A delayed flight out of Kona provides the perfect window for reflecting on the past month here in our blog. We’re in the middle of a seven-week trip, which kicked off in Oakland, CA, on March 28 and will end May 20 with a marriage conference in Phoenix, AZ.
. . . and then we work
Each sunset and sunrise is unique and, like fingerprints, snowflakes, and humans, no two are ever exactly alike. This beauty captivated us as the sun set behind our home in Fairfax. God of all creation!! How majestic are your works in all the earth!!
We were thankful for this sky show seen during our four days of being home after moving here and before departing on a month-long speaking tour. We were also grateful to have the opportunity to walk the Littles to school on one of those four days . . . since they are the main reason we made this move. Joy!
2023: Off and Running
January 2023 entered with a rush to finish preparations to “make a proper fuss” for Lisa’s 40th birthday. Though truthfully it seems impossible to now have two daughters in their 4th decade, calendars don’t lie so here we are.
And we were off and running!
It was truly such a joy to finish both a scrapbook and a digital book of affirmation for this beautiful young woman of God we are privileged to parent. Her celebration took place in her Riverside home on January 12th, her “real” birthday, and it was a night full of great food (a yummy Mexican feast mostly prepared by her father and sister Kari) and fellowship among her close community friends. It culminated with genuine affirmation from 35 friends and family whose repetitive tributes confirmed the depth of her character and the positive difference she has made in all of our lives. Each guest brought a flower with which to honor her, speaking a tribute to her expressing the “why” behind the selection. It was a beautiful unforgettable evening of celebrating one of the best humans on the planet.
The dust had barely settled on the party when early the next morning, January 13, we flew to Spokane, WA, to speak for the annual Moses Lake Alliance Church’s marriage retreat held at Camp Spaulding in Newport, WA. We’ve had the honor of partnering with this church for over 16 years and grown to love this group so deeply as we’ve walked through so many highs and lows with them through the years. Following a very painful and unfortunate church split this year, MLAC was joined by the Moses Lake Christian Church for the weekend to “fill the place” and it was indeed full.
And by God’s grace, it was also healing and wonderful.
We were so very thankful to experience the presence of God in some very tangible ways and to affirm that in spite of the work of the enemy, His work goes on. It was a rich and powerful weekend and we are so grateful for Mark and Sharon Blazer, Phil and Andrea Lawson, and Justin and Marilyn Shuck who “made it happen."
We heard afterwards from a. number of attendees how God had used the marriage evening:
Our travels are always highlighted with some bonuses, and this trip was no exception. Driving from Newport to Moses Lake after the retreat ended, we met up with Ryan and Kaylee Vosbigian for dinner for the six-month marital check-up. It was the first time we’ve seen them since Paul officiated their wedding in late July 2023 and it was so encouraging to hear a very positive update. They are wise, committed Christ-followers and it truly was a joy to catch up with them.
We also met up with Tori Copley, whose parents Kent and Staci invited us years ago to partner with MLAC’s marriage and family ministry while Kent served on MLAC staff. Tori is also a wise-beyond-her-years young woman of God and we delighted in spending time with her.
Using the Blazer home as our base, we spent Monday connecting with more dear friends. First stop: Yakima. John and Joy Erb, longtime family campers from Arroyo Grande, CA, relocated to WA just over a year ago and we loved reconnecting with them and taking a peek into their new life in WA. Extra special was having their nephew Ryan and his family also visiting and it was encouraging to update our files on all of these precious friends.
On to Kennewick where we reconnected with Scott and Lisa Paulson (yes, Duke’s brother). Scott also served at CBS back in the day and he and Lisa have been in ministry their whole marriage. We hadn’t seen them for ten years and it was so heartening to hear their vision for Kingdom work in their growing church. We love having time with fellow sojourners who are faithfully proclaiming and living the gospel.
Back to Moses Lake for a two-night “Marriage Seminar” hosted by the Moses Lake Ministerial Association. Thirteen churches in the MLMA worked together to make this back-to-back night event happen and it truly was a reflection of the unity we have in Christ. Over 300 adults attended this first time production and it was truly a sacred time. Worship was led energetically and beautifully by a team comprised of musicians from four of the churches. Several pastors, including John Roberts from the Moses Lake Christian Church and Eric Frey from the Moses Lake Presbyterian Church, emceed the evening.
It was so much more than the planners were expecting.
All praise is His.
After a week in WA, as we flew to CA, we had time to reflect on the glory of God as seen both through His people, but also through His creation. How blessed we are.
We left the cold behind and after landing in Oakland and having a very brief visit with the Garcias, we continued south to San Luis Obispo for our next conference. Along the drive, we were so happy to drop in on more dear friends, Mary and Daniel Phillips and their two children, as well as Mary’s parents, Dave and Debbie Hazlebeck. The Philips have recently relocated from San Diego to Atascadero and we loved seeing their newly established life in this beautiful area. Their warm hospitality was such a welcomed break in the midst of this long day of travel as they both fed us and delayed bedtime so we could enjoy their sweet family. A perfect “pit stop."
Partnering with Tim Theule and Grace Church Central Coast, we spent the next three days in a place that holds many sweet memories and hosts many dear friends. Our youngest daughter Julie spent five years in this “Jewel of the Central Coast” town while attending Cal Poly, and Lisa lived with her while working at Mission Prep HS. Julie is actually the one who recommended that we invite Tim Theule to be a family camp speaker—which we did—and that began an almost two decades friendship and professional relationship with Tim and his wife Susie.
