In my last blog I forgot to mention that I got to watch a Filipino pastor climb a coconut tree and fetch a fresh coconut for me to sample. It is absolutely amazing how easily he climbed 30 feet up the tree ( in about 30 seconds). This without spiked boots or a safety belt. I got a video of this accomplishment but, alas, I am back at an Internet cafe without ability to upload the video. McDonald's (with free WI-FI) is still in my future plans.
Yesterday was a day trip to Cebu to shop for rings. Half the mission was accomplished. This morning the second half was accomplished here in Bohol!
Now for the ordeal - shopping for shoes! I had forgotten what it is like shopping with a women hunting for a pair of shoes. Arrrggghhh. But it is not only shoes for Christie but for her mother and three kids as well. Arrrggghhh times 5. After 3 hours of no progress it was decided to: 1) Bring John (10) and Shekinah (8) into the store to try on shoes so they would actually fit. 2) Give Crisielyn (18) money and she can shop and buy the shoes she wants. 3) Let Christie and her mother shop tomorrow for their shoes without me around!
Tomorrow will be a busy day as we must travel. Traveling anywhere in the Philippines is a time consuming activity. I will be traveling somewhere to a youth leader's retreat and get the privilege of sharing with those in attendance. I will be speaking in the evening which means from noon on I will be somehow engaged in the following three activities. 1) Waiting. 2) Traveling. 1) More waiting. 3) Speaking. 2) More traveling. I expect to be back to my room around 10 PM. I will find out this afternoon what is suppose to happen and then tomorrow find out what will really happen. Life can be full of serendipity events - especially here in the Philippines.
Lest I forget to mention this, it is 4 days and 4 hours until the wedding.
Blessings to everyone.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
T Minus 5 Days, 22 Hours
I have access to the Internet! It seems improbable to be so long without Internet access but the days do turn into a blur and end without the necessary stop to an Internet cafe. Here is a brief rundown of what's happening in the Philippines while we wait for the wedding.
Arriving at midnight on the 13th I proceeded to the US Embassy in Manila at 6 AM on the 14th and thought I would arrive early (like 2 hours before they opened). To my surprise I was probably number 200 in line! But, Praise God, all went well and I got the required "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage". Then off to Tagbilaran and filed this critical piece of paper completing all the hoops to get our marriage license. The license will be issued on the 23rd (another of God's favor) and the wedding will be on the 24th!
Thursday was a day to get "fitted" for the wedding gowns and my special 'barong'. A 'barong' is a Filipino dress shirt. This way I don't have to wear a tie or tux to the wedding!!!! Friday was setting up banking matters with Christie so we can hopefully make Western Union obsolete. Of course, any official transaction seems to take a minimum of two trips to the office with errands in between getting some obsolete piece of information they require. Saturday was spent visiting pastors and inviting them to the wedding. In our travels on
Christie's motorcycle, we got caught in a downpour so spent 30 minutes under a mango tree trying to stay dry.
Today I preached at Glory Evangelical Holiness Church (where we will be married). I am scheduled to teach at a youth conference on this coming Wednesday night. Next Sunday I will be preaching at 10 AM and probably at 1:30 PM. At this point I am declining all speaking invitations!
The days fly by fast but seem to crawl toward the 24th. There has been so much to do this past week. This coming week will be pretty easy as we have all the details taken care of (as far as can be discerned). I just discovered that McDonald's has free WI-FI so my next post will have some pictures.
I'll close for now. All is well. God is good. He is still on the Throne issuing forth mercy and grace! 5 days, 22 hours till the wedding! (But whose counting anyway).
Blessings
Arriving at midnight on the 13th I proceeded to the US Embassy in Manila at 6 AM on the 14th and thought I would arrive early (like 2 hours before they opened). To my surprise I was probably number 200 in line! But, Praise God, all went well and I got the required "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage". Then off to Tagbilaran and filed this critical piece of paper completing all the hoops to get our marriage license. The license will be issued on the 23rd (another of God's favor) and the wedding will be on the 24th!
