Yea! New Colors!!!

I just couldn't handle the black screen on our blog anymore. So I spent some time today changing things up and making our blog look more like our web site. This way people who come to either our web site or our blog will realize they are visiting the same people! Let us know what you think!

Thanksgiving Day 2013

We had an awesome Thanksgiving this year! See the new cover picture I put up today?

Kari Jorgenson came over on Wednesday to help Yvonne cook. She came by the church and helped load the chairs we needed in her car to take to the house. She even bought some of the ingredients that were needed for the pies.

Then on Thursday morning Kari came over early to help bake the pies. She brought a friend with her from the USS James Williams: Derrek Arceneaux.

 

Football: Greenbay and Detroit

It was a fun day! While Yvonne and the girls cooked, the guys watched football (Greenbay and Detroit). That is, until I got drafted to make the gravy. That seems to be my job at Thanksgiving and Christmas…and whenever we have gravy

Kari and Amy cooking

Kari and Amy cooking

I went to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and picked up Cody Melot  (USS Iwo Jima) and then went to the Naval Station Norfolk to pick up William Seidler  (USS Theodore Roosevelt).

 

Amy, Arwen, Ayden, Andrew, Will, Kari, and Christopher

Derrek, Crystal, Cody, Christopher, Kari, Yvonne, Will, Andrew, and Ayden

Amy Wilson, from church came over with her two children Ayden and Arwen; her husband's on deployment. And Andrew Raffety came over from the USS Abraham Lincoln. Then Christopher Fine and Crystal Schmidt from the (USS Ross) joined us.

We all sat down to eat about 2:00 pm. It was nice to have a dining room full of servicemen and women! This was probably the best Thanksgiving attendance we've ever had.

 

Ayden, Arwen, and Amy Wilson

Will trying to duck for cover when I aimed the camera his way

But I got Will on the way back up!

We went around and everyone shared something we were thankful for. 

Derrek, Crystal, Cody, and Christopher

After dinner we went into the living room and I asked everyone to share their favorite ice cream flavor, their hobbies, and why they joined the Navy.

Then I shared the pamphlet: "Have You Ever Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?"

After the Gospel presentation we all had pie and whipped cream for dessert. We watched the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys play a good football game! The Cowboys came from behind and won! Yvonne and Kari, Cody and Amy helped clean up the kitchen. 

After the game we took Cody and William back to their bases.

Like I said, it was a really good day...one we can be thankful for!

Sometimes It Is Only One...

Daina Moscoso - COMSUBLANT

In hospitality house military ministry it isn't about numbers...you know, "How many were there last week?" Sometimes we have a lot of servicemen at our table, and other times we only have two or three...and sometimes only one.

Rebekah Sooy and Trever Cole

Rebekah Sooy

But that's OK because it really isn't about "how many", but about providing a home away from home for whoever might need one. Every person who comes into our home is important and valuable.

Cody Melot (USS Iwo Jima), Yvonne, Me, Kari Jorgenson, Christopher Fine (UUS Ross)

I know it's more fun for the servicemen and women who come over when there are more here. We often hear the question: "Am I the only one here again tonight?" It leaves kind of a pit in our stomach, because we want to make sure they have a good time and enjoy themselves.

Bob Kroeger (USS Oak Hill), Cody Melot ((USS Iwo Jima) playing Mayberry-Opoly

We can't promise high adrenaline, high impact activities. What we strive to provide is a safe, comfortable home and family environment while these young men and women are away from their families. 

Cody won!!!! Yea Cody!

Prayer Walking on Norfolk Naval Station

This afternoon Yvonne and I went to Norfolk Naval Station, and walked up and down the pier in front of the aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines, praying for the crews on board the ships. We prayed that God would keep them safe and help them to do their jobs well.

But more importantly we prayed that God would open their minds and their hearts to spiritual things. We prayed that the young men and women stationed on those ships would receive a hunger for God, and His Word. The bottom line for us, is that they would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

While we prayed and walked, I thought about the passage of Scripture in 1 Corinthians that say the enemy of their souls has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. And in Isaiah it says there are those who sit in dungeons, their throats parched with thirst. They search for water, the prophet says, but there is none.

We walked by pier after pier, with young men and women standing as sentries at the gates. We prayed for each one as we walked by them, asking God to open their eyes that they might see Him! That He would connect us with some of them so we might share God's love with them.

