Duane's thoughts May 26, 2016

Hi again,

It’s been quite a week. For those of you who may not have heard yet, Adele and I have a new member of the family. No, not THAT kind of new member! On Wednesday morning way before the sun rose, I woke up about 15 minutes before my alarm which was set at 4:30am. By the time I had taken a shower and gotten dressed, Adele was up too and ready to drive me to the airport. Perhaps ready is not the correct word. She was resigned to take me to the airport. We got there at about 5:30 and do you know, Southwest is already busy by that time of the morning!?! Fortunately I had already gotten my boarding pass the day before (exactly 24 hours before as anyone familiar with Southwest would know) and didn’t have any baggage to check, so I was able to go directly to the security line. That’s where the fun began. You see, the member of the family is a motorcycle and the reason I was at the airport was that I was flying down to San Diego to pick it up and drive it back hone.

Even though I have TSA PreCheck (thank you Apple) the guy checking the boarding documents looked at the helmet I was carrying and then at me and asked: “You nervous about flying?” “No,” I answered, “But one can never be too cautious.” He seemed to take that at face value and let me through. Next I went to the x-ray machine and placed the bag with my Motorcycle boots, armored gloves and riding trousers on the belt along with my helmet and armored jacket and walked through the metal detector. No beeps or bells was a good sign but the belt going back and forth as the guys peered through my bag was not. Finally they let my stuff go through but not before one of the security people asked me; “You afraid of flying or something?” “No,” I said, “But you never know…”

I arrived at the gate and after a bit of time the plane was ready to board so I got in line and when I reached the guy taking the boarding passes he took mine looked at my helmet and asked: “Afraid of flying?” “No,” I replied again, “I just like to be prepared for anything.”

So off I went down the jetway and walked on board the plane. At that point the flight attendant looked at me and at my helmet and started to say: “Are you…” “Yes,” I interrupted, “Yes, I am afraid of flying. I really am, and if I could have gotten it through security I would have brought my brother’s parachute.” “Oh, uh, well…” the flight attendant replied, “would you like a window seat?” “Thanks.” I said.

The rest of the flight was OK, except that the flight attendants seemed to be staring at me every time they passed by. As I was leaving the plane in San Diego, the pilot was standing next to the door with the look of “So that’s the guy.” as I walked up. “I hope my flying didn’t scare you too much.” “No,” I said “Very smooth in fact." Holding up the helmet I said, "I just bought this in case the person next to me was too chatty.” And with that, I left the plane.

Since this has already gone on too long, I’ll condense the rest. I got to the motorcycle dealer in San Diego (Fun Motor Sports) signed all the paperwork, got the key to my new motorcycle and took of on a really long ride north. I stayed on I-5 for longer than I thought possible, turned onto 152 and then 101 and 85 and made it home 14 hours and 500 miles after I had left in the morning, thirsty, hungry, and with one of the worst cases of saddle sore I had ever experienced in my life!

I hope that you all had a good week, too. I wanted to mention that the Spirit West Coast Christian Music Festival is coming up in two weeks from this Sunday. It costs $19.50 for lawn seating and if you let me know that you would like to go, I will order the tickets in advance. Adele and I and Veronica and her family are going as well as Sudeep and some of his friends. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to go so we can get tickets and arrange transportation. The concert is at the Concord Pavilion which is about and hours drive away. The concert starts at 4pm and is over between 10 and 11pm.

Some other events on the Calendar:

New Light this Friday at 7:15

Middle School Sunday School this Sunday

Kings Academy Senior Commencement June 4th

Spirit West Coast Concord June 12th.

Please let us know if you have any prayer requests. We really do pray for you guys!

Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com

Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com

Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com

Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net

Also, you can find out anything you need about New Light and the youth program at: http://newlightnotes.blogspot.com

Cheers!

Duane

Duane's thoughts May 20, 2016

When I was in high school I knew a girl named Kat (Katheryn) who was probably one of the best listeners I have ever known. When you talked to her, her eyes would never leave your face as she concentrated on every word you said. They never wandered to the books in her hands or the people behind you; they were always focused right on you. In fact some people thought it was a bit disconcerting the way that she would stare you straight in the mouth. Yeah, that’s right, the mouth. That’s because Kat was completely (medical term - profoundly) deaf. You could shout and scream all you wanted behind her because she wouldn’t ever notice, But you could talk in a normal voice in front of the speakers of a rock band and she would know exactly what you were saying. (of course, if you remained there long, you would soon be just as deaf as she was.)

Lip reading wasn’t a talent that she naturally acquired. it took a lot of practice. She told me that she would watch the news every day because the reporters would always look directly at the camera and you could see their lips really well. She had cards that had different words on them that had very similar mouth movements that she would hand to people and tell them to read them to her in a random order so that she could practice. She would also look for people who had different accents because they would move their mouths differently. She said that some British accents (south central mainly) were the hardest because they didn’t move their mouths at all.

