Stradivari

I'm watching the Stradivari movie inspired by the real-life motivating story of Antonio Stradivari.  While much of his childhood is unclear, the movie depicted him as orphaned with nothing to call his own, Stradivari was able to rise above mainly because of his passion for violins after he first heard one being played.   The movie does a good job of showing his single-minded focus on learning to make a violin, and all the creative ways he was able to get around challenges and obstacles.  I really liked the story my Pastor told of the sound being so good because of supposedly not so good wood that came from the swamps and rivers.  It is just a picture of how God can take what is considered lowly and raise it up.  The movie also showed how Stradivari was fortunate in having strong understanding wives.  I also liked the depiction in the movie of how music transcended the war when the Austrians invaded.

APU Chorale

The Azusa Pacific Men's Chorale concert last night was a nice way to cap off a very busy weekend.  It was clear that while the Director Harold Clousing was probably somewhat of a perfectionist with very exacting standards, he is respected and has invested in the lives of his students.  As several of them shared, he fosters an environment where the technicality was not of primary importance, but rather their hearts for worship.  As a result, the concert was a special time of worship and makes us wonder whether this was a glimpse into some of what it will be like in heaven with beautiful music in worship of our LORD.  Two of my favorite pieces sung last night were "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name" and "Holy, Holy, Holy".   In fact, "Holy, Holy, Holy" may now have surpassed "O Sacred Head" as my favorite hymn.  That is saying a lot, considering that Bach is my favorite composer.

The weekend also started well, in that I was able to take care of some things that have been on my To Do List - like property taxes and voting.  Unfortunately, I was not able to go with my class on their trip to the USS Iowa since the painters needed to finish up on Saturday morning.   But, it did give me a chance to do errands - grocery shopping, stop by Lowe's, etc.

Then, Sunday was pretty non-stop busy-ness.   After church and class, I caught some of the Skate America programs, then got to hear an update on my friend's ministry at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.   And then to the concert afterwards.

It's interesting that lately, God has brought me in contact with many things related to missions or ministry, particularly in Africa - the church missionaries to Uganda, the Ugandan Lambs ministry, the message on Sunday morning from the President of Children of the Nations, and my friend's presentation on her work in Tanzania.

The Gospel of John and John 1

My class is about to embark on a relatively "long" journey through the Gospel of John.  I anticipate an exciting and instructional journey as we seek to Know Christ more through this study series.  According to the apostle Paul in Phil 3:7-8, everything is considered rubbish in comparison with the "surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord"!  So, hopefully, we will be doing just that on this next journey.

I have structured the series with each lesson focusing on the particular Name or description of Jesus in that particular passage (e.g. Word, Light of the Word, Way, Truth, & Life, etc)  It really should be interesting, and I am pleased with how well the outline has turned out.

We will be studying this Book for almost a year, about 11 months.  May God teach us and reveal Himself more to us through this study.  Amen.

21-Oct:  When God broke His 400 year silence between the Old and New Testaments, He sent us the Living WORD.   John starts his Gospel, not with the earthly birth of Christ like Matthew or Luke, but by pointing us back to Genesis, "In the beginning...".   He tells us that Christ is the CREATOR.   He is God in essence (the Word was God) but also distinct from the Father in person (the Word was with God).  Using "life" and "light" like in Creation, John tells us that in Christ is not only physical life, but also spiritual; and that not only does He shine in physical darkness but He sheds light on the darkness of sin.
However, despite John the Baptist's testimony and witness, the world did not recognize nor believe.  Though, to those who do believe, we are given the right to become part of His family!  How astounding that Jesus the Creator God became man and allowed us to see His Glory and provided us a way to have eternal life!  Jesus is the Final WORD.

25-Oct:  Since John focused on giving evidence for Christ as God, it's neat what Chuck Swindoll said, that it's almost as if we need to take our shoes off when reading this Gospel because it is like standing on Holy Ground in the presence of God.

