Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

peace.
johno~

The little town was filled with many travelers who had come to register for the census. Could it have been his pregnant wife and his used donkey that slowed the travel time for Joseph? How many rest stops did he have to take for his wife? How many miles does a used donkey get to the bale of hay? Whatever happened, Joseph and a pregnant Mary arrived in Bethlehem to over crowded streets and signs of “No Vacancy.”

Inn after inn, Joseph could find no shelter for the night. It wasn’t a stormy night… Shepherds were out watching their sheep in the fields. However, the greatest act of heavenly nature was on the move and there would be no avoiding it. Birthing pains announced the imminent arrival of a child who would save people from their sins.

“Sorry, I have no more room in the inn.” “Please, the time for my wife to give birth is now!” “I can't give you what I don’t have. We're full.” “We can’t sleep in the fields.” “The shepherds do.” “Are they pregnant?” “I don’t know.” “Joseph.” “Yes dear” “Please hurry!” “Keep breathing. Find your focal point” “Is she OK?” “Listen, we need a place to stay or my wife is going to have a baby right here.” “ I just cleaned the floor” “Do you know of any place we could find shelter?” “Everything is full. I only have room for your tired donkey.” “Where?” “In the stable.” “I’ll take it.” “You want to use my barn for…” “Yes.” “Well…” “JOSEPH!” “Here’s my deposit.” “Would you like one key or… Uh, sorry, there are no keys to the stable.” "That’s OK. We will manage.” “Good night”

One can only imagine that giving birth to a baby would not be different from women who give birth today. Silent night? I’m not sure. Holy night? Yes. Hours of labor would birth the hope of God showing He has not given up on His passionate pursuit of men.

“How was your night sir?” “Long.” “Did you sleep well?” “No” “Did your wife have her baby?” “Yes” “Boy or a girl?” “Boy” “Congratulations.” “Thank you” “I see you have company.” “Yes, some local shepherds.” “Will they be staying with you? I only have you down for two… Um, three.” “They are just visiting my son.” “Good.” "I would like to stay a few more days.” “Will you be having more visitors?” “Does it matter?” “This isn’t a palace you know.” “Trust me, I know.” “Listen, visitors crowd my customers out. If they don’t pay, they don’t stay.” “What are you telling me?” “If you want to show off your child, take him out to a hillside and lift him up so everyone can see him.” “Lift Him up?” “Have a nice day sir.” “Thank you.”

How can the Word become flesh and dwell among us and not be noticed? How could the innkeeper not have recognized this historic moment in time and worshiped like the shepherds? It's amazing that Glory is missed, even today, when people refuse to notice Christ.

The thought never crossed my mind before. The innkeeper missed it. He housed the Lord of lords, the King of kings in an old barn while he slept in the comforts of a full belly, a full house and a full pocketbook. He slept through the night God came to earth.

Remember, it's CHRISTMAS not Christmiss . Wake up… Stay awake… Worship Him.

Merry Christmas
johno~

What a great day... Kids can be a lot of fun to watch. Today we had a "Gingerbread Factory" at our church. It was great to see kids putting more candy in their mouth than on their houses. What could you expect? Place a bucket of treats in front of a well diciplined child and he will sin. The stained outer rim the mouth is a dead give away. My son put more frosting in his mouth than on his house I think.

After reading about Peter Pan, a story of my good friend Jason Hill A.K.A. Peter Pan, how could I stop my kids from the joy of eating as much sugar as they could get in their mouth? I couldn't.

Anyhow, most of the kids had fun... Here are a few pics of the day with my new camera. I am still trying to get the hang of it. It's not a camera for stupid people. If you own a camera like this, it thinks you know what you are doing. Having this much muscle, I would like to apologize to Jason for giving him a hard time about multiple exposures. Please forgive me J.

Well, enjoy the kids. They were fun.

I wanted to take a moment of time and remember the price paid for freedom.



It's difficult to live in the shadow of such a horrific time that changed the world. War is war. Yet, today another battle is being fought for freedom. Does it matter if it's my freedom that's being fought for or not to make war just? Freedom has a price. Period.

If we are to accept the "freedom" to sling mud at our leaders then we must know that in order to do so a price must be paid. It's freedom. Choose to use your freedom to build not to destroy. Enough has been destroyed.



I never met Howard Eugene, but he paid a price for freedom. Thank you Howard.

I love the song written by William Whiting, Eternal Father, Strong to Save...

