2020 Review

Warning: Pollyanna post ahead!  That's right, I'm recapping 2020, but I'm only writing about the good.  None of us are going to forget what COVID did to 2020, but there was definitely some good thrown in.  Please don't judge me as insensitive.  I know it's been tough.  The losses have been tremendous.  In the past month four people I know passed away - two from cancer, two from COVID.  BUT GOD... GOD is still good!

January:

I started the year thinking I was going to study visions in the Bible, but turned to studying "fear not" after reading those words in four different passages in my Bible reading for the first two days of the year.

Les' nephew, Reece, spent a month with us.  He was in his senior year of high school and got a job working on the filming of a TV show in our town.  His hours were crazy, sometimes he'd go in at 3:00 p.m. and get off at 3:00 a.m. but we enjoyed having him and getting to know him a little better.

February:

We took a quick trip to Fresno to celebrate Elder Morton's 80 birthday.

 

I didn't blog about it, but we celebrated Valentine's Day in Hawaii.  Les had received a gift card from his trumpet student to Morton's Steakhouse and we really enjoyed ourselves!

 

March:

Sis. White asked me to speak at ladies prayer on March 10th.  I spoke about worry and the peace that comes from God.  Little did I know that God was preparing our hearts and minds!

April:

I read (and blogged about) Lessons from Pollyanna.  I guess you could say this post is about playing the "Glad Game."

We celebrated by 56th birthday and rode my age in kilometers!

May:

We celebrated our 29th anniversary by building a planter wall!  It was hard, back breaking work, but we also had a lot of fun.  We've lived in this house for almost 20 years and met more of our neighbors during that time than ever before.  We did what we always do - worked together and laughed a ton!

 

June:

For a few weeks we were able to have church inside again!  We still had to wear masks and social distance, but after months of online church it felt SO good to be together.

 

July:

We had unexpected visitors - our nephew, Reece, along with two of his friends were on a summer road trip and stopped at our place for a couple nights.  

Our church had "Quarantined Revival."  We were back to online church, but that couldn't stop revival.  Only heaven will tell the story of what God did this year through online church services!

August:

We celebrated Les' 57th birthday with another bike ride!  My first 100 kilometer ride.  And a Bodacious Cinnamon Roll!!

 

 

September:

We began having church services in our parking lot.  Victory Without Borders brought our church back together again. 

 

 

One of our nieces got engaged!

We also took a trip to Tennessee that I never blogged about!  We got to see Les' Mom and Pops, along with his sister and her family.  I flew home after a few days and Les joined Lance in Georgia for their delayed annual cycling trip.

October:

We did a few practice hikes in preparation for our November trip to the Grand Canyon.

 

November:

I got new hiking boots - purple, of course!

 

Our wall was finally completed!  We hired a contractor to do the finish work - stucco, caps, and stone work.  The first crew he sent made a mess of the stone so we had to wait a while.  The second guy was a master at his craft and it now looks awesome!  We're looking forward to Spring when we can do some planting.

 

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Arizona and I still haven't blogged about the Grand Canyon!

 

December:

After the Supreme Court sided with a Southern California church, Los Angeles county reversed its ban on indoor services.  We were back inside again for our final services of 2020!

Another one of our nieces got engaged!  Yes, that's right, TWO of our nieces got engaged in 2020!

Les and I had a wonderful Christmas at home - all our gifts were cycling, running or coffee related!

Les' new mug that says, "Fuelin' Up for Cycling"

 

I went for a nice walk this morning, under the light of a huge full moon!

 

 

Tell me something good about 2020!

Treasured Times

Victory Tabernacle was blessed this weekend with a special guest - Elder Vaughn Morton.  He preached our Jubilee service (combined service with our three daughter churches) on Saturday and was with us in service on Sunday.  Les and I were also blessed to go to lunch with Pastor and Sister White and Elder Morton yesterday.

