It is common for old-timers, a group in which I am solidly ensconced, to envy the strength and vitality of the youth. I envy the number of years they have ahead of them. I would love to do life over again, assuming I would know on the second pass through what I have learned through toil and trouble the first time along life's journey. But there is no guarantee of days. The “three score and ten” (Psalm 90:10) is an ideal,...
Read MoreI received news just recently that one of my heroes had left this land for the better one. It was not unexpected, he had been in failing health for many months, needing more and more care from his family to stay in the home he loved at age 91. We, my wife and I, became friends with his daughter and son-in-law many years ago when we all attended the same church. They invited us to St. Ignace to visit Glen Memorial...
Read MoreWe might say to a group of people, “God is in your crisis.” But it is entirely different to look into the eyes of a hurting believer and say, “God is in your crisis.” This morning, as I read a commentary on the book of Isaiah, those words, “God is in your crisis,” popped off the page to me. I underlined them…and then I chewed on them as I drove to work. And God rephrased them, He re-emphasized them, “God...
Read MoreI remember the evening a few years ago now when a visitor attended our church service. He was a slender man with lots of energy and it was obvious he was trying to find a place to sit. Certainly, he was aware of the rules for the Crawford Section; that we were very selective about someone invading our turf…but alas, he was not cognizant of our rules made for such a time as this. I made casual eye contact with...
Read MoreThe last few years have been difficult since we were made aware of some new type of flu found in a place called Wuhan on the other side of the world. “Normal” has become a fading dream as the results of that medical discovery have changed our personal world and our greater world. I remember the first time I heard on the news of this new virus: “It will affect mainly older people and those with comorbidities” the young newscaster...
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