Bill, Kristine and Nick enjoying the pool on a hot summer day!


Hello,

Thank you, Jesus, for the year 2007. Remember, in the upcoming year, to regularly attend services at your local church. At The Spoken Word Church our vision for attending services is three-fold. You should come to each service:

1. To hear the Word of God.
2. To celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
3. To be a blessing to others.

When all the people of our local church come with these three principles in mind, we cannot help but have a fantastic, supernatural service.

Have a great New Year's Eve. We look forward to an exciting, wonderful 2008!

Shalom,

Bill

One of our special friends from Maui is Johnny Miller. Johnny is a veteran Hollywood stuntman and stunt coordinator who is also a born again believer in Jesus Christ!


Hello,

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday by a score of 4-2. The Minnesota Vikings lost an overtime game to the Denver Broncos today 22-19. New York Yankees pitchers and catchers report in 46 more days!

Shalom,

Bill

Bill walking the beach in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.

Hello,

We're looking forward to great Sunday morning services tomorrow and our annual New Year's Eve party on Monday night. See you in church!

Shalom,

Bill

The beautiful beaches of Maui would be a great place to be right now. This is better than snow and cold on any day!


Hello,

Saturday night the Detroit Red Wings will be in Phoenix to take on the Coyotes. Sunday afternoon the Minnesota Vikings will be playing the Denver Broncos in Denver. In 48 more days the New York Yankees pitchers and catchers will report to Tampa, Florida for Spring Training 2008!

Have a great weekend,

Bill

Bill in one of the condos we stayed at in Maui. A nice reminder of warmth while we are currently surrounded with so much snow!


Do You Know Your Bible?
Answers to previous quiz.

1. Solomon (1 Kings 6:1, 7)
2. Jotham (2 Chron. 27:1, 4)
3. Joshua (Josh. 6:26)
4. Israelites (Exod. 5:6-14)
5. Hiram (1 Kings 7:13-45)
6. Nehemiah (Neh. 4:6-17)
7. Cain (Gen. 4:17)
8. David (1 Chron. 22:2-8)
9. Joseph (Gen. 42:7-17)
10. Joab (2 Sam. 14:1-3)


New Quiz: Covenants
From this list of names select the correct one to fill in each blank.

1. Abraham
2. Jonathan
3. Benhadad
4. Joshua
5. Isaac
6. Moses
7. Jacob
8. Nahash
9. Jehoiada
10. Noah

1. Who, after making a covenant with his father-in-law, set up a pile of stones as a witness to their act? ______
2. Who, after making a covenant with a dear friend, gave him his robe, armor, sword, bow and girdle? ______
3. Who, after a rainstorm, was told by God that the sight of a rainbow in the clouds would be a covenant between Him and every living creature? _____
4. Who, after making a covenant with the people at Shechem, set up a great stone under an oak as a witness? _____
5. Who, after making a covenant with a king who had once hated him, made a feast for the royal party? _____
6. Who, after God had made a covenant with him, had his name changed? _____
7. Who agreed to make a covenant with the men of Jabesh if he could gouge out the right eye of every citizen? _____
8. Which king sat in Ahab's chariot and made a covenant with him, promising to restore cities his father had taken? _____
9. Who stood between God and the Israelites at Horeb on an occasion when God made a covenant with them? _____
10. Which priest "made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people" followed by the people breaking down all the altars of Baal? _____

Answers and a new quiz will be posted next Thursday!

Robin, Kristine and Roxy at the Vikings/Bears game.


Hello,

Christmas was wonderful and I believe that the New Year will be our best one ever!

The Vikings need to beat Denver on Sunday and have Dallas beat Washington. When that happens it's "Playoffs!"

Shalom,

Bill

Robin, Kristine and Roxy at the recent Vikings/Bears game. Happy Vikings fans joining in the photo, along with a discouraged but friendly Bears fan. It was a good day to be a Vikings fan!


Hello,

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Day!

Shalom,

Bill

The Metrodome is a very loud place to watch football, especially when the Vikings are playing well!


Hello,

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve with your friends, family and relatives.

Shalom,

Bill

This is the Metrodome, where the Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears last week.

These are the happy fans watching as the Vikings win!

Hello,

Well, we won't be celebrating like that this week as the Vikings lost to the Washington Redskins by a score of 32 to 21. At least we started our day right by attending the worship service at The Spoken Word Church!

