Barrier Makers

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"-Luke 2:1-7

If you had been there during the event that this scripture passage describes, what part of the crowd would you be? Would you be one of the critical “church people” who were just waiting for the preacher to say or do something wrong so that you could declare him a heretic? Would you be one of the worshipers who is only there for what you can get for yourself… healing, comfort, teaching… but just for yourself and maybe your family? Maybe you are the “paralyzed man” - a person who just needs Jesus, but no one will let you through the crowd. You long to touch him, but the critics and the worshipers with their own agendas don’t even see you. You are about to give up. Or maybe you are the friend that sees the paralytic’s need. You love Jesus and you know he will heal your friend and you do whatever is necessary to bring him to Christ. You risk the anger of the “church people” and the raised eyebrows of the selfish worshippers.

The person who just needs Jesus doesn’t care about the finer points of theology. His priority isn’t acceptance of the church’s social network. What he needs most is to have a relationship with Jesus. If we are not the one bringing him to the feet of Christ, then we are one of the others. Who am I? Who are you?

Lord Jesus,
Most of us do not intentionally make a barrier that makes it difficult for others to know you, but often in our complacency and content with the way things are, that is exactly what we do. Soften our hearts to see the need of others and to be the friend that brings them to your feet. Amen.

Joys: Fun day with friends; a wonderful long weekend; slower pace of summer (or almost summer)

No Greater Love

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. -John 15:13

Today is Memorial Day... the day that we recognize those that have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.  In my heart, that extends to more than just the military, though they certainly deserve our utmost respect, admiration and gratitude.  Included in my thoughts and prayers of the day though are fallen police officers and firefighters.  They also laid down their lives for their friends... as well as those they have never met. 

Can you imagine life without any of these folks?  No one willing to protect our shores... no one willing to protect our cities, towns and neighborhoods?  The soldier, police officer or fire fighter does not ask if we are worthy of their sacrifice before joining his/her chosen field.  They only hear the call to serve and obey.
I think these people are given an extra measure of love along with an extra measure of courage.  We are not all cut out to serve in this way.

Also in my thoughts and prayers today are the people of 9-11's flight 93 whose passengers forcibly crashed their plane into the field rather than allow the terrorists to carry out their plans.  What courage! No greater love!

Of course we must also remember the one who laid down his life for his friends, for those who never met him and for even his enemies... our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the example we must follow if and when we hear the call to lay down our own lives.

Lord Jesus,
We thank you for your sacrifice.  We also give you thanks for the lives of those who with love and courage laid down their lives in service to their fellow human beings, whether in the military, police force, fire department or even civilians who find themselves in the circumstance of being called to give it all.  Amen.

Joys:  Remembering ALL who gave their lives; picnic plans with friends; getting Cecelia for a couple of days

Empathy

³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. -Hebrews 13:3

What a great verse!  We could add to it:  Remember those who are orphaned as if you were an orphan; Remember those who lost everything in recent storms as if you yourself lost everything;  Remember those who have lost their job as if you also were unemployed; Remember those newly diagnosed with cancer as if you had just been diagnosed.  Of course we can go on and on...

The thing is, as Christians we are called to do more than feel pity or mere compassion.  We are called to empathy.  Merriam Webster defines "empathy" this way:

1: the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it

2: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this.

 

"Empathy" is much deeper than "concern" or "pity" or even "sympathy."  It is feeling "as if" the same thing had happened to us.  It is a short step from true empathy to action.  We KNOW how we would want to be treated in the same circumstance, so our action comes naturally and we act according to our gifts. 

 

If we have been well-blessed financially, we give of our treasure; if we are good with our hands, we can help rebuild; if we are good at organization, we can help plan; if we are good at friendship, we can listen; if we are good teachers, we can teach others how to help.

 

God has surely provided all the gifts necessary to help others in their time of need.  We simply must feel motivated enough to offer that help.  Empathy is the gift of the Holy Spirit that moves us.

 

Come Holy Spirit,

Open our hearts to empathize with others, no matter what their need.  Show us what gifts we can use to help.  Amen.

 

Joys:  a long weekend; Richard at home; morning coffee

Orphans

¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. -John 14:18

It's interesting that this verse is included in this Sunday's Gospel lesson.  Orphans.  We just had a meeting with Tara Garcia from Reach Out Orphanage Ministries on Wednesday.  There are several folks at Holy Cross who want to be able to help build a new orphanage in Honduras.  The goal of this ministry is not just to "house" children until they get old enough to take care of themselves, but to make them productive members of society who want to give back to the world.  It is there goal to educate these children through college so that they can have good careers and encourage other orphaned children.

And then there are all the recently created orphans here in the U.S., in Japan and in Haiti.  So many children whose parents were taken from them in awful disasters.  How will we give them what they need to do more than just merely survive to adulthood? 

All these children as well as orphans everywhere in the world ARE all of our responsibility.  We can provide mere survival and raise adults who merely survive who have children who are taught merely how to survive, or we can raise productive world citizens.  It's to each of us.

There are so many ways to help.  You can go to Honduras to build a Christian orphanage.  If you looked, you could probably find mentoring programs for orphans.  If you have been especially blessed financially, you could sponsor a child's college education.  Perhaps you will have to use your imagination to figure out how your particular gifts and talents can aid orphans.  It might be directly or it might be indirectly.  But every one of us should help. 

After all, Jesus did not leave us orphaned.  he provided us with all the guidance and teaching we need through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  How comforting!  Shouldn't we share that comfort with the orphaned children of the world?

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to guide us through this life.  Help us to guide the children of the world to becoming all you have created them to be.  Amen.

