The Kleager Khronicle

Indiffernce Leads To Ruin

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:34:00 +0000

Seven Churches, Seven Reflections. Reflection Three—Laodicea
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, `I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14:22)

Indifference Leads to Ruin
The ancient city of Laodicea now lies in ruins like many of the sites we visited. For the church of Laodicea these ruins remind me of the warning Jesus gave them. He said that their deeds were neither hot nor cold. They were indifferent. They could care less about things. They were merely lukewarm and indifferent to what was going on around them.

It is important to remember when reading this passage that it was written to believers. This is not a message telling non-believers to get off the fence and be for Christ or against Christ. Jesus says in verse 15 that he wishes they were either hot or cold. Hot water is great for a bath. Cold water is refreshing to drink. Lukewarm water has little use. The town of Laodicea was close to a hot spring that still flows today. They had an aqueduct to bring water to the town but by the time it got there it was lukewarm and wasn’t very satisfying.

So too was the faith of the Laodiceans and Jesus tells them to be useful. Jesus tells them to be earnest and repent (verse 19). Be earnest. Don’t be indifferent to Jesus. And since you are not earnest, repent—turn back to Jesus. Chaplain Woodson pointed out during our trip that repent is a great word. We so closely associate it with sin that it carries a shadow of disgrace. However, Jesus is telling the people to turn back to him. Repentance is a good thing! Quit being indifferent! Quit being lukewarm! Repent!

Which brings us to the other place where it is important to remember that this passage is written to believers. We often use verse 20 as an evangelistic tool to say that Jesus is standing at the door of your heart wanting to come in and save you. However, Jesus is not speaking to unbelievers. Jesus is telling a church, that has become so indifferent, that He is knocking at the door wanting them to repent. He wants them to turn back to Him. He doesn’t want them to continue to live a life of indifference but He wants them to turn back to Him. He wants them to open the door and fellowship with Him again. He wants them to be useful—to be hot or cold.

The current site of Laodicea lies in ruins. It serves as a picture of what happens when we are indifferent to God and the things that He cares about. It is a picture of what can become of our lives when we are indifferent to sin. It is a picture of what can happen if we don’t maintain our relationship with God. The good news is that if you are living a life of indifference, God wants you to repent—to turn back to Him so that your life will be one that is useful, not one that will end up in ruins.

Turkey Trip Reflection Two--Ephesus

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:45:00 +0000

I spent Thanksgiving in Turkey with a group from our chapel. Below is my second reflection on our experiences. Please scroll down to see my first reflection on Smryna.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:1-7)

Jesus told the church at Ephesus that he knows their deeds, hard work and perseverance. I can’t help but think about all the hard work and perseverance it has taken to excavate the ruins in this ancient city. It is a tedious process that requires painstaking attention to detail and a long-term commitment.

Library in Ephesus

We were fortunate to have one of the lead archeologists accompany us through the ruins. I asked him when they would begin excavating an area that was still underground. He replied, “The next generation, generation, generation!” They might not even begin excavating that area for another century! They had another area that has a permanent roof over it because the excavation of it will take decades to complete (and it had already been going for decades)!

One thing I noticed about this archeologist is that he still has a love for archeology. He is retired but still is passionate about the work. He would see a roof shingle on the ground and gather us all around to tell us about it. He found an ancient nail that he passed around to us. We were late to the bus and he still had to stop us and spend ten minutes explaining some stones that served as road markers.

His passion and love for the ruins at Ephesus remains. This wasn’t the case for the church at Ephesus. While commended for their hard work, they were condemned for forsaking their first love. Jesus says, “Remember the height form which you have fallen.” Approximately 35 years before this Paul wrote to the Ephesians and commended them for their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints (Eph. 1:15). In 35 years their love had grown cold.

While continuing to work hard and serve they had forgotten what they first experienced. Could this be said of you? Maybe you serve in many ways but your love for Jesus is cold. You need to return to your first love! Doing things, even good things, doesn’t replace loving God. The Pharisees were good at doing religious things. They weren’t so good at loving God and loving others.

