Few Thoughts 7-5-2019
LOS ANGELES DISTRICT
Happy 4th or 5th of July! I trust you are enjoying a great time during these moments of celebration! BBQs, picnics, camping, fireworks, and more. I enjoy everything about these days. I’m writing these Few Thoughts on Wednesday, July 3, knowing that you may not get these until the weekend. As for me, my 4th of July morning will begin somewhat early as I will rise out of bed to stretch a bit, warm up with a 2-3 mile run, and then race in the Independence Day 10K at 7:00AM. Depending upon how fast or
S-L-O-W I run it, the 5K race begins immediately at 8:00AM. More than likely I will only have about 18 or 19 minutes to recover. Can’t really think of a better way to start off the 4th! After the race, I hope to join our retired missionaries at
Casa Robles.
ENCOURAGEMENT: 

“Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to Me.”  (Matthew 21:2) 

Whenever I read passages like this, I always think to myself, “Jesus would have fit in cities like Los Angeles very easily.” I say this because Jesus never seemed to be in a rush. I am certain that there were horses available in Jesus’ day. Obviously, there were no cars or motorized vehicles, but there were chariots, horses, and other means to travel much quicker. And Jesus chose to use a colt. A small donkey that had never been used for carting someone on before. His ride was going to be very slow. 

Last Sunday Leslie and I were headed up the I-5 for service in Paso Robles. Leslie was going to be taking part in the Worship Team, so we were trying to get there by 8:30AM. We left the house at 5:30 and just as we were approaching Castaic, the large electronic sign read, “Accident at Templin Hwy, all lanes closed!” Bummer! But I thought to myself, “Ahh, it’s probably not that bad!” Sure enough, we climbed the hill, approached Templin Hwy, AND the traffic was not moving. I shut the engine off, and we sat around, as people were getting out of their cars, chatting it up, as we did with each other. As you can see in the one photo, this poor guy with a pick-up filled with pineapples and bags of ice was not in a good spot to be stuck on the freeway and NOT moving. 
However, traffic is a way of life for us all who live in or near LA. In fact, not just LA, because when we left Paso Robles after service (BTW, we got there at 9:25) and came back through Lost Hills, it took us 45 minutes to drive a quarter of a mile due to the construction along the road. 
 
The Bible speaks a lot about patience. Waiting. Slowing down. Listening. Not talking. Jesus delayed 4 days after He heard Lazarus was sick. Jesus walked everywhere He went. I can’t find one verse where Jesus hopped on a chariot or took a galloping horse. He took His time. 
 
Summer is a great time to slow it down a bit. Reflect some on your spiritual journey with the Lord. There’s no need to be that person on the freeway weaving through traffic trying to be the first one there! If you’re in a rush, leave your house 5 minutes earlier. Jesus delayed in going to Jairus’ house and then his daughter died. Jesus got up early in the morning to spend some time in prayer while everyone was looking for Him. And here in this passage, He chooses a colt as His mode of transportation. 
 
“Lord, help me to slow down a little more, especially this summer. Thank you for all you have done for me and even giving me the opportunity to take a break now and then. Thank you for the early morning hours and for the late night moments. Thank you for opportunities we even have in the middle of the day to stop, reflect, and spend some time with you. I love you, Lord!”  
Church Ministries:
Paso Robles:  As I mentioned above, Leslie and I enjoyed a very special morning with our church up at PasoNaz. And once again, I had the morning off as Leslie preached in the service. She is a blessing to me. And by the way, we celebrate 34 years together July 6. I can’t believe time has flown by so quickly! (I must have gotten married when I was two years old...haha!) I appreciate your prayers for PasoNaz as we continue searching for God’s choice of a Lead Pastor.  
District Matters:
District Youth Camp:  Last week my brother Tim and I made a quick trip up to see the NYI at Quaker Meadows for the Summer Camp. What a gorgeous place they have up there in the pines, sequoias and more! Thank you, Pastor Tim Olson, along with the many youth workers along your side. The teens were having a great time together. We hung around long enough to capture some pics of the youth playing this game with cardboard boxes over their heads and running SMACK into each other. Thankfully, they all survived! From the reports I have gathered from several teens, they had a wonderful time growing, worshiping, and learning in Jesus! They had a total of 167 attendees up at camp. Next week, about 110 of them are headed to Phoenix for NYC. Please be in prayer for our NYI!  
Rosie Weatherby Memorial Service : Last Sunday the celebration for the life of Rosie took place. What a special lady she was to the church and district! We will miss Rosie and we will continue to pray for Bud and the family.
Seminario Teologico Nazareno:  Leslie and I bolted over to LA First Church immediately following Rosie’s service to take part in the graduation ceremony for the three students finishing their studies in our STN. Congratulations, Martha Valencia, Aura Carrillo, & Jose Carrillo. We also welcomed Rev. Timothy McKeithen, who was our special speaker for the graduation. A special thanks to Rev. Ramiro Juarez and the faculty for all you have done this past year! And thank you, Pastors Juan and Lina Fajardo for opening the doors for the ceremony.  
Thank you, everyone, for all you are doing for your local church, the district, and the kingdom! These are great days to be sharing what the Lord is doing in us and for us. This next week I am planning to head over to Phoenix for a day and half to take part in NYC. The following week I will be joining the children at Church Camp and having the privilege to share with them on Wednesday evening, July 17. The week after that, I will be connecting with the District Work & Witness Team in Oaxaca and Cerro Costoche. August is busy, but life in the Lord is never boring. I love you all, and I do hope to see you very soon. 
 
Connected in Him,
Greg A. Garman
Los Angeles District Superintendent
Church of the Nazarene