THE TIDINGS MONTE VISTA GROVE HOMES 2889 SAN PASQUAL STREET

PASADENA, CA 91107 September 2016

(626) 796-6135 www.mvgh.org

“All the news that fits”

2016

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WELCOME TO ANOTHER SEASON OF

GOOD TIDINGS TO YOU!

Hope your summer was all you wished it to be! Those of us who stayed here, holding down “the MVGH Fort,” celebrated Independence Day, July 4th with a wonderful party. Our MVGH Association President, Tom Erickson, took the lead donning his Uncle Sam hat. The staff served a delicious picnic style lunch with all the traditional July 4th foods.

Following the meal was a wonderful concert wi th great musicians playing and singing many patriotic and famil iar songs.

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MINISTRY

CONVOCATIONS

Thursdays at 4:00 pm in Marwick

Sept. 8 SURPRISED BY GOD! – PC(USA) Missionary SHARON BRYANT

PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker Sharon Bryant shares stories of James Riggins, Andrea Nascimento de Espirito Santo, Ken Anderson, and others who came to Thailand as volunteers in short term mission. They helped lift Thai children out of poverty and human trafficking and found themselves changed by God. Sharon coordinates Christian Volunteers in Thailand, a ministry of the PC(USA) and her Thai church partner. The 16 current volunteers come from 6 nations, 8 Christian denominations and range in age from 24 to 65. They are making a difference!

Sept. 15 CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERT with DAVID MARGOLIS

David Margolis is a professional classical guitarist and teacher at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. He will perform classical guitar music spanning the 17th- 20th Centuries. The program will include works by Domenico Scarlatti, William Walton, Fernando Sor and Manuel Maria Ponce. David comes to us highly recommended by several of our residents and staff who have heard him. Please come and invite your friends.

Sept. 22 NO CONVOCATION (Marwick is unavailable) Sept. 29 LOOK AT THE VIEW! Shifting Perspectives to Modern Art – Professor

LAURIE MONAHAN, UC Santa Barbara

What does it mean to paint a picture in which a number of lines and shapes transform our understanding of the world we live in? How can a painting that refuses to tell you what you’re looking at be all about you? UC Santa Barbara Associate Professor in the History of Art and Architecture Laurie Monahan will answer these questions and help us see how art impacts our visions of the modern world. She received her Master’s degree at the University of British Columbia and her Ph.D. from Harvard University. Laurie is a friend of Dick Cole.

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PRAY FOR AFRICA Join us as we continue to pray for the vast and varied continent of Africa on the first Tuesday of each month in the Gamble Room at 1:00 pm. Our next gathering will beTuesday,September6,intheGambleRoomat1:00pm.

MVGH Men’s Prayer Fellowship When: Monday Mornings

9:00 am – 9:30 am Where: The Hearth Lounge

(All MVGH men are welcome)

May Leaders: 5 – Paul Pierson 12 – Larry Ballenger

19 – Art French 26 – Don Maddox

Come share this time for thanksgiving, intercession and fellowship with one another as brothers in Christ.

For more information, contact Cecil Hoffman, Facilitator

MVGH Women’s Prayer Group When: Wednesday Mornings

9:00 am – 9:30 am Where: The Hearth Family Room (All MVGH women are welcome)

We read the day’s passage from the Mission Yearbook of Prayer and pray for our world, our MVGH family, our families and friends.

Both silent and spoken prayers are welcome.

For more information, contact Evelyn Thomas Heyne at (626) 316-1586.

A PRAYER FOR LABOR DAY

Lord, on this Labor Day, we thank you for the blessing of work.

We ask for strength to complete each day. We ask for rest when we are weary.

We ask Your guidance for everyone seeking employment, and we ask that You be with those whose faces we might never see

but who work tirelessly each day for the good of us all. Amen.

