Happy Birthday Todd Williams!

Saturday was Todd William's birthday.

And since it was also his reserve drill weekend, he joined us for our Saturday evening activity like he does every month.

Yvonne fixed his favorite meal: meatloaf, potatoes, and salad for dinner and chocolate cupcakes and ice cream for dessert.

Then we played Settlers of Caanan (a different version of the Settlers of Catan game).

Can you tell who won the game? Josh Ellinor is getting really good at these games. He's very competitive and catches on to new games in a hurry!

Then Todd opened his present: we got him the "Do You Believe" DVD.

Just as Todd and Josh left for the evening and we had closed the door the doorbell rang. I went and answered it and Todd was there. His car broke down in our driveway! Good thing it didn't happen later half way down the road! I drove him to Naval Station where he was staying.

Sunday afternoon Josh Ellinor and Cristian Fabela came over for dinner.

Yvonne made chicken fajitas and salad for dinner. Dessert was a little chocolate cake she made from the left over cake batter from Todd's birthday cupcakes, and ice cream.

Yvonne sliced this cake into about eight pieces. It was only about six inches across so the pieces were smaller than the cupcakes we had last night!

 

I think Cristian enjoyed the cake!

After dinner we watched the movie "Time Changers" which is set in the year 1890 and Bible Professor Russell Carlisle has written a new manuscript. His book is about to receive an unanimous endorsement from the board members at Grace Bible Seminary until his colleague, Dr. Norris Anderson, has a difficulty with something. Dr. Anderson believes what Carlisle has written could greatly affect future generations. Using a secret time machine, Anderson sends Carlisle over 100 years into the future, offering him a glimpse of where his beliefs will lead.

While the others watched the movie I went to Naval Station and picked Todd up to bring him back to the house. He's going to spend the night so we can take his car to the shop tomorrow morning.

After the movie we all decided to play Settlers of Catan. Cristian had never played it before so we taught him how to play. He caught on real quick!

It turned out to be a battle to the finish between Josh and me. But can you guess who won???

After the game I took Cristian back to the base. Todd and Yvonne watched "Blindside" while I posted the story and pictures of our weekend. Now it's time for me to go join them!

Another great weekend!!!!!!

When Winning Isn't Much Fun...

We had a nice weekend! I went up to the Newport News Shipyard and picked Andrew up for our activities. We even had him spend the night since he was coming back for church Sunday morning anyway (and I didn't want to take him home at 9:00 and turn around again and pick him in the morning). the weather was gorgeous so the ride to Newport News and back was really beautiful!

Yvonne mad sandwich wraps for dinner and vegetable straws (they are sort of a chip). For dessert? My Mississippi Mud Pie Ice Cream Cake that was left from my birthday party the night before!

Then we played Settler's of Catan again. We actually played two games! Yvonne won the first game.

I won the second game. But I have to admit, winning isn't not much fun when when you have an unsportsmanlike meltdown during the game. I had so many rolls go against me during the game that I got really frustrated! I had to turn resource cards back in because I had more than seven in my hand, twice in a row (you understand the significance of that if you play Settlers). Usually I can just tell myself "It's only a game!" But Saturday I got so upset I actually threw the box we were rolling the dice in across the table and knocked over some of the pieces on the board. As soon as I did that I was so embarrassed! I've never lost it like that in a game before. And then to make matters worse, I won! That was really anticlimactic. That's the reason for the sad look on my face even though I'm getting the Saturday night game trophy, and the reason for the title of this blog post.

OK, that was Saturday.

Sunday we all got up, went to Sunday school and church, then came back to the house for dinner. Tuna casserole was on the menu. We discovered John doesn't like tuna. Ooops. He even tried a little bit, but it just wasn't his thing.

For dessert we had Raspberry Creme - made with vanilla ice cream, raspberry jello, frozen raspberries, and whipped cream. When I asked John if he liked raspberries he said, "Oh yea!"

He really liked the whipped cream too! He kept adding more, and adding more, and ... well you get the idea!

