Some things are just too good to pass up

As I was studying for a message recently, I ran across a quote by A.W. Tozer from his book The Root of Righteousness. I had so many requests for it, I decided to put it on my blog:

"A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for one whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest; and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge. The man who has met God is not looking for anything; he has found it. He is not searching for light, for upon him the light has already shined. His certainty may seem bigoted, but his assurance is that of one who knows by experience his religion is not hearsay. He is not a copy, not a facsimile. He is an original from the hand of the Holy Spirit.”

The best is yet to come!

As far as I'm concerned, I have pretty much always approached life with the sense that the best was yet to come. I still believe that. With that mindset, at the moment I'm really caught up in launching a brand new ministry in our church, a ministry designed for those 55+.

To that end, I've been reading lots of books that deal with the subject of life in the "2nd half." If you haven't figured it out yet, you can toss about everything you have ever known about aging out the window. We are in a new space, with increased life expectancy, a much longer time to need resources, and options that never existed before. Instead of entering into the "golden years of retirement," we find folks at that stage of life launching entirely new careers, some finding themselves more productive than ever. At the very least, people are thinking fresh, new thoughts, considering options that have lain dormant for years.

As I have been pouring over material having to do with this subject, I came across the work of G. Stanley Hall, the gentleman who coined the term "adolescence," and in fact helped our society to understand that stage in life in the early 20th century. But what most don't know about him is that he did the same thing with the 55+ years, a period of life he called "senescence." Disagreeing with the common wisdom about those growing older, namely that they had little to do but wait comfortably for their demise, he stated something that rang so very true to me. This quote is from his book, "Senescence," published in 1922. He's speaking about how differently "older" people (chose your own age here) feel about the way they see life versus the way younger people assume they feel:

"How little there is in common between what we feel about it and the way we find it regarded by our juniors; and how hard it is to conform to their expectations of us! They think we have glided into a peaceful harbor and have only to cast anchor and be at rest. We feel that we have made landfall on a new continent where we must not only disembark but explore and make new departures and institutions and give a better interpretation to human life. Instead of descending toward a deep, dark valley we stand, in fact, before a delectable mountain, from the summit of which, if we can only reach it, we can view the world in a clearer light and in truer perspective."

Man, do I resonate with that! That is exactly where I am in my life, and in relationship to this new ministry. I see a whole new world out there filled with folks plus or minus my age who desire a whole lot more out of their lives. They just don't know what that might be. What a spot to be in - I get to help them understand not only what will bring them joy now, but forever! And along the way, I get to encourage them to develop all those things in their lives that have been lying dormant for years.

To that end, I'm reminded of G.B. Shaw's words, written when he was 65:

"You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"

I firmly believe the best is yet to come, and I couldn't be more excited to see what God has in store!

Peace, peace, when there is no peace...

How do you experience peace when it seems to be in such short supply? Indeed, it seems like the deck is stacked against having any peace in our hearts at all. If you dare to watch the daily news, it's little more than a police blotter and reasons for despair. As if living in a land of tightening our belts ever more daily wasn't enough, we're informed over, and over, and over, and over, and over again just how bad things are. If your job doesn't get you, then the tumbling of the stock market will. If the spoiled turkey doesn't upset your stomach, then the latest child kidnapping will. How does a person hope to sleep at night?

Believe it or not, it isn't all that difficult. It boils down to a simple trust in the Lord. When he was just hours away from his crucifixion, Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you that in me you might have peace; in the world you will have tribulation, but cheer up, I have overcome the world." (John 16.33) Wow!

People can debate putting their faith in Jesus til the cows come home, but I've got to tell you this: I'd much rather find peace in him personally then have one more debate over who he really is. He said he was God, then he proved it in more ways that can be counted. So if he says if we put our faith in him, we will find peace (and life, joy, comfort, and a boatload of other good things), I believe him. I take him at his word.

The deal about a simple faith in Jesus is this. Either what he says is true, or it isn't. Either we can find peace, or we can't. There's no door #3. For me, I choose to believe him. So even when I find myself navigating the white waters of life, I know that if I just rest in him, his power, promises, and presence, I will find peace. I hope you'll join me in that decision, and find peace, no matter what's going on around you!

