Month: September 2020

Pausing to Remember

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On September 10, 2001 Nancy and I flew home safely past the Statue of Liberty to land in Newark. Were returning from visiting family in California and I looked forward to getting back to our normal schedule.

The next morning I got up and went back to work. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was mowing the big lawn behind one house where I had worked for many years. When I noticed the owner’s wife walking down the hill from the house I was quite surprised as she rarely walked around the grounds.

So I turned off my big mower and went up to see what she needed. “Hi Radica. What can I do for you?” I asked as I got off the seat of the lawn tractor to greet her.

She looked blankly up at me as she responded, “An airplane flew into the World trade Center and the towers just fell down.”

“Are you sure?” I asked incredulously. “They’re so big. I can’t believe it.”

“That’s what they are saying on the news.” she answered softly. “I’ve got to get back to the house and see what is going on.”

At first I just went down tot he truck and turned on my radio to double check that she understood everything correctly because the idea that anything so big could fall over seemed unreal. But I was stunned with the reports I heard as I tuned into the local radio station. Everything she had said was true: and more. A few minutes later I meekly knocked on her door and asked if I could watch with her. It felt as if our life was about to end and that everything we had been so concerned about the previous hour didn’t matter at all. There we sat together listening as new and terrible reports came in of other planes being hijacked and burning buildings. Nothing made any sense but somehow I finally excused myself as she watched with tears running down her face and I put my tools away to go home to my family.

This is exactly where I was that day

How little did Nancy and I know when we woke that morning that we would be spared while others would never be able to go home. Now 19 years later as I am looking back at that day it still doesn’t seem real. It still doesn’t make sense. But I have learned that in a life often filled with terrible things that don’t make sense to always be thankful for every one of God’s smallest blessings and that as He gives us ability we should always be ready to serve in every way He gives.

Facing Giants With Prayer

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I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He heard me and He delivered me from all my fears. Psalms 34:1-4

When anybody mentions King David, probably the first story that comes to their mind is when he fought and beat Goliath with a only sling. But the main reason behind David’s victory was not just his courage. There were many courageous soldiers in the army of Israel but they lacked something one thing that David had. What was his secret? David’s victory in battle was because, long before he knew how to fight, he had learned how to pray. He had the confidence to face Goliath, and later rule a kingdom and maybe most important of all; find forgiveness when he had sinned, because he had cried out to God in prayer God all his heart! Here are just a few of the treasured truths we have today, because David sought the Lord:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts Psalm 28:1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

Today’s video leads us through that attitude of surrender and praise that will help us face whatever giants that we are facing in our own lives. This session includes I Surrender All and My Jesus I Love Thee

Impossible Mountains

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And he dreamed and behold there was a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Genesis 28:12 ESV

If you or a loved one have been living in long term care throughout this pandemic it might seem like a long climb up some impossible mountains from in front of you today to get back to normal. Today let’s look at someone in the Bible who also had a long way to climb. Jacob had lied to his father, tricked his bother into giving up his inheritance and was in the process of running for his life. The first night of his journey Jacob found himself out in the wilderness, without even a tent for shelter. He was so tired that he lay down with his head on a rock and fell fast asleep. That night God sent Jacob an intriguing dream. In spite of being totally undeserving of mercy God chose to show Himself to Jacob standing at the top of a staircase or a ladder to Heaven. I always thought this was a pretty neat story but never got the part about what it had to do with me.

Did you know that the Bible is just like Jacob’s ladder? It is an amazing book! First it reaches from Heaven all the way to earth. It is the only thing we can hold in our hands and know that it came from God. Second, just like the ladder in Jacob’s dream, God is standing at the top of it telling us of His loving plan for our lives. Like Jacob, even when it seems as if we are left alone God comes and reminds us that He is with us. Last of all our ladder is filled with angels. Some are climbing up carrying our prayers to God and others are coming down with God’s answers when we are in trouble. Most of all we have the Bible; which is God’s message that we can trust Him with our lives. It reminds us that there is nowhere we can go that His grace towards us through Jesus Christ cannot reach and that H e will help us to climb impossible mountains- even in long term care!