Joys:  A long weekend ahead; When Kevin comes home from school bragging about what a great day he had; sunny days

It's a Conspiracy!

16 A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult. –Proverbs 12:16

You gotta love the driver that thinks every other driver on the road is in conspiracy against him. He believes other drivers puposely slow down when he wants them to speed up and they speed up when he wants them to slow down. They change lanes in front of him to “cut him off.” They take too long to make their left turn and make him miss the green light. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! At one time or another we’ve all been that driver. We know there really is no ill intent on the part of the other drivers, but it sure seems that way when we are running late.

Likewise, there are times when we misinterpret others’ words. Maybe they are not very careful with their choice of words, but that combined with our mood or a sensitive issue makes it sound like an out and out insult. If we are wise we won’t react. Chances are it was an innocent remark anyway. Think about that person… how would they feel if they realized they had offended you? Do they make a practice of belittling others? The answers to those questions should tell you whether or not you misinterpreted the intent of the remark.

When we show our annoyance right away, we miss the opportunity to share grace. Even an intentional insult can be wiped away by a generous amount of grace. And it makes us look so much better… less petty… more spiritually mature… and if we don’t spend a lot of energy denying it, we give much less credibility to the insult.

I’ll bet each of us can think of a time when we wish our poor choice of words had been overlooked.

Lord,
You know our mouths get us in more trouble than any other part of our body. Help us to control our tongues and to be eager to forgive those who slip. Amen.

Joys: Richard coming home today... and staying home for a couple of months; Kevin's new job as a lab technician at school; more sunshine

The Better Package

27 He who seeks good finds goodwill,
but evil comes to him who searches for it. –Proverbs 11:27

It’s true. We really do find what we are looking for. The trouble is, we more often go after the enticingly wrapped package rather than the thing that lurks inside. We don’t intentionally search for evil, but when it comes covered in promises of prosperity, popularity and good times we don’t thoroughly examine the package before we accept it. Then again, if evil always looked like itself, who would want it?

It kind of reminds me of alcohol or cigarette advertisements. They always show beautiful, young people having a great time with good friends. They don’t show the old man dying of lung cancer. They don’t show the lonely alcoholic who has lost his family and his career and no longer sees a reason to give it up.
On the other hand, good things are wrapped in less enticing packages. We can usually tell exactly what’s in them, but they come in boxes that take a lot of hard work to open. Often the packages come with a price… of time, effort, thought. We have to use our gifts to open them… creativity, uniqueness. Many times they will spring open quite readily if we apply enough love.

Reaching out to make a friend of someone who is lonely… helping the single mother take care of her children… helping the elderly couple with upkeep on their home… mentoring troubled youths… volunteering in schools or hospitals – all of these take work, but reap rewards that last.

If we continue to go after the easily opened, prettily wrapped gifts we will continue to be dismayed by what’s inside. After all our experience with those deceptive packages, doesn’t it make sense to go after the sure things? Even if it takes more work?

Father,
We fool ourselves on so many levels. If we really thought about the long-range effects of many of our plans, we would be amazed at our stupidity. Help us to make better choices, even if they make us less popular. Amen.

Joys: Fire flies and introducing Cecelia to them; a great day off...loving the longer hours of daylight; family

Angry With God

²⁰ “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer;
I stand up, but you merely look at me.
²¹ You turn on me ruthlessly;
with the might of your hand you attack me.
²² You snatch me up and drive me before the wind;
you toss me about in the storm. - Job 30:20-22

¹ Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? -Psalm 10:1

Another disaster. So far, the death toll in Missouri is 116 and expected to climb.  It is absolutely gut-wrenching to see the pictures and videos.  The video of the monster tornado is terrifying.  Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and tornados... lately, it seems they have come one after another after another in devestating proportions. 

I suppose I could fill this devotion with philosophical and theological thoughts on the subject.  "Nature and humankind are two different creations often at odds with one another"; or "God doesn't cause human suffering, but he is by our side to help us through it," but frankly, that's getting too hard.

As I look at the pictures and videos coming out of Joplin, I see the same fear and helplessness and grief that I've seen in the eyes of the people from Alabama and Japan and Haiti and New Orleans and so many other places in recent weeks, months and years and I can't help but feel angry with God.  I want to yell out at him, "What is going on here??  Don't you see this?  Don't you care?  Can't you stop it?"

I am glad God is great enough to bear my anger.  I am glad to know that just because I am mad at him, he's not going to "smite" me.  I don't imagine I am the only one angry at him lately... or the angriest.  There must be millions questioning him and maybe turning their backs on him as they feel God has turned his back on them. 

The thing is, even though we know God does not put us in a protective bubble, we still kind of expect him to protect us from physical harm.  Even though we know people die every day, we still kind of expect him to pass by us and our loved ones.  And when he doesn't, we don't understand.  We get angry.  It shakes our faith.

But God is so much greater than we can ever imagine.  He can take our anger and our doubts.  Somehow he will love us through it and still bring us from mourning to dancing.  When we get there, we will look back and see God's hand all the way through our struggle and our faith will be even stronger.

But right now as we watch and deal with the devestation, it's okay to be angry.

Lord God,
We don't understand.  Our hearts are breaking for our fellow humans.  Help us to see your hand when it is difficult to see you at all.  Amen.

Joys:  Relief workers; planning a beach vacation; a Cecelia day

What Must I Give?