If your love for God has grown cold, make it your goal to rekindle that love. How? Think about any good human relationship you have and how that love is fostered. I would say that the most important ingredient might be time. Spend some time with God today by reading your Bible, praying, or singing some worship songs to nourish your soul and your love for your savior. Be still and know that He is God!

Turkey Trip Reflection One--Smyrna

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:25:00 +0000

I was blessed to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Turkey with a group from our chapel. We visited the seven churches that Revelation is written to. The revelation was given by Jesus Christ to John and addressed “to the seven churches in the province of Asia” (Rev. 1:4). However, it also says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written it, because the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). Below are my post-trip reflections on each town we visited. I say “town” because some of the time we visited church ruins from the first century; some of the time we visited a church or ruins from later centuries. We didn’t always visit the church-site from the first century. I am glad for this because it reminds me that the revelation is for the churches in terms of people and not in terms of buildings as we so often think in our 21st century western culture.

Over the coming days I plan to reflect on our trip, what was specifically addressed to each church, and a few other thoughts I had about my time. I am writing in the order that we visited the sites and not in the order they appear in Revelation. These reflections will not always tied directly to the passage written to that church as some of my thoughts are more about what I experienced.

Smyrna (Present Day Izmir)
Our first day in Izmir we visited St. Polycarp’s Church. This is a modern-day catholic church (built in 1910) named in honor of St. Polycarp who was a convert of the apostle John and who was martyred for his faith. It is interesting because it is built where there used to be a cemetery and so they used the headstones as the marble floor for the church.

A couple days after visiting this church, I was standing in my hotel room on the 19th floor looking out at the harbor. It was a beautiful view; one that I had gazed at many times in my short time there. I even spent one evening in a comfortable chair just staring out at the harbor and lights of the city. On this particular day though, I got to looking straight down at the base of the hotel and saw that St. Polycarp’s Church was only ½ a block from us.

As I thought more about that I have realized that there are so many things in my life that cause me to overlook the important things. Now half of the battle is making sure that we have a right priority on what is important. But once that battle is won (and that might be an ongoing battle as life changes) we are still prone to overlook the important. I had looked so intently at many unimportant things in the harbor that I had overlooked that which was right at the base of my building. We often focus too much on things that, while good things in themselves, are not the most important. What things cause you to miss the important?

Busyness causes me to overlook important things. Some days I came to the hotel to quickly change and then go to dinner. In my fleeting glance out the window I had no chance to see what was important. Are you too busy to notice the important things?

Distractions cause me to overlook important things. A couple of nights college football was on TV and my glances out the window were momentary as I turned back to the TV. College football is not a bad thing (I’ll be the first to tell you that!), but it can be a distraction from what is important. What distracts you from the important things?

Busyness and distractions also make it difficult for us to reflect on what is important. It was one thing for me to know the church was there and to see it below. It is also one thing to know what is important and to see what is important. It is another thing to stop, reflect, and meditate on what is important. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Too often we aren’t still because we are the god of our own lives. When was the last time you slowed down and were still? When was the last time you reflected on the most important person in your life—the one who loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you? When was the last time you were still and trusted God to be God of your life? When was the last time you considered what was really most important and what causes you to overlook it?

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (Revelation 2:8-11)

This Week at the Graf House!

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

This Week at the Graf House--There is a lot to choose from around the Graf/Vilseck area and I know I am missing some activities!

Monday: Free Christian Comedian/Singer performance tonight at the Vilseck Chapel at 1800. Refreshments provided.

Wednesday: Vilseck Singles Bible Study in building 301 at 1830.

Thursday: Graf PWOC (9:00) and PMOC (11:45) in the chapel annex. Men, bring a lunch and join us this week!

Friday: Dinner and Bible Study. Potluck Theme—Casseroles! We will continue our Andy Stanley DVD series on “The Best Question Ever.”

Saturday: Graf House work day! Bring your gloves and old clothes and join us as we rake leaves, trim bushes, and clean up for the winter! We would love your help from 1:00-5:00!

We look forward to seeing you this week!

This Week at the Graf House!

