Go In The Strength You Have

I have, there we go. I have no control over that. That's, that's due to the guys in the back. So, good morning, it's great to be here. I'd like to welcome members guests, family, friends online. Folks that may be watching or glad that you're here. I cannot tell you how. Glad I am not even gave me this chance to to show your home movies and speak to you for three hours about my vacation. It's not kidding. I don't even own a movie camera.

Before we begin, I'd like the opening prayer.

Father, we know that you are God not a god. Thank God, the one true and living God. When all the father. Now convictus, to live that truth in every single thing that we do use me today. Lord, let the words of my mouth be from your heart. The story I'm about to share is about you, not me. It is to exalt your strength, your power, your will, I'm just a tiny bit player on the grand stage of human history is written by you. Let it be so Lord to God, be the glory forever and ever in Jesus name. Amen. Gideon. Judges 6. 1416 judges 61 begins again. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. You know, we we look at that and we just shake our heads and say, what is the matter with those people and yet we suffer the same problems? Over and over. We do evil in the size of the Lord. I'd like to begin our our store. I'd like to read from judges 6, verses 11 through 16, this is the n, i v.

Because the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, he gave them over into the hand of the midianites, for seven years. For seven years, they were oppressed. The midianites would come in every time they planted crops they come in, like locusts. You couldn't even count their camels. They said, if they like the sand on the seashore, you can't count it. That was just their camels. Not the people. They run the crops, they took everything. They left nothing living for the Israelites. Cattle donkeys sheep. Goats, everything was gone. The people were living in caves and crevices and holes in the ground. They were, they were suffering. Horrible poverty and they were hungry. So, they cried out to the Lord, but the Lord sent him a prophet and said, look, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from slavery, I gave you this land. All I ask is that you don't worship the gods of the amorites, but you did not listen. Well, apparently, they're still not listening to Angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak. Onofre that belong to Joe us, the abused, right? Where his son Gideon was threshing, wheat in a winepress to keep it from the midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said the Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Let's surrogate in replied if the Lord is with us. Why is all this happened to us? Where are all these Wonders? That our fathers told us about? When they said did not the Lord, bring us up out of Egypt, but now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of the Midian. The Lord turned to him and said go in the strength. You have and save Israel. Out of minions hand. Am I not sending you? But Lord get in. Ask how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family. Florida answered I will be with you and you will strike down all the midianites together.

God knew what he was going to do to Midian? My God could have. He could have been at a word kill the entire nation. They could have dropped in their tracks. God did not want to do that. He wanted Israel to know that he is. God, their God, and he wanted to do this through people.

We notice in the, in the story. The angel of the Lord says the Gideon, the Lord is with you. Mighty warrior The Lord is with you getting answers while how come he's not. How come we? He goes to us. He did he didn't hear you or you ignored it. Got ignores his complaints. And it says first it says the angel of the Lord then it says the next verse says the Lord turned to him so this Angel is a manifestation of God himself and says go in the strength you have a my not sending you. Now, get in, here's the U part and he says, well, we'll wait just a little guy. I'm not, I'm not, I don't like the littlest in my family, but my family is the weakest in the clan. Hi, I can't go. God says the same thing to him did he said to Moses? I will be with you and you will strike down all the midianites. God wants to work through people. Unlikely. People little people like it in young, people like David or disrespected on wanted people, like Rahab the Harlot.

people like you, and I Nobody's, we're not rich, we're not famous. God wants to work through us. Keep that in mind. God wants to use you and I not going to share something with you. That's a little hurtful.

I've been struggling for about the last two years, in my walk with the Lord. And I have blamed it on people, circumstances the pandemic. The church being decimated, we have very few people left from where we started.

