I was able to fit in a trip to see my mom last week before I would begin my treatment plan for my cancer cure. It was an excellent time to connect with family and help mom as she faces issues associated with aging. Before I left town, I arranged for a prayer gathering of our pastors, Leadership Team, Prayer Team Leaders, and a few prayer partners to pray for my cancer treatments. We planned it for 12:30 after the second Sunday service. Our plane was scheduled to arrive in Sacramento late Saturday night, and all things would work out, but that’s not the way it went.

Our flight home would begin in Liberal, KS. We were on the only flight of the day and would arrive in Denver just in time to catch the last flight to Sacramento. As we walked up to the check-in station in the small regional terminal, our phones dinged to alert us that our flight out of Liberal would be delayed by two hours because of mechanical problems. We knew that wouldn’t work because we were already on a tight one-hour layover in Denver.

We began to work on solutions with the helpful staff at the airport but couldn’t find one that solved our dilemma. All the flights to Sacramento out of Denver were full until late on Sunday. We asked them to try Reno and San Francisco and finally found a flight that would put us into San Francisco around 10:00am, which would allow us to get home around 1:00pm. We took that option even though it was going to mean a lot of extra effort.

After we settled in at the small terminal, we began to pray that God would provide another solution. I went back up to the gate and asked the customer service employee to check out another option, but it was fruitless. We prayed again. Then I decided to try one more time. I went back (at the embarrassment of my daughter) and asked the employee to check to see if anything might have opened up on the early morning flight out of Denver to Sacramento. She willingly agreed. As she punched in the information, I saw her look of interest and then surprise. She said, “I don’t know how this happened, but three seats just opened up on that plane.” I said, “Well, we’ve been praying, and this seems to be an answer to our prayer.”

The blessing that came from this is that we ended up getting a free hotel room at a resort hotel for the night in Denver that came with a fantastic dinner. And we were able to arrive in Sacramento, get home, change clothes, and make it to the church at 12:20 for the prayer time, which turned out to be amazingly rich.

Folks, I’ve had that same experience four times since I discovered that I have Adenocarcinoma. God has answered specific prayers and moved what seemed to be an impossible situation, in so many ways, to get the expedited care we’ve prayed for in this journey. Even though I’ve prayed for a supernatural healing of my cancer, God is working in supernatural ways to reveal His ongoing presence and provision as I lean into His promises.

I don’t know for sure what God has in store for me during this cancer classroom and its curriculum of transformation, but I do know I have hope and faith in His loving and compassionate care for me. Thank you so much for your supportive encouragement. I began my treatment cycle on Monday, which includes chemo once per week and radiation five days per week. This portion of my treatment will end on July 21. Please continue to pray for God’s rich mercy and my ability to stand strong and fight the good fight of faith before me.

VBS Day Camp has been a huge success. We have had a huge group of kiddos who were eager to be set free to have fun and learn about God. We are grateful for the many volunteers who linked arms to serve with such joy and happiness. What a kick it was to hear the laughter as everyone had a blast.

Our next Drive-Thru Food Drive to support Interfaith Food Ministry is Friday, June 25, from 8:00-10:30am. Please bring your non-perishable foods to the church, and we’ll make sure all the food gets delivered to IFM. This is a huge help to the resource-challenged in our community. We’ll also be collecting these items for Hospitality House: Bottled water, twin-size sheets, twin-size blankets, and new pillows (we are unable to accept used).

If you are over 55, we are excited to have our first event in over year! Join us for our 55+ Sock Hop & Ice Cream Social on Sunday, June 27 from 2:00-5:00pm in the TCC Lobby. It only costs $5 and we’ll have a full ice cream bar with delicious toppings and a LIVE BAND! Come socialize with your friends, dance if you want to, and enjoy a sweet treat. Register online or in person on Sunday.

Student’s and Children’s Summer Camps are happening. Yay! I appreciate Michael Bauer, Semeria Bjorkman, and Bobby Breaux for their diligence in finding camp opportunities for our students and children. Our young people have been through so much disruption in our COVID logjam. Camp offers them a chance to be kids and be reminded that God is with them and for them. Parents, you can find out more on our website. Check it out!

We begin a new series on Sunday that will pick up right where we left off last week as we ended The Good Life series that took us through the Beatitudes in the first part of the Sermon on the Mount. In this next section, Jesus gives us the way His followers are to live in this world. When we respond to His call to follow Him, Jesus leads us to a way of life that is both fulfilling and challenging.

You may have heard of the hit Disney series called The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian are a group who live by a code of conduct that they will not violate or deny. The phrase they use is, “This is the way.” That phrase is a bond between them that gives them meaning and purpose. Jesus gives us His way to live and calls us to follow Him with the same kind of commitment. I look forward to what God will do in us as we digest Jesus’ words as He defined what it means to follow Him and know the good life He came to bring.

Father’s Day Cool Cars & Hot Dogs is Sunday. Hope to see you as we celebrate our dads!

Here are the links you’ll need to be fully prepared for Sunday’s Service:

• Message Notes and Study Guide
• Weekly Spotify Playlist
• Children's Ministry
• Student Ministry 

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,

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