I've written many times about the impact Elder Morton has had on my life.  My pastor for 19 years and my boss for 10 of those years.  His preaching has inspired and convicted.  His teaching laid a foundation that I still rely on today.

Elder Morton preached a message last night that I have heard countless times.  He told me he preached it before becoming pastor in Fresno, so I'm sure I heard it for the first time before I was 10.  It is one that has helped me so many times.  As soon as he read his text I told Les the title, "Forgive Yourself."  This beautiful concept is one that we all need to learn and embrace.  A victorious Christian life happens when we really understand the forgiveness of God and the power of the blood.

The key verse is 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  We just have to do one thing and God does four!  When we confess our sins, God:

1. is faithful
2. is just
3. forgives our sins
4. cleanses us from all unrighteousness

It's the best four to one exchange around.  There's nothing more for us to do.  We don't have to pay any penance.  Where many people go wrong is when they go back to the cemetery of their past.  We will never forget all our sins, but we can know they when they are forgiven God has forgotten them.  Since He forgives us, we need to forgive ourselves.  We closed the book on the past last night.

After service, Elder Morton had his book "The Road Called Life," available.  Pastor White asked me to sell them.  While I was sitting on the pew with the books, Elder Morton sat and visited for a while.  He also gave me a beautiful new pocket knife, because "every lady ought to have a pocket knife!"

I'm so thankful for this special man in my life.  A hug, an "I love you," and "I'll see you in the rapture," and he was off to his next destination!

Repost: Overtaken

I am nearing the end of the book of Deuteronomy in my Bible reading for the year.  This week I read chapter 28.  This chapter contains a promise that Elder Morton spoke into my life 30 years ago.  I wrote about it in 2013, this is a repost with a few edits.

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.

For five years now we have lived part time in Hawaii.  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.  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."

Reading Material

How do you pick what blogs or books to read? What’s the one thing that will get you to pick up a book or click on a link every single time?

I have always enjoyed reading, but I am careful about what I read. On a day like today, when every news headline is screaming about the terror that occurred in Las Vegas last night, it's hard to read the details.  I want to stay informed about our world, but some days are harder to read about than others.

When it comes to books and blogs, I want them to pass the Philippians 4:8 test:  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."   I've chosen not to read some books or blogs, some after just a paragraph, because I want my mind to be filled with good things.

I had a pleasant surprise this afternoon when I walked out to the mailbox.  New reading material!  I know I will enjoy every single page because I know the author:

This brought a huge smile to my face on a day that had felt very heavy.

I feel privileged to be on the mailing list for this book.  I assume that if you are at West Coast Conference in Fresno next month these will be available for purchase.  I have only read the back cover, but I know it will be worth purchasing!

35th Pastoral Anniversary Weekend

I have a TON of catching up to do!  We moved home on Halloween and we are really glad to be here.  (Just to clarify - Les still works for the company in Hawaii so we will still be going there but will not be staying for long stretches like we have most of this year.)  I'll get back to our final weekend on Oahu later this week, but today I want to talk about this weekend...

Victory Tabernacle celebrated the 35th Pastoral Anniversary of Pastor and Sister White this weekend.  It was such a beautiful celebration and I stayed in the moment while my phone stayed in my purse and I did not take a single picture.  Pastor and Sister White have been a tremendous blessing to Victory Tabernacle in Burbank for these many years.  They are loving and giving and faithful.  They are loved and respected by so many which was evidenced by the many guests who came to celebrate with us.

We kicked things off Friday night.  Service started at 7:30.  When Les and I arrived at 6:45 both parking lots were full and we parked on the street.  The building was packed.  As service started and more folks came, chairs were brought in.  We heard from one of the saints of Victory Tabernacle, Bro. Leo Alcocer, who shared what the Whites mean to him.  Three of Pastor White's friends then spoke - Pastors Tom Johnson, Ron Garrett (my first youth leader!) and B.J. Wilmoth.  They each had stories to share and kind words.

