Family

God of Kindness

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 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant. 1 Corinthians 13:4

“You promised to take them on a picnic!” my grandfather boomed with his deep ship’s captain voice. “You must be kind and you have to keep your promises!” About a year after Nancy and I married we stayed for a few months with my grandparents while I was unemployed. I not only adored my grandparents but I asked to go there because my they were the only ones I knew would welcome us without question. So Nancy and I, along with our two month old son went there until I could get a job and save money for an apartment.

I was stunned to hear the anger and disappointment in my grandfather’s voice. What hurt the most was knowing that he was absolutely right. As a new husband and father I got the part about working hard, and being willing to sacrifice, but what I missed somewhere along the way was learning to be kind.

“I’m sorry!” I blurted out to my grandfather. “Don’t just tell me, tell them.” He answered lowering his voice just a bit. Then as he turned and began to leave  he stopped and added “Remember that a gentleman is always kind.”

Some fruits of the Spirit, like joy and peace can be enjoyed in solitude but for patience and kindness we need other people. Kindness is not just about me, it is remembering to keep my promises and get packed for the picnic today!

New Book on Care Ministry

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“I gained a whole new appreciation for what new beginnings meant when my wife and I chose to retire last year. Our lives had radically changed direction the year before when Nancy had survived major cancer surgery; which was followed by six chemotherapy treatments over nine months. Then as summer rolled around while she was getting her strength back, things seemed to come into place for us to move to Florida.

At first we eagerly raced ahead towards what seemed an exciting though uncertain future. Driving away from chilly, rainy Pennsylvania, we both felt like shouting, “Wahoo we’re going to Florida! No more ice! No more snow!

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No more dark colorless months of barren and cold landscapes!!” But somewhere in the middle of making new friends, finding new doctors and settling into a new church we realized that the challenge of beginning again was much bigger than we thought it would be.

For me, one vital part of starting over for me was to begin to volunteer in a nursing home ministry…” (From New Beginnings in Care Ministry)

New Beginings

It’s been quite a while since I released anything new on Nursing Home Ministry. The book “New Beginnings in Care Ministry” is a reflection of my coming to see a wider view of Long Term Care ministry in my own ministry restart. Care ministry looks beyond simply the traditional nursing home setting into the lives and needs of special needs children, residents in special needs assisted living as well as those in memory care. If your life has been touched by long term care, through a family member, your job or as a volunteer this collection of stories and insights with lots of photos are just for you. It is my prayer they will both be a practical as well as a spiritual be a blessing in your own personal journey. This is available in both softcover and E-book formats through Amazon.

New Beginnings in Care Ministry

Thanks Dad!

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At a press conference when he was still the mayor of New York , Rudy Giuliani was asked how hard it was being both the mayor and a father. His reply began ” Being mayor is easy…”

I am so thankful to God for my Dad and I am still amazed at how easy he made being a father seem!

There is a verse in the Bible that says to teach our children God’s word while we are doing just the ordinary things of life. That is how my Dad lived. Whether he was washing the shop floor, taking us out to eat or sitting next to us in church he was patient, thoughtful and kind. He never yelled at me, called me names or made me feel small even when I deserved it. I learned more about God and how to be a father by watching Dad drive through New York at rush hour than I got from 1,000 sermons. Thanks Dad for all the wonderful memories. I’ll see you just a little later. Happy Father’s Day!