After dinner we watched the sequel to "The Perfect Stranger" called "Another Perfect Stranger" 

The film starts ten years after Nikki Cominsky, Sarah's mother, underwent a life changing experience during dinner with Jesus, and now its her daughter Sarah's turn to discover the spiritual dimension in her own life. Jesus returns for a face to face conversation with Sarah on a plane and in an airport during a layover on a trip from Michigan to Portland.

Finally, we shared prayer requests and had prayer together.

We drove Andrew back to Newport News and decided that since we were so close, we'd go on to drop in on Sarah and our grandson...after all, it was Fathers Day!

Micah Dudley (2002-2007) Returns Home!!

Andrew Raffety and Joshua Ellinor joined us Saturday night for our activities. Yvonne was fixing dinner and the rest of us were in the living room talking when the doorbell rang. We wondered who it could be because we weren't expecting anyone else to come over.

I went to the door and to my surprise there was Micah standing at the door. We hadn't seen him (except on Facebook) since 2007! As I stood there with my mouth hanging open Micah said, "Is this an active duty only party, or can a reservist join in too?" After inviting him in I called Yvonne. She was just as surprised as I was! As she gave him a big hug he said, "Hi Ma!"

It was so awesome to see him again!

Yvonne made fish sticks supper...a recipe she got from the internet and watermelon. Then we had ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

Our game for the night was RISK! The game of world domination.Andrew and Josh had this non-aggression pact between each other. So you might be able to guess who they went after all night! I felt like saying "Why's everybody always pickin on me???" But they were having fun and that's what counts!

Early in the game I took Yvonne out. Then Josh took Micah out of the game. And then Andrew took me out. The final battle was between Andrew and Josh. Josh won!

It was a fun game. But it was really fun to look up and see Micah sitting across the table again!

Then today (Sunday) Micah joined us for lunch again after attending worship at Churchland Assembly of God where he reconnected with some other friends he knew when he was here.

Today Yvonne made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and home made white bread for dinner. Dessert was her signature apple crisp. We probably all gained five pounds today!

After dinner we just sat and talked in the living room, reminiscing about old times. Then we got to talking about some scripture passages about staying focused on Jesus especially in the trials we go through.

We shared prayer requests around the room, took turns praying for each other, and then before we knew it, the afternoon was over.

We drove Josh back to Oceana Naval Air Station with a short detour through the Dairy Queen drive through for chocolate dipped cones with chocolate ice cream!

Great weekend!

Prayer Walking - or Driving on Oceana Naval Air Station Dam Neck Annex

This afternoon was gorgeous! The weather was sunny and warm. It was just a beautiful day here in Virginia Beach.

This is really special because we've had a lot of damp, cold, rainy, and just plain gloomy days lately.

I needed to get a new plastic pad for under the chair in my office at home. So I decided to go to Office Max and get one. I had to stop at Dairy Queen and get my chocolate dipped ice ream cone with chocolate ice cream on the way.

I selected one of the Office Max stores from my GPS and punched it in. Little did I know it was going to take me to the store way out past Princess Anne Hospital! But that was OK because I was enjoying the drive and the weather and the company of my wife.

After we bought the floor mat we decided to go to Dam Neck and drive around the base simply to pray and intercede for the young sailors going to school there.

We drove up and down the streets and around the barracks praying that God would break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. That He would give us favor with the sailors on Dam Neck and make connections for us with some of them. We prayed that God would help us reach them for Jesus Christ. And we prayed for the Coffee House ministry going on there under the direction of the chapel.

After our prayer time we went to the beach and sat watching the sun set behind us. It was so calm and peaceful by the water. It was a really enjoyable evening!

Military Ministry At The Wagner's June 4-5, 2016

John Otriz was the only one that came over on Saturday evening this week. Andrew Raffety flew to Texas to visit a friend for a few days leave, and Joshua Ellinor was out looking for a car! Christian Fabella had other plans for Saturday.

We had a good time! Watched "Ice Age" while we ate fish sticks and Potatoes O'Brien for dinner and then had Italian Ice for dessert. John said the fish sticks were the same as he ate when he was little. It was even the same brand!