The original hymn was written by William Whiting of Winchester, England, in 1860. It was originally intended as a poem for a student of his, who was about to travel to the United States. In 1861, John B. Dykes, an Episcopalian clergyman, composed the tune "Melita" for this hymn. ("Melita" is an archaic term for Malta, the site of a shipwreck involving the Apostle Paul mentioned in Acts of the Apostles chapters 27-28.)
Like many hymns, this hymn can also be considered a prayer. source, en.wikipedia.org

What a nice prayer... Read carefully and remember the hope we have in Christ.

The original words are:

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Peace.
johno~

YEAH! I finally figured out how to add my own personal header. It only took several long hours of reading websites and a bit of trial and error... OK, a lot of trial and even more ERROR.

Last night was our celebration Sunday worship at church. It's a time to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. I took my camera and walked around taking some pics. My friend Kim wanted to see my camera and as she held it, in my direction, she snapped the shot above in the "new" header. With a little photoshop, taa-daaaa! New look. Thanks Kim.

Here is a shot I captured last night... Walt Hamilton.


When I first moved here to Wenatchee, I was in the office for the second day when Walt showed up to let us know his wife had passed away sometime that morning... It was a sorrowful time and not the best way to meet someone for the first time. It make you think of your future with your wife and who will have the blessing of going home first. However, the sorrow was felt. He would be going home second. He would have to sit at the table with one plate and go to an empty bed at night. I couldn't even begin to imagine.

Since that difficult time I have come to know Walt on a more personal level. Not a defeated man named Walt Hamilton, but a victorious saint and servant of the most high God. He grew up in Goldendale and his family owned a farm, that to this day still has the name "Hamilton" on a big white barn which can be seen on the westside of hwy 97.

To those of us here, he is known as Grandpa Walt and he is the kind of Christian man I want to be when I grow up.

He loves to talk to you and grab your arm so you can't run away.
He crosses icy parking lots every Sunday and Wednesday to meet with the saints
He prays in the King James language
He quotes scripture... in the KJV language
He says, "thank you"
He laughs
He cries
He fought for and loves his country
He calls my kids, all of them, peanut
He opens doors for the ladies
He takes his time
He listens... even when he can't hear you
He is a traditional believer but loves to see young people love Jesus
He says, "God bless you"
He watches TV... really loud
He makes you stop and want to visit
He wears a tie
He supports the great commission
He speaks with knowledge and authority
He says, "I don't know"
He Drives! but not fast
He tells stories of his past
He writes letters to students in Africa, through World Bible School
He is alive
He loves God
He is saved by the blood of the Lamb

I would like to be like him when I grow up.

peace.
johno~

It's winter time and cold is in the air. There is a difference between having cold and nothing to show for it; and cold with lots of snow. As much as I don't really like driving in the snow, I would rather have cold and snow than just cold. It's a beautiful site.

Today we picked up our Christmas tree and the lights around the house are shining... Of course, I never took them down from last year. Last year my lights were multi-colored... This year, we have white lights around the house. OK, we have white lights on the south side of the house. The other sides are a bit faded... Some faired better than others.



I am sure there is a spiritual story in this... I'll let you think about it instead of telling you what I think.

God bless you as you focus on Him.

peace.
johno~

Well, it has been a while since I've been on this road. My original thoughts of this page was to include ONLY the times I had come into contact with others and shared Christ. So the pages have been emptied for some time waiting for that moment. I've been stuck in a moment and I can't get out of it. I think I may have missed something. Daily being lead by the Spirit? Of course, everyday. It may come in the form of a man on the side of the road... It may come in a photograph of a child. It just might be in a dark closet. Wherever, the Spirit is there.

Today I can hardly see the road... It's covered in snow. But what a wonderful thing to illustrate the Spirit of the living God. He covers our sins and makes us white as snow.

I am not sure if I have met a person on the face of the earth that has not been taken back by the scene of snow covered fields. It is as beautiful a reminder to me as the rainbow is a promise of God. The Spirit is everywhere. He is leading. The question is, am I following?

I must remember, even if I don't see it, I still have a Spirit to follow. James Berry the author of Peter Pan wrote, "God gives us memory so we can have roses in December." So with the snow, the roses go, but I remember.