But through it all, she was an excellent listener and she would concentrate on every word you said because, quite frankly, she had to. Listening for her was very hard work and she took it very seriously. When she listened to you, she wasn’t thinking about what she was going to say or about how to answer, she was thinking about exactly what you said. If you were talking about something important she would always wait for you to finish before she would respond, usually in a very thoughtful way. She really was one of the best listeners I ever knew.

(Kat was horrible to get in an argument with, though. She would tell you exactly what she thought and then close her eyes.)

“I told you about my life and you listened to me.” Psalms 119:26

This week:

New Light Friday, May 20. What snacks will Duane bring this time?

Which School Sunday School, May 22

Spirit West Coast Christian Music Festival, June 12

Please let us know if you have any prayer requests. We really do pray for you guys!

Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com

Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com

Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com

Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net

Cheers,

Duane

Duane's thoughts May 13, 2016

Hi Everyone! I think that the fact that this Friday is Friday the 13th got to me and I am once again getting this out really late. You might say that I need a miracle to get me to start these earlier. Well, we’re in luck! Sunday is Pentecost Sunday and if that’s not a miracle, then I don’t know what one is. Pentecost marks the day that the Holy Spirit came to all believers ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven. If you want the full details, read Acts chapter 2. Lots or wild things went one. But the real miracle of that day wasn’t the stuff happening on the outside, it was the fact that God was coming to us. Not just a couple of us, but to all of us. After all, anyone can walk around with heads like matchsticks and speaking in other languages, right? Websters defines a miracle as: "a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.” Anyone who has ever taken a final exam, then, would know what a miracle is. However, my definition kind of differs with Websters. I think that not all miracles are surprising or particularly welcome. Just ask Jonah as he was picking seaweed out of his ears. But I do believe that all miracles come from God, the ultimate “divine agency.” So, I was wondering, what sort of miracles have happened around you today? What has the Holy Spirit done around you lately? I’d be interested in hearing from you. My grandfather (my mother’s father - I never met my father’s father) once told me that the only thing you can say for sure about miracles is that you can rely on them. On the calendar: New Light this Friday at 7:13 (Hey, it’s Friday the 13th, after all!) Middle School Sunday School - It’s gonna be a miracle Sprit West Coast christian Music Festival Jun 12 If you have anything you would like us to pray for or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact us. That’s what we’re here for. Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net Cheers! Duane

Duane's thoughts May 4 2016

Hi, If you don’t read the rest of this, please look at the special important message at the end.

As most of you may know, and for those who don’t, let me give you a huge heads up so you don’t get into major trouble, this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. So if you have forgotten, there is still time to make, buy or otherwise obtain a card and plan some other niceties for this Sunday. What you may not know is that the American Mother’s Day is just a little over 100 years old. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson, at the behest of Ann Jarvis, signed a declaration designating the second Sunday in May as the official Mother’s day. Actually, every state had already proclaimed it but Woodrow made it an official national holiday. The fact that it fell on a Sunday just made it easier. And while at least 84 other countries celebrate Mother’s day on the same day, almost as many celebrate it on some other day. And while in the US it’s “Mother’s Day” in many other countries it is “Mothers’ Day.” An important distinction. And there are several countries that rather than having a Mother’s day, have a generic “Women’s Day” instead.

So, with that lead in, let me tell you something about my own mother. Most people know that I have three brothers and no sisters which made my mother a definite minority in our home. While I was growing up she was barely 5 feet tall and maybe 100 pounds in the winter when she had her purse, boots, and jacket (she’s even smaller now). I think I was taller and outweighed her by the time I entered junior high. She had grown up in Washington DC during WWII which may be what gave her the mettle to survive the four of us. By the time the four of us had come around she already had a number of accomplishments wracked up. To this day I am still finding things out that I never knew about.

One of the things that most surprised me about my mother and one of the things she never mentioned was that in college she was the women’s fencing champion. My mother was a sword fighter! You’d never know it to look at her except maybe for the way she goes after flies with the flyswatter. She never misses. I asked her about it once and she told me in her usual way “I really wasn’t all that good.”
"Not all that good?” I replied, “You were the champion. That means you beat out everyone else. If you had been using a cutlass instead of an epee you would have left a trail of bodies in your wake.”
“Well, I never really learned to fence.” she said.
“Never learned to fence? You were the champion!” I repeated.
“But not because of what I could do, but because of what I couldn’t.” she said.
“Uh, I don’t think I’m following you there.” I replied.
“The only reason I did well is because I never learned to back up.” She said, now with a bit of a grin.
That’s my mom. Lots of other stories but that will do for now.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

On the Calendar:

New Light Friday night at 7:15pm. What’s your take on Mom? Any good stories?

Sr. High Sunday School

Spirit West Coast June 12. with MercyMe, Jeremy Camp, Matthew West, Phil Wickham, NF, Blanca, Urban Rescue, For All Season. I’m definitely going!

Special important message: I haven’t mentioned it before and it’s actually something really important. We want to pray for you. If there is anything that you would like us to pray about, please let us know. If you have something that you would like someone in particular to pray about, please contact them directly - their are e-mails below. And please know that anything you ask us to pray about will remain confidential unless you tell us we can share it. 

Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com

Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com

Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com

Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net

Cheers!

Duane