Kairos & Ambiguities

803 and Psalm 5

    I just returned yesterday from watching Laura graduate from Baldwin Wallace with her degree in Music Education.  She did a great job and graduated with honors.  I can hardly believe my little girl is that grown up!

    There were 803 students that graduated on Sunday and the received their degrees in the order of Arts, Science, Education, Music and Music Education.  Laura was the last to graduate so as she raised her arms to cheer, we all cheered with her. 

    Once again, I found The Upper Room's reading comforting on that day.  The reading was from Psalm 5 which is annotated "To the leader: for the flutes.  A Psalm of David."    My prayers for her and the other graduates revolved around verse 12, "For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield."

 

Until next time...Grace & Peace

An Invitation to a Community of Prayer

    One of the struggles my family has been dealing with is that my mother-in-law has temporarily (we hope) lost the ability to drive.  This is difficult as she lives in her own home in the country.  Amy went down to her place last weekend to try and help settle some things.  She is going through some tests and we are hoping for the best. 

    I have been using The Upper Room as part of my morning devotions.  What moves me the most is that this is not so much a devotion as it is a spiritual community that gathers for prayer.  Today's prayer focus was "Families Facing Tough Decisions" and the devotional reading was from a daughter whose mother was losing her independence and the reminder that when we don't know how to pray the Spirit helps us pray.  Thousands and thousands of people were praying for my mother-in-law, my family, and me today.  What a blessings. 

    This blessing has been received many times.  The Prayer Focus was for those recovering from hip surgery the day I picked up Amy from the hospital from her hip surgery.  The Prayer Focus was on those who are suffering from sleep disorders the day I was seeing the doctor about a sleep test.  Again and again I have received the blessings of the spiritual community's prayers.  And again and again I am reminded when the Prayer focus doesn't include my needs (which is most often), I am praying for someone else to have the same blessing that I had today.

    I want to praise God for this blessed community and invite you to join it.  Upper Room Devotionals are available at the church (many churches) or by checking out this link to The Upper Room.  May you be blessed.

Until next time....Grace and Peace

Christmas Cards

    We finished our Christmas Cards and they are in the mail today!  My family says I get a little crazy putting them together.  Well we all have our faults.

    One of my favorite things about doing Christmas Cards is working on the address list.  I normally say a little prayer for each person on the list and about any changes that are in their lives.  If they address changes, I pray for blessings in their lives in their new place.  I pray for those who are grieving when I remove someone because of death.  For those that move to a nursing home, I pray for comfort and good care.  For those that are added, I praise God for new friendships.

    When I receive a card in the mail, my heart rejoices and I pray for that person and their family as well.  These prayers are really a joy to my heart.

Until next time....Grace & Peace    

Out and About

    Just an update that Amy is healing well.  We got out yesterday and attended the Mother's Day Out Thanksgiving Program at Lakeside.  Amy was excited about breathing fresh air and it was a joy to see all the kids sing and dance with such joy.

    The Mother's Day Out Staff did a great job this year.  It was such a joy to see about 250 kids, friends and family members celebrating God's blessings together.  The turkey feast was fantastic and I know many of the lay persons from the church helped this go so smoothly.  Thank you so much and what a wonderful witness to the blessings of our Lord!

Until next time...Grace and Peace.

Home and in the Easy Chair

    Amy got discharged from the hospital today.  It was a long trip home for her from State College, but she is glad to be comfortably seated in the easy chair.  She can do some laps around the house with her walker.

    Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers and we are looking forward to a successful six week recovery.  So far everything has work wonderfully.

 Until next time...Grace & Peace

Walking About

    Amy is doing well and is able to walk with a walker.  We are hoping that she will make it home today.  All she needs is a board to sit on, a walker and a special bucket.  Can hardly wait.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

Good Surgery

We made it over to State College this morning with no problem.  Amy surgery went well and she was in her room between 4:00-4:30 p.m.  We will know a little more tomorrow how soon she will be able to be home.  Please continue to pray with me for her quick recovery.

 

Until next time....Grace and Peace

Saints, Veterans, and a Prayer Request

    We had a wonderful service today.  We celebrated All Saints Sunday by remembering those members, friends and family members who had touched our lives in such special ways.  We celebrated the hope of glory and the glow of the candles let that hope glow in our hearts.

    I am always amazed when we honor our veterans how moving it is.  We have developed a slide show of church family members who are veterans.  And we have gathered photos of most of them in uniform.  The first section of the pictures are those who have been killed in action, then we show deceased veterans, and then other veterans by service.  There are over seventy veterans that we honor at Lakeside.  Amazing for a church this size.

    We prayed for Amy today as we head to State College early tomorrow morning for her hip surgery.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Until next time...Grace & Peace

Walking by Death with a Savior of Life

    I have had trouble blogging lately.  I have had the time and it has been on my to do list, but when I try I just haven't had the heart.  The trigger of this was the death of Adam Guthrie in a tragic accident in Tennessee.  Adam is my cousin's son, a young man full of life, a great football player in high school and college, one who had been visited by an angel, and one who believed.  My heart aches over this and so, I didn't have anything to write.  I just didn't have the words.

    Yesterday at 2:00, Susan Nelson died.  Susan was my thesis adviser at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and helped a country boy like me read almost everything Mary Daly has written(not an easy task).  She also guided me through a process of reflection and theological thinking that was authentic, deep and real.  She had such a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor and was a joy for me to be around.  I know that she shared this same gift with many not only at Pittsburgh, but also in California.

    As I prayed about this, I never got an answer why Adam had the accident, or why Susan had brain cancer.  I have had ranges of emotions (anger, denial, sadness, etc), but not answers.  I had been working on a sermon on the 23rd Psalm (preached last week), so I read the Psalm again today.  I still don't have answers to why, but I have assurance as my life journey walks by the deaths of these two wonderful people, I have a good and loving shepherd who walks with me.   A Savior of Life who walks with me in the valley of death, darkness, and depression.  A Savior of Life who I can say by faith, will restore my soul.

Until next time...Grace & Peace 

Five Great Things That Happened Last Week

Last week was a wonderful week full of God's blessings.  Here are just a few things that happened!

1. On the way to Florida the driver's front tire's belt blew (taking my mom home on Labor Day) in the middle of nowhere in South Carolina and we met a great couple in a struggling garage who fixed our tire and had us on our way in 30 minutes.
2. Tessa Thompson has started as our Young People's Ministry Coordinator (she is working for the church and for Indiana District) and she is doing a great job!
3. Robert's football team dominated State College.
4. Had a blast at the Wesley Woods Golf Scramble (seeing old friends and not making too much of a fool of myself for only my second time out this year my team was ten under par).
5. Celebrated Move-Up/Acolyte Sunday and we had our first informal service at 9:30!

God is good and working among us.

Until next time... Grace & Peace