SoCalRon's Xanga

So long Yankee Stadium

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:17:02 GMT

It wasn't an important game, as far as the standings go, but it was an interesting one; the last official game at Yankee Stadium in New York. Tonight's game had the Orioles visiting to challenge the Bronx Bombers. There were a bunch of former players there, including Yogi B, Whitey Ford, David Cone and even David Wells.

There's still going to be a Yankee Stadium. There's a new one just on the other side of the street from left field. There were just a lot of memories tied up in this infield, this grass and this dirt. It was funny that both before and afterward there were pitchers taking little baggie fulls of dirt from the pitcher's mound. That might be cool, to have a bit of Yankee Stadium pitcher's mound in a medicine bottle in a display case. We actually have a ticket stub from Game 3 of the 1959 World Series, played by the new (then) Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. It's kind of interesting. I thought that maybe I might go to a World Series Game one day. I think that my best chances were probably way back in 1977 & '78 when the Dodgers played the Yankees. Back then it would have been expensive, but nothing like now days.

But it was interesting to think of all the memories there in the Bronx. Debbie and I had gone to one game there, back in '93, or something like that. David Cone, then pitching for the TX Rangers, won a game against the team which he would later join. Twas the LOUDEST game I had ever been to. And back then, they still let people smoke in the stadium. Yuck! It was fun, though. They really get loud whenever there's 2 strikes on an opposing batter.

That's my major memory from there. I did watch the night that Reggie Jackson shot 3 balls over the wall during that World Series game in the '70s. I couldn't believe it, but I half expected it. He was a powerful force.

So we'll see how it goes in the new stadium. I'm not emotional about it, but I could see how fans would be. The team sill still probably be great most years. At least the team isn't moving away from the fans. That's good. L8r.

Stuck in FLL--not all bad

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:43:02 GMT

It was our first time in Orlando together. I had been out to the office quite a few times, but Debbie had never been able to come. We had a great first week with our Leadership Rising seminar. The seminar was inspirational and challenging, but it didn't take up all our time. Deb & I got a group car and did a couple of evenings out. It was really my first time driving in Florida where I wasn't in a convoy with a group agenda. It was cool to be on our own and without the kiddos in the Sunshine State (tho we did miss them a wee bit )

The weekend brought the Specialty Recruitment retreat high in the mountains of central Florida (not quite the Andes, but there was a slope). The little tourist town had an old 125 yr old inn where we stayed, and during the tourist season it even has a scenic train ride. Too bad that August isn't the tourist season in Florida. But the atmosphere was relaxing, and our worship time in the gazebo by the lake on Sunday was awesome. I did buy a Santa Fe Railroad mug at a little touristy train shop.

Along comes Monday and Tropical Storm Fay. Passing over Cuba there was a hint that it could turn into a hurricane. Fearing that Deb would get stranded in southern FL on her way out, we changed her flight to Friday to be sure to leave enough time for Fay to make her way through and beyond the state. Hurricane status never happened (to this point), but then Fay decided she wanted to linger a while.

Our team meetings moved from the main building to the Activities building when they closed the main office. Still the shorter walk didn't help our umbrellas stay together with all the wind and the rain. It all when a bit better than expected, actually, with a more relaxed atmosphere and JEANS! Maybe I'll post some highlights later.

By Friday I thought we had just about made it through the affects of TS Fay. The main body had finally passed by Orlando and had moved north and then inland where it should just play out. Deb headed out early on her flight so she could hurry and wait 5 hours in Fort Lauderdale for her Detroit to LA flight (at least they rebooked her). At 5 pm I'm at the Orl Airport thinking that Deb is in a plane high overhead waving to me. Then I get a buzzing noise in my pocket and there's Deb. One of the outer bands of Fay unleashed pool loads of rain on the FLL airport and delayed her flight past when she could connect in Detroit. Coolness! They had found a seat on my flight, just a few rows back (she wouldn't beat me to LA after all! haha!).

All goes well. We leave a little late but land with lots of time to transfer---except---there's no place to park. No worries. We should be 15-20 minutes waiting for our space, then plenty of time to make the switch. 20 + goes by, and then we moved, but not to our space, but to the next terminal over. Hmm. At least we would get off. Then, almost there, and they needed the guy with the flashlight sticks and the ear muffs to guide us in. Oh brother! Another 10 minutes. Then ok, 15 more feet and off goes the 'fasten-seatbelts' sign. I get a call from Deb. She's on the plane. "Ok, honey, we should be getting off any minute". Yeah, right. We stand another 10+ minutes waiting for the door to open. Then it's hunt for the exit, walk outside to the next terminal, go through security again, and then run down to the end of the terminal wing to see the ramp pulled away from the plane and the door solemnly shut with no airline people. Bye Deb!