Thursday was a day to get "fitted" for the wedding gowns and my special 'barong'. A 'barong' is a Filipino dress shirt. This way I don't have to wear a tie or tux to the wedding!!!! Friday was setting up banking matters with Christie so we can hopefully make Western Union obsolete. Of course, any official transaction seems to take a minimum of two trips to the office with errands in between getting some obsolete piece of information they require. Saturday was spent visiting pastors and inviting them to the wedding. In our travels on
Christie's motorcycle, we got caught in a downpour so spent 30 minutes under a mango tree trying to stay dry.
Today I preached at Glory Evangelical Holiness Church (where we will be married). I am scheduled to teach at a youth conference on this coming Wednesday night. Next Sunday I will be preaching at 10 AM and probably at 1:30 PM. At this point I am declining all speaking invitations!
The days fly by fast but seem to crawl toward the 24th. There has been so much to do this past week. This coming week will be pretty easy as we have all the details taken care of (as far as can be discerned). I just discovered that McDonald's has free WI-FI so my next post will have some pictures.
I'll close for now. All is well. God is good. He is still on the Throne issuing forth mercy and grace! 5 days, 22 hours till the wedding! (But whose counting anyway).
Blessings
Saturday, April 10, 2010
There and Back Again!
The lovely lady in the picture is Christie! I have spent this past week in the Philippines attending a one-day marriage seminar which was required in order to meet the requirements for a marriage license. (This was one of three things requiring personal appearances in order to get a marriage license.) So I arrived in Tagbilaran on Wednesday morning and we immediately took off to visit Christie's parents. After visiting with her parents and putting my best foot forward (no attempts at humor) they gave what I had hoped to receive - their blessing on our marriage!
Then it was attending the required marriage seminar on Thursday. God must have sense of humor as the seminar was conducted in Cebuano. But I got my piece of paper signed and certified! Hopped on the plane on Friday and zoomed back home. I got to spend time with Christie's children and it was a good two days with them.
The wedding is planned for the 24th. I am heading back to the Philippines on Monday (12th) and stay there until coming home on the 29th. There seems to always be another unseen bump in the road so all I know is that as of this posting all is set. I am out of here for now as I have a few things to do for tomorrow and wash clothes for the next journey. I thought you would enjoy this picture of Christie (I know I do) so I had an excuse to practice further picture posting.
Have a great Sunday tomorrow.
Blessings
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
No, This Is Not a Pre-April Fools Joke
Place: Bohol Tropics restaurant. Tagbilarn, Bohol, Philippines
Time: 6:30 PM. February 3, 2010
Event: Evening Supper. Last night on Bohol before heading home to America.
There she was sitting across the table from me invited to share a meal with us by a mutual friend. It was the first time I recall seeing her. She had been attending the pastor's seminar for three days but, hey, I was not looking for a prospective bride so I never noticed her. Now that the seminar was finished and we were at the table together I did notice her. Though we spoke but 4 or 5 sentences to one another during the meal, still when she left there was a lingering memory. But I didn't even remember her name.
By the time my companions and I arrived home from the Philippines there were the usual five or six emails from various pastors thanking us for coming and giving testimonials of what god had done in their lives as a result of attending the seminar. Her email was one of the six. Who is Christie Oscaris? Which pastora (female pastor) was she at the seminar? She introduced herself as the woman at the supper and hoped I remembered her. How could I not remember her - she was the only woman at the table with four other men.
To hit the 'reply' button and respond or go on to the next email. That was the question. Perhaps it was the lingering memory from the supper, but as most of you know by now, I obviously hit the 'reply' button. And I have kept hitting the 'reply' button until one day it was her turn to reply to me. In response to a proposal of marriage she hit the 'reply' button and said YES!
As I shared the news with family first, the universal response was, "What!?" (shock) and then the congratulations. Perhaps I should have sent out an email announcing I had met a woman. And then followed up this email with weekly status reports. This would have eliminated the shock factor. But I did not want to be answering questions every week on this matter. Besides, shock is good to get the adrenalin flowing! So now that the shock is worn off and people can process some information, here are some details. In other words, answers to questions asked.