Our speaker for the weekend was Elder Vaughn Morton.  It was such a treat to have him with us.  He retired from pastoring Truth Tabernacle in Fresno 2 1/2 years ago and he has stayed busy, busy, busy!  On Friday night he talked about the past, giving honor to Pastor and Sister White.  He had Sister White join him on the platform and kept saying, "I'll get to you later!"

After the preaching we saw a slideshow of pictures of 35 years of memories.  Two building programs, revivals, evangelism, dramas, family trips and much more.  We then enjoyed a time of fellowship with ministers and their wives after service.  It was so good to talk to so many!  It was well past my bedtime when I finally looked at the time on my phone but well worth it.

Sunday morning started with Les teaching our Adult Sunday school class.  This quarter we have been studying the Sermon on the Mount and Les has brought much insight to these great teachings of Jesus.  It was another outstanding lesson.  Ask anyone who sits in on those classes and you will know I am not biased at all when I say that.

We were blessed with more guests who came just to show honor to our first couple.  It was so good to see Elder and Sister Gerald Buxton and many pastor wives.  Sister Blanca Mejia testified in Spanish, telling what the Whites have meant to her through the years.  Pastor White's sister, Sister Kaye Singleton, blessed us with a song about the faithfulness of God.  I love this sweet lady!

Our Sunday morning worship service is mostly in Spanish with the preaching translated.  Elder Morton gave us just a nugget of his message "Just Let It Unfold."  This is such a classic message and I would have loved to hear the entire message.  We then had a beautiful move of God during the altar service.

I spent Sunday afternoon getting food ready for our post-service potluck!  I made Broccoli and Cranberry Salad, Butternut Squash Bake, and Baked Mushroom Chicken.  It's a known fact that if you go hungry at a church potluck it is no one's fault but your own!

Sunday night's service was our final celebration.  Bro. Frankie Ayala and Sis. Vivian Gonzalez both spoke about what the Whites mean to them.  I was on the schedule to sing and took the opportunity to talk about Sister White's great influence on our music department.  I have been playing for 25 years now and Sister White is directly responsible for that!  I shared a few stories and then had all of our musicians stand.  It was a beautiful sight to see how many musicians we now have.  As I said last night, one of the greatest things that has happened is Sister White no longer needs to play the organ for altar service so she can freely pray with those in need in the altars.  We also heard from our three branch pastors.  Again, the church was packed with visitors and saints from Burbank and our branch works.

Elder Morton preached to us about our future.  We celebrated our past, but it's time to keep moving forward!  He exhorted us to focus on evangelism, to not worry about where we would put people when the church is full - God will provide!  He was so anointed and so funny as only Elder Morton can be!  Victory Tabernacle has a bright future.

Following the altar service Brother Hector Flores read a letter celebrating Pastor and Sister White.  (Les wrote it and with his permission I might post it tomorrow.)  We then presented the Whites with a gift of a "Romantic River Cruise" on the Danube.  Les and I thought about taking this cruise when we were planning our 25th anniversary trip and I know they will have a great time!  There is no gift big enough to say how much we appreciate them.  I know our greatest gift is each of us living for God and reaching out to others.

We concluded the night with our potluck.  It seemed like no one wanted to leave!  We just stayed and ate and talked and laughed.  It was after midnight when Les and I finally drifted off to sleep. 

I woke this morning with a heart that is full.  We will celebrate Thanksgiving next week, but I am extremely thankful today!  It was a blessed weekend and I am looking forward to what God has in store next.

Goodbye 2014 ~ My 50th Was a Mighty Good Year!

I just want to spend a little time reflecting today.  I'm going through my posts of 2014 and am writing as I think, so this may be a little disjointed!!

I wrote my number one goal for 2014 on January 1st.  Based on Psalm 119:65:  "Love His Law, so that I will have Great Calmness of Mind; Leaving it All in God's Hands, I will be Kept Safe, and Nothing will Cause Me to Stumble!"  I have had many opportunities to be offended this year - more than any other that I can remember.  People have been cruel at times, but I have prayed and held on to the promise that as long as I love His law, nothing is going to cause me to stumble.