28-Oct:  Christ's glory is full of grace and truth in contrast to the Law which only reveals our unrighteousness and need for a Savior, but through Christ we have grace and the full truth that the Savior is Jesus.  It is clear that John the Baptist was humble and continually pointed to the Messiah, even when his authority to teach and baptize were challenged.  John the Baptist clearly testified that Jesus is the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" and that He is the "Son of God".  [NOTE:  This is what "greatness" looks like, for in Matt 11:11, Jesus had said that of those born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist.]  So, John the Author presented his case for Christ as God in vs 1:14 and called John the Baptist as his first witness in vs 6-8, 15-34.   John the Baptist is a credible witness because he is of the priestly line, his father Zacharias was a priest, they all heard of the events surrounding his birth (Zacharias not being able to talk, the prophecies about John, his miraculous conception, living as a Nazirite, etc)

4-Nov:  John the Baptist pointed even his own disciples, one of whom was Andrew, to follow Jesus.   Andrew in turn brings his brother Simon declaring Jesus to be the Messiah.   When Jesus gave Simon the new name Peter, it showed that He saw what Simon Peter was able to become, a "ROCK" and leader in the Church.  Jesus then called Philip to follow Him, who in turn called Nathanael by declaring Him to be the One who fulfills the Law and Prophets (i.e. OT Scripture).   Though Nathanael was skeptical at first, he came to believe Jesus as the Son of God and King.   And Jesus promises that he will see even greater things to come.

9-Nov:  We had good discussions in class.  As application for the lesson, the passage illustrates how we sometimes don't know a person's background or the seeds that have already been sown in their lives.  We are just called to be witnesses and invite them to "come and see" for themselves.  Those witnessing and being witnessed to can consist of a variety of personality types - emotional, analytical, skeptical, etc.   Also, just as Jesus gave Simon a new name to represent what he would eventually be called to do, we can ask ourselves what new name we might be called?  What are we being prepared for and stretched to do?

Pain

Recently, a few people talked to me about the sadness and depression that they are going through.  Aside from praying for them and trying to point them to Scripture and what I have learned about Joy through trials, I am at a loss as to what else I could be doing for them.   I just place them in my Father's Hands.

I did come across an RTB article today that had a topic related to one of the conversations I had.   The article said that researchers have found that in the animal kingdom, it's been found that animals that have experienced pain increase their ability to survive.  They are able to better react to and handle new dangers and challenges.   I imagine that we can make a similar analogy to humans; that those who have experienced pain are better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way, having already dealt with pain.

Malachi 4 and Conclusion

Malachi concludes the book with a message of the Messiah's Coming.  On the Day of the LORD, wickedness will be burnt up, destroyed, and overcome.

In light of His Coming, the People are reminded to keep the covenant and live in obedience.  There is a promise of reconciliation for those who fear Him, but destruction to those who do not.  

The reference to Elijah may refer to John the Baptist for Christ's First Coming; but, possibly to one of the Witnesses in Revelation for His Second Coming.  This is because Elijah was an OT prophet during a time of crisis and right before judgment.

16-Oct:  To summarize the whole study series in Malachi, when we as God's People listen for His message of:

• LOVE - we can remember His Love and Goodness to us no matter our circumstances, we would respond in love by giving Him our best and honor His Name that we may be a witness to the world, and we would offer pure sacrifices (e.g. our lives)
• REBUKE - we would seek to keep the covenant and be His People in obedience; and we are to know HIM, remembering that He does not change and not to deny His goodness and justice
• JUDGMENT - we would be prepared and ready for the coming judgment, endure fire and purification in our lives, give God what He is due, and to fear Him and walk in His ways
• HIS COMING - would would look forward to His Return, and live according to that perspective

Roses

It may be my change in perspective, but, it seems that I'm able to start "smelling the roses" more than being "pricked by the thorns".  His grace truly is sufficient for me.  Amen.

Rather than making me sad, I am glad that there are guys out there that have godly characteristics I am looking for - the Ugandan missionary; or the South African dad - it was neat to see him and his wife raising their hands in worship, and then their kids following their example.  That was special.

Then, I was able to just enjoy the hug with the band guy and to hold hands during prayer, without regret that I am alone.  And I'm able to appreciate the moment of connection we had, without wishing for more.

