West Cocoa Chat

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been (both friends and all of my non-commenting / share my blogs with others in attempts to slander me readers) I wanted to let you know that I’ve been hanging out here in “So-Cal.” The picture was taken at Josh and Greg's funeral home. Now there is a reason for me “hanging out” in a funeral home.

During my past 16 visits to Greg’s and the Pepperdine Lectures, Monday has always been kind of a hang out day. In the past we’ve gone to Catalina Island, been on the Tonight (as a audience member but you never know) Show, and played golf at the same Par 3 course that Tiger Woods grew up on. This year, Greg’s son Josh needed help hanging a “body lift” machine. So, Keith and I along with Greg made the 90-mile drive to Temecula to lend our assistance. We quickly discovered that the 250lb body lift machine was going to need it’s own lift to be able to steady it so we could mount it to the ceiling of the Prep Room. Josh’s Father-in-Law, Kevin, was nice enough to rent a materials lifter which we used to keep the body lift machine in place until we were able to get it mounted. Keith and I spent a copious amount of time in the attic attempting to bolt the Lift to a 4 x 4 that we placed in the attic.

BTW – There would have been no way that we could have spent the same amount of time in an attic in Florida. As it was, we came out of there fairly sweaty but with Greg putting on the finishing touches, the job was finished. Of course, when one completes a job one must test said equipment. Hence the picture. I also had the experience of sitting on one of the slabs in the Cooler. (“Colonel Hogan”) Josh rewarded all of us with a steak dinner, which was nice.

May I back up to Sunday at Long Beach. (LB) Greg asked me to do the Communion Comments. I used the verses out of Job 1 where Job says, “You give and take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” The hit song by “3rd Day,” “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord” has become my theme song lately. I told the LB folks about our upcoming merger and the price I personally was being made to pay but nevertheless, blessed be the name of the Lord.

When I sat down Randy gave me a couple of reassuring pats on the back that I could tell were heart felt. Then Keith leaned over and asked me to tell Greg that he wouldn’t be using his slides that he had prepared for his sermon. I didn’t put two and two together until Keith got up to preach and said, “My brother Cecil has inspired me so I’m trashing my sermon to give you my testimony and some thoughts that are on my heart.”

Keith shared his faith story and how the forces of Hell masked as legalists have conspired in his area to ostracize him. I know this might sound weird but he inspired me with his words. Knowing Keith the way I know him, knowing what he has been through, and the man of God that he has turned out to be inspires me to persevere. Then the Long Beach Elders asked me to come forward and they prayed for situation, my Central, Discovery, and me. It was one of the highlights of my “church-going” life.

Speaking of life, I had what could have been a life threatening experience in L.A. Tuesday we left for Pepperdine but Keith wanted to stop at the “Dream Center” in Echo Park, which is part of L.A.

This is a huge ministry aimed at cleaning up the streets of L.A. by taking drug dealers, prostitutes, and gang members off the streets. The center itself is located off of Rampart (“Rampart, this is Engine 51.”) in a less than safe neighborhood. Greg suggested as we parked our van that someone should stay in the van with the 3 laptops and our luggage. I volunteered to be that “someone.”

Keith and Greg were gone for about 10 minutes and I dozed off in the first bench seat. Next thing I knew I could hear a scratching sound at the back door of the van. I rose up to see someone trying to jimmy the door open.
First dumb move:
I opened the side door.
2nd dumb move:
I yelled, “Hey, what are you (here’s your sign) doing?!”
Excuse me Sir; I’m trying to break into your van, duh!

Our would-be perpetrator ran off.
3rd dumb move:
I walked around the back to inspect the lock.
Then it dawned on me, our Mr. Van Thief might be going off to get some friends. Exit, stage left.

I jumped back in the van, locked the doors, fired up the van, and called Greg. I don’t remember exactly what I said but I’m sure it contained the phrases, “may-day,” “red alert,” “brace for impact,” and “Get your bu-tras back into this van or you’ll be calling a cab!” Greg and Keith came back to the van and I relayed how I was an audience of one at a vehicle break-in.

Pepperdine University must be the most beautiful college campus in the world. We arrived here to good classes and perhaps the best opening keynote address I’ve heard in 16 years. The best part of the Lectures is the fellowship. I’m rooming with the Puckster and his youth guy, Joe. Randall and Craig are bunking on the floor in our living room and being really good sports about it. Greg and Keith are in the other room.

Speaking of Keith, we had a great moment at breakfast this morning. Keith was demonstrating a feature on his cell phone that allows him to type a few letters of a word and the phone will suggest some matches so you don’t have to punch all of the keys. With Greg and one of his elders, Bruce sitting at our breakfast table Keith demonstrated. The demonstration went something like this:

Keith: Watch how I spell the word “stuck” just by typing the first few letters.
Us: O.K.
Keith: First I type an “s.” Look at my phone.
Us: I see an “s.”
Keith: Now I type a “t.”
Us: I see “st.”
Keith: Now I type a “u.”
Us: O.K., (with anticipation) now we see “stu.”
Keith: Now I’ll type a “c.”
Us: Wow; now we see “stuc.”
Keith: Now for the finale, I’ll type a “k.”
Us: (with much laughter) Wow, you just spelled the word “stuck” by typing the letters s-t-u-c-k! Amazing.

I think it took Keith a few moments to realize what he had done.

It’s good to be here but I miss my wife, Barbara, and son, Steven. Keep them in your prayers while I’m gone. Now I have to go try that cool trick Keith showed us on his cell phone.