posted by Robert on 07/9/09

After solving a puzzling birthday mystery, I thought the party was over. Boy, was I wrong!

The Paine family, who just moved up from Indianapolis, had prepared a surprise feast and invited all the guys from HQ! Mrs. Paine and her team of helpers had cooked up tasty shish kabob, sweet corn, and a whole lineup of great food!

Knowing my appreciation for Mountain Dew, Clayton had created an original birthday cake that looked like a Mountain Dew can. He even used Mountain Dew as a substitute for water. Naturally, it was delicious!

One thing that was a special blessing to me was all of the notes of encouragement from the guys, as well as friends all over the US, from Wyoming to Pennsylvania to Washington DC!

I am so humbled and grateful for the blessing of having so many friends who challenge me in the Word and encourage me on in my walk with the Lord. Truly “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:12). Thank you all!

5 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Robert on 07/6/09

Thanks to many wonderful people and special friends, my birthday today was a very memorable one! But this evening, as I opened cards from friends and relatives from far and near, something a bit “puzzling” emerged. Each card contained several puzzle pieces inside of it!

As I read the messages inside of each card and chatted with my family on the phone, the pieces to this puzzle all started coming together. Come to find out, my creative sister had sent the pieces out to everyone ahead of time! As cards were opened, each piece fell into place and a beautiful picture began to emerge.

There was an important message behind this mystery. To sum it all up, Esther and Dad had written a beautiful poem to powerfully communicate this truth. I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me!
 

Each Piece for a Purpose

The pieces are coming together, Robert
The pieces of God’s perfect plan
That demonstrate clearly what He can do
Through the life of a faithful man.

God has carefully chosen the right circumstances
The people, the places, the time.
And fit them together to work out His will
So through you His likeness will shine.

Some pieces are symbols of your family.
So much you have done through the years
Living and learning and laughing together
Sharing the joy and the tears.

Some pieces are friends He has placed in your life
From Virginia to the “windy city”
Church friends, home school friends, the ITC folks
And elsewhere – There are, oh, so many!

Some pieces look strange and unfitting at first,
Why such doubts, confusion, and pain?
But they draw you to Jesus to lean in the strength,
And comfort, and peace of His name.

He’s bringing the pieces together, Robert
He knows what is perfect and best.
The picture will turn out spectacular, Robert
Just trust Him and He’ll do the rest.

7 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Robert on 07/3/09

Happy Independence Day! Here is a patriotic duet that Clayton and I played at the Nashville ATI Regional Conference last year. My hope is that it will inspire everyone who listens to apply the promise of II Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Enjoy!

12 Comments » | posted in Making Melody

posted by Donald on 07/2/09

What a privilege to witness the kindness of the Taiwanese people. Before camps start for the summer, they held an official Farewell Party for us and two of the teachers who were retiring. Last week was a big week. At different times it was good to take time to share a meal and say good-bye to elders from my church, an English student and our faithful security guard at the complex where we stay. Sometimes enjoying home-cooked food, sometimes at a restaurant trying the famous local delicacy, sometimes meeting their distant friends and relatives, it made for an memorable time.
Then came Saturday night. Mr. Huang from Nan Jung coordinated a time for Wes & Julianna and baby Savannah, Jonathan Sater, Po Hao, Kuan Ter and their families, and I to have dinner at a mountaintop restaurant between Kaohsiung and Mount Bei Da Wu the mountain we had climbed earlier. It wasn’t a candlelight dinner. The sunset and the breeze provided a perfect setting. Even after dark the lights of Kaohsiung and Ping-tung glittered on the horizon. Most of all I enjoyed getting to know their families, share pictures and putting my Chinese to practice again. How grateful I am for the lessons on relationship that I’ve learned from them. Relationship puts the right perspective on time and makes all the work worth while.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven ,where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).

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posted by James on 07/1/09

Steinway & Sons

Early in the month of June, I happened to stop in with Robert at the Steinway Piano of Chicago outlet not too far from IBLP Headquarters. The moment I entered the store, I scolded myself for not bringing a camera. There were so many pianos I could hardly believe it! And each one was unique–each a perfect photographic subject. The complementary pictures that adorned the walls only spurred my inspiration to make me promise I would return with a camera.

Well, I was back within the next two weeks. At first I was a bit apprehensive about what restrictions there might be on taking pictures. After all, each Steinway is as much a work of art as the masterpieces performed upon it combined. And many in the store were worth tens of thousands of dollars, and some hundreds of thousands! But my fears were quickly abated. “Take as many pictures as you want!” one of the jolly, yet well-versed shop assistants affirmed after spending several educational minutes showing me around the place. That was the coup de grâce! For the next 20 minutes I was preocupied with simply taking as many pictures as I could.

I guess the moral of the story is an encouragement to break out of the norm every-once-in-a-while. Think of all the places that the average Joe with a camera would never go! But oh, as a word of caution: make sure to be prepared! I forgot to bring a tripod, which really would have been handy in the low-light show-rooms. However, an external speedlite which, bounced off the walls, ceiling, and even the floor sometimes, saved a ton of pictures from being ruined by camera shake.

5 Comments » | posted in Photography