Christie is a Christian. Yes, we have both prayed about this. No, Christie is not nuts. (I may be but she is definitely not nuts.) Christie speaks English. Christie is a widow whose husband died 18 months ago from a sudden liver problem. Her husband was a pastor and she has been asking the Lord for another pastor so she could continue to be a pastor's wife. (OK, maybe she is a little nuts.) Christie is 33 years old. She has 3 children. And yes she is beautiful. (Spoken by one who is in love with her.) Her children are Crisielyn (18), John (10), and Shekinah (8).
The wedding is planned for April 24th. After the wedding I will return home and begin the process of getting a "spousal visa" so Christie and the kids can come to the U.S. This process usually takes six months before the visa is issued. So realistically it will be sometime in November when we get to have the house filled with new family members.
Now for a picture of the future bride. There are three women in this picture that are special to me. The lady in pink was healed of breast cancer the previous night during the seminar. The lady on the far right was also healed of a "throat problem" that was painful and made it impossible for her to speak above a whisper. Both women wanted a picture with us and then the other women joined in the picture. Christie is the beautiful woman in the middle! (Of course, I am the tall, handsome one among the men.)
Now that this news is posted I can resume posting of various topics which are of "Not so urgent matters." Also, if this picture is actually posted, it means I have learned to post pictures with my blog and a whole new world is before me. I'll keep you posted.
Blessings
Time: 6:30 PM. February 3, 2010
Event: Evening Supper. Last night on Bohol before heading home to America.
There she was sitting across the table from me invited to share a meal with us by a mutual friend. It was the first time I recall seeing her. She had been attending the pastor's seminar for three days but, hey, I was not looking for a prospective bride so I never noticed her. Now that the seminar was finished and we were at the table together I did notice her. Though we spoke but 4 or 5 sentences to one another during the meal, still when she left there was a lingering memory. But I didn't even remember her name.
By the time my companions and I arrived home from the Philippines there were the usual five or six emails from various pastors thanking us for coming and giving testimonials of what god had done in their lives as a result of attending the seminar. Her email was one of the six. Who is Christie Oscaris? Which pastora (female pastor) was she at the seminar? She introduced herself as the woman at the supper and hoped I remembered her. How could I not remember her - she was the only woman at the table with four other men.
To hit the 'reply' button and respond or go on to the next email. That was the question. Perhaps it was the lingering memory from the supper, but as most of you know by now, I obviously hit the 'reply' button. And I have kept hitting the 'reply' button until one day it was her turn to reply to me. In response to a proposal of marriage she hit the 'reply' button and said YES!
As I shared the news with family first, the universal response was, "What!?" (shock) and then the congratulations. Perhaps I should have sent out an email announcing I had met a woman. And then followed up this email with weekly status reports. This would have eliminated the shock factor. But I did not want to be answering questions every week on this matter. Besides, shock is good to get the adrenalin flowing! So now that the shock is worn off and people can process some information, here are some details. In other words, answers to questions asked.
Christie is a Christian. Yes, we have both prayed about this. No, Christie is not nuts. (I may be but she is definitely not nuts.) Christie speaks English. Christie is a widow whose husband died 18 months ago from a sudden liver problem. Her husband was a pastor and she has been asking the Lord for another pastor so she could continue to be a pastor's wife. (OK, maybe she is a little nuts.) Christie is 33 years old. She has 3 children. And yes she is beautiful. (Spoken by one who is in love with her.) Her children are Crisielyn (18), John (10), and Shekinah (8).
The wedding is planned for April 24th. After the wedding I will return home and begin the process of getting a "spousal visa" so Christie and the kids can come to the U.S. This process usually takes six months before the visa is issued. So realistically it will be sometime in November when we get to have the house filled with new family members.
Now for a picture of the future bride. There are three women in this picture that are special to me. The lady in pink was healed of breast cancer the previous night during the seminar. The lady on the far right was also healed of a "throat problem" that was painful and made it impossible for her to speak above a whisper. Both women wanted a picture with us and then the other women joined in the picture. Christie is the beautiful woman in the middle! (Of course, I am the tall, handsome one among the men.)
Now that this news is posted I can resume posting of various topics which are of "Not so urgent matters." Also, if this picture is actually posted, it means I have learned to post pictures with my blog and a whole new world is before me. I'll keep you posted.