But that was not the problem and I knew that and I've known that all my life. The problem was it rick Meyer? Has never surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Why? I believed, I've been a Believer for a long time and I worked and I prayed and I gave, but I had never surrender. All Surrender is a tough word for me. Maybe it is for you to matter. Fact, I think it's a bad word considered a bad word in the United States. I serve 20 years in the military. They don't teach you to surrender. The teacher to keep going. I was 31 years in law enforcement and they definitely do. Not the matter. Fact, they teach we have seen video after video. Reenactment of thereafter, reenactment of police officers, who were killed in the line of duty. Don't do what they did. Don't give up, never, never never surrender. Never stop fighting

So surrender to me was anathema, I'm in not do that. Just doesn't fit very well. For me.

but in spite of all of that, the connotation of the word, I knew exactly why, I had not surrendered, and I knew what the night I was baptized into Christ, Karen and I both came. We're both raised as Lutheran went through confirmation class, has memorized all the Creed's, the scriptures, Etc, in the Lutheran Church, after we got married, we didn't go anywhere. I ended up in the military when moved around Finally came here and got into a Bible study with missionary preacher in North Pole moose Creek. Actually, and we both obeyed. The gospel as believe in adults and were baptized into Christ at around midnight, 1 in the morning, the same night I believe in Jesus Christ. I believed all my life. But I didn't surrender, and I know why because of Gideon. Because of Rahab because of all these people that God used. And I said I'm afraid I don't want. This is the honest-to-goodness truth. I didn't want to be a missionary to the Congo. I didn't want God to send me to Africa as a missionary. I was afraid that would happen. So I didn't surrender. Ever. 47 years. I've been a Believer as an adult. And I have not surrendered. So,

In December. Right, around Christmas time. I ran across this little book called Men of Valor. 3, minute devotions.

Lessons in Courage. Great Men of faith in this.

Maybe it's because I'll be 75 next month. Maybe it's because I'm starting to realize, I'm not going to live forever. I don't have 34 years to change to grow to begin serving to surrender. Maybe that's why. But this little book is affected me more than anything other than the Bible.

I got the page 16 and there's something in there that hit me upside the head like a thrown brick. I want to read it to you. William Booth from rags to Heavenly riches, that begins with a scripture. You're supposed to meditate on that for a minute. Then a story meditate on that for a minute than one line, prayer. Meditate on that, for a minute. The scripture is 2nd, Corinthians 5 17, King James. Therefore, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold. All things are new Born in 1829 to a working-class English family. William Booth that a humble entrance into the world. 83 years later, his funeral was attended by 150,000 people. Even the Queen of England. Paid her respects a long road of Faith. LED William Booth from obscurity to found in the Salvation Army to his ultimate promotion to Glory Too poor to attend school working as a pawn brokers, assistant to support his family. William the new destitution At 8:15 though the trajectory of his life shifted, when he put his faith in Jesus Christ, in his diary, he wrote God's will have all over is of William Booth. Almost immediately he began to evangelize to the poor and needy salvation. Remade William Booth, his actions motivations and plans changed. Because of his commitment to Christ. Today. Does God have all of his of you when you commit fully to him you may not expect large crowds to attend your funeral but you'll have crowns of your own to offer to God and Glory Lord, take all of me. Change my plans to be yours. I don't know if you picked up on the line that I did.

but it was in his diary, he wrote, God shall have all, there is Of William Booth. And right there, that day on that spot, I said I want God to have all there is of rekhmire, not just this faith, not just his belief. All there is, I went further and prayed God forgive me. I Surrender my life to you. I want to do what you want to use me as you see fit.

You probably know that Karen and I used to cruise quite a bit once a year. At least we would go on a cruise. We tried to go on a 50th Anniversary cruise and I ended up instead that got canceled and I ended up at the Mayo Clinic and surgery with a cancer diagnosis. So, we have been trying to have this 50th Anniversary Cruise. For quite some time we took a cruise in 2018 in the fall October. So and it was literally the cruise from Hell forgive the language. Everything went wrong. We met a couple of nice people. Our goal on a cruise is to meet the crew. The people that are working so hard to take care of us, but everything went wrong. They kept changing crew members. They didn't know what they were doing with spent a lot of money. We're in a big sweet. They normally treat you like royalty, we're treated like not royalty. Everything went wrong. So we've been trying to Take this 50th Anniversary cruise for long time and of course you know what happened in the pandemic, actually we had a 28-day South Pacific schedule. We were packed, we were ready to leave on Holland America, pull the plug on everything and we didn't go. So we sound Fairbanks for the next as it turns out 5 years. I didn't go anywhere.

