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Laughing up at Big Bear

Written by admin on . Posted in Brian Lee, church members, skiing, snow. 2 Comments on Laughing up at Big Bear



My friend, Brian Lee, took me skiing recently… It was a holiday… and the story you’re about to hear is the truth…..

I had not been skiing for over 10 years… It was absolutely beautiful…. and I did NOT fall (while skiing) the entire day…. oooooohhhhhhhh, I was feeling good about that!!!

But before our final run down the mountain.. I suggested to Brian that we take our picture with the LAKE in the background…

So Brian is trying to set up his camera, but the camera is REALLY THIN and we can’t get it to balance on this little bench….

Brian tries his best but he is just not able to balance this camera… he just can’t do it… so I say…. LET ME TRY IT…

So… I accomplish this task in just a few minutes, and am really proud of myself…

ONE LITTLE NOTE: In order for the picture to look good… Brian and I have to stand about 10 feet away.. and it’s down this sloped area… and it’s kinda icy…

So he is standing there… on this ridge… down the slope a little… about 10 feet away.. .

I get this camera set… it was NOT EASY….
and I set the timer….. 10 seconds… 9 seconds… 8 seconds…

and I have to get UP from this table with OUT jiggling the camera or it will fall over… so I have to get up SLOWLY from the table… and by this time… I KNOW that I only have a FEW seconds left… to climb over Brian’s snowboard… and get down the slope… to get in place before the 10 seconds are complete…

I step over the board… I am racing down this little ledge… to get in place..
and drum rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

I catch an edge with my boots and I literally FLIP upside down, and WHAM the camera CLICKS!

We go BACK up the little slope and look at the picture…
And.. Well… You can see the picture above…..

We both LAUGHED and LAUGHED and LAUGHED… and I thought YOU might enjoy laughing at my expense as well…

Thanks, Brian, for bringing your camera… I owe you BIG TIME….

I am still laughing…

For more laughs… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy8Ho-dmALc

Church Basketball

Written by admin on . Posted in basketball, church members, prayer. 2 Comments on Church Basketball

Norm (Josh’s Dad), Todd, Dudley, Tan, Rick, Big Josh, Calvin
Just wanted to throw in a picture of the recent CHAMPIONS for the Shepherd of the Hills Basketball Summer League 2007. If you don’t recognize me, I am the old guy in the middle…. hahahahaha

Big Joshua (the TALLEST guy) is the Sports Director here at our church. He is doing an incredible job here at church by using the venue of sports to reach people for Christ. In a way, this team has become my small group.

The gentleman on the far right recently lost his 38-year-old sister to a tragic homicide just a few days ago… We gathered around Calvin and prayed for him and his family, as they struggle through these difficult days. It was, for me, the REASON why we have a sports ministry – because not everyone in the picture above is saved. But that night, after the game, everyone was standing in a circle around Calvin, as we lifted him before the Lord. There wasn’t a dry eye in the group. As I left the church that night, I prayed that those who did not yet know God would feel the burden and sorrow Calvin felt. Even more so, I prayed they would truly know, through the prayers offered up by the team, that ONLY the LORD GOD can bring comfort and strength, and that TODAY is the day of Salvation!!! Maranatha!!!

Brian and Jenny Lee

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Jenny and Brian on Easter ’07 at Pauley Pavillion

Brian cheering for Barry Bonds
I have had the joy of meeting and getting to know Brian and Jenny Lee. If you remember, I mentioned the Son Rays ministry in a sermon a few months ago. It is a ministry geared towards helping children with special needs. Both Brian and Jenny have siblings with special needs, so when they looked for a ministry to use their gifts in, they chose the Son Rays Ministry. I think that’s what God has in mind when He allows us to go through difficult times. HE is the one who comforts us and strengthens us in order that we might help others…

Both Brian and Jenny know this and have been extremely dedicated in helping out this ministry. I am so thankful for their example and for the thousands of others that are using their gifts here at Shepherd of the Hills Church.

I hope that each and every one of you will find YOUR place of service in your local church.

By the way… Brian is a BIG Barry Bonds fan, and we went to a Dodger game recently to see if Barry would hit a homerun and tie Hank Aaron’s homerun record….

Little did Brian and Barry know that the Dodgers would have NONE of that on their home field.

A girl named Emma and a teacher named Joseph

Written by admin on . Posted in Christianity, church members, High School, influence. 2 Comments on A girl named Emma and a teacher named Joseph

Yesterday, I was invited to speak at a Christian Club at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California. When I accepted this invitation, I did NOT know what to expect, but I was anxious to speak to a group of students standing for Christ in the midst of a secular environment.

When I arrived, it was such a powerful lesson of Shepherd’s influence here in the valley. Sometimes when you preach week after week, you fail to realize how much a difference the Lord is making in people’s lives.

Emma is a high school senior who helps to spearhead the Christian Club at Burroughs High School. She had invited me to come speak to their group. This group of 20 to 25 students meet once a week over the lunch hour, and they usually have a guest speaker. Emma is a member of our Church and had also gone with us to Japan several years ago on our missions trip. I just wasn’t aware of the fact that this young lady is making this kind of difference in her school.

How many high school students do YOU know here in L.A. that are leading a Christian Bible study at a public high school? I was rather impressed with Emma’s leadership and commitment as she lead this gathering. How pleased God must be that Emma would be willing to lead and organize a Christian Club in the midst of 2700 students in a public school environment!!!

