Posts with the tag “pastor-greg-warmerdam”

I have spoken often of the relationship between Lynn and me, which began in February 1967. There were many things which bound us together: our romantic love, college classes, Fresno State sports, humo...  Read More

There are a lot of nice places to live in Fresno. The area Lynn and I came to love the most, early on in our lives together, is the Old Fig Garden community. It is a county island, caught in the middl...  Read More

Lynn and I both lived at home all our lives until we were married at 22 years old. Our first place was modest, but we were thrilled! Our own address! Our own phone number! It was in Harvard Arms Apart...  Read More

She seemed to come from nowhere, silently gliding into the church aisle. She was maybe 3-4 years old, in her “church clothes†dress, with her long hair cascading down past her shoulders. Delicate l...  Read More

Jack was taller, bigger, and more mature and aggressive than all the rest of us boys in my grade school days (k–8). He liked it that way. He enjoyed threatening and tormenting others. More than one of...  Read More

I have taken lots of evaluations over the years that purport to tell my personality type, my strengths and my giftedness. It does not always seem to come out the same.But what is often at the top for ...  Read More

We grew up playing poker in our home. We never bet much – pennies and nickels, in the form of chips. But I love competition. I love winning. Probably the most compulsive drive I have is to win.It was ...  Read More

I did not want to go. I really did not want to say what was in my heart. But it had to be done. It was the day and the hour. So I went. I had a word with the older, respected man in the church. He was...  Read More

Life is really uneven. Six years after my salvation, I was called to pastor a small church. While there were ups and downs, it was mostly a marvelous experience, high and holy! But by 15 years later i...  Read More

Lynn and I were married in 1969. In the 5½ decades since that time we have had experiences beyond counting. We have owned six houses, and lived in at least seven other apartments or rental houses. I h...  Read More

A couple of decades back I prepared a surprise for Lynn. A work she would not have believed if told. In cooperation with my brother Mark from Pleasanton I bought a newer car for her, on the sly, as a ...  Read More

In the fall of 1977 the Lord said to me that I should begin reading His word daily. I had never read the Bible, had only owned one for about a year. I had been born again through faith in Jesus, and h...  Read More

My brother says he did not preplan it. At the moment I asked to borrow his golf clubs, he was inspired to extract a bargain from me: the use of his clubs for reading a book he would give me. He did a ...  Read More

As I write this, I am on my second stretch of waiting to have a pacemaker put in. Because of COVID, what was a three-month wait has become of five-month wait.While waiting I prayerfully planned a way ...  Read More

Jesus had healed blind Bartimaeus. He had gone into Jerusalem in a processional on a donkey, a celebration fitting for a king. He had done His wild cleansing of the temple, knocking things over and dr...  Read More

I once traveled with another pastor, “sojourned” with him. Our trip took us across the US to a state on the east coast. We attended a church conference there, which turned out to be a blessed experien...  Read More

I write this devotional on day five. It is the fifth day of our confinement, per the instructions for those who have COVID. Lynn and I both tested positive earlier this week. This COVID invasion happe...  Read More

In my final year of coaching high school basketball, we were leading the league late in the year. It had been a long 7 years in rebuilding the program at Reedley HS. The league was strong, with usuall...  Read More

I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of the city of Fresno. In addition to the 10 acres of peaches, my dad farmed in between teaching school teaching and coaching demands, each of us kids got our own ...  Read More

The last time I saw my sister, Gloria, she was sleeping heavily on a hospital bed in the house of her son, Shawn. We waited on her for a time. We touched her shoulder and greeted her verbally, saying ...  Read More

When is the best week of the year? It is this week, Dec 25–31! It has long been my favorite. Why? Many reasons, not the least of which is that my birthday, Dec 28, always falls exactly in the middle, ...  Read More

I told Lynn I was going to go for a walk, which was only part of the truth. It was a Sunday. We had taken a trip to So Cal to visit Lynn’s relatives. It was our first trip overnight together. We staye...  Read More

I read a short story once called "The Monkey’s Paw" by W. W. Jacobs. Three wishes are granted to the owner of a particular monkey’s paw.  But while the wishes are granted as requested, terrible and tr...  Read More

Within a few months of my salvation, I became very zealous for all to receive what I had.  How many church goers, like I had been, did not even know about getting saved?  I did some street witnessing....  Read More

I was trained as a teacher and a coach.  It took six years to complete a BA, and an MA and secure a teaching credential.  Trained in physical education, biology, and coaching basketball.  Six years, p...  Read More

Let us not get too smug about the knowledge of God we possess.  It is my God, and yours, who appeared to Ezekiel in glory—a compelling and overwhelming vision.  Not too long after, he received these i...  Read More

We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout! (Song: "Jackson").  Lynn and I did.  August 1969.  It’s still hot!  As a country we were fighting a war across the ocean we were not willing to ...  Read More

How glib we can become.  We are privileged in these New Testament times.  We are bidden to come waltzing into God’s presence, and we do, in shorts and a t-shirt with flip-flops, and talk casually with...  Read More

When I was pretty little, I realized I had a small bald spot.  It is on the left side of my head, in the hair at the temple.  I worried often about that.  I did not want to look weird to other people....  Read More

I found myself in need recently.  I was awake in bed for 3 hours.  I finally got up at 4 am, quietly so as not to awaken Lynn.  I could not do my normal read the Bible and pray pattern.  I was in too ...  Read More

Faith Goes OutLynn had to go to the dentist this morning, the day I wrote this.  She could have stayed home.  She could have told herself it was too hard.  There might be pain. They might find things ...  Read More

When Lynn and I returned to Fresno after a 28-year absence, we came back as different people.  We were now among the redeemed of the Lord, having been birthed through faith in Jesus Christ.  I left as...  Read More

Some years back, I was up in the mountains in the Kings Canyon area. I was reading this passage, meditating on it and praying during a time of drawing apart with Jesus. I was walking on a rough kind o...  Read More

Once in awhile I like to go to an oldies’ car show.  Lynn and I got an opportunity to do so that fit, so we went to Kingsburg last Saturday.  We purchased a couple of drinks and a cookie from Kuppa Jo...  Read More

I recently had my grandson over to help me with some work in the backyard.  We were replacing 180 sq. ft. of overhead lattice.  There was an area on the fascia board of the house which had a tangle of...  Read More

I started my day early.  I had an appointment at Kaiser Hospital.  While it was only for a blood test, the hospital world is always a little foreboding! It seems a negative.  But the truth is, the blo...  Read More

Barry McGuire came to our church to speak and sing 2-3 times in Reedley. He tells the story of encountering Arthur Blessit at a gathering.  Barry was partying when Blessit looked at him and spoke to h...  Read More

It’s raining.  My list of things to do this Saturday is long.  Yesterday I was bummed, just thinking of having to buy a new laptop (mine 8 years old, operating system outdated).  I have other tasks wh...  Read More

Thus is my soul this morning.  It waits on God.  It yearns to connect with Him alone.  I wish for a “faith capsule” in which to function all the day; that in that capsule I would hear one voice alone,...  Read More

We made a plan for a trip for my birthday, to go to Pacific Grove.  When we reminded our daughter the day before that we were going, she said, “Oh no!  It’s going to be raining all day!”  I told her I...  Read More