Did ya miss me?

As I was saying...

It's been over three months since I've had access to my own little corner of the web, due in part to my poor planning....and some unexpected misfortune that has turned into great joy for me.

This is my first blog entry from my new home in Canada...I am at last with my beautiful new wife of two months and our three wonderful adopted special needs children.

It took this long because I sadly underestimated how easily I could come across the international border and set up shop. At first, the Canadian authorities were less than impressed with my reasons and qualifications to move up here...so I was denied initial access to Canada.

I had to wait across the Washington border in the sleepy town of Sumas for two months while I got legal help from some Vancouver immigration lawyers and a lot of moral and spiritual help and support from fine Christian friends on both sides of the border. And along the way, on October 21st in the beautiful community of Lynden, WA, I married the girl of my dreams.

We plan to do a more formal ceremony after a while here in Abbotsford(our home)for our family and friends, but it was a most humble and beautiful ceremony in the home of the minister who married us...with his wife playing the organ and a couple of their friends(who'd been married 67 years!)to be our witnesses. It'll be a day we'll both cherish forever, and a milestone in my life.

We have both made tremendous progress on our immigration procedure, and I am now applying for permanent residence status, which I anticipate no problems in eventually attaining.

So how did I finally get up here, you ask?

Well, I wish it could have been under happier circumstances. You see, my wife has developed a painful lesion on her throat that is causing her a great deal of pain. And with the help of my lawyers, I was able to convince the customs agents to let me across so that I can be a help and comfort to my wife and family is this time of need. I still have to go through the formal process of application, but now I can be in our home with my wife and kids while this whole scenario plays through. Please keep my wife in your prayers as she awaits word on her condition and how it will be treated. And pray that I will be the kind of man God wants me to be for her at this time...I have no doubt of the positive outcome of that, either...God is merciful and faithful, and I can see where He is leading with all of this.

Abbotsford is an extremely pleasant community of some 125,000 people just 45 miles(70 km)east of Vancouver in British Columbia, IMHO the most beautiful of Canada's many beautiful provinces. It is a community strong in churches(known as BC's "Bible Belt"),services, and friendly people,,,with a very strong Dutch factor as well. A LOT of people with Dutch surnames live here, and both my in-laws are Dutch immigrants...and strong Christian people. Abbotsford's gently rolling terrain and mild weather, along with its' glorious scenery(and its' equally beautiful neighbors)make it a great place to live and raise a family.

And what a family I now have...let me introduce them to you.

Our oldest child is Kerry, a cute 9-year old boy who loves being active, police cars, reality TV shows, and he is a very good artist as well. His recent paintings are very accomplished. And although he is much the typical 9-year old boy with restless energy and mischievous brown eyes(on occasion), he has a quite generous heart and is very protective of his family, including his two younger sisters. I have seen him do some very compassionate deeds for both his sisters and his mother and me....it is encouraging to see that kind of development in a young boy. Kerry's major contribution to my arrival is the name I have to the family...since I am a late arriving father figure, he coined the name "John-Dad" for me...and I'm proud to be the kids' "John-Dad". And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Kerry's adorable pet stuffed cat.Spaz. who's given him much joy since he was but a year old.

Next in age is our "bookworm", 8-year old Amanda, who loves reading books as much as I did when I was her age, and who is quite musically accomplished as well. Already she has written four songs, and is learning both the piano and violin. For her 8th birthday, my wife and I took her to a concert by the original Couriers in Puyallup, WA...where she stole the show with her animated enjoyment of the music and the guys, particularly Dave Kyllonen. In a future entry I'll tell the story of how Dave made Amanda's birthday really special..but Amanda herself is special, and I have a special bond with her already.

Possibly the "star" of our family is six-year old Jessica, who has to be the most beautiful six-year old girl on the face of the earth. She is style and personality rolled into a cute ball of charm, and her sparkling smile and tireless energy has to be experienced to be fully understood. All of our children are artistically gifted, and they go to a school for the arts to develop those precious gifts God gave them. Jessica loves to "imaginate", and she never meets a person she doesn't like. The first time I met her, we took her to a McDonalds, where she immediately befriended every child in the restaurant, directed ALL the playtime activity, and made a point to say goodbye to every one of her new friends when we told her it was time to go. And like her big brother, she loves her stuffed pet, a cute dog she named Puppy(Jessica LOVES all dogs).