Of course the key in all of this has been spending time in God's word (loving His Law.)  I finished my Bible reading this morning.  My plan was to finish today - not in June!  My goal was to read my Bible EVERY day.  I think there may have been about 5 or 6 times that I got behind, but never more than a day.  Today's reading included:

Malachi chapters 3-4 - the Lord has certainly opened the windows of heaven in my life and poured out more blessings than I've had room to receive.
Psalm 150 - Let every thing that hath breath (that's me!) praise the Lord!
Proverbs 31:25-31 - Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Revelation chapter 22 - Even so, even so, come, Lord Jesus.

So many times my reading for the day was EXACTLY what I needed.  There have been several times when a message was preached and I have told Les, "That was in my Bible reading this week."  God's word is always new and rich.  I have also learned so much from the many commentaries in e-Sword.

Of course this year has been full of wonderful friends.  My friends far outnumber those who have hurt me.  It's easy to forget that when you're being hurt, but I am so grateful for so many.  Friends far and near who text, email, call, or leave blog comments.  Dear ones who see me at church and simply ask, "Are you okay?"  You'll never know how much you've helped me.

I am blessed to have two church families who are so dear.  Victory Tabernacle and New Life Pentecostal both seem like home to me.  Hugs and handshakes, smiles and shared prayer times.  God's family is the best!  Heaven is going to be an amazing, wonderful place.  I think the food will be delicious, too!

My health has been very good.  All my tests came back normal.  My biggest concern the past few years is always when I have my mammogram.  Mom was my age when her cancer was found, so I get a little nervous going in and rejoice when I get the notice in the mail that every thing is fine!  I've continued to run and ride my bike.  I finished my third marathon a few weeks ago.  I don't write as much about running here anymore, but if you want more (such as my training plans and weekly recaps) you can read them at McMarathon Moments.  It's private, but I'll happily send you an invite if you're interested.

We were so blessed to be able to attend Elder Morton's retirement service in March.  It was a wonderful evening of reflection, laughter and tears.  Outside of my family, his is the greatest influence on my life.  I've only been back to Truth Tabernacle once since then, but I am so happy to see the church continuing on in revival under the leadership of Pastor Tim Lackey.

I turned 50 in April and Les declared it was "50-50 Time."  From April 27th until August 18th, we would both be 50 and would enjoy as many 50-50 bar type desserts as possible!  Our favorite being shave ice with ice cream on the bottom.

One of the greatest parts of 2014 has been the tremendous revival that is taking place at Victory Tabernacle.  I don't know how many have received the Holy Ghost and been baptized, but I know it's more than we've ever seen before in a single year.  Nine children and young people received the Holy Ghost at Youth Camp.  Every service there are visitors and new converts. There is always someone to pray with in the altar and that is a beautiful thing!  I love sitting behind this little doll who has finally started smiling at me...

Les did a beautiful job remodeling our downstairs bathroom.  There really isn't anything he can't do.  Last week he completely stripped all the parts off one of his bikes and moved them to his other bike as an upgrade.

When we "moved" home in February, we really didn't know how often we would go back to Hawaii.  Our first trip was at the end of April.  We were only there about 10 days.  Les quickly realized that he needed more time in the office than that.  We then went back in August, October and December.  God has blessed Les in his job.  2013 was one of the worst years the company has seen, but 2014 was the best!  He was on a business call at 6:00 this morning and it looks like 2015 is going to be even greater!

I had a lot of fun hosting Flat Dustyn while we were on Oahu in October.  I loved this picture from his teacher - he is so fun and 100% boy!

I continued to find encouragement from Mom's Bible. It doesn't take the place of an actual conversation with her (I still miss those so much!) but it is a help. I've also enjoyed reading many books.  Top of the list for 2014 was "Run to Overcome" - lots of life and running lessons by Meb Keflezighi, winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon.