Blessings
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Elusive Magical Exercise Machine
Today was a beautiful day. It was so beautiful that it was almost a sin not to be on the golf course. So Lord, I repent for not golfing today! Now that this matter is resolved we can talk about more serious matters.
In my quest to stay in some semblance of healthy shape I purchased a bike three months ago. Just in time for the winter weather to cancel out all practical use for the bike. But the bike is only good for the cardiovascular system (and my legs). It does very little for the gut. So for trimming of the abs comes the necessary sit-up bar. What am I thinking? Sit-ups? I hate sit-ups. How much use will the sit-up bar gets - well let's say it may sale some day with a "slightly used" sign on it. However, now that I am set up to get physically fit, along comes a TV ad for some walking treadmill/machine that will keep you fit by simply walking. In fact this device is so efficient that it gives you more of a work out than other running treadmills. But this super efficient machine does not go far enough. Soon there will be a real breakthrough exercising device. I am eagerly waiting for the day when they come up with an 'exercising TV'. I am not talking about an exercise DVD but a real TV that exercises your thighs, abs, gluts, heart, ear lobes and pinkies all while just sitting watching some program. And in the midst of pondering this great future machine it occurred to me that we already have this available for one month of the year. It is called March Madness!
As I sit and watch the ballgames I will arise from the couch to grab a drink or reach for more "vitamins". Each time I arise I exercise my abs. Walking to the kitchen for more refills must surely cause my thighs to cry out for relief from the constant walking back and forth. The 'gluts' - whatever they are can just be ignored. The heart rate climbs in proportion to the closeness of the game. The sustained heart rate that everyone talks about is easily attained if your team is marginal and can not achieve a blowout. Ear lobes and pinkies get their share of workout just from being there to squeeze, pull, or twist to relieve nervous energy and to abate panic attacks.
Yes, March Madness is the true magical exercise experience. Oops, I just dropped some popcorn on the floor. That's great. Just bending over to pick it up exercises the abs. That's one less sit-up to do this evening. Hooray for dropped popcorn!
In three days I and four others will be heading to Honduras to do some construction work at New Life Children's Home in Jalaca. Our assignment, dig a hole 8'(L)x8'(W)x10'(H) and build a septic tank inside the hole. We'll see how our backs hold up through the week. A week of this work is good for a year worth of sit-ups. I can see it now, take that sit-up bar back to the store.
I put out the last of the bird seed this evening. When the birds finish what's out in the bird feeders they will be on their own. This is another sign that spring is just about here! Next it will time for the hummingbirds! Hooray.
It has been one year since starting this blog. Looking back I wish I had written more consistently. But I also am surprised that I wrote as much as I did. Actually, everything over twelve posts should be considered miraculous for me. So we head into year number 2. Hopefully many more posts are to come.
Blessings
In my quest to stay in some semblance of healthy shape I purchased a bike three months ago. Just in time for the winter weather to cancel out all practical use for the bike. But the bike is only good for the cardiovascular system (and my legs). It does very little for the gut. So for trimming of the abs comes the necessary sit-up bar. What am I thinking? Sit-ups? I hate sit-ups. How much use will the sit-up bar gets - well let's say it may sale some day with a "slightly used" sign on it. However, now that I am set up to get physically fit, along comes a TV ad for some walking treadmill/machine that will keep you fit by simply walking. In fact this device is so efficient that it gives you more of a work out than other running treadmills. But this super efficient machine does not go far enough. Soon there will be a real breakthrough exercising device. I am eagerly waiting for the day when they come up with an 'exercising TV'. I am not talking about an exercise DVD but a real TV that exercises your thighs, abs, gluts, heart, ear lobes and pinkies all while just sitting watching some program. And in the midst of pondering this great future machine it occurred to me that we already have this available for one month of the year. It is called March Madness!
As I sit and watch the ballgames I will arise from the couch to grab a drink or reach for more "vitamins". Each time I arise I exercise my abs. Walking to the kitchen for more refills must surely cause my thighs to cry out for relief from the constant walking back and forth. The 'gluts' - whatever they are can just be ignored. The heart rate climbs in proportion to the closeness of the game. The sustained heart rate that everyone talks about is easily attained if your team is marginal and can not achieve a blowout. Ear lobes and pinkies get their share of workout just from being there to squeeze, pull, or twist to relieve nervous energy and to abate panic attacks.