The thought was overwhelming of there being four to six thousand men and women on the carriers. And while there are only a few hundred sailors on the destroyers and cruisers, there were many of them in port! Young men and women being tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

But I was encouraged by the thought of what Jesus said in the Gospels. He told Peter that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. In other words, while the devil may have taken them captive to do his will, the iron bars and gates of bronze that he has them surrounded with, will not stand. Because greater is His that is in us (Jesus Christ) than he that is in the world (the devil). God has given us a love for these young men and women that just will not end.

In Isaiah God said that the captives will be set free, and those who are in dungeons will not die there. Please pray with us...

Eric Trejo and Captain George's Restaurant!

Yvonne and I got together with Eric Trejo again last night for dinner - at Captain George's in Williamsburg. Oh! Did I say OH! I love Captain George's...it's my favorite restaurant! We've never been been to the one in Williamsburg before. Usually we go to the one on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach. Unfortunately, the one in VB totally redecorated and took out all of the nautical ambiance. It just looks like an upscale, nice, but plain restaurant. But the one last night was beautifully decorated! The buffet bars where the food was served were all tall masted ships. As we walked in there was a beautiful stone waterfall.The sound of the waterfall really added to the visual experience as we walked in. The whole thing was a visual and auditory delight right from the beginning.

Then there was the food...oh! Did I say OH!!! The food was delicious! Did I say OOOOHHH?!!!! So, was it the asparagus? I love asparagus! Or the oysters Rockefeller? The fried oysters? The scallops? Or could it have been the unlimited, huge, crab legs? Yes, unlimited HUGE crab legs, I think it was probably all of the above! :) And then some!! Did I mention the dessert bar? No wait. I didn't mention the dessert bar? Oh my, were has my mind gone? The baklava, the rice pudding, the chocolate moose, the bread pudding, and the banana pudding were awesome too! Yup, I had a little bit of each...topped off with a couple cups of delicious coffee.

But was it only the ambiance, or the delicious food, or was it the fellowship we had? Yup! I think the fellowship with Eric was a huge part of it! We got there at 4:30 and didn't leave until 9:00! We shared and talked story...we talked about the Lord, and about our churches. We talked about our families, and our ministries. It was an awesome evening with an awesome young man!

Just wait, there are pictures to come! We forgot our camera so Eric took the pictures on his phone. When he sends them I'll post them.

And for anyone who doesn't like the use of the word "awesome", I'm sorry...but the evening was...

The Return of Eric Trejo!

We always love it when servicemen and women come back into this area and get in touch with us to reconnect. Yesterday Eric Trejo contacted us about coming over today. He joined us for Sunday school and worship at church and then joined us at the house for lunch. Yea!

Eric was in the Army at the School of Music in 2003 and came over to the house on the weekends. He played the tuba. It was really nice to see him again! He contacted us back in August when he was in the area so we could get together. But we were on vacation in West Virginia. He's out of the Army now and lives in California.

Yvonne fixed Creamy Chicken and Broccoli for lunch and finished it off with Blueberry Macadamia Nut Coffee Cake and ice cream.

Eric reluctantly agreed to let me take a group picture of the three of us, and then really groaned when I said yes after he asked me if the picture was going to be on Facebook. Thanks for being a good sport Eric!

Today Was German Food Day!

Wow! Today was definitely German food day! What an awesome meal Yvonne made! I love her Sauerbraten (marinated rump roast), Spatzle (German noodle dumplings), Sauerkraut, and Creamed Spinach. Add to that her homemade rye bread, and oh! what a meal!! That was our Sunday dinner today! That was topped off with her German apple crisp and ice cream for dessert. Now I'm ready for a long nap! :)

Kari joined us for worship at church this morning and then for dinner this afternoon. I really think she enjoyed the meal as much as I did!

After we ate we prayed together...especially for her time underway, as well as the advancement exam she will be taking.

I shared a couple of scriptures with her for encouragement that I will share with you here too: check them out.

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Philippians 4:6-9

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Matthew 6:33-34

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Please keep Kari, Crystal, Christopher, and Justin in your prayers as they go underway for a few weeks.

Monopoly Electronic Banking!

Well, no one came over tonight. Cody's ID card dropped over the side of the ship, and everyone from the USS Ross had to get ready for an underway.

Yvonne and I bought a new version of Monopoly called Monopoly Electronic Banking this week that we were going to try out tonight. So even though it was only Yvonne and me, after dinner we played the new game together. It is really fun! No cash to pass out or count. An electronic debit machine does all the calculating for you. You play with a credit card that adds or subtracts money from your account. Everyone starts out with $15,000,000 at the beginning of the game. But properties cost between $600,000 and $4,000,000. So the stakes get pretty high quickly! But it is fun!!! :)

Yvonne won! She ended up bankrupting me and still sitting on almost $20,000,000. I'm glad it's only a game!! Tee Hee...