We spent some of the final days of 2014 on Maui, in our favorite condos - The Aston Mahana at Ka'anapali.  Each room is ocean front.  We watched giant sea turtles from our lanai, and on our final morning spotted whales in the channel between Maui and Molokai.  We saw them breach several times, something we didn't see on our whale watching adventure.  It was a special show just for us!

And finally, this guy:

There's no one I would rather spend my days with.  He works hard.  He loves me unconditionally.  He supports me and encourages me and prays for me.  He makes me laugh like no one else can.  I'm so blessed to be going in to 2015 with him!

Happy New Year! Wherever the road may lead, may 2015 be YOUR best year ever!

Retirement Service for Elder Vaughn Morton

We had a very busy and fun weekend!  It will take a couple of posts to write about it all, but I want to start at the end...

Last November Elder Morton announced that after 41 years as pastor of Truth Tabernacle he is retiring.  It's not often you hear of someone who has worked at the same job for 41 years!  And pastoring is not an ordinary job. Transition plans have been in the works and Bro. Tim Lackey will be the new pastor.  I am very happy with the new choice - Bro. and Sis. Lackey are a great couple and I know God has more great things in store for Truth Tabernacle.

Sunday night was the retirement service for Elder Morton.  Each speaker had a unique aspect that they spoke about - Elder Morton's love and vision for Fresno and Truth Tabernacle was evident in the entire service.  The church family, Truth Tabernacle Christian school, Donkey Rock Youth Camp, the many branch works, and ministers who are pastoring in other places.  He has poured his life into that place and the lives of so many.  Arriving as a 32 year old, I don't know if anyone ever dreamed he'd stay that long or have such an impact.

The Children's Choir singing

One of Elder Morton's many sayings is "Every man ought to have a pocket knife."  He has given me several pocket knives through the years and I know he's given them to many, many others.  On Sunday night he asked Bro. Steve Marchbanks if he had a pocket knife, he did, and Elder Morton took it and put it in his pocket.  Near the end of the service the church presented a couple of gifts.  One was a plaque with two pocket knives - one made in 1972, the year of his arrival in Fresno and one made in 2014.  While receiving his second gift, Elder Morton asked Bro. Dave Moya if he could borrow his pocket knife.  He added that to the other in his pocket and profoundly stated, "It's not stealing, it's taking!"

Elder Morton is also known to always have his own cordless microphone.  He keeps it handy during service.  One time, many years ago, I was singing a special in Truth Tabernacle.  Behind me I heard Elder Morton say, "Sing it again, sing it again, sing it a thousand times!"  I tried to keep a straight face while "singing it again" less than a thousand times!  The church presented Elder Morton with a special microphone on Sunday night - a golden cordless microphone! 

For me personally, there is no one outside my family who has influenced me more.  My pastor for 19 years and my boss for 10 of those years, his fingerprints will always be on my life.  So many lessons... so much love and laughter and growth.  The notes that would show up on my calendar - "KF - have a good day!"  "KF - you're doing a good job!"  Or just a smiley face and his signature, letting me know he'd been by when I wasn't there.

As his son, Bro. Nathan Morton said, we all have stories.  "Remember the time..."  So many started rolling through my mind on Sunday night. As my boss during my "critical decade" (age 16-26) Elder Morton helped me plant my feet firmly.  He taught me the importance of daily prayer by praying at the church daily.  Do a good job the first time.  If a leader is on time, they are late!  Don't leave lights on when the room is empty.  Be a good steward.  Laugh often.  Love people, even when they hurt you.  Trust God for His best and know the blessings of God will overtake you.

I'm so thankful for this wonderful man of God in my life.  I pray that he will have many more years to bless other churches with his ministry.

To Ladies With Love

I was digging around in my nightstand the other night and stumbled upon an old friend...