  ⁶ With what shall I come before the LORD
       and bow down before the exalted God?
       Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
       with calves a year old?
 ⁷ Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
       with ten thousand rivers of oil?
       Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
       the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? –Michah 6:6-7

Such a probing question from Micah!  What kind of offering will it take to please God?  Will the minimum do?  Or should we give everything we have, as Jesus asked of the rich young ruler?  Will he be pleased with that?  Micah goes to the very extreme asking, “Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression?”  Is there anything at all we can give that can be worthy of God’s appreciation?
So many people… and sadly, so many church leaders, miss the whole point of giving.  Churches are criticized constantly for focusing on money.  We apologize to visitors when the sermon emphasis is on stewardship.  There are those people who don’t go to church – not because they don’t believe in God – but because they don’t want to be forced to give.  We think of those televangelists whose words slide from “give us your broken and weary and those who need healing” to “give us your 10’s and 20’s and even your precious 50’s.”

How much will please God?  If we tithe to the penny, will that please God?  Maybe 15%?  What about those we’ve heard about who actually “reverse tithe?”  They live on 10% of their income and give away the rest.  Surely God is well pleased with them!

Do we really think that God is more pleased with the reverse thither than he is with the person who lets the offering plate pass him by?  Maybe the church leadership is more pleased with him, but God is not counting our pennies. When will we learn that it is not about how much we give or what we do or don’t do?  It is about WHY we give what we give and WHY we do what we do.  It is about knowing down to our toes that if it was necessary to give all that we have and Jesus asked us to do it, we would do it with joy and complete trust in him.  It is knowing that our place of worship needs money to function and we are so happy to have a place to worship so we want to support it however we are able.

Not that stewardship programs are bad.  We need encouragement to step out in trust and faith.  That is what Christian community is for.  But the results should leave us feeling neither guilty nor self-righteous. 

The next verse from Micah is more familiar to us:

⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good.
       And what does the LORD require of you?
       To act justly and to love mercy
       and to walk humbly with your God.

God doesn’t need our money or our things OR our firstborn.  He can create these things from pure nothingness.  What he wants and what he will not force from us is our hearts.  Once we love him and trust him and are able to naturally “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly” all the rest will just happen.  We will give anything that we find there is a need for simply because we want to share God’s love with as many people as possible.

Father,
Be with those who try to win your love by giving.  A generous spirit is wonderful if it is done in love and not guilt. Touch every heart with the knowledge that you love us and you delight over us and the only thing you want from us is to be loved back.  Amen.

Joys:  Fun at the wine festival Saturday; Daniel’s 24^th birthday yesterday; spending time outdoors

Today Times NOT End Times

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. -Matthew 24:36-37

 ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. -Matthew 24:42-44



From Wikipedia:

The 2011 end times prediction made by Christian radio host Harold Camping states that the Rapture (in premillennial theology, the taking up into heaven of God's elect people) will take place on May 21, 2011at 6 p.m. local time (the rapture will sweep the globe time zone by time zone) and that the end of the world as we know it will take place five months later on October 21, 2011.  Camping, president of the Family Radio Christian network, claims the Bible as his source and says May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment "beyond the shadow of a doubt".  His followers claim that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world's population) will be raptured.


Funny, I don't know of any churches in my area that have cancelled services for Sunday!  I've read that millions of dollars have gone to fund this doomsday campaign.  Money that could have gone to feed the hungry or help those who have been affected by recent disasters, or for clean water for underdeveloped nations... or who knows what else.

This is the main problem with "end times" speculation... it makes the heart passive.  Why continue to work for the world's redemption?  Why get involved with social issues?  Why work for God's kingdom on earth? ... when it's all over anyway.

I believe this is the very reason we are told,  ¹ Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,  ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).  I think if a thief put up a billboard outside my house saying that he was going to rob me at a specific date and time, I would have the police waiting for him when he came.

God doesn't want us to be concerned with end times.  That's his job.  We are to be concerned with "today times."  We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick and imprisoned.  We are to "go into all the world" making disciples... not 11th hour converts.  We are to bring Christ's love and grace to a world that is in need of Christ's love and grace.

I've read that on average, 150,000 people die world-wide every day.  So for approximately 150,000 people, May 21 will indeed be judgment day.  And so will today and so will May 22.  The point is, do what God would have you be doing today, because we don't know our own day and hour.  Not that we should live in fear of judgement, but that we should be doing our best because we love God and want his kingdom to rule on earth.

See you at church Sunday!

Father,
Help us to serve you in love, not fear.  Help us to live each day as you would have us live.  Amen.

Joys:  open-window weather; good books; Friday!

Direct Access

⁹"This, then, is how you should pray:
 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name –Matthew 6:9

A couple of years ago, I was helping Daniel get his first car loan and we went through my bank. I had a question while the loan was still processing and tried to call the entity that IS… BANK OF AMERICA. I called the number on their web site and of course… and as I fully expected… got one of those automated phone services. So I patiently began entering my answers through the maze. But they really made it difficult to figure out where you needed to go and they gave you no option to speak to someone and pressing “0” only made the voice say, “that is NOT an option.” I began to get really frustrated. Finally I was directed toward the path of “car loans!” Yay!  When I got there… after about – seriously – 20 minutes of this, the voice said, “If you would like to apply for a car loan, please visit our web site at www.bankofamerica.com... Good-bye!” And then it hung up on me!!!  Needless to say, we got our car loan elsewhere!

That was my MOST frustrating battle with an automated phone service. My second most frustrating was a few months later.  I called Charter Communications because our internet service at work was down.  Well… they only sent me two places… in a constant loop!  The greeting sent me to customer service and customer service sent me back to the greeting over and over.  And once again, pressing zero provided zero results.

It seems the bigger a company is, the more difficult it is to get to talk to a real person and you might as well not even entertain the idea of talking to the president or owner! They are way too important to talk to a mere customer.