Have a very blessed week.

Bill

Nick with some of the coaching staff of Blaine High School.

This is the third season for Nick coaching at Blaine High School, the seventh largest high school in Minnesota.

Nick is once again the head junior varsity coach and varsity assistant, working with a 16 players on a combined varsity/junior varsity squad.

Shalom,

I am expecting a wonderful start of the coming week at our services tomorrow at The Spoken Word Church. The Spoken Word Church singers will minister from 9:45 until 10:15 a.m., followed by our anointed worship service. Anita will lead the praise, thanksgiving and worship, Robin will present the tithes and offerings to the Lord and I will teach lesson #2 on Christmas, part of our year-ending three lesson series.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Minnesota Wild tonight 4 to 1 in National Hockey League play. Redskins at Vikings tomorrow. Packers at Bears. Eagles at Saints. Giants at Bills.

Shalom,

Bill

Coach Nick Novak in deep thought.

Blaine coach Nick Novak discussing game strategy.

Coach Novak calling one of his special out of bounds plays.

Merry Christmas,

The countdown continues towards Christmas. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a very busy four days running through Christmas Day.

Hopefully your Christmas shopping and preparation are under control, but if not, we'll try again next year! Finally, Go Vikings! Beat the Redskins!

The Horn has been Reborn!

Bill

Kristine and her daddy have their own special bond!


Do You Know Your Bible?
Answers to previous quiz.

1. Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1-18)
2. Zimri (1 Kings 16:8-10)
3. Joseph (Gen. 37:2-28)
4. Ahimelech (1 Sam. 22:11-16)
5. Paul (Acts 23:11-13)
6. Samson (Judg. 16:4-21)
7. Joash (2 Kings 12:19-20)
8. Daniel (Dan. 6:3-17)
9. Sanballat & Tobiah (Neh. 4:7-8)
10. Jesus (Matt. 26:3-4, 14-16)


New Quiz:Construction Events

1. Who led the construction of the Lord's temple during which there was no sound of hammer or ax?
2. Which king built cities in mountains, and castles and towers in forests?
3. Which man put a curse on anyone planning to rebuild Jericho, warning that when the foundation was laid the builder's oldest son would die, and when the gates were set up his youngest son would die?
4. Which brick makers faced a problem when their straw material was taken from them and they were ordered to continue to turn out the same quota of bricks?
5. Which clever worker was brought from Tyre for the sole purpose of constructing beautiful brass items for the temple?
6. Which wall builder, when threatened by an enemy, had his men build with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other?
7. Who built the first city, and then named it after his son?
8. Who, after collecting material to build a temple, was forbidden by God to go ahead with the construction?
9. Who received building plans from God and orders to construct a sizable boat?
10. Which clever craftsman was specifically appointed by God to serve as general superintendent of the construction of the tabernacle?

Answers and a new quiz will be posted next Thursday!

Bill and Kristine with a diving lesson.

Mission accomplished!

Shalom,

The countdown to Christmas day continues. Every day is a time to remember who Jesus is, where He came from, why He came to this earth and where He is now. Thank You, Jesus, for shedding Your blood and rising from the dead.

Roxy and I will be going to the Twin Cities on Thursday to watch Nick coach his home game for Blaine against Roseville High School. Friday is Advanced Prayer and Power meeting beginning at 6:30 pm at The Spoken Word Church. Saturday we will be going to Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire for two movies: "Charlie Wilson's War" and "National Treasure 2".

The Red Wings play tonight, Thursday night and Saturday night. On Sunday the Spoken Word Church singers will be ministering from 9:45 to 10:15 am. Christmas #2 should prove to be interesting as part of a three-lesson series on Christmas. Children's presents will be distributed. After service Roxy and I will be driving to the Twin Cities to meet up with Kristine and Nick and we will head to the Metrodome for the Vikings final regular season home game against the Washington Redskins. Sounds like some busy times!

Have a busy and safe week,

Shalom,

Bill

Bill and Kristine in Roxy's hospital room after baby brother, Nick was born. She's a big sister now!


Hello,

Monday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings 20/Chicago Bears 13! "THE HORN HAS BEEN REBORN"!!!

Shalom,

Bill

Bill and Kristine with Roxy taking the picture.


Hi,

Big game tonight! The Chicago Bears are coming to the Metrodome and the Minnesota Vikings, players and fans, are ready for some football! Go Vikings!!!

