FAMILY FUN!!

Have you ever played Wii? It's an interactive video game and as you can see ML and her sister are boxing (on Thanksgiving day). I've never seen my wife get so excited about punching somebody's lights out. Loved every minute of it.

Here you see ML and little Brayden at Eric and Andrea's house in Topeka. He's really grown hasn't he? Grandma had a great time.

And here you see the little man sitting on Grandpa's lap. He's quite relaxed and at peace with the world. Sure enjoyed him. Hopefully it won't be so long before I see him the next time. Actually it will be at Christmas. He JUST might get a present or two.

Had a great time with all our family on both sides. I'm truly blessed.

BRAYDEN BOUND!!

Okay, here's the deal. We're heading out on Thursday to catch up with some family for Thanksgiving. First to Newton for a get-together with M.L.'s side of the family. Then that night we will stay at Todd and Melissa's in McPherson. The next morning we will go to my folks for a dinner around noon or so. That evening/night we will head to Topeka to see the little man (and Eric and Andrea). I've not seen him since August so we have a little grandpa/grandson time to take care of. Looking forward to it.

So, you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday. And be careful that you don't forget to offer thanks to the Lord in the midst of the busy weekend (see my Pastor's Corner in the Standard).

Blessings. P.R.

WHO IS THAT MUSIC MAN??

I was told this morning that if Kyle didn't know what to do when he got out of school he could always be a traveling salesman (aka Harold Hill).

Kyle and Remy
(Professor Hill and Marcellus)
Kyle and Jessica
(Professor Hill and Mrs. Paroo)

Dustin, Kyle, and Remy

(Charlie the angry salesman, Hill, and Marcellus)

What a great job by the cast of The Music Man. It was wonderful entertainment and the hard work sure paid off. Tori (the director) deserves a lot of credit, especially in light of some of the "extra stress" that was handed to her. I hope a lot of you were able to attend. It was well worth the time and the money.

Great job Kyle! We're proud of you!!!

MONDAY MUSINGS

By the way, did I tell you I'm going to be grandpa....again? May 23 is the due date. Todd and Melissa the parents to be.

Speaking of grandkids, check out Todd's blog and click on the video of Brayden (www.toddjust.blogspot.com ) Sounds like his dad... and has he grown or what??

Is the devil working overtime to destroy marriages or what?? How do you suggest we help those whose relationships are in trouble?

Kyle is the lead role in the Music Man this weekend. Come out and see him and the rest of the cast if you get a chance. Should be a blast!! (Trumpet blast).

How does Scot McKnight have the time to blog as much as he does? I have not a clue. (See www.jesuscreed.org )

Men's group on Friday mornings at 6:30. It's a great time. If you've missed lately, come on back. We eat a little breakfast and chew on the Word.

Teresa and Kevin - great job Sunday morning!

Anybody go to the Toby Mac concert on Saturday - how about a report?

Anyone have 2 k-state/missouri football tickets for sale? Let me know asap.

Pray for rain!!

Have a great week - P.R.

EMMAUS (pt.2)

After returning home from Garden on Sunday I am convinced that God uses a "plethra" of methods to draw his people to him through special and powerful ways. Obviously the Walk to Emmaus is one of them. In my prior post someone responded in a way that suggested the walk as being a prerequisite or and additonal work that must take place to get "closer to the gates of heaven". Far from it. Yes, it draws us closer to "Him" but JESUS is the only "gate" and faith in him allows us to enter. The Walk is merely one of many tools used by God to grow in our relationship with Christ. Disciple Bible Study, the Ashram retreat, small group bible studies, Promise Keepers, Women of Faith, etc., etc., are all used by God to draw us closer to him in faith. Praise God for the ways he helps us grow and the ways he "fires us up" for him. Would I like everyone to go on the walk? Sure! But it's by far not the only way people can draw close to Jesus. I'm for whatever God chooses to do.

We all know that life is filled with mountaintop and valley experiences. Why not pursue and experience the mountaintop when you can? There are always plenty of valleys out there.

I am so thankful for what God did in the lives of the women this past weekend. It was awesome to see him work in their lives and am excited for others to hear the stories.

Never apologize about an experience with God. Never!