A "Fine" Labor Day Weekend at John and Yvonne's!

Last night Crystal Schmidt, Kari Jorgenson, and Christopher Fine came over for grilled hamburgers, pretzels, and watermelon...then ice cream cones for dessert. Crystal brought over a new game called: "In A Pickle!" We laughed a lot as we tried to figure out what goes inside what. Huh?

This morning Christopher and Kari joined us for Sunday school and worship at Azalea Garden Church. Christopher had duty so he had to back to the ship. Crystal and Kari and Cody Melot came over for dinner. Cody helped make dessert: Blueberry Crisp. And BOY! was it yummy! :) Dinner consisted of Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade bread.

Yvonne spent time with the girls while Cody and I had another round of chess. He beat me again. However... I won the second game today... (I really hope he didn't just let me win) ...hmmm???

Sunday Afternoon At The Wagners...

Cody Melot, Crystal Schmidt, Christopher Fine, and Kari Jorgenson came over for dinner today.

Crystal serving the pineapple and raspberries

Cody checking out the fresh homemade Italian bread

I wanted to get a picture of the food on the table.

On the menu was spaghetti, salad, and home made Italian bread. Crystal brought pineapple and raspberries. Then for dessert it was Apricot Lattice Cake and coffee and tea. Kari was in the kitchen helping Yvonne today.

Cody challenged me to a game of chess. Now, you have to realize, I haven't played chess in over thirteen years! But was a good game. Cody almost let me win...NOT! He pounced on my queen the first chance he got after a move I didn't see. :(  After that it was all down hill. Yea, Cody won!

You see, this was early in the game.

I think Cody knew he was going to win!

The Winning Move!

Awesome New Group Tonight!

We had five sailors here tonight for our Saturday game night. Four of them were new! Crystal Schmidt brought three friends from the USS Ross (DDG71) with her tonight: Kari, Justin, and Christopher! And Yvonne has been in touch with a Navy mom on Navyformoms.com who got us connected with her son, Cody, from the USS Iwo Jima.

We ate hot dogs and chips, and Klondike bars for dessert.

Then we sat around and shared stories, getting to know each other. Finally, it was time to play! Yvonne brought out the Skip Bo cards...Cody won the first round...beginners luck! Yvonne won the second round.

We ended the evening in the living room, sharing prayer requests and praying for each other.

Rick Matheny Brings His Family Over On Saturday Night

Group shot 1

Group shot 2

Yesterday Rick Matheny brought his parents, Tim and Elizabeth, and his girl friend Kristina, over to the house to meet us and to join in our Saturday night activities. Rick is going on deployment so it gave us a chance to anoint him with oil and pray over him; that God would keep him safe, and enable him to do his job well.

Wednesday is also his birthday, so we were able to celebrate together a couple of days early. Rick likes cheese cake so Yvonne made one for dessert. she went out and got a small birthday gift for him: a journal, so he can keep track of the events of his first deployment.

Crystal joined us too; and brought frozen yogurt. As I always say, there's always room for ice cream! :)

Dinner included grilled hamburgers and baked home fries. then we played "Apples to Apples" which is Crystal's all time favorite game! Elizabeth, Rick's mom won the game, and the trophy!

Presenting the trophy  to the winner!

Monday Night Bible Study: Daniel Chapter 7

Last night Bob Kroeger came over for Bible study. We talked about Daniel 7. Daniel had a dream that bothered him. The interpretation of the dream was that of the Antichrist that will rule on the earth during the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, called the Great Tribulation. John wrote about it in Revelation. We correlated the little horn of Daniel's dream with the Antichrist in Revelation chapter 13. We also talked about Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the kingdom that kingdom God sets up that will fill the earth and that will crush all other kingdoms. A kingdom that will have no end! I love connecting the dots; tying together the different parts of Scripture that speak of the same event. It was a good study!

Sunday Afternoon Visits with Bob and Toree

Everybody either had duty, had to work, or had other plans today. So Yvonne and I just kicked back and relaxed this afternoon. But later Bob Kroeger came over and visited for a while. 

While Yvonne and I visited with him, Toree Mathis called from Hawaii! We got to catch up with what was happening in his side of the planet! 95 degrees with tropical breezes, and lots of sunshine! Boy, Toree is really suffering for his country over there!  :)

Too bad I couldn't just crawl through the phone connection and get to where he was! He did say that I was right about the difference in temperature on the Kaneohe side of the island. He had to go to Pearl City and it was in the 90s...when he got back to his side of the island it was only 75 degrees!