So we scheduled this Cruise in February and Holland, America told us look you have, you have four star Mariner status, you have money down on future Cruise etc, etc. We're back on the water. And if you don't want to lose all that, you have to use it by December 31st, but we booked the cruise for over our anniversary in February and they kindly extended our benefits until then, so, not only is this a replacement 50th Anniversary, Cruise 5 years late We also stand to lose everything with it's taken us 15, 16 years to gain with all in America, as well as money. So there was a lot riding on the cruise. So I told Karen, Oh, I know, end of December in the January. I said, you know, on 2018 Holland. America said they were going to drop Protestant worship services on board ship, and we had always attended worship services on board ship and they donated a room to a pastor, and a pass, or any any denomination if he would hold Protestant worship Services, while he was on board, some of them were wonderful, some of them, obviously just wanted a free cruise, but we always had a worship service and they were going to drop it, I wrote him a big ladder, don't do that. But I said, you know, after the pandemic they literally had this cell for ships to stay afloat. No pun intended. I said they're not going to have worship services, so I'm going to volunteer to lead a service if there are none. Who says okay. So that's that's where it's at. So I told Bob coslett is my neighbor, Bob and I are close and He took us Deluxe Accord airport shuttle. Bob took us to the airport at midnight on the 31st of January and the last thing you said to me in the airport was, don't forget your promise, I'll be praying for you.

I think that made a big difference. We're ultimately so we left at 2:30 in the morning flew all night. Barely made our connection and Seattle Slew another 6 hours to Fort Lauderdale. Got there, finally got a room cuz we were they had to fix up a room before we could check out

Bottom line is we were in bed at 8:30 at night. We've been up 37 and a half hours with too old to do that anymore. We just do that all the time and keep going. I can't do that anymore. So we're good at 8:30. Slept like a baby till midnight. and I woke up, and Don't you know, midnight is Satan's favorite our. He just loves to dig at you at midnight cuz you all you want to do is, go back to sleep, your guard is down. You're not thinking about anything, but going back to sleep. And all the what ifs and you can't. And are you kidding me? Wash in. And that's where I went for about 3 hours, 4 hours.

And I said to myself,

Come in the crew. There's over 3,500 people on that ship strangers from all over the world. Young old male female. There's going to be every Protestant denomination you can name. There's probably going to be pastors on board who are this trying to get away from Ministry on and rebuild their not going to lead a service, but they'll go to 1 and you're going to stand up and preach the pastors. Who Do You Think You Are? And I said, no, I can't, I can't do that. And I decided, no, I'm not going to do that. Fell asleep about 4 a.m. got up. Fairly early the next day. And or later on in the morning, we're in the land of the big BX. That's what we said in Vietnam, there is shopping available. Is more than Fred Meyer in Walmart, right? Mrs. I, I am married to a black belt, shopper

So we called an Uber, if we take off, Edward is a driver. Nice guy. There says, there's a mall in Fort Lauderdale. We go through all the time. They have our favorite restaurant, we really enjoy.

So I'm carrying my cell phone. Will, I have an iPhone 11? It's the big one cuz I wanted the larger screen. My eyes are getting old. And it's in an OtterBox case because my iPhone 6 with left on the hood of the car on the way, hit 55 miles an hour at tumbled over the windshield off the back of the car and hit the road cracked the screen saver, that's all. So another OtterBox on the new phone, right? Big is clunky a sticky rubber. I have to put it in my pants pocket cuz there's no coat that 80°, right where in Florida So we getting an Uber why it's really uncomfortable. So I work that phone out and lay it on the seat between my legs. We get to the mall, I tip the driver. Thank you very much. I jump out Karen slides across she gets all we take three steps and look back. And there's a guy getting in the door, closes off the ghost, other wall. Wow, that worked out. Great for Edward, Uber stuff, must pay pretty. Well, he had a ride waiting. We're going to the mall, the restaurants, right there, we're hungry. We've only eaten like once the day before. So we go and sit down order or dinner so it's kind of between breakfast and lunch. It's a strange time of almost nobody there.