Doesn’t all this make it so much more amazing that we have direct access to the Lord and Creator of the entire universe 24/7?  No intricate mazes and loops to wind our way or jump through… no technical glitches to deal with. And we go directly to the Main Man!  He’s never too busy to hear our concerns.  On the contrary… he delights in any conversation with us… even if – n o – ESPECIALLY if, it is just to say hi.

As simple as it is for us to go to our Father in prayer, it is one of our most neglected spiritual disciplines.  If your prayer life isn’t what it should be, take some time today to try to get to the auto loan department of Bank of America. I guarantee that you will be so thrilled with the direct access you have to the Father, that you will take time in prayer just to thank Him for that awesome privilege.

Lord God,

How easy it is to come to you with our concerns, our joys, our worship… whatever is on our mind!  Thank you so much for this awesome and often taken-for-granted gift. Touch our hearts with the desire to use it more frequently.  Amen.

Joys: an e-mail from a distant cousin who is researching family ancestry; sunny skies!!; looking forward to a fun weekend.

A Prophet for the People

¹¹ If a liar and deceiver comes and says,
'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,'
he would be just the prophet for this people! –Micah 2:11

I just love when I find sarcastic comments in the Bible. This is a great one, isn’t it? It really speaks to the heart of Lutherans! But when we put the levity aside and look at what Micah is really saying, we see the truth.

Over the years the some of the most popular preachers of best-selling books, television and preaching circuits have been those who preach how you can get what you want from God. Some have espoused saying a special prayer as if it were a magic incantation. God would HAVE to use his “genie” powers because we “rubbed the lamp” the right way.
Then there are those that advocate “investment tithing.” This is a good one. If you give 10% of your income (preferably to this specific ministry) God will increase your wealth. Again, He has no choice. You give, He MUST give you more back.
Then there is the “persistent widow” or “squeaky wheel” tactic. If you pray about that $500,000 house you want 10 times a day, every day for however long it takes, you will eventually get it, because God will get sick and tired of hearing you whine about, so like a wearied parent, he will give in.

You gotta love it, don’t you? But it is so easy to get sucked in to this kind of thinking! How many of us choose our churches by what they have to offer US instead of how we can serve? If we were doing it the right way, we would seek a church in need of our talents. Instead of looking for a church with a great youth program for our teenager, we would look for a church that needs our skills with youth to develop a great youth program.

Let’s face it, deep down we all have that “what’s in it for me” attitude.  But once we find out what REALLY IS in it for me, we realize that all that other stuff is garbage. We didn’t really want that “stuff” after all. What we really wanted was what God has wanted to give us all along. Unconditional love. Forgiveness. Grace. Peace. Joy. And what’s more, we don’t have to pray a specific prayer or give a certain amount of money or nag Him about it. It’s all ours just for the taking.

Father,
Help us to recognize those deceptive prophets who tell us what we think we want to hear… those who appeal to our greed and our worldly desires. Open our hearts to hear the truth. Amen.

Joys: Having Kevin around on his break before summer classes start; "jammin' on guitars and singing with Cecelia; some cool weather before the heat of summer

Protected

⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. -John 10:9-10

Sometimes the children's sermon speaks to me more than the regular sermon ever could.  Although I enjoyed both this last Sunday, the children's sermon helped me understand something more deeply. 

It is easy to think that when we are faithful Christians, we are immune to the dangers of the world.  But we know that's not true.  We suffer in this life and Jesus tells us to expect to suffer in this life.  We are not protected from the bad things that others do to us or from pain that comes accidentally or even from the ravages of nature.  We lose our jobs; we are touched by disease and death; we suffer broken relationships.  Whatever happens to the unfaithful can also happen to God's most faithful.  We have no magic bubble around us.

So what does it mean when we read over and over that God will "protect us" and "watch over us," etc?  At first glance, it seems he is sleeping on the job!  Where is my guardian angel when I need him the most??

At Sunday's children's sermon, Pastor Chad had the children act out the gospel lesson with one child being the "sheep," two were "wolves" and the rest were the "fence" with one of those being the "gate."  As the sheep was saved from the wolves by the gate, I felt the Holy Spirit teach me.

We were never meant to be physically or financially or even emotionally protected.  We must live in the world with the world and face all the world has to offer... good and bad.  We are protected though.  We are protected spiritually.  We have put our faith in Christ and he guards our spirits.  The wolves cannot touch us.  We belong to Christ alone.  He is the way and the truth and the life and once we set out on that way, we have his protection. 

Let the wolves howl!  No matter what they do to our bodies, they can never devour our spirits.  Every bad thing will be turned into abundant life... spiritual growth.

Lord Jesus,
You protect us in ways we can't begin to imagine.  Thank you for the abundant life you bring.  Amen.

Joys: Being part of the flock; sleeping through the storm; a day off

God Sings

¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” -Zephaniah 3:17

Can you imagine church without singing?  Music is the primary vehicle for our worship.  The music and lyrics combine to speak thoughts to God that mere words can't.  It reaches into our souls in order to articulate our emotions.

When trying to bring some order to my prayer life, I will occasionally try the ACTS way of praying:  A-Adoration, C-Confession, T-Thanksgiving, and S-Supplication.  It's really a good format, but I always have trouble with the adoration part.  It's not that I don't feel that adoration... it's just so hard to put into words.  There are only so many ways I can think of to tell God he is awesome.  So now, whenever I use that format, I start our with a song of praise such as "Shout to the Lord."  It says how I feel without using the word "awesome" over and over again.

Music is used to covey so many different feelings that are hard to put into words:  love, jealousy, fear, grief, joy... you name it.  The songs that become our favorites are those that seem to reach down into our souls and explain exactly what we are feeling.  Any woman who has ever been a teenage girl can attest to the power that songs of unrequited love had on her life back then. 