"To Ladies With Love" was written by Sis. Pamela Kern in 1982.  Her husband founded the church in Bellevue, Washington.  I was saddened when I went to the church website to learn that Sis. Kern passed away from cancer in 2011.

Elder Morton gave me this book in 1983, more than 30 year ago.  I was almost 19.  I flipped through the pages.  The book is literally falling apart!  There are notes and many things underlined.  Some of it is very dated, such as clothing and hairstyles, but the Biblical principles remain.

"Read it and do it"  Every note from Elder Morton during the 10+ years that I worked for him always said "To KF" (Kathy Fultz, my maiden name.)

Chapter 1 - Ladies in Waiting
Chapter 2 - Peaches and Cream, Ringlets and Pompadours
Chapter 3 - Your Wardrobe
Chapter 4 - Especially Frilly
Chapter 5 - Ladies, Friends and Beaus
Chapter 6 - God's Old Fashioned Plan

Here are just a few of the things I underlined:

Are your crumpled up on the inside with unhappiness and fear, or are you on the right track, standing tall with Jesus?  When we get everything right on the inside, then it will be easier to be outwardly confident.

God has a plan for each of our lives, a basic training.  We get impatient, wishing to do away with the long hours, the lonely times without friends, and the hard study.  God does not reveal His whole plan for our lives at one time. When we are faithful in the small things, He advances us to the next step in His plan.

Physical appearance is much enhanced by our inward attitudes and outward expressions.  We can make outward expressions that blemish our character in the eyes of others, even to the unsaved who do not understand many relationships of the body of Christ. The fruit of the spirit should affect our expressions and attitudes toward others.

Part of maturity is to realize that if today is not everything you expected it to be, that tomorrow is another day and it will be brighter.  If your exciting plans just fell through, God perhaps has something better around the corner for you or maybe He saved you from harm.

You are special.  God can use your life to be a testimony to those around you; you have something to give that no one else can give but you.

We must keep certain guidelines of friendship to maintain trust, but we cannot pledge all our friendship to one person.  If you want friends you must be warm and friendly to others. 

He makes everything beautiful in His own time.  Be careful to seek the will of God in your dating!  Take time to observe the character of those you date before getting into an emotionally involved situation.  Listen to your parents and friends, ask counsel of your pastor.  These guidelines can help you find the will of God.  Last but not least, be willing to accept God's will even if it is not your own.

Do not feel if you are not dating that it is a reflection on you.

It is a wonderful time when you have married in the will of God.  Many happy times will follow.  Waiting on God's time is worth waiting for.

What a blessing your life can be to the one that He has chosen for you to share your life with, and the two of you can be a blessing over and over to others.

Somehow, with the help of God I did as Elder Morton said.  I read it and did it!  I had doubts along the way, but I kept waiting for God's plan, God's best.   Waiting on God's time was definitely worth the wait!

Have you read any helpful books lately?

Christmas 2011 and A Drive Down Memory Lane

Les and I had a great Christmas in Fresno this weekend. We went up Friday and came back last night. We squeezed in a lot in those two days in spite of Dad getting sick and Kim recovering from gallbladder surgery. We ate a lot and laughed even more... and that's saying a lot because we ate A LOT!!

Friday night Les took me on a trip down memory lane as we went down Christmas Tree Lane in Fresno. Christmas Tree Lane started in 1920 with the decoration of a single tree in memory of a child who died that year. Every year more trees were lit and it is now two miles long with nearly 300 cedar trees and 140 homes decorated. It has been lit every year with the exception of two - 1941 because of wartime restrictions and 1973 due to the energy crisis.

It had been years since I had been down Christmas Tree Lane and it brought back so many special memories. We loved going through there when I was a kid. I remember all of us being bundled up in our winter coats because we would drive down the lane with our windows open. This was for two reasons - music is played and we fogged up the windows and couldn't see otherwise! The old homes don't seem quite as large, but it's still a beautiful neighborhood.