Then we played Settlers of Catan. This was a really slow game! None of us got the rolls of the dice we needed and none of us got resource cards for a long time.

But during the game we got a special treat! Our neighbors from across the street came over with a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies! What a blessing that was!

John Ortiz presenting the game winner's trophy to Yvonne!

Yvonne won the game! I was so surprised. No one even thought she was in the lead. I think she tricked us! She had the longest road and one victory point with a development card.

Sunday after church Josh Ellinor, John Ortiz, and Cristian Fabella joined us for lunch! Yvonne made Lasagna and home made rustic Italian bread for dinner. Then a Salzberger Nockerl for dessert.

After dinner we watched "The Perfect Stranger" with Jefferson Moore and Pamela Brumley.

A lawyer named Nikki gets a dinner invitation on the night her husband is going to a ball game with his friends. She believes that the invitation is really from her husband who feels bad about leaving her alone on a Friday night, so she accepts. When she arrives at the restaurant she finds instead someone she has never seen before. A man, well dressed, who claims to be Jesus Christ. The conversation they have is really interesting and thought provoking!

The Lion King, Pizza, and Skip-Bo!

This weekend was a direct result of last week's movie. After we watched Courageous last Sunday one of the guys said something. I didn't catch what he said, but everyone else did! They all knew it as a line from the movie "The Lion King". I had never seen it so I had no idea what the reference meant.

In unison all of the guys said, "You've NEVER seen the Lion King?" I said, "Nope, I've never seen
The Lion King."

They all acted if I was from another planet! John Ortiz said, "Next week we're watching The Lion King!" Austin said, "I've got it. I'll bring the movie!" Yvonne and I said, "OK. We'll bring the pizza and pop corn." For dessert we had Klondike bars.

So Saturday when I picked up Austin at the Naval Station, sure enough he had The Lion King with him. On the way to the house Austin asked, "What game are we playing after the movie?" Since he was soon to be going on deployment we let him pick the game. Skip-Bo!

We played two games. Josh won the first game and Andrew won the second. It was fun!

Sunday Yvonne fixed a pork loin roast and peas and home made rye bread. Gingerbread with hot apple sauce and whipped cream was for dessert.

Jonathan Silva and his wife Nichole came over for a little while after dinner. Nichole lives in Livermore, California, the same place Yvonne's sister lives. As a matter of fact, they don't even live that far apart in Livermore! What a small world!

Military Ministry at the Wagner's

Great weekend! John Ortiz, Andrew Raffety, Josh Ellinor, and Austin Fortner joined us.

Austin hasn't been here in quite a while. The Navy has him working all the time.

Saturday night Yvonne fixed bar-b-qued chicken wings and cole slaw.

After dinner we played "Golf". Andrew suggested it.

Austin is our resident shuffler. Here he's doing a great job of shuffling two decks. He does it better than our battery powered shuffler.

Josh won the game! I mean, it wasn't even close!

Then Sunday John Ortiz came too. Yvonne fixed pot roast, potatoes, and carrots, and home made wheat bread. She made bread pudding for dessert.

I have to admit, it gets pretty quiet around the table while we're eating...except for "Please pass this" or "Please pass that..."

After dinner we watched "Corageous" a movie about four men serving as law enforcement officers.

They're confident and focused standing up to the worst the streets can offer. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge they’re ill prepared to tackle: fatherhood. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. This was an awesome heartfelt, action-packed story. Protecting the streets is second nature to them, but raising their children in a God-honoring way? That takes courage!

Joshua Ellinor, Andrew Raffety, and John Otriz

Another awesome weekend!

Saturday evening Andrew Raffety and Joshua Ellinor came over.

We had hamburgers and chips for dinner, followed by mint Oreo cookies. I don't know...I've got a problem with green Oreo filling. It just seems like it should be white. But...that's just me. They were good.

Then we taught Josh how to play Settlers of Catan. Wow did he learn that game fast! We played it twice. The first game ended really quick, the second game not so much.

I won the first game....then Yvonne and Andrew battled for the second game. Really Andrew won!

Sunday Andrew had to get ready for a room inspection so he couldn't come over. Josh and John Ortiz came over.

