Pastor’s Message (Page 12)
When I was growing up in Santa Clara, our neighborhood was full of kids – probably 10 kids about my age who all went to the same elementary school. We’d play kickball, dodgeball, and hide-and-go-seek as long as we could on those warm Fall nights. It was great fun to play on our street and…
Dear Friends, Labor Day is just around the corner. For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and an opportunity to host a barbecue or relax with family and friends. But this national holiday—celebrated every year in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September—has revolutionary origins. Originally commemorated through…
Hey Family, Summer is winding down but for those of us in California, we get nice weather all year long. So, how about joining Tim Knodel and others for a weekly workout at Ortega Park in Sunnyvale? Everyone’s welcome – men, women, teenagers. (Andy Wu — who helps lead Good Journeys — was with us…
Dearly Beloved, Can God really satisfy us in a world that screams for more? The question begs an answer – yes, no perhaps, it depends? How would you answer it personally? If you were to respond with a definitive “Yes, He can” – then I would surmise that you are a very contented person. If…
The following is a true story by Micah Brickner. It was winter, in the early 2000s. It was cold. It was also snowing. My father and I were getting ready to drive to the store in our less-than-reliable 1980-something Chevy Celebrity. The car’s alternator was having some issues, and the engine would not stay running.…
Desolation Wilderness is a beautiful but remote region of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Over the years, Valorie and I have enjoyed backpacking there, including several times with our girls when they were younger. One particularly dry and hot summer, water was scarce; our bottles were empty, and we were thirsty. We came upon a dried-up…
Hey Family, I made new friends — Kevin and Angela Luh. I’ve never had the chance to get to know them. What gracious people (they serve at the Welcome Table) and I learned how they came to the U.S. and how they met at Murray State in Kentucky. I’m glad they’re members of my spiritual…
Hey Family! VBS starts on Monday – the greatest week at Valley Church all year. I saw Sonja Tillman in the classroom across the hall from my office working on T-shirts earlier today. When she left I sneaked in and held up one to my chest. Ah, to be a kid again! I loved VBS…
November 7th, 1995 ended the longest three days of our lives. We had been happily expecting our first baby to arrive sometime around the end of October. But she had other plans and didn’t even begin to arrive until almost a week later. After 30 hours of labor she was finally in our arms, healthy…
Do you have songs that remind you of certain settings? For Valorie and me, we try to pick an album for special occasions, like anniversary trips, that will remind us of those moments every time we hear one of those songs. When our kids were young, Saturday mornings were always set aside for cleaning house.…