Anonymous

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(AD) MINISTRATION

PRESIDENTIAL PONDERINGS Last month, while preparing for my ministry at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, I read Rex McDaniel’s excellent dissertation comparing the ministries of PPC and First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. In the 1920s the two churches represented opposing theological positions, yet both flourished with lively congregations and extensive outreach ministries. Robert Freeman, a co-founder of Monte Vista Grove Homes, served at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Stewart MacLennan at Hollywood Presbyterian. McDaniel honors both men and envisions a reconciliation between the two, “an intersection between ‘Colorado Boulevard’ and ‘Hollywood Boulevard,’” that might lead to “arresting the decline of the Presbyterian Church.” McDaniel concludes, “Look at Monte Vista Grove Home for a demonstration of the value of keeping the intersection open, of the ongoing interdependence of Freeman and MacLennan.” I couldn’t agree more. You and I might, for example, hold different views of the atonement or the interpretation of Scripture, yet when men gather for prayer on Monday mornings all differences fade in our common trust in Jesus Christ and our heartfelt concern for family, friends and a world in need. When a neighbor needs a ride, help with a computer, a broken drawer fixed, we happily cross the intersection. We eat, exercise, write, sing, visit, paint, and serve as one body, one community. In the final analysis there is no intersection at Monte Vista Grove, for we are one in Christ. Thanks be to God!

-- Tom Erickson, Residents’ Association President

STAFF APPRECIATION FUNDUPDATE The balance in the Fund is $8,945.57 as of August 11, 2016. Please think about the contribution you want to make this year if you have not already done so. The goal is that each resident will contribute $365 ($730 per couple) each year. That is a dollar a day in appreciation for the outstanding service we received from the staff. Not everyone can do that, but it is hoped that we can have 100% participation from all of our residents. Make your checks payable to MVGH Residents’ Association with the memo line to read “Staff Appreciation Fund.” Put your check in the Residents’ Association Box under the outgoing mail. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Bill Cunningham at 626-795-5707 or by email at wmc@earthlink.net. Thank you.

-- Bill Cunningham

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Having shared the volunteer stories of residents who have lived the longest at The Grove, we now proceed alphabetically.

-- Tom Erickson, Residents’ Association President

Judy Ballenger plays the piano for Health Center vespers and Grove convocations. She serves on the Convocation Committees, does phone duty, and plays in the hand bell choir. She inputs holdings in the library computer.

Larry Ballenger served for 6 years on the Residents’ Assoc. Council, two years as president. He preaches and leads Bible study at the Health Center, does pulpit supply, plays in the Grove bell choir and in three community bands (Burbank, Covina, LAPD). He plays the bugle for veteran’s funeral services. He is a Boy Scout merit badge advisor. He spent two years on presbytery’s Administrative Commission. He has served twice as an interim pastor and may do another.

Carole Bos has served as vice president of the Residents’ Association and co-managed the boutique for 11 years. She distributes mail, answers the phone, participates in worship in the Health Center and The Oaks, tutors an adult student toward literacy, helps with a craft sewing project in the Hearth, proofreads at her church, assists with a Bible study, serves on the Wellness Committee and as a liaison between MVGH and PCC for the writing class, and served twice on two MVGH Board committees.

Robert Bos serves with KnightWatch, provides devotions and worship services at The Oaks and our Health Center. He is on the Chaplain Committee and makes occasional visits in the Health Center. He reads to students at Willard Elementary.

Mary Brassard has served as secretary for the Hearth/Health Center Auxiliary and as recording secretary for the Residents’ Executive Council. She is a phone desk volunteer. At San Marino Community Churchshe served as moderator of Community Church Women. She currently serves as program chair for Church Women

and as a member of the Sanctuary Guild. Betsy Burgess has served on the Residents’ Council as corresponding secretary and a member of the nominating committee. She also distributed mail, sent out birthday cards, served tea in the Health Center, and helped in the Grove stores. She now takes mail and notes to ill residents and reads to her neighbors.

Bruce Calkins has served on the food and water use committees. He chaired the Church Relations Committee. He is currently a member of Knight Watch, the Church Relations Committee and Management Committee of the Trustees. He served on the Communication Committee for the Memory Care/Wellness Campaign. He is the triage assistant at disaster drills, assists in the Grove stores, and visits in the Health Center. He started and leads one of the PC(USA) 1001 New Worshiping Communities.