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:49:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who came to hear Sareth Duong share his story of growing up in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime and surviving the Killing Fields. It was quite amazing to me how much we take for granite as Americans and as Christians. I was also encouraged by the incredible work God is doing in the lives of so many men in the miltary and police throughout Southeast Asia. Continue to keep Sareth and Paul in your prayers as they seek to further the Kingdom of God.

Friday Night Dinner and Study—Potluck Theme: Fall Foods; Lesson Three of “The Best Question Ever: Living on the Edge.”

Fall Festival—Saturday 4:00-6:00 at the Graf Elementary School. Volunteers are still needed! If interested, contact the chapel office at 475-1570.

The Graf House will be closed next week (2-8 Nov) for our staff conference.

From Oswald Chambers

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:20:00 +0000

"We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the Divine guidance of God through childlike people who were foolish enough to trust God’s wisdom and the supernatural equipment of God."

(Chambers, Oswald: My Utmost for His Highest : Selections for the Year. Grand Rapids, MI : Discovery House Publishers, 1993, c1935, S. October 26)

A Thought

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:03:00 +0000

This was in one of those "pass it along" emails. While it wasn't the main point of the story, I thought it was quite true.

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

Owen and Jacob Bowling

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Here are videos of Owen and Jacob bowling! I think the best part is when Owen cheers after the machine clears his pins off the lane! Enjoy.

This Week at the Graf House!

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:01:00 +0000

Saturday Spelunking!
We are going near Pottenstein to do some real spelunking! This isn’t your pay for the walking-tour spelunking. You will need to bring old clothes, gloves and a hat, flashlight, sack lunch, and knee pads if you want. We will LEAVE the chapel parking lot at 10:10. This is not suitable for little kids as it is dark and there is some difficult crawling.

A Special Opportunity Next Week!
Next Thursday we will have two Cadence missionaries staying with us who minister to the Cambodian military and police forces. Sareth Duong will be sharing his incredible story of surviving almost two-years in a child labor camp after Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge Party took power of Cambodia in 1975. Here is a summary of a few of his experiences:
• At age six, Sareh’s parents were told that he did not belong to them but to the government. He was taken from them and forced to live and work in a child labor camp.
• For almost two years he worked 12-hour days in a rice field with only a t-shirt and a pair of shorts for clothing. His subsidized his daily ration of one cup of rice soup by eating insects, charcoal, and even dirt.
• He endured cold and rainy nights with other kids huddled in neck-deep water standing by water buffaloes for warmth. He endured beatings and even once was hogtied and thrown into a cesspool of human feces for misplacing an officers drinking cup.
• Through all of this, Sareth clung to the hopeful words of his father, “Fight to stay alive; things will get better some day.”

Eventually Sareth became a Christian and the Lord has led him to minister to the military and police forces of his country. He has an incredible testimony of what it means to love your enemies.

Next Thursday, October 29th, Sareth will be sharing his story with the Graf PWOC ladies at 9:00am and then the chaplains are sponsoring a lunch at the Vilseck Chapel from 11:30-1:00. Attached are two flyers about Sareth and the luncheon. We hope to see you there!

Bowling

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Here is Jacob and Owen bowling during Jacob's Cub Scout bowl-a-thon!

Men's Paintball on Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:29:00 +0000

If you are Army Strong and are not afraid of some freezing rain and snow, then come join us for paintball on Saturday. We currently have nine guys who are indeed Army Strong. Let me know if you are interested.

We will meet at the Graf Chapel Parking lot at 12:10 and the Vilseck Burger King parking lot at 12:45. I’ll have the big-blue van for anyone who wants a ride. Let me know if you live in Netzaburg and I can pick you up on the way to the chapel.

This Weekend at the House (9-11 Oct)

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Come on out to the Graf House this weekend! Friday night we will have our weekly dinner and Bible study. The potluck theme is Mexican. We will start at 6:30 and please bring your kids fed as we have a babysitter from 6:30-9:30. During our Bible study we will look at the idea of "Why we do things influences what we do and how we do it."