Shalom,

Bill

Kristine, the prettiest girl in the North, South, East, West, North Pole, South Pole, Eastern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere, Equator, Sun, Moon and Stars, and the Prime Meridian, with her Daddy and a baby doll at Christmas!

Hi,

Two big football games this week. The Green Bay Packers play the St. Louis Rams today. Go Packers! The Minnesota Vikings play the Chicago Bears tomorrow. Go Vikings!!!

Have a great Sunday,

Bill

Kristine and Dad having fun at Christmas time putting a puzzle together.


Hello,

A BELIEVER'S PRIORITY LIST REVIEW

Bill Novak's priority list:

1. Jesus (my Lord and personal Savior)
2. Roxy (my wife)
3. Kristine and Nick (my children)
4. The Spoken Word Church (people and families)
5. Friends, family, relatives, partners, occupation, school and personal interests (sports, movies, entertainment, vacations and CD music collection)

See you in church Sunday,

Bill

My all-time favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom is Dumbo, found in Fantasy Land. I have lots of good memories with Kristine, Nick and Dumbo!

Hello,

My next and final area of interest after sports, vacations, movies and entertainment is music. I have a substantial music CD collection spanning the 50s to the present. My favorite singers and groups are listed in the "About Me" section of this blog. I respond well to music. I listen to all types of music. Music is a way of resting and relaxing while quieting my mind. My collection includes both Christian and secular music. Both kinds of music put me in a position to hear the voice and leading of the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow we will recap our discussion about priorities in life.

Have a great weekend,

Bill

Roxy enjoying another beautiful, sunny day in Lahaina, Maui.


Do You Know Your Bible?
Answers to previous quiz.

1. Balaam (Num. 22:27-34)
2. Achan (Josh. 7:19-25
3. Daniel (Dan. 9:3-5)
4. Ezra (Ezra 10:1)
5. Aaron (Lev. 16:21)
6. John (John 1:19-20)
7. Moses (Num. 21:6-7)
8. Saul (1 Sam. 15:24-27)
9. Shimei (2 Sam. 16:5-6; 19:18)
10. Pharaoh (Exod. 9:25-27)


New Quiz: Involved in Conspiracies

1. Who conspired against his father, causing him to flee from Jerusalem with his entire household?
2. What chariot captain conspired against his king and killed him when he was in a drunken state?
3. Which teenager had jealous brothers who conspired to sell him into slavery?
4. Which priest was slain by Saul because he had conspired with David against him?
5. Which man was in danger from a conspiracy of some forty Jews who vowed not to eat or drink until they had killed him?
6. Which man, divested of his strength, was blinded and imprisoned because a woman had conspired against him?
7. Which king was conspired against by his servants, who murdered him in his royal residence at Milo?
8. Which man was such a capable adminstrator he made government officials so jealous they conspired against him and had him thrown to lions?
9. Which two men led a conspiracy to prevent Jerusalem's walls from being repaired?
10. Who was betrayed when one of his followers, in exchange for money, conspired with the Jewish leaders in a plot to kill him?

Answers and a new quiz will be posted next Thursday!

Roxy driving and Kristine navigating during one of our many trips to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.


A favorite vacation spot when our children were younger was Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was so convenient to stay right on the Disney property. We've stayed in the Caribbean Beach, the All-Star Sports, All-Star Music and Dixie Landings Resorts. We even took a motor home and stayed at the Fort Wilderness Campground, but we've found that flying is MUCH better!

Our vacation would not officially begin until we had our first look at the Castle at the Magic Kingdom! We loved the rides, some more than others. The kids loved Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad. They also loved the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. The girls liked It's a Small World while the boys liked Adventure Land and Tomorrow Land better. Bill's favorite was Dumbo, the Tiki Room and the Hall of Presidents.

We found several restaurants at Epcot Center that we really enjoyed including The Coral Reef, Marrakesh in Morocco, The Teppanyaki Dining Room in Japan, L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante in Italy, to name a few! We also loved several of the resort restaurants and would always take in a character meal or two for the kids. Our favorite snacks were Strawberry Swirls, Citrus Swirls and Dole Whips.

We enjoyed Disney MGM Studios, including the Star Wars ride, the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (in which Bill played a role!), the tour of the movie sets and the parades.