Have a great week!

ANOTHER AWESOME WALK!!

Just returned from participating in the Walk to Emmaus at Garden City. It's always amazing to see what God does during those 72 hours together. Actually, it's miraculous.

It was humbling once again to be on the team. I was blessed to work with some unbelievable guys led by Steve Mayo (Lay director) and Tod Anthony (spiritual director). And then to observe God's work in the guys from the first day to the last was great - especially watching the guys from Leoti.

Thanks for praying for us all. Now our attention turns towards the women who will be attending this Thursday - Michelle Sheppard, Teresa Clark, Kendra Perry, Marilyn Wilbur, and Cindy Crays. Please keep them in your prayers. They are about to meet God in a new and exciting way.

How about some thoughts from some of you who attended who are reading this here blog? Love to hear from you.

You locals - ask Kevin, Jason, Craig, Gary, or Matt about their experience. See what they have to say.

De Colores!!

BY THE WAY, DID I TELL YOU.........

I'm going to be a GRANDPA -AGAIN!!!!! Congrats to Todd and Melissa. We are super excited as our little Grandson Brayden will have someone to play with soon. Melissa is due the 23rd of May. (Kyle graduates the 17th. Should be interesting). This is an answer to prayer. Yep, I'm going out to order my cane and hearing aids today. You know how it is being a grandpa and all.

Other excitement - Thursday the 18th kicks off the fall Walk to Emmaus in Garden City. We have 10 people from Leoti going plus a couple of us working the team. Be in prayer for Gary Wilbur, Jason Perry, Craig Sheppard, Kevin Clark, Matt Crays, Todd Schumacher, and me as we head to Garden tomorrow at 4:30. Can't wait to see what God has up his sleeve. (Does God have sleeves - or even arms for that matter?)

If you want to read a great blog, check out jesuscreed.org. Scot McKnight is a friend of ours from Chicago. He'll make you think.

Have a great weekend. Stay tuned for grandbaby and Emmaus updates.

Signing off...........................

P.R.

BITTERSWEET

I was saddened to hear of the death of one of my best friend's mom, Ellie Zerger, this past week at Marion. Actually, she died on my birthday, October the 4th. It was totally unexpected and was a shock to us all.

In the picture you see Reuben (Ellie's husband), and Julie and Tim, great friends from high school. I made a red eye trip to Marion Tuesday afternoon to spend a little time with them. It was a great evening although I wish it could have been for a different reason. It had been years since I'd seen them so we had a little catching up to do. Talked about our great times in school and especially the great times at their house where Ellie was more than hospitable. Needless to say, I never went hungry when I was at their house. She was such a great person and always treated me as one of her own. I am grateful I will see her again by virtue of our faith in Christ.

It's too bad that we seem to let time get away from us to the point that we don't stay in touch like we should. But, as is the case with good friends, when we do get together it's as if we have not missed a beat. Such was the case on Tuesday evening.

My prayers continue to go out to the family. I'd ask you to keep them in your prayers as well.

HMMMMMMMM..........

In case you are a person who likes to ponder.....................................


The Cubs will never again win the World Series. Never!

The Chiefs?? 10 yards rushing against the Jaguars? Are you kidding?? Larry Johnson should pay ME to watch him.

The Wildcats? Come on Josh Freeman. Maybe a little emotion? You had a chance to be a hero.

Hillary Clinton?? Enough said.

USC? Sorry for chuckling.

NBA and NHL?? Who cares?????

The WCHS Indians - can't expect to win when padding out only once a week and not practicing when the whole team is available to do so.

Network television - I've seen better stuff in a garbage dump.

Hallelujah, the wind has finally died down. Wow!

Awesome fall harvest - don't forget the Lord of the harvest. It's not about us.

WOW, WHAT A WEEK!

Trying to catch up a little today after being gone most of the week. You can see a couple pictures from when I was in Towanda - one with Todd who helped me with music on Monday night and their youth group from the night before. Good pizza and a great bunch of kids. The meetings went very well. God blessed the time.

Returned Wednesday morning in time to get ready for God Squad that night. Left for Denver the next morning to see Chris (see above picture). He's in pretty good shape for the shape he's in. It's going to take a lot of rehab - keep him in your prayers.

