Thank you for your continued prayers...

Yesterday, several of us from River City Grace were in attendance and helping out at the memorial service for this 18 yr old young man who died on the front yard of our church about 1.5 wks ago. Over 800 people showed up for this young man's memorial service.

Please continue to pray for the Lord's handiwork and work of grace in the lives of this young man's family and friends. Also, please continue to pray for Pastor Greg as he continues to see how the Lord will use him in this tragic situation.

Jackson's antics...Harrison's patience...

Harrison, our 7 yr old black tri Australian Shepherd, is the most patient dog I've ever had or encountered. He plays and teaches Jackson ALL the time. Ever since he was a puppy, I've been working with him so that he is not over protective of his food dish.

Well, now I am having to protect Harrison from the 11 wk old Jackson who thinks Harrison's food must be better than mine.

Thankfully, Harrison has a LOT of hair so when they are playing and Jackson is really ripping into Harrison, all he really is getting is hair. The most hilarious thing is that after they are done and Jackson wants to take a nap, he literally is coughing up Harrison hair balls or has grown whiskers courtesy of some part of Harrison's anatomy.

More to come later....

Different ends of the Spectrum of Life...

Last week, two people died. The fact that two individuals died might not mean anything to anyone and yet it has caused me to reflect on how fragile life is and how we never know when the Lord has decided for our days to be numbered.

Selmer Ottis passed away in Moorhead, MN (after living all his life in North Dakota) at the ripe old age of 96 yrs old. Another individual passed away on the front lawn of our home church Wednesday evening, Scott Crouch, Jr. who was only 18 yrs old.

In Kindred, ND, Selmer and Kay Ottis' home for many years on the family farm, the town rallied around the family and in Sacramento, CA, a family of a different sort rallied around the grieving family left behind after a drunk driver took the life of their son. River City Grace members have been rallying around the family like no other church body I have seen in many years, showing the grace and fullness of God's abiding love.

Tomorrow, we remember Scott as we, the Ottis family (and extended family members), remembered Selmer last week in a time of grieving and sorrow.

May we as believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ not take for granted the days He has granted us on this earth to be a witness and to witness to those He foreordained to bring us into relationships. We do not know our days for we may be as fortunate as Selmer Ottis to live to be 96 yrs old or as fortunate as Scott Crouch, Jr. For if we are believers, living until tomorrow is one day closer to eternity with our Lord or if He grants us 50 more years, let us use those years to witness and be a witness.

Can someone say C-O-L-D...

When we arrived in Kindred, ND at 12:45AM last night/morning, it was a warm 4 degrees (WITHOUT accounting for the windchill)....I know, I know, some of you out there will just say I'm being a wimp...you just try it for a little while...:)

We are enjoying our stay here although I am freezing many external appendages off right now. :)

It will be a while before I start complaining about our cold 45 degree weather in California again. :0

Saying goodbye to Grandpa Ottis

On Sunday, December 16th, 2007, Grandpa Ottis passed away and Carrie lost her first grandparent. We had providentially already made plans to fly out to Fargo, ND on Tuesday to visit and spend time with her grandparents as we did not know how much longer they had to live. Grandpa Ottis left us at age 96 on Sunday. Grandma Ottis who happens to be 92 is doing better lately and has seemed to rally quite a bit.

It has been a pleasure seeing her again and spending time with a wonderful saint who enjoys sharing her faith and love for the Lord with everyone that she meets. Grandma Ottis and I talk on the phone every couple of days or so and it means so much to be able to talk to her in person.

Carrie and I are actually staying on the family farm in Kindred, ND which is now run by her Uncle Mark. Please continue to keep Carrie in your prayers as she deals with the loss of her first grandparent. Also, for our testimony amongst the relatives as we interact with them during this time of grief and loss. We are eager to share the gospel and offer encouragement when needed.

5 years!

November 19, 2002, was a significant date in our life. Five years ago, I had just taken the CPA exam (and will never take it again!), and I decided I wanted to get plugged into a Bible study. There was a college and career group at my church, but because I didn't want to go by myself, I asked two coworkers to come with me. The three of us tried out the group on November 19, and a handsome guy named Joshua was there as well. He was just starting to come to the group. We ended up being at his table, and in the course of the evening, we found out he was friends with Paul, who worked at the sister organization to our organization. I found out the next day when I talked with Paul that Joshua had already emailed him letting him know he met me! Anyway, it took me a while to get the hint that Joshua liked me, and unfortunately, I turned down his first two invitations for dates. However, the rest is history, and I am so glad that Joshua and I met that night, and he was gracious enough to ask me out a third time 8 months later!