Yes, March Madness is the true magical exercise experience. Oops, I just dropped some popcorn on the floor. That's great. Just bending over to pick it up exercises the abs. That's one less sit-up to do this evening. Hooray for dropped popcorn!
In three days I and four others will be heading to Honduras to do some construction work at New Life Children's Home in Jalaca. Our assignment, dig a hole 8'(L)x8'(W)x10'(H) and build a septic tank inside the hole. We'll see how our backs hold up through the week. A week of this work is good for a year worth of sit-ups. I can see it now, take that sit-up bar back to the store.
I put out the last of the bird seed this evening. When the birds finish what's out in the bird feeders they will be on their own. This is another sign that spring is just about here! Next it will time for the hummingbirds! Hooray.
It has been one year since starting this blog. Looking back I wish I had written more consistently. But I also am surprised that I wrote as much as I did. Actually, everything over twelve posts should be considered miraculous for me. So we head into year number 2. Hopefully many more posts are to come.
Blessings
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Our Share Of The Record
Well, we did it. Us folks here in north Texas held up our end in garnering record snowfall. It was as if we (Texans) could not stand the east coast getting all the attention from record snowfall so we decided to share in the spotlight and join the fun. Now when they talk about the record snowfall of 2010 they will have to mention Texas as well! It started snowing right before dawn and did not end until 10 p.m. This was the longest length of time for it to snow since I have been living in Texas. Also it was the most snowfall in one pass in the last 70 years. The total amount of snow this year is officially a record! Way to go north Texas.
Of course, the snow does cause us to do strange things. Public school here in Valley View had kids come to school at 8 a.m. only to dismiss them at 10:30 a.m. The benefit of this was it could be counted an official school day. Yippee. One less day to go to school in the spring!
Last night I grilled hamburgers in the 7 inches of snow that are still on the ground. On a whim I invited everyone on my Facebook to come by if they wanted some burgers. Eleven brave souls came by to partake of the fun. Not surprisingly, my Polish, Honduran, and Filipino friends didn't respond to the invite. :)
One of the friends who came over asked if I had ingredients for cookies. She was doubtful I had this kind of supplies in the house. I am proud to say that I had everything she needed to bake cookies. Another youth said he could bake cookies as well so we had two bakers on two separate computers getting their recipes and then meeting in the kitchen to make their choice cookies. Meanwhile the rest of us chowed down our burgers before watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The cookies came out of the oven during the ceremonies. I was content to settle for burgers and chips and got fresh cookies as well! Life is good.
One of my morning meetings today is postponed due to the snow on the ground. This means I can attend the Teen Tea Party in Gainesville in it's entirety instead of scrambling to get two events squeezed into the morning.
One of the youth in our church heads down to Kerrville, Texas Sunday and Monday to give speeches at a speech competition hosted by the American Legion. Parker Luke is one of the four finalists in this competition throughout the state of Texas. If he wins this competition it is on to the nationals in Indiana. Go Parker!
Yesterday I got this computer debugged of about 30 viruses or other creatures that were causing it to run in slow motion. I mean I could literally fix my breakfast (well hot chocolate and heated honey buns) before certain programs would boot up. Now all is back to normal with me able to access two programs at once without it freezing up. Life is good.
Bird feeding in the winter is a blast if you can afford it! The birds are fun to watch. However, birds have a tendency to tell all their fine feathered friends where the nearest food source is and the first thing you notice is the bird population rises exponentially. One finch turns into dozens, one cardinal brings another eight, one chickadee materializes into gazillions. Soon the bags of bird food seem insufficient for the masses. I was in Wal-Mart the other day with nothing in my cart but bird food! I was dreaming of feeding birds during the summer time in the desert - thinking about how little this would cost. Then I remembered the birds of the desert are vultures and they eat dead things! And they, too, never eat alone. They go get their friends too! So if I were to provide the birds of the desert a meal, it would have to be me. Now, feeding the birds in my backyard does not seem to cost near as much. How one's perspective can change. :) Life is good.
