Pentecost - Moving

I do a lot of online research about a variety technical subjects as part of my job. A recent article about an iPhone user who switched to an Android phone yielded this:

"One thing strikes me about this list: each item is something positive about Android, instead of something negative about the iPhone. That’s often a sign that a decision is the correct one. If you’re moving toward something, it means you know what you want and you think this other thing will deliver it to you. If you’re moving away from something, you’re headed towards… what, exactly? You don’t know where you’re going but you know it must be better than the situation you’re fleeing from.

Are you moving away, or moving toward? Life is a much less nervous undertaking when you travel with a destination in mind."

I never can guess where I'm going to hear God's voice. This was on my mind as I was thinking about Pentecost coming this Sunday. This was the Sunday for Linda and I to become members of Church of the Resurrection. This was a long, and unexpected, journey for us, but as I reflected on making this change it really felt like what the above author was describing. Joining COR was about moving toward something. This is a congregation that has embraced us, challenged us, and encouraged us in our walk with Christ. It is exciting to get up on Sunday morning, knowing that we get to worship there. Even getting out of the house by 8:30 a.m., to get there for Praise Team practice, is a joy.

Pentecost is traditionally a day for receiving new church members since it celebrates the event that began the Christian church. We had quite a group of new members today.

Unfortunately, today was also the last day for our friend Bruce to sing with me in the COR-tet. Bruce & Janet are moving to Clarkdale and will be sorely missed. It was Bruce that invited me to be part of the music ministry at COR and I'm very grateful.

Our song this morning is "I'll Fly Away".

The COR-tet this morning was (L-R) Bill Norris, Bruce McLaughlin, Butch Gross, and Ernie deVries.

National Windmill Day

The 2nd Saturday in May is always "National Windmill Day" in the Netherlands, or Nationale Molendag. Over 600 mills, all over the country, will be open for visitors and many will be decked out in festive decorations for the occasion.

We've never managed to be in the Netherlands for this special day. It seems that we've missed it by a week one way or the other because other things dictated our travel schedule - like getting the lowest possible airfare!

We'll miss it again this year, but it makes me smile to know that the Verbiest family will have De Trouwe Wachter open and will be welcoming everyone who stops by.

Gelukkig Nationale Windmolendag!

(hopefully Google Translate got that right!)

It Never Gets Old

We had a nice rain overnight, which means that the San Francisco Peaks got a fresh dusting of snow. It's like pulling back a theatre curtain to turn the corner onto Switzer Canyon Drive and see "The Peaks" for the first time while driving to work. You forget all about the utility lines across the sky and the car dealership along the side. Unfortunately, the camera isn't so forgiving so this shot was taken at my work where none of those things are in the way.

Not bad for a cell phone shot!

COR Praise!

The COR-Tet had an opportunity to sing again this past Sunday during the offering time in our worship service. We sang a unique version of one of my favorite hymns "He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock".

It is an indescribable joy to be part of the music ministry at Church of the Resurrection. To look out on the congregation on Sunday mornings and see people singing God's praises is a real privilege. Here are a couple of videos of the praise team that I shot during our worship a couple of weeks ago.