Stealing

Dan Fogelberg Memorial

DAN FOGELBERG MEMORIAL DEDICATION WEEKEND

August 27-28, 2010

http://dfpeoria.com

Cottage Cove * 1994 ~ 2010

In 1994, Thom and Kim Shumate an artist I was working with founded Cottage Cove Urban Ministries in the Vine Hill District of Nashville, Tennessee. This is a year 'round ministry for the families of the community.

Since 2002, Brent and Angie MacDonald have been directing Cottage Cove and have been doing an amazing job developing more programming and starting a church for the community.

Having been involved since the very beginning of this ministry it has been amazing to see the changes that have taken place. I just wish I could be more involved.


Putting on a new roof! August 2010Blessings on the crew from "Steppin' out Missions" for their hard work and ministry.

Looking to support a great work?!
http://cottagecove.org

New Lawn

Can't believe our front yard almost looks like it has
a healthy lawn! For those who have passed by for the past few years looking at dirt and rocks...you're welcome.

New Moon and New Lawn

7:00am and the moon is peeking through the trees.
Sadly, the picture doesn't show it!

After 7 or 8 years of having a rock and dirt lawn,
we decided to see if we could get some grass growing.
Started by buying sod and creating an island at the top
of the yard.

Sod was expensive so we bought dirt and seeded...

This shows where we have started seeding. Of course,
I never read directions...after doing all this we found out that
we shouldn't seed until fall or early spring.
Oh well...God is growing the grass for us anyway!

Dizzy in JC

I wish I had taken more pictures...and maybe one day I'll take a class on how to take good pictures! But this is what I took and there are great memories to go along with them.

Happy Birthday Leesa...travelin' mercies Ruth and Rhonda...keep singing Dr. Cody...
and bless all you
Johnson City folks who graciously accept us as your friends.

Friends in JC

Thanks Dennis and Marie for making this happen!

Cody performs at Next Door in JC.

Time In JC

Had an awesome time in Johnson City with our friends! We were celebrating Leesa's birthday and the return of Ruth and Rhonda for a visit. Cody sang, we ate and drank a few...and just enjoyed the company of good friends. Quick trip but well worth it. I'll have a video up soon...

Notice Anything?

http://theboldlife.com/2009/09/notice-anything/

by Tess on September 8, 2009

photo credit: ?o??ƒx™

Washington, DC, Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musican playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule…

4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and without stopping continued to walk.

6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:
A 3-year-old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…How many other things are we missing?

What have you noticed anything lately?
Did you stop and enjoy it?

http://theboldlife.com/2009/09/notice-anything/

Nashville Flood 2010

The folks in the orange t-shirts are the amazing volunteers from Service International.
A ministry that is worthy of support.
http://serviceinternational.org

My niece, her husband and baby boy, were evacuated from their home around 8:30 am on Sunday morning, May the 2nd. Rain had been pouring down for over a day and the rivers were full and the waters raged in Nashville. Pictures of their home including surrounding areas of Bellevue and a few shots of Nashville are included in this video.

Within minutes, their community called River Plantation was flooded out and hundreds of people like them are without a home. Some even lost their lives in this community due to the flood. After the rain stopped and the water had left it's mark, the community of Bellevue and Nashville came out in the hundreds to help those who were in need.

Some of our best friends lost their homes and businesses due to the flood. Murph saw his business destoyed, the Rowe family lost their home, John Cox, who co-wrote this song and is singing on the demo, had just finished building his dream home and the flood came and destroyed much of it...so many friends and neighbors who have lost so much.

Thank you to all who were available to come and help those in need. It was good to know that people still care and love their fellow man. You were a blessing to many.

May God use this to encourage us and remind us that we all need Him and each other.

Baseball and memories of life

After work I went to our local baseball field to see if anyone was playing. Of course it had been raining and I wasn't expecting to find any games but sure enough, the kids were out and games were being played...right in front of tons of memories from the flood that has destroyed so many homes and their families. I was talking to one gentleman and I was commenting on how large this pile of trash was...he then told me that if I had seen it a day before it was twice as much as I was looking at right now.

