Merry Christmas

Here I sit on Christmas  morning in lovely Minnesota.  There is a blanket of snow on the ground and the temp is -4 degrees.  The upside to that temp is there are no clouds and it was a beautiful sunrise!!

What a difference a year will make.  I just checked and it is 90 degrees in Conakry, Guinea, and the dewpoint is a balmy 72!!

I expect that will be one of the more minor changes as we move forward to the service field. . . I know that our service will lead to healed bodies. . . I pray that it will lead to healed souls!!

Merry Christmas!!

Sad today

A friend of mine posted on Facebook a commentary on the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT, yesterday.  It was written by a broadcast journalist while the final details were still unfolding   Here is a portion of it:

This is a day when I hate my job. I don't want to go on the air and talk about 26 people being killed at an elementary school. I don't want to talk about 18 children being slaughtered by a cowardly Satanic piece of worthless filth. I have no commentary to offer on this. I have nothing but anger and confusion. And I have prayers. I pray not only for the families of the children who have been stolen from the world, but I pray for all of us. I pray that God will heal this nation because we are deeply spiritually broken. Evil is very present among us.

Don't ask if we have enough laws or enough medication or too many guns or too many video games. Ask why there is so much evil in this country. That's the question. I don't have the answer. But I know God is the solution.  (from Matt Walsh)

It is hard not to focus on the "whys" of a tragedy such as this, however, I encourage you to focus instead on the people whose lives will never be the same.

On a more positive note, I saw the orthopedic surgeon Thursday.  No more cast, just a custom splint.  I've been encouraged to work on gentle range of motion exercises.  The exercises are a little challenging but I can't tell you how good that first shower felt on my arm!!

Final exams have begun for Josh and Jake.  Please pray for peace, health and success for them.  They both come home on Wednesday.  We are looking forward to having the family together, the dogs, Moose and Tigger, will be very happy!!

Denise has one more week of work.  Please pray for her as she says her goodbyes. 

 

 

Christmas Every Day

Last night we went to a fund raising event for a local charity that involved a concert by the band "for King & Country".  As we listened to wonderful renditions of Christmas favorites, the lead singer took time to reflect on Christmas and the true meaning, the birth of our Saviour.  One of his challenges to us was to live each day as if we were celebrating our Saviour.  What a challenge, but truly what we should do!!

Here are the lyrics to one of the songs from last night:

If I sing but don't have love, I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hollow noise
If I speak with a silver tongue, convince a crowd but don't have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say

So let my life be the proof, the proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died, Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof, the proof of Your love

If I give to a needy soul but don't have love, then who is poor?
It seems all poverty is found in me

When it's all said and done, when we sing our final song
Only love remains . . . only love remains

Enough said!

Blessings . . .