Herewith a collection of (mostly) unconnected items . . .

*This morning I’m going to be on American Family Radio from 11 AM-12 Noon Central Time. To listen live, click on the link and then click on “AFR-Talk.” You can also watch the live video stream.

*We have just posted a new sermon called Miracles Come in Many Varieties. We sent that sermon out via email to 5505 people around the world, an all-time high. 

*I will be speaking at Word of Life Florida in Hudson, Florida (north of Tampa) starting this Sunday (March 1)  and going through the following Friday. If you are in the area, we invite you to join us for one of the services.

*So far we have received over $2000 of the $10,000 we need for the trip to the Philippines, March 26-April 11. Thank you to everyone who has given and those who are praying for us. 

*Have you signed up for the Keep Believing Holy Land tour? Click on the link to check out the details.

*We’re about to open a brand-new section of the KBM website. It’s happening later today.

*I was asked if we should start stockpiling perishables in case the economy gets much worse. The Boy Scouts have the answer. Be prepared. 

*The best thing you can do right now is to get out of debt. Pay off your credit cards. Live within your means. 

*Today I am praying John Henry Newman’s prayer for spiritual fervor. I love how the prayer ends because it speaks to a need I feel in my own heart:

Nothing would be a trouble to me, nothing a difficulty, had I but fervour of soul. Lord, in asking for fervour, I am asking for Thyself, for nothing short of Thee, O my God. Enter my heart, and fill it with fervour by filling it with Thee. Amen.

1) We are having a wonderful week at the Mid-Winter Bible Conference at the Date Festival Fairgrounds in Indio, California. Did you know there is something called a “Date Shake”? I spoke with someone who had one and said it was very sweet. In a few weeks thousands of people will descend on the fairgrounds for the annual Date Festival. Big doings in these parts.

3) This morning I preach my 8th message. Tonight we close out the conference. All week long the evening crowds have drawn around 290 people–most of them RVers and Snow Birds from other parts of the country. We meet in a large hall that I think is an exhibition area during the Date Festival. It has turned out to be an excellent preaching venue.

4) I’ve greatly enjoyed the music of the Greenidge Trio, a contemporary gospel group made up of husband and wife Timothy and Nancy Greenidge and Timothy’s sister Debra. They live in Portland, Oregon and came down to lead worship this week. Last night Timothy performed a gorgeous a cappella version of Great Is Thy Faithfulness featuring nine different parts, all sung by himself, eight on a tape and one sung live. It was all part of the 30th anniversary celebration of this conference. The speaker the first two years was J. Sidlow Baxter, beloved British Bible teacher.

5) I ran into someone who once lived in Havre, Montana, Marlene’s home town. Earlier this week he told me the temperature there was -23.

6) And I’ve met folks who know Howard Hendricks very well, others who attended Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles when J. Vernon McGee was pastor, and several people who have friends who attended Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park. Plus there is a large contingent of Dutch Reformed people from the Cerritos & Bellflower area in Southern California, not far from where I pastored in Downey, California in the late 70s and early 80s. I’m meeting them for a get-together after the service this morning.

7) All week long I’ve been preaching on themes relating to God’s faithfulness, esp. in the hard times of life. Many have come up and shared their own stories of God’s goodness to them.

8) On Wedneday I borrowed a car and did some exploring. Indio is at the southern end of the Coachella Valley. I followed Highway 111 through a number of towns until I got to Palm Springs. Didn’t see any famous people but did see “Gene Autry Way,” “Frank Sinatra Drive,” “Bob Hope Drive,” and “Monty Hall Drive.” Last week many of the world’s top golfers were here for the Bob Hope Desert Classic.