I was able to share one other memory with Les - that of a bicycle crash on Van Ness Blvd! There is an underpass that goes below train tracks. Our family would ride our bikes around the neighborhood - Dad and Rod on the tandem, Kim, Rick, and I on our own bikes and Mom at home making dinner. I had a crash while going down the underpass one time and I was shocked to see how short and relatively flat it was! In my memory it was a very steep and long hill! Les wondered how I could have even crashed on it.

We also enjoyed a great church service at Truth Tabernacle yesterday morning. We got there about two minutes before 10:00 and everyone was just standing around visiting. Elder Morton got in the mic and said, "Let's visit a while, we'll start service a little late today." It was great being able to spend time with so many of my friends. I had a fun conversation with two year old Rory Barnes - or Rory Mac as he is called by many. He asked me my name and I said, "Kathy Mac." He had the funniest look on his face! When I said, "It's Kathy McElhaney, but you can call me Kathy Mac" he seemed to really like that! He's a cutie for sure.

After lots of great singing, Elder Morton preached briefly from Isaiah 9:6. I'm so thankful for the Child Who was born Who is Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace!

I did start today off with a 15 mile bike ride - after all the feasting I needed it. I wasn't the only one as I saw dozens of folks out walking, running, and riding this morning. It's a beautiful day - probably going to hit about 75, clear and sunny with no wind. I could probably work on my tan today if I wanted to!

Christmas isn't over for us - Les and I will be exchanging our gifts to each other this evening. We like to stretch things out as long as we can! Hope your Christmas has been great and you're stretching it out as long as you can too.

30th Pastoral Anniversary Weekend

What a great weekend at Victory Tabernacle! We celebrated 30 years with Pastor and Sister White. They are worthy of all the honor bestowed on them. I love this great couple!

Friday night we had a packed house. The number of visiting ministers showed how highly respected our pastor and his wife are. Pastor Steve McMullen preached "When God Switches His Hands." He told the story of Joseph and his two sons ~ Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob blessed them he put his right hand on Ephraim, instead of his older brother Manasseh. Manasseh means God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. Ephraim means God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. God wants us to get beyond our past and make us more fruitful.

Sunday morning was a beautiful time of reflection. We had several special guests ~ Pastor and Sister Clifford Clark, Elder and Sister Gerald Buxton, and Pastor White's sister, Sister Kay Singleton. There was also a time for some of the saints to reflect and say what Pastor and Sister White mean to them. Sister White gave Pastor White and her sons beautiful memory boxes that had preaching notes from Pastor White's father, along with some other mementos.

Last night was another great service. The church presented Pastor and Sister White with a Mediterranean cruise. We were blessed to have Elder Vaughn Morton in service with us. He preached "Let this Mind Be in You, Which was also in Christ Jesus." The mind of Christ is not some great mystery, He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Our church has just started a new evangelism thrust, which Elder Morton didn't know anything about, so his message about reaching the lost was perfect timing!

I said to Les numerous times last night and this morning ~ "It was such a great weekend." My only slight regret ~ I didn't take a single picture!

This is a Kiss...

A 20 year old kiss!

Instead of the typical, "You may kiss the bride..." Elder Morton said, "Les, you may give your bride a kiss." A quick toss from Lance and Les was on his knee presenting me with a kiss!

Click on the above picture to enlarge and see the expressions on everyone's faces! Absolutely priceless!

Here we are walking out, newly married, with happy grins stretching across our faces. Notice the kiss in Les' hand...


And so it resides, in a place of honor in our refrigerator. A 20 year old kiss!

Overtaken By Blessings

After yesterday's post, I couldn't stop thinking about how blessed I am. God has been SO good to me! I feel so unworthy of His goodness. Yes, I've walked through dark times, but God has always been with me.

I remember a time when I was single. I was trying to keep my chin up, but I wasn't sure where my life was headed. Elder Morton talked to me. I'll never forget his words of encouragement that ended with "the blessings of God are going to overtake you." All of that has come to pass.

