Pepperdine 2012: Memories & Reflections on the Jerry Years

Pepperdine 2012. This year was a year of transition! Thirty years of Jerry Rushford at the helm of the Pepperdine Bible Lectures has come to an end ... that means Jerry has been doing this since I was 12! My wife Tifani, and I, drove out to CA and spend a few days together. We arrived on campus on Tuesday around noon. One of the first people we ran into was Joella Michael. We got our room in the Towers (opposite of John Mark & Jennifer Hicks). We took in the breathtaking beauty from various "altitudes" ... finally soaking in the view from Heroes Garden.

But for me Pepperdine is not just the beauty it is a time when God's Spirit brings together men and women from all nations singing, worshiping and fellowshiping as in Revelation 5.9b-10 and 7.9. Getting to visit with my friends and sit at the feet of disciples who are wiser than me. What a blessing. This year I listened to Tom Olbricht, Rick Atchley, Don Kinder, Terry Gardner, keynotes ... bought books from Leafwood/ACU Press: Don Kinder Capturing Head & Heart: The Lives of Early Popular Stone-Campbell Movement Leaders, Juan Antonio Monroy, An Autobiography, Edward Robinson's I Was Under a Heavy Burden: The Life of Annie C. Tuggle.  Other books I got was Calvin Bowers Ollie's Kids: Our Family Journey, Warren Baldwin's Roaring Lions, Cracking Rocks and Other Gems from Proverbs, and for fun I got Peter Schafer's Jesus in the Talmud.  Can't wait ...Tolle lege!!

But Pepperdine is more. I will never forget back in 2001 I got not only a letter but a phone call from Jerry Rushford inviting me to come to Pepperdine to teach a one part class. I had no idea how he knew who I was. I had recently been fired from the congregation I was working with in Grenada, MS. I had not yet found a place to move my family too (fired preachers are not a hot commodity in Churches of Christ ... I would later discover that divorced preachers are not either). But Jerry said my name was passed on to him by Tom Olbricht. To this day I do not know why Dr. Olbricht did such a thing. I have been grateful for that grace ever since. I was, and still am, a nobody yet I will never forget when I arrived at Pepperdine that Jerry spoke to me and my wife and even knew our names. My class in 2001 was "hidden" away in the Keck Science Center and I think there were 20 or so people that attended. It was called "Desperately Seeking SPIRIT-uality: Connecting to God's Refreshing Spirit." A lot of water has gone under the bridge since 2001. The transmission of our Saturn broke down on us a mere 25 miles from Pepperdine in 2007 (HERE). That year the Three Amigos spoke on "A Gathered People: Revisioning the Assembly as Sacramental Encounter" (Adventures at Pepperdine &; Adventures at Pepperdine 2). Jerry has graciously asked that we return and we do our best to have something worthwhile to say. Among the other classes have been

Deuteronomy: The GOSPEL According to Moses

The Struggle for the Soul of the Churches of Christ, 1883-1983 (originally planned with JMH. I spoke at the Restoration Quarterly luncheon on "Jesus, David Lipscomb and the Spanish-American War)

A New Hope: Creation to New Creation (with John Mark Hicks)

The Holy Spirit Unleashed: Robert Richardson, James A. Harding & K. C. Moser 

Walking with the Spirit: The Transitions of K. C. Moser (with John Mark Hicks)

I am sure that my experience with Jerry Rushford is not unique but typical of those who have been blessed to share in this blessed event. I dare to say that over the course of his thirty years that, with Rushford at the wheel, the Pepperdine lectures have impacted the Churches of Christ more than any other forum including Jubilee, the ACU Lectures, Tulsa Workshop or even the Freed-Hardeman Lectures. I've been blessed to participate in some of these other venues and they do marvelous work for the Lord ... I am still waiting for Dr David Lipe to invite me to address the FH Lectures.

Certainly at Pepperdine there has been no attempt to serve as a "Church of Christ Vatican III." That is to declare what is, or is not, "Church of Christ doctrine." Rather at Pepperdine, and for this I am thankful, one can hear both Carroll Osburn and Everett Ferguson taking two sides on the role of woman. At Pepperdine you can hear both Cecil May Jr and Rubel Shelly. When others have attempted to draw lines, on both sides, Jerry has reached out in the spirit of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians on the one hand and James and the Jerusalem Church on the other because the family of God is more important and greater than our pettiness.

