From the Frontline

As Memorial Day approaches, there have been many men and women on the frontlines throughout this great country's history. Some were forever changed, some came back to broken families, some came back heroes, and some never came back at all. For all those who serve on the frontlines there are many more that serve in other ways and never see the battle lines. Are they any less worthy of memory? Are they any less Veterans? We owe all of them more than we could ever imagine, no matter what part they played or will play.

This makes me think about the greatest kingdom ever, the Church. This last weekend at a Memorial Service for a Christian, who had passed away, I saw three ladies from TSCC working in the kitchen and made the comment, "I see you three at every event we do, slaving away in the kitchen and you need to know how much I appreciate you". They're response was, "you are at all those events working too". This is true but my response was, "yeah, but everyone sees me and knows that I'm working, and yet how often do you guys get credit for your service in the Kingdom?"

I also happen to know of 4 men from TSCC who are up at Park Creek today cutting limbs back from the road so the campers and RV's coming up next weekend can get through with minimal scratches. A couple of them are probably taking time off work possibly even unpaid to work in the kingdom. I also know that there was somewhere around 50 volunteers at our VBS Lunch yesterday and yes all of them have jobs they will be doing during our VBS programs.

So coming from a guy who is often on the frontline, here is a big thank you to all the backline (if that's a word) workers out there, not only here in Sacramento but in the Church all over the world whose service often goes unnoticed. And to all those veterans who have served our country, and those who continue to serve our country, a big thank you to you as well. May you all have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.

P.S. The reason I didn't mention the names of the people is because for those that I noticed or know about there are many more that I don't even realize are doing things behind the scenes and I don't want to leave anyone out. 

Lance

Mother's in a Word

What single word best describes mothers?  They are all so different each with their own strengths and weaknesses, their own unique talents, abilities, personalities, etc.  They aren’t perfect or infallible by any means so what word do I use?

I thought about stable, but that sounds like a barn, or steadfast but that seems so lifeless and boring.  Amazing and incredible are wonderful adjectives but are very general and could be used to describe many things or people.  I need a word that best describe Mothers all over the world.

Dependable sounds like a car or a good mule.  Patient, well even the best mother sometimes struggles with this quality even though they usually have men beat hands down when it comes to patience.  Goodness, consistency, beauty, love, are all great words that describe mothers but still not what I was looking for.

And then it hit me!  The perfect descriptive word.  It’s perfect because it covers all facets of mothers.  After all Moms are also chauffers, coaches, counselors, best friends, driving instructors, beauty consultants, tutors, chefs, nurses, and experts in many more fields.

The Word?  Flexible.  Changing on the fly, adapting to any and every situation.  My favorite quote of all time - "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape" - Anonymous - Thanks to all the mothers and wives out there who have perfected the art of flexibility.  We love you!