Mother's Day

I just got back from another trip to Spokane and Post Falls to see my aging parents. I need to post about last night as my brother Bob and I were talking with my Mom, 82 years old and dealing with Alzheimer's Disease.

Bob, who had returned to the States weeks ago from a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq, was very tired from lack of sleep and traveling. He listened while holding her hand. I read a few Psalms from her Bible. I think Psalm 100, Psalm 51, and also the priestly blessing in Numbers 6.

We also reminisced about where we grew up. I don't know why as a kid I wanted to leave. It was great. Nice yards with a creek running in the back yard. A big vegetable garden. A few acres to raise some animals and a hay field across the road. I'm sure I'm making it sound better than what it was with all the weeding, lawn mowing, fence fixing and other chores, you know.

As I was reading the Bible she said in a sing-song voice, "But we'll all be together when we die..." She said it was something that popped into her mind while reading the Bible. I'm now sure if she meant it was from her childhood or it came to mind just now. She thought a little more and said there are other verses but she couldn't remember them. She thought it was something like, "Don't be discouraged when the family moves away, but we'll all be together when we die." I was so glad to be next to her with an arm around her letting her know it's ok while she wept.

I don't have any analogy or lesson from all this but how hard it is to be away. The blessing in Numbers 6 is really great and you should read it if you never have before.

From Numbers 6:22-26
The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

"The LORD bless you
and keep you;

The LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

The LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

No Greater Love

What a surprise when I received email regarding a post I made a couple of weeks ago. I recalled the chorus of a song written by the worship leader at a church in Spokane to which I attended years ago. He happened to stumble upon my blog and sent me email. He offered to send me the album in CD format because I had lost my copy of the cassette. That was very kind and very thoughtful so I thought it is worth mentioning here.

Now he is pastoring a church in Spokane named Orchard Christian Fellowship. Please look at the link to see more.

Thank you, Chris, for taking the time to send me the CD of "No Greater Love". I've loaded it on my iPod, listened, reminisced my young Christian life in Spokane, and thanked Christ for carrying me thus far.

The Bruised Reed

How many times have we clicked link after link until we find ourselves someplace we should never be. Hopefully fewer times than those of which lead us to something helpful.

Today it was helpful. Today I started with Average Girl, my wife's blog. On it is a link to Three17 by a blogger and pastor in Ireland named Mark. I noted that he mentions "The Christian in Complete Armour", a 3-part volume we own by William Gurnall, a Puritan, along with a link to another blogger posting about the "Puritan Paperback Challenge".

Though I've wanted to learn more about the Puritan's pursuit to Christianity, I also thought that to try to lift myself up to be Puritan-like is in itself a sin because it would lead to being prideful. But I searched for more information about the first paperback on the list "The Bruised Reed" by Richard Sibbes and found the entire text of it. This book is not about making myself pure but rather it is about realizing first what a sinner I am and what a need for Christ I have. Now that's a book I should read!

In my years as a follower of Christ I've found that I do not grow as close to him by the happy times in life as much as I do when after restoration from being bruised and broken. So let's see what Sibbes has to say about that.