Maybe I am at peace, content, and even rejoicing now in my circumstances.  I do trust that this is God's plan for me at this time, and I will just continue to walk in His Ways, serving Him with undistracted devotion.

Remodel - Exterior Paint, Door, Gate, and Carpet

Now that the front hardscape is done, it does reveal that the house definitely needs painting.  So, that's my next project; but, in parallel, I'm also trying to install a new garage side door, gate, and carpet in the bedrooms.  I've talked to so many different contractors, and have had such varied responses.  I find that it is rare to encounter one who is friendly and really wants to do the work.

So far, the friendliest is this one company for vinyl gates, for which I have an estimate scheduled next week.  For the carpet, I went in person to their store, and they were pretty friendly.  Both painting contractors that I ended up getting estimates from were not bad either.

For the exterior house paint colors, I'm leaning towards Cocoa for the walls (which goes along with what I had intended for awhile), White for the trim and garage door, and Burnt Crimson for the accent (doors, shutters).  I hope it will look good and not be too dark.  It's really hard to tell from small swatches.   I decided not to go with the lighter browns, because they were too close to grey; and I needed a contrast against the pavers and concrete.  With the darker brown, I am able to contrast more with the trim; and I think the white is better than a cream.   The accent should provide the pop of color that I need.

12-Oct:  The estimates I received for the painting was definitely higher than the ones from a few years back; but, still close to what I had budgeted.  I will likely go with the lower priced one, though there is a longer delay to the start of the project.
The carpet estimates are higher than I had hoped for; but, the one I got was close to the one from Home Depot.  So, I will probably go with it, since the colors were closer to what I wanted.
I also paid for the door measure, which started the door installation process.
The second gate estimate is scheduled for this week.

14-Oct:  It's kind of disconcerting how decisions can change fairly radically within the course of one week:

• For the painting, I ended up not going with the lower priced quote.  Even though it was about 10% less, I decided to go with the company that had more experience (30 yrs vs 8 yrs), and was more established (with employees as opposed to just the owner who didn't even have worker's comp).  They say they'll be able to start next week, and had even offered to start at the end of this week, which will be better than waiting until next month.  Overall, it'll end up being slightly higher than budgeted
• For the carpet company, I found that their license has been suspended due to a worker's comp issue; so, I think it is best if I avoid that.  So, I am going to visit a couple of other companies
• The door has been measured, and I should be able to order it this week, and hopefully be able to get the current 20% off promotion

18-Oct:  I visited another carpet company, this one more local.  The person in the store was very nice and walked me through the different types of carpets with really good explanations.   I have scheduled an estimate this week; and I hope they will be able to come within the price range I'm looking for.  I've picked out new samples:  Shaw Floors Shingle Creek 100% ANSO BCF Nylon in "Wooden Box" color (with 20 yr warranty) and Stainmaster Vernanburg (7 yr warranty) "Mellow Bean" color.

20-Oct:  Exterior painting started today.  On colors, I decided to drop the accent color since I didn't really like the Crimson when looking at the sample painted on the shutters.   I'll just use the white for all the trim and door and shutters.   As for the Cocoa brown, I will stay with it since I liked the darker color better than the one with white added.
As for the gate, the estimate was even higher than the last one; though this was likely closer to the actual.   While I thought the person who answered the phone was extremely friendly, I was not so impressed with the estimator who came out.   I'm considering getting an estimate through Lowe's for the gate.

22-Oct:  The first coat of the brown paint went on today, and my first impression is that it is dark.  And when it dries, it'll be even darker.   I just hope that when the white trim goes on, it will "lighten" it with the contrast.   Hopefully when all is done, it'll look nice.

24-Oct:  Now that the trim and garage door has been painted, I'm really liking how it has turned out.  The contrast between the whites and the dark brown is nice.  And comparing before and after pics, I would have to say that it is an improvement.   The paint is doing what I intended, drawing more attention to the architectural elements of the house (e.g. the nice wrought iron designs) and less on the hardscape.
I do think that the decisions we make during remodeling does reveal some of who we are, especially for exterior projects.   So, I think what the hardscape and painting show about me are that I don't just try to fit in and be like everyone else (e.g. I am the only one with full hardscape in the front yard, the only one with dark colors, etc), and that I try to be practical (i.e. no more watering and mowing the lawn or trimming trees needed).