Karen pulls out her phone and starts. What was a simple 18 conversation? I can do that to a night. My phone. I left it in Uber. Run outside cuz of restaurants right there run out to the front. This is there's a driveway in off the main drag people just come in, jump out, keep going and they Park there's a valet parking out front, they have a parking garage but the the good cars are parked here so I run out. Expect like I expect to see my phone laying on the curb, right? This is a busy place. There is no phone Lanner but there's a valet valet and parking over here. So I go and talk to this girl and I say, look, I lost my iPhone. This is what happened, you know. She looks at me like that, Brooks & Dunn song, lost and found. They just look at you like when you're when you're in a Border Town and they look at you, if you just tell him you lost a diamond ring and they look at you, like you've lost your mind said, they haven't seen nothing. That's how she looked at me.

So I explained hey it's it's really important. I give her Karen's phone number. I don't know why this is cutting in and out, but I give her parents phone number in my name and I said it's really important. Please call me if somebody turns an iPhone in and again she gives me the lost-and-found stare like you're an idiot. Your phone is gone.

This is important. My phone runs my hearing aids from their mom, turns them off, turns them up Tournament down chooses programs you hear music differently? Then you hear conversation so I can change programs. It's the first time I heard music with these it was horrible. So that app is on my phone. Also Holland, America has gone paperless. They used to it, you run your ship card, like a credit card, and you got to charge slip. That's how I tracked are spending on board, kept track of her know, it's all in a nap. Now, that app is on my phone. You make, reservations you setup your attend or are you view your itinerary? You follow your build. Everything is done on the app. My phone is gone, this is not good, we just got it. Paid $4,000 cell phone right now. I have to go back to stay, stay with me. I know this doesn't sound like a word from God yet. It will literally. So now I have to go back in and face my bride. We've been trying to do a 50th Anniversary cruise for five years. And I have to go and tell her that I have just destroyed our trip and we haven't even seen the ship yet. Not a conversation. I wanted to have So I go back in I'll say, honey, the phone is gone. Nothing there. She is on her phone, desperately trying to contact Uber.

To contact the driver to see if he can check the car. Is the phone in there etcetera etcetera. So I apologize like three times and it's some it's lame I what can you say? What a boneheaded things I've done that before. I knock my phone out of the truck laying it between my legs. So, it's not something that never happened before. I should have known better.

and, Even if there had been an Apple store in the mall there wasn't and you could get seeing. They're always busy. We don't have time in a day and a half. We're going to be out of the country. We don't have time to replace the phone the apps through all this even if we want to spend that money. So this is not good. I explained to her that, you know, the phone is gone, she's working with her phone ignoring me appropriately. So, so I'm feeling useless and miserable. I said, look up, I'm going to go to the restroom money again, stay with me. We're getting there. You know, I said with Gideon and Rahab and Dave God uses the unlikely people got to use it, little people. People who may not even.

Claim him sometimes. so, I walk into the restroom. And God not only uses.

Strange people, he talks to you in strange places. I got his never talk to me. I walked in there is small restroom. There's no one there. I hear the door closed behind me and a voice. Like God is standing right there. Rick. You have decided to renege on your promise to me. Yes, Lord. I mean, I answered out loud. That's I'm glad there was no one in their right. I literally answered out loud because I knew who was talking to me. I've never heard you. Talk to me. Now, what was said? Next What I heard next was. I knew people. Bargain with God. I know that happens. You know, that you always hear about the soldier in the Foxhole, the grenades are exploding, the bombs are bursting. Bullets are flying a lord. If you get me out of this, if you just let me live, I'll serve you forever. I do people did that. I didn't know God that that sort of thing. The next thing I heard was if you ever want to see your cell phone again, you will carry through your promise to me. Yes, Lord, again answered out loud. If there'd been somebody in there, they probably would have called Mall security. Have me all the way. Because I'm talking to someone that's not there. Rick. You have decided to renege on your promise to me if you ever want to see your cell phone again. Carry out your promise. Wow.

You didn't call me Mighty Warrior. Like he did get in. There was no mighty warrior for Rick Meyer. There was get your act together and quit listening to Satan.