Are they always angels? Of course not...they're normal kids, and normal kids need to learn and grow. But they stretch me to new heights of understanding, and their little souls are beautiful enough to constantly capture my heart.

And speaking of capturing my heart, no one has ever done it better than my beautiful wife, Leona. A positive woman with a can-do spirit and a lovely Christian heart, she gives me attention, comfort, and love almost ceaselessly. And she constantly gives me that feeling of belonging that can only come from someone who has a lot of true love to give. Leona's true beauty runs far deeper than I can describe here, and God has never given me a better gift(outside of my own salvation, that is).

And the entire family has shown me that love and appreciation that makes me feel like a big part of what they are and do.

So do I miss Fresno? Well, Fresno will always be a big part of who I am and will be...but it couldn't have given me what Abbotsford has already given me...mostly because Leona, her parents, and the kids are here and not in Fresno. I have never been happier in my entire life.

So I hope it was worth the wait for all of you faithful readers waiting for me to post again. I am here now, and will be more consistent than ever in sharing my thoughts and impressions of life and gospel music with all of you. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

A quote that sums up my life right now

"There's a real sense of adventure in a life of submissive abandon to the will of a providing God."

Frequent readers to this little corner of the web will no doubt recognize the quote and its' source.

Now, this is no contest. I have no prize to give whoever can name the author of this quote or where it came from.

I offer it here only as the perfect summation of my life at present and for however it may inspire any of you.

What a ride!

After this latest lengthy absence from this little corner of the web, a bit of explanation is probably in order.

No, iy's not due to an extended road trip with a gospel music group(what fun that might be, though!).

And it's not because of any health issues(thanks be to God!)...I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in!

I have alluded in the past to personal issues that keep me from posting here as often as I'd like...and it might just be the time to share the most consuming(and joyous)of those with all of you, right here...right now.

After just over a half century of living and working in this all-too-fallen world, I am finally going to do something that most people my age have been doing for quite some time by this point.

I am finally getting married/

What's taken me so long?

Well, call me picky, but given my inclination, I've never felt I could make a lifetime commitment to a woman until I was convinced that she shared my love for and dedication to Jesus Christ and His Word and Way. All the other sruff(llooks, income, personality, etc.)is nice indeed, but if my intended does not share the most important part of my being, then she cannot be my soulmate, which is what I believe God would want a wife of mine to be. Period. End of discussion.

Happily, I've found such a person. Leona is absolutely committted first, foremost, and primarily to Jesus...and wants her life companion to be the same. She has proven that repeatedly, over and over again, to the point where she motivates me to be as Christlike as I can possibly be, to a degree that no one I've ever met has. I need that as a part of my daily life. And her devotion to me is most reminiscent of God's love for me through Jesus, and I need THAT around me every day as well.

At this point, I can't afford NOT to have that kind of person and love in my life.

And I am looking very forward to returning that same kind of love and devotion right back to Leona, and soon I'll be doing that on a daily basis.

Leona is also gifted with a sunny and cheerful disposition, a most kind and caring heart, and a wonderful sense of humor that keeps life interesting and lively at all times...that doesn't hurt in considering her for a soulmate.

We have talked daily for nearly eight months, and have come to the mutual conclusion that God has deigned to join us together...so we are going to do just that.

But what a roller coaster ride this has become! Daily, my moods range from ecstasy to frustration to depression to wonder right back to ecstasy, in just minutes at a time!

Not having been in this state before, I'm concluding that this is just par for the course for an expectant groom...either that or part of the largest possible "teachable moment"(how I'm already tiring of that phrase!)one can imagine...and it's all in the education of a regular guy who's trying to live his life in the light of the gospel of Christ the best he can.

And I'm learning more and more daily the absolute joy that comes with belonging to somebody, and having someone to belong to him.

And I'm loving every minute of it...and can hardly wait for this next stage of my life to begin! Bring it on, Lord!!

I'll keep all of you posted on this latest divine adventure as it progresses...and I have NO doubt it will do just that!!