Yes, music is powerful.  No wonder we use it to praise the All-Powerful One.  It is the only language we have that can even begin to communicate our praise and worship.

Now... can you imagine God singing over us?  This verse from Zephaniah says "He will rejoice over you with singing."  Wow.  God singing.  For me.  As I write this, I hear a songbird outside my window... is it God singing to me?  I am reminded of sitting on a quiet beach hearing the surf pound into the shore... God again?  And what about the storm last week... the continuous rumble of thunder and the loud strikes of lightening... hardly calming, but so powerful and awe-inspiring that God's voice must have been in it.

God rejoices over us with singing every single day.  We just need to pause in our busyness to hear Him.

Lord God,
Sing to my heart today.  Sing that my life may become your song.  Amen.

Joys:  Watching Cecelia kneel at the altar with Pastor Chad; that Cecelia's mother is so generous in allowing us time with our granddaughter; those with a passion for their ministries

Full Worship

Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy -Psalm 47:1

We Lutherans are a funny bunch.  We love our worship styles whether it is traditional or contemporary... organ music or guitars and drums... but it sure is hard to get many Lutherans to participate fully in even their favorite songs. 

I used to get so frustrated that only a half-dozen or so folks would clap their hands to music that almost demands hands to  be clapped or when we'd sing the line "we lift our hands" maybe three people would actually lift their hands.  But I have learned over the years that just because people don't "seem" to be fully worshiping, it doesn't mean they aren't.  I realize that a lot of personal tradition goes into how we worship and sometimes change doesn't just mean change... it can mean feeling irreverent.  And we certainly want to approach God reverently.

But there is so much in the Bible about praising God by clapping, dancing, shouting, raising our hands and putting our whole body into it.  It's okay to be emotional in our worship.  God created emotion.  It doesn't mean that faith is about emotion because we know that faith is about believing even when we don't feel emotional.  But when we think about our blessings and the grace upon grace upon grace and God's incredible love for us, why WOULDN'T we clap our hands and shout for joy?  This is stuff to really get excited about!

When Cecelia comes over the first thing she does is run to me with wide-open arms, shouting "Kaymee!"  Would I love her any less if she just came in and went straight to her toys?  No.  But her greeting makes me feel so loved that sometimes I think my heart might burst.  God knows our hearts, but what joy it must bring him to see us actively express our love our love to him. 

When you worship tomorrow, perhaps you might step a little out of your comfort zone by singing a little louder or clapping your hands to an appropriately "clappy" song or raising your hands (at least to your waist) when we sing "we raise our hands."  No, it's not necessary, and no one will think you love God less if you don't.  But just those little actions can make us feel a little closer to our Heavenly Father... and what joy we will bring him with our effort to express our worship a little more deeply.

Father,
We love you.  And you know our hearts, so you know we love you.  But we want to bring you a tiny fraction of the joy you give us.  Help us to step out of our worship comfort zones in order to praise you more fully.  Amen.

Joys: a good evening at Relay For Life; an invitation to serve to pray about; Plans with Cecelia for this afternoon

Those Beautiful Scars

Quite frankly, I don't want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus. – Galatians 6:17 (The Message)

We all have scars… both physical and emotional.  I carry a scar on one of my fingers from childhood.  I used to love to watch my Daddy shave when I was little.  I happened to be playing in the water running from the faucet when he brought down his razor to rinse it and cut my finger.  I can imagine how awful he felt.  But when I look at that scar today, I don’t have any memory of the pain or the bleeding.  What I remember is how much I used to love watching my Daddy shave.  What a good scar to have!

I am currently reading a novel about a Nigerian orphan refugee who had seen a lot of violence in her 16 short years.  About scars she says:  “… a scar is never ugly.  That is what the scar makers want us to think.  We must see all scars as beauty… Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying.  A scar means, I survived.”

There are the scars we receive accidentally and the scars we receive at the hands of another, intentionally.  But all scars ARE beautiful, because they are about life.  They each have a story to tell and a story that begs to be shared.  Some scars are so deep and are received in such horrific ways that they are very, very difficult to share, but those are the most important ones share.  It is the sharing that brings beauty to those scars.

Scars that are kept covered through silence never allow the beauty to come forth.  We must share our stories of survival with one another so that others can learn that survival is possible… and that we can do more than survive.  When we uncover and share our scars, not only do the scars become beautiful, but we ourselves become beautiful.  Our joys and triumphs in life shine so much more brilliantly when the struggles it took to get there are known.  Sometimes the biggest triumph in a person’s life is “I don’t beat my child the way my father beat me.” … a cycle broken.  But we would never see that as a triumph without having seen that person’s scars.

How shallow the empty tomb would have been without the scars… those beautiful scars.

Lord Jesus,
Your scars are the most beautiful of all.  Help us to show our scars so that they too may become beautiful.  But most especially, let us find the beauty in the scars of one another.  Amen.

Joys:  Beautiful scars; Helping friends; waking to birdsong

Kid of the Week

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

 ³⁶"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

 ³⁷They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." –Mark 10:35-37

When my boys were little they were like all siblings... they would fight--about just about everything.  They would fight about who got to sit in the front seat, who got to pick the TV show, who got the bigger piece of... well... anything.  If you are a parent of more than one child, you know exactly what I'm talking about!

It drove me absolutely crazy that they would fuss about such unimportant things!  I tried everything... even removing the argument, such as not letting them watch TV at all if they couldn’t decide on a program peacefully or making them both sit in the back seat, but that only made matters worse.  They would fight about whose fault it was! 