While in Denver I was having some problems with a tooth - lots of pain. To make a long story short, I ended up having a tooth pulled Friday morning in Garden City. I was never so glad to have a tooth pulled. Hallelujah!

Went to Kyle's ball game Friday night and then returned to Garden for an Emmaus meeting on Saturday. I'm thrilled tomorrow is Sunday - possibly a day of rest?? (After church, not during).

CALL TO PRAYER!

You will remember that I was privileged to baptize Chris Antonelli back in July in our local swimming pool. Chris was involved in a serious accident this morning and was flown to Denver for evaluation, surgery, etc.. Would you commit to pray for Chris for successful surgery, minimal pain, and a quick recovery and healing? Thanks in advance for your prayers and for what the Lord is going to do.

JUST meandering about.........

Typical weather for this time of year. In the 50's earlier this week. Today it is in the 90's. Crazy. I love the fall so let's get on with the cooler weather.

A year ago I just returned from an elk hunt in the Rockies. Couldn't go this year but a few of the guys went. However, the elk are still safe and sound. No luck for the guys (except for a little bad luck with a horse). But, beautiful weather so hey, that's worth something.

The high school f-ball team had a rough go again this last Friday losing to undefeated Lakin. Our offense is still looking to get into sinc. Elkhart should provide the remedy for what ails us this weekend.

How bout the KSU Wildcats? Looking good. Can't wait to play the hawks.

Where has the time gone? It is the middle of September. How can that be? It always get real busy this time of year. The farmers are in the thick of things - corn, milo, planting wheat, etc. The church is in high gear with God SQuad, studies, meetings, and prep for budget and conference.

The Walk to Emmaus is a month away. Sounds like 10 from the area are going. That's awesome. Some of us on the team were at the training yesterday and it looks like it will be another GREAT time.

I'm heading to Towanda this weekend to lead some renewal services - Sunday through Tuesday. Looking forward to it but have a lot to do prior to Saturday. Keep me in your prayers. They are a great bunch of folks over there. (Anyone from Towanda or from that area reading this?)

I've been thinking a lot about worship lately - styles, music, liturgy, the focus, etc.. I'm curious - How do you define worship and what constitutes "good worship" for you?

Later......... P.R.

Grandpa update and misc. stuff....

As you can see, we have one happy family - Eric, Andrea, and little Brayden. Kyle took these pics last weekend when he and M.L. went to Topeka to check on the little man. All is going well. Brayden is gaining some weight - eating well ( a Just tradition). Mary Lou made the quilt that Brayden is laying on. Sounds like a grandma thing doesn't it?

Kyle's f-ball team took it on the chin last night losing 26-6. Our defense played great only allowing 2 tds on 2 big plays. The other tds came on two interceptions for scores. Over all, we played with them (Johnson) - a big team. next week gets tougher playing undefeated Lakin.

Listened to Todd broadcast Bethany football on the internet for a little while tonight. He and another guy are the "Voices of the Swedes" this year. They sounded good.

Preaching from John 4 tomorrow, the last part of it, following the woman at the well passage. Read it - great stuff.

Cooler weather has arrived. Ahh yes - I love fall.................................

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

The best time of the year has finally arrived - fall and football. Last Friday night saw the Indians of Leoti defeat the Indians of Satanta in a rather strange game. After leading 20 - 0, we tried to give it away, only to see the last pass by Satanta caught and downed at the 1/2 yard line, just short of what would have tied the scored at 20. Time ran out and we walked off with a win, 20-14.

Over all, we played pretty well but showed that we were out of shape come the fourth quarter. The picture above is Kyle punting. He had a good night with one TD reception, a 2 point reception and 2 quarterback sacks, one for a fumble. Also did will kicking and punting. The team travels to Johnson for a much tougher game this Friday.

The fourth quarter reminded me of how we need to stay in spiritual shape. It's when we get tired and worn out that the devil goes to work. A good reminder to be disciplined in prayer, reading scripture, and worship - both individually and corporately.

The next kickoff is only days away. Time to get in shape.

FUTURE WILDCAT!!