In quiet mode

Well, here I go again.

It's another of those ultra-quiet periods of my life where I don't post here much.

Now why do I even bother to tell you all THAT much? After all, Deon and Susan and Chris post even more sporadically than I do, but they apparently don't feel they need to explain that to the degree I do. Why do I feel so, then?

In my case, I feel as though I'm expected to stop by this little corner of the web fairly often(if certainly not daily)and share some of my thoughts about SOMETHING anyway(such are the expectations for those who are semi-regular or regular bloggers), and when I don't, I kinda feel I owe you all at least a bit of explanation as to why.

And now, this time, I'm dealing with a number of important challenges in my life. Big changes are underway, and suddenly I'm in the midst of preparations for the biggest change in my life(it's a really GOOD thing, so don't anyone be unduly alarmed for me)...and I want it all to come off well.

But sadly, simultaneously, I've had to endure some of the frankly stupidest, most mindless behavior I've encountered in some time as well(and I've seen plenty of stupid over the years). And since some of that has been in connection with the event alluded to above, it's been particularly discouraging.

But I knew ahead of time that challenges of that nature almost always await the one who puts his trust in the will of the Almighty God who controls this world. The Scriptures(and the rest of history)are replete with the examples and testimonies of those who have met those challenges, trusted in God's leading, and endured triumphantly.

Yes, God gives us all lots of "pop" quizzes...but He also equips us to pass all of His tests, and come through each one better for the experience. This has been a recurring theme all through my life, and will happen again. Do I know that for a fact now? No. But am I willing to stake all I believe on it? Absolutely.

Mastery of this process will guarantee that all of us will meet our life challenges, and rise over and above them. And while I devote my energies to passing this latest exam, I do so confident that all will end gloriously, and will be back here faithfully to share more of my thoughts with all of you...my friends.

In the meantime, I'm in concentration mode(no, not the Hugh Downs-hosted game show of bygone years)...so that means I'm relatively quiet...for now.

Peeking out…

Yeah, it's been a while...too long, in fact!

I know I've used this one before, but life has been so busy, with so much going on, that I've not been able to find a moment to sit down and share things with you all.

Well, why don't you, John? you might ask...and I did just that in part in private correspondence with my good friend Daniel Mount. And some more of you know very well what's been going on, and thank you for being so patient with my lack of posting here. When the time is right, I'll share ALL of this with ALL of you. For now, I can say I'm very excited about the future...it'll mean a big, positive change in my life!

Just so you all won't feel cheated, I'll share with you a line I saw last week that gave me a good laugh.

This is courtesy of professional wrestler Ken Anderson, who's worked under the name Mr. Kennedy in the past, and now calls himself Mr. Anderson.

He wears a T-shirt to the ring that says in front, "Pro wrestling is real."

And on the back it says, "...people are fake!"

I liked it, anyway!:-)

A small reflection

Hi! Remember me?

Yeah, it's been a while...and after I told all of you I'd be here a lot more often, and give all of you loyal friends and readers more to read, and(I hope)enjoy!

I think all of us know how THAT can be sometimes, eh?:-)

Anyway, I felt led to post today because I wanted to share a thought I can't seem to shake from my mind any other way!

It's quite personal, so if you're looking for insightful commentary on a gospel music issue(or any other kind), you might want to either wait or check out some of the other items here in this little corner of the web.

Anyway, like many of you, I am a happy member of Facebook. The social utility has been quite a joy for me, for through it, I've been able to keep up with both old and new dear friends alike!

I'm a-l-m-o-s-t to 500 friends now, and they run the gamut from gospel music personalities that have become friends to fellow radio pros and work colleagues to old school friends I've not spoken to or heard from in decades.

But now, they're all a click away via Facebook! Plus, the true love of my life is there too, and that's also very nice.

Anyway, this morning, one of my relatively newer yet unquestionably dear friends achieved something there that I've been trying to do(with all I can muster)for nearly five years now, and I'm extremely happy for him and the other person involved! They're BOTH very deserving of blessings from God, and the finest fellowship that either of them can have.

But a part of me still feels a little sad...why? Why can't my joy just come forth, with no "catch" to it? After all, I truly want the best for both in my heart.