I must remember, not by my strength, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Everyday, in all Your ways.

peace.
johno~

Well, today I had a chance to be encouraged by my good friend Jason Hill. He took me to the Japanese here in Portland, OR to take some pictures. So, I thought I would share a couple of shots. The first one was taken just north of Multnomah Falls and the second at the Garden. It's good to have friends. It's nice to know the the Spirit can work in so many lives and you could lifted by the same Spirit living in you but from another life.





peace.
johno~

It's amazing how much a person can have so much and yet still find themselves empty. It can happen to anyone if they are not careful. Busy, busy, busy. Save the world. I once heard a speaker say, "If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy." True.

I have to admit, I have had a busy year. In a total of one months time I had driven 7,766 highway miles. This doesn't include the trips back and forth to Portland, Idaho, Seattle and Canada. Then there is the standard "normal" miles you put out on your family car running errands. All I can say is, "YUCK!"

What ever happend to, "Be still and know that I am God"? I somewhere missed a memo or have gotten to caught up in doing "good" that my pouring out of ministry has left a once "cup runnith over" into an empty cup looking for another refill.

I love refills... Free refills. I hardly eat at any location that does not offer this wonderful service. But where do you go to get a "free refill" of life? Jesus said to the woman at the well, "Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 14:13-14 A spring of water welling up is greater than a normal refill.

Have you ever busted a water main? I have and when you do the only way to stop the flow is to find the source and turn it off. Did you catch the key, "turn it off." I have to admit that I have gone to the source and turned it off. I think that is my problem. I have made God a "shut off valve" so I can manage the flow. The difference between a water main and a spring welling up is design by man and design by God. Man wants to contain the flow, God's design does not allow flow control and thus our cups runnith over.

When our cups become empty, we may need to go back and find our where we placed the flow control and remove it. Whatever, is damming the waters may need to be dismantled so the abundance can find it's way into our cup.

peace.
johno~

Well, I just finished with some post production of photos while down in Slidell, LA during the Kartina relief effort. It's tough to post pictures when so many have captured images from CNN and FOX News. I have to say it was hard to take pictures. What do you say when you see them? "Nice pictures?" No.

Anyway, here are a few images we saw while helping with relief work. I hope you don't enjoy them.


"Neverland"


"Looks like a hurricane"


"Lost Treasure"


"Not Shot... Killed!"

Anyway, if anyone would like to help in this effort, contact http://www.hilltoprescue.org

peace.
johno~

What has the Spirit done today? It can be difficult when your day has been set apart for getting your home ready for winter. The temp has dropped into the 40's at night and my wife has turned the electric blanket on. Next the heaters. Winter is coming.

Still new to this blogging thing, I tried to send a message from my email with a pic of my wife having an ultra-sound... My attempts were unsuccessful. So here I am at my computer trying to catch up. It's funny to think that everyday has its events and opportunities... Miss a day and you either put people to sleep reading your blog or you become overwhelmed in trying to edit life down to a few paragraphs as you journal how the Spirit leads you in your daily walk. So... here is what I tried to email last week.



Life. Can we really understand it? Science now has the ability to capture images of life in some of its earliest stages but it cannot compare to the awesome wonder of the giver of life.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
- Jeremiah 1:5

We are known and we are set apart. This is so God. It's not just the choosing you that He would send His one and only Son to reclaim us, it is that He knows us and has set us apart.

peace.
johno~

Today was a bit of a trial day. I am trying to get back into work mode and ready myself to leave this weekend for Portland to attend a friends wedding. My wife called me and asked if I would run an errand for one of our church members who just had surgery on her foot. She needed someone to pick up her perscription and bring it back to her. No problem. I jumped into my car and headed down to pick up her perscription.

Three of our members live in this apartment building. Pat, Eddie and Henry. Henry has a mental conditon and has been in state care since his mother died several years back, until recent. For some reason the stated moved Henry into the Cascadian apartments. As I strolled down the street, I saw Henry sitting out front on a bench watching traffic drive by. Dozens of cars not even seeing him, yet he watched everyone.

Henry is a funny guy, in that when you talk to him he repeats whatevery you say. "Hi Henry" I said. "Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi" replied Henry... "Are you having a good day?" Henry said, Good day, good day, yes a good day." I told him I would see him later and went to meet Pat.

I arrived at her building which is an older apartment building in our town... You know, the ones built in the 40's with the button you push so the tenant can let you in... After announcing my arrival, I headed for the elevator and pushed the up button. I jumped in and hit the ninth floor button. The doors shut and the rattle and squeeking began. I just had to laugh. I thought this would be a terrible way to die. I remember myth busters "busting" the myth that you could jump up just before the elevator hit the floor, so I prayed that the tired moaning box that carried me to the top would make one more trip. After that I took the stairs.