Update on blog...

As some have pointed out (see comment under "Ants"), we haven't posted anything on our blog for a while. The lack of posting pretty much boils down to prioritizing the time we have, and blogging is on the bottom. It seems like our life keeps moving at full steam, and after working, cooking, cleaning, church, activities perhaps on the weekends, and relaxing somewhat, there's not much time left. I'm working on trying to be more productive by avoiding time wasters like TV, but if I have extra time, I need to devote it to my continuing education (which needs to be done soon) and practicing (which I haven't done since the beginning of June).

I know if I am more disciplined with my time, then I should have time available for other enjoyments. So, until I finish my continuing ed and develop a better routine, my blogging will probably not happen.

I'm open to suggestions...

Ants!

Since the end of June, we've found ants in different parts of our house. At first, it wasn't a lot; just a few here or there. However, for the past couple of weeks, they have decided to take up residence in our kitchen! First, I found them on one shelf of our pantry. So, I moved everything out, sprayed, cleaned up, and reorganized that shelf. The next day, the decided to go to the top shelf of the pantry. So, I cleaned again. Since then, they have found the cabinet above the refrigerator, crawled across the counters, gone under the sink, and gotten into the cabinet with all of the spices. I found some more this morning on the water picture, so when I get home tonight, I'll be cleaning the picture and checking again for ants.

I hate ants!

Life

As you can see, we've been very prompt (not) in posting pictures. I hope to put some up soon, but blogging is very low on my priorities list. We've had plenty to do since coming home. There have been two church work days, one weekend organizing the garage in order to add a treadmill, and a wedding to attend.

The wedding was great! It was about a half hour from our home, and both families (bride and groom) we knew back in Virginia. The bride's family (who are now back in California) Joshua knew well, and I worked with the father, and the groom's family I knew because of church and babysitting for the groom and his siblings! I felt "old" being at the wedding since the most of the bridal party was my brother's age or younger, but it was wonderful seeing friends from Virginia that I hadn't seen for over three years! Plus, it was great suprising Virginians who didn't know Joshua and I would be at the wedding.

This weekend, we're planning on catching up around the house. We'll be having my parents and Lousia visit over Labor Day weekend, so we need to start getting ready now.

We're back!

Joshua and I are back from our vacation to Italy and Switzerland. We arrived in Milan late Saturday night on the 7th, and we got back to California on the 15th. It was quite a neat experience and a great opportunity. Everything was beautiful. At some point, we will post some pictures - first we have over 1100 to sift through!

3 years!

This is a little late, but Joshua and I celebrated 3 years last Tuesday, June 26. It's hard to believe we've been married 3 years, but then again, with so many changes in our life, it seems our wedding was a long time ago. As we are traveling to Italy this month, we decided not to go away for our anniversary. However, we did have a wonderful time at the Melting Pot (a place where I've wanted to go for a while).

I love you Joshua!

New walkway...

As many of you know, Carrie and I live on a corner with our front door positioned facing a different street than our driveway faces. Odd, I know!

Well, we decided that I was going to put in a walkway leading from the sidewalk to the front door.

Here are the before and after pictures:

Italy!

It seems like our life is too busy. The weeks fly by, and the weekends are always full. However, we will be getting some much needed rest and relaxation when we go to Italy in July for a vacation! We're going with Joshua's parents and his grandma, and we will be on Lake Como (northern Italy, very close to Switzerland). I've heard from one of my coworkers (who is Italian) that the Lake Como area is beautiful. Both of us are excited as this has been in the works since December, but I think until we actually get to the week of our departure that it will sink in that I'm spending a vacation in Europe! There's a lot to do between now and then, but our trip is fast approaching!

Harpist for Hire???

Yesterday, Carrie played marvelously at her first outdoor wedding on the rose garden of the state Capitol here in Sacramento. She played four songs at least twice: "Fairest Lord Jesus", "As the Deer", "How Great Thou Art" and "My Jesus, I love Thee".