The breadth of the Pepperdine lectures however is not limited to the so called theological spectrum.  A refreshing wind blowing by the Malibu beach is that the lectures are not focused on hot brotherhood topics but are centered around biblical exposition. Entire books of the NT and Hebrew Bible have been covered like Deuteronomy (yes Deuteronomy!), Exodus, Genesis, Psalms, Matthew, John, Acts, Romans, etc, etc.  This is not to say that some speakers or classes did not scratch where there was an itch but simply to acknowledge the driving force is Scripture ... as a "People of the Book" it is nice to see that sometimes we actually want to listen to the word and not worry about the controversy raging all around.  Other fresh breezes blowing on those Pacific slopes is the ethnic and gender diversity on the programs.  By my count in the brochure over 45 non-Anglo speakers were on the program this year alone.  Likewise over 140 women were also on the program this year.  I think this is amazing and simply is unmatched anywhere in Churches of Christ.  

 I believe Mike Cope will do a wonderful job with the new lectures, Revelation is already a great theme for 2013. I do not know if I will be on the docket, or if I will get phone calls at 11:30 at night (wish Jerry was known to do from time to time), but I will be at Pepperdine simply because the Lectures have become a little piece of the New Heavens on the Old Earth a blessing for a formerly fired and divorced preacher struggling to get on in the world. Now the journey continues with Tifani, Rachael, Talya, Avery, Evan and John Mark and Jennifer and thousands more.

For several years now John Mark and I have been been scheduled after the evening keynote.  Jerry is always so guilt ridden that he makes mention of it while making announcements ... I get a kick out of it.  Well Jerry thanks for the memories I hope to see you at Pepperdine in 2013 even if you are a passenger rather than the pilot.

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Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2011

Pepperdine 2011 has come and has now slipped into the sands of time.

Last Sunday afternoon my beloved bride (Tifani Valentine) and I packed our travel gear into our Saturn Vue to begin the long trek to Malibu, CA. Also being our first anniversary as a married couple Tifani and I decided we would have some fun along the way too. Our little Saturn drove through AZ and CA to Palm Springs on Sunday. We spent the night in the Pepper Tree Inn, walked up and down the downtown streets and had a romantic dinner at Riccio's. We sat in the pool and looked at the stars until late at night.

On Monday we journeyed from Palm Springs to the Inn at Venice Beach. Along the way we realized that we had left VERY IMPORTANT materials at the Pepper Tree ... only my presentation!! At Venice we walked to the beach, ate a nice dinner at C & O's Italian eatery. We went back to the beach and watched some Dolphins play in the water.

On Tuesday we arrived at Pepperdine. We got checked into the Towers and Tifani and I walked around taking it all in. We found my classroom in AMB 105. Through the week we were uplifted by amazing singing. Wyane Atkinson led us in worship ... I thought I was before the throne! Tifani and I were challenged in Rick Atchley's classes. We learned about the heart of the matter from Billy Wilson's presentations. And PaLO VErde's own Diane Reminder was on a panel discussion on the Church of Facebook! Way to go Diane!!

My own classes, "The Holy Spirit Unleashed: Robert Richardson, James A. Harding & K. C. Moser," were well attended. The last night I think I had the largest crowd of all ... must have been the subject matter! Steve Wolfgang graced me with his presence in my class too.

One of the great things about the lectures is meeting with old friends and meeting new ones. Tifani and I enjoyed fellowship with Steve Puckett, Matt Dabbs, Cecil Walker, Joshua Jeffery, Jeremy Hoover, Kurt & Sue Burton, Billy McGuiggan and on and on. Tifani and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with Harry Fox who had attended my class. Fox was a long time missionary to Japan. It was a pure joy to listen to this 90 year old saint wax eloquent about his memories and his joys in the Lord. Tifani and I were blessed.

Each day we spent some time just to ourselves. We walked on the beach nearly everyday. We met with friends for lunch at Dukes. After my evening classes we wandered down to the cafeteria for coffee, pie and fellowship. I do not think there was a single moment at Pepperdine that was not a blessing.

What a way to celebrate our anniversary and our walk with the Lord ... the journey to Malibu. It was and is a pilgrimage of the heart. Thank you Pepperdine. Thank you Jerry Rushford. Thank you God for the blessing you bestow through this wonderful event known as the Pepperdine University Bible Lectureship.

