Miscellany IV

Hello All,

There is a myriad of things to talk about, none of which are interrelated, except for the fact that I want to write about them. This makes this an excellent time for a miscellaneous post!

"BUT WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE!?"
Our family went down to Sea World yesterday, so that we could get our very first "fun pass." At Sea World, you pay the admission once and then you get the rest of the year's entrances free. I have always loved Sea World and thought that this would be the best, hands-on environment for them. This seems to be the best choice for our family, seeing that I am not a big fan of Disneyland, and the kids aren't old enough to enjoy Magic Mountain.

So, we get there and the first thing we see the killer whale exhibit. By this time, I have purposed to make this trip my personal marine-life education. I came down the ramp and asked the trainer a few whale questions. After he answered the typical "life expectancy" questions, I felt that I wanted to know about what to expect when one of these whales died. Now before I tell you what happened, I should probably note that when I first came upon this particular Sea World employee, he was having a very private moment with one of the three whales in the tank. The whale had stopped to face the man and he stood there, smile on his face and his hand on the glass. That should have tipped me off to the emotions that might be tied to any answer that he would give!

And sure enough, when he told us the answer, he got a little teary-eyed and choked up. I put an arm around him and said, "It's gonna be okay...now, what does it taste like!" HA! Only kidding! It was a moment that I could have capitalized on, but didn't. Needless to say, it was a great day. I will continue this post, and while the subject matter will change, you will see some gratuitous pictures of our kids at Sea World.

I'M ON iTUNES!!
I mentioned not too long ago that Kingsfield Church has entered the digital age! Our church "Vodcast," (video podcast) feed is up and running. Because I spoke not too long ago on Sunday morning, my sermons are on that feed. If you subscribe to the Kingsfield Church vodcast, look for "Breakthrough," which will be my two studies in Joshua. I am currently downloading them and will watch them on my iPod tomorrow. It will be fascinating and perhaps very illuminating to watch. I just hope that if you watch them, that you might be encouraged and strengthened in your walk with the Lord.THE FOUR SEASONS, THE FOUR HOMES
Many of you know that I am a big fan of ABC's hit show "LOST." This is the only television show that I have watched in 4 different homes. Season 1, I watched as I was moving out of our Highland home, on our way to Spain. Season 2 was watched in Spain on our laptop. Season 3 I watched in the Lowry's home in Highland. Now, tomorrow, when Lost returns, I will be viewing season 4 from Ladera Ranch.

Now, on the surface, this is just a "shout out" for my favorite show. It sort of is...I admit it! It might just be some useless trivia, but to me, I also see a tremendous reminder of just how much our family has been through over these last 3 years. I am thankful that as I begin season 4, there seems to be no change in sight.

WORDS FROM SPAIN
Last week, I was home from lunch when we got a phone call from none other than Pastor Carlos Casco. It was so good to hear my friend's voice and the report of his recent good trip into Morocco. The Lord has given him such favor and is doing such great things through Pastor Carlos. Soon, he and my Father-In-Law will be traveling back into Latin America to do another Inductive Bible Study seminar with Latin American Pastors, who otherwise have no access to Pastoral training. For more information about Pastor Carlos and for a great slide show, please visit his site here.

And in more news about Spain, we are glad to hear that Ivan and Eunice have made it back to Spain to begin their ministry. If you need a refresher on who Ivan and Eunice are, check out this post from "back in the day" here. Their website is here. Our connection to them came when we met with Paul and Cori Roybal from Calvary Chapel of Upland. Ivan and Eunice are their cousins, who came from Spain to receive training at the Bible College. Truthfully, these two, and Paul and Cori for that matter, are some of the sweetest people that we know. I hope that for those who continue to pray for Spain and the works that would go there, that you will add Ivan and Eunice to your prayer list.

IF AN ASTEROID WON'T GET YOU, A SATELLITE WILL!
The good news is that it's midnight in California, and the previously announced asteroid of mass destruction has not hit us. Surprised? Probably not, especially since those scientists calmed our fragile nerves with their authoritative note of confidence that this asteroid would not hit us. Well, no sooner had they collected their breath, when new word came that a spy satellite would now be our latest threat. Good luck everyone!Well, that's it for now. We love you all very much. For those in or from Redlands or Spain, we miss you all incredibly and wish you, indeed pray, that you are blessed and enjoying your walk with the Lord and are being fruitful in your service to Him. Thanks for checking in on us and being part of our life.