So they did pop for a nice hotel with meal vouchers. I have net access, and they extended my stay till 3 pm so I don't have to sit in the airport so long ( I leave at 8:20 pm). I've got some good books and a lot of thinking and praying to do. And, best of all, Deb called last night when she arrived so I could hear that she's ok and she could know that I'm ok as well. Not how I would have planned it, but now I have some time to digest, meditate, and even touch base with Xanga. And, uh, yeah, she did beat me to LA. See ya tonight, honey!

We'll see you later, Larry

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:58:23 GMT

Larry Norman, with the Lord, February 24, 2008. I never met Larry Norman, I never saw him play live, and I never owned an album of his. But Larry Norman had a profound affect on Christian music, especially in the '70s. Some people say that he was 'the father of Christian rock" (see his bio page at http://www.larrynorman.com/bio.html ). I kind of think of him as the "George Washington" of Christian rock. Wherever you looked in the '70s, in the area of Christian rock, Larry had been there first.

By the time I got into the Christian music/rock scene, it was early in 1976, my senior year of high school. There was still quite a chasim between music played in the church and what you heard on the radio, at least where I went. The church organs and pianos still reigned supreme, and in many churches guitars were hard to find outside of the youth room. But by then Larry Norman had put out a couple of different records with electric guitar and rock n roll, with a strong Christian message.

The Calvary Chapel music nights on Saturdays in Costa Mesa were going strong by then. We used to arrive at 4pm for a 7pm concert, and even then there would be a line already forming. Groups like Mustard Seed Faith, Sweet Comfort, Gentle Faith, and Daniel Amos, were packing them out. Late that year or the next Keith Green came out with his first album and started really stiring it up. It was a great awakening for me and my friends as we discovered that you could really praise God and inject profound truths into today's world, not only with an acoustic guitar, but with electric guitars, Marshall Amps, giant drum sets and synthesizers. The music made us move and want to get involved. We could sing with Larry, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" And we found out that God had better music; music that touched the heart and changed lives, music that was glorious and glorifying to God.

Larry had been there first. He took so much of the flak from the guns of the Christian establishment, those who didn't understand the times and what the youth of the day were going through. Larry pushed ahead, not just with his guitar and his rock style, but also with an authentic message that showed he was not afraid of being a Jesus follower. And we wondered why Christian book stores had banned his albums.

Like I said, I didn't have a Larry Norman record, but my buddies did, and we listened and listened. We heard stories about Larry from our favorite Christian artists. Many of them wouldn't have been there if it had not been for Larry and other pioneers. At our first gig, we had a bunch of people come from our home church. We felt pretty good about that until some of them walked out because we were too "rock n roll". Well, people had walked out on Larry before us, and he had kept on playing and testifying and writing what God was putting on his heart. Thanks, Larry, for not just letting the devil have a monopoly on all the good music, and for being an example to the rest of us. We kept it going for a few years more, and then we passed the baton again. We'll meet someday, bro. Thanks.

Another good link from his site: http://www.larrynorman.com/news/022408.html

Last Post of '07

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:52:59 GMT

Excitement! Another year comes to an end. 2007 for me was pretty good.

It's interesting that I'm reading this book atm. For me it's a relaxing read. There's humor, there's good stories, and Sen~or Miller makes me think. Thinking isn't always 'relaxing', but when he lays out his argument the way he does, it makes me glad that someone found the words to say what he says.

I'm just 3 chapters into it, so I can't speak for it all, but the main thing I'm getting is the importance of 'relationship'. The whole deal between God and us is, relationship. It reminds me of my Sunday school teacher in the 7th grade. I don't remember if he taught the content well or not, but what he taught with his life was 'relationship'. He loved the Word and he memorized it a bunch. But what he modeled was this authentic relationship with the father. And he wanted that for us. He also did it by working at an authentic relationship with us, the students in his class. I think it's because of him that I do what I do now.