I wasn't able to return right away to bring Pat her meds. My wife and I are having a baby and today was our first real Dr. appt.. We had to fill out all the paper work and wait for our Dr. since he had been called to the hospital. When he arrived back he met us and congratulated us on out fourth child. This would be the third child he would deliver.

When he checked my wife he placed the doppler on her stomach to listen to the heart beat... He couldn't find it. My heart sank. He called the nurse in and asked her to get the ultra-sound machine so he could get a visual. I have to admit, I was scared. My wife and I had heard the heart two weeks ago just before I left for Louisiana, so this moment was tense.

He found the baby and said the baby looked older that what we had thought, so he has set an offical ultra-sound check up for tomorrow. He apologized for the scare and sent us down so my wife could get her blood tested. It nerved me a bit.

I gathered my kids and wife and got my car as the family went home I continued with my earlier expidition. I picked up the meds for Pat and ran home for quick dinner and would drop off Pats meds on my way to church. Around 5:30 PM almost 4 hours after I had talked to Henry, I returned to the sidewalk that lead to the Cascadian apartments and found Henry still sitting on the bench, watching the traffic go by.

"Still here Henry?" "Still here, still here" I said, "Are you enjoying the sunshine?" Henry replied, "Enjoying the sunshine, yes, sunshine." I like how Henry sees things. It is always "good, good" or "great, great" He let me see how great it is when the world stops moving and ask, "how are you?" we can respond, "good, good."

Later that night at church, Henry saw me and moved towards me and smiled big, as only Henry can. "Hey! How are you?" I'm good, I'm good" I said. "How are you Henry?" "Good, I'm good."

At the end of the day, I know he is... and so am I.

Peace
johno~

Today I called Brent Brady in Colorado to see how things were going with Whitney. Brent told me that Whitney stayed at his home for 3 days and then left for Chicago to meet with the father of the child she had given up for adoption six weeks earlier. Brent told me she and the father had planned to meet and work things out. Brent also told me that he had made some contacts in Chicago for her to help her on her way.

Brent said he didn't think that the events of the last few weeks will go by the way side. He believed she was impacted by the "God" events in her life.

And so, this is the hard part. I may never see her or hear from her again on earth... However, God never promised me that. He told me to share what it looks like and just believe. I do. And so I will let God continue to work wonders in the lives of his people. I will continue to look for another opportunity.

Where ever you are Whitney, Gods speed.

peace.
johno~

What a wonderful day… Truly God works in mysterious ways. Today we arrived in Denver Colorado after a long nights drive through Washington, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. We were feeling the pressure of keeping a tight schedule since we were delayed in Wenatchee for about a hour. The only thing I could think of is God is doing something or sparing us from tragedy.

We arrived at Blake and Kim Hill’s home in Denver and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, a chance to power nap and shower. Who would know what God was working on. After breakfast we gathered for a group photo and started to load up. I had remembered Jason Hill telling me there was a Starbucks nearby. Never passing up the opportunity of having a fresh cup of java, we headed to Starbucks which was next to a BP service station.My vehicle dropped me off in front of Starbucks and headed to fill up with gas. After getting a cup for myself and Bruce another member of the team from Port Orchard, I was walking to the BP station.

Coffee’s in hand and the task of leaving ASAP to get “back on schedule” I noticed a young lady sitting by a payphone looking very distraught. I at once felt the need to go ask her if she was OK. However, like every other youth minister who is behind in any schedule, I immediately talked myself out of it. I delivered Bruce’s coffee and went up to Tim who had also noticed the same young lady visibly upset since he pulled in to fill up with gas. I knew I had to go to her.

I approached her and asked her how she was doing and if I could help her. She said “I don’t think so.” I asked if she was from around here and she had told me that she was from Texas and had only moved up to Colorado a short time ago. She told me she had moved here for a second chance and the opportunity to start over. She told me she moved here to live with her sister and that she had blown that and was now not allowed back into here sisters home. She also told me that she had just given up her baby six weeks ago for adoption and now had nothing. I asked her what she wanted to do now and she told me it sounded crazy… I told her that I had heard lot’s of crazy stuff in my life and then she told me she wanted to hitch a ride back to Texas and that she wanted that person to have a gun and end her life. She then told me the next time her sister would see her would be to identify her body. I sat there looking into saturated eyes and thought, “Ugh!”