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

What Saturdays Are All About!

It's Gonna Be Close!

Hello All,

Just wanted you to be aware that there is a chance that the earth will be utterly obliterated sometime next week, around Wednesday to be exact. Yes, it's a large asteroid coming our way, but don't worry: The Guardians of all things secure, scientists, predict little chance of impact. You can see the article here. There is an actual official website here with a very informative YouTube video on the lower right side. I will let you know that if you watch the video, there will be a fairly bad version of Sting's song "Fragile," which of course, is very appropriate for the world ending event we are possibly about to experience.

Just wanted my friends to know.

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

Monday In The Park

The Sanchez Family Addiction

Hello All,

Saturday morning in Ladera, a family takes in the latest installment of caffeine! Keeping Starbucks alive and the economy moving is our number 1 priority!

By the way, if you are thinking "like Father, like son," allow me to disappoint you. Caleb is not playing drums, though he is displaying fine form. No, Caleb is currently into robots and is playing the part of a robot in this picture. It's been Pirates, Incredibles and now robots. I caught him watching part of 3:10 To Yuma on the stairs this afternoon. No doubt he will be a cowboy by next week! I'll keep you posted!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

Questions To Ponder

Hello All,

I saw these questions on a friend's blog (Thank you Carrie!) and they provoked me. I figured, "Why should I be alone!?" Here they are:

What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year? 


What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year? 


In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? 


What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? 


For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year? 


What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year? 


What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year? 


What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

What’s the most important decision you need to make this year?

What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?

What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?

What’s the most important trip you want to take this year?

To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?

What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?

I hope that as you see these questions, the reminder of spiritual responsibility will not turn your heart to bitter obligation! However, if the pot needs to be stirred to maximize the flavor, then these will have served their intended purpose.

If anyone felt the need to share their answers, please feel free to register and comment away!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

Shameless "Happy To Have A Good Camera" Blog Entry

Hello All,

Sorry everyone. We have a great new camera and cute kids! Don't worry: The next blogs will be ultra serious! Consider this the calm before the storm!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank SanchezOne of the kids' great joys in life currently, is to watch Looney Tunes on Daddy's iPod. The small screen seems to carry a magnetic quality to them or maybe it's just Daffy Duck & Bugs Bunny!

My 3 year old Elizabeth and her first bike. She's actually getting pretty good.

Caleb's smile just says it all!

Pictures Of A Perfect Day

Hello All,

As I have been saying, we have a new digital camera. Today was another perfect day in the O.C., 75˚, without a cloud in the sky. Well, there may have been clouds...I'm not sure! When I looked, the sky was cloudless. Anyway, I figured, "Good day for some pictures and a good day to give some visuals to our friends from Redlands and Spain. This is our little neck of the woods.

It says "Ladera Ranch." When I first saw this sign, it meant nothing to me. I wasn't impressed, nor was I longing to live here per se. But then, a place opened up and the price was right for us. Now, seeing it means that my fight against traffic is over and I'll be eating dinner soon!


This is our town house, from the front. The back is just a garage facing other garages, but that is usually where the kids ride their bikes and skateboards. It's a super quiet place to live, and except for the color, the place very much reminds me of where we lived in Spain. Funny, perhaps God was preparing us for Ladera!


On my first trip inside, there was a giant TV on top of the shelf where that fake plant is on. There was a giant couch and three guys watching some war flick! Today, there is a hamster there!

My gorgeous daughter Renae, posing against the backdrop of the wash and one of the many trails that we love to walk on, especially in the summer. Right down on the path, to the bottom right of the picture, was about where I encountered a dead rattle snake. I look forward to seeing more of those next summer!

So, we live within walking distance of Starbucks, Albertsons, Blockbuster and Taco Mesa, a great Southwestern Mexican food place. We live within driving distance, and that being only about 5 minutes, from an Apple Store! We are pretty well as happy is Renae is here! She's got a great smile huh!

