2012 Christmas Card (Part 2)

For a very long time, I have sent Christmas cards to good friends every year. Ever since I started making my personal Christmas card creations, I have included a card in a card. Silly, I know. This year conspired against that tradition in so many ways that it inspired change… and the following poem. So now there’s just a card, and… well, the following as an explanatory enclosure:

‘Twas the week after Christmas
 
by David Alan Hoag  --  December 26, 2012

‘Twas the week after Christmas; the month had been hard
And to my dismay, I’d mailed nary a card.
Insane overtime; all while singing “Rudolf”
Then (can you believe it?!?) my boss makes me golf!

Hang all of the house lights; no down-time for me,
Fetch stuff from the rafters then assemble the tree.
Untangle the tree lights that mess with my head
For once one bulb is fixed, the next one is dead!

The shopping, the baking; but then I needn’t boast
Except for a small bit, my dear wife does the most.
Now… boxing and wrapping… not something I do;
A small point of fact: My wife does all that, too!

Then grandkids arrive and things really get busy
With pick-ups and drop-offs, it makes one quite dizzy.
I’d describe every detail, but that would take years
And suffice it to say, you’d be quite bored to tears.

And Christmas IS NOT all the stuff that’s on sale,
Or staying on schedule with cards in the mail.
It’s sharing God’s message of LOVE, PEACE, and JOY
And God’s GIFT to the world… in a small baby boy.

You might think that I’m late with my message this year,
But, I say that I’m early with Holiday cheer.
When I say this is early, well here’s what I mean:
Merry Christmas to you… in two thousand  thirteen!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

2012 Christmas Card (Part 1)

Christmas is come and gone.

Since 1997, I’ve handed out my Christmas card creations to everybody that I can connect with. If you missed getting a card from me this Christmas at Messiah, it’s because I’m no longer partnered in ministry there. I still extend my Christmas message to everyone I see during this season… at the market, pumping gas, at work, at the post office… everywhere. This blog allows me to connect with a few other people, too. If you simply MUST have this year’s card in physical form, just email me, and I will send you a pdf file that you can print out, fold, and then hold in your hot little hand. For everyone else, here is this year’s Christmas card from me:

Front:

Seasons Rememberings...

 

Inside:

Seasons Rememberings

by David Alan Hoag  –  October 17, 2012

It’s hard to remember
This time of the year
Precisely why
We’re all wishing “Good Cheer!”

It’s hard to remember;
Is this the Season?
The Kwanzaa time,
For sharing and reason?

It’s hard to remember;
Is Hanukkah here?
Dreidels and food
And Menorahs appear.

It’s hard to remember;
Has Ashura passed?
I must recall
Did I mourn with a fast?

It’s hard to remember;
With reindeer and sleigh
Flooding the stores
Since before Labor Day!

It’s hard to remember;
Dozens of choices.
How can you choose
With so many voices?

Your heart can remember;
A star up above.
With a small babe…
God redeemed us, with love.

-------------

Merry Christmas to You!

Remember the peace, love, joy, and healing
that was embodied in the birth of a baby so long ago.

If we open our hearts, that spirit can fill us, too.

The real Christmas present
is the one many of us forget to unwrap,
and even if we do, we often neglect to try it on.

It’s guaranteed to fill any sized heart.

May Christmas bring you…
love, peace, and uncontainable joy
to fill your heart, and your New Year, too!

Dave Hoag

Transition

Transitions can be quite jarring when they are abrupt. One minute you are sailing along and everything is just fine, and in an instant everything can be turned upside down! Transitions are a part of life, and while we’d all like to be in control of our life transitions, we usually are not.

Last Sunday I left the ministry I had partnered with for close to 20 years. It’s strange and sad that I’m no longer a part of ministries and lives at Messiah, but God’s Holy Spirit has led me away. It is unclear to me, as yet, where God’s Spirit is leading me, but I will move forward in faith; embracing every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus.

To all my friends at Messiah: I love you all and I’m already missing you all!

