Author: Ron Baker

This is becoming an annual event.

My wife, Jill, and I enjoy working together.  This has been the story of our life. In our first pastorate she was as well known for her work with the youth as I was.  She mentored youth that still remember her to this day.

So, when she wanted to have me help out in the kitchen, I was ready!  A little hesitant, but ready. 

You see, I’m not a cook — I may be a Baker, but not a cook!  Over the past number of years Jill has distinguished herself in that area.  Relative to her (as I truly am by marriage), I’m a mere novice. 

Last  year we had six grade 6/7 kids show up for six weeks, once a week (if you can understand that last 16 word phrase, I commend you).  We taught them hand washing, and spaghetti cooking, and biscuit baking, and smoothie making — along with a lot of other tasty treat goodies.

This year we signed up again.  Today was our first day — pizza bagels (how to mix two ethnic foods into one!!).  What fun!  Sharp knives and broiling ovens.  Accompanied by the swift patter of six grade sixers/seveners.  They never seemed to stop talking.

Would I trade this life?  I don’t think so!!  What a great way to get to know your community.  I never want to forget that elementary school kids are as much a part of this society as I am.  We all bring different experiences and gifts.  None of us are to be considered greater than any other — we are all made in the image of God. 

So, I watched all of those images walking around today, and laughing, and having fun.  If that’s a sign of who God is, then there’s more to God than meets the eye!!

I went to a church site that had a sermon preached by Dave Petrescue in January of this year.

It’s not so much that Dave said anything new.  As a matter of fact, his words carried the same passion he displayed when he was in high school.  His heart cry was for people to come to know the love of God — on a personal level.  The time in Egypt over he past years was an answer to a prayer to God — “surprise me!”

As I watched through the video I caught myself with varying emotions.  To watch on video a man who is now deceased causes an emotion I have yet to label.  Grief is not the right description.  Neither is sadness.  There is some mixture of reminiscence, along with a desire to back up a few months.  Just enough time to find a way to get together.  When you know a final outcome, you are impressed to push back the ticking clock of time to the point before life blows up.

Every once in a while I stopped.  I laid my head in my hands and asked a question Dave asks in his sermon — what legacy am I leaving behind — after all, life is short (as it turned out to be for him).

I don’t want to push this death aside.  Nor do I wish to merely disregard a number of deaths that have personally affected me in the last year or so.  To deal with this requires an unexpectedly high amount of emotional energy, but to work through to understanding and perhaps a “healing” is good for me, and will be a help as I care for others with similar situations.

My desire.  With the comfort God is giving me — that I would be able to comfort others.. 

Numbers are what we are talking here!

Our town is looking for a senior’s complex to be built.  A developer has expressed interest and came to town today to give a presentation.

We expected 150 people at the afternoon meeting — the count was over 200.  These were the seniors who would populate the project.

A lot of good questions — from traffic flow to pricing.  Afterwards there was a coffee and sandwich time.  A number of people stayed and the discussion was widespread.

Now, we just need 100 people to confirm interest with a refundable deposit of $750 — by December 15th.  We’ll see how well this works — my hope is that we will see ground being dug by next spring!!

Mondays are “clean up and look ahead” days. 

The photocopier repairman showed up.  We used to get accordion paper, crinkled and scorched.  Now the flow is even and smooth.

The latest grapevine news arrived and I heard it substantiated by at least one other.  I’m not adverse to the grapevine for news, but for malicious gossip . . . that’s the bane of a useful and successful networking system.

We booked in the Continental Singers for October 9th. We were able to come up with billets to take most of the group, and I expect in the next week or so we will fill that out.  You can check out their website here.

I came home to work on a project.  We have some single mothers coming to our church.  The purchase of a high chair was necessary.  Then we needed a booster chair.  We borrowed one, but thought we would purchase one.  The foray to the store brought back a price tag of at least $30.00.  That’s all we brought back — the price tag!!  I decided to find some old wood, dragged my saw up from the basement, did a little routering, put on some varathane — and, voila! — a thirty dollar booster chair crafted in unique fashion.  One of a kind probably means I’ll be able to sell it as a hand crafted antique in a few years.  By that time, I’ll also be the antique!  Well worn and much the better for age (alright, maybe that’s a stretch — at least I can say that I’ll be older.).

And so the day ends.  I’m off to have a piece of chocolate cake with real whipped cream.  Eat your hearts out!