So, hey, I go back to the table. Now, I'm calm, my anxiety level just went from here, to hear about this phone, the phones coming back. I have no doubt cuz I'm going to carry through with my promise. Karen is still on her phone. I sit down. I said the phones coming. We're getting the phone back. She looks at me and says yeah, well I got a hold it. Where they're going to contact the driver. Check the car. Have him contact us? I said we're getting the phone back. She says yeah how do you know? And I told her what happened

No, I am no longer on her the top of her favorite person list that went away when I came back in, when I said, I left my phone in Uber, I got knocked off that list write down. So, I explained to her what happened to me. She gives me the lost and found in the Border Town, look. Mister Meyer, has zero, zero credibility with mrs. Meyer at this point, I might have might as well at all. I just got off at Jupiter Lander. I'm headed to the lunar Orbitz shortly. She probably would have sent me at that point.

So, I just let it go about an hour later. We get a text from Edward. Hey, I got over contacted me about your lost phone and I'm at a doctors appointment right now, But when I get done, if I have the phone I'll return it. I looked at her and I said see phones coming back. Yeah. Well we don't have it yet. Okay. All right. And Uber is going to charge us, 20 bucks. I said big deal because if he has it, and if he returns that he won't be on the clock. So the driver gets twenty bucks. I said big deal, 20 bucks for a lesson learned a word from God. And $1,000 cell phone back. I can deal with that. I'm good with that. so, about two hours later, Edward the driver Uber driver, Texas. Hey I got your phone. I'm going to my my next job my second job but I'll return the phone at 8:30 or 9 tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. So now I'm kind of smoke, right? I look at it. See, phones coming back. Yeah we don't have it yet. She's a realist. She's not a dreamer. So I'm okay long walk back to the top of the favorite person list with my bride. So So, now we can go enjoy our shopping only. Now, there's a little bit of punitive shopping involved. I thought I was going to have to buy HotPads to handle a credit card, but so you see Android shopping. We got back to the hotel and we're waiting 8:30 that night, we got a phone call, hey, it's Edward, I'm out front. So we run down. Thank him profusely. I gave him a large tip.

Got back upstairs. I said, seat the phone came back. God told me you're getting a phone back, cuz I'm going to carry out my promise. Okay, we got the phone back Buster. So now what happens. Now, every time we move would leave the room. Got your phone. Yes, show me.

We sit down for breakfast, eat breakfast, get up and walk away, got your phone. Yes, show me. What could I say? You know, I really had nothing to say to that so I just showed her my phone. so we get to the ship, this is another lesson in humility, God is not done with Rick Myer, the lowly Warrior We have status, I told you we were going to lose our four star Mariner, five stars, the highest you can go except for presidential level. The only, man we ever met that had the presidential level had done, 12, back-to-back world tours. We're not ever going to get the presidential level. The only thing reasonable normal, average people can get to his five-star which we did halfway through this cruise. I gave us a new card with a new logo and Couple free dinners and various things. So we have status and we're traveling in a big sweet. We booked a Neptune Suite. The only thing above that is the penthouse literally and we're not going there. So I'm spending a lot of money and I have status we get to get on ship first. Not only that our room is ready when we get there cuz they clean the Suites first there's a lot of perks to traveling in a large sweet.

Okay, we were supposed to be on board or boarding card, priority boarding says 11:40. Holland. We're on Holland America transfers, so that if we're late, they'll hold the ship. If you're on your own, you just say, I got a cab and you're late. The other ship is gone, you missed it. So we always take the transfers, the bus doesn't get to the hotel. Till after noon, I'm supposed to be on board ship. I have status. I'm a big spender. What's going on here?