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Reflections on Tulsa 2011 Edition

Tulsa came. Tulsa was. Tulsa is now history. My Tulsa journey began, I suppose, shortly after the Pepperdine Lectures of 2010 when I received an invitation from Terry Rush to speak on the subject of the Holy Spirit Unchained. My three classes were filled to the brim with folks lining the walls, sitting on the floor and spilling into the hall. I was overwhelmed.

I headed out on Tuesday from Tucson, drove through the night and arrived in Tulsa about 6 am on Wednesday. The folks at the Hyatt were unbelievably courteous and let me check in to my room (that wasnt even in my name!). My roommate was a gentleman from South Carolina, whom I'd never met, named Bryan Todd. That night we took in worship led by Kip Long and Randy Harris while enjoying the company of fellow John Dobbs from Monroe, LA.

I took in classes with Randy Harris, Al Maxey (whom I'd never met or heard before), Don mcLaughlin, Rick Atchley and Trey Morgan. I listened to Acappella, Psallo from York and Revival. All the sessions I attended were well done, thought provoking and encouraging. I appreciated Harris's critique of the notion of "cool" and Christianity. Refreshing and unexpected. Unfortunately my class was scheduled at the same time as Tim Archer and Amanda Sanders.

Probably the most enjoyable part of any workshop/lecture to me is meeting new people and hanging with old friends. I got to hang with my old friend Wade Tannehill and his family. We ate at Panda Express with Ron Davis. Rick Atchley bought me a free coke at Taco Cabana after his morning session. Had coffee with Stan Helton. I had the pleasure of picking Edward Fudge's brain on a multiplicity of subjects late one evening in the hotel lobby. I had late night fellowship with Barry Bullinger and his father from Alabama. Ran into Tim & Kathy Thompson, Guy & Debbie Marshall, and Paul & Kathy Straw friends from Wisconsin. I got to have coffee with Gerry Parker, visit with Jim McGuiggan, and Larry Bertram. I met Johnny Hinton too.

This year I only purchased one book. I saddened that ACU/Leafwood Press did not have a booth. But the one book I bought is Courageous Compassion: A Prophetic Homiletic in Service to the Church by Jerry Taylor and edited by David Fleer. Taylor is one of the most powerful preachers I have ever heard and I simply could not pass this up. I will publish a review shortly on my blog of it.

As with most good things Tulsa came to an end. I got the car at 4:23 pm on Saturday and drove through the night back to Tucson. I got to listen to a number of classes I was not able to attend via CD. Rick Atchley/Terry Rush on what they have learned down through the years; Tim Archer on the huge task we have; and Ed Fudge's three part series.

It was great!! My hat is off to Terry Rush and the Memorial Church in Tulsa for a superb job. I hope to be back for the 2012 Workshop themed "Good News for a Broken World" ... March 21-24. Mark it down.

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Tulsa Workshop is Coming ... March 23-26

Tulsa! What is Tulsa to you?? I have enjoyed several Tulsa Workshops in the past. This will be the third one I have spoken on. Years ago while Rachael and Talya were small we hooked up with Wade and Gretchen. Sometime later I traveled from Milwaukee to Tulsa with Wayne Alexander and Bruce Williams and had the infamous police episode. I have tag teamed with my cohort in mischief John Mark Hicks on the docket. Last time I was there I encouraged by Rick Atchley and it snowed big time leaving me stranded in the airport for hours on end.

And now Tulsa is here again! Tulsa is, for me, about great singing. Tulsa is about great biblical preaching. Tulsa is about good deep biblical teaching (Ed Fudge's class last time was amazing). Tulsa is about books! and meeting fellow bloggers (like last time). Tulsa is about fellowship, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.

The year the theme is "Let the Chains Fall Away!" Keynote addresses by Randy Harris and others. Classes by the dozen. My own three part class is entitled:

1) Holy Spirit: UNCHAINED According to the Word
2) Holy Spirit: CHAINED According to our Heritage
3) Holy Spirit: CHAINS Fall Away Today

These classes are at 3 pm Thursday-Saturday. I hope to see you there. Here is a link to the Tulsa Workshop homepage. See you there.

