Photo Album Tag

Photo Album Tag

I have been tagged by Beth and since it has been a long time since this has happened I copied the rules. The rules: choose the sixth photo from your sixth album and post it with a brief description and/or the story behind it.

Ok! So I went to my photos on my computer and I do have more than six albums with various titles. I counted over six places and ... well I decided to reverse six and seven. Then I opened up my album and counted six photos over and this is what I found ...



Man alive they do not look like this any more!! Just as beautiful but they have grown!! This is, IMHO, an adorable picture that brings back a trainload of memories. This is from 2003 and we lived in Milwaukee, WI. We lived in some apartments named Applewood Village. Rachael and Talya were taking dance lessons up at the high school in Greendale not far from our apartment. We would go over there and they did their practice and it was great. This particular day was their "show" for the parents and whoever wished to come. The teacher was not that great but I think it was worth it just to have this picture.

Seeking Shalom,
Bobby V

Read More

A Trip to the Land of Beer and Cheese

Trip to the Land of Beer & Cheese
I arrived home yesterday evening (Monday nite) from a trip to my old stomping grounds in Milwaukee. The primary reason for the voyage was the honor of performing the wedding of Lorna Dolhun to Jerry Seidner.

I had a marvelous time. I was greeted at the airport on Friday by Vivian Karbiner and we ate at Famous Daves BBQ for lunch. That evening we had rehearsal and a number of us went to Sarapheno's pizzeria and laughed for many hours (... the color black was in there somewhere). While there it rained!!! I had not seen rain in quite a while. Took it easy on Saturday morning, had the wedding at 2 pm. Lots of folks from Southside there and we visited for a long time. I visited with Jan, Wayne, Rick, Brenda, another Brenda, Monroe & Julia, Nathalie, Dennis & Marlene, Scott & Christine, Jim & Lori, Al Gray, Tom & Judy, Jason & Leslie, Tom, Mary & Lou, Cliff & Sandy, Ben, Ed, John & Elizabeth, Brad & Linda (thanks for the salsa), J. R. & Katie, Juan & Diane, Brian, Dan & Laurie, Harold & Kay, Otto, Michael & Julie, Daryl & Nina, Bethany, Adrian, Latanja, Dan & Jeanna, Bruce & Karen, and Hank & Vivian. And more ...

After the wedding I took my shoes off and walked on the grass ... I hadn't done that in some time either. That evening went out and had a great steak (huge!). I was so glad to be able to. preach for Southside on Sunday (2x) like the old days. I did a lesson from Philippians called "The Joy of the Lord." I was thankful that they put up with me. After morning worship there was congregational picknic in Root River Parkway. I had a brat (hadn't had one of those in a while either). Later Sunday evening a good number of us met to play Sheepshead. As usual I lost but I won't say just how bad the score was (just say if it was golf I would be a grand champion). And to top the day off I had some homemade peanut butter pie. Emm was it good.

It was a good weekend. I won't tell you about the flight home on monday. Suffice it to say that it was the single worst flying experience I have ever had ... but I arrived safe at home in Tucson about 8 hours later than I was supposed to. It was good to see Rachael, Talya and Pamella.

I will be praying for Southside as they begin their new journey with a new man named Jeff. Take good care of them Jeff ... they are great people.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Read More

Good Bye to the Land of Beer and Cheese

Good-Bye to the Land of Beer and Cheese

This is the last blog that will originate from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My emotions are terribly conflicted at the moment: I will miss my family and my adopted city greatly but I am very excited about the new opportunity in Tucson, Arizona. But I owe Southside and Milwaukee a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay.

Though this is indeed the land of beer, Milwaukee however, I have discovered, is far more than that. The city parks are magnificent (I know of no city with a Root River Parkway). The Domes, Miller Park, German Fest, Italian Fest, African-World fest, the Public Museum and Art Museum are places of fond memories.

But Milwaukee is really special because it is the home of Southside Church of Christ. Here I have been challenged and asked to grow. Here my family has changed and become more of what our Abba would have us to be. With this family we went camping with at Blue Mound State Park, we played Sheepshead, shot pool, went to concerts, saw the Brewers, Bucks and Packers ... and we prayed, studied and shared the gospel together.

Milwaukee and Southside are not "events" though ... they are people. Great people. These are folks who for some reason have allowed a mediocre preacher the awesome privilege of standing before them and talking about the kingdom of God. They have often surprised me with things totally unexpected. Yesterday, as I closed my lesson from 2 Timothy 2.8-13, "Don't Forget," at the end of "second worship," I was stunned as the congregation started to applaud. It was a very moving moment and completly unexpected. Yes, I will miss Milwaukee. I will miss Southside.

But PaLO VErde is also, I have discovered a people of great love and vision. I believe that God is directing our path to an even grander adventure in Tucson. The cloud moved and our Abba has only our good in mind when he directs our paths. In the last few weeks our new family has been worming their way into our heart.

I pray that God will bless Milwaukee and Southside. I pray he will Tucson and Palo Verde.

No more blogs for another week to 10 days.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Read More

Thursday Nite at Lambeau Field

Thursday Night at Lambeau Field

It was cold. It was raining. It was Thursday rather than Sunday. The tickets were on the visitors side but they were row 7 on the 45 yard line ... and it was Lambeau Field Baby!

Jim Nichols, his two sons (Adam and Aaron) and myself headed north to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Vikings. We got there and tried to grill some brats on a less than sizzling grill (cold and rain make heat hard to come by). We eventually got one ... but it was Lambeau Field.

The Vikings were not exactly like the vaunted Purple People Eaters of days gone by. The Packers dominated the game in every area (t.o.p., offense, defense) but they could not finish the job of putting the ball in the end zone. The final was 9 to 7 ... Green Bay. No thanks to Bubba.

But it was Lambeau.

We ran over a bolt in the rear driver's side tire. Little jack. Little tire. Means the little old lady passed us on the way back to Milwaukee.

Got home about 2:15ish am. Had a great time ... it was Lambeau and Favre.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Read More

Divesting

DIVESTING

Surely some person some where has either blessed or cursed the chaos. We need a little chaos, however, to remind us that the things of this age are not the most valuable. That is hard to believe at times!

You see over the last several days I have been packing books, books, and more books. At the "encouragement" of my beloved wife, Pamella, I have begun to divest myself of books. And how I despise that!

But I have been able to do it. At present I have probably divested over two thousand dollars in books. I found good homes for books on tanks, submarines, the Luftwaffe, a multi-volume history of the Civil War, missiles, Stalingrad, etc. I delivered five large boxes of books to Half Price Books this morning as well.

I gave away about six years of Leadership and half the printed editions of Wineskins. Gone are books on art, ancient wine and even my lone book on UFOs. I divested myself of Astronomy and Sky & Telescope going back to the mid-1980s. But I just could not bring myself to get rid of my Star Wars comics!!!

Moving reminds us of just how much "stuff" we collect, even when we are not collectors. I cannot say that getting rid of all those books has made me a better person. But perhaps they will bless others who seek to explore new horizons. And besides ... I still have 27 boxes of books that I did not divest myself of. But I am learning to be nimble, :-)

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Read More

The Cloud Has Moved: News from Milwaukee

The Cloud has Moved: News from Milwaukee

Numbers 9.15-23

For the last couple of days we have been digging our way out of a serious dumping of snow on us here in Milwaukee. Currently the temps are about 19 degrees (it was 10 as we went to worship this morning) and some snow flurries are gently falling.

This day in Milwaukee is a day mixed with sadness and joy for my family. Today I informed my family here at Southside that the cloud had moved, that I was resigning from the duties as pulpit minister effective December 31, 2006. I informed my beloved family that my family would be relocating to Tucson, Arizona and will begin working with the Palo Verde Church. This was a most difficult decision but I believe it is one that God has directed. I share below the letter that I read to Southside in both worship services ... with only the more personal stuff edited out.

"December 3, 2006

Dear Family,

After a long and difficult year, 2002 turned into a magnificent blessing for my family. That year . . . my family was down for the count.

Then five men, Dana McMillion, Rodney Windell, Wayne Alexander, Al Gray and Monroe E. Hawley invited my family to a place called Milwaukee, WI. It was a hopeful sign and on my birthday, August 25, 2002, the Valentines were asked to work with God's wonderful family on the corner of 20th and Grange. That invitation was a gift from God!

Since then my family has experienced one blessing after another. These blessings were not simply my own but for Pamella, Rachael, and Talya too. We have learned what brats are, fallen in love with custard, we drink Sprecher's Root Beer, we play Sheepshead, and we can even find the bubbler.

We have been adopted here at this place. There are those in this family who have shared with us in ways that we can never repay or be worthy of receiving. We have learned what love really means through many of you. We are blessed by you and I am a grateful man.

Since 2002 the leadership of this congregation has changed somewhat. Dana and Rodney have been called to other places. Bruce Williams has been an outstanding addition to the eldership. There are no four men that I hold in higher esteem than my Shepherds here at Southside. They have been patient with my foibles. They have helped mature me in ways they cannot know. I consider it a great honor to know them and serve with them.

These facts have made my decision all the more difficult and agonizing for our family . . . In September, I became aware of a congregation, the Palo Verde Church of Christ in Tucson, Arizona . . .

After much prayer, after much discussion with Pamella, Rachael, Talya ... I have decided to accept an invitation to work with the Palo Verde church. I have informed the elders of my decision on Thursday night. Thus my family will be making the transition to Tucson in January 2007.

We are saddened by our departure from Milwaukee and Southside. It is our prayer that our friendship with each of you as individuals and with Southside as a congregation will suffer no loss but grow ever deeper. Our home, as it has been here, will be open to you when you want to get away from the 20 below zero winter.

The actual circumstances of being offered the position at Palo Verde has lead Pamella and I to truly believe this is God's will. We covet your prayers as we make this transition. We will be in prayer for you too. We seek our Abba's blessings upon you and I know he will be generous in them.

"May the LORD bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you."

In Christian Love,
The Valentine Family"

This is a major transition that I never would have dreamed off earlier in the year. But as Numbers says ... sometimes the cloud does move and we follow the Lord no matter where he leads. Or when.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

Read More