We enjoyed the live shows with colorful singing and dancing, the daytime parades, but especially the night parades and fireworks. Tinkerbell was a favorite for the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom and Illuminations at Epcot was amazing.

We are planning a return trip in the near future to see how much things have changed since we were there last. The sunshine and warm weather is always a welcome experience after the cold, wet winters of northern Wisconsin!

Have a great day,

Bill

Nick with two of the Maui Inline Hockey League's professional stars!

Shalom,

We have made several trips to New York City and every one has been fun and exciting. We have found the people of NYC to be very friendly and helpful. They are very busy and always in a hurry, but when you get a chance to talk to them, they are some of the nicest, most helpful people you would want to meet!

Our trips to the Big Apple always include some games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. There is no better place to watch baseball! It is such a beautiful outdoor stadium and so much tradition! An added blessing is that when we see them play in person, they usually win!

We also have some favorite restaurants that we like to get to every trip. One is Pepe Giallo in Chelsea. It has great food and a fun atmosphere. We also like to stop a couple of times at De Robertis' Pasticerria. They have the very best cannolis, a favorite of the late "Scooter", Phil Rizzuto. We found out that this was one of the places he would go for cannolis!

We love the crowds at Time Square, all night long! Central Park is huge and very well kept. The museums are great and there are plenty of things to see and do. We've conquered the subways but would like to stay more in the middle of the city next time. We're already planning our next trip!

Have a great day,

Bill

Roxy, as the administrator of The Spoken Word Church, enjoys her time away from Ladysmith. Maui is one of her favorite getaway spots.

Hello,

Next on my list of interests are vacations. It is always nice to get away from Ladysmith for a time of rest and refreshing. My favorite spot is the island of Maui, in the Hawaiian Islands. We stay at a beautiful condo in Kihei. We can enjoy all of the conveniences of home, such as a full kitchen, washer and dryer, etc., while enjoying the ocean, the beautiful beaches and wonderful tennis courts. Maui is "The Valley Isle". It is my favorite place in the world.

I have really enjoyed flying and travelling to all kinds of different locales. The United States offers my favorite destinations. Tomorrow we will talk about the "Big Apple", New York City.

Have a good week,

Bill

Bill and his associate, Robin, taking a break at the Shops at Wailea, in Maui.

Hi,

The Vikings won, defeating the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 27 to 7. We're in the lead for the wild card playoff spot! Thank you, Jesus!

Have a great week,

Bill

Greg and Robin Swoverland in Maui. Robin is Bill's associate and Greg teaches the children at The Spoken Word Church. They are Kristine and Nick's godparents. The "Novies" and the "Swovies" have been friends and ministry partners for many blessed years!


Today we will wrap up my movies/entertainment section of my "Interests" priority list.

My favorite TV movie star is Jaclyn Smith. Her movie, "Love Can Be Murder", is my favorite TV movie.

Courteney Cox is an all-time favorite of mine. As a young woman she was in a Bruce Springsteen music video and her career began to blossom.

One of my favorite movies to watch over and over again is "The World of Suzie Wong", starring Nancy Kwan. I have collected and watched practically all of her movies and enjoy laughing with her characters.

Chris Evert is my favorite female athlete. Her cool demeanor on the tennis court brought many championships. She was an athlete who excelled because of her diligence to perfect her skills.

Heather Locklear combines beauty and spunk. She has a personality and charisma that I can relate to.

Monday I will talk about my "Vacations" interests.

Shalom,

Bill

Nick waiting for the luau to begin. He loves food, cooking it and eating it. He'd make a great chef!


Hi,

Olivia Newton-John is my all-time favorite singer. I have seen her movie, "Grease", over 30 times. Olivia is extremely talented and sings all types of music. I have watched her perform live on 4 occasions!

Have a great weekend,

Bill

Bill and Roxy enjoying a beautiful, sunny day in Lahaina, Maui.


Do You Know Your Bible?
Answers to previous quiz.

1. J (1 Kings 20:30)
2. G (2 Chron. 32:1-4)
3. H (1 Kings 9:16)
4. C (Judg. 1:11-13)
5. I (Gen. 19:24)
6. A (1 Sam. 22:11, 17-19)
7. E (Josh. 6:1-20)
8. B (2 Kings 6:24-29)
9. D (Acts 19:17-19)
10. F (Judg. 9:45)


New Quiz: Making Confessions
Fill in the blanks in the bottom list with names found in the top list.