Saturday Night Acitivity

Brandon and Savannah Justice came over tonight with Malachai and Sarabeth. We had a nice time together visiting and catching up. We hadn't gotten together in almost a year.

I pulled out the new grill that one of our neighbors gave us a few years ago; that we never actually used. I guess, if I were to confess, I've never been much of an outdoor griller. It's usually too hot or humid for me to do that here. But the weather was beautiful! And WOW! does this grill cook nice!!! I love it. I will definitely be doing more grilling in the future! :)

I grilled hamburgers and they turned out great! Yea!

I've never seen an eight month old baby who loves tomatoes! Sarabeth grabbed a slice of tomato in her little fist that Savannah gave her and didn't put it down until she finished it completely.

Encouragement From Ezekiel!

Yvonne and I have started reading through the book of Ezekiel in the Bible for our devotions together. It’s amazing how applicable God’s word is to our situation in trying to minister to young military men and women. Sometimes it gets discouraging when time after time we try to reach out to young men and women in uniform, and they are not interested in what we offer. We reach out to them in love, providing a safe, home and family environment, where they can have fun, play games, eat, and fellowship together. Basically, offer them a home away from home, with family and everything. And yet, so often there seems to be so little interest.

I totally understand the hectic schedule of military men and women. Their job is not like that of a civilian who may work from 9 to 5 and then goes home, and has his or her evenings and weekends free to do what they want to do. Young servicemen and women have to work around the clock in rotating shifts. Then on top of their “normal work day” they have “duty days” where they are restricted to their base or ship, and have to stand “watches” anywhere from two to four hours in length. Many of our military people are worked to exhaustion. Sleep often becomes a precious commodity! And simply having some alone time, time to run personal errands, shop, get hair cuts, manicures and pedicures, or simply to do laundry, is really limited.

But, I’m concerned about these young people spiritually. David Kinnaman and Thom Rainer in their books “You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…And Rethinking Faith” and “The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation” address the attitudes and beliefs of young adults between the ages of eighteen and thirty something; saying that almost three quarters of that generation believe the Christian church is irrelevant. They don’t necessarily consider themselves ‘hostile’ toward Christianity or religion, but simply indifferent toward it. Well over half of those who say they attended church when they were younger teens, do not attend any longer. God called Yvonne and me to reach these young adults: those who do not believe; those who may once have believed, but who have turned away from Jesus Christ or the church; and those who may still believe, but have enormous pressure coming against them to draw them away from the faith.

So, what does all of this ‘concern’ have to do with what we read in Ezekiel? God sent Ezekiel to speak to the people of Israel. What God said to Ezekiel, He could just as easily have said to Yvonne and me in our situation. Let me show you what I mean. Listen now as God speaks to Ezekiel. I am using the New International Version. In Ezekiel 2:3-4 God said, “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.'”

Rebellious? Obstinate? Stubborn? Wow! Those are some pretty harsh sounding words from a “loving” God!

But just in case Ezekiel was thinking that maybe he wouldn’t go and speak God’s word to them, because they probably wouldn’t listen, and his speaking to them probably wouldn’t do any good anyway, listen to what God tells the prophet in Ezekiel 2:7, “You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” God told Ezekiel He had to speak to them either way. Whether they listened or not did not make any difference at all!

In Ezekiel 3:5-7 God acknowledged that it would have been easier for Ezekiel to go to a foreign country where he didn’t understand their language, than to go to his own people. The people in the foreign country would have listened to his message. God tells the prophet “But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate." The prophet was to go to the people God sent him to; and he was to speak God’s word to them even though they would not listen. God explained to Ezekiel the reason the people would not listen to him, was because they were not willing to listen to God.

Then in Ezekiel 3:17-21 God gave the example of a watchman. I love it when God uses a military example that I can relate to! A watchman is just like a marine or soldier standing guard duty. God said,

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.”

“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

So, Yvonne and I will keep reaching out to young soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. Whether they listen or not is really not the point. We will continue sharing His word with these young men and women, believing that God will grant us favor with some, and some will listen to the message.

Nichole and BTK Leave for Michigan

Are you going to push the truck all the way to Michigan?

Come on, are we going YET???

 

Friday Nichole packed up BTK and headed up the road to spend the next two and a half months with her family in Michigan. In case you're wondering what or who BTK is...that's Blackie, Tiger, and Kujo...Nichole's three dogs. Then in October she and the dogs will join Toree in Kaneohe, Hawaii.