Lynda Calkins helped run the Grove’s clothing store for ten years. She served on the Residents’ Association Council. She volunteered as a gardener at the Huntington Gardens. She currently does phone duty, sorts mail, and is the disaster drill leader for Area 3.

Polly Craig served for two years as assistant treasurer of the Residents’ Association, and has served as a telephone/receptionist in the Commons for nine years.

Bill Craig is vice president of the Convocations Committee, serves on KnightWatch, does occasional preaching for Grove vesper services and at The Oaks, plays the piano as needed, works at Founder’s Day events, provides rides to medical appointments, and substitutes for Bible studies. He serves as secretary of San Fernando Presbytery’s Personnel Committee, and as secretary/treasurer of the Muslim/ Christian Leadership Resources Group, Inc.

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PHILANTHROPY CORNER

-- Meagan McClellan

Monte Vista Grove Homes 2016 Events

6th Annual Founders’ Gala Report: A BIG thanks to all of our faithful and dedicated volunteers, supporters and friends who supported the Gala. This event wouldn’t happen without YOU! We are thrilled to report that, including all ticket sales, silent auction, the wine pull, paddles up, sponsorships and program ads/dedications, we raised close to

$95,000!

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ASPECIALTHANKSTOOURGALACOMMITTEE

MikeFarrand VirginiaGin RobinHarvillDeborahHerbert Rev.Dr.PeterHintzoglou ElaineHintzoglouWandyJung MeaganMcClellan NadineMcManusBarbaraStevens JeanWoo AlishaZuch

ADDITIONALTHANKSTOOURSUPPORTERS

WineSponsors:BillandDebbieHerbertCenterpieces:ElaineHintzoglouandTeresaMerinoPartyFavors:ShermanFung,VirginiaGin,GregGin,SamanthaGin,KenGrant,DeeJarvis,

NadineMcManus,MartinMiller-Hessel,JudyPost,JoanStackhouseandJeanWoo

CAPITALCAMPAIGNUPDATE:Wearehappytoreportwehavereceivedwordweweregranted$250,000fromTheAhmansonFoundation.Wehavereached93.5%ofour$4.5milliongoal.Weaskforyourprayersupportforthefinal,andmostdifficultpartofourcampaign.Pleaseprayforthelast$200,000.Thankyouforallyouhavedoneandcontinuetodotomakethisasuccess!

FALLEVENT:Saturday,October1stfrom8am-12pm.OurAuxiliaryStoreswillbeopen.TheFreshGourmetinSanMarinowillbeprovidingthefood.Wearehappytosupportourlocalbusinesses!

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FROM YOUR RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION TREASURER:

Friends, as of August 1, we have received 91.61% toward the amount budgeted for our 2016 residents’ dues. (In 2014 we received 91.11 toward a lower budgeted goal. Last year we closed out with 96.31% dues paid toward last year's goal).

In short, fantastic!

Our expenses are well managed by your Executive Council team and we will definitely end this year in the black again.

It is a joy to serve you. -- Martin Miller-Hessel

MEET THE MVGH BOARD OF TRUSTEES September 22nd

The Trustees of MVGH are looking for ways to interact with residents in an informal setting. Several residents have volunteered to open their homes to the trustees on September 22nd for some light fare and tour of their home. Following their tour the trustees will move to Marwick Place. ALL residents are invited to meet the Board of Trustees in Marwick Place at 7:00 pm and have dessert. Mark your calendars! -- Deborah Herbert

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ASK THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR… Questions are accepted in any format: in writing (signed or unsigned), email (dherbert@mvgh.org), voicemail (626-796-6135 ext. 415), or just in passing…

Who is moving in & when?? We are thrilled to welcome:

• Dave Winters & Rachel Lausch – Unit C51 – on campus now in a guest apartment. Their unit should be ready mid-September.