It’s always a great honor to work with Tim and his team and this was no exception. They did a masterful job of “covering the bases” during our three days of ministry.
Friday night kicked off this marriage and family weekend with an evening focused on marriage. For the “early birds” there was dinner, and for all there was dessert between the two talks. Well over 300 attended the Friday night event and significantly, quite a few fell in the “young marrieds” category.
Much to our delight, several couples attending were once little kids growing up at family camp. There are no words to describe how deep our joy is to see these “kids” all grown up, following Jesus, and happily married.
That’s kind of a big deal.
All praise is His.
Saturday morning another very large group of mostly young parents gathered for a parenting seminar. They were so eager, responsive, and clearly intentional about wanting to be coached in Christian parenting. “The best things you can do for your children is love Jesus, live the gospel, put keeping your marriage alive and thriving above your parenting, and PRAY” was our best advice. It was a profitable and hope-giving morning.
Sunday morning after attending the worship service, we had the privilege of speaking into the lives of the high school and college students on relationships. Though we truly love all that we do, this is our jam. We love to challenge the cultural narrative with Biblical truth regarding this very important, often life-changing subject and found this very large group of students very receptive and thoughtfully interactive. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend of ministry.
Between the speaking schedule, we managed to walk on the beach all three days we were there and there’s nothing that refreshes our souls more than that.
We beat feet out of Grace as soon as we were done teaching and thankfully made it to New City Church Oakland in time for their 4 pm service. We are so thankful for the mission, the vision, and the impact this church is making on the people of Oakland who desperately need to know that God loves them. Gabe preached a great sermon (you can check it out at New City Church Oakland’s YouTube channel) and the worship, as always, was uplifting.
The exclamation point on the weekend was taking the Grands to In-N-Out Burger after church.
And then we flew home. One of the very rare snow storms of this winter waited for our return and it felt like the best homecoming. Sadly it didn’t last long, but it was beautiful while it lasted.
Our dear friend Helen arrived the day after we returned and it’s always good to have Helen in the house. She brings much laughter and a true servant’s heart, pitching in wherever needed.
On Friday night, Jan. 27, she managed our book table at the Arabic Evangelical Baptist Church as we spoke on marriage to launch their four month “Adam and Eve” series. We’ve partnered with this church many times over the past 10 years and loved being back with them. It was an energetic evening with a larger than expected crowd (just under 100) of couples wanting to build in to their marriages. A great night indeed!!
So yes, this year has gotten off to a fast start and we’re so thankful for these many opportunities to be off and running, fulfilling His purposes.
All praise is His.
We are so blessed.
All Things Fall
What’s not to love about a New England fall? We’ve been mesmerized by the most incredible parade of exquisite, show-stopping color over the past four weeks and I have about 500 photos to prove it. :) Leaves crunching underfoot have provided the soundtrack for an ever-changing treescape donned in reds, oranges, salmon, and yellows. It’s been spectacular.
Beyond exhilarating.
Autumn is heavily weighted with some of the most delightful activities, events, tastes, and sights of the year. Apple picking. Apple cider. Apple cider doughnuts. Apple pies. Cranberry harvest. Pumpkins. Pumpkins. And more pumpkins. Football. Visits from friends who are lured by leaf peeping promises. Crisp air. Falling temps. Harvest fairs.
Island Life
The past 7 weeks in numbers:
47 days on the road
35 degrees - lowest temp
85 degrees - highest temp
345 miles walked/hiked
18,000 air miles flown
25 talks given
50 hours of counseling
We’ve just returned from almost seven weeks on the road (or in the air) and were welcomed home by a large stack of (mostly) recyclable mail, temps that were 55 degrees lower than the average of the past weeks, and leafless trees and brown earth.
It was very apparent we weren’t in Hawaii anymore.
Around the Country in 22 Days
Since my last post on Dec. 27, we’ve only been home eight days.
Maybe that contributes to me forgetting that when I last wrote, my reflections ended with Engagement Matters (EM), which was held Dec. 4–5, and not after Christmas, which the blog post date would indicate.
Whatever the reasons, before I write about our most recent last three weeks—which literally took us to the four corners of our great nation—we must finish December. Strangely, that seems SO long ago already. But what fun to sift back through my December photo library and have many sweet memories surface.
Here, There, and Everywhere
In the past two months, we have made six trips to California, two to Maryland, one to Virginia, one to Pennsylvania, one to Tennessee, and one to Georgia. Of the 23 days we slept in our own bed (out of the past 62 days), we have had seven sets of houseguests, many full days of counseling, spoken at four weekend conferences, celebrated two God-honoring weddings, walked about 400 miles, gone apple picking and leaf peeping, bought and processed our annual supply of fresh raspberries for jam making, and been with all of our children and grandchildren at various points along the way.
Celebrating Summer!!
You can feel it in the air. It’s palpable when you’re in the mix of people, outdoors, interacting. At the beach. In parks. At celebrations.
Our God-designed, image-bearing, relational selves are reawakening after a long draught of imposed isolation and it is enlivening. Literally. Statistically, this past year-and-a-half has taken a toll on us far beyond the scope of the virus itself. In fact, the collateral damage seemingly far outpaces the Covid damage, when mental health, relational breakdowns, abuses of all kinds (from spousal and child abuse to substances and addictions), financial ruin, academic setbacks, emerging addictions related to technology, etc., are tallied.
Prayerfully, the worst is behind us and we can begin rebuilding with hopefully more wisdom and awareness of what really counts.