I finally came up with the perfect solution that worked wonders for years and years to come.  I instituted the “Kid of the Week” program at the House of Hayes.  The boys would rotate weeks at being “kid of the week” and would get all the perks available that week.  He got to sit in the front seat ALL week… he got to pick the TV programs ALL week… he got to choose first, go first, and be first at everything.  Only Richard or I could overrule as long as we had a good reason.    And it worked beautifully. At first it was tough for the other kid to humble themselves, but they knew if they wanted good treatment the next week, they had to.

Don’t we all want to be “kid of the week” ALL the time in our Father’s kingdom?  We always want special treatment.  We want our prayers answered even at the expense of another.  We want to make sure our own rights are not violated even if it means trampling all over someone else’s rights in the process.  We want prosperity to rain down on us even when we see our neighbor doing without basic necessities.   We want to be honored, respected and loved even when we don’t honor respect and love others.

What we really ought to be doing is treating everyone else like “kid of the week” all the time. Offer someone else the best seat… the biggest portion… the first choice.  It is a wonderful joy to do that… especially if we wanted it for ourselves. 

I will never forget the time early on in our “kid of the week” program when Daniel asked me if just because he was “kid of the week” did he HAVE to sit in the front seat.  I told him, of course not… the point was, he got to choose.  He said, “okay, then I want to let Kevin sit in the front this time!”  That led to occasional bursts of generosity from each of them every week when the kid of the week would give the other the honor of the best choice.  They discovered that even though at first it was hard to give up what they wanted, they received even more joy by doing it when they didn’t have to.

What a great lesson for us all to learn!

Father,
We know that in your heart each one of us is ALWAYS “kid of the week” but you take special joy in watching us serve others first, because you know we are learning important lessons when we do that.  Open our hearts to the generosity that lives in each of us.  Amen.

Joys:  Surviving that awful lightning storm; The smell and feel of the morning after a big storm; fun time with Cecelia yesterday

Drenched in Love

⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. -Ephesians 4:4-6

We get water from a well at home.  Occasionally a toilet will get hung up and drain the water and the pump will have to be primed.  For those who are not "pump savvy," this involves going out to the pump, unscrewing the top of a pipe and filling that pipe with water until it runs over without bubbling... that means all the air is out of the pipe... and then screwing the top back on.

This happened for the first time in a long time last week, and with Kevin at school extra hours in study groups studying for finals, I had to prime the pump myself.  No problem.

Yesterday I came home after being away for about 2 hours.  When I got out of the car, I heard the pump running, and knew it must have happened again.  It was beginning to get dark so I wanted to hurry and get this done.  I went to the house and got what I needed and fixed the guilty toilet (not registering the fact that water was still running in the toilet!).  I went out and began to screw off the top of the pipe, but before I got it off, water began spewing out of it with the force of a presserized water hose!  It must have looked quite comical as I tried to get the top screwed back on with all that water coming at me.  By the time I was finished, I was drenched!

My reaction?  First I laughed at myself, but then I thought, "What an awesome way to remember my baptism!"  God drenching me with his love.  So much grace coming at me that I can't stop it.  You know, with all the denominatinal arguments about how we should baptize (sprinkle, pour, dunk....) maybe we ALL have it wrong.  Maybe we should be using fire hoses!

Father,
Baptism is such a dramatic point in our lives.  Maybe we don't actually need fire hoses to baptize, but help us to feel that we were indeed drenched by your love and grace at our baptism.  Amen.

Joys:  Remembering my baptism in a dramatic way; wonderful prayer time at STAR; Kevin doing well on his first two exams.

Take Courage

Immediately [Jesus] spoke to them and said, “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.” –Mark 6:50b

As the disciples struggled to row their boat in the midst of the storm, the last thing they expected was to see Jesus walk up to them.  They thought they had to fight the storm on their own.  They weren’t even looking for Jesus.  It surely would have saved them a lot of anxiety if they had reflected on the miracle of the loaves and fishes they had just witnessed and understood that Jesus would come through for them one way or another.

One way or another...that’s the catch for us, isn’t it?  When we are in the midst of a storm, we want to know what to expect.  Our faith is strong enough to know Jesus is with us...but what is he going to do about it?  Even the question scares us.  Maybe it will take work on our part.  Maybe it will hurt emotionally.  Maybe we will have to...oh, no... CHANGE!  What we really want is someone to take the waves out of our lives.  We want smooth sailing all the way through.  No storms, no bumpy ride...just lay back and enjoy the cruise on auto pilot.

When I go to Florida to visit my family, our time together almost always includes some boating.  I can’t tell you much of anything about any of those boating trips except for one.  It was the one in which a scary storm was involved.  I would never have chosen to go out into the ocean in a storm, but it certainly made the trip memorable and I learned some lessons about what to do in a storm at sea.  And there is nothing like a storm at sea to make you see the awesome power of God.

There aren't many of us who would willingly walk into a storm. But without life’s storms, we would not learn much.  Our lives would just be one long chain of days... nothing memorable... nothing worth sharing with others.  Jesus knows we would rather avoid the storms so he’s not likely to warn us when one is coming.  But we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus doesn’t let us struggle alone.  Even when we don’t recognize him, he is right there with us encouraging us and telling us, “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”

Lord Jesus,
We fear having to face the storms in our lives even though they are necessary to our spiritual growth.  Help us to recognize your presence as we journey through them.  Let us always see you in the faces of our brothers and sisters that you have placed in our lives for just such times.  Amen.