• Dean & Rebecca Thompson – Unit

C68 – Oct. 1st How are the plans for the Memory Care Residence and Wellness Center going? The plans were submitted to the City of Pasadena on June 17th and we received the first round of “comments” in July. You will be pleased to know that some of the most substantial comments referred to the requirement to put in sidewalks and streetlights so we were able to easily check those off! The architect has been working on the other comments and will re-submit plans very soon. We are on track and hope to be able to pull permits by the end of September and then start the bidding process with 3-5 contractors. My hardhat and shovel are ready!! Why is the Board changing the time of their meetings? Won’t this conflict with Convocations? First, I want to express my appreciation to the Convocation Committee for their willingness to be flexible and strategize on solutions that will accommodate both the changing needs of the Board and the longstanding traditions on campus.

The Board has been struggling with attracting the kind of talent, leadership and connections that this organization needs. Individuals are often working well past the traditional “retirement age” and have long commutes to downtown LA. There are qualified individuals willing to volunteer but the timing of our meetings (noon) is often an obstacle. After surveying the board and potential board members, it was decided to move the meetings from noon to 4pm, on selected Thursdays, beginning in September. The Board meets 5 times a year and only has 2 meetings left in 2016, September and November. I will continue to work with the Convocation Committee to minimize any disruption to the schedule that they work so hard on coordinating. Thank you in advance for your grace and understanding! Administration Announcements: • Noelle is back! She is working a shorter

schedule so that she can be with baby, Cruz, as much as possible. You can reach her in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays or by email any day.

• Meagan is getting married! The nuptials are scheduled for this September 9th.

• I am going to be a grandmother…

AGAIN! Grandbaby #10 (can you believe it?) is due next February. We are hoping for a boy. The current count is girls 7, boys 2.

-- Debbie Herbert, Executive Director uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

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CHURCH RELATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT ON

MVGH BOOTH AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Bryce Little with Dr. Mark Duntley, son of Mark and Agnes Duntley here at the Grove. Mark is chaplain at Lewis and Clark College in Portland. He helped volunteer for a three-hour session at our MVGH Booth.

Bryce and Phyllis Little served as MVGH Volunteer Coordinators of the MVGH Booth Display at the 222nd General Assembly. Bryce reports: 1. VOLUNTEERS: We had excellent help from Leigh Taylor and volunteers from First Presbyterian Church of Vancouver, WA, especially Mrs. Nancy Gaston. We also had help from a Bend, Oregon volunteer. Dr. Mark Duntley, Chaplain of Lewis and Clark College, and Joyce and Henry DeGraaff from MVGH helped staff our display booth. 2. GUEST BOOK: was well used by booth visitors to send greetings to their MVGH friends. (Meagan will type these notes and send them to the different MVGH residents.) 3. INTEREST SHOWN IN THE GROVE: Many people were not aware of the different levels of living at the Grove, especially the differences between Independent Living for PCUSA qualified pastors and church workers. The Hearth and Health Center are open to the greater community as well.

4. MEMORY CARE & WELLNESS CENTER: Considerable interest was shown in the plans for these two new additions to the Grove Campus. 5. ONE LOCATION: People were pleasantly surprised that all the levels of care are on one Campus. 6. MVGH’S LOCATION: Many people did not know about the existence of the Grove and its location in Southern California. The Church Relations Committee was thanked for its interest in supporting and providing a booth at the General Assembly here on the West Coast of the USA. We also honored Margy Wentz and Jack Lorimer at the booth for their long-time service to the PCUSA.

-- MVGH Church Relations Committee: Bryce Little, Bruce Calkins, Joanne Hinch, John Toay, Leigh Taylor, Fred Soldwedel,

Chairperson, Marilyn Manning

Staff Liaison, Meagan McClellan

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Gather all those personal stories you have been writing all summer! Some of us have had fabulous trips and adventures during the last few months; others have been reflecting on memories, enjoying families, trying to survive the heat! To share such events will be a delight. Our class begins on September 1 in Marwick Place in the north room at 10:00 to 11:30 am, our usual time. Anna brought the proof of Book III for our perusal to the campus. We are to pass it from writer to writer, making sure the stories are accurate as to our intent. Pass it along as quickly as possible. The last person should give it to Carole Bos or take it to class on September 1st. If you are a new resident and/or interested in personal history writing, we welcome you with open arms to the class. Our group, facilitated by Anna Walker from Pasadena City College, is an affable, fun-loving group; we keep one another amused and challenged. There is no fee and if you want to come and merely listen, we welcome that, too. See you on Thursday, September 1 at 10:00 am.