Continue to pray for those who lost their homes. Very few will have help from their insurance companies and the financial help they get from the government will not be enough to replace all that was lost.

Hallelujah

elinews.com

Stethoscope

Dodgers starting lineup...

1. Furcal 2. Martin 3. Ethier 4. Rameriz 5. Kemp 6. Loney 7. Blake 8. Dewitt 9. Padilla

54

In 1954 my parents with my two older sisters and two older brothers boarded a ship that landed them in Korea in the cold winter month of January. Korea had just gone through a war that had left the people and the land in total chaos. They started with feeding the poor and after 33 years along with other missionaries, they had built schools, hospitals/clinics, widow homes, orphanages, dairy farms, and churches that to this day are all through out the country continuing the work Jesus encouraged them all to do.

I turned 54 the other day. I wonder if I'll be able to look back at this day and see it was a day of great importance. If it was a start of a work that will help change the world...I know God called many in their later years and they were able to accomplish great things for God and the world. Maybe God will be able to use me. I hope I can have a willing heart and ears to hear the call.

The first building of Korea Christian University.

Anubis arrives.

A 25-foot tall replica statue of the Egyptian god Anubis, with a suitcase at his feet, passes in front of the Statue of Liberty while taking a tour of the New York waterways, Tuesday, March 23, 2010.(AFP Photo)
http://english.sina.com/world/p/2010/0324/310520.html

Arriving on the day the Health Care bill was signed. Looks like he has come to take care of the dead.

Better than a Hallelujah - Amy Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nMvvoXa9Yk&feature=fvsr

Looking ahead to the next journey.

Having gone through another journey of what I know is just one of many that will eventually lead to my demise, I am thankful that God has given me some insight to what lies ahead.

I know a kidney stone is usually not life threatening but there were moments in this past month that I was certain it was. The chaos that was swimming through my brain, presumably by the medications I was taking, was as real as anything I have experienced. Visions that ranged from demonic forms and grotesque scenes of evil to beautiful scenes of open fields with family and friends enjoying life together. It was tragic and beautiful and of course painfully real to know that my life is closer to being over. That this body will not live forever.

One of the things I've feared is that if I am not here, my family could not survive without me. You know, I'm the one that makes sure everything gets done, every one is where they are suppose to be and I am the glue that holds it all together. But in reality that is not true. My bride keeps us glued to life and the need to be responsible in our daily duties. It became obvious as I slept through the days and nights waiting for my strength to return, life went on just fine without me.

My son took my place. I thought our business would go under and we would lose everything we worked for if I was not controlling the day to day duties. I have found out that everything ran smooth and our clients were blessed by my son's enthusiasm, professionalism, and courtesy as he kept the schedule flowing like clockwork. I still see the boy...and now I must see the man.

I also recognized the friends and family that reached out and encouraged me. To hear from you and know that I am loved is a precious gift. One that I sometimes take for granted...but I pray I never do again.

This wasn't a life threatening journey...but a journey that needed to be taken at this time. A time when my life was the busiest, yet, God granted me a halt to my madness and showed me what truly is. I know I am needed and I know I am loved...but, I know when it's my time to go, God will take care of all those things I thought I was needed to care for.

This life is just a moment in time... and I will continue to do my best and hope when my life is done that it was enough. From what I can tell right now, it is enough. Not because of what I have done or who I am...but what God has done and who He is.

Finished...I hope. Last update on the kidney stone,

Today was the day we pulled the stent out at 4:45 in the morning and for a few minutes everything was great. Then my body started reacting to it and my kidney started pounding and my back was killing me. After downing some meds it took about an hour for it to calm down...then about an hour later it came back again! Took more meds and now I have been pain free for about 4 hours. All I can say is that I hope you never have to experience kidney stones like this!

I'm assuming it's over and I will be on the mend from this point. I hope I'm right...cause I really don't want to think about this again!