Yvonne made chicken Alfredo and rice and salad for dinner. Then for dessert she made strawberry compote over vanilla ice cream! It was great! Both Andrew and Josh took pictures of it, so if they send me one I'll add it to this post. And here it is!!!!!!!

After dinner we watched another movie. This one was "Fireproof". Great message! We had a nice discussion about it afterward too.

John asked Yvonne and me what the secret of the longevity of our marriage was. I said it was because we started our marriage out on faith in Jesus Christ. Yvonne wouldn't date me because the first time I asked her out she said I wasn't a Christian. I had never been born again and had no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And, she did not date non-Christians. After a few weeks of talking and listening I invited Jesus Christ into my life. After that we began dating. And, the rest is history!

But the essence of our longevity is the ability to forgive each other. Because we have each experienced forgiveness in our lives from Jesus Christ, we are able to forgive each other. And trust me, in any marriage relationship there is always plenty of stuff to forgive!

The director of the servicemen's center where Yvonne and I met used to say jokingly, "If you don't forgive each other, you won't go to heaven!" I believe there is truth in that statement! And for both of us, we decided together that divorce was not an option! No matter what, we would not discuss or consider divorce!

And praise God, He has blessed us with 43 wonderful years!

John did ask if we ever had any rough patches. And Yvonne and I both told him we have had our ups and downs. But Jesus has always been there to see us through those times!

After we prayed together, John had other things to do, and Josh came to church with us. Our church had a stewardship banquet last night. The food was great! It was a nice time of fellowship too. Then we took Josh back to Oceana, and the weekend came to an end.

Mother's Day and Military Ministry!

OK, let's start this off with Yvonne's trip to Minneapolis to see our younger daughter Elizabeth. Before she left on Thursday she cooked a big pot of spaghetti and baked two loaves of home made bread. All of it went into the freezer for Sunday.

She flew back to Norfolk Sunday and landed about 12:00. I picked her up at the airport with a bouquet of red roses and dropped her off at home. That is, after we stopped at the store to buy some spaghetti sauce for Christian Fabella, one of our sailors who does not eat meat. He just came back from deployment.

I drove out to Oceana Naval Air Station to pick up a new sailor who wanted to come over. Yvonne met his mother on Navy for Moms.com. While I was gone Yvonne put the finishing touches on dinner.

By the time I got back with Joshua Elinor Yvonne had everything set up. John Ortiz was helping set the table.

Dinner was GREAT! as usual.

After dinner it was into the front room and time to relax. We shared our background stories and then started a movie. This one was called "WWJD II: The Woodcarver". The story is about a young boy who vandalizes a church because his parents are divorcing. Then he helps rebuild the things he destroyed.

But that wasn't the end of the afternoon. Sarah, Brian, and Jacob came over and ate dinner here too. After they ate and the movie ended we played the electronic version of Taboo. We all had fun! Jacob is really good at this word game even though he's only six.

Andrew and Me!

Saturday evening it turned out to be just Andrew Raffety and me. All of the others had other things to do. It turned out to be a really good night!

We ordered pizza from Pizza Hut and just shared about our week. Then we watched two of Joel Osteen's messages online and were encouraged by them. One was called "The Secret Place" and the other "Acceleration".

Then we went back in the living room and watched a movie. It was called "Daniel's Lot".

Daniel Carr was sure his life could not get worse. After all, he was in a dead-end job; his wife's real estate business was non-existent, they argued constantly and the only thing that everyone told him would be the answer to all of his problems, he could not do. His late father bequeathed him a valuable piece of commercial property while making him promise not to sell it until the time was right... but his father gave no due as to when that time might be. Then his life did get worse. He lost his job, prompting his wife to decide she could no longer handle the pressures of their marriage. But, a chance meeting with a local Pastor convinces Daniel he must be obedient to God's plan for his life. The result of that obedience proves that God's Plan is our purpose.

During the movie my leg started hurting a lot so I asked Andrew to pray for me. I asked him to read James 5:14-15, then to take my anointing oil and anoint me, and pray. He did great!