Close your eyes and just imagine if you would, sitting in the beautiful California sunshine admiring the amazing architecture of the state Capitol building, smelling the amazing scents of 20+ different kinds of roses and listening to harp music float around you. Now, you have transported yourself to the beginning of the Rock and Michelle wedding thanks to Carrie playing the harp.

Friends from our church, Rock and Michelle were getting married and Carrie played the prelude for about 25 mins. She did such a great job and I'm so proud of her! The sound guy/DJ asked Carrie where she was out of (ie, if she played for hire). Like I said, she did a marvelous job!

Animals in weird positions...

Bottoms Up...

Carrie began getting Harrison hooked on yogurt....

Now, it's bottoms up Dude...

Sad day

Today was a sad day for my office. Our dear VP of finance, Chuck, lost his battle with cancer. We all knew the end was near as on Thursday of last week, we found out he was unreponsive. Chuck passed away at home. He leaves behind a wife and stepdaughter, and a whole office that loved him.

I didn't cry at all today. I cried on Thursday when I found out that he was indeed dying. I had wanted to go by one last time and talk with him and his wife Barbara about the Lord and the gospel. I am thankful that I was able to visit with them back in March, give them a Bible, and talk about the hope I have of eternal life and peace through Jesus. The last time I talked with Chuck was just 3 1/2 weeks ago, and because my boss was along, we talked about work the whole time. He seemed to be doing ok. I thought I had time, and when I heard two weeks ago that Chuck was sleeping most of the time, I decided to go over again but with two other coworkers who also wanted to say goodbye, and we waited too long.

I don't know if Chuck ever read the Bible, but I do know that the Lord is sovereign over men's hearts. When I go back to visit his wife, I'll be praying that I can talk with her about the gospel. I think this is the first time I've had someone that I know die who was probably not a believer. As far I as know, he didn't have hope of eternal life with our Lord. I am praying that I have opportunities to witness to my other grieving coworkers.

On other note, this is the third person that we've know who has passed away because of cancer within the last five weeks. Joshua's former coworker and close friend Carla passed onto heaven the day after Easter, and my former coworker Barbara joined her there about three weeks ago. Chuck's death has been the hardest because I don't know where he is. This should spur me on to be bolder in my witness to those around me, and it makes me so thankful for my salvation and hope. May I not forget this.

Remembering Carla Pipes Wolf...

On Wednesday, I learned that I had lost a dear godly Christian friend to her fight with cancer. Carla and I worked together for a little over a year at Loudcloud and we remained good friends even when I moved to Virginia and Carla took a position with Intuit.

Carla had such a wonderful, up-beat personality...a magnetism that drew people to her like a light draws moths out of the darkness. She touched everyone and everything around her and life for those who came in contact with Carla will never be the same again. Carla's love for the Lord was evident in everything she did and said. Even when she was diagnosed originally with breast cancer, she was praising the Lord!

I had the privilege of introducing Carrie to Carla shortly after we got engaged and Carla accepted and loved Carrie immediately. Even while going through chemotherapy, Carla and Crystal (her daughter) came out to Virginia to our wedding in June 2004. It was shocking yet not surprising to see Carla in the crowd at church and I was thrilled to see her at the reception.

Carla was such a strong believer and follower of Jesus Christ our Lord and risen Savior. What a wonderful gift to those she left behind to know that she is rejoicing with our Lord in her glorified body! You know she is with our Lord singing in the heavenly choir!

Carla, you were loved and will be missed greatly by all who's lives you touched...especially me! Your memory will never die and neither will the impact you made on my life!

Sightseeing with Julia...

On a beautiful Tuesday morning in April, Carrie, Julia and I set off to see some of the wonderful sights Northern California has to behold. We started off driving over to the coast and seeing Muir Woods National Monument where we were able to walk amongst some of the tallest trees in the world, Coastal Redwoods.

We continued on our way down the coast crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge, driving alongside and inside the Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge and much to Julia and Carrie's delight, we drove up and down the steep hills of San Francisco. Julia and Carrie got to experience driving down Lombardi Street, the crookedest street in the world. We also drove by Pier 39 and Ghiradelli Square as well as driving through some really beautiful areas of San Francisco where the homes were spectacular to see.

We continued our trip by driving down the coast from Half Moon Bay down to Monterey where we saw everything from lettuce, strawberries, and artichokes being grown to the pounding surf of the Pacific ocean. In Monterey, we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium where we were able to see the opening of the new African Spotted River Otter exhibit as well as viewing the sea otters (my personal favorites), penguins, and an enormous sun fish that is less than a year old and weighs in at over 2,000 lbs already (full grown they can weigh as much as 5,000 lbs).

