Today, a new day is dawning at Westwood. Our new pastor start his new calling with us. I have worked with him this week and he seems to be a wonderful person. He seems easy to work with and very down to earth. Westwood has shrunk over the last 10+ years and is in need of new life to be pumped into it. We have taken time to look at ourselves, our calling to the community, and our relationship with God. There will be changes, and changes are difficult, but sometimes necessary. I will be learning to play as part of a praise team,( can you teach an old dog new tricks?), plus helping to maintain the old hymns, maybe in a livelier tempo. May God bless us a we renew are faith, in his honor and to his glory.

My tribute to Ted Kennedy. Thank you for not becoming president. Thank you for being a senator from Mass. and not Michigan. His record for winning battles is below average. He is from a troubled family that has had a fair share of adversity. Everyone who worked with him says he was vicious in battle and gracious in in victory or defeat. He was a devoted Catholic, and had a history of bad behavior. He was truly a man of contradictions. He lavished in wealth and fought hard for the poor and downtrodden. If anything Teddy, you were good press. God Bless.

I talked with Don today on Skype. Video conferencing is very nice. Him and Akiko have moved into their apartment in Tokyo and are now trying to get settled in. We got a video tour of their apartment.

I have returned. Many things have happened since I last blogged that have kept me off line. First of all, the computer shorted out and had to be repaired.
Don and Akiko have arrived safely in Japan. We just set up our skype connection with them. This enables us to talk face to face with them, for free. Liz and I bought their car from them, so once again we have car payments for a while. Don and Akiko had to trim down all they had, to two suitcases and two carry on bags each. I'll have more later, as this blog is very cathartic.