Have You Launched Out into the Deep? Are You Okay, or Are You Adrift?

Sometimes we “launch out into the deep,” not because we’ve been called by Jesus to go with him, but simply because we’re passionate about something.  This was true for Richard Sharp and Tami Ashcraft, who decided to sail more than 4,000 miles from Tahiti to San Diego in September of 1983.  In this terrifying true adventure, memorialized in 2018 as the movie Adrift, we learn what happened to the young couple. I don’t want to entirely ruin the story by telling you everything about the ending (so skip this if you don’t want to know whether or not they survived), but the movie is super impacting! Just three weeks into their voyage, they were caught in Hurricane Raymond, a monstrous storm that churned across the ocean with winds up to 140 mph, creating 40-foot waves. On October 12, Richard (who was ten years older and a more experienced sailor), told Tami to go below deck and take a break, but while she was below deck, the yacht capsized, and Tami was knocked unconscious. The remainder of the movie describes the horrendous 41-day saga of being adrift at sea, trying to get back to land and civilization, hoping for rescue . . . being bypassed . . . feeling utterly lost and abandoned . . .                                      and finally being found and rescued! There’s something profoundly effective in vicariously suffering through harrowing life experiences via films. Do you know what I mean? We can gain wisdom and compassion simply by empathizing with the victories and defeats of fellow human beings. I could almost feel my face sunburning and imagined savoring the indescribable succulence of an apple after almost 6 weeks of surviving on tiny rations of canned food and peanut butter. Experiences (even vicarious ones) like being Adrift in the vast Pacific, thousands of miles from home, cause me to search my soul. Am I sitting placidly on shore avoiding work (and responsibility), or have I launched out into the deep with my Savior? What about you? Have you launched out into the deep with Jesus . . . or have you headed out into deep waters due to some passion and now find yourself adrift, feeling lost, abandoned, and afraid for your life?Whether we’re called to go or driven by our personal passions, surviving a life-threatening trauma changes us forever. But, thankfully, as the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Rather than ending her sailing career, Tami became a wiser, better sailor, and she’s still sailing today. Tami  likens her tragic boating experience to being in a car crash: Most people keep riding in cars even after they’ve been in a serious accident. If you fall off a horse, get up and keep riding, right? Her example is most inspiring!   Tami did not sense it was the Holy Spirit leading her on her painful journey back to land, but she definitely felt an inner voice guiding her. Personally, based on Matthew 5:44-46, I believe the Lord was intervening in her life to draw her to himself, but you can come to your own conclusions. Regardless of her situation, I know the Lord will guide us if we ask him, whether or not we’ve launched out into the deep in response to his prompting or we’ve headed out on our own and are now adrift. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or adrift, please reach out to God for help because,“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him . . .We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!“ (Daniel 9:9,18b-19a, NIV). If you ask him for help, I know he will!

Don’t Discount Discount

For the past twenty-five years, we’ve always used Discount Tire to keep our cars rolling smoothly. If Discount sells you tires, they take care of your tires, repair your tires, air your tires, balance and rotate your tires, and let you know when you need new tires. We’ve always been very satisfied with their service and appreciate their help.  Also, it’s traditionally not been hard to get service there, so I was caught totally off guard (or should I say off balance?) when they failed to let me know my new tires had arrived. The tires were supposed to come within a week, so after about 10 days, I started calling  . . . and calling . . . and calling!  No answer. After a week of no answer, I decided to pay them a visit. There was a long line, but I waited patiently for my turn. “Yes, the tires are here, but we just haven’t had any time to call, and now appointments are running more than a month out. However, if you’ll come in at 8:00 am tomorrow (or maybe even a few minutes before), we’ll try to get your tires on while you wait…shouldn’t take more than a half an hour.”  That sounded good, so I arrived at 7:50 am, thinking I’d be first in line. In fact, I was already fifth in line, and by 8:00 am, there were nine plus more people getting into line behind me, some reluctantly emerging from their warm cars. The line zigzagged back and forth through the little waiting area, as it was below freezing outside.  They had my car done in not much more than an hour . . . just long enough for me to have a new appreciation for what a good tire company does for its customers, and the importance of having good tread on our tires so we don’t slide off the road in icy weather.  The wait also got me to thinking about how often I take my church for granted, expecting it to “be there” for me. It’s usually easy to access, and a good church (which mine is)—like a good tire company—helps keep me in tune so I don’t crash when the rubber meets the road of difficulties in my life. If you don’t have a church family, please, please, please seek one out . . . a place where the teaching is true to the Bible and the people are sincerely seeking to follow Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And, for those of us who are already part of a good fellowship, let’s not discount “Discount!” Let’s appreciate what a fantastic “deal” it is to have a church home who takes good care of us . . . and when the church is struggling under an overwhelming burden (like Discount Tire Company is in this icy weather), let’s bend over backwards to be patient, help out, and appreciate all the hard work and good service that’s happening every day!