25-Oct:  However, it still seems that the pictures look better than the actual.   With the actual, there is a really sharp contrast between the brown and the white; and in the areas where there is a lot of brown on the sides of the house, it really does look very dark and almost looming.    And, at night, it is even darker.   With the front entry iron gate, it is now painted white.   There are many pros and cons.  When it was brown, it was less noticeable; but, with the walls painted brown also, it was quite dark in the entry way.   With it white, it is quite prominent, but also highlights the other elements of white on the door and window trims.   Also, the white is consistent with the other wrought iron structures around the house.   I still think that I needed a bold strong color to contrast all the grey concrete and stone.  And, it is undeniable that the concrete and stone is now more in the background; and the colors draw one's eyes to the house itself.
Some of the comments I've gotten so far on the house colors:  the owner of the painting company said it was unique and made the house look very different; the lead painter said from the very beginning that he liked dark colors and that the house stands out; a lady walking by said that she thought it really looked nice; an older man walked by and really encouraged me by saying that he knew it was a risk going with darker colors but congratulated me on how well it turned out and even complimented me on being smart when it comes to water conservation.

27-Oct:  Now that I've been looking at the Before and After, I conclude that the deep-tone does provide the contrast I was looking for against the stone/pavers and white trims.   Also, I like the uncluttered clean lines; and am leaning toward not putting anything in the front to detract or clutter, not even pots, garden flags, and such.  I did buy some cedar bark to cover the dirt areas, though.   I chose cedar over the colored bark, hoping that these will less likely attract additional bugs.
For the carpet, I decided to go with this last company, and it's nice that they turned out to be the least expensive.  However, they informed me that the carpet likely will not arrive prior to mid-November.
I stopped by Lowe's to ask about Gate Installation Estimate - they put in a lead and I should be called about scheduling a consultation.
And, I'm still waiting for the Home Depot Door Installer to call me.

28-Oct:  One of my neighbors drove by and said that she loved what I did with the place.  That makes me happy that at least one of my neighbors like the changes.

13-Nov:  Well, I did order the Gate through Home Depot, and they were less expensive than the other estimate I had gotten, so I'm happy about that.  The subcontractor is Finyl Vinyl and they order the gate from Active Yards.   I decided to go with Juniper (semi-private with picket top), and ended up with the high-end Haven series, probably to meet the minimum cost the company is willing to do an installation for.  I chose white to match with my windows and trim.
I did get comments from two other neighbors who said they liked how the exterior now looks.  A friend of one neighbor even said that we should all do the same in light of the drought.

26-Nov:  Carpets in the bedrooms got installed today.  They look good and the colors go well.  I am pleased and glad.  The exercise room low pile carpet will definitely be better for the exercise machines; and with the padding, still feels better than the original carpet even.   And, the carpet in the other rooms really feel cushion-y and has that nice new smell.  I'm happy with the outcome and just hope that I can get things put back together before Thanksgiving tomorrow.  So, the only major let down were the delays in scheduling.  I also have to decide whether I will shave the doors, since two currently scrapes the carpet.

12-Dec:  It was nice that the Exterior Paint company called me yesterday to see whether all was well with the paint; so, I took the opportunity to ask once more for some touch-up paint, which they did not leave any previously.
Also, my side garage door was installed Wed.  It looks nice, and I even finish painting the trim and brick molding.
My gate install was scheduled for today; but, it's raining hard, so will likely be postponed.

19-Dec:  My white vinyl gate with picket top was installed today.  It looks nice; and the white vinyl fits in well with the rest of the white on the exterior of my house (trims, windows, doors, iron gates, etc).  I can now finally say that I'm done for this year (with only 11 days to spare).
It really has been a busy year of remodeling.   I'm pleased with all the interior transformations in the bedrooms.  The door and gate may be nicer than I really need; but, they look good.   I really like not having a lawn; but, it is definitely unusual for my area.   I like the exterior paint, though it is probably darker than I should've gone; though, I don't know whether I would've liked a lighter shade.  Well, it's done; and it all looks fine.