A tribute to Mike Roth

This morning as I was walking around the construction site I was thinking and praying for all the safety of the workers. Mike Roth was one that came to mind. Mike is the father of two wonderul young children Ashley and Travis. He is a very hard worker and an honest friend. He thinks in practical ways to the degree that I often come home and tell my wife Jackie that he is a genius. Mike was one of the crew that helped build the waterfall when everyone thought was impossible. He along with Gary Child, Rob Mc Junkin, Matt Bechtel and others worked almost every Saturday for a year and pulled it off. Mike is the kind of guy that just makes things happen. Think of all the people of all ages that have enjoyed that waterfall due to the commitment of these young dad's. The Roth family loves to laugh, roller skate, dance, and sing. Once Mike cut off his thumb on one of his construction projects and he calmly went to the hospital. He is a tough guy. In fact, he could play Hercules in the next play -- but Hercules is a mythical figure and he does not appear in the scripture. His wife Tara is a brilliant computer engineer and manager. Together they and their extended family are just the salt of the world. I can't tell you how many times Mike comes up with a tractor to fix something at the church. He just gets things done and really does not care who gets the credit. In fact, he will probably be a little embarrassed about this article but people should know the stories of the wonderful people who are stretching our investement in building this recreation center. The church that I grew up in had such a man and his name was Lloyd Sanders. The Cathedral of Joy would not be there if it were not for people like Lloyd. After Lloyds funeral I wept as I drove back over the mountains to Seattle thinking about his impact on my life and so many others. Mike is that kind of man - as a very old man, when he dies, the kids who have grown up in the church - swimming in the pool and playing basketball in the gym, hanging out in the cafeteria reading a book they checked out from the church library while their parents received counseling at the counseling center. And when they realize that this church would not be here except for this tough construction worker they will weep. I got to work here at 8:00 am this Saturday morning and there on the contruction site working all by himself was Mike. Praise God we are all part of a wonderful miracle that will bless generations

Giant Legos

I have eight grandchildren. They are all different all very special and one of the things that they have had in common as they grow is Legos. They love them . It is fun to sit on the floor or at a table and take the small colorful building blocks and make buildings, houses, horses, etc. The forms that are put together so that the concrete walls can be poured look quite similar to Legos. Just imagine Giant Legos. We are making progress from day to day. As the forms are put together they look like walls and on the south side of the building site we have the beginning of the walls. What an exciting time for us. See you this weekend at the "Permit Celebration"!

Permit Celebration

On January 27th and 28th we will be having a "Permit Celebration" at all of the services. Come and join us. There will be a special slide presentation of the progress on the building site. Come and celebrate with us!!!!!!!

Neither Sleet or Snow..........

Another day, another snow storm. The weather has been a constant topic of conversation and concern for the last month. We have had to postpone or cancel so many meetings, services, celebrations, etc. When the weather has been bad the workers can't work on the building site. I expected to not see the workers this morning when I came on campus. I expected that today there would be no progress. My attitude was pretty bad.

Years ago we lived in rural Texas, in an agricultural area. The farmers lives depended on the right kind of weather at the right time. I can remember praying for rain just as the crops were being planted. Then prayed that the rains wouldn't come as the wheat, corn and cotton were just about to be harvested. I witnessed farmers whose crops were destroyed a few days or weeks shy of being harvested by hail and heavy rains. There were many lessons that I learned watching these farmers. The most lasting lesson I learned was from Ed, he taught me by his actions about the importance of a right attitude. Ed was a descendant of the original settlers of this small town of 650 and the town was named after his family. Ed was a farmer and rancher. He grew red winter wheat. The hard red wheat is planted in the fall and grows over the winter. The cold weather produces a harder, higher quality wheat. One year in particular year Ed's wheat was taller than normal because we received rain at just the right time. The heads were fuller. He was going to get top dollar for this crop. We knew that he was especially excited because he was one of our farmers that tithed off of each crop. He was so elated because the year before the crop had fallen short of his expectations. He wasn't able to give as much as he had hoped. But this year the crop would make up for what he had wanted to give the year before. Ed lived to give, that was just who he was. About a week before the wheat was to be harvested we had a typical spring storm. The sky opened up with wind, hail as big as golf balls and pounding rain. When the storm had past, we saw what was left. The fields that had once been so full of promise looked as if someone had taken a large mower and mowed the wheat down to the ground. Ed was devastated. One would expect him to curse or yell, but that wasn't what he did. Instead he knelt down on the ground and he praised God. Ed had learned that no matter what is thrown our way, its all in the attitude. We can either be grumpy or full of joy. I will admit I wasn't much like Ed this morning, my attitude was pretty grumpy. The weather had taken it's toll just like Ed's field of wheat. Once again the weather was messing up everything. Then I made a quiet decision that today was going to be a good day. I thanked God for the weather.

When I got onto the campus this morning, God had a surprise for me. The snow was falling, but the workers were here. There was going to be progress. But I know that even if the workers had not been able to work today. It still would have been a good day. Because I know that God doesn't care about wind, rain, sleet, ice or snow. He is still God, this is His building and He is going to build it. Even when the weather seems to get in the way.

Deepen Our Roots

Deepen Our Roots

"The weather outside is frightful" begins a seasonal song. And at times this past month our weather has been frightful. The rain, snow and winds remind us of the fact that we are not in control. Everytime I hear a weather report these days I am reminded of the fact that the uncontrollable weather meant that many of us were without power for days. Sometimes those days felt like years. I feel myself brace. The sound of wind outside my window raises my anxiety level. But in spite of it all I know that what I need to do is to "cast all that anxiety" on the person who made the wind, rain, and snow. He has promised us to carry us through all of what the weather and life has to throw at us. We have promises that He will lift us up and sustain us. Now you say how do we tie that string of thought to the Re-Creation Center?

Good question! The building has proceeded despite the weather. We have had no power, freezing temperatures, torrential rains, howling winds and progress has been made. An inspector from the city stated that he was surprized that we had so little erosion damage to the site with all the rain. We are once more reminded that God is in control and He is protecting and watching over this Re-Creation Center!!!!!