“It sounds like you have lost hope and I believe God has sent me here to tell you that there is still hope.” She told me she felt no hope and was losing here faith. I asked if she attended church, “nothing successfully,” she said. I asked her how old she was and she told me nineteen. I began to minister to her and share some of my life story and how God loved her, how Jesus died for her and how she could have hope in the resurrection. I then told her there were churches willing to help her if she was willing to start making changes in her life and letting God in. I knew I needed to connect her with a local church.

Lost! Sitting by a phone book with more churches listed and located than I could imagine I decided to call the Christian home that just served us breakfast. Kim Hill told me of the Boulder Valley church of Christ in, Colorado. I asked the young lady what her name was and she said Whitney. I told her to hold on and that I was going to get some help. At that time God sent into our conversation Chalon Osamu.

Chalon sat with the young lady and asked if she could pray with her. I went to make phone calls to the local church. As well as God’s timing was in crossing our path with this young lady, our timing in connecting with the church resulted in the lunchtime hour. However, a wonderful phone answering system provided a forward to the ministers cell phone.

I pressed zero and was excited to make contact with Brent Brady the minister at the Boulder Valley church… “Ugh!” another answer system. Well, doing with the best I had at the time and continued prayer for God to provide. I left a detailed message regarding this urgent situation and thought I send the message with UGENCY! So I pressed the asterisks (*) button and erased the entire message. Once again, I relayed the story and sent my message.I thought I would try to contact some other church members by opening up the phonebook again and looking for something to jump out at me when my phone rang. It was Brent.

I shared with Brent that I was a youth minister from the Northwest on my way to Louisiana and had come across a young girl named Whitney who needed help. I told him I would give her some cash to get a value meal at Mc Donald’s and a brief description, (the only person who looks like they had been crying for several hours). Brent Agreed and said he would meet her at Mc D’s.

I returned to Whitney and told her that Brent from a local church was coming to meet with her to give her help. I showed her a picture of my three children and told her of the one on the way. “I have no guarantee that I will see them again,” I said, “But, I have hope.” I told her about Acts 17 and that “God puts people in certain places at certain time so they might reach out for Him and grab hold of Him because He is not far from each of us.” I told her God is in the business of second chances and third and fourth and fifth chances times infinity.

Chalon returned with a bag of food, some cash and a women’s New Testament Bible and told her God can make a difference. We prayed together, hugged and said goodbye. Chalon and I went to our vehicles and Whitney to Mc D’s. I thought I would never see or hear from Whitney again. That’s OK you know… God never promised we would see how He works. He says, “Just believe.”

I shared the story with the guys in my truck and thought It would be a good time to take a nap. After a bit, Jess gently shook me awake handing me my ringing telephone. It was Brent Brady. Brent greeted me and asked me if I was a member of the church of Christ and how I got his information. I told him I had connection with some of his members, Cody and Tina Hill and that I had gone to collage with their Cody’s brother Jason Hill. Brent told me that he had met with Whitney and that there was a bit more to Whitney’s story. Honestly my first thought was, “what have I done to this poor minister who was trying to get ready for his Wednesday night class.” Brent told me that in his conversation with Whitney, he discovered she was nineteen. Brent told her that he had a nineteen year old daughter who was attending ACU in Texas. Whitney then said, “you mean Ailene Christian University?” Brent replied, “Yes.”

Brent became verbally excited as he continued to share that Whitney had known some of the people at ACU and that the son she had just given up for adoption she gave to the Christian Homes Adoption Agency in Abilene which is a church of Christ sponsored effort. Brent then shared that he told Whitney that he didn’t want to sound weird or strange but that he wanted to take her home to his family. He was calling me from his home and he and his wife have opened their home to Whitney. I don’t think God could have been more clear in this matter. To think, I almost got into my truck because I thought I didn’t have enough time. Thank you Holy Spirit.

I look forward to hearing back from Brent but most of all Whitney... Someday.

Peace.
johno~

OK, I have started this post as a personal journal of listening to the Holy Spirit in my everyday walk. How many times have I been moved by the Holy Spirit and acted on it only to bless and be blessed. How many times have I not acted because I was afraid?

Although this is a personal journal, I welcome everyone who has acted on the opportunities placed before them by the Holy Spirit. I pray that I and others continue to "act" on every opportunity the Spirit gives us.

Give us today our daily bread, so that tomorrow we have to come back to you empty, hungry and ready to be filled for another day.

peace.
johno~