Joys:  Carroll's sermon, a relaxing Mother's Day, remembering my mom 

Everything We "Knee'd"

³³Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
      How unsearchable his judgments,
      and his paths beyond tracing out! - Romans 11:33

I saw an interesting church sign the other day.  It said, "God will provide everything for which you have 'knee'd.'"  I love puns and word play.  I even like the ones most people groan at, but this play on words is not a "groaner," but a "thinker."  It has a deep double meaning.

The Bible tells us God will provide for all our needs.  We are also told that if we pray, we will get what we pray for.  But we have all seen people go without life's basic necessities and we have also prayed for things that we did not get.  I think the combination that the church sign hinted at may hold much of the answer.  St. James tells us that "we do not have, because we do not ask." So if we find ourselves in need, instead of wringing our hands, we should pray.  But what if we pray and do not receive?  Perhaps God doesn't see our "need" the same way we do. 

There are times when going without is what is needed in our lives.  Sometimes the best thing for us is to lose a job that doesn't make the most of our gifts.  Sometimes the best thing for us is to lose some of the material things that have turned our hearts away from God.  Sometimes hunger is necessary to drive us into productive action.

So we have to have "knee'd" it and we have to truly "need" it for God to respond.  And when he doesn't, perhaps he is supplying a need we didn't know we had, by not supplying a need we thought we had.  We have to let God be God and know that He is all-knowing.  When we do, we can embrace our stuggles as opportunities to become more Christ-like.  As a little boy, Kevin would tell me, "I NEED a cookie now!"  But I knew he needed a meal with meat, grains and vegetables first.  He asked for what he thought he needed, but I gave him what I knew he really needed.  Would our heavenly father do any less?

Father,

Thank you for taking such good care of us and supplying our real needs rather than our imagined ones.  Help us to rejoice in our opportunities to grow.  Amen.

Joys:  Kevin planting flowers for me for Mother's Day; successful surgery for Pastor Chad; provision for my needs.

For This Reason...

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:14-21

This is my favorite prayer from the Bible.  I remember the first time I read it.  It was just before I began teaching Sunday school for the first time, and I felt the Holy Spirit sweep through me as I read this prayer.  Even to this day, each time I read it, I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.  It was the beginning of a ministry of "evangelism within the church" to which I have since felt called.  And this prayer says everything that is in my heart that makes that call clear to me. 

Over the years I have answered this call in a variety of ways... teaching Sunday school, teaching confirmation and adult Bible studies, leading VBS and getting more adults involved than kids, sponsoring people for VDC and writing these daily devotions.  I also feel like my job working at church often helps fulfill this calling too.

I know that most, if not all, of those who attend Holy Cross regularly believe in Christ.  I like to think I have a small hand in bringing those who merely "believe" into discipleship... into living a life that reflects Christ in their daily lives.  And it is this prayer that lives in my heart that helps me to continually refocus on that call.

Thank you Lord that your call to each of us is as unique as we are.  Help us all to find that call and do our best to live up to it.  Amen.

Joys:  a good Mexican lunch for Cinco de Mayo; gorgeous Spring day; FRIDAY!

Having Ears to Hear

"With many such parables [Jesus] spoke the word to [the crowds], as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples," -Mark 4:33-34

I heard the question posed:  "Why would Jesus not explain his parable to those in the crowds that didn't understand them?"

I have to remember a kind of parable from the Old Testament when after David had Bathsheba's husband killed to cover up his adultery, Nathan, the prophet, told the story of the rich man and the poor man's sheep.  If Nathan had just come out and called David an adulterer and murderer, Nathan may not have left the property with his head intact!  David had to see himself in that story in order to learn from it.

It is the same with Jesus' parables.  None of us want anyone to name our sins to our face.  Accusations only put us on the defensive.   It drives us to make excuses for our behavior rather than to own it and correct it.  We must see our sin for ourselves in order for us to accept it and work to clean up our act.

The people in Jesus' day were no different.  I would imagine that after hearing a parable they would gather with their friends and neighbors discussing it as we might discuss a good sermon.  Then when they hashed it out, each would go home with the perspective meant for him without ever having to confess it to anyone or have anyone point it out.

There are some great convictions in the parables if we are only willing to "have ears to hear."  We can allow the Holy Spirit to see where we stand within those parables with an honest and open heart.  Then with David we can cry, "I have sinned against the Lord!" and we can confess, be forgiven and work to correct that sin in our lives.

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for your gentle words even though we deserve only angry ones.  Thank you for teaching instead of accusing.  Thank you for loving us enough to want us to learn.  Open our hearts to your words of Life.  Amen.

Joys:  Lunch with family; a quiet week at work; Jesus' parables

Christian Families

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.  17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. -Romans 12:1-2, 9-18   I finally got around to watching the royal wedding that I had recorded.  It was beautiful, of course.  I was amused, though by all the hats worn by the ladies.  The Brits sure do love their hats!  If you are familiar with Monte Python, you might remember their skit on "The Ministry of Silly Hats."  Some of those hats at the wedding were pretty silly!  But all in all, it was a grand event.  I was curious as to what the scripture readings would be.  It was the passage above.  What a wonderful choice! Not just for a future king and his wife, but for any husband and wife beginning their life's journey together.   What would our families be like today if we had always been joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer?  How would our marriages have been different if our love was alway sincere and we hated what was evil and clung to what was good, honoring one another over ourselves?   And how would the world be different today if all married couples practiced these things and taught their children to practice these things and we all  blessed those who persecuted us instead of cursing them...  If we rejoiced with those who rejoice; mourned with those who mourn and lived in harmony with one another and if we were not proud, but willing to associate with people of low position?   These are the things we should strive for in our own lives and in our families.  If all Christians tried to practice them, Chrisitanity would win the respect and admiration of the world and do the job of evangelism for us.   Father, What a wonderful and useful passage from scripture!  May we all cut and paste it into our hearts as we live our daily lives.  Amen.   Joys:  Picking strawberries with Cecelia; meeting Joey and Susan's baby and getting to hold and snuggle him;  after 2 1/2 years of telling Cecelia she's my "precious girl," having her snuggle into my lap and say, "I'm your precious girl, Kaymee!"... indeed...