Sunday Brian will be preaching at the Graf Chapel at 10:30. His sermon is titled "Gifts for Criminals" and is based on Romans 3:21-4:12.

Sunday Night we will be showing one of the early NFL games on our big-screen. The game starts at 7:00 and the Graf House will be open after 6:30. We will have popcorn, chips, salsa, and queso. Feel free to bring some dessert or drinks to share.

We hope to see you soon!

A Few Recent Pictures Of Our Boys

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:28:00 +0000

Paintball

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:45:00 +0000

We are doing paintball this Saturday!! We have the paintball course reserved from 10:00-2:00 and we will eat lunch there. We are going to grill brats at some point in between games. Should be a great time. Below are the details:

Meet at the Graf Chapel parking lot at 9:15. We’ll drive around to the paintball course at Vilseck—I should be able to fit most people in our van. If you are coming from Vilseck, just let me know and we can meet at the Burger King parking lot around 9:50.

$10 per person--Fee includes: Paintball Marker, Mask, Air, and Trained Supervisor.

Paintballs:
500 rounds: $18.00
1000 rounds: $35.00
2000 rounds: $70.00 (Whole Box)

Stipulations:
Participants must be at least 18 years of age.
All customers’ markers must bear the “F” stamp in order to be used (no exceptions). CAMOFLAUGE IS NOT TO BE WORN AT ANY TIME DURING PAINTBALL. NO EXCEPTIONS.

**Be sure to wear clothing appropriate for paintball and weather conditions, i.e.:
Long sleeve shirt, turtleneck/neck gaiter, gloves and ankle protecting shoes**

Please let me know soon if you will be attending so that I know how many brats to get!

Berching Boat Trip!

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Where is Berching? It is about 1:15 minutes from here and is located southwest of Hohenfels (go to www.googlemaps.com and type in Berching, 92334).
Why go to Berching? Primarily for the boat trip along the canal which we have been told is very peaceful and beautiful! However, we have also been told that the town is quite fun to explore. Here is what one person online wrote: “Consider Berching to be an undiscovered Rothenburg, it's peaceful and walkable, with little traffic and few tourists. The town is ringed by 30-foot walls and protected by towers and turreted gates. Visitors can walk along the top of the wall or explore the maze of alleys and passageways.” We will also spend a little time in the town of Beilngreis which is where we will board the boat to go to Berching.

Our Plan:
8:30—Depart Graf Chapel Parking Lot and drive to Beilngreis (just south of Berching)
9:45-11:15—Explore Beilngreis
11:30-12:30—Boat ride to Berching (WE WILL BE RESERVING TICKETS FOR THE BOAT. PLEASE RSVP BY THURSDAY AT 6:00 PM—See below)
12:30-3:15—Explore Berching
3:15-4:15—Boat ride back to Beilngreis
4:30-5:45—Drive back to Graf

Cost for the boat trip:
Adult—9.50 Euros
Youth Fare (ages 6-16)—4.75 Euros
Children Under 5—Free
Family Pass—22.00 Euros (2 Adults and 3 Youth Fares)

Other Costs:
You can bring a picnic lunch or bring money to buy lunch in Berching (I’m not sure if you will be able to eat your picnic on the boat. They do sell coffee and cake on the boat.)
Money to shop?!
Money to help pay for gas if you ride with someone else.

Finally, please remember that we do need to make reservations for the boat trip. Let us know by Thursday at 6:00 pm if you plan to attend, how many will be with you, and the ages of your kids. If you don’t RSVP we cannot guarantee that you can get a seat on the boat (and thus you would have to stay in Beilngreis all day or drive up to Berching).

Vacation Photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:51:00 +0000

More Vacation Photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Here are a few photos from our time back in the U.S.

Kindergarten Fest!

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Jacob and Owen's Kindergarten celebrated its 125 year anniversary on Sunday. Here is a video of Jacob's class doing a dance. Owen's video is below!

Kindergarten Fest

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Jacob and Owen's Kindergarten celebrated its 150 year anniversary today! Here is a video of Owen's class dancing. I'll but Jacob's up tomorrow.

