Our friend Gary got married to Barb Sunday afternoon, and he got a real neat lady. The wedding was outside under a beautiful blue sky at Silver Falls State Park. It was very nice.
They asked Deanne and I to take the pictures, and we really had a good time doing it. We each had a camera, so it took a lot of pressure off of both of us! It was a good thing too, since my camera (borrowed from work) had some trouble with it’s auto focus, so not all of them look real sharp. Between the two of us we took over 400 pictures, so they’ll have plenty to choose from!
The backyard birthday party we had for Alison yesterday was a wonderful gathering of family and friends who all play an important part in our daughter’s life. There were stories, meaningful gifts, laughs and good times.
Our friend Dan posted these thoughts on his blog this morning. Thanks Dan!
Last weekend was another great weekend away to Black Butte with the guys. 19 in all went, some fished, some hiked, a couple played golf, and 13 of us mountain biked on one ride or another.
On friday, David Andres and I biked over on Horse Ridge, about 20 miles east of Bend. It is desert climate over there, and it was HOT. mid 90s. I got a bit overheated and had to lay down under a Juniper tree for a while. after that I was OK.
On Saturday we went to the Phil’s Trails area. It’s the best complex of bike trails anywhere in my opinion. Our favorite, called the Whoops Trail, is named for its many large jumps and curves. Unfortunately, David had a pretty serious crash on the upper end of that trail. It took us quite a while to get him off the mountain, since he couldnt walk or ride. We didnt know what injuries he had, but he was hurting pretty bad. Thankfully there was an access road nearby, cell phone service, and a Jeep in the area that brought him down to the van. (David found out yesterday he has a torn hamstring.)
On Sunday we rode on the Sisters trail, and there were no mishaps, except for Taylor Swan turning his front wheel into a Taco!
Alison is in Italy as I type this, and she is having a ball… take a peek at excerpts of one of her emails:
Hello again! I’m in Venice now…. I tasted the best Italian pizza so far… gorgeous views of the countryside… a strenuous 45-minute hike up steep stone staircases… through vineyards and around cliffs… a beach on the Mediterranean… sherbet-colored buildings, and no cars… I really could live in Tuscany. It is just like the coffee-table books..
I go to church with my family every Sunday in a large historic brick building in the center of the older part of Newberg.
I know that “the church” is really the people, and that we would be the church even if we met in a school gymnasium or a coffee shop, but when I think of my church, I think of this building. It has been a large part of my life and I am extremely thankful for it.
Here are some memories and important events that have happened to me at Newberg Friends Church:
In Junior High I sang in the youth choir led by Dennis Hagen. We got to wear those awesome purple choir robes!
In the early seventies I remember the older high school kids “rebelling against the establishment” by daring to wear Levis to church. I remember wondering what was going to happen to them…
I loved to sit with my buddies in the back row of the balcony. My dad often sang in the choir, and when his eye caught mine—that was enough for me to start paying attention!
I knelt at the alter as a young high schooler during some special evening meetings, responding to God’s voice. I was already a “believer,” but I made an important commitment to Christ there.
Also as a high schooler, our youth group was in charge of a service one Sunday, and believe it or not, I preached. Really! My sermon was from John 3—Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus on being “born again.” (It was a pretty short message! )
I listened to my pastors’ sermons through the years, Fred Littlefield, Richard Foster, Ron Woodward, Dick Sartwell, Gregg Koskela and many others. They preached, taught, warned, encouraged, reminded, guided, and overall just pointed me to Jesus.
I have sat in silent open worship well over 1500 times there, and gazed at the beams, the stain glass windows, and the woodwork, as I listened to Christ… or just sat… and waited.
Deanne and I said our vows to each other there on March 22, 1986, in a ceremony that brought together many friends and family. My grandfather, Oscar Brown, and Deanne’s pastor from Hillsboro friends, Earl Perisho, officiated.
Deanne and I had each of our kids dedicated to God publicly there.
I often wonder how those early Friends pulled it off over 115 years ago. How did they decide where to build and when to build? How much to spend? What it would look like and how big it would be? They certainly had a vision for the future.
I have a great love for NFC, and am excited about what God is doing among us, the people that meet there these days.
Here is a list of things I am thankful for today:
We have an incredibly gifted, committed and caring staff
We have many wonderful people from a wide variety of backgrounds and places
We have all ages well represented—babies, children, youth, young adults, young families, middle-agers, and retired people
Our focus is on following Christ. We are His friends.
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