Duane's thoughts June 29, 2016

OK, I know that I am really going to be showing my age on this one. When I was a kid there was an animated commercial with a kid singing the Oscar Meyer Wiener song:

"Oh, I wish I were and Oscar Meyer wiener. That is what I’d truly like to be. ‘Cause if I were an Oscar Meyer wiener, Everyone would be in love with me."

Then there was a second commercial with a bratty kid singing:

“Oh, I’m glad I’m not an Oscar Meyer wiener. That is what I’d truly hate to be. ‘Cause if I were an Oscar Meyer wiener, There would soon be nothing left of me.”

Yeah, I know they resurrected the song with a few changes but I remember the old song. The original song. And you know what? When I was a kid, I really did love Oscar Meyer wieners. Of course there were a lot of other things I loved. Like ice cream (especially vanilla chocolate chip), and anything with lemons in it, and water mellon (especially water mellon!) and I loved my bicycle even though now I really love my motorcycle. I also love traveling, always have, always will. I love photography and making things (do you know I designed and sewed two prom dresses when I was in high school?) There are so many things that I love.

Which makes me think. It’s kind of an over used word, isn’t it? DO we really mean we love something - that we couldn’t do without it? Most of the things I say that I love, I don’t really need and although I might miss them if I lost them, it wouldn’t be earth shattering (except maybe the motorcycle - that would really hurt to lose it). So, do I really love these things? Or do I just like them and like the idea of having them? What are the things I really love?

I love my wife, Adele. I love my daughter, Julia. And not because I possess them, but because they possess me. True love isn’t taking, it’s giving. In John 3:16 John wrote: “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” And then in 1 John 4:19 he wrote “We love because God first loved us.” (Pretty awesome stuff from a guy who used to be called one of the “Sons of Thunder” because of his temper).

There is an Russian proverb that says “Love is like a potato. You can throw it out the window, but it grows wherever it lands.”

Coming up this weeK:

New Light, Friday night at 7:15, July 1 (Hey, did you know that it’s Canada Day?)

We still have lots of S’more fixings as well as ice cream float fixings, pizza rolls and other stuff guaranteed not to be too healthy.

Monday is the Fourth of July. Anyone going for fireworks?

If anyone is interested in rock climbing, let me know. I have all the equipment checked out and ready to go.

And if anyone has anything they would like prayer for or would like to talk with someone about, we are always available.

Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com

Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com

Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com

Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net

Cheers,

Duane

Wishing you LOTS of potatoes!

Duane's thoughts June 22, 2016

Hi.  I hope that everyone is having a good start to their summer. I would say that we’ve been lucky and that the weather has been good, but hey, this is California. The weather is always great here.

So, to kick off the summer, this Friday at New Light we are planning games and a campfire with marshmallows and s’mores. We’ll also have pizza rolls along with ice cream and soda for floats. Basically an health foodie’s nightmare. : ) I’ll also bring a frisbee for a game of Ultimate Frisbee.

I think I have mentioned to most of you that I have two cats. Or rather, there are two cats that live at the same house as I do. After all, can you really say that you own a cat? I am absolutely convinced that in their mind, they own you. Over the years I have had a variety of pets - everything from snakes and lizards to rats, chipmunks and squirrels. I have had a rabbit, an opossum, a raccoon, and a chinchilla. And for about six months I even had a dog. So I have had some experience with pets and the ways in which they interact with the people around them. Some with more intelligence and some with less.

Of all the furry animals that I have had, I think that without a doubt the least intelligent was the opossum. We named him Pogo and he was friendly enough but usually when you looked him in the eye, there was just nobody home. One thing that I learned about opossums is that they really do play dead. Well, actually they don’t mean to, they just frighten and swoon easily. Kind of a “Boo” “AACK” thud response.

The most intelligent was the raccoon. We named her Patty Sue and I honestly think she was more creative than a number of people I know. She could escape from almost any cage and she could steal the keys from even the best pickpocket. And the thing about raccoons is that they seem to have two brains - on in their head and one in their hands. They will be watching something (like you) with complete concentration while their hands are doing something completely different (like stealing your keys).