Well, that's all for now. Unfortunately, the camera came with a small 32 mb storage capacity. Hopefully, we'll fix that next week and get some more pictures up.

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

"Train Up A Child In The Way They Should Go"

Hello All,

There are moments in a Father's life that overwhelm him with joy. For example, when my children have asked Jesus into their hearts, or when they have been kind to each other. These are ultimate, biblical, values upon which their eternitys will be fixed.

This morning though was the transference of anoter type of moment.

Some things aren't specifically taught in the Bible, so when a child receives instruction toward right things in the world, it can be absolutely gratifying. For example, when I was a boy, I was taught to hate the San Francisco Giants by my Father, who is a die-hard Los Angeles Dodgers fan. To this day, even though I find baseball incredibly in need of a 20th century update, I still root for the Los Angeles Dodgers and pray for baseball ruin to befall the Giants! This is a value that I will pass on to my children.

On that same level, I observed the following conversation today.

Frank: Kids, because you were so good, we are going to Blockbuster tonight to see about renting 101 Dalmatians.

Kids: (Frenetic Applause and excitement bursts forth!)

Frank: Now, kids, remember last time we went. Sometimes the store doesn't have the movie we want. So, if not, we'll just rent another one, o.k.?

Renae: If it's not there, we could watch Mac v. P.C.

Caleb: Yeah, we could watch that.

Frank: Mac v. P.C. huh?

Editors Note: (The kids are referring to these videos here.)

Frank: (Pensively in thought...) Kids, which would you want: A Mac or a P.C.?

Lizzie: (Hand in the air, with much gusto!) MAC! (emphatic!)

Caleb: Yeah, I hate P.C.!

I turn to face my children, a tear falling from my eye, knowing that I have taught them to discern, at least in this instance, the difference between right and wrong, good and evil!

Now, if they can just hate the Giants...

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

Good News All Around

Hello All,

We got our new digital camera today, which marks not only the return of pictures here at frankandlela.com, but also marks our first foray into online shopping for things of an electronic nature. Before purchasing this camera, which we bought on the recommendation of cousin Davey, we had never trusted the online shopping experience for this type of thing. And since I have yet to take a picture with it, I should just shut up before I jinx it! I admit that while shopping online rendered the best price, I am still not sure about it. I like having a store and a sales person to hold accountable if things do not work out.

Further adding to my distaste for online shopping is the delivery system. I'm not sure if I should ascribe this to Fed Ex, UPS or the Post Office, but whoever delivered my new camera just left it on the front porch. Apparently, if it had not been for the kids, Lela might have missed it altogether! What is up with that!? A million people could have come by and lifted it from our porch! Ah, who am I kidding...THIS IS LADERA RANCH! Not too long ago, we found out just how safe we are. According to this list, Mission Viejo is number 3 on the list of the safest cities in the United States. Ladera is a suburb of Mission Viejo, so it's even safer! In fact, I would have you notice, that within the top 20, MV, Irvine and Lake Forest are just a few exits off of the 5 freeway from each other!

So Mr. Postman, feel free to leave all my valuables on the front porch! In fact, tonight I am going to leave out my guitar and leave the keys in my car, with the windows open!

One final note: Our church is most definitely on the cyber map! You can now at least, check out our messages on iTunes by subscribing to our new video podcast. And let me recommend to you Pastor Chris' Ephesians study, which we just finished. Chris did a fantastic job, and I think that you will be blessed, as much as those who got to experience it first hand, live. In addition, the 2 messages on Joshua that I just finished this last Sunday will likely be available over the next few days. It will be very weird to have my mug on my iPod, but you might think it's cool or at the very least, a good reminder of why you pray for me!