Not to worry, though, this blog will go on as before. I just won't have a link through Messiah's web site, and I won't be promoting events and fellowship opportunities as much. So bookmark this blog in your favorites as an easy way to find your way back in.

I’ll post more information on how this transition was thrust upon me in my next post in a few days. It'll be an interesting read, so subscribe now so you don't miss any updates.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

A Light in the World

My friend, Kathy Godshalk, died last week. I’ve known Kathy and her husband Ron since when we all worked together at Hughes Aircraft in the early eighties. On September 30^th, 2012, she succumbed to her 17-month battle with cancer. Kathy was an amazing woman who generously shared her talents, her love, and the light of her faith with everyone in the world around her. I feel a profound sense of loss with the news of her passing.  I will miss her smile, her hugs, her laugh, and the depth of her love; a love she shared with everyone… a love you were richer to have experienced.

Pastor Bob Mooney, a man of great faith, and even greater sensitivity, was with Kathy and her family at her last moments here on Earth. He has graciously permitted me to publish his thoughts of those few moments here:

“Yesterday afternoon the family and friends gathered around the bedside of Kathy Godshalk in ICU. Kathy is in her early 50's, married to Ron for 29 years, two great kids and a wonderful daughter in law. Kathy is a college math teacher and perhaps the sweetest kindest person I have ever met. My daughter described her this way, "Dad there is Mother Teresa, and just above her there is Kathy." We listened to the doctor compassionately tell us it was time to take her off the ventilator, stop the dialysis, and prepare to say our final goodbyes. He said he did not know how long she would continue to breathe on her own after that. We joined our hands and through the tears thanked God for Kathy's life, we prayed for her family, and that she would peacefully step into the loving embrace of her Lord, waiting on the other side to make her whole again, waiting to greet her with the words "well done, my good and faithful servant!”  Just As we ended the prayer and said amen, before anything had been disconnected, Kathy peacefully took her last breath and gently slipped into the loving embrace of her Lord. A beautiful life by our understanding taken from us way to soon. A woman of faith whose life we celebrate. In Africa they love to say, "God is good all time, all the time God is good". So today through our pain and sadness, through all the things we don't understand, through our anger and disappointment of a life taken to soon, we lean on and trust in a God of faithfulness, a God bigger than our questions, bigger than our anger, bigger than death, a God who walked with Kathy through all of her joys and sorrows in this life and who is embracing Kathy now in heaven, the God who has made her whole, and who promises to walk through this "valley of the shadow of death" with her husband Ron, her children Ryan and Kara, her parents , her brother, and all her family and her friends. Please continue to hold Ron, Ryan, Kara, and their family in your prayers.”

You can read more of Kathy’s background, and what her colleagues at Cypress College had to say about her at:

http://news.cypresscollege.edu/blog/201210.htm#KathyGodshalk

CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR KATHY GODSHALK

 

Saturday, October 13^th, 2012
Messiah Lutheran Church, 4861 Liverpool St, Yorba Linda, CA

 

Viewing: 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Memorial Service: 11:00 am
Reception: Following the service
Interment: 4:00 pm (family and close friends only, please) Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Covina Hills

 

Kathy is gone, and the world has lost a single light. But Kathy’s light shone so brightly, and with such love, that it has sparked innumerable new lights as she quietly changed the world, the people, and the hearts around her. My sister in Christ has left the world a more caring, a more loving, and a much brighter place. I celebrate your life, Kathy!

Your Brother In Christ,

Dave

Warning

WARNING to all my Facebook friends: Beware of Social Engineering attacks that can compromise you, your friends, your co-workers, and your family.