1. Aaron
2. Achan
3. Balaam
4. Daniel
5. Ezra
6. John
7. Moses
8. Pharaoh
9. Saul
10. Shimei

1. Which man, after beating his mule, confessed to an angel that he had sinned?________
2. Which man, after stealing battle spoils, confessed to his theft and was stoned to death?________
3. Which captive, wearing sackcloth and ashes, confessed his sins and the sins of Israel to God?________
4. Which weeping man, as he lay on the ground in front of the temple making a confession, was surrounded by a great crowd of men, women and children?________
5. Who was instructed to lay both of his hands on the head of a live goat and confess over him the sins of the Israelites?________
6. Who was confronted by priests and Levites when he confessed, "I am not the Christ"?________
7. Who had people come to him who were being bitten by poisonous snakes, to confess their sins and ask him to pray for the removal of the snakes?________
8. Which king, after confessing to a prophet, took hold of him and tore his robe?________
9. As king David was crossing the river Jordan, which man confessed to him his regret that he had thrown stones at David?________
10. After a hail storm, who confessed to Moses and Aaron that he and his people were wicked?________

Answers and a new quiz will be posted next Thursday!

We were admiring Kristine's menu choice at Bubba Gump's restaurant in Lahaina, Maui.

Hi,

The next area of my priority list under interests is movies. My favorite actress of all time is Natalie Wood. My favorite Natalie Wood movie is Splendor In The Grass. Natalie was a multi-talented actress who could play every type of role. She began as a child actress and continued to be a "movie star" throughout her life. I have every one of her movies and TV specials in my collection. Friday we will look at my all time favorite singer.

Have a wonderful day,

Bill

Bill at one of the hotels along the Wailea walkway in Maui.

Hello,

The final team in my sports priority interest list is the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football team. My interest began at the last game of the 1959 season. A heavily favored Wisconsin team snuck past Minnesota to earn a spot in the Rose Bowl. I watched the game on TV with my dad and uncle. The following season, my dad, Uncle Ludvig, cousin Jimmy and I attended the Minnesota/Illinois Homecoming Game. It was the first Golden Gopher game that I ever went to. Minnesota won 21-10. They went on to win the National Championship and go to the Rose Bowl for the first time. Tom Brown, guard, was named All-American.

The following season the Gophers, led by All-Americans Sandy Stephens, quarterback, and Bobby Bell, tackle, won the Rose Bowl 21-3 over UCLA. I attended the Minnesota/Michigan Homecoming Game with my dad, Uncle Ludvig and Uncle John. The Gophers scored a touchdown in the last minute to win 23-20.

In 1962 the Gophers, led by All-American Bobby Bell, were robbed of a Big Ten Championship when they lost to Wisconsin in the last game of the season. Even President John Kennedy admitted that a "roughing the passer" penalty against Bell was a blown call.

These winning and exciting three years of Minnesota Golden Gophers football made me a fan for life.

Shalom,

Bill

The beautiful ocean view from our condo in Maui.

Hi,

I have seen practically every Detroit Red Wings game since the 1994-95 season. The Red Wings won Stanley Cup Championships in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

My favorite Red Wings are Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrick Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom.

Shalom,

Bill

A beautiful day in Maui! It is just as beautiful in person as it looks in pictures.

Hi,

I grew up a Boston Celtics fan during the 1956-57 season. The Celtics have won 16 NBA titles. Their first championship was in 1957 and the last in 1985-86. Beginning in 1959, Boston won 8 straight titles. From 1957-1969 they won 11 championships in 13 seasons.

My favorite Celtics are Bill Russell, Bob Cousy. John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird.

Have a great Sunday,

Bill

These tennis courts at Maui Vista really see a lot of action when we visit here. Bill, Roxy, Kristine and Nick all love to play. The competition can be fierce, but it's still fun.

Hi,

I was ten years old when the Minnesota Vikings entered the NFL in 1961. The Vikings have been to 4 Super Bowls, won 1 NFL title in 1969 and have been NFC champs 3 times. My 2 favorite Viking years were 1969 and 1998.

My favorite Viking players are Fran Tarkenton, Carl Eller, Alan Page, Chuck Foreman, Joe Kapp, Cris Carter and Randy Moss.

Have a great weekend,

Bill