“So the churches were strengthened in the faith,
and they increased in numbers daily” (Acts 16:5).

Meditating on the Commands of Christ (7): Launch Out Into the Deep . . . For What??

Have you ever felt like God was asking you to climb out onto a limb . . . but you’re not sure if it’s really God or just your imagination? The quandary is: If it’s really God, then you’re willing to do something that seems futile by human wisdom, but if it’s just your imagination, then you know you’ll end up getting hurt one way or the other and probably feeling very humiliated and stupid. Yes? You know that feeling? I certainly have at various junctures in my life.

In Luke 5:4, where Jesus asked Peter to “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught,” I wonder if Peter had the same thought. Peter (aka/Simon) and his brother Andrew had been fishing all night without catching anything. I’m sure they were very tired and ready to go home to sleep. On top of that, Peter had already extended himself by letting Jesus use his boat as a pulpit from which to address the crowds who had gathered to hear his wisdom. Wise teacher? Yes! Knowledgeable about fishing? I suspect Peter had  his doubts.

Nevertheless, Peter and Andrew had already committed to following Jesus, and following requires obedience, so Peter reluctantly obeyed (at least partially; notice Jesus’ “nets” versus Peter’s “net,”—a small alteration that ultimately made a big difference, as we’ll see next Sunday): “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5).  Do you admire Peter’s willingness to obey? I do, even though it wasn’t complete. He was learning to trust, and I often identify with his doubts and fears. Peter stated his objections but proceeded to do as told . . . sort of. The essence of being a good follower is to state your opinion but obey your leader, whether it’s following Jesus, your husband (gasp!), or your boss. Furthermore, Jesus asked him to go deep! Are we willing to go deep with Jesus . . . out where— not only could we fall out of a tree— we could totally drown?!

In studying a passage for meditation, I like to consider many translations, and almost universally, the texts record Jesus telling Simon Peter to “Launch out into the deep.” However, in most of the modern versions, Jesus’ command ends something like this: “and let down your nets for a catch.” The most presumptuous is probably The Living Bible, which states it this way: “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets and you will catch a lot of fish!'”

This turns the command into a promise that is not in the King James Version (KJV), and although the vocabulary of the KJV  is sometimes archaic, I tend to trust its scholarship. In the KJV, Jesus tells Simon to “let down your nets for a draught.” Draught is an ancient word related to “drag” or “draw” and is usually used in terms of dragging or pulling liquid, as water through a net in fishing. (Or, in recent times, the idea of drawing out a “draught” or “draft” of beer into a cup.)

Although the difference may seem slight, I don’t believe Jesus is giving a promise of success to Peter, and I think the same is true for us today. When God tells us to launch out into the deep with him and put down our nets for a draught, He is asking us to obey him without promising any particular reward. Our nets may come up empty, or they may come up full, but the important thing is: Are we going to follow Christ and do what he asks or not? Period. Are we going to be okay if we fail by human standards and feel humiliated? Jesus didn’t promise us worldly fame or fortune, nor did he say that we’d be able to look with pride at what we’ve accomplished by following him. In fact, he predicts persecution, and if his life is our “perfect” example, then it looks like humiliation is in the mix too.