Did I say "final note!?" Well...one more thing: If you are not doing anything Sunday night, Phil Wickham is going to be at our church doing a worship concert. (Wanna hear the FISH commercial that Pastor Chris recorded a few days ago? Here it is.) It's going to be evangelistic and a great night of worship. Maybe you want to bring a friend or two, which would be cool by us. And if you can't make it, I just might have a picture or two for you from our new camera!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

What Spurgeon Saw

Hello All,

For those of you who have known me for some time, know that I love the works of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. In fact, I was recounting with some friends at lunch that his collection of sermons was the first Christmas gift that I received from my wife. Of course, this is after she pranked me by pretending to give me an alternate book: ALL THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE! As a new husband, I smiled and politely said "thank you," while I mourned inwardly! She laughed and brought out the Spurgeon encyclopedia, which I love to this day.

If you are a "Kingsfeldian," you know that I had the opportunity to speak over these last two weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to address the congregation, and was blessed to share what the Lord had laid upon my heart for this time and this generation of our church. As usual, I wrote my sermon and then sought out sermon resources to "fill out the message." Generally, I use commentaries as salt and a safety net. Salt referring to historical or geographical points that I might not otherwise have access to, and safety net referring to the knowledge that if I come up with something brand new, it's probably wrong! However, I also find that sometimes, the preachers and teachers that I consult, have a very different emphasis to their message.

On this occasion, Spurgeon covered the same text that I did, but came away with an entirely different angle which I really enjoyed and thought I would share it here. The text is Joshua chapter 7 and the return of the spies from Ai. This comes on the heels of the victory that the Lord had won for the people of Israel at Jericho. The spies recommend that only a few thousand go into Ai because it is small. Spurgeon speaks of this as being akin to the prevailing attitude of the church, where the church at large, would assign the responsibility to only a privileged few, namely the clergy. Of course, that counsel only lands the people of Israel in the arms of defeat.

Later, when God gives His divine directive, He sends out the entire nation to fight, and the results are much more in character with His previous promise to Joshua and the nation of Israel. In the midst of these thoughts, Spurgeon lays out a few amazing thoughts.

"If we ever neglect to render universal service as a church in the cause of Christ we shall depart from our trust and call, for the Lord has sent all his disciples to testify of him and contend against sin. He has sent us all to make known everywhere, according to our ability, the glad tidings of his salvation; and he has not given his command to this or that man, or to this or that body of men, but to all His chosen. Every member of the body has it's own office and no part of it can be allowed to lie dormant. To none has he said, 'Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and find fault with those who do the work;' but to all the saints our Lord Jesus says- 'As my Father sent me, even so I send you.'...We shall get away from our true position and our high calling if we excuse ourselves or our brethren from personal service, and then go and take part in public meetings, and thank God for what other people have done on our behalf."

Charles Spurgeon, "All The People At Work For Jesus

And that says about it all!!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

P.S. The camera is coming today! Lord willing, we'll have some pictures by this weekend.

Roby Duke

Hello All,

It had been my intention, a few weeks ago to recommend some music to you that I had purchased way back in 2007. One of those recommendations centered around Roby Duke, whose albums I bought through iTunes. His album, "Ghost" was a major pleasant surprise, keeping me up one night pondering the sounds and arrangements, that to me, were off the charts.

Sadly, Roby passed away the day after Christmas from a heart attack. I feel that I can call him by his first name because the man was so approachable and always ready with a kind smile. I used to love watching him play and muse, sometimes more muse than play, but always left the Sunday night crowd at the Packinghouse in holy moments of praise. Roby was one of the few that I truly looked forward to seeing on Sunday nights. His blend of virtuosic quitar playing and thoughtful lyrics truly inspired and blessed me. Often, it seemed that so much of his music had to do with what he would do when he got to heaven. A great example is this beautiful song called "I Shall See God." This song is available through iTunes on Roby's album "Relaxed Fits," which I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I for one will miss this wonderful artist, but I am thankful to have his excellent music and thankful to the Lord for getting to experience it. I hope that you might have the same opportunity.



Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

Some Prayers, Some Reflections

Hello All,

Yesterday was the beginning of 2008, and in many ways, it felt as though it was many years prior. We spent the better part of the day in the good ol' Inland Empire. Thankfully, because of the holiday, traffic was light, and we made good time. The occasion for our trip was two fold, both of which were less than festive reasons. The first was to visit my Mother-in-law, who is recovering from a bout with pneumonia. The second was to attend a prayer meeting for a dear friend of ours, Alan Brown, who is about to undergo chemotherapy in treatment of an aggressive and rare form of lymphoma.