The cats lead the way in the recruiting process for Brayden to play football in 18 years. We'll keep you posted. Our plans are for him to support his grandparents - both Murrays and Justs - once he is picked in the first round following his years at KSU. Rah, Rah, Rah!!!

1 DAY OLD AND COUNTING!!

JUST happen to have a few more pictures for you. Little Brayden is doing great - eating well, testing the diapers, using his lungs, sleeping, and especially loves being held by grandpa and grandma. Todd and Melissa drove out this afternoon and got to see the little man. I have some picture of them with him as well. Kyle can't wait to see him - probably next weekend with M.L.

Thanks for your calls and notes of congratulations. We appreciate them and you. See you on Sunday. P.R.

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!

We (Rick and Mary Lou) would like to announce the birth of our first grandchild Brayden Matthew Just who was born August 23 at 9:30 pm at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. Brayden weighed in at 8lbs 7 oz. and was 21 3/4 inches long (not a typo). Eric and Andrea Just are the extremely proud parents. All went well after a rather long day.

Thanks to all who have been praying these past few months. God has indeed answered our prayers and we now look forward to seeing what He has in store for little Brayden in the future. Stay tuned as I'm sure there will be more pictures.

As Andrea exclaimed following Brayden's birth - "Praise the Lord".

I am now officially a Grandpa!! - P.R.

"BACK TO THE BASICS"

Had the privilege of going to the Otterbein UMC in Russell, KS this past weekend to preach/teach a series based on the theme "Back to the Basics". We gathered on Friday evening for a light meal together followed by some worship and the first session. I was able to use a power point presentation for both the music and the preaching and it worked great. It was very helpful. On Saturday, we got together at 9 a.m. for the 2nd session, took a break around 10:15, and then concluded with the 3rd session at around noon. Of course, we ate together to wrap things up ( a meal was catered in).

Thanks so much for the excellent hospitality offered by the folks at the church. Special thanks to Dr. Starkey who coordinated our time together. I appreciated the openness of those who were in attendence to what was being taught. The Spirit was sweet and it was a blessed time. (After I left, the church had a youth event and a concert on Sunday so it was a good weekend for them).

Now I turn my sights to the upcoming renewal services which will be held the end of September in Towanda and the Walk to Emmaus in Garden City in October. Good stuff.....

STILL ALIVE!

Yeah, I know. I've not updated this blog for a while. A little under the gun right now. This past weekend saw ML and I heading to Larned for Dana's wedding. I had the privilege of officiating and all went great. Got to see some of our friends from back that way as well. A good time.

I've been involved in a bunch of meeetings lately - gearing up for the school year, getting ready for a youth campout this weekend, preparing for a new God Squad year, and meeeting with fellow ministers in the area and others in the community as it pertains to opportunities that have been presented to us.

I head for Russell on Friday for a preaching/teaching weekend at the Otterbein UMC. I will lead worship Friday night and Saturday and preach and teach focusing on the theme of "Back to the Basics". So I am busy trying to get ready for that. It's beginning to come together.

Well, some of you have been concerned that I have not mentioned the grandbaby lately. Just so you know, I plan on being a grandpa by the end of the month. (Paying attention, Andrea?) The timer is ticking - tick,tick, tick, tock.................................

Have a great week!

ANOTHER FAIR HAS COME AND GONE - WHEW!

Ah yes, another year at the fair has come to a close. Because our fair depends soley upon volunteers of the community it takes a lot of hard work and sweat to see that everything goes off with a hitch. Oh, there's always a few hiccups but it was another great year at the county fair.

Congratulations to the 4-H kids and all their hard work in the various exhibits. As you can see, Kyle and Macey are showing their pigs to the judge while Tristen poses with his steer for a picture. The top picture is Craig and Macey leading off the parade with the privilege of carrying the stars and stripes. That was quite and honor. And the horses cooperated too - that was a plus.

Thanks to all who helped with the food booth and the church booth - there are too many to mention without missing someone but you know who you are. It was a lot of work but well worth it. Now we turn our attention to the beginning of school. It's ridiculous that it starts so soon but that's just my opinion. In the meantime, pass the cherry pie, top it off with ice cream, and away we go.