However, Jesus did promise us a life of spiritual abundance and fruitfulness if we follow him, and that’s worth more than any material gain. Are you willing? I am. Are we “able”? Well . . . that’s a harder question to answer!

‘”Are Ye Able,’ Said the Master”
(—Earl Marlatt, 1926)

“Are ye able,” said the Master,
“To be crucified with me?”
“Yea,” the sturdy dreamers answered,
“To the death we follow Thee.”

Refrain:
Lord, we are able. Our spirits are Thine.
Remold them, make us, like Thee, divine.
Thy guiding radiance above us shall be
a beacon to God, to love, and loyalty.

Are ye able? Still the Master
Whispers down eternity,
And heroic spirits answer,
Now as then in Galilee. [Refrain]

“And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,² And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.³ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.⁴ Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. ⁵ And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:1-5).

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

I know it would be ideal to be sharing heart-healthy, low calorie recipes with you for holiday celebrations, but we have some yummy family favorites that are at least an improvement over the standard options without being really non-fat or low cal. Last week’s date bar recipe—with dates and oats—is a big step up from candy, and today’s recipe, pumpkin bars—with pureed pumpkin—is healthier than traditional cakes or brownies. Besides, they taste great and are always a hit at potlucks and parties!

Pumpkin Bars
(makes 24 medium  or 48 small bars)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 15-oz can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 and 2/3 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup canola (or other cooking) oil
1/2 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3. Beat until smooth and then pour batter into a well greased, large cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until done. My pan is 17″ by 11″ and the pumpkin batter fits perfectly. A large jelly roll pan also works. If you use a smaller cookie sheet, it won’t all fit without overflowing and burning as it bakes. It can also be baked in a 9″ by 13″ pan, but this makes the bars very thick, and they’d have to be baked longer. (Not to mention, you’d also have super thick frosting with less surface area.) Test it for done-ness just like any cake: It’s done when the top is golden brown, the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the top springs back when touched gently (or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out not wet).

4. When cooled (but it can be still warm) frost with:

Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine in mixer:
5 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
8 oz. softened creamed cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk or cream

Whip in mixer until fluffy, and then spread. The frosting will be quite soft, so use just 1 tablespoon milk if you want it to be thick. (I like it soft because it spreads easier). After frosting, sprinkle a little more cinnamon on the top.

Serve whenever. Warm with ice cream is amazing, but it doesn’t really need ice cream to be great because it’s so moist on its own. If you have a lot left over, refrigerate after the first day or so to retain freshness and consistency.

Psalm 95

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.² Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.³ For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.⁴ In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.⁵ The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.⁷ For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,⁸ Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:⁹ When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.¹⁰ Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:¹¹ Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.” May we come before God’s presence with thanksgiving this holiday season and find our rest in Him!

 

Thanksgiving Through Time

Although we think of Thanksgiving as a day to thank God for life and abundant sustenance, the abundance is only true for some of us, and  what we think of as the first “Thanksgiving,” celebrated by the Pilgrims back in 1621, was actually a very stressful occasion when 90 Indians showed up uninvited to attend the festivities of the 53 surviving Puritans who had managed to last through the first year of life in the new world. The festivities lasted three days and had a frightening impact on the precious stores of corn and staples that the Pilgrims were depending on to help them survive the upcoming winter. Nevertheless, as an act of goodwill and faith, the Pilgrims shared what they had, played games with the Indians, accepted the 5 deer that the Indians brought to add to the feasts, and stopped worrying about survival long enough to embrace the Indians and rejoice together in God’s care. Such was the faith and hospitality of our forefathers, and such was the forbearance and goodwill of the Native Americans, who could easily have killed all the  Pilgrims that day had they wanted to!  My earnest prayer is that every person who reads this has enough to eat today, although I read frightening statistics on those who suffer. In Grand Rapids, anybody can get a good, hot Thanksgiving dinner at Mel Trotter Rescue Mission or Guiding Light Mission down town. I remember about fifteen years ago (when our kids were younger and we had a family band) providing music for Mel Trotter’s free dinner. Over 2,000 turkey dinners were served at the DeVos Convention Center. I’m not sure how many cities are that organized and charitable, but I pray that today people will reach out in faith and hope to embrace those around them who are spiritually and physically needy. God will  provide if we faithfully follow his leading, even during scary times, like the very first Thanksgiving!  By the way, I recently finished listening to a fascinating book by Nathaniel Philbrick called Mayflower, which was among the finalists for a Pulitzer Prize. If you’re interested in American history, this carefully documented account traces the journey of the Puritans, detailing the perils and conflicts that began before their cramped crossing of the Atlantic crammed into the 4-foot-high middle deck of the Mayflower . . . and all the way through the terribly destructive King Philip’s War (1675-1678). Although studying history dispels any illusions of universal peace and goodwill among any nation or tribe, it does have the effect of making me even more appreciative of the relative peace and security in America and around the world today. Despite the terrible accounts of persecution, murder, and war, the entire world is slowly becoming statistically less aggressive and murderous, with fewer violent deaths per capita than earlier times in history (according to the studies of psychologist Steven Pinker). In reflecting on the “why” of this, it occurred to me that it may be the result of the Kingdom of God coming to earth in the person of Christ, who is the Prince of Peace, and the calming effect of true believers (not all those who pose as Christians but are really wolves in sheep’s clothing and destructive) who are “salt and light” in the world. Just one thought, but a happy one! Well, throughout American history—and world history—we have innumerable reasons to be thankful, so I just want to say, “Thank you, Father!”

This is My Father’s World
(—Maltbie Babcock, 1901)

This is my father’s world
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres…

This is my father’s world
Oh, let me never forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong
God is the ruler yet.

This is my father’s world
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is king, let the heavens ring
God reigns, let the earth be glad.

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.’ ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,’We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign'” (Revelation 11:15-17).

 

Lessons Learned from A Little Fishermen

While visiting with Aaron’s family in southern California, we took a picnic lunch to Rancho Palos Verdes and hiked the one-mile Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. The trail skitters easily down the  180-foot grassy bluffs, where we could explore the magnificent Pacific Ocean shoreline before climbing back up to Portuguese Point (in the distance) for more breath-taking vistas. From the top of Portuguese Point, Sacred Cove extends into the distance to Inspiration Point, with trails beckoning us to journey on, although I think they may be beyond the reaches of the 80-acre (public) ecological reserve    (and were definitely beyond the water and energy supplies of our little troop).    It was a perfect day, and we marveled at the fascinating geological formations.                              In fact, I could hardly take my eyes off of them!  Everywhere I looked, there was something eye catching (like coast sunflowers),     and I felt like a young child flitting from curiosity (prickly pear cacti) to beautiful curiosity! (This is a pepper tree, which we  don’t have in Michigan.)Reid, on the other hand, was a man on a mission! He hiked with his pole in hand, watching the horizon for the perfect fishing spot, and when he found what he thought was the ideal location, he set up shop.  While the rest of us examined the beach and tide pools, Reid kept his eye on the water.  Despite the absence of even one visible fish, he faithfully continued to cast out his line. Reid is a totally dedicated fisherman.      After we had to move on, he still carried his fishing pole happily by his side.  It made me smile, but it also inspired me! God calls us to follow him and be fishers of men. Like Reid, that means we have to keep our “pole” with us at all times (and to me that means the Bible or some type of tract with the gospel in it). We’ll never catch a fish if we aren’t prepared. Reid concentrated on casting out his line and wasn’t distracted by all the beautiful curiosities around him. How often I get taken up with scenic wonders and think more about drinking in the beauty than giving out the beautiful water of life!  I need to get my priorities straightened out, so that no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I am more aware and eager to share my perfect savior than my perfect view!  And, talk about perseverance! With not one fish in sight the entire time, Reid happily kept casting that line out. Wow!  He never seemed to give up hope, and he didn’t seem the least bit discouraged when it was time to leave. He’d done what he wanted to do.               I get discouraged and tired of trying sometimes. Do you? Furthermore, Reid didn’t seem to notice what anybody else was doing until his parents told him it was time to go, and I don’t think he even crossed his mind to wonder what the rest of us might be thinking about him.  He was a fisherman, and fisherman fish. Period! I’d like to be that kind of a fisher of men!  🙂                                                “And Jesus said to them,
‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men’” (Mark 1:17).

Meditating on the Commands of Christ (6): Follow Me, and I Will Make You Fishers of Men

It’s striking to me that the progression of Christ’s commands as recorded in the New Testament is not simply a history of what happened two thousand years ago; it’s also perfectly appropriate for each of us in our individual spiritual journeys! First, “Repent and believe the gospel,” and next: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Or, as the event was recorded in Mark 1:17, “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”

The context was Jesus calling his first four disciples, men who would later become the leaders among “the twelve apostles” of our Christian faith. All four men were fishermen, two sets of brothers. Simon and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea; James and John were mending their nets in preparation for more fishing.  I don’t know what made these men so special, or why they were chosen, but they were offered a job following Christ, and they all immediately accepted! It’s comforting that Jesus didn’t ask them to do something totally foreign to them. He told them to follow him, and I think it’s reasonable to assume they were already used to following. This is specifically implied about James and John, of whom it’s noted in both accounts that they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants and followed Jesus. These young men left their father and his profession in order to follow Jesus and his profession . . .  a profession with which they were familiar. They were fishermen, and catching fish in the sea had been their life. Now Jesus was calling them to become fishers of men. They could use all their carefully honed skills to go from pursuing a worldly career to engaging in a spiritual career.  What about us? Have we repented and believed the “Gospel”—the good news that Jesus, the son of God, came to earth to teach us how to live, died for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God, and rose again in victory over death, ensuring that we too, by faith, can experience resurrection from death and eternal life with Christ?!

If so, the very next step in our faith is to accept the calling to discipleship. Jesus asks us to follow him and learn from him how to become fishers of men—how to share the good news with those around us, who also need the life-giving message of God’s love, redemption, and hope. I left my “nets” fifty-five years ago . . . my dreams and aspirations for where I wanted to attend college and what I wanted for a career. Life has been very different from what I imagined before becoming a Christian, but it has been a blessed adventure, and one that I wouldn’t change for the world. It was scary to say, “Okay, Jesus, I give you my life. Take it and use it as you will,” but it was also one of the most freeing moments of my life. No more feeling totally alone and unsure about what to do next. Having God as my father and Jesus as my savior is incredibly stabilizing and fills me with joy. I can pray and ask for guidance. No need to be anxious because I’m not sure about the future, and I don’t have to have the wisdom of the ages. I am now in the care of The Wisdom of the Ages.

If  you’ve asked Jesus to save you but have never taken the next step—forsaking your own pursuits in order to follow Jesus and let him teach you how to become a fisher of men—then you’re missing out on life at its best. Please, please throw down your nets and chase after Jesus! Follow him. Become his willing disciple. It will be change your life—in the best ways—forever!

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
(—Author Anonymous)

1 I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.

2 Though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
no turning back, no turning back.

3 The world behind me, the cross before me;
the world behind me, the cross before me;
the world behind me, the cross before me;
no turning back, no turning back.

 

Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.²⁰ And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.²¹ And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.²² And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” Matthew 4:18-22).

^{16 “}Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.¹⁷ And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.¹⁸ And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.¹⁹ And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.²⁰ And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him“ (Mark 1:16-20)

 

Old-Fashioned, Home-Town Date Bars

Larry and my husband were close friends from such early days that Alan can’t ever remember not being friends. They lived across the street from each other, rode the school bus together, and roomed together during part of college. Larry and his wife, Kari, even ended up at the same university where Alan and I were in grad school one year, and Kari and I used to swim together and dream about what our babies would be like, since we were both pregnant with our firstborn (sons) at the same time! Now, years later, we’re living in the same community again—also with my closest friend from school days, Brenda (and her husband Tom), which is super fun!

Often when we get together, Kari brings some delectable dessert, but a few weeks ago Kari was at a medical meeting and couldn’t make it to our dinner party, so Larry brought a dessert that had been a favorite when he was growing up. The recipe is so old he hasn’t a clue where it came from, but Alan also remembered loving date bars when he was little (growing up in the same rural community), and Tom (Brenda’s husband, also a farm boy growing up) remembered them from his childhood as well. I loved the salty, sweet, buttery flavor, so I thought you might too! Thank you for sharing, Larry!!

Old-Fashioned Date Bars

For the date filling:

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, mix 3 cups of cut up dates, ½ cup of sugar, and 1 ½ cups of water.
2. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened.
3. Set aside to cool.

For the crust/crumble:

1. In a bowl, mix together thoroughly ¾ cup butter (softened) and 1 cup of brown sugar.
2. Sift and stir in 1 ¾ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt
3. Stir in 1 ½ cups of rolled oats.

Place half the mixture on the bottom of the baking pan and pat the mixture down (9” x 13” pan if you want thin date bars or 8” x 8” or so if you want thick date bars.  I think I used a 6 ½ “ x 9” pan and it seemed a bit too thick to me).

Spoon the cooled date mixture onto the crust/crumble in the pan and spread evenly.  Then spread the remainder of the crust/crumble mixture evenly onto the date filling.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Psalm 100

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. ² Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ³ Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ⁴ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. ⁵ For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Happy Thanksgiving!!

Monte Carlo Night: Great Fun for the Holidays…but…No Gambling or Drinking!

Anybody who thinks Sunday school is just for kids has never been to our Sunday school class! In a mega church like Calvary (with about 6000± attendees), it would be easy to get lost in the crowd, so you need to connect with a smaller group of people for friendship and fellowship. Midweek prayer meetings, care groups, life groups, youth groups, music groups…short circles…there are so many ways to engage with other people, but one of our favorites has always been via a Sunday school class. Our class, Heirs Together, has about 120 members and a wide age span, although I think we’re pretty close to the median age with a profile like most of the members, including a similar world view and deep faith although somewhat irregular attendance due to travel, family and health needs. The class has been hanging together for many years, and although the majority have probably been married for 35-50+ years, there is a growing population of singles. (Yes, we’re getting older!)  We have a monthly “event,” and last weekend it was a “Monte Carlo” game night which was super fun and perfect for getting to know people. Therefore, I want to pass it along to you in case you think it also sounds like fun. I’m hoping to try it out over Christmas break when we have many of our kids home, but it could also be used in any group of 8 or more.  I think our Monte Carlo Night was the brainchild of Ed Avink, who’s one of our class leaders and an architect. The only tricky part is that you need groups of 4 people to make it work, and probably at least 8 to make it work well. Here’s how to play: Either number people off into teams of 4 or let them gravitate naturally to a seat at any of the card tables you have set up. We had 17 tables of 4 people, but that’s way more than you need, and actually none of us got to play a hand with everybody.  To prepare, set up a room (or rooms) with one card table, four chairs, 4 score cards, a couple of pens, and a deck of cards on each table. Once people are settled:1. Have somebody at each table shuffle the cards.
2. Everybody takes a cut. The person with the highest card deals. Aces are high. If two people get the same card, then it goes by suit: Spades (highest), hearts, diamonds, and clubs (lowest) 3. Deal out all the cards by going from left to right around the circle. (Should end up with 13 cards per person.) It looks to me like it’s polite to wait until all the cards have been dealt before looking at your hand. 4. Play your hand according to the instructions on the game card. (Obviously, you could make up your own rules and number of hands. Fourteen hands took us close to three hours.) The person to the left of the dealer starts first, but after that, whoever has the highest card wins that “trick” and starts the next round.
5. After all the cards have been played, count your tricks (by team, with your partner being across the table from you) and record your score on your score sheet.  6. The tables are all numbered: 1-??? The two winners move on to the next highest-numbered table and play kitty-corner, so they have new partners for the next hand. The losers stay at the same table they were at but also change positions so that they are sitting kitty-corner and will each have a new partner
7. Play through all the hands.
8. Count up your final points.
9. The winner wins! At our Monte Carlo night, Dean won with some 2,100+ points. The next two tied at 1,900+. Alan and I were in the 1700 range, but some people ended up with 700+, so there’s a huge variation. I’m not sure if anybody needs to know who loses, but there was much admiration for our winner, so that was fun.  Nobody passed out a candy bar or anything as a prize, but everybody brought an appetizer, or a bottle of pop or juice to share, which worked out great, because sometimes you had to wait for the next table to finish before you could play again. Alan and I had several good opportunities for conversations with members of the class that we’d met but didn’t know very well, including one couple that we discovered were married just one month before us (both couples married nearly 46 years now) and had attended the same university, the same year, even living in the same married student housing, although we never met! Best of all, the next morning we learned that one of our newest members, who was widowed last January, shared that the night of our Monte Carlo game night was the night he would have celebrated his 51st anniversary, and he’d been dreading that day for weeks. He said going to the game night and enjoying everybody’s company had turned a terrible night into a blessing for him.  So, if you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate and reach out this holiday season, you might enjoy throwing a Monte Carlo Night! If you do, please let me know how it goes! Or, if you’re lonely and aren’t plugged into a good group for fellowship, let me know, and I’ll invite you to our Carol Sing coming up in December. You are also cordially invited to try out our Sunday school class. Not only is it warm and friendly, the teaching is excellent, and we pray for every request that’s given each week! Let me know, and I’ll tell you when and where . . . and introduce you to everybody! “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

The Glass Church: Lloyd Wright’s Wayfarers Chapel

If you’re ever in the Los Angeles area and want to spend a blissful day   soaking up the majesty of the Pacific Coast and meditating on our majestic God, consider visiting the “Glass Church.” This National Historic Landmark was built from 1949-1951 by Lloyd Wright (son of the famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright) as a memorial to theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.
It is beautiful, open to the public, and totally free! Tucked into the hills at 5755 Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes, the chapel sits like a silent beacon above the din of traffic . . .and serves as a serene respite from the frenetic pace of Southern California . . .a quiet place to come away and commune with our heavenly Father! The Wayfarers Chapel is both simple and complex. The Glass Church has an elegant, open design
that incorporates nature into its sacred space. But, the complex also has lovely, tree-lined lawns  and plenty of benches where one can sit for a while to rest and reflect . . .  or enjoy gazing out at the vast blue Pacific.  Although I wouldn’t say it’s really a “kid place,”
Alan and I went with our kids and grand children,  and they definitely enjoyed playing with some of the toys in the gift shopas well as meandering along the garden paths breathing in the sweet scents and reading the love stories etched in stone.  Alan and I are having a new addition built for our home.  It isn’t an elegant glass house. (It is a simple sun room.) And, our little lake—though lovely— doesn’t hold a candle to the grandeur of the world’s largest ocean! Nevertheless, beauty is beauty, our Father’s world is glorious everywhere,
and no matter where we live, we all need time to pray and worship!I hope our new addition will offer a warm welcome to all who visit,  and I pray that each of us, as humble temples of the Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 6:19), will provide respite for everyone who comes our way! “Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth:
the Lord is upon many waters“ (Psalm 29:1-3).