Church and Hollywood

We have finally started a video ministry at church.  A man is now taping each worship service sermon.  So, last Saturday I took some flash drives (thumbdrive memory sticks for computers) that had three of my last sermons on them to a few people in the church who are homebound.  It was exciting to be able to start this new venture with our congregation.

Yesterday we had a short "concert" by a group of special needs adults who attend our church.  They are so proud and happy to be in front of the church to sing.  They are off-key and sometimes forget a few words of the songs, but they are excited and joyful and a treat to watch.  Their enthusiasm is infectious.  They live in a boarding-care home with a couple who are just wonderful to them.

The man who works with this group on Wednesday evenings (Jim Lunak) gave the morning message as well.  He talked about the "stone being rolled away" when Jesus arose from the grave out of the tomb in the garden.  He talked about the "stones" in our way of life, the ones that block us and hinder us from being the person God intended for us to be.  We put up "walls" to make sure we do not get hurt or that someone can't get too close to us (because then they may not like us or love us when they know the "real" persons we are).

Prior to the singing and preaching, we baptized two young men.  It is always a celebration when young people surrender their lives to a God who loves them through all their immaturity and troubles.

Shawn and Crystal left this past Friday night to fly to the Dominican Republic for a vacation at a resort there.  We took them to LAX for their flight.  Shawn's parents from Tulsa came in on Friday morning for a vacation to take care of Bailey for the week.  Yesterday (Sunday) we went with Terry and Linda Marcum (Shawn's parents) to Hollywood.  Of course, we had fun taking Bailey with us too.  We went up to the top of the mountain where the Hollywood sign is.  We went down Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, stopped at the corner of Hollywood and Vine, went to the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, saw many names of famous people on the stars on the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard and fought the busy traffic through it all.

At the end of the evening, we drove over to Buena Park and ate at the famed Chicken Restaurant at Knott's Berry Farm.  The chicken, the biscuits, the boysenberry pie were so delicious.  What a fun day.