It amazes me as I stood with both of them, how much peace they shared. Mom Finfrock has always been a true prayer warrior, and that has given her such a graceful countenance in the face of several difficulties that I have watched her encounter. And Alan, despite being medicated due to the pain, was peaceful and calm in the face of the biggest battle of his life. Jesus, and the Spirit of God given to be our helper, makes all the difference in the world. I could not imagine the fear, even the sheer terror in the case of cancer, of trying to face such things without the presence of the Lord.

Being a Pastor, and seeing these health situations over and over again, does not inoculate me to their profundity. But I also observe, in those whose faith is centered in Christ Jesus, a peace that should not naturally be there. I have seen many a Christian broken, but never shattered. Both Alan and his wife Annette, share this strength, and it blesses me to see how genuine their faith is.

Mom left the hospital this afternoon, so our prayers for her have been answered. We would however, ask that you pray for Alan Brown and for the process that Alan must endure beginning Thursday. Alan's cancer, as I have mentioned, is both aggressive and rare, so much so that only 300 cases are diagnosed in the states each year. Statistically, we surmised at the prayer meeting, this amounts to a one in a billion chance of acquiring this form of lymphoma! We ask for a complete physical healing for Alan.

I'm grateful that we had the opportunity to sit and share with Alan, Annette and the friends from Redlands. I hope that when next I see Alan, that he will be well again. Maybe we'll see each other over a nice piece of meat!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hello Dear Friends,

It's very late or very early, depending on your perspective! Either way, it's 2008!!! WOO-HOO!!! I hope that wherever you are, Redlands, Spain or Orange County, we wish you the very best from the Lord in the coming year, as you follow His purpose for your life.

As I survey 2007, I can testify to a wonderfully gracious God. At the beginning of 2007 our family returned to the U.S., unaware of what God had in mind for us. We had no real leads or ideas of where we would end up. Everything that we had worked for and hoped for over the prior 3 years had been crushed when our family was unable to obtain visas to remain in Spain with the Casco family and Calvario De Jerez. Returning to the United States was truly surreal.

And then, one February day, I got a call on my cell phone from Pastor Chris Norman and within a month, I was on staff at what was then known as Calvary Laguna. I commuted through vicious traffic for about 6 months until we landed in Ladera Ranch in late August. All throughout that time, I learned what my place was and fell in love with what would become Kingsfield Church. Tonight, as I face 2008, I am grateful to be one of her Pastors.

Regarding our family, I can't be happier! Lela is doing fantastic, singing on Sundays, leading worship for the Women's Study on Friday mornings, all while managing to be a great Mom and a fantastic wife. Renae is doing great in her first full, uninterrupted year of Kindergarten. 2007 saw her make great strides, learning the basics of swimming and learning how to ride her bike. Caleb is enjoying his scooter and his new skateboard. It's amazing to see how coordinated that he is, and how few his falls have been. And Elizabeth,I say gratefully, fully gained control of her bowels this year! Potty trained kids! What a great blessing! She is also learning to ride her training wheel equipped bike.

For myself, I have taught through the life of Joseph, and am in the middle of the life of David with our Men's Study. (All notes from each study can be viewed here.) I had the opportunity to teach the body 5 times this year, including last Sunday, and this coming Sunday, January 6th. I am blessed to be playing drums again very regularly for the worship team, which has been real fun. I love to play!

It's hard to look forward when things have gone so well, but I anticipate good things. I hope that you will have the same experience.

Now, for the future of this blog, I do hope that I will be more consistent this year than I have been over this last quarter or so. (It's hard to believe that I have now been a "blogger" for 2 years!) Plus, I hope to put more pictures and videos up. (By the way, don't miss the last video which you can see in the previous post or in the video bar at the bottom of this front page. I consider it vintage Renae!) We are in the market for a new digital camera, and months ago, I promised photos. I hope to deliver them soon and frequently after that. It's a new year, so this is my new resolve! We'll see how it goes.

For all who have read and been with us through these last two years, as well as our latest visitors, thank you and the Lord bless you mightily.

Happy New Year!

Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez