Community (Page 4)
My grandfather was a musician. In fact, at one point in time he had his own band called “Tommy and the Tom Cats”. I know this because of the stories I’ve heard from my dad, the pictures I’ve seen, and a few musical instruments we still have of the many that he owned and played.…
On August 25, 2014, 39-year-old Charles Vacca was accidentally shot and killed by a nine-year-old girl while instructing her how to shoot at a licensed gun range in White Hills, Arizona. Whatever you believe about guns and gun control, everyone knows this was a tragic accident. Imagine the burden that this little girl will feel…
Dearly Beloved, This Sunday we will delve into the profound and awe-inspiring truths found in Ephesians 1:4-5, where the Apostle Paul speaks of our adoption as children of God. This passage reminds us that before the foundation of the world God chose us to be holy and blameless in His sight, and in love He…
Dear Soldiers, If we do not think that the evil forces of darkness have targeted the family, we all have our heads in the sand, and have lost touch with reality! Strategically launched missiles and drones are destroying the foundation and fabric of our nation! The traditional definition of marriage as a union between one man…
As a highschooler I wasn’t a great student, but I liked to read. I had a literature class where we got to read classic books for the entire period. It was an easy class for the students, and REALLY easy for the teacher. It was there that I first read Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.…
I lost my glasses on my recent flight from Dubai to SFO! You must be thinking, how could that happen! It was easy, and I did not have to work at it. It was a 15-hour flight, so I took off my glasses and put my blinders on hoping to sleep. I got out of…
I made a couple of new friends while I was in Zimbabwe. I am feeding one of them a bottle of milk. They are only 10 months old but besides getting fed a bottle of milk, they already consume 11 pounds of meat a day. If I look a little sheepish it is for good…
When I was in elementary school, I was what you might call “skinny.” As I’ve shared before, my nickname was “Bones Jones” for a very good reason. Thankfully, now we have anti-bullying measures, but back then it was not uncommon to get picked on for something like that. I, however, was not afraid of these…
Dear friends, I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this weekend! My friend and ministry partner Dave Carlsen is preaching. Dave was on our Valley Church staff for 10 years before we planted Neighborhood Bible Church in South San Jose 17 years ago and he’s been there ever since! This Sunday we’ll…
Recently at Valley Church we hosted a training seminar called, “Listening for Heaven’s Sake.” Among other things, participants learned how to cultivate authentic relationships by increasing their ability to convey genuine caring and interest, overcome barrier-inducing habits and show understanding of the other person. I’ve been thinking about what it means to apply those same…