One More For JC

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)   “Look at the clock!” In my household, that was the universal signal that it was 9:17 PM.  September 17th was my parents’ anniversary and at some point, that became a beautiful tribute to a very special day in the lives of my Dad, Mom, sister, and I.   Unfortunately, after my Dad’s passing in 2006, I haven’t heard those words said again, but I always think about it whenever I happen to catch 9:17 on the clock.  In fact, when I was going back and forth on whether to write this verse app, I came upstairs for a cup of coffee and the clock on the stove just happened to be sitting on 9:17.  I couldn’t help but smile – it was one of those gentle leadings I get from the Lord from time to time, and so I went back downstairs and finally decided to put pen to paper.   Although 9:17 can bring...

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) On June 20, my mother-in-law, Nancy, passed away at the age of 76.  She left this earth as one of the greatest cooks and seamstresses this world has ever known.  Although her food was legendary, I’ll remember her most for the following three stories.   The first was from October 2005.  At the start of that year, Dee and I both felt a strong desire to reunite our parents for what we felt would be the last time.  We prayed and prayed, and ultimately put together an east coast trip for October.  At the tail end of that trip, the six of us were able to spend a couple days together at Hershey Hotel in Pennsylvania and then spent a day in New York City with a Broadway show and visiting some of the main tourist sites.  We made sure we returned to my parents’ home early enough so Nancy could make her incom...

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.     (Ephesians 2:8) My Dad wasn’t the biggest Christmas gift shopper, but one year he received a pair of slippers as a gift.     Although they were better suited for his feet, he was insistent that I take them back to Minnesota as his gift to me.     After I offered some resistance for a bit, “They’re your gift,” “They’re a little too big for me,” – I ultimately thanked him and agreed to take them back to the tundra.   Years later, I’m so glad I did.  Every time I look at those slippers, I get to think of my Dad and that gift time and time again.  Although they are still a little too big for me and now have edges fraying left and right, they will always be perfect in my eyes and will remain with me for the rest of my life.   For years, I never thought of them more than just slippers, but this year I got to thi...

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  (Psalm 34:4)   I gladly bid adieu to the summer of 2021 a couple days back.  It started innocently enough with our refrigerator packing it in, then soon followed with our A/C imploding on the first day of the worst heatwave I’ve endured in Minnesota since I’ve lived here.     In the following weeks and months, I nearly lost my Mom to choking, had a friend lose his Dad, battled our busiest time of the year at work, nearly blew out my knee playing basketball with my nephew and niece in the pool, had friends and family suffer massive home and car flood damage to Hurricane Ida, and then for the last few weeks have endured a major health scare with Dee (for which we thankfully received great news on yesterday).   Day by day through it all, it seemed like I was hauling a new overflowing pile of stuff and dumping it at the Lord’s feet.  As I walked out of the room I...

That is why we are not discouraged.  Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day.  Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an internal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-17) As month by month cranked along this year, I had one best friend after another turn 50.  Last month, Father Time finally found its way to me.  It was a bit surreal as in my heart I’ll always be 25, thinking of myself as the guy swinging a baseball bat and manning center on the softball field. In my 20s, I thought for sure I’d play softball for the rest of my life.  But about 17 years ago, in the first practice of the season I tore my hamstring.  Hamstring injuries were always bad news for me as they took an inordinate amount of time to heal.  But this one was the worst - April, May, and June flew by with me sitting on the sidelines.  In the beginning of July, the coach called to ch...

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)   Dee and I watched ‘The Resurrection of Gavin Stone’ over the weekend.  After an abysmal stretch of movies that we’ve watched of late, it wasn’t a simple thing for us to press ‘Buy’, let me tell you.  The director of the movie, Dallas Jenkins, has talked about that movie being the low point of his career and how in two hours after its release in 2017, he went from being a director with a very bright future in Hollywood to a director with no future.     Even with that dark cloud hanging over its head, we decided that since he is also the director of our favorite new series about Jesus, “The Chosen”, and since the movie includes one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Shawn Michaels (I was a big time ‘80s wrestling fan), the time had finally arrived to give it a go.   As we braced for more movie-viewi...

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)   As the year that has been 2020 marches on to Thanksgiving – it remains a glorious time to give thanks.  As the world around me continues to distance itself more and more from God, a part of me takes great sadness in that.  But another part of me rejoices…    As the pages of His word predicted such a time as this, I can find rest in the Lord, and know that nothing escapes His notice.  He was on the throne yesterday, He is on the throne today, and He will be on the throne tomorrow (and every day after that to boot).  For that, I will always  rejoice   and  always give thanks – Happy Thanksgiving!!!