Blessings
Of course, the snow does cause us to do strange things. Public school here in Valley View had kids come to school at 8 a.m. only to dismiss them at 10:30 a.m. The benefit of this was it could be counted an official school day. Yippee. One less day to go to school in the spring!
Last night I grilled hamburgers in the 7 inches of snow that are still on the ground. On a whim I invited everyone on my Facebook to come by if they wanted some burgers. Eleven brave souls came by to partake of the fun. Not surprisingly, my Polish, Honduran, and Filipino friends didn't respond to the invite. :)
One of the friends who came over asked if I had ingredients for cookies. She was doubtful I had this kind of supplies in the house. I am proud to say that I had everything she needed to bake cookies. Another youth said he could bake cookies as well so we had two bakers on two separate computers getting their recipes and then meeting in the kitchen to make their choice cookies. Meanwhile the rest of us chowed down our burgers before watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The cookies came out of the oven during the ceremonies. I was content to settle for burgers and chips and got fresh cookies as well! Life is good.
One of my morning meetings today is postponed due to the snow on the ground. This means I can attend the Teen Tea Party in Gainesville in it's entirety instead of scrambling to get two events squeezed into the morning.
One of the youth in our church heads down to Kerrville, Texas Sunday and Monday to give speeches at a speech competition hosted by the American Legion. Parker Luke is one of the four finalists in this competition throughout the state of Texas. If he wins this competition it is on to the nationals in Indiana. Go Parker!
Yesterday I got this computer debugged of about 30 viruses or other creatures that were causing it to run in slow motion. I mean I could literally fix my breakfast (well hot chocolate and heated honey buns) before certain programs would boot up. Now all is back to normal with me able to access two programs at once without it freezing up. Life is good.
Bird feeding in the winter is a blast if you can afford it! The birds are fun to watch. However, birds have a tendency to tell all their fine feathered friends where the nearest food source is and the first thing you notice is the bird population rises exponentially. One finch turns into dozens, one cardinal brings another eight, one chickadee materializes into gazillions. Soon the bags of bird food seem insufficient for the masses. I was in Wal-Mart the other day with nothing in my cart but bird food! I was dreaming of feeding birds during the summer time in the desert - thinking about how little this would cost. Then I remembered the birds of the desert are vultures and they eat dead things! And they, too, never eat alone. They go get their friends too! So if I were to provide the birds of the desert a meal, it would have to be me. Now, feeding the birds in my backyard does not seem to cost near as much. How one's perspective can change. :) Life is good.
Blessings
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snow
Wow! As the dawn brings the first hint of light this morning it reveals it is snowing. And what a beautiful snow it is. For those who have watched White Christmas, it is snowing like the closing scene of the movie. Gently falling snow with no hint of wind makes for a picture perfect scene and lots of fun for the kids who will get to skip school today. And the birds are glad the bird feeders are full
Random thoughts. Today is a great day for Chicken Chow Mein while tonight is a great night to watch some Red Green shows.
This Saturday morning there is a Teen Tea Party in Gainesville at the Court House Square from 10 - Noon. It should be good. This is the 4th Tea Party to be held in Gainesville. Each one has been good. This one should be the best as those hosting it are the ones seeing their future monetary fortunes being spent with no say in the matter. I guess it is similar to the original Tea Party mantra "No taxation without representation".
Today I will learn to use Flicker.
I love these two verses in Psalm 21:1 & 3. "O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad. And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! . . . For You met him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head."
And finally for today it is worth mentioning that God does all things well!
Blessings
Random thoughts. Today is a great day for Chicken Chow Mein while tonight is a great night to watch some Red Green shows.
This Saturday morning there is a Teen Tea Party in Gainesville at the Court House Square from 10 - Noon. It should be good. This is the 4th Tea Party to be held in Gainesville. Each one has been good. This one should be the best as those hosting it are the ones seeing their future monetary fortunes being spent with no say in the matter. I guess it is similar to the original Tea Party mantra "No taxation without representation".
Today I will learn to use Flicker.
I love these two verses in Psalm 21:1 & 3. "O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad. And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! . . . For You met him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head."
And finally for today it is worth mentioning that God does all things well!
Blessings
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