So, relationship. We're working on cleaning the house today because of 'relationships'. In part it's the New Year party coming up, and that's what you do--but it's more about relationships. Have a great New Year with all your peeps, and also with the one that gives us life and wants to be a part of what we're doing. Peace.

The Christian "bubble"

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:22:30 GMT

Hmm. It can be pretty heavy duty. We can get sooo wrapped up in church, our 'christian' job, stuff like that, that we end up not having any friends outside of the church; not really having other ppl that I might even know they're whole name who are not part of my christian circle. Hmm.

My older guys are better at this than I am. I do get rather annoyed when they've been talking with these friends late into the night . . . something we need to work on. But I applaud them for hanging in there and being Jesus to their friends.

It struck me that in Dan's book as his team interviewed college students, that 14 out of 16 did not even know any Christians personally (p 38). No wonder they have all these weird ideas about what christians are like. I have lots of responsibilities and lots of relationships to work on. I'm not sure where this all fits in my life . . . , but I do know somewhere inside me that I need to be a light for Christ where I am.

TWANG!!!

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 03:35:49 GMT

Ok, well, it didn't quite go as planned. I did take the Strat. I figured it had been out of commission the longest, so I should try it out. It seemed to do well in the garage the night before. Yup.

So I arrived and loaded it all in--the amp, the pedalboard, the guitar & my music folder. I plugged it all in, turned on the 'voice of many waters', our name for the monitor amp, I set up the microphones, plugged it all in and started to tune. It was all set when--TWANG!!! I broke the high E-string. back in the case.

So, today it wasn't the Red Kidney, nor the repaired Strat. Twas Mark's semi-hollow Telecaster. It worked. The congregation was none the wiser. In fact, I think it went pretty well, considering Mark's laryngitis.

We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.

Prov. 16:9

Red Kidney or the Strat?

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 04:16:41 GMT

The dilema of the day--to play the Strat or the Kidney tomorrow. Actually it's cool I have a choice atm.

The Red Kidney guitar is seen above, being played by Danny. Tis an odd guitar, a one of a kind, I hear. "Red Kidney" is actually the name that was on it's box. It's a semi-hollow body which is seen in those 'smile' like holes on the body above and below the neck. It's kind of bulgy there. Then the head stock at the end of the neck has that hammerhead look with the tuning pegs sticking out the end. We just got it back from the shop where we got the intonation and the action fixed. It's sounding and playing pretty well. The hollowbody gives it some interesting tones. It also plays pretty beefy with the double humbuckers by the bridge.

The Strat, on the other hand, has also just arrived back from the shop. It had a broken nut that was replaced, as well as the strings. I enjoy playing rhythm stuff on it with it's single coil pickups as it seems to have a bit more finesse than our other guitars. It has a classic Fender Strat sound, which is cool when you know what to do with it.

Less you think that Ron has wasted tons of mula on guitars, the Strat actually belongs to son #1 and the Kidney belongs to both son #2 and myself, as we went in together to buy it--and, it was only $50 to start.

Right now I'm leaning toward the Strat, since it's been out of commission the longest. Also, most of the songs in the set tomorrow would probably do well with more finesse than beefiness. There is that one David Crowder song . . . but maybe I can handle that with a pedal. Praise God for choices, and even for the possibility to praise him with electric guitar tomorrow.

Bending it like . . .

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:12:27 GMT

Generation after generation stands in awe of your work,
each one tells stories of your mighty acts. from Psalm 145

God still works on me, which is way cool. That might sound like, 'yeah, sure', but it's really cool to me.

It's like older sports people. For a season, or even a few seasons, they're the greatest, or they're on the winning team, or they're on the way up. Maybe not everything is perfect, but the direction is upwards, and people want you for their team. As I get older I'm not the first one picked anymore. Younger, faster players arrive everyday to take center stage--and that's ok. In fact, that's where we all arrive, if we stick around that long.

But what is there to do when you've got an injury, and your sideline time adds up to be more than your on field time? I've found I can coach. I might not be the "owner of the club", but being a veteran player, I can talk to the general manager and the owners about who the up and coming prospects might be. I can stand alongside some of these and share my tips for success.

Like the other day, driving past the Home Depot Center Stadium where David Beckham is [i]supposed [/i]to be playing "football". I saw on the big lit up sign where there is the "David Beckham Academy". That's a training school where young players can learn from the master. David might be sidelined at the moment, but how many ppl would love to get trained by him?