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Valentine Happenings ... Marriage; Travel; Pepperdine; Iron Man

Wow! Lots has happened since last time I wrote on this blog...

Well probably the most important, and the most significant, happening that is that Bobby Valentine and Tifani Napier have officially become Mr & Mrs Valentine. We were married in a very small private "ceremony" at Magnolia Church of Christ Tuesday, April 27 by Joe VanDyke. We have been carrying on our long distance relationship for over a year now. LOOOOONG phone conversations. Criss-crossing the country via Delta, AA, and whoever would fly us. We finally decided that we just need to "do it." So we did! We are still in limbo on some things but one thing is certain ... the future is "us." Tifani is living proof that God will in fact work in the evil of this world to bring about something not only beautiful but even "good." In our "ceremony" the great prayer of Tobit 8.4-8 was read as our promise and prayer together.

"Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors,
and blessed is your name in all generations forever.
Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you forever.
You made Adam, and for him you made his wife Eve
as a helper and support.
From the two of them the human race has sprung.
You said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone;
let us make a helper for him like himself.'
I now am taking this kinswoman of mine,
not because of lust,
but with sincerity.
Grant that she and I may find mercy
and that we may grow old together."
And they both said, "Amen, Amen."
Then went to sleep for the night."

We went to Huntsville for our "Honeymoon" (well it was not our real honeymoon) and had an awesome time. We laughed the night away. We held hands as we walked and talked. We ate in the newly wed booth at the Melting Pot ... and we got caught in that torrential downpour in Nashville on I-65 and sat on the hwy for hours. But even there God brought a blessing ... Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death ... many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away" (Song of Songs 8.6ff).

The Pepperdine Lectures were this past week as well. Pepperdine continues to impress me with the diversity of speakers they bring in. Africa, Asia, and even North America was represented. The classes as well as the keynotes were top notch. John Mark Hicks and I continued the tradition of doing the "Late Night" with our class being on "A New Hope" for three nights. You can buy either a CD or MP3 of all three classes from Pure Logic Video HERE. Just scroll down till you see our mug shots ...

At Pepperdine I always run into old friends too. I saw friends from Milwaukee, old college class mates, former students, teachers and many others. I love it. This year one treat I loved was the "St. John's Bible Exhibit" in the Art Gallery & Rare Bible room. The St. John's Bible is the first illuminated, hand written Bible of "monumental size" in 500 years. It contains the entire RSV text (Hebrew Bible, NT & Apocrypha) ... the art work is stunning. You can see portions of it HERE

I got Rachael and Talya on Saturday for a while. One thing we did was go see Iron Man 2. I love the character and think Marvel has done a good job with the movies. Stark is hopelessly self-absorbed and has an ego that is super sized. But in the movie he learns that there is value in partnership and he may not have all the answers. The sound track is full of classic rock tunes basically all AC/DC tracks I believe. I liked it. The girls liked it. It was not quite as good as the first but it was still good. I will get it when it comes on Blu-Ray



The picture is our mini-honeymoon. A police officer offered to take a few for us and the one on the bottom is one of them ...

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Off to Pepperdine

Every year since 2002 I have made the pilgrimage to Malibu, California. It has sort of become a family tradition. We load the girls onto a plane or into a car and go off in the wild blue yonder to that place by the sea. For whatever reason Jerry Rushford has graciously asked me to participate in the lectures four or five times now. I think he has been getting desperate since he has asked me ... no really it has always been a great honor for me (and has been fun). Hooking up with friends from Japan, Canada, and all over the USA has been a joy. This year I will be traveling by myself but quite a few from Palo Verde will be coming over too.

Over the last three years or so 9 pm has become "Late Nite" with Hicks & Valentine. We have spoken on Kingdom Come and A Gathered People and this year we were to speak on a soon to be name subject. Unfortunately John Mark is not going to be able to be there this year but the Late Nite goes on.

I will be going solo for the talk and will try to do the subject justice. Our overall theme is "The Struggle for the Soul of Churches of Christ, 1884-1984.

1) Part One: Texas Vs Tennessee, 1880s-1920s

2) Part Two: Texas Triumps, 1930s-1950s

3) Part Three: Renewed Struggle, 1960s-1980s

On Friday I will be delivering the lecture for the Restoration Quarterly luncheon. Here I am speaking on "Jesus, Lipscomb and the Spanish-American War."

Besides taking in the great line up of keynote speakers I hope to learn from Doug Foster, Edward Robinson, Suzy Brown, Tom Olbricht, Danny Dodd and several more.

If you are in the area say "hi." Hope to see you.

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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A Few Photos of the Pepperdine Adventure

A Few Photos of the Pepperdine Adventure



Stoned-Campbell Disciple teaching on Thursday Nite




The Professing Professor




Danny Dodd and Al Sturgeon after Danny's class




Rachael, Talya, Tom and Vonnie Phillips playing on the beach



Rachael (R) and Talya (L) in sunny and "warm" Malibu




The Oscar Myer Weiner Going Down Pacific Coast Highway

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Adventures at Pepperdine 2

Adventures at Pepperdine, II (Photo of the Three Amigos)

Monday night we walked down Ventura Blvd which was the street our Vue decided to break down. We looked around for a good place to eat. Pamella spotted a cool looking hamburger joint so we crossed the street and walked inside. After ordering we learned they did not take either credit cards or debit cards ... so we walked further down the street.

Having an "eagle eye" :-) I spotted a sign that said "Fine BBQ." Apparently they mean something different for BBQ in California than in Memphis!! I was expecting a really fine BBQ pulled pork sandwich! I was I in for a shock. The restaurant ended up being a middle eastern "BBQ" joint. But we had a good time insisting we were eating Iraqi BBQ.

Tuesday: Coming around the bend on Pacific Coast Highway in our rented Nissan Sentra (not our Saturn Vue which needed costly repairs) and seeing the cross towering over the landscape on the hillside was a welcome sight.

We checked into the Towers and took in the sights. We found out later that John Mark Hicks and his lovely wife, Jennifer, were our suite mates. Two guys sharing a bathroom with four ladies ... now that is an interesting scenario. During the week our sink stopped working apparently for we had a sign placed around it that read "Plaser No - Use."




I was real pleased with the turn out for our three part "Late Night" class (we were competing with David Letterman): A Gathered People: Revisioning the Assembly as Sacramental Encounter. I know that is a title that would scare most folks away but our room was completely full every night, with folks standing in the door on the first night. And our publisher should be happy because all together 50+ people purchased prepublication copies of A Gathered People (to be released in September). Blogger Steve Pucket came to our class. My friend Yuki Obata came to all three presentations (thanks Yuki) and he even quoted Kingdom Come in his keynote address--I did not expect that (btw I was grateful that Jerry Rushford asked Yuki to be a keynote ... Yuki will do almost anything for Taco Bell). Leafwood Press sold out of all the copies of Kingdom Come they brought to the lectures ... Lisa did not tell me how many copies that was but she did say it sold out.

My family went to Coogies for dinner in Malibu. There we ran into fellow bloggers and friends: Greg England, Cecil Walker, Keith Davis, Craig Smelser and Rick Janelle. In the Sand Bar I ran into Tom Perkins who had not seen since I left Mississippi.

On Thursday night we went out with the Hicks to Paradise Cove on the beach north of Malibu. The Rockford Files were partially filmed at this location. We ran into Don McLaughlin and Randy Harris there (Randy will be doing the Men's Retreat here at PV in '08).

The People: Giving a list of names is very biblical (cf. Romans 16). I love lectureships for the classes but I love them more for reconnecting with my friends. I had lunch with Charme Robarts and Carisse Berryhill (who also came to all three of our classes). I got to spend quite a bit of time with my friend and encourager Tom Olbricht. I bumped into Joel Solliday all over the place. I visited with Tim Stafford who I have not seen in a very LONG time. We made a new friend, Igor Egirev from Rostov in Russia. I met Al Sturgeon for the first time and went to Danny Dodd's excellent class on John 18. I got to visit with Greg Taylor of Wineskins.org I spent some time with my buddy Edward Robinson and took in his outstanding class on Samuel R. Cassius ... and learned to my shock that he thanked me in the front cover of his biography of Cassius, To Save My Race from Abuse, published by the University of Alabama Press (I was humbled by that). I got a chance to visit with Victor Knowles, Gary Holloway and Doug Foster. I wanted to have coffee with Steve Pucket but that did not materialize much to my disappointement. Another that I had table fellowship with was Greg Demmit (spelling?) whom I had not met previously. I am sure I am overlooking some one but we had a great time.

The Classes: I took in Jeff Walling's classes and must say I think they are the best I have ever heard from him. They were entertaining yes! But they were beyond that. They were thoughtful and I think much needed. I took in Randy Harris' first class and got the CDs for the rest. No commentary is needed on Harris. I wanted to take in Steve Pucket's class but we had to leave prematurely so I missed it. I took in a session with Victor Knowles, Danny Dodd, the panel discussion on the Stone-Campbell Movement and Evangelicalism. I took in a session with Monte Cox. Of the keynotes I really enjoyed Harold Shank because what he said was not only near and dear to my heart but also true to scripture. Oh how I wanted to hear David Fleer but alas I had to miss it. I started to take in a Rick Atchley class but soon found out we are on the same page on the new heavens and new earth. I am grateful that he has been been reading my blog, ;-)

What is a lectureship without buying books? So I bought a few. I figured if I am going to spend my money on that Saturn Vue then I am going to get a book or two or three ... And I branched out this time. I bought some unusual books for me (some of them any way). I bought Suzy Brown's Radical Recovery: Transforming the Despair of Your Divorce into an Unexpected Good. This book came highly recommended and I am looking forward to digging into it. Along the same lines I bought Rubel Shelly's new book Divorce & Remarriage: A Redemptive Theology. I picked up a book I have wanted for a while but simply never took the time to buy, Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church. I broke down and bought Michael Casey's biography The Rhetoric of Sir Garfield Todd: Christian Imagination and the Dream of an African Democracy. Todd was a Disciples missionary to Zimbabwe, rose to be Prime Minister, fought for the dignity of the African peoples ... a good man. I also picked up (like everyone else) Darryl Tippens, That's Why We Sing: Reclaiming the Wonder of Congregational Singing. On one of the ignored book tables I found a bargin about one of my favorite preacher/theologians, The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards: American Religion and the Evangelical Tradition. Finally I got Robert Brimlow's What About Hitler? Wrestling with Jesus' Call to Non-Violence in an Evil World. I have read most of this already and will be posting a review of it. It is a profound and provocative book.

Things we Missed: Pamella and I missed the speakers reception at the Benton home for the second time. Our class schedule made it impossible for us to attend. We were both disappointed. Me-because I want to visit and chat and Pamella because of the good chocolate, ;-) I missed out meeting Pamela Anderson at the Pepperdine baseball game (Al did not though).
I missed out on a few classes on Thursday because I went to pick up my Vue from Livingston Pontiac. We missed out on the Ghetti Museum which we planned on going to.

We had a great time. But Pamella started to feel ill on Thursday night and we decided to come home. Thanks to all my friends out there who took the time to share with me and my family. Thank you Jerry Rushford for another of the best lectureship in the Churches of Christ.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Adventures at Pepperdine

Adventures at Pepperdine, I

My family pulled out of our driveway in Tucson, AZ at 5 a.m. on Monday morning. We made good time and had a good trip. The mountains and desert between Tucson and Southern California has a stark beauty to it. There are long stretches where there is nothing. We saw a sign that said "McDonald's 90 miles."

Everything was going great and we were about 25 miles from Pepperdine. We were on Hwy 101 when I felt my clutch give way as I was passing a "slower" car. We got off the hwy and our Saturn Vue died in the intersection. It would not come out of gear and then it would not go back in. God was smiling on us because there was a GM dealer across the street. I got the Vue to go and we literally coasted into the parking lot.

The tech said that cylinder went out and this would cost 350 bucks and labor would be 860!! We rented a car, got a hotel room across the street, and proceeded to Pepperdine on Tuesday morning. I got a phone call from the tech and he informed that I would also need to replace the pressure plate and flywheel ... I picked the Vue up on Thursday after shelling out $1563.43. I seriously considered trading it in. This SUV only has 50,000 miles on it ... That is our first adventure.

We had a great time but more on that later ...

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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Off to Pepperdine

Off to Pepperdine

I will be out of town this entire week at the Pepperdine in Sunny California. I will be speaking three times with my cohorts John Mark Hicks and we have added Johnny Melton to the mix this year. We will be speaking Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings on "A Gathered People." The substance of our presentation will be drawn from our soon to be released book of that same title.

If you are in Malibu stop by and talk with me. I am looking forward to seeing you there.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

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