Poppa

54 years on

2008-08-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Today Barbara and I celebrate 54 years since our Labor Day weekend at Quaker Meadow. Little did we know what these years would be like. Three daughters, twelve grands and nineteen great grands. And all, who are of age, born again. How many more greats will there be? I say at a minimum ten. What will come from all of these people? Down the road I think many new people will find the Lord through the family.
As we look back on these 54 years, we see teh trail filled with people with whom we have had ministry in one way or another. They are scattered all across the map. What joy to see so many going on with the Lord in productive ministries.
I might be well for all who read this to take stock and rejoice over what you are leaving in your trail as life goes on. Plan for more in the future.
Blessings on each one who reads this. Poppa Robert and Grammy Barbara

What is going on?

2008-07-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung, fall has fell, summer is here and it sure is hot. The excitement this week is/was lunch Monday here with a couple we met on the Med. cruise. The striking thing about the man is that he and I were on Biak island off the coast of New Guinea in 1944-45. He was in an Air Force outfit on a different airstrip, so no way to know him. But I did meet him at CBMC in Downey where he was for a long time. Tuesday for breakfast we had the Jr. High guy from Granada as I had a bunch of ideas for kids that age I wanted to run by him. I think this was a real ground-breaking event. Today, Wed. we have both Anders and Luke for lunch. Robin and David have been by to get some apples and tomatoes, and so it goes with us. On Saturday we go to LAX to pick up Ed and Luanne as they come in from Turkey. What else? Well Luke is going camping with friends for the weekend.

Here we are again

2008-06-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

I realize I do a lot of blogging, but in just a different form. This one needs attention as well. I think the most fun thing of late is the new little tract I had printed. It is about the easiest thing I've ever seen for getting into a conversation. Talking along and when things are doing well you go, "Say, what is your first name?" When they tell you say, "Well, I thought so as I have something with your name on it." Big chuckle. You pull out the tract and on the back you write, in the space under "YOU ARE FAMOUS" their name. "Did you know you were famous?" and off goes the conveersation. On my case, and in Uncle David's case, we can get into Great grand #17 and all that that engenders. Then I ask, "Do you know why you are famous?" and they always say they don't. So you turn to the front and point to the line saying "Your Name In The Word of God" and that always is a surprise. And they like it, 100% of them have! Then, hand it to them after you have put their name in the top space inside and say to have fun finding out why their name is in the WOG. Last week Paul Hansen in HI reported that he had a phone call from a lady saying she had trusted the Lord reading it. I can send 12 for $2.00 or 18 for $3.00. Based on weight, postage and printing costs. Non-profit except to the one who reads it. Poppa

Time out for a tooth

2008-04-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Er, maybe it should be time for a tooth out. To come out, which happened today to my rear right lower molar. The dentist we hve gone to for a long time said it was rotten to the core, and I thought he was talking about me. Anyway, that was then and so far there is nothing, no pain and the novacain has worn off.
We got a Spanish language magazine from Puebla with quite a story of the lectures I gave there on TGT. The lady got it 100% right, so much fun to read.
Getting geared up for Malta and the cruise. When that is over, I will have a five week elective teaching TGT, that will be fun, especially being able to show them how to use the new tract.Mom just had her date to teach WOW and she went through Zephniah, Zachariah and Haggai. Quite an assingment in one session. To round it out, I have three dates on the cruise ship to speak at the AM devotional time to our group of 25 people. So we manage to stay busy. I am going to leave the laptop home, and take a vacation from computers. When will Heidi get those kids in out of that snowstorm? Great blog from Luanne.

