Happy Birthday, Pastor Sam Lacanienta!

One of the first things we learn as new Christian believers is that we do not worship pastors, we only worship God.  But that said, we still can and should have great respect for those men who have committed their lives to serving God - and in serving God, to serve and support us in our spiritual life and needs.

And we all will have a special place in our hearts for that one pastor who took us by the hand and guided us to the cross.  That man becomes our spiritual father.  I consider myself very fortunate that God placed Pastor Sam Lacanienta in my life in 1987.  My wife, Dory, had been praying for me to be saved for ten years.  For ten years she gently nudged me toward Christ.  But it was when we met Pastor Sam & Ida Lacanienta that Dory's prayers began to be answered.  In 1987, after six months of Godly love in worship services, Sunday School, and Family Bible Studies - I became a believer with Pastor Sam as my spiritual mentor and father.

So when Qhuelly Ruaya Reyes, a young Filipina in the church he now pastors in the Philippines -Talakag Church On The Solid Rock (COTSR), a sister church to the COTSR which Pastor Sam planted in Aliso Viejo, California - asked me to send a birthday message for Pastor Sam -  it seemed a good time to reminiscence and share my many thoughts and memories of the impact which Pastor Sam & Ida Lacanienta have had in my life since I met them in 1987

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Qhuelly Ruaya Reyes wrote:

Hi Sir Bill Gray!  Can I request for a birthday message for Pastor Sam through video?  We are planning to show it this coming Sunday.  You can send it through my gmail account.

Hi Qhuelly,

I have made two versions of my "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PASTOR SAM!" video.  The only difference is how long each frame stays on the screen.  One version is 4.30 minutes long, the other is 2.16 minutes long.  The reason for the time difference is that some frames have text and I give folks more time to read it.

Video 1  ~  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_3VmwIgSx0    (10 seconds per frame - 4 minutes, 30 seconds long)

Video 2  ~  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1JAiTl9d4   (5 seconds per frame - 2 minutes, 16 seconds long)

Thank you for including me in your celebration of Pastor Sam's birthday.   Give him a really big hug for Dory and me.  He and Ida truly changed our lives for the better.   Please let me know if you have any problems with the video.  God bless, Bill

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Because YOU, my Friend, are also very special to me, I want to share these memories of Pastor Sam with you.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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