Be blessed!

One more thing

British theologian Alister McGrath has some very helpful things to say about the Kingdom of God. He writes,

"The dominant theme in the preaching of Jesus is the coming of the kingdom of God. This phrase is rare in contemporary Jewish writings, and is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive aspects of the preaching of Jesus. This term, or closely related ideas, occurs some 70 times in the Synoptic Gospels. The use of the word "kingdom in this context is potentially misleading. Although this English word has been used regularly since the sixteenth century to translate the Greek term basileia, the term "kingship" is more appropriate. The term "kingdom" suggests a definite geographical region which is being ruled, whereas the Greek term refers primarily to the act of ruling itself. In New Testament scholarship, the term "the kingly rule of God" has often been used to make this point clear."

I find this to be an extremely helpful statement, especially in light of Jesus' many teaching on the Kingdom, and his statements like, "the Kingdom of God is within you." Clearly he was talking about his leadership in the lives of his people, not some destination or location.

I love the idea that Jesus wants to have an active role in leading my life, i.e. intends to be my King, my leader. Yet it struck me today, as I was listening to more of the conversation about the debacle in Egypt, that none of us is really comfortable with a King, with anyone who can tell us what to do. To be sure, in many cases, the political leaders being replaced today are tyrants, individuals who have used their people for personal aggrandizement. But I think all of us still wrestle with anyone having the right to tell us what to do. We want to reserve that right for ourselves, and even though our own decision making hasn't yielded the best results across the years, we still would rather trust ourselves than anyone else, God included.

So what does the kingly rule of God look like in your life? How are you seeing that reality worked out day by day?

,

A happy dance...

For the last couple of days, I've been doing "the happy dance" even though I have no idea how to do it. To understand why, I need to give you a bit of background. Hopefully, it will be understandable.

Since having been treated for prostate cancer in Summer '08, I need to have a psa (prostate specific antigen) test every 3 months for three years to make certain my psa number is low. Without getting technical, when it comes to psa numbers, lower is better.

With the kind of therapy I had (proton beam radiation), you still have prostate tissue when you're done being treated, so still produce psa. The assumption is that over time, the radiation slowly but surely destroys all the cancer cells. So unlike surgery, where your number is instantly 0.00, with any form of radiation it will slowly go down until you reach your "nadir" (low point) by 2 yrs or so (though it can take up to 3 yrs). A continuing low number is a strong indication that the cancer has been destroyed. On Saturday I got the results of my 27 month check, and my number was 50% lower than 3 months ago, and it has been pretty darned low for the last year anyway. That is absolutely incredible, and I am filled with praise for what God has done. So you can see why I'm dancin'!

Through this process, I've been reminded of an important lesson . We really are all different, and the only helpful thing is to compare ourselves to ourselves, and not to anybody else. I say this because some of the guys I went through therapy with hit lower numbers than mine much more quickly than I did, and that bugged me. While I knew that we didn't begin with the same numbers, and our bodies are different, nonetheless, it was way too easy to do the comparison thing, and worry about the fact that my number wasn't dropping as fast as somebody else's. Frankly, that is neither helpful nor of any value. The point is not "is my score as low or lower than somebody else's," but rather, "is mine doing what it's supposed to do - go down"?

How easy it is for us to assume our lives are supposed to work like somebody else's, even in our spiritual lives. We worry that we aren't as prayerful as somebody else, or as compassionate, or as knowledgeable, or whatever, when God is not comparing us to anybody else at all. The point isn't how do we stack up with somebody else; rather, it is how are we doing now compared to how we were doing a year ago, two years ago, five years ago. God sees each of us as unique individuals, and works with us exactly where we are. As for me, I'm asking the Lord to do with me what he wants to do with me, not what he wants to do with somebody else. How about you?

Blessings,

Bill

God is good all the time...

Sometimes it's a challenge to remember that "God is good all the time, all the time God is good." Why? Because it's easy to get overwhelmed by challenges of the day, things that seem greater than your ability to cope. At those times, deep down inside, most all of us wonder: is God really good all the time? The answer, of course, is "yes." It's just that we don't see his goodness at the moment.

As we navigate Betty's breast cancer, we've hit a few bumps in the road. But for us, it causes us to draw back, catch our breath, and trust God more. Figure it out: we'd be hitting the same bumps with or without him. How much better that he is walking with us!

I hesitate to continue to write about Betty's treatment because so many other people are facing difficult issues. Our lives are no more important than anybody else's. At the same time, I know that we are to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. How can people be expected to do that if they don't know what those burdens are? So with that in mind, I continue to update, usually on Facebook.

Today Betty had a good second chemo treatment. The first went sideways, and she ended up in the hospital. Then one of her surgery incisions began to separate, so she had to go back for another surgery. That caused the chemo to be postponed. On and on it went. So finally we feel like we're back on track. Thus far (about 6 hours into it!), things are going much better than they did the first time. The doctor tweaked one of the chemo drugs a bit, and changed the drip solution they use, hoping this would make things work more smoothly. It appears his decision was the right one. Coupled with all the folks who are praying, it should work well!

If you're like me, you're getting pretty tired of cancer! Every time I turn around, I bump into somebody else who has just been diagnosed with one form or another. In the last two weeks, I've come across 3 gals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer of one form or another, and are in the throes of deciding what to do. We feel blessed that Betty has already been able to share with them in that process.

While all this is going on, God is drawing us closer and closer to himself. Though we have more than a few candles on our cakes at birthdays, it's like we are in a fresh time of learning with the Lord. How good that is! If only we can pass on a fraction of what he is teaching us, we will feel most blessed.

May the Lord be your strength,

Bill

Time to think

Betty and I had the joy of spending this last week

with our entire family in Idaho. One of the things

we did while there was the 17-mile bike ride on the Trail of the Hiawatha. Not only do you have to go through a 2 mile tunnel with only the light on your bike, but you cross over a series of bridges like the one in this picture. It is breath taking in every sense of the word! A great time was had by all.

During some of our down time, I was reading a most fascinating book on my iPad. One of the chapters dealt with the value of intergenerational ministries, something that has been a concern to me for a number of years. For some time now, the church seems to have become far more comfortable with "silo's", i.e. self-contained ministries for each age or interest group, than it has with the "Body of Christ" truly being the "Body of Christ," embracing and celebrating all ages.

One of the things noted in the book was the fact that recently the Fuller Youth Institute released a report stating that many young people who were once highly involved in a church youth group during middle or high school stopped participating in church as young adults. Why? Well, it seems that while teens, these folks were in their own worship services, with their own music, fellowship, and teaching, and rarely if ever engaged with the Body at large. Hence, when they left high school, they didn't know how to connect with the larger church, and thus failed to do so. What a pity!

How many ways can we say that we need each other. The younger need to hear the stories of the older, and vice-versa. We all need to know what we're going through, and learn to pray for, encourage, and support one another. This past week as we were together as a large family, there were three generations of us. The diversity that represented made for a whole lot of fun. I'd like to think we all not only enjoyed each other, but learned more from and about each other as well. We even had the opportunity in a bunch of ways to serve one another. That was a good thing! Surely, that is how the whole church is supposed to look but doesn't. Think we can do something about this? More thoughts about this later.

I hope you're having a great summer. May you be blessed!

Bill

The Barking Dog

A little book arrived on my desk earlier this week that drew my attention. As I glanced through it, I read a statement that I found both provocative and true. Here is is, written by Paul Scanlon, pastor of Abundant Life Church in Bradford, England:

The Barking Dog:

"I hate the fact that much of the church has become famous for its intolerance of the world. We are known for what we are against, whether it's abortion, homosexuality, smoking, alcohol, or Harry Potter.You name it, the church is against it. Now I'm not particularly advocating any of the above, my point here is that we have become the angry dog that barks at every passer by. Eventually the dog just becomes an irritant in the neighborhood. The neighbors avoid the dog, but can never forget it because like all barking dogs, much of the time it just barks for no reason.

I don't want to 'bark' at my city or the people in it. I want to appreciate it, love it and learn to live amongst the people of my city as a revolutionary for positive change.

Jesus was not known for what he was against. he was not known as the 'Pharisee hater' or the 'Tax Collector's worst nightmare'! Instead he was famous for the good he did for people. He was called the healer, one who spoke with authority and wisdom, the great teacher. But most notably, he was called the 'friend of sinners.' What a reputation to have! And we, Christ's Body in the world today, should have the same reputation.

The church is not a resistance movement; it is a replacement movement. God so loved the world that he didn't send us an ultimatum but an alternative."

Paul Scanlon

Another Godportunity

Since I began my day with a "forget everything" drug for a medical procedure, I figured I'd better write this down before I "forget it."

After the procedure, I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. When I was on my way out of the pharmacy, I almost literally ran into someone who is very well known, actually all over the world. I'd met her before a number of years ago, so I reintroduced myself to her, and asked her how things were going for her. I had heard she'd been struggling with a lot of "demons" from the past, things that don't just go away. Having been victimized in more ways than she could count while growing up, there's no question it has been hard for her to see life in any other way. She "accepted Christ" some years ago, but making the decision, and actually embracing all that is true about new life in Christ, are two very different things.

When she told me some of the stuff she was dealing with, I asked if we might pray about it. She jumped at the chance, and right there in the middle of Walgreens, we went for it, going right to the throne of grace. When we finished, she grabbed me and gave me a "hug of hugs." I said a couple of other things encouraging her in Jesus, and before turning around, she hugged me again.

Man, I hate the devil. I hate the things he does in the lives of people, especially when he convinces Christians they aren't really free, can't truly have a brand new life. And when other so-called "believers" jump on his bandwagon, piling on when people like her have their struggles, it's even worse. Why would a believer want to play on his team??? She may have issues, but she belongs to Jesus, chosen by him. As far as God is concerned, she's priceless!

"When anyone is in Christ, she is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become brand new!" Praise God!

Busting buttons...

It was truly a moment in time that was awesome to behold. It was one of those "you had to be there" experiences. This last weekend, Easter weekend, was a time that our church truly made me proud. Perhaps it was best symbolized in the choir, which was totally intergenerational. You hear people talk about this, but seeing it in action is something quite different. High schoolers, mixed with grandmas and grandpas, and everybody in between, led us all in fantastic worship.

One of the things that really struck me happened right before I came out to speak for the last service. Just before going onto the stage, I overheard one of the younger choir members thanking the various orchestra people for their outstanding contribution. What a joy to know that kind of encouragement was being expressed with nobody having to make it happen. Proud? You bet!

The Church is the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ has all kinds of people in it, young people, and not so young people, babies with full heads of hair, and grandpas who forgot how that feels. In too many places today, the church doesn't look like this. What a shame!

You bet I'm proud of our people. Praise God for the wonderful church he allows me to pastor!

Godportunities revisited

This week I heard about a most amazing way in which God worked in the life of an individual. After hearing the story, I'm sure that he did something powerful in more than one life.

I have a friend who, for a variety of reasons, is terrified of sedation. This past week, she had to have a procedure done that demanded the very thing she feared. As she lay on the table in the operating room scared to death, she revealed her struggle to her surgeon, asking for help. Instead of simply trying to talk her fears away, this angel from God masquerading as a physician took my friend's hand, and right there in the operating room, in front of the other professionals hovering around, she began to sing a hymn. After finishing that, she launched into "His Eye is on the Sparrow." Perhaps you know that old song. As she was drifting off to sleep for her procedure, my friend her these incredibly comforting words filling her ears, her room, and the lives of all present:

Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for Heav'n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

This sensitive physician obviously has a close walk with the Lord. She senses when doors fly open, and she walks right through. May we all be encouraged by such a great model!

Have a wonderful weekend, filled with "Godportunities"

Bill

Godportunity

Recently at church, we have been speaking about power tools. No, not electric screwdrivers or drills, but rather the "tools" God gives us to express his power, otherwise known as "gifts of the Spirit." Among those power tools, one we found
particularly exciting was that of "miracles."

Personally, I have found it more helpful to use the word "godportunity" when speaking about miracles, because the very thought of being involved in a full-fledged miracle just seems too overwhelming for some folks to handle. A "godportunity," however, an opportunity for God to express his power through a person's life, seems so much more manageable. Any of us could get into a godportunity. All we need to do is show up, ask God to use us, and go for it when and where he opens the door.