– Carole Bos

THE WRITING CLASS

New Residents, you’re invited, too!

Please come! You’ll enjoy this wonderful class!

MUSIC APPRECIATION / EDUCATION CLASS SET TO RESUME!

GREAT NEWS!

Pasadena City College will again offer the Music Appreciation / Education Class taught by Ms Catherine Thompson for the upcoming fall semester! The first class will be held in the Hearth Family Room Wednesday, August 31st with class meeting each Wednesday thereafter until the last class on December 14th.

The class meets from 10:30 am – 12:20 pm, with a brief intermission to grab a cup of coffee. This weekly class, offered free-of-charge to the residents, is LOVED by those who attend. Please come and register and spread the word!

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MISCELLANY

FROM THE TREASURE CHEST

Our next Founder’s Wall will feature Mary Stewart who built the predecessor to our present Health Center. It was named the Stewart Rest Cottage. On all of our Walls we have sought to post one unique portrait picture of each of our Founders. Through the BIOLA Archives Department we received a unique picture of Mary. It was the only one we possessed and we liked it very much. The picture reflects her time period perfectly. It was a Treasure! However, upon consulting with Mary’s grand niece we realized that there was a conflict. She informed us that the picture in question was possibly a picture of her grandmother, a second Mary Stewart relative. We were very disappointed. Now we had no authentic picture of our Founder and therefore no Founder’s Wall.

Soon after that disappointment we met with the Director of the BIOLA Archives Department. He provided us with several other pictures of the Stewart family. One picture featuring the Stewart family was taken in the early 1900’s at a picnic in Monrovia Canyon. It featured Mary Stewart, her husband Milton, and her brother-in-law Lyman Stewart. The two brothers were the Founders of the Union Oil Company. Comparing the two pictures it was obvious that the women featured in both of these pictures were one and the same! We are so grateful that our portrait picture of Mary Stewart is authentic and our third Founder’s Wall can be presented in the Health Center in the early Fall!!!

-- Bill Hansen with Sherman Fung, Karlene Cunningham and Nancy Mandic

WHAT IS A POLST FORM AND DO I HAVE TO HAVE ONE?

POLST stands for “Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment.”

• It is required to be printed on a specific color and cardstock weight to quickly distinguish it from other paperwork.

• The POLST form complements an Advance Directive and is not intended to replace that document.

• The POLST is not for everyone, but for those who have serious illnesses or frailty. For these patients, their current health status indicates the need for standing medical orders for emergent or future medical care. In these cases, the POLST is completed with and signed by their primary care physician.

• For healthy individuals, an advance directive is an appropriate tool for making future end-of-life care wishes known to loved ones.

• If you live in the Hearth it is imperative that you have a POLST on file.• If you live in independent living and you meet the criteria listed above, it is advised

that you have a POLST handy (i.e. an ICE Baggie on your fridge) since it is usually requested by the emergency personnel who respond to 911.

If you have any further questions or would like a POLST form, please do not hesitate to contact Nancy Mandic.

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EXERCISE CHALLENGE 2016 October will be Exercise Challenge month at the Grove. Soon you will be receiving an invitation to participate.

“Celebrate our National Parks” will be our theme. This year our nation is celebrating the centennial of our national parks. Our goal collectively will be to visit symbolically as many parks as possible in California, Arizona and Utah. That is done through totally all our individual exercise hours and minutes each week.

Both residents and staff are invited to participate. Each person is challenged to exercise at least fifteen minutes each day. Use an activity of your choice—alone or with others. Try to raise your heart rate as you exercise.

Joan Stackhouse has made available the display case in the library for the month of October for pictures and memorabilia from the national parks. Do you have a park passport available to stamp your visits to each park? If so, we would like to include it in the display. Please place submissions in my cubbie, with your name on them, plus identification for photos (where, when & who). Thanks.

