Good Morning –

For the last 3 weeks I have written the IPWG by Saturday night – trying not to “work” on Sunday! Each takes from 4 to 8 hours.

This past week has been wonderful – but I am behind! I will take the week off – even though Greg Welsh just commended me for being so faithful in writing IPWG every week. I have listed 22 that I anticipate writing about our 3 yr at Christ Church of Oak Brook.

Here is an update on us –

Our church choir sang 3 choral arrangements at the Maundy Thursday service, 5 at the Good Friday service, and 7 this morning at both the 8:00 and 10:30 services. Singing the 1st tenor part of the Halleluiah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah – at 8:00 AM to begin the worship service – and then again at 10:30 was a fun challenge!

Saturday was grandson Corban Charles birthday party…and helping Sally Jo prepare a gourmet feast for Easter dinner with son Dirk, wife Jennifer, and their 3 sons – who are now with us in Greenville for a few days – Dirk is a leader for a mission trip of 52 high school students this week – Washington DC.

I am in the process of putting new cherry gunwales on an old canoe – very tough as the bow and stern have a very steep curve up. I could not buy clear cherry 18′ long – so will glue 2 pieces together with 5″ scarf joint. I picked out board – have cut and prepared gunwales – – even after soaking on for 10 hours, steaming for 2 1/4 hours and using a heat gun I have broken one! Fortunately I cut two extra pieces.

This Friday I will be meeting for the second time with the staff of the Albany Chapter of the Salvation Army that head up their red kettle program – bell ringers over the Christmas holidays. There were 7 at our first meeting – all but the Chapter Director were new to the program. This past Christmas the program took in $112,000 even though it was very poorly run – and they knew it. We are working together now to be ready by September for the four week program which begins after Thanksgiving.

I am bike riding with Sally Jo to help her be ready for a guided 8 day bike trip with her sister in the Czech Republic in June. Her sister challenged Sally Jo to be ready for the trip while she was still in the hospital bed recovering from her broken back. She is working very hard to be ready!

We were with daughter Carla/Sea for two weeks in February in Vieques, PR – then I came home and she stayed on for another week with a friend from our Connecticut church 1966-70. At the end of April Dirk and Jennifer will go to Vieques for a week. Sally Jo and I are taking care of their 3 boys.

Daughter Jenna, husband Jess and their 3 girls are flying in from Washington State to be with us for 2 weeks in July – will have time with Dirk, Jenna, and their families all together.

Life is rich with opportunity – truly our hearts often over-flow with thanksgiving.

Thanks for your notes in response to the IPWG – 5 this last week. Just a few words are good to see – a good reminder that these are being read.

As the Apostle Paul wrote – I thank my God every time I remember you! In all my prayers for you I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now – being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. — Phil 1:3-6

chief chuck