Why am I sad? Because like everyone of us, I want more than I have.

And THAT attitude is not of God...I should be content in all things, with whatever I have. If I want, I'm subconsciously telling God, "Yes, I'm blessed...but the degree to which you've blessed me isn't enough." How DARE I be so ungrateful to my Lord, who gave His very life on earth to assure my eternal destiny AND give me a life that I could not HOPE to have on my own.

Consider...

1. I am saved....if I die at any moment, I'm assured of an eternal existence in His presence. What's better than that? Two answers...and one doesn't count!:-)

2. I'm in good general health...sure, it could be better, but it could EASILY be a lot worse! I'm glad I'm still here to enjoy life!!

3. The Lord has seen fit to give me(finally)the girl of my dreams, and not only that, I've got the BEST possible collection of friends(in Facebook AND real-life)that anyone could have...I don't need anything more, nor is it possible to have anything better there than I have.

What more do I need? NOTHING!

Yet I'm disspirited(if that's even a word...I don't think so)because someone I value a great deal has something I want(even though I truly celebrate that!). What an ingrate I am!

Forgive me Lord, for my lack of trust...I really AM blessed beyond description...certainly beyond what I deserve!

And forgive all of us for being the very same way.

A short update

A longer installment will follow soon, but for now(for those two or three of you that are interested), an update on the calamities I described in my last missive.

The cable TV...working again(more or less). The DVD player...back in business(yay!).

The car...still running hot...often....but the tires have been dealt with(in a story that is blogworthy in itself!), and it gets me from A to B.

Finances? Still very shaky...but I'm trusting...and praying(as many of the rest of you are as well, and I thank you)....I'll be fine.

And I've not even mentioned Michael Vick's return, or the departure of Liberty Quartet pianist Doran Ritchey(but I'll get to THAT one!)!

Finding the time to write is still a challenge, but it's there...somewhere!

More to come....

Maybe things ARE relative(to a point!)

What a week!

The stress doesn't seem to want to let up, and things I've counted on to work to keep my mind in perspective seem to want to collectively bail on me...for one, my relatively new cable TV service inexplicably quit on me, and you ALL know how cable repair service is, You have to fit your life to THEIR schedule, not vice versa.

So you can imagine how happy I am to have them come out Tuesday morning(on my lone day off)to do something that will probably take no more than five minutes, something that maybe I could have just as easily done myself with the proper instructions.

Meanwhile, during this unexpected "down time", I cannot get my relatively new DVD player to operate at all. I know it still works, but unfortunately, I don't have the entire evening ANY day to take the time to figure out how to do that.

The capper to all this came today, when driving my car home(for the first time in nearly a week after prolonged brake repair), my left front tire blew, and since I'm unable to access the spare in my trunk because of some inconsiderate motorist who rear-ended me several months ago, I had to be towed home, and now I need to buy a replacement tire.

And there's still a battery to replace and overheating issues that need to be dealt with as well with ol' Blue(my car).

And my money ran out of month a LONG time ago, and it's awfully hard to remedy the above situation without it.

Yet still, I can't help but wonder why I'm getting so bent out of shape about those things. Until nearly two years ago, I had been living without cable TV and a DVD player for FIVE YEARS. How did I manage that?:-)

And there are many people all over this world(even in the United States)that have no access to ANY of the above, especially a private automobile...and yet they seem far more content in their lot than I do in mine.

And I was doing perfectly fine when all I had to entertain me in the evenings was this computer, and music, and the radio.

And I can't help but think of the many friends I have who would go almost stir-crazy if they didn't have all the conveniences they have.

And yet we all profess our faith and trust in a loving, unfailing God(which I KNOW He is)...but what's the matter with us? Where is our faith? Why aren't we more thankful?

I can only answer for myself....and I AM thankful for what I DO have, especially for the best friends a person could have...so I'll stop whining and shut up now.

Now where DID I put those LPs, anyway?:-)

Wrong place and time?

I occasionally get this way sometimes...I'm sure we all do. There are those days when, even though we know better and know we should be thankful for everything we have(trust me, it's ALWAYS more than what we don't have that we think we should)...that we wonder why certain things seem to happen to us...and I am working my way through yet another of those tiresome life cycles.

Even though it's in the shop, getting mandated smog repairs(mandated, that is, by my state), I am very thankful to own a mostly reliable and well-running automobile to get me from not only point A to point B, but all points all around and in-between.

And even though one of my favorite objects of interests(and pastimes), namely discussing and trading thoughts about gospel music, is one that's becoming more difficult to discuss due to contraction(and sometimes wondering if anyone really cares about my thoughts about it), and realizing that I work in a field that is going through monumental change(and contraction of its' own), I wonder exactly which way my life is going these days, I can always take solace in the fact that (1)gospel music as I've grown to love it will NEVER die, and (2)I am still in my job, celebrating my 26th year in the career field I always wanted to be in.

So as Bill Gaither wrote in song just over 40 years ago, "I believe...so why should I worry or fret?"

And why should any of you?

Another year older…now what?

Well, it's that time of the year again where I'm reminded of how long I've been part of this earth, and that those days are ever dwindling away.

You see, I have now been alive a half-century plus one year. I have to laugh when I see that time of life referred to as "middle-age".

In my case, I don't think so. I mean, I doubt if I will live to the age of 102!

In fact, if my lifespan is typical for males born in this country, my life is almost two-thirds over now!

Only God really knows how long I'll remain here...as I get older, I get the distinct feeling that He would want me to stop being concerned about how long it's been, and simply relax and enjoy what I have left to live. For I believe Jeremiah 29:11 still applies to me, too!

In fact, tonight as I sit here reflecting on it, I can't help but consider my life thus far to have been not just merely blessed, but EXTREMELY blessed!

I say that even though I know my life has not been substantially different from anyone else's. Consider...

Like all people, I've been given outstanding gifts...and I have liabilities that keep me humble(in my case, those liabilities serve to remind me how reliant I am on God to even exist and do ANYTHING meaningful!). I have known great joy, have experienced sorrow and loss, been extremely happy when I've been involved in anything good or meaningful for anybody, and extremely sad(or angry)when I've realized how my disobedience, thoughtlessness, and stupidity have hurt other people and enterprises I was charged with making better or a positive difference in this world.

I am not particularly famous, but I have a degree of personal recognition that has given me joy and fulfillment. I am CERTAINLY not rich in earthly goods, and in fact don't have many of the things other people my age have, but I don't care in light of the fact that I have been blessed with the very best set of friends and loved ones any man can possibly have, and that solely because of the mercy and grace of God. It's certainly not anything I earned on my merits! I honestly don't believe anyone in this world has better friends than I have...God's allowed me to have the very best, period!

I was a well-regarded radio personality for many years, but now, I am perhaps better known for what I do here and in my other writing for Southern Gospel News. Am I content with that, or can I do more? And do I want to do more?

If it turns out that I never get to do anything more than what I do now, I can be content with that. For me, as long as I'm where I believe God wants me to be, then what more can I do than that? My life has been His now for nearly 34 years, and I sure can't improve on what THAT will be.

But there may be more....and I think the odds of that are better than even. I once read that approximately 80% of the people listed in the famous reference book Who's Who(in all its' myriad forms)are in there because of something they accomplished AFTER the age of 50!

Wow...maybe I haven't even "grown up" yet! And if that's true for me(not necessarily making "Who's Who" but accomplishing my greatest feat after 50), then in my case, my best is still yet to come!

And I have learned in living these years that no circumstances can keep me from being what I'm supposed to be, provided I'm committed to doing and being my very best. And I am blessed with the greatest Enabler imaginable to help me do and be just that!

So why despair about what I don't have, or haven't done? I've learned that God wants to enable me to be the very best John Scheideman possible...and that ONLY He can do that!

So on this milestone day for me, I'm reminded that I have a LOT more going for me than against me, and that the best is still yet to come in this final third of my earthly life, if I'm just willing to commit myself to what(and Who)I know best, and not allow myself to be deterred(or detoured)by circumstances or other undue influences.

And because I'm no different from the rest of you, so can all of you.

Page 1 of 8 pages  1 2 3 >  Last »