The dogs had been living in our sun room behind the garage for three weeks. A place with cover in case it rained, and plenty of shade. Toree and Nichole watered, fed, and walked the dogs several times a day. And the dogs seemed pretty comfortable and content.

But, just a couple of days earlier we had kind of a dust up with our neighbors about the dogs. A neighbor who, after three weeks, came over to warn Nichole that it was against the law in Virginia to kennel her dogs. And, that it was also illegal here to tie them up, or tether them, for more than three hours a day. I had no idea about those laws since I don't own a dog. Nichole checked it out online and found the neighbor was correct.

I guess one night someone heard the dogs barking, and this particular neighbor was concerned that another neighbor might call the SPCA about the noise. They might come and discover the dogs in the kennels, or tied up. Nichole could then have been fined a thousand dollars per dog. Yuk! It all seemed absurd to me. These dogs were well groomed, well fed and watered, and well cared for. Anyway, that's the law.

Now I have another reason why I won't be getting a dog any time soon. Besides the fact that I refuse to take a dog for a walk two or three times a day with a plastic bag over my hand to pick up it's poop. The idea of picking up warm dog poop just grosses me out!

Anyway, while Yvonne was on the way home from church Wednesday night she came up with a brilliant solution! We would close in our sun room and our patio with rabbit fencing that we had, and make an improvised dog run for three days. The dogs would not be tied up, nor in their kennels, and everyone would be happy. It actually worked out really well! 

Good Bye...for now!

(Nichole just texted us and said she got to Michigan safely! Yea!!)

Wednesday Night Bible Study - Daniel Chapter 6

Bob Kroeger, Nichole Mathis and I got together for Bible study again Wednesday evening. We talked about Daniel Chapter 6 - Daniel in the Den of Lions.

Our discussion focused on the jealousy that the other men had toward Daniel. That jealousy caused them to try to set Daniel up to destroy him.

It would have been easy for Daniel to have compromised his convictions for thirty days to avoid the trap set for him. But Daniel remained true to God and to his convictions. Even if that meant he would have had to die.

God was able to rescue Daniel from their plan.

We each shared specific situation where others tried to undermine or destroy us too. But God was faithful, and is still faithful to work on our behalf to rescue us as well. But like Daniel, we have to be faithful to God and our faith in Jesus Christ.

The question is: do our convictions and our lifestyle show our faithfulness to Jesus Christ, like Daniel's did?

Monday Night Bible Study - Revelation

Monday evening Bob Kroeger, Nichole Mathis, Yvonne and I studied Revelation together. We compared the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls of Revelation 6, 8 & 9, and 16. It was an interesting study! 

Most of the book of Revelation covers the seven years known as the Tribulation. 

Daniel 9:27 gives the overall timeline of the period.

It begins with the covenant the Antichrist makes with many for seven years. This happens when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, opens the first seal in Revelation 6:1-2. Paul talks about this in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In the middle of this seven year period, at the three and one half year mark, the Antichrist sets himself up in the temple in Jerusalem and proclaims himself to be god. That's called the Abomination of Desolation that Jesus talked about in Matthew 24, and Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Finally, the end that has been decreed will be poured out on the Antichrist; which occurs at Jesus' second coming according 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

In the book of Revelation, when Jesus opens the first seal, the rider on the white horse, the Antichrist, goes forth to conquer, bent on conquest. That seal being opened sets everything in motion. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2 about someone holding back the revelation of the Antichrist. That somone is Jesus Christ. When He opens that first seal, the Antichrist will be revealed.

When you look at the sixth seal, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh bowl, each of them are describing the exact same event - the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth.

When you use this overall framework as a skeleton for the timeline of the events in the book of Revelation, it is interesting how well other details in the book fit together.

Toree Heads To Hawaii

Just got back from the airport (Monday morning). 

Toree is on his way to Hawaii (I couldn't fit into his sea bag).

I don't think Yvonne would have liked that anyway. She is  smaller than I am, so she would have been in his carry on bag stowed under the seat in front of him, or in the overhead compartment.

Saturday Night Pizza and Settlers of Cataan!

O.k. So here is my first real post on our new blog. Last Saturday night, July 13th, Nichole and Toree Mathis, and Crystal Schmidt joined us for our Saturday game night.

We ordered pizza from Papa John's and then played a cut throat game of Settlers of Cataan. From the pictures you should be able to tell who won...and who didn't...