I was soooooooooooooooooo blessed when I walked in and was actually able to preach God’s word in a public high school.

I did not know that in order to have a Christian Club in a public high school, there must be a teacher who is willing to host this club. Surprise!!! When I walked into this particular classroom, GUESS WHO the teacher is that is willing to host this class?
Lo and behold, it is a man by the name of Joseph Hadaya. And GUESS what church Mr. Joseph Hadaya attends? Yep, you guessed correctly… Shepherd of the Hills Church.

I have seen Joseph many times in church (he is an USHER on Saturday nights), but I never knew what he did for a living. I didn’t know he was a Math teacher in a public school.

Let me tell you… I went to that school thinking I wouldn’t know a soul, and as I walked the halls and went into the classrooms, there were several students who came up to me and said, “Hello Pastor Dudley.” One boy named Aaron actually had me sign his yearbook! I’m sitting at this desk, signing a year book and REJOICING at how God is using Shepherd to make a difference in so many lives…. And then I started thinking that this is just ONE high school. We probably have teachers and students in EVERY school in this valley that love the Lord and have joined us in making a difference for Jesus in this Valley…

So… I just want to thank Emma and Joseph for standing up for Christ, and I want to thank ALL OF YOU who do the same each and every day. May God continue to bless and anoint HIS church so that the world might believe.

In love,

Dudley

Kisa Renee Hughes

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Kisa Renee Hughes was born on September 23, 1973, in Harbor City, California to her loving parents, Ronald and Barbara Hughes. She was the first born of five children, Kilee, Ronald Jr., Solomon and Gabriel. She accepted Christ into her heart at an early age and her devotion continued throughout her life.

Kisa spent the first part of her life in Orange County, California where she attended various Christian schools. As an adolescent she moved with her parents to Riverside, California where she first atttended University Heights Middle School and later John Wesley North High. During her freshman year Kisa was introduced to basketball and volleyball. She received top honors in both sports.

In 1991, in fact, she was selected to represent the USA in the Junior Olympics for basketball. She continued her basketball career in college. She received a full-scholarship at Cal State Fullerton where, in her freshman year, she was selected as Big-West “Player of the Year.” In her sophomore year Kisa was once more drafted with a full-scholarship – this time she was to play basketball at University of California Los Angeles. Once transferred at UCLA, she continued her record setting career by leading the PAC-10 in field percentage with .577 mark. Among the many honors that Kisa received throughout her career, she is remembered for being nominated for All-Pac-10 Conference selection in 1995 and for being ranked second in Pac-10 rebounding and field goal percentages, also in 1995. Finally, in that same year, she received honorable mention All-American by Basketball Times. Perhaps Kisa’s greatest achievement is that she was only one of four players at UCLA to have scored 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single game during her career. In 1996, Kisa completed her college career securing a place among those players who had been ranked on the all-time school rebounding list.
Upon graduation, Kisa was recruited to play professional basketball internationally. She did so in China, Germany and Austria.

Later she was employed by the City of Los Angeles where she served as a Youth Development Specialist for the Rewarding Youth Achievement Program. Kisa was instrumental in assisting youth in the urban community with reaching their educational and employment goals.
Kisa also participated in the American Heritage Tour Program, where she visited college campuses and historical sites throughout the country. Her main goal was to expand the minds of youths by showing them something outside of their own neighborhoods. Kisa assisted over 200 youths in getting accepted into colleges and universities all over the country. Two years into her city service, she earned the position of Interim Educational Director for the Youth Opportunity Program where she had oversight of many educational projects. She was an inspiration to students and staff and a true champion for education in the Watts community.

With her 6’4″ height, magnetic personality and compassion for others, Kisa was the very image of a reserved “gentle giant.” She was a long-time member of Athletes in Action, a worldwide Christian fellowship for athletes. In addition she was an active member of the The Shepherd of the Hills church in Porter Ranch, California. She will forever be remembered for her loving spirit, her strength, dedication and passion for what she believed.

Tony Award or Oscar Award?

Written by admin on . Posted in church members, evangelism, funeral. 1 Comment on Tony Award or Oscar Award?

Tony Janacito passed away this past week. He was 92 years of age. I visited with his wife, Jane, last night for a few minutes on the phone, while most of the world was watching the Oscars. People were engaged with interest, wondering who would garner the next golden Oscar statue, or gazing upon the style of clothing that the movie stars were wearing.

Meanwhile, I was chatting with Jane, who lost her husband, which was, indeed, a far greater concern to me. You see, it’s when you lose your husband, wife, or any loved one, that things take on an eternal perspective.

Many of you do not know Tony, but trust me, there are a LOT of people who DO know Tony… Because every Sunday of his life, with very few exceptions, Tony led someone down the aisles of our church to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In all my years of ministry, I have never met someone who so diligently led men and women to salvation. Every Sunday, I’d see Tony walking down the aisle… and to his side would be someone that he had befriended and led to the Lord, and now they were stepping forward to accept Jesus as Lord.

Talk about receiving a trophy!!! When Tony got to heaven, he received his heavenly reward. There are many people who are grateful to Tony for taking the time and the interest to be concerned with their eternal soul.

Tony, I want you to know that you are going to be missed in a mighty, mighty way. Our church will never be the same without you. You were a true soulwinner. God used you in ways most people only dream of. Thank you for always being concerned about the lost.

May you dwell in your heavenly home with your eternal rewards forever and ever and ever.