week, then had to be cleaned, but I finally got to do a walk thru on Tuesday. Paperwork and approvals delayed us another day, but today is it! Here are a few pictures I snapped. I'll give the grand tour when we get back in a couple weeks.

Wednesday Morning Rainbow

We Are Easily Entertained

On Saturday, Les and I headed to the bus stop.  Destination:  Family prayer at New Life Pentecostal Church.  But life is not just about the destination, it's also about the journey!  Here is how ours went:

Bus #42, please:

Les is the proud owner of a monthly bus pass!

Driving is for the birds...

I downloaded an iPhone app called "DaBus" and it was very helpful.  We even got off at the correct stop this time!  It only took about 5 minutes to walk to the church.

This guy was sound asleep.  We was seated sideways directly in front of me.  I kept waiting for his head to fall in my lap!  He stepped off at a stop, then we saw him a couple of other times.  We weren't sure if he got off, then quickly back on or what!  I said, "I won't be surprised if he shows up at prayer!"

The bus was packed.  Many of the riders were headed to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year block party.

There was also another "sleeper" who was leaning against the window and pressing down on the "Stop" cord.  The driver stopped at one stop and walked all the way through the bus asking, "who is pulling the cord?"  By that time he was awake and didn't have a clue that he was the guilty party!