2008-02-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

The really big news is that my brother of 84 years passed away on Tuesday the 12th. He was 87 and was suffering from a recurrence of cancer that had popped up 15 or more years ago. Then it was in his esophagus but now it was in his liver. At Philip and Abbie's wedding in August he came shuffling along, I'd never seen him like that. Gmother and I went tok visit him/then three weeks ago and his voice was a bit slurred and he wasn't moving very fast. Went to the hospital for tests ten days ago and they finally said there was nothing they could do for him, too far and too fast. Passed awy in his sleep Tuesday about 8:30 PM. Service at the Clubhouse on Sunday at 2. They live on a golf course for seniors. But best of all, it is reported that he made a profession of faith last Friday at the hospital, after having a wonderful letter from Jeri Lynn Dukes read to him. How wonderful! She was so anxious to know that her dad would join her and her family in heaven one day. And they will!

2008-01-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Getting close to the once a month mark. Only event of real personal note was adding one more year to my history on the 4th of January. That was really nice. Now we need to see what we can do for my dear wife on 591/2 years on her 80th in March. An item of historical note is that Wayne Day is having fun typing in the letters I wrote during WW2. We thought it would be best to use iListen to speak them in, but his voice was such that it didn't work. But what a project. I told him that the longer he went the more interesting the letters would get. He says it is true already, especially since once you get out of basic training things do become more of interest.. And the letters are still in 1943 when we were still in the States. In March of 44 I went to Australia, to vist the Kangaross, Koalas, Emus and Duck-billed Platypusses. In typed form they will be easy to read. I will also go through them to edit them. A lot of nonsense in them about people none of you will have ever heard of and who I have forgotten. Like girl friends during my Army days. Not much to write but there.
In February two events. Speak at Vineyard in Downey on the 9th and we go to Mexico on the 21st.

Got going early this time

2008-01-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

Great Holiday Season! Four super Sunday sermons and one terrific pageant. All tied together, amazing. I have written a tract called "The greatest discory ever" and it is doing well. As Robin and I were going over the art work, we wondered what to put on the largely blank back page. Put in a stock of books, then just a couple and then an idea hit me. How about a picture of Anders holding a sign saying "YOU ARE FAMOUS?" OK, much better, but wait, he is 18 months and you could never get him to hold still for a thing like that. So we came up with a carton circle that has him saying "You Are Famous." Terrific and that flaming red hair is really pretty. If you'd like a sample, let me know and I will mail some to you. We plan t get it printed commercially real soon, but what we have now is great.

Woops, missed November

2007-12-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Since I write every week, it is easy to forget to use this one. I had ten sessions with the Biola nursing student. I t was a fun time, he wanted to learn what seniors think about. I have no idea what other seniors spend their time at but looking at the paper it is easy to see. 10AM on Wed. will be Bingo!! at the Hall. In the afternoon, we be playing Monopoly and at 4 the instructor will come and we will be doing yoga. It is amazing that people have nothing to do or think about. I guess what the student learned the most about was evengelism. How he can go about doing it. He is now on my weekly list so can't say too much about it, but it ws a fun time. We talked about raising children, relationships with grands and greats, the whole gamut. How live in a grace way. The longer we go the more interssting things seem to get. Went today to Biola to sit in on a reception/farewall to a man who is retiring this week after 44 years on the faculty in variouls places. Paul Poelstra, some of you might know him. When Biola moved out from LA in 59 he came with it as a 2nd year student and came right into our college group. So we've known the man for awhile. Aunt Robin heard about it and alerted me to it.
We are planning two trip for next spring. A week in Mexico teaching TGT in three churches. Might be in mid February, don't have a date yet. Then we take a cruise ship from Rome on the 28th of April and visit Croatia, Greece, Turkey and Malta!! My thinking is that we will disembark at Malta and spend time there with the folks doing the work now. More on this anon. Blessings to one and all.