A week or so after sharing the whole concept of godportunities, I received an email from one of our folks that pretty much had me falling out of my chair laughing. Let me share it with you:

"I was in Safeway last week and saw an elderly woman struggling to get a can on the top shelf so I went over to assist. The lady then asked about the brand and which brands I thought were the best, where certain items were located in the store, and then commented on the weather. She was lonely and obviously just wanted to talk! Aha! A Godportunity! I told her that I wasn't sure about the brand because I buy the same brands over-and-over since my husband is a picky eater. She stopped me and asked if I thanked God daily that I had a husband to prepare a meal for. I confessed "no". She then shared how people don't know what they have 'til it's gone. The lady then asked if she could pray for me!! So right there in the canned soup section of Safeway the lady prayed for me. Hmmm, I don't think this was the way the Godportunity was suppose to go (maybe she heard your message)."

When I read this email, besides laughing uncontrollably, I realized that whether it was the widow in the soup aisle, or our wonderful member who chanced to meet her, they both got to take part in a real-life godportunity!

I hope this week finds you looking to the Lord for the great things he might want to do through your life.

Pastor Bill

Too blessed to be stressed...

This last Sunday, we had a wonderful guy with us at church who shared some simple things he's learned through his life, and communicated them in such a "street level way" that lots of folks were able to hear what he said, and immediately put it into practice. Among the many nuggets that Al Egg, chaplain of the Trail Blazers, gave us was the fact that regardless of what he was up against, when he kept everything in perspective, he realized he was "too blessed to be stressed." Isn't that a great way to live? He went on to say that subsequent to his sharing this concept, various people have stated it in different ways like, "I'm too redeemed to be steamed," or like Travis Outlaw opined, "I'm too anointed to be disappointed."

All of this is simply the outworking of taking Jesus at his word in John 16.33: "In the world you will have tribulation, but cheer up; I've overcome the world!" He said it, but will we believe it? How about you...are you too blessed to be stressed?

Blessings,

Bill

Merry Christmas!

When I look at pictures taken from our back porch exactly one year ago today, I realize how blessed we are! What could we be thinking when we sing, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas"! It's one of the few times I am exceedingly thankful for mild temperatures and rain.

Truly this is a Merry Christmas. As I stop and consider the gift God gave to us that first Christmas in order for us to have a relationship with him, I am overwhelmed. When you get right down to it, it's all about relationship, isn't it.

Over the past year, I have witnessed such great growth in our own church in this regard, both in terms of people growing in their relationship with the Lord, and as a result, in their relationships with one another.

That gives me great hope for the new year. My prayer is that we all will recognize more fully the beauty of the relationship God wants with each of us, and simply echo that in our relationships with one another.

Oh, it may snow again in the new year. But as we stay close to the Lord, it won't make any difference. His warmth will carry us through anything!

Be blessed,

Bill

There's always life...

Though most all the leaves have fallen from our trees, other plants are just now showing their beauty. This particular plant, a type of "mahonia," is in a flower bed near the entry to our house. That means that during the dead of winter, when you walk toward the house, you see these "candles" lighting up the area. In a place where there's way too much grey, it's a wonderful relief.

It also serves as a reminder that even though so many things look dead around us, there's still life. And that life is beautiful. I began to reflect on this again as I pondered the most recent news telling women not to have mammograms or do breast self-checks while in their 40's, that there's no compelling reason to do so, and in fact it's better if they don't. As I heard the reports and read the articles about them, I wanted to shout, "Tell that to all the women I know who have been in their late 30's or early 40's, found breast cancer, and fortunately got it treated!"

Of course this falls in line with an earlier "study" that told men there was no reason to do a psa test to check for prostate cancer, that most guys don't die of it anyway. Again, tell that to those of us who found we had it, and without getting it treated would have succumbed to it an an early age.

While I'm not prone to buy into many of the conspiracy theories that abound, I've got to assume in these cases that it has everything to do with a) money, and b) a lack of respect for life. I've been warning the folks in our congregation about this for years. When you don't respect life in the womb, then start devaluing life as people age, it's only a matter of time until our society rids itself of all the people who don't fit some group's profile of "perfect." What a tragedy!

Compare this to Jesus' words in John 10.10: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." God is into life! That's why he sent Jesus. As we trust him with our own lives, not only do we gain real life now and forever, but we get to pass on that good news to all those around us, especially those who are caught up in the culture of death.

Choose life. Celebrate life. Give the gift of life to those around you!

Blessings,
Bill

Going Again Pt. 2

The IT guys on staff rock! They got me set up so that I can use an app
on my phone and drop in thoughts here and there as they come to me. That
last post was just a test. Fortunately, it worked.

Currently I'm most excited about experiencing more deeply what it means
to walk in the Spirit. I'm convinced that when it comes to spirit-filled
living, most of us have barely scratched the surface. To live life filled
with God's grace and power is the best! So if you happen to read this
blog, I'd love to hear what you are finding in your own walk in the Spirit.

Have a blessed day!

PB

Going again

This is better than tweeting!

The heavens declare the glory of God

When I look at what God has created, I'm reminded of the words of David: "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him?" (Ps. 8.4) Truly, "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork." Considering all the beauty he has created, it's remarkable that he cares about you and me!

Over the fourth of July, Betty and I had the opportunity to spend time in Central Oregon. Among other places, we visited the "painted hills" just outside Mitchell. This picture doesn't begin to do justice to the overwhelming beauty of the landscape, but at least it gives a hint. As we approached the main section, the colors were so varied and striking that Betty was convinced someone had come in at night and spray painted all of them. In truth, someone had: God!

One more time I was speechless in beholding God's creation. Amazing. Then to think that he cares about me, and each one of us individually, makes it even more amazing. What a God he is!

As we continue through the course of this Summer, my hope is that you take time to "smell the flowers," drink in all God has put before you that help you see him, and his marvelous created order. As you do, take some time to give thanks!

The Lord is on our side...

The last few weeks have been particularly challenging. As I have pondered the "why" of my emotions, I am certain it has to do with the journey I've been on myself with prostate cancer, and the thoughts and feelings that has triggered. If you've "been there, done that," I'm certain you can relate.

So why have the last couple of weeks been particularly heavy for me? Because it seems as though the list of people I know who are fighting the same kind of battle is increasing exponentially. Betty and I pray for each one every day, and our list just keeps growing. Add to this the fact that at this very moment, in spite of all he has been doing, one of the guys has seen his colon cancer spreading exceptionally fast, a young mom with three beautiful kids just found out she has breast cancer, and a father of two healthy young kids has found he has prostate cancer. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

I must say, if I were to allow myself to sink into the flesh, it would be overwhelming.

That's why God's Word is so powerful, particularly at times like this. When I find myself beginning to feel the sting of defeat, I find great solace in God's Word, like Psalm 124:

"'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,'let Israel now say - 'if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.' Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the flowers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

That, my friends, is THE answer: our help is in the name of the Lord! It is true that in the world we will have trials. But it is also true that we can rejoice, because our God has overcome the world and all it can throw at us! Praise God!

What a concept!

Today I had the privilege of doing the memorial service for Paul Johnstone, a wonderful man who was the second principal of our school, Cornerstone. Paul came to us as a teacher, and left as a Principal to serve in numerous schools around the world. He left this world much sooner than any of us were ready for (62 years of age). What a lot of life he packed into those 62 years!

In talking with Joanne and his girls, among the many wonderful things they said about Paul, one thing really stood out. They said he was always "current" in his relationships, having no regrets or unfinished business in any of them. Indeed, moments before he died of a blood clot that went to his heart, he had sent Joanne a message at school telling her he "loved her endlessly," and loved his girls madly as well. Interestingly enough, he just "happened" to visit all his girls in February, being home for a short time from his school in Eritrea, Africa. Wasn't God good? In man ways that would have made little difference, because he made sure to communicate his fondness continually.

What a concept! Current in all his relationships. Wow, is that ever something to ponder. It made me stop and consider myself just how "current" I am, "caught up" in communicating my love for my loved ones, making sure there's no significant unfinished relational business. How about you? Are you current, caught up?

One more time I'm impressed by the brevity of life. Though we don't know what tomorrow holds, we know who holds tomorrow, and that brings us comfort and peace. But how much more we could have if we were to make certain our relationships with those we love were "current."

God bringing anyone to your heart?

Blessings,

Bill