-- Norm Thomas

A NEW END-OF-LIFE OPTION My grandparents, as yours, had limited choices about the end-of-life. Mine died peacefully, I know, without doctors trying heroic measures to prolong their lives. My parents also died peacefully. Both of them chose hospice care at the end. All of them had the faith of St. Paul that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

You and I have many more options than our parents had to die with dignity. None of us will die what our grandparents called a “natural death.” All of us live with “un-natural” assistance made possible by modern medicine: testing, prescription drugs, surgeries, prostheses, etc. Doctors have the ability to prolong life even when we’ve lost quality of life.

I know you, as I, hope to live with quality-of-life to the end and want to die with dignity. On June 9th this year we gained a new option. On that date California’s physician-assisted dying law, the End of Life Option Act, took effect. The law will allow terminally ill patients to seek medical aid in ending their lives as long as two doctors have judged that they have six months or less to live. Anyone seeking this must make a written request, and two oral requests, at least

15 days apart, and be deemed mentally capable of making decisions about their own health.

Montana, Oregon, Vermont and Washington states have also legalized the practice.

In signing the law Governor Brown wrote: “In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death…. I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.”

Use of the law is voluntary for both patients and doctors. Only the patient can make the oral requests for medication, in person. The patient can rescind the request at any time. The law allows one to die at a place and time of one’s choosing. While nationally only 20% of people die at home, 90% of people using Death with Dignity laws choose to be at home. The Oregon experience has been that 90% who choose this pathway are on hospice, twice the national average. -- Norm Thomas

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THANK YOU!

On Sunday afternoon, July 10th, by one careless step, my well-laid plans for a vacation in Washington with family and long-time friends came to a shattering halt and I found myself in the hospital instead. It was a low blow and quite a setback, but looking back is not an option. My MVG family came to my rescue with a shower of cards, messages, visits, and best of all, prayers, all of which have speeded me on toward recovery. I am so grateful for our loving, caring community where I am privileged to live. It would be hard to make it without your support. A Hearty Thanks to my MVG family. I have been greatly blessed!

Blessings to all, Marie Melrose

WINE & NIBBLES

Come enjoy wine and nibbles with friends and neighbors on Friday, September 16th from 4-5 pm in the Gamble Room and adjacent garden.

10 Essential Emergency Supplies At a minimum, your emergency supplies should include these 10 essential items.

1. Water for 10 days (1 gallon per person per day) 2. Food for 10 days (including pet food) 3. First Aid Kit and instructions 4. Flashlights (and extra batteries) 5. Radio (and extra batteries) 6. Medications (prescription and non-prescription 7. Cash and important documents (small bills and coins, identification, SS card,

Advance Directive, contact information for family and doctors) 8. Clothing and sturdy shoes 9. Tools (wrench, duct tape, fire extinguisher, sturdy gloves, whistle)

10. Sanitation and hygiene supplies

County of Los Angeles Emergency Survival Guide -- Jane Vásquez ____________________________________________________________

DISASTER DRILL September 13

Plan to attend the Disaster Drill on September 13, from 10:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Lunch will be provided, roll will be taken, and your time will be well spent!

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BAR NONE

Placing my hand on the keyboard of the computer “I swear that the testimony I am about to give is the truth, (small pieces of) the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” The following exchanges between attorneys and witnesses in court are from verbatim court records.

(From your “Good Humor Man”) -- Gene Terpstra

AMERICAN ULYSSES

Nancy Macky announces that Ron White’s biography of Ulysses Grant will published by Random House on October 4. High praise can be read on Amazon.com by searching American Ulysses or Ronald C. White. General (Ret.) David Petraeus declares it "certain to be recognized as the classic work on Grant...a monumental examination of one of the most compelling figures in American History." Vroman's is sponsoring a book signing on November 2. Nancy was Ron's research assistant and editor for six years. Costco has chosen American Ulysses as its Book-of-the-Month for October, and Oprah will feature it in her November Magazine. Wahoo! -- Nancy Macky

STAMPS

Please save your canceled stamps from all your mail: overseas, correspondence, and pre-sorted. Put them in the white envelope on the wall opposite the women’s restroom in the Commons, or in the Ballenger cubbie. These are sent to the Japanese Christian Medical Society which processes them and sends them on to stamp-collecting companies. They then sell them. The JOCS raises money to provide medical help to nearby third world countries and also to assist in medical education for people in those countries. If you have time, please cut them off the envelope with a quarter inch border, but if you want to tear them off or just put the envelopes in Mary Froede’s cubbie or mine, we will take care of them. This is a wonderful way for us all to help with the mission of JOCS—to provide medical help to third world countries near Japan. -- Judy Ballenger

Attorney: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? Witness: He said, “Where am I, Cathy?” Attorney: And why did that upset you? Witness: My name is Susan!