Be especially cautious of “friending” people on Facebook who YOU DON’T KNOW PERSONALLY. This recently happened to me, but I recognized the attack when it came, and I’m now trying to alert all my friends… that YOU may be targeted by the same attacker. Here’s how it works, and what to look out for:

Initial Attack:
Somebody sends you a “Friend Request” on Facebook. You weren’t born yesterday, so you don’t accept Friend Requests from people you don’t know, but you think that perhaps you know this person from work, school, church, or someplace else, so… you check out their Facebook page. There, you notice that several of your friends are friends with this person (in my case, the attacker’s name was Daisy Arnold, so let’s use that name from here on out). I was probably in a hurry, and once I saw that Daisy was friends with several people I know well, I figured she must be a new acquaintance and Accepted. This is where I messed up. DO NOT accept Friend Requests from people YOU DO NOT KNOW IN REAL LIFE!

You might be asking: “So what’s the harm? Maybe I just forgot meeting her. Perhaps she follows my blog. Maybe she’s new to Facebook, and thinks that you NEED a lot of friends.” All good questions, and all questions that Social Engineers count on you asking. Their goal is just to get you to invite them in. Here’s what happens once you Accept them (in my case Daisy Arnold) as a friend:

The Sneak Attack:
Once Daisy’s your friend (remember, they use MANY fake names, pictures, and personal information), ALL of your personal information you make available for your friends is hers for the taking. That may include your full name, birthdate, telephone, home address, place of employment, educational background, and all information about your children and family. You might even present them with your travel itineraries and information about your most recent purchases. Would an identity thief strike gold on your Facebook page? But that’s not the worst of it. Besides mining all your accessible personal information, they will mine your list of friends to begin:

The Sneakier Attack:
Mind you, Daisy (or whatever name is used) is not carrying out this attack by herself. Black Hat software designed for these types of attacks will be executing on hundreds of computers, worldwide, to replicate this attack thousands of times over… often without the computer owner’s knowledge. Once daisy has access to your list of friends on Facebook, she will Friend Request them. With this type of geometric progression, it doesn’t take long for Daisy to collect a large number of new friends that have MANY connections to her, so you may be easily fooled by her next attack:

The Damage Attack:
At this point, Daisy posts a link for you to check out, or a link to a fun new game app, or a link to a site where you can get free stuff (music, computers, etc.). Daisy sent a link to what looked like a porn site. If you follow the link, it’s pretty much all over for you, your computer, and your identity. Virtually every step you take from this point forward will be loading malware into your computer. Malware can take many forms, from using your computer to broadcast spam, to logging your every keystroke, to destroying your data, to any number of illegal uses that you would not be aware of.

What Can You Do?
First, unfriend the Daisy’s you have let in. She still mined information from your page, but at least now, she can’t use YOU to sucker any more of your friends into accepting her as a friend.

Second, NEVER click on any site that you haven’t checked out! Your friends are sometimes easily scammed, so if it looks or feels wrong… it probably is.

Third, NEVER click through on a new Facebook app or site from a friend’s link! If it’s real, you can get to it from a trusted source (like Facebook)… more likely, the link you click from a friend will take you down a rabbit hole. Many of my friends have ignored my advice in this area for years; most have no idea that ALL of their links, apps, games, and videos they send me don’t make it past my first level of filters. You can lead a horse to water… yada, yada, yada.

Last But Not Least!
Consider this:

1.     If your computer is running noticeably slower, even for simple tasks, you are probably infected with malware.

2.     If your CPU performance is high when you are doing nothing, you are probably infected with malware.

3.     If you’ve ever downloaded free music or videos, you are probably infected with malware.

4.     If you have ever copied any game, music, or program off of a memory stick or CD, you are probably infected with malware.

If you are infected, there are several ways to eradicate malware and viruses. I’m not promoting any brand of anti-virus or anti-malware software, but unless you are one… you should let a computer professional handle it; much like professional extermination.

Oh, one more thing: Daisy Arnold is NOT my friend. If you are a Facebook friend of mine, I apologize if you have been friended by her because she gained access to my friends list. Mea Culpa!

YBIC,

Dave

Well Done, Good and faithful Servant

On Monday morning, while reading through my email at work, I was shot in the gut!