Bogenberg Medieval Festival

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 +0000

We had a great time at the Bogenberg Medieval Festival. Lots of old costumes, jousting, sword fights, horses, and of course...GOOD FOOD! That is one certainty of a German Fest.

A Good Word To Ponder

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:48:00 +0000

Psalm 34:1-10

I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

TWATGH

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:05:00 +0000

In a world of too many acronyms, one more can’t hurt: TWATGH—This Week At The Graf House. (FYI—The “G” is silent so it is pronounced “Twath” with a short “a”.)

Friday Night Dinner and Study: Potluck theme is All-American. We will also have a guest speaker: Dan Hash. Dan is a missionary with Josiah Venture serving in Poland. We are excited to have him share with us. Click here to read a little more about Dan and his family.

Saturday: Picnic at the Eschenbach lake from 4-7pm. Come join us for a chance to hang out, play sand volleyball, swim if you’re brave, rent paddle-boats, play corn-holes, and any other yard game you bring! They have plenty of grass if you have horseshoes or another fun yard game. They also have a small playground for kids. Bring your own picnic for dinner. There might be a minimal entry fee (1-2 Euros).

Upcoming:
20 June: Bogner Raufentage Medieval Fest:
In the Straubing area (just south of Regensburg) is the suburb of Bogen, which every year holds a Medieval Spectacular (in German, the Bogener Raufentage) on the nearby mountain, the Bogensberg. It’s held the weekend of June 19-21, and it’s all FREE!
It features a Medieval Market; a large display area showing how soldiers, nobles and peasants lived in the Middle Ages; lots of people in period costumes, demonstrating many different medieval handicrafts; falconry demonstrations; a variety of activities just for kids; sword-fighting and battle reenactments; and a medieval pilgrimage.
For further info (again, just in German), visit their website.
(Thanks to Margaret Bartlebaugh for getting us the information on this!)

27 June: Help Laurel Move In!Many of you know that Laurel Hoyt is moving from Heidelberg to minister specifically to single women in the Grafenwoehr-Vilseck area. God has blessed her with a wonderful apartment. However, the furniture cannot move itself into it. She has wonderful friends helping her move out of her apartment in Heidelberg. We would love for her to see that she has wonderful friends here that are willing to help her move in. Would you consider joining us in serving her? We will have more details in the near future. Read a little more about Luarel by clicking here.

3-6 July: Camping in Bertchesgaden
Info sent out earlier this week.

18 July: Bike Riding with the Howertons!

No Activites

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Thu, 21 May 2009 06:49:00 +0000

Just a reminder that the Graf House will not have any activites going on this weekend. Please join us next Friday (May 29th) for our next Dinner and Bible Study!

Gut Genug

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Sat, 16 May 2009 07:59:00 +0000

While I don't think this is an acutal German expression, it literally means "good enough" which also happens to be the weather forecast for the day! Good enough to go sand-boarding. There may not be a lot of sunshine but at least it is not raining which is gut genug for sand-boarding! See you there.

Sand Boarding Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (The Graf House) — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:33:00 +0000

Saturday we are going sand-boarding in Hirschau (south of Vilseck) at Monte Kaolino. There is a lot more than just sand-boarding though. There is a rodelbahn (alpine slide), outdoor pool (probably too cold this time of year), sand-sledding, and playgrounds for the kids. We will be there over the lunch hour so you can bring a lunch with you (they have picnic tables) or get lunch at the café there. Please also bring money for the activities. You can rent sand-boards and sleds there or you can bring your own sled and see how they work!

We will meet at the Graf Chapel at 11:00 to caravan. If you are from the Vilseck area you may want to just meet us at the site. If you drive to Hirschau (zip code 92242) you will see the large “white mountain” as well as signs pointing to “Montel Kaolino.” Follow these signs south of town on Wolfgang-Drossbach Strasse and you will see a left-hand turn to Montel Kaolino.

Web Site for Montel Kaolino
Map Quest Location
Phone Number: 09622 81502

If it is raining we will have to cancel the event. I will send out an email Saturday morning around 10:00 if that is the case.