Attorney: Now, doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep he doesn’t know about it until the next morning? Witness: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Attorney: Were you present when your picture was taken?

Witness: Are you (expletive deleted)…ing me? (Note: verbatim court records accurately

report expletives.)

Attorney: She had three children, right? Witness: Yes. Attorney: How many were boys? Witness: None. Attorney: Were there any girls? Witness: Your honor, I think I need a new attorney.

Attorney: How was your first marriage terminated? Witness: By death. Attorney: And by whose death was it

terminated? Witness: Take a guess.

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a million Armenians on suspicion of their being a fifth column for the Allies. The last-ditch offensive by the Germans in March 1918 ended with both British and German casualties numbering almost 80,000 with 19,000 dead--all in one day.

The pandemic flu of 1918 swept the world, killing millions, far more than the war itself. Blamed for the war, Germany was severely punished at the 1919 Paris Peace talks, thus the seeds were already sown for the rise of Hitler and WWII.

The Ottoman Empire was divided among the allies; Jenkins suggests that the jihadist terror of 9-11-01 can be understood as the rise of Islam in the former empire. Jenkins feels that WWI was “a war about nothing.” Great Powers had “stumbled” into it.

Chapter 12 is on “African prophets” (whose tradition of healers and witchcraft) may seem bizarre to most Christians in the global North, but Pierson ends his review by suggesting “what lessons we in the West can learn from our brothers and sisters in the global South.” *Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. (Oxford, 2002) and The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South. (Oxford, 2006)

Philip Jenkins, The Great and Holy War: How World War I became a Religious Crusade. (New York: HarperOne, 2014, 438 pp. $29.99).- Review by Franklin J. Woo

Two books by Philip Jenkins* were reviewed by Paul Pierson in the December 2013 issue of Tidings: While churches in the global North are declining, churches in the global South are flourishing. By the year 2050, says Jenkins, the majority of Christians will be in the global South where they tend to take the Bible literally but also interpret it for their own social liberation.

In his The Great and Holy War (2014) Jenkins writes as a war historian. The book is rich with vivid description of different battles of the Great War, undergirded by religion. Jenkins’ thesis: We cannot understand WWII without WWI. I list a few of his points: Biblical themes were used by both “Christian” sides in conflict: Germany, the Ottoman Empire (largely Muslim), vs. U.S.A. in 1917. Luther’s hymn Ein feste Burg is unser Gott became a 2nd German national anthem.

“The First World War changed everything. Without it, there would have been no Russian Revolution, no Third Reich, and certainly no Jewish state.”(G. Wheatcroft quoted by Jenkins).

The hybrid Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1918. Before its demise, it slaughtered more than

BIRTHDAY ON THE METRO

I hadn’t seen the house I grew up in for quite awhile. Home had been in West LA south of Pico. For my eighty-first birthday, I wanted to take the Gold Line downtown and catch the Expo Line’s new extension to the sea. It’s Expo Line because it more or less runs along Exposition Blvd.

I grew up a block south of Exposition in a neighborhood where Exposition was just a quiet street running along next to a set of seldom used train tracks.

Now the Expo Line runs along that right-of-way. Cecil and I got off at Westwood Blvd. We walked west on Exposition. As we walked I told him stories of riding my blue bike with balloon tires and the skills it took to ride in the alley, which was sand and gravel. When we got to Greenfield we turned left and I recalled all the kids who had lived in those houses. My house was near the end of the long block. It looked about the same. I’ll swear the backyard fence is the same one where Mother used to put up strings for the sweet peas.

