Loss of a loved one

It is never easy to lose those we love. I have been through it with my birth mother in 1979 when I was an eleven-year-old boy, and I have been through it with my father in 1997 when I was a thirty-year-old man, and it is never never never easy.

Our next-door neighbor lost one of her three sons this week. He had recently gone in to have a blockage removed. He struggled with his oxygen levels for a couple days, but he wanted to come home. The doctors chose to honor his wishes. Two days later, he was with His Savior. We and many others offer not only our sympathy gifts in the form of flowers and donations to his church, but most importantly, we offer our prayers for his surviving mother, brothers and sister. They are great folks who love the Lord.

Raising Our Daughter

Susan and I have been discussing the imminent task of raising our daughter. We want to adhere to the scripture from Proverbs 22:6-“Train a child in the way (s)he should go, and when (s)he is old (s)he will not turn from it”-and as she grows up, we trust that God will always be seen by her as her safehaven. The Rock of her salvation.

 We are not Catholic, so we don’t adhere to traditions such as having rosaries around the house or praying to saints. I don’t have a problem with having beads in my hand while praying to the Lord, but praying to Mary or the saints is against scripture. 

We go to a Presbyterian church, which for years I considered to be a liturgical protestant denomination. The Cadillac Presbyterian church in Cadillac, MI is one such example. It is a beautiful church with a great history. And the people of God are starting to grow again in that church as well. Some good things are happening.

Ok, enough rambling. Lord, we lift up our daughter to you!

The Gospel of John Dramatization

What an awesome presentation! Brad Sherrill is the Atlanta-based actor who goes around the world dramatizing the Book of John. He is a one-man band and he is phenomenal. He has memorized the entire book of John and with very simple props narrates the book.

Susan and I went to New Life at Great Bridge church deep into Chesapeake, VA. The church is a beautiful little church. I would say it is a pretty modern style of a church, but there are some old-world stylings.

What initally caught my eye when we first sat down and even through the first few minutes of the presentation was the celtic cross that New Life has hanging behind the pulpit. It is gorgeous and I was continuously drawn to its beauty throughout.

Maybe it is because I’ve been listening to a book on tape about the history of Ireland that has me thinking about the celtic cross.