After enjoying a brief visit to the aquarium, we continued our trek down the coast stopping to see and feel the surf pounding the coast and seeing the magnificence of God's creation. We drove through Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-sea and headed down to Highland's Inn where we had dinner. Carrie and I had been there before with Aunt Barbara in December and while we were not able to pull any strings to get food up in the lounge, we did manage to enjoy ourselves on the patio overlooking the ocean.

As we drove home, the most enjoyable part of the trip happened for me and that was the sweet, sweet fellowship of like minded believers. Julia, Carrie and I had such a great time conversing with you during the drive back and we are so looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for you. May God richly bless you as He shows you the next steps in your life!

Resurrection Sunday...

What a blessing Resurrection Sunday was for us here in sunny California! We pray that you received the same blessing wherever you were on Resurrection Sunday. Sunday morning, my parents, grandma and my brother Karsten and his family joined Carrie and myself at our church. I was part of a mixed vocal group that sang a selection of arrangements which I was blessed to be a part of and hopefully blessed those in the audience.

We were able to witness several individuals get baptized which was a tremendous blessing. KJ and Noah, my two nephews, did really well during the service even though the service was longer than what they were expecting it to be. The message was great as usual!

Everyone then came over to our home in Elk Grove for an early dinner. Janice and two of her friends from Davis joined the family as well. It was an amazing time of reflection, conversation and fellowship. Karsten and Kim stayed for a long time allowing us to enjoy our nephews. They are both so cute and Karsten and Kim will have to be on the guard with them.

Anyway, hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Sunday!

Joshua

Grateful for our church...

Joshua and I are so grateful for the church that we attend. We realized this again just recently when we attended a different church for a baby/child dedication. The contrast between our pastor's sermons and the message we heard was huge. We are used to expository preaching that keeps pointing back to the glory of God, and we're used to feeling challenged and fed each Sunday. We also missed the fellowship that we have with our church family. Although we walked away from the church we visited empty, the experience served as a wonderful reminder to be thankful for River City Grace!

Everlasting hope

I have never been a bold witness to those around me who aren't Christians. Now, I am presented with the perfect opportunity to do so at my work. My boss (not my direct supervisor) has cancer and probably doesn't have long to live. He's not a Christian, and I need to share the gospel with him. I also want to present it to my coworkers as well, and as his posting on his website today talked about priorities and the high possibility of losing the fight against cancer, I have a means of letting him and my coworkers know about the importance of eternal life. I would appreciate your prayers.

Imperfect man, perfect God!

Over the last couple of months, our church in Sacramento has been going through a revision of it's Constitution and Bylaws which has provoked a great deal of delving into the Word by both Carrie and myself. I found myself talking to our former pastor and great friend of mine, Mike Nevarr from Virginia, and we were discussing some of the issues I have regarding the "revised Constitution/Bylaws" that is being considered by our congregation and elders.

With that being said, I have visited and attended many churches in my life and know that Carrie and I are truly blessed to have found a church where the church body and the elders, we believe, are trying to wholly follow the mandate "Sola scriptura". We do live in a world of imperfect men though we serve a perfect God.

May we continually pray for each other and those tasked to shepherd the flock! This task/responsibility is not to be taken lightly as they are held more accountable before the Lord which is why the qualifications for elders in I Timothy 3 and Titus are so stringent and are not to be taken lightly. May we not be like the Pharisees of old and take only the letter of the law but rather the spirit of the law and examine ourselves constantly in light of Scripture.

So blessed...

I was remembering on Sunday about the different houses that Joshua and I wanted to buy in Sacramento when we first started looking to buy last spring. There were four homes that we really liked. The first one was out of our price range, but it was a great looking home, and we could picture ourselves living there for several years. It had a big backyard and the charm of an older home. Plus, it had been remodeled, and it had everything we wanted. We thought we had found our home. However, God said no to that house, and we didn't understand.

Then we found a home, smaller than the first one, but at a price that we could remodel the home ourselves. We were indecisive - it was smaller than we wanted, and it needed a lot of work. We asked some friends from church about it on a Sunday, and they suggested that we buy it, especially since the price was so good, and it was in a desirable neighborhood. So, we planned on making an offer on Monday, but before we could, the sellers accepted another offer. Again, we wondered why. It seemed like it would be great for us.