Pastor White's Bible study last night was about Christian money management. He read Malachi chapter 3, verses 8 through 12. I am a recipient of God's promise to open the windows of heaven. He is faithful!

With all those thoughts floating through my mind, I read Bro. Ballestero's post "Out of Context, But Still the Truth." He used part of Psalm 91:6 "the destruction that wasteth at noonday." He compared noonday with midlife and the destruction to that of a midlife crisis. I'd like to take the verse of our context as well and compare noonday to times of blessings.

We've all seen people who turn to God in times of crisis. During the darkness of trials they cry out to Him. The loss of a loved one. Financial distress. The destruction of a marriage. When their life is at its bleakest, they turn to God. Of course, God is loving and reaches down to them at that time.

In Luke chapter 12 Jesus gives us a warning about a man who is living at noonday:

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

While I am basking in God's noonday blessings, I never want to forget that those blessings come from Him. I cannot be at ease in His kingdom. I've got to keep giving back of my time and finances. He has been faithful. I owe a debt I cannot pay. Calvary was enough, but He has done so much more. So I just want to say to God be the Glory!

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me?
Things so undeserved yet You gave to prove Your love for me
The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude
All that I am, and ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee

To God be the glory, to God be the glory
To God be the glory for the things He has done
With His blood he has saved me
With His power he has raised me
To God be the glory for the things He has done!

Just let me live my life and let it be pleasing Lord to Thee
And if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary
With His blood he has saved me
With His power he has raised me
To God be the glory for the things He has done!

~Andrae Crouch

Precious Moment #04291991

20 years ago today, I turned 27 and celebrated my final birthday as a single girl. It was exactly four weeks before our wedding day and I was ready to get on with my new life. My birthday was on a Saturday, so Les came for the weekend. He had to go home Sunday afternoon, but I knew our times of separation were coming to an end.

On Monday morning, I made my way to the church. I prayed, then was sitting in my office for a few minutes. I was on the schedule that morning to give the thought during chapel at the Christian school, so I knew I would be heading across the courtyard in a few minutes. My "thoughts" for the past few months hadn't been very spiritual, many times the students would ask for a "Les update" and that's what they got! I was in the second graduating class of the school and had been the school secretary for about eight years, so it was with a little sadness that I preparing for my last time.

Before I made it out of my office, Elder Morton came in. "Are you going to chapel?" he asked. "Yes." "No, I don't want you to go today. A bunch of kids are in trouble and I've got to go take care of business." I knew what that meant, so I said okay.

Elder Morton stepped away from my office, but after about 15 steps he came back. "I changed my mind, you need to go one last time. Don't want you to forget how things were."

We walked together, across the courtyard and into the back door of the school chapel. There I was met by a huge sign:


And the entire student body and staff holding balloons and singing to me!! I was completely unsuspecting!


The students were then seated and Elder Morton said some kind words about my 10 years on the church staff.


He then directed me to the platform to open a very large gift...


"This is something you can use around your house," he said. He then handed me his pocket knife to open it a little more quickly...


Much to my COMPLETE and UTTER SURPRISE, my future husband jumped out of the box!!! I was shocked!! He was suppose to be at work in Southern California. But there he was!! He never went home that Sunday - he went to church in Hanford, then came back to Fresno and spent the night at Elder Morton's (this was not the first or last time those two schemed together!)


And I was told that I used great control in not throwing my arms around him in front of the entire school!!


Then it was Les' turn to give a "Kathy update"...


As the music began, the students filed by one by one, each handing me a balloon....


The line seemed endless and I could not stop smiling...


And in each balloon was a dollar! What fun we had popping those balloons!!!


What a great send-off they gave me. I felt so loved by so many. Les and I spent the rest of the morning together - we got our marriage license that day! This is definitely one of my favorite Precious Moments.