It was a mess. It wasn't there were two ships leaving two groups of people, the hotel couldn't handle, everybody all the luggage. All of us is getting people in the right place and then at the last minute, some guy wanders down. Hey man, was I supposed to be here early? I'm supposed to leave on one of these buses, so they got to figure out who he is and get his luggage isn't then. We sit and a left, turn lane for 30 minutes unable to turn cuz of the intersection is blocked. Finally, get to the ship. We are the last people on board the last. Everybody else is already on. So much for status and money. We get on board the elevator. Now, we each have a Rollie for, they are playing and we have a bag. I have a briefcase, like, is packed full of two Bibles, concordance reference, materials notebook, paper. It's like 30 lbs, right? In addition to my little suitcase,

Elevator opens full up a flight, rest up another flight rest. Go to the elevator. Later, we get the deck 7 with our luggage. And our room. The room is ready. Throw stuff in there. Go make dinner reservations. Come back setup, a room and then go to dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant, if you would put picture number one up Rob, Mizani. This is a Sony we meet meet her. She is the hostess at the Pinnacle restaurant. We don't eat in the dining room Weed. At The Pinnacle restaurant is on his sweet. She's a group. She's just great. So we're chatting with her cuz I made reservations. I said, look, we're going to be here every night except for two nights. We have two free dinners and other venues. So we're going to eat here every night so she's making reservations somewhere talkin. Anna. She tells me, she's from from Bali. And I said, really you're from Bali, I said five years ago in, 2018 the hostess for the Pinnacle restaurant. Was also from Bali. Her name was D&D, looks at me and says she's my best friend. What are the chances? So I pulled my folksy, honey, I got my phone, but my phone out and pull of a picture, I said this is the yes, she's the best. My best friend in the world. She comes out from behind a Podium gives me a hug gives Karen, a hug stands between us, takes a selfie with her phone. I can't wait to send send this to D and tell her. I'm at you instant connection with this young lady, she's she was just wonderful.

I was able to share with her. Now, this is over the length of the cruise, we spoke with her every single night. She spent a lot of time at our table talking with us cuz of this connection with her friend. She tells us Diaz married. I said, yeah, I know she was engaged and we're on Facebook with her. We went all that she got married. Her husband Thomas is the Chef at the Pinnacle restaurant, here on this I'll bring him out to meet you. So the first night we were sitting there eating dinner and here comes the chef to meet us. I'm sure people are wanted for those folks, know what's special about them. It was the connection. With a Sonic and her friend. So that was it was just awesome. I was able later on talking to her She was telling us that she's of an age, everytime she's home, her parents, and all her friends. Say what's your not married yet, you don't have kids. What's going on, you know, when a call to her and she's Way Beyond at 8, And I I just looked at her one time and I said you got a boyfriend and she caught a really sheepish grin on her face and said you don't dating a ship's officer so that led to a conversation about love. How do I know how do? I don't know what love is? How do I know I have so many friends have been married and divorced so I went to the front office have them copy 1st Corinthians 13 from about my Bible, wrote a big letter explaining it and gave that to her before we left the ship. And my hope and prayer is it. She'll say wow. If he is, God Can Explain love like this. Maybe I should read this book. So God is putting people in our life that really have meaning. If you had the picture number 2 is goosie, oh I'm sorry, I forgot that this is picture number 2, that is D. That is on his friend D and her husband, Thomas Thomas was the chef for the Pinnacle restaurant. That's their wedding picture. Like I said, parents on Facebook, with a lot of these people that we met over the years and she was, she was that connection was made ghost, say, is the next picture we're being number 3, he is our waiter and he was awesome. He is also from Bali, he's married has a three-year-old daughter and his Hindu. We had many conversations about faith with acoustic. Now, you got to understand, we're in a restaurant, these people are all working. They have to come, they come and go. If you would put the next picture up, That would be the plus one that's ghost and his wife. And his daughter has it? She's three now. The little girl is and those decorations that you see? There he is, very talented young, man. He made those. He and his brother do that as a part-time business, whenever he's home.

So, we connected with Goosey quite a bit down. Matter fact, I asked for him, I said I want this table every night. With one exception. If you move guste to another section, I want to go with him and in the Mater, Dei had made that happen. but the In the Hindu face, he explains. I asked him about dogs one night. I said I made a comment so I'm really missing my dogs. And then I asked him. I said, do you does anybody in Bali have dogs and he goes into a big long explanation in the Hindu Faith. You have to have a dog because it's the evil spirits attack your home at night and a dog's drive them away. He has three dogs, I believe. So I wanted to witness to this guy somehow some way and I rack my brains for the three weeks. Raonic finally, I'm thinking evil spirits, we believe in evil spirits, but we believe that Jesus faith in Christ. Hold up price and they will flee. So I was able to witness to him with that because of our connection with dogs. And what he said about his Hindu Faith, he did that. He told us in the vale they have Hindu Christian and Catholic are the three major religions and they all get along. He said, there's no animosity. There's no fighting. I got the distinct impression that he had heard what I told him before. But I believe in the three hours of teaching repetition repetition repetition. So Lord willing, someday. He will come to Faith in Jesus Christ.

