Archives for February 2022

Sunday was sunny and warm-er than it has been lately. At Bethel Church, right after the bells, we opened with the baptism of a new believer, a young woman who turned from New Age beliefs to Christ by reading thorough the Bible. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper and I finished my series on Finishing Faithful from 1 Peter. 

Bittersweet is beautiful snow covered which allows us to see that when we are gone or when we sleep deer track all over our acreage. They seem to love it along the west tree-line and under the Walnuts. The day deer do not like walnuts but during a hard, prolonged freeze the seem to spend a lot of time around the base of the tree. I’m not sure why. 

A Decorated Athlete*

Perhaps because of all my self-denigrating talk about my athletic foibles, many of you don’t know that I am actually a decorated athlete. I have actually won many awards for athletic accomplishments. 

From years 20 to about 50 I distance running was a part of my life. I was given many awards for this running. One of them was for taking third place in my age category in a small 10K race in Indiana in about 1984. It was a small race but it was a fast age. 

The rest of my awards were “Finishers Medals” awards. You get them for, well finishing! I finished the Crim 10-Mile three times. I ran a few 10K’s which, you probably know are 6.2 miles each. Along the shore of Like Michigan one Father’s Day weekend I finished a half-marathon in beautiful Ludington. That is memory I will always cherish. 

One of my most memorable finishes was a day when I only had an audience of about four and it would be my greatest running accomplishment. I was up in Oscoda County at Camp Barakel and my training schedule called for a long run. I had worked my way up to 20 miles for my long run that weekend. I went out 10 miles that day and slogged my way slowly back. I didn’t know it at the time but that would be the longest run of my life. I never finished the Marathon distance but I did finish my planned 20 mile run and at the end four of my children were waiting for me. I was so glad to see them. I didn’t finish pretty. But I did finish. And finishing is a thing. Maybe when it is all said and done finishing is THE thing… 

I attended the funeral of a brother in Christ who was about my age. He finished faithful and his funeral was like a revival service. His children his wife stood to testify of his faith and his faithfulness. They spoke of his love for his wife and children and his love for Christ. He finished strong and faithful by God’s grace. 

God help us finish faithful. I know one day, and I don’t get to chose the day, I will come to the end of my race. I’m not sure who will be there to see the finish. We have eight children and almost eighteen grandchildren now. They will be there, most likely. The story of my life, my testimony will be a part of their story for many years after i am with the Lord. 

 but I know there will be at least eight of our children and now just shy of eighteen grandchildren and Lois who I met one autumn night 43 years ago. They are watching my race. Lord willing, they will be there to see finish song and faithful by God’s good grace. 

Bittersweet Farm

February 7, 2022

*Credit to Pastor Jeff Manion of Ada Bible Church for this idea. 

Snow Day on Bittersweet Farm

It’s a snow day out on Bittersweet Farm. Snow days are “hole-up-and-write” days for me. I get up in the corner of my room next to the window looking out on the woods across the road to the south, and I put my head down and write. A couple years ago I finished my book Finding Bittersweet during a couple wonderful snow days when no one expects anything of you. I brew coffee and put on comfortable clothes and just start klacking away on the keyboard. On a snow day do you get off work? How do you like to spend a snow day? Do you have a unique snow day memory?

Maybe We Should Hit The “Reset Button” on Church.

I’ve been thinking about church and homes that honor God and influence children to love God and follow God.

In our home growing up Saturdays were pretty utilitarian. Dad was a pastor and a school teacher most of the time so we had things to get done on Saturday. There were chores and care maintenance. In the fall there was usually time for a football game. Sometimes we listened to the game on the radio while working on the car. At about six o’clock in the evening on Saturdays there was an atmospheric change. We began to prepare for the Lord’s Day. We shined shoes and lined them up. We laid out clothes. We prepared the care. We studied our lessons. Back then we called it “Doing our Quarterly.” We laid out our clothes. Mom practiced her music. Dad put the finishing flourishes on his sermon. The atmosphere just changed.

When Lois and I were raising the kids I would study on Saturday night and Lois would listen to gospel music on the radio and spit-shine the kids and get them ready. For forty years in a row she had them lined up on the pastor’s pew on Sunday morning, sitting, clothed, and in their right minds. They were always there and they looked good and behaved well like clockwork. We had a routine and a ritual and a tradition and it grew out of our desire to put Jesus first in our home. We believed that God’s ways were best and God’s ways involved faithfulness in God’s church.

Sunday afternoons were for Sunday dinner and naps and Sunday nights back then were devoted to evening church and occasional youth activities. The boys played baseball, but not on Sunday. We set aside the Lord’s Day for worship. Sunday night we would order a couple pizzas and find something tolerable to watch on television together as a family. When the kids started dating and courting and sparking and romancing, we would usually have someone over for the evening.

In the last year church life has been, for the most part, legitimately disrupted and interrupted. There are those who have had good reason not to assemble. Many who love the Lord have been legitimately cautious, but this has taken a toll on churches and the time has some now for faithful people to return to patterns of faithfulness—even if the whole culture is collectively ignoring God, the faithful should be faithful. What patterns of faithfulness have you established? What do you do in place of obeying God? Who or what do you serve when you should be serving God?

Maybe it is time for a family meeting.