By this time, Joshua started looking at anything new that popped on the market. He called me at work about another home that had just listed, and it looked promising. So, we met with our realtor to check it out, and even though it was smaller than the second house, I wanted to make an offer right away. As it turned out, the seller had accepted an offer that afternoon. We knew the Lord was in control of the situation, but it really didn't make sense. Why was it so hard to find a house near our church?

The fourth house we found was being remodeled when we saw it. It needed a lot of work on the outside, and the landscaping was overgrown. What was done of the inside look great, and we made an offer. We were excited when our offer was accepted, and we started planning on moving. All the while, Joshua and I knew the sale could fall through. About 15 days after the contract was accepted, issues with the title to the house arose. We knew the Lord could be telling us no once again, or it could just be difficulties that would need to be worked through. Eventually, after being in contract for two months, we realized the Lord was closing the door. Thankfully, we were able to break the contract.

As this was all going on, Joshua was looking for another job. His current teaching position was ending, and he was investigating pharmaceutical sales as well as eduction possibilities. The doors seemed to be opening very slowly, and then at the end of June, the strongest possibility disappeared. We knew the Lord had brought us to California, and we knew that He is sovereign over every situation. So, when all job opportunities were gone, and we were no closer to finding a house, all we could do was trust.

About three weeks later, the job opportunity that had disappeared presented itself again but as a much better position. Joshua was offered the job with Eli Lilly in the middle of July, and we both recognized the hand of God. Since the job would involve driving, and the territory was south of Sacramento, we quickly looked a new home in Elk Grove. We had been interested in a particular homebuilder for over a year, and the company had one home left of the style we liked in Elk Grove! In God's amazing timing, He brought Joshua's job and our home in a matter of a couple of days! Joshua started his job in August, and we moved Labor Day weekend. We are truly blessed, and hopefully we never forget the lessons the Lord taught us about His sovereignty.

So, now we know why all of those homes were not the right ones for us. God had something better!

Car no more...

Praise the Lord, we sold the Honda Accord this morning. Though it was difficult to let go because it was such a great vehicle, we are glad to be back down to a two vehicle household. The funny thing was that after driving the Accord around this morning and then jumping back into my company car (Chevy Impala), I quickly had fond memories of the Accord and what a pleasure it was to drive. :)

The Lord continues to amaze us at His perfect timing and His provisions for us!

Nephew and niece...

Tonight, Carrie and I had the privilege of hosting my sister and her family for dinner at our house. My nephew Isaac feel instantly in love with our dog Harrison and Mozart, the cat, promptly hide in the guest bathroom for the remainder of the night. :) Hannah, our 4 month old niece, decided to sleep for the majority of the time and then grace us with her awakened presence at the end of their visit. She is such a happy baby giving smiles to everyone. Julie and Russ said that she only fusses for specific things...feeding, sleeping and changing.

Isaac was very excited about following Harrison around, feeding Harrison treats for tricks though he was disappointed that Harrison wouldn't chase him. Russ and I were very thankful that Harrison opted out of "Tag, your it."

Being around family is such a blessing and I feel so blest to live within driving distance of two of my siblings and their respective families and also my godly parents.

Have a blest evening and Sunday in the House of the Lord wherever you may worship, truly worship our Lord!

Beauty of God's creation...

This last week, I went down to Pismo Beach, CA for a team meeting. I had a great time with the team and am extremely thankful that God has placed me at Lilly and with the team that I am on. The waves crashing on the cliffs and the pounding surf were truly relaxing.

On the drive back up Highway 101, I was amazed at the beauty of nature that God has provided us. While driving by vineyards and fields growing lettuce, strawberries, artichoke, etc. I was continually amazed and the awesome granduer of His work. While driving, I was able to speak with Carrie's Grandma Ottis who is 91 years old and lives in Fargo, ND. Carrie's grandparents were North Dakota farmers and so it was very interesting to tell her what I was driving by and it amazed her that fields were still producing in January.

Then, I went through the garlic fields of Gilroy, crossed over the foothills and into the Central Valley where Carrie and I live. It is very interesting seeing the change in topography and yet, how God has manifested His greatness and grace through it all.

Wherever you are in the world, take a moment to absorb the natural beauty of the world the Lord has given us!