And every one had its own personality - even the tortoise that we called Rock because, well, that’s what he tried to imitate most of the time. And each one had it’s own way of showing affection. The raccoon would run up and wrap her arms around your ankle leaving little black handprints on you cuffs (she also loved to wash black walnuts). The chinchilla would jump onto your chest if you were lying down and leave a couple of “presents” before she left. The cats will meet you at the door when you arrive home and then turn away like they are completely uninterested. Yeah, I know that’s not the usual way we would show affection, but to a cat, that’s really special. Even the chipmunks and squirrels had their own ways of showing affection to us and to each other.

But so much of animal affection, as well as human affection, is conditional. I’ll love you if… For animals it’s mostly “I’ll love you if you feed me.” and to a lesser extent “I’ll love you if you don’t eat me.” Not always, but often. How many times have we heard the same from people: “I’ll love you if…” or “ I need this or that from you.” But God’s love is unconditional. 1 Corinthians 13 gives a list of eight things that love is and eight things that it is not. And the list ends with the statement that God’s love “never fails.”

Next time you get peeved at your brother or sister or parents or friends or whoever, take a look at the list starting at verse 4 and ask yourself: “Am I patient? Am I kind?" And so on. And don’t worry about the other person. It’s pretty enlightening to look at yourself through God’s eyes. Transforming, too.

We’d like to put together events for this summer that people would like to do. There are a couple of concerts coming up in August, and there are opportunities for other things like beach trips. Bring your ideas on Friday and lets map out the summer!

See you then.

Friday June 24, 7:15

Grace Community Covenant Church / Foothill Covenant Church

Corner of Oak and Truman in Los Altos

And as always, if anyone has anything they would like prayer for or would like to talk with someone about, we are always available.

Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com

Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com

Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com

Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net

Cheers,

Duane

Everyone needs a hug now and then.

Duane's thoughts June 3, 2016

Hi all,

It’s that time of year that if you’re not out of school yet you’re pretty close. Of course that means that everyone is busy with end of school/graduation plans and so are probably as busy if not busier than you’ve been all semester. Especially if you are a senior because everyone knows that seniors really don’t do much of anything their last semester except make sure that they actually pass everything. So, for all those progressing to the next grade I say:

Congratulations!

And for those moving on from middle school to high school I say:

Congratulations!

And for those who after 12 long years of continuous toil are finally graduating from high school I say: 

Congratulations! Way to go! Whoo Hoo!

OK, Now on to other business.

First I know that everyone has a lot going on for the next couple of weeks so we are taking a break from New Light for a bit. We will not be meeting tomorrow night (June 3) or next week (June 10). The following Friday (June 17) we’ll be having ice cream floats and smores and whatever other sweet and gooey stuff people want to bring.

Also, Sunday June 12th is the Spirit West Coast concert at the Concord Pavilion. Veronica and her family, Adele and I, Sudeep and several friends are going and getting lawn seating tickets. And the more the merrier! Lawn seating costs $19.50 per ticket. Beach chairs are allowed as long as the legs are less than 7” tall. Full height chairs are not allowed. Doors open at 3pm and the music starts at 4pm. There will be food caterers as well as various booths with things for sale. I don’t know how much parking will cost but it will cost something.

If you would like to go but need a ride, please let me know. This would be a great family event so I encourage people to bring parents, siblings, friends… the works!

Information can be found at: http://spiritwestcoast.org/events/spiritwestcoastconcord

As always, if anyone has anything they would like prayer for or would like to talk with someone about, we are always available.

Allen Cheung - avaliant@gmail.com

Sudden Gurung - sgurung2s@yahoo.com

Veronica Conte - mail4veronica@gmail.com

Duane Fowler - dlfowler@comcast.net

And one last thing. A bunch of people have asked me what my wife and my mother think of me getting a new motorcycle especially considering what happened with my last one. Well…

I think they are OK with it,

Cheers!