The next picture is Willy Willy is the maitre d' of the restaurant? He's a zani and boost his boss. I never got the chance. He he came around every night he was at our table every night after checking the food and the service, but he's a really nice guy. Good manager, all his people were happy. They were serving, dude. Did an awesome job as matter. Fact, one night giusti's at let's let's pull a prank on Willie. I said Willie is your boss. You sure you want to do that. I'm in. So what we did do a practical joke on Willie and he took it very well, he laughed. As it was it was a lot of fun. So I was able to share with him compliment him on his management of the restaurant and build him up that way. The next person that now that was. That was day one. That was the first day on the ship, we didn't get on board till nearly four in the afternoon on a Saturday. Karen says, let's go to breakfast tomorrow. Normally breakfast is for sweet. Guest is served in the Pinnacle restaurant and they are the only ones that can eat there. Everybody else has to go to the dining room. This is a new ship and the new era they have developed this thing called Club Orange. It's a smaller venue. Small restaurant only for sweet guest with the exception that they will. Sell a limited number of memberships to Club orange. For $35 a day, you can eat there. We only ate breakfast there so she says let's go to breakfast. I could find. So we get into Club orange and see me Genesis picture. Number six, This is Genesis and of course, her name Genesis. I said that, that was an instant connection. Instant conversation. She was very guarded. She did tell us, she had a nine-year-old, son, never mentioned a husband or father, we got the distinct impression that it was not a good situation. For mother was Raising her son. And she told us she had. To hopes. I was able to draw her out occasionally, but she was so busy. She never got a chance to stand and talk. She said, she wanted. Number one. Few want her son to know that she was his mother, not her mother. And that he would love her didn't have to buy her. Anything didn't have to live with her? Didn't it? Just wanted him to know. I'm your mother and love me. That's all she wanted in life. So it must have been a rather difficult situation for her and we were able to to share with her about the mother's love and children's love for their mother. So that worked out well. The next people we met were Jim and Janice, I do not have a picture and they were arguably the most important people in this cruise for us. But the wall were sitting at Club orange, we had ordered breakfast, we're eating breakfast Genesis Springs, another couple, and seated, next to the tables are very close together. So we did the cruise saying hi. I'm Rick, this is Karen were from Fairbanks. Alaska on June. This is Janice. We're from Detroit. Michigan. Got the talking with him. She is a clinical psychologist. Still works one or two days a week at with a clinic. They're both child and adult psychologist. I don't worry about them. People like that. you know, figuring out what's in there because I had an MRI on my head one time and Karen said, they're not going to find anything and they didn't so, That didn't bother me but they were just really sweet and talking to them in for so conversation. Now, this is Sunday morning. I said we were disappointed. That there was no problem. Protestant worship service. Oh, I forgot to tell you after dinner that first night, Karen. Love of my life says we're going to the front desk so you can volunteer. Oh yeah, right. She was holding my feet to the fire wasn't going to let me forget that cuz I have my cell phone back. So I went to the front desk and told him, who I was what I wanted. I said, if you give me a room in a time, I will lead a worship service. Protestant worship service. Okemos Meijer took all information will get back to you. Turn off Sunday morning. We're eating Jim. And Janice are there with tell him we're disappointed about the no warship. So are we, we are very upset and we're going to talk to we're going to tell him about it so I told him what I had done. They said let us know if they give you a room. So I got their cabin number so I could call him. We stood up to leave and Karen says the gym. You can lead singing and he laughs is he a right and we left so,

Club oranges on Deck, to most of the dining is on Deck 2. So we got go out of Club of orange and we wander down around to the to look at the flower arrangements outside, the main dining room coming back. And my bride says I really like that shirt and tie combinations. You have lunch, you stand against the wall or so I can take your picture, right? I'm getting back to the list, right? I'm at least within hailing distance of her favorite person list, so she, I stand against the wall, she takes my picture and I think while I'm getting back in her, good graces, you had no picture number. What is it? 11.