October has almost came and went

2007-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Before we get to the fire part, need to sayj I have been meeting weekly with the Biola nursing student. He is a very sharp guy and asks perseptive questions. We meet each Friday after Luch Bunch. Tomorrow there is a memorial service for Scott Gruendyke at 11 so we will meet at Biola at 12:30 and I will mis the Bunch. Last week he had question about World War 2 since I was in it. Wonder what he is leaering? He has The Gentle Touch by now, of course.
We have put out a tract based on TGT and Robin is working on it, a man in Modesto did the art work. When it is finished I plan to sen around a copy to everyone and see what people think of it.
Fires. Incredible. Four or five families at Granada own (ed) houses at Green Valley Lake, which is on the road between Running Springs and Big bear. Off to the nojrht. Pretty place, or it used to be. From what we know now only a few homes weree spared, but the final taly is not known. In San Diego County at leass 1200 homes have burned to the ground, and arsonists are in jail!! Can you imagien anyone with so demented a mind as to do that? Today (Thursday) it has been five days since it all started. The sky is clearer today, but still looks like it is couldy bot a cloud up there onl smoke and ashes.
Uncle Howqard and Gloria said they were going to have to evacuate but the wind changed and it wasn't nedded. Bu close, too close.
On a family note, J. Anders Jensen, all of 17 months old was here yeserday, walking all voer the place. I took him into the back yeard so he could see the trees, he loved it.

2007-09-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

I had thought I'd put up a blog every month, but August slipped by with us in the Northwest for a couple of weeks and there it went! Now Sept. is nearing the end. Better get to it.
A fun thing. Robin works in the office that runs the Nursing Program at Biola. I am not real clear on this but they have a half dozen fourth year students taking extra work. I asked if they learned levitation so they didn't have to lift the patients. Anyway, as part of the course each one has to locate a senior citizen and do in depth interviews. Robin lined me up with a guy from Lodi and we've had several talks thus far. He comes over to Carl's Jrs. on Rosecrans at 12:30 on Fridays and we talk for an hour. He does not seem to have a set agenda so he says just tell me about yourself. We have been into TGT and other fine ways to talk to people about the Lord. It is all very intriguing, what do they really want to know about seniors?

Cousins. My favorite cousin through my whole life is and was Roselva (Taber) and now Taylor. Daughter of Charles Taber, my mother's older (and only) brother. She now lives in Utah with her daughter Joanni and a few months ago lost her husband Bill. He both worked for me in the insurance office and played tennis with me for a long time. A great friend. All of this to say that she was down here for a few days last week and Gmother and I went to see her for a couple of hours. Made me realize how close we had always been, and how great it has been. She wrote to me faithfully when I was out in the South Pacific during WW2. When she married Jim Ogilby that was great, as Jim and I had been in SS together during high school days and then in the Army together later on. He was in one outfit in Brisbane Australia and I was in another. Great friends. When Granada got going we invited them to come and they both got saved, that made it especially super. He died after they had had three boys, and later she married Bill. But what a wonderful cousin she has been.

End of July

2007-07-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

So what is the big gnus for the month? For me, our friend from India, Jaya Raj has had some misfortunes in her line of work, live in practical nurse. A company that hired her folded and their checks bounced. So I have been elected to drive her from place to place, getting new documentation, TB shots and verification, and from one new job to another. To go get her is in Orange, about 18 miles from here. One job was in Hacienda Hts. and that was such a bummer she left three days later and away we go again. We seem to have her salted away now for a long term stay in Anaheim. I guess I have driven a couple hundred miles hauling the lady around. Her husband was one of our East West clients and their daughter went to Biola. Otherwise, we are fine.
Except that the valve that controls and stops the flow of water in the toilet quit working. Plumber came and fixed it, almost. Had another plumber come this AM to fix what he missed. Got the water off the floor. Then this AM I noticed that the toaster went down OK and held for the requisite length of time, but no heat, no toast.
And, oh yes. We are in throes of moving my office into what has been the guest room. The guest room will move into what is now our bedroom. And our bedroom will move into what is now the office. With a brand new Queeen sized bed, which is the reason for all the changing, our room not big enough for it. Getting this all done in one whack is going to take some real engineering. We will paint the office first, the old one, that is. Selah.