Well… not literally, but that’s what it felt like as I read that my friend and co-worker, Jeff Larson, had died the day before. I kept reading the email over and over, hoping to discover that it was just a cruel joke of some kind; it wasn’t.

Jeff was just 52, seemingly healthy and fit, full of life, and the friendliest and most loving guy you’d every hope to meet. I’d known Jeff for the past 6 years, and I was his friend. Of course, Jeff was that rare individual that was friends with EVERYONE! And that was no mean feat, seeing that Jeff was the Director of Quality for Invensys Nuclear.

That everybody loved Jeff was evident in the outpouring of emotion from the hundreds of people who came to his funeral service today. I had poured out my grief and my feelings in a poem, and as family and longtime friends spoke, they remembered all of the same great qualities that I knew in Jeff. Here’s the poem:


True Quality

By David Alan Hoag – September 11, 2012

In Remembrance of Jeffrey Larson;
March 7, 1960 – September 9, 2012

Jeff Larson shared our workday life
And though, not on his team
With Jeff, you always knew that you
Were held in high esteem.

“Let’s fix the problem,” he would say,
“And not affix the blame.”
“Let’s all improve, and learn, and grow,
And not just stay the same.”

A humble guy, with ready smile
Who’d stop along his way
To talk with you, and share his laugh;
Jeff brightened up our day.

His energy: all positive.
He’d lift us when we’d fall.
And he’d share his joy in passing,
Encouraging us all.

A runner… healthy, trim, and fit;
Up running with the dawn.
But none shall know the time or place,
And just like that… he’s gone.

This hollow void, this sudden death;
In time, the wound will mend.
But now, my heart cries out in loss,
For Jeff… who called me “friend.”


Afterward, we all gathered in The Pines Park. On a hot day, on the bluffs of San Clemente, people continued to share their stories of Jeff: his love of life, his encouragement, his friendship, his joy, and his love. It was evident that Jeff was a Christian that had lived his life adhering to Christ’s command to “love one another.”

Jeff died while training for a half-marathon. I have no doubt that he ran right into the arms of Christ, who surely spoke these words to Jeff: “You have run your race. Well done, good and faithful servant!”

I’m blessed to know so many brothers and sisters in Christ who are like Jeff in spirit, who constantly seek a deeper relationship with God, and who continually pour their love out into the world. I’m humbled to know them, and I’m encouraged by this “cloud of witnesses” to continue to run my race.

I pray that you have a Jeff in your life to encourage you to run YOUR race!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Live Like That

My friend, Michelle, posted a video by the Christian group… Sidewalk Prophets. I’d heard the song before, but it suddenly had new meaning for me when I saw the music video.
I saw all the pictures. Were they the needy… who needed ministry? Or were they all ministers… reflecting, sharing, and teaching some aspect of Christ’s love?
There are people in my life that mentor me spiritually. Most of them know what a blessing I consider them to be in my life. Here are some of the people who make me… want to Live Like That:

Jim and Nancy Herrick, Ron Ball, Mark Gorman, Diehl Martin, John Podzus, Elizabeth Lambert, Paul Lanier, Bob Mooney, Chloe Lewis, Ron Baesler, Nuell Lunde, Jim Cory, Monica Martin, Michelle Ehrenberg, Kim Rehme, Shelia Bates, Jennifer Jerkins, Jeffrey Delgado, and many others.

I see THEIR faces reflected in the faces of the music video.



Who are the people in your life that inspire you… guide you… mentor you… or challenge you? Whose faces do you see reflected in the faces of the music video? Do they know how much they reflect the love of Christ into your life? Tell them that they make a difference in your life. Tell them how their love, commitment, and faith… make YOU… want to LIVE LIKE THAT!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

It almost seems that every day I hear about one Christian group or another that is protesting or condemning someone. They carry placards, they chant slogans, they intrude on the funerals of fallen soldiers, they harass frightened and confused young women, and they condemn and shut out or shun anyone whose sexual lifestyle isn’t what they believe to be right. They practice intolerance and cast judgment, and… from news footage I have seen… they bring their children with them to wave placards and chant hateful accusations right alongside them; ensuring that their doctrine of intolerance is infused into a new generation.