We walked back another way so I could show Cecil my friend Caroline’s house. She used to pitch baseballs to me but my hitting never improved much. She was a faithful friend.

The Metro enabled a wonderful day of recollections. -- Pat Hoffman

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 10:00 Writing Class In Marwick 4:00 Jericho Rd. Program in Marwick 5:30 - Dinner (Reservation required)

4 1:00 Communion In Hearth 4:00 Vesper Service in HC

3 9:00 - 12:00 The Grove Stores open

2 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick

5 LABOR DAY (OFFICE CLOSED)

6 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick 1:00 Pray for Africa In Gamble Rm.

7 10:00 Music Class In Hearth

8 10:00 Writing Class In Marwick 4:00 Convocation in Marwick 5:30 - Dinner (Reservation

11 Remembrance of 9/11 4:00 Vesper Service in HC

10 9 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick

15 10:00 Writing Class In Marwick 4:00 Convocation in Marwick 5:30 - Dinner (Reservation required)

14 10:00 Music Class In Hearth

13 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick 10:30 - 1:30 Disaster Drill (Lunch provided)

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20 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick

19 18 4:00 Vesper Service in HC

17 16 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick 4:00 Wine & Nibbles Gamble Rm.

25 4:00 Vesper Service in HC

24 23 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick

22 10:00 Writing Class In Marwick

4:00 (NO Convocation)

5:30 - Dinner (Reservation) 7:00 Meet Trustees/ Dessert in Marwick

21 10:00 Music Class In Hearth 1:00 - 4:00 The Grove Stores open

SEPTEMBER

28 10:00 Music Class In Hearth

27 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick

26

Please Note: Not all activities are included.

29 10:00 Writing Class In Marwick 4:00 Convocation in Marwick 5:30 - Dinner (Reservation required)

30 9:00 Exercise Class In Marwick

19

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Bill Hansen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 01 Leigh Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 01 Don Maddox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 04 Bill Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 05 Hedy Lodwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 06 Dick Dosker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 07 Esther Den Hartog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 07 Bill Cunningham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 11 June Denton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 14 Ralph Hamburger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 16 Dolores Hendricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 17 Marie Melrose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 18 Pam Miller-Hessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 18

WITH DEEP APPRECIATION AND THANK YOU!

Dick Cole and his family want to sincerely thank all the MVGH “Grovers” for your amazing support and encouragement at the loss of our beloved Liz. Before, during, and after the Memorial Service, August 13, we felt lifted by your notes, prayers and contacts. You’ve been a tremendous help and we felt Liz would also have been humbled, pleased and honored by your continuing love and graciousness.

In Christ’s Love,Dick Cole and Family

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THE TIDINGS 2015 GUIDELINES • Articles to be 235 words or less (1/2 page) • Articles to be submitted in Arial - 12 point type • Articles to be to the point with content and information • Personal experiences, ponderings, thank you notes, other news are wanted • Informational news, ideas and stories from committees and individuals • Articles due on the 15th of month prior to publication

NOTE: All submissions will be reviewed for inclusion by the Tidings Team.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE OUR NEWSLETTER INVITING TO READ.

THE TIDINGS MONTE VISTA GROVE HOMES

Executive Director: Deborah Herbert President of the Residents’ Association: Tom Erickson

Publisher: Marilyn Manning Editor: The Tidings Team

(Carole Bos, Joyce DeGraaff, Cheryl Prentice) Printing and Distribution: Nancy Lain

STAFF APPRECIATION FUND COORDINATOR Added to Executive Council

At the Called Meeting of the Residents’ Association on Friday, August 12, it was approved to change the By-laws to expand the Residents’ Association Executive Council with the addition of a person to serve as the Staff Appreciation Fund Coordinator. This person, together with President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and four at-large members, will be elected annually at the Annual Meeting of the Association on the recommendation of the Residents’ Association’s Nominating Committee. The other member of the Executive Council is the Immediate Past President. The Association also voted to remove the policy that had required all elections at the Annual Meeting to be by written ballot. If you have any questions about any of these changes, please be in contact with Tom Erickson, the Association President or Huw Christopher, the Association Secretary.