Yeah, I didn't see the sign until I looked at the picture. So, she was just having a little fun with me. You take that away.

So we're now in the in the second day. We go to dinner. Asani runs out from behind the podium as we approached. I'm going to go over, I'm sorry, I can't do this in the time. Allotted. We did start late. She runs out from the podium and says almost at Meijer. I'm so, so sorry. But I see that someone next irritating, all the tables are like that far apart. So there's a guy sitting where we're going to sit. It's okay. It's okay. It'll be fine. So we go in and sit down. Anna. Thomas. Thomas Weakley, number picture, number 8, Thomas is sitting there, this gentleman uses a walker very difficult time, getting up and down on the Walker. He said, I'm probably done cruising, but just a neat guy. Really need guy. You can see a word, there's Willie out there at the podium. We're just inside at a table. Nobody likes because everybody wants to be over by the windows. We don't care, we just want to meet people and have a good dinner. And he had reservations for 6 for 8:30 and he called and said, he was calling the concierge and says, I don't want to eat at 8:36. I'm in bed by 8:30, is there. Anyway, I can get in earlier and the guy told me stuff. Tell you what to do with your pajamas on and go down to the restaurant and just beg them for a table. I'm sure they'll help. So, we did, you didn't put his pajamas on but it is show up and then a nazani put them at our table. Isn't that interesting? He is Roman Catholic, he had studied to be a priest as a young man, then he met his wife, and that change that. Strong Roman Catholic from Indianapolis Indiana. He had lost his wife several years before and stop cruising. But is Tucson this encouraged them to start traveling again. You need to get out dad so so he's out traveling on his own. And apparently, they had traveled a lot. He and his wife had and he likes to study world religions. He had told us on it. Look I'll just I'll eat really fast, I'll be gone. I'll just eat and be gone. We sat there for 2 and a half hours and talked and you could see from the picture he and I were across from one another with kind of left, Karen a jump, and every once in a while, we had an awesome con conversation. He gave me an idea for an opening. Which I use both services that I land. They gave me an idea for an opening. Welcome, that was awesome. I would love to share it with you. I do not have time, so God put Thomas in our life. For very clear purpose. We, he had such a good time. He asked if he could eat with us again, that would be great. So quick, we had another male on the 19th. And again, I was two and a half hours, we just sat there and talks we just enjoyed one. Another talk about God about faith about service, it was awesome. God, put so many people in our life. The next picture would be of Kathy. We met aware this was in the Neptune Lounge, Neptune Lounge. Is there only for sweet. Guess you have to swipe your card, which is a special card to get in. We opened our cabin door, took two steps across the hall and went into the Neptune Lions, they have snacks and wine, and a coffee machine, that'll make anything and including hot chocolate, lattes, americanos, whatever you want TV concierge. That is there from I think 7 in the morning till 8 at night, there's two of them. This one is Kathy. The next one is Christine they they shared we did not. We saw them almost every day but we did not make a connection. They were always busy. There was always somebody in there doing something with them but they did help. I did tell them about we gone to the front desk because the Neptune Lounge was closed otherwise I would have gone through them. To get into the system. But I bought those two ladies. For the next 7 days. Did we get a room? If we get home I will call you mister Meyer. Do we get it? I will call you mister Mayer. Are they going to get it? I will call you mister Mayer and let you know. Well, They were they were really nice ladies. We really appreciated them. So that's who God put in our in our life, the first 3 days. And it was pretty much. Amazing. So now it's it's Friday. We've gone throughout the week. I've been studying racking my brains. What am I going to? What am I because I am not prepared. I had a pair before I left I just had materials with me to prepare so I came. I said I'm going to I'm going to speak about feeding the 5000 and Peter walking on the water. I did it from a different perspective. You've normally heard it. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to share that here. It's a little shorter than this one.