Day 21: A Day of Worship!

Dear friends and family....first there is a new survey for you to take. If you need to refer back to some of the meal photos throughout the blog...it won't kill you and you might find stuff you haven't read before...so it's worth it. If you already know the difference between a great Ted's Hot Dog, or a Salted Kaiser Roll with amazing Steamship round roast beef sliced super thin, called a Beef on Weck, from Schwabl's, you can go ahead and vote right away. Have fun!

Second, we have spent the day in Irvine CA with Kevin and Ben and some of their dear friends...great young men and women...and this includes Kate Jordan who joined us for lunch.

Third, there are a number of ways I could review the day...for example...it was an almost perfect food day. Fresh, sweet watermelon with sausage and eggs for breakfast, a sno cone at Grace Fellowship Church at 11am to support a Jr. High Mission effort, a crisp, wood ovened Margherita Pizza while watching Tiger come in second, free popcorn and free movies as Kevin got us in to the theater he previously worked at, finishing off with a green tea smoothie and some Asian appetizers...

It was also an almost perfect friends and family day (not completely perfect because you all weren't with us)...we started with Ben, Kevin, CJ and Kate, then had lunch together, we then spent more time with Ben, Kevin and CJ...we then spent more time with Kevin, CJ, Steamer, Leanna (sp?) and Melanie...and we finished up spending time with Kevin, CJ and Leanna (sp?)

But how I would like to summarize the day is that it was a perfect Worship Day! We went to Grace Fellowship for their morning service and experienced solid music and a glorious message on how the strength of Jesus fills us and perfects our understanding and appreciation of Him in the midst of our weakness. Rather than removing some of the things that seem painful, He leaves them and meets us in them, to show that His grace is sufficient to carry us through. Each one of us prays to have certain stresses and challenges removed from our lives and the lives of those we love...this is good to do. However, God sometimes says no out of love....just as Jesus prayed to have the cup of God's wrath removed from Him, and the Father said no...Jesus experienced the wrath of God and His obedience, even unto death on the cross, resulted in the most glorious blessing for us. So too will the sufferings and challenges we face, that are left in our lives, result in blessing for us and others as we learn to trust and treasure Jesus in the midst of them. He promises to never leave us or forsake us and to be with us always...Finding Him faithful and ever present in our troubles gives us great hope and joy. We were then asked to consider the thorns in our flesh, and specifically those that have remained after praying for their removal....How is Jesus showing Himself to be faithful to us in the midst of those thorns, and how are we learning to love and trust Him more as His grace gives us the power to rejoice in them. Finding Jesus to be your greatest treasure through the ups and downs of life is what I call a great time of worship.

But that wasn't all...In the evening we went to Rock Harbor's Celebration Service and the message was just as powerful. The resurrection of Jesus is so significant in the gospel message. Truly believing that He has been raised from the dead to conquer death and the grave forever for each of us who believes IS the gospel. A number of attendees gave their lives to Jesus this evening and it was truly a time of celebration. Being transformed from those who will taste death and die in their sins, to those who have been set free, their sins forgiven and their entry to Heaven to live forever confirmed and sealed, is an occasion to worship Jesus for His gift of eternal life, gained by His death and resurrection. Jesus Saves!!!

These first 2 photos are from the sanctuary at Grace Fellowship...

Left to right you have Ben, deep in thought, Kevin and CJ, and Kate Jordan...perhaps you can see that I asked them to turn on the golf in the background...
We made a quick stop at Kevin's to pick up a few things and to watch the end of the golf tournament, and I was struck by how tidy and clean the 5 young men keep their apartment...
The next 2 photos are Kevin's Rock Harbor friends. The wonderful 10 cent noodles T shirt guy 3rd from the left is Steamer. In 2 days he is heading to Granada Spain for nearly a year of study. Please pray for him...for his heart...for those that will miss him...and for his impact...he's a great guy!
Stopping at Cha Tea for a late, light dinner Kevin, CJ, Peggy and I enjoyed the crispy chicken...with mango infused black tea...
Chicken noodle soup with passion fruit green tea...
Crispy tofu (that one's mine :)) with a blended green tea with aloe vera...I guess so my tongue wouldn't burn?
and the dumplings with a straight up chai tea...with "pearls" which are sweet potato slimy little black balls of weirdness....healthy weirdness that is.
Tomorrow we start our final trip towards home as we plan to take Highway 1 all the way up the coast...stay somewhere near Moonstone Beach in Cambria and on Tuesday continue the drive up route 1 until we get to San Fran airport by 9:30pm to pick up Dan returning from Europe...Lord willing...so until tomorrow evening's post, vote in the food survey and treasure Jesus in the difficult areas of your life. We love you...