I'm not saying that I'm any kind of "David Beckham" in Wycliffe. Not at all! I feel super blessed to have even had a little part in getting the Bible to the North Junin Quechuas. It just hit me again this morning, though, that it's true, that the Lord isn't quite finished with me yet. And for that, I'm grateful.

Is GOD a dumpster diver?

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:28:19 GMT

This thought came to me as I was reading Psalm 113. It sets you up. The worship leader/psalmist rouses the crowd:

From east to west, from dawn to dusk,
keep lifting all your praises to GOD.

Then continuing the praise:

Who can compare with GOD, our God,
so majestically enthroned,
surveying his magnificent heavens and earth?

Next it throws me off.

He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,
rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash,
Seats them among the honored guests,
a place of honor among the brightest and best.

Here's a contrast! The God of the vast enormities of space, the creator and ruler, 'rescuing the wretched' from the 'ash heap' (NIV). Like the ash heaps I've come across in S. America; a smoldering hill of stench, brokeness and filth--stuff that nobody wants anymore.

This weekend one of my prodgeny decided that they had too much stuff. They also decided that they had not enough time to sort through a big bag of stuff their mother had given them to sort. So I, the father, found said bag in the big trash container. True, there were various yucky tissues in the bag, as well as an abundance of empty candy wrappers, but there were also two very decent pairs of sissors, unused-still wrapped chapstick, a full dental floss plastic thingy (what do you call that?!), barrettes by the dozen, etc. [note--after you have cleaned cloth diapers for a while for 4 different children, you can put your hand almost anywhere.]

Me, being the hoarder/saver/messy person, I rescue the bag to be sorted later and proclaim news of my rescue to wifey and said prodgeny.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--

Also note that he doesn't rescue the priceless, precious article thrown out with the rest. He rescues the wretched. He has mercy. And God did/does that with me/us, too! Wow.

Out of the Blue & the Red, under the dresser

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:04:08 GMT

I just found an interesting momento under dresser in the kids' room; interesting to me, at least. It's a ticket stub from a St Louis Cardinals game, Saturday 12:15 at the old Busch Stadium. Actually for us, we were going to a Dodger game.

We just happened to be on our way from California to New Jersey and noticed in our hotel that the next day, we would be passing through St Louis almost exactly at game time. For once we weren't totally rushed, so we decided to give it a shot and try to see the game. Our kiddos were 12, 10, 7 & 5 at the time.

Nervously we got off I-44 there in downtown, not quite knowing where to go. We got parked and then hiked our way over to the stadium gates. Not seeing a ticket office we went over and asked a gal at the gate where we should go.

"The ticket office is around the corner, but we're sold out today." Boy did I feel silly. "But how many of you are there?"
"Six".
"And how old is she?"
"5".
"I think you look like 5 people. Here, take these tickets and enjoy the game." It just so happened that a church group had 5 extra tickets, and wanted them to go to people who couldn't get in. I think the gal at the turnstile was pretty excited and amazed to be giving us the tickets. We were, too.

Waaaaaaaaay high up in Right Field we found the rest of the church group. With some thank yous we settled in for the game. Two of our favorite players, Orel Hershiser pitching for the Dodgers, and then Mark McGuire playing 1B for the Cards and weilding his big bat. It all came to a head with Drew on base, when Mark sent the ball crashing into the Left Center field scoreboard. An amazing shot! And the crowd went bonkers!

Danny & I went down to get some hot dogs and drinks between innings, when all craziness let loose: a huge downpour with lightnening in the parking lot just a few hundred yards away. Danny was not a happy camper. Our seats were not quite out of the rain, though not getting it directly. The ground crew rolled out the humongous tarp out over the field and the crowd hunkered down under the overhangs. With a big trip still ahead of us, it was time to pack it up and head on.

We crossed over the Mississippi into Illinois and then Peter and I prayed that the rain would stop and they would be able to complete the game. They did, and the home run we saw, McGuire's 550th, went into the record books. Our favorite pitcher Orel suffered the loss and was released by the Dodgers just 3 days later. Mark McGuire played another 14 months. And Busch Stadium isn't even there anymore. A bit of history was made, and we felt fortunate to have witnessed it. Just a humble missionary family on our way from one coast to the other, to visit friends and supporters, but God allowed us to have a bit of fun that day that we'll never forget.