Hate Multiplies Hate

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble” — Proverbs 24:17

“As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live” — ...Ezekiel 33:11

After the fall of the towers almost 10 years ago, I remember watching clips of extremist Muslims celebrating their "victory."  I was sickened.  I could not believe other human beings could actually rejoice at such a tragedy no matter what their religious or political views.  They were thrilled and happy and dancing in the streets.

I felt a little of that yesterday as I watched news clips  of people rejoicing in the death of an enemy.... thrilled... happy... celebrating.  Really?

You all know that I am married to a military man.  I am not a pacifist.  I understand the need to capture of kill Osama bin Laden.  And I am relieved that he no longer has the power to unleash his hatred upon us.  And I understand celebrating a victory.  It is even necessary that our military in particular celebrate this victory.  And I understand the grief of those that lost loved ones on that tragic day.  But our celebration should be a quiet, solemn remembrance of those who lost their lives and the actions that made this military response necessary.

This military victory is different from most in that it involved the death of one specific person.... it wasn't a hill captured or an arsenal bombed or a plot thwarted.  It was a specific person killed.  I have no love for this person except in the fact that he was indeed a person and a child of God.  He now has to face God and be judged for his actions. 

To celebrate death, even of someone who has hurt so many, is to be like those who danced at the fall of the towers.  It is hate being multiplied by hate.  We must not fall victim to it.  If we do, it is the terrorists who actually win.

Our Bishop Mark Hanson said it brilliantly:

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

The death of Osama bin Laden is an occasion for solemn remembrance. We remember the lives of all whose deaths resulted from his choosing hatred and violence. We stand with those who continue to mourn the death of loved ones while giving thanks for their lives, their love and their faith. We also continue to hold in prayer all whose service in the military, in government and in humanitarian and peacemaking activities contribute to a safer and more prosperous world.

At the same time we also recall who we are: people baptized into Christ, freed to serve our neighbors. We are people called as Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation with our neighbors, serving God’s work of restoring community. We engage our neighbors of other faiths, including our Muslim neighbors near and far, in respectful, searching dialogue and shared commitment to build a world that reflects God’s will for peace with justice. We pray for our neighbors, even those who are our enemies.

Most of all, in these 50 days of celebrating Christ’s resurrection, joy finds its fullest and deepest expression not over a human death but in God’s promise to unite all things in heaven and on earth, to reconcile the human family and to bring God’s reign of peace. Confident in what God has promised, we witness our resolve against any act of violence in the name of religion and our renewed commitment of service to the neighbors and world God so deeply loves.

In God’s grace,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Lord God,
When our hearts have been hurt so badly, it is very difficult for us not to rejoice in the death of those who caused it.  Help us to answer hate with love and bring your light into every darkness.  Amen.

Joys:  Fun plans with Cecelia today; car's sunroof fixed; the month of May

The Best is Yet to Be

⁴ Marriage should be honored by all -Hebrews 13:4

Today, Richard and I have been married 30 years.  As the joke goes: "I have been happily married 10 years."  "Oh?  I thought you have been married for 30."  "Yes, but only 10 of them were happy!"

Of course that is not the case with me and Richard.  But there is some truth to the joke.  Anyone who has been married for a while can tell you that it is not all "wedded bliss."  Life happens.  There are struggles with family finances, raising children, bad... or just plain wrong... choices, bad moods, health issues, in-law problems.... and the list goes on and on and on.  When you think about it, it can make you wonder how you can even get 10 good years out of 30!  And you would probably think the best 10 would come at the beginning - when love is new and exciting.

But I'm here to tell you that the best part comes AFTER all of that.  When your marriage survives all those pitfalls and you can still look at each other and say from the depths of your soul, "I love you"... well, that is the best love there is.  The poet Robert Browning was right:  "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."

I think that after 30 years of marriage I am entitled to give a little advice.  My number one advice to anyone who really wants to be married "until death do you part" is:  Sometimes you have to love your marriage more than you love your spouse.

No matter who you marry, you will have struggles and there will be times when you really, really, really don't even like your spouse anymore and you will really, really, really want to just walk away from the problems and the hurt and the struggle.  But if you hang in there and fight for marriage, you will receive so many blessings in return.

I do understand that it takes TWO to work on a marriage, so I am not criticizing those who have found divorce necessary.  But I am encouraging those who are still relatively new on the road of life together in marriage.

Richard and I celebrated over the weekend by going out for a quiet dinner together.  I asked the question:  "What have been some of your favorite parts of life over the last 30 years?"  It opened the door for some wonderful reminiscing  as we shared the best memories of our life together.

We keep trying to re-work God's gifts, thinking that in our "modern" day things are different.  So we try to change the family and  the institution of marriage.  We think "living together" is just fine.  Divorce is just another bump in life's road.  Marriages aren't meant to last anymore.  But God's plan is still the best plan.  "Until death do you part" is still the best way to do relationships.

Father,
Thank you for Richard.  Thank you for the gift of a partner in life who loves you and who is as dedicated to the "death do you part" idea of marriage as I am.  Thank you for 30 years of happiness, and no-so-happiness.  They have combined to make a wonderful life together.  I pray that we will enjoy another 30 years together.  Amen.

Joys:  Richard; sharing memories; marriages, old and new