I just don’t understand how it’s possible to love God, and love your neighbor when you are in your neighbor’s face, shouting: “You will surely burn in Hell!”

The group, Casting Crowns, has a new song out that speaks to all this. I encourage you to really listen to the lyrics.



There is a place in Yorba Linda, California…. a fellowship of sinners, who are learning to see the plank in our own eye, to drop our stones, and to love one another. It’s called Messiah Lutheran Church. Have you avoided church because of something that someone has condemned you for? Come experience and share in the forgiveness that is found in the love and mercy of Jesus. Come find redemption. Come find me… and meet a fellow sinner. Come experience God’s incredible love in YOUR life!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

From the Mouths of Babes

Saturday night, I had a heated theological argument with a 4-year old.

My daughter, Jennifer, and Henry, her husband, flew in for a 2-day visit this past weekend. Her 2 boys were crazy excited to be at Grammy and Pop-pop’s, so you might guess that bedtime was a bit of a challenge. After Grammy is done reading them stories, it is often left to Pop-Pop (me) to actually get them to sleep.

What worked for 4-year old Jeffrey also works for his brother, Bob, who is almost a year old… I sing to them. Now, I have been described as being a ‘prison singer’, which is defined as: “Being behind a few bars, and having no hope of finding the right key.” My grandsons haven’t developed a critical ear yet, so they don’t complain. That I make up my own words (because I can’t remember the actual lyrics) does not seem to faze them in the least. I’m pretty sure it’s not what I sing, just the fact that I rock them in the big recliner/rocker while I make melodic noises.

So there I was: Bob trying to fight off sleep on my chest, and Jeffrey squirming in his bed next to us. I had just finished singing The House of the Rising Sun (one of their favorite lullabies), when Jeffrey said: “Sing one more song, Pop-pop. Please!”

Hoping to get little Bob to finally drift off in slumber, I started singing: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”

To which Jeffrey interjected “NO HE DOESN’T.”

“Sure He does, Jeffrey,” I replied, and then restarted the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”

Jeffrey again interrupted me with: “NO HE DOESN’T, POP-POP!”

“Yes, yes He does, Jeffrey,” I replied, perplexed at his insistence. One more time, I restarted the song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”

Sitting up in bed, Jeffrey instructed his clearly confused grandfather: “Pop-pop, Jesus doesn’t just love YOU, He loves EVERYONE!”

I was stunned! This time, when I restarted the song, I sang: “Jesus loves us, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”

And a miracle occurred: Bob had drifted off to sleep! After putting him in his crib, I turned to tuck Jeffrey in one final time. Having fulfilled his commission, he was now sound asleep, too.

I invite you to heed the theological teaching of my grandson… know that Jesus loves US… and experience the complete peace His love brings into our lives.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Grace

Today, at Sunday worship, Pastor Bob’s awesome message was on God’s grace. He punctuated what he was sharing with a powerful little video from The Skit Guys (Tommy Woodard and Eddie James).



So many of us are like Peter… thinking that we have to work off some sin or another in our life. Sometimes that burden has been placed on us by a church or religious organization. You can’t earn God’s grace. You can’t get God’s grace by belonging to the right club (or you might say: church). It’s not by our works that we are saved, but by the grace of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are saved by His grace.

Years ago, I learned an acrostic that that describes grace:

          God’s
          Redemption
          At
          Christ’s
          Expense

No matter what your situation is, come join us at Messiah. Your freedom has already been bought and paid for! Come experience the peace and joy that come with God’s grace. Come worship with us… come fellowship with us… come throw off the burden of sin and guilt. Come experience the Living Water of Christ in the Spirit filled community of believers that is Messiah Lutheran Church here in Yorba Linda, California.

Look me up on Sunday. I look forward to the blessing of your presence!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave