Bittersweet Farm
Last evening we drove back to Flint from our new home in Hinsdale (a western suburb of Chicago). I saw my new office, got all our furniture and stuff into our new home, and briefly connected with the some of those with whom I will be working in the future.
When Maurice was a little boy growing up in Florida, he wondered if there was a God. Lying in his bed one still, stifling night he prayed; “God, if you are there send a breeze.” Immediately a strong breeze began to blow the curtains beside his bed.
BIG NEWS! On Wednesday I was in Pennsylvania. Lois was here in Michigan. Kyle called and conferenced us both in on the call. “Dad, Elizabeth and I wanted you both to find out at the same time that you are going to be grandparents.”
I shouted, I danced, I haven’t stopped smiling since that call. God is good. We have all been praying every day that God would give Kyle and Elizabeth a child. Now we humble ourselves and plead for a safe, healthy delivery. The baby is due on Wesley’s birthday, the 10th of December.
Of the “photos” that I keep in my memory is one of Kyle just a few seconds old eating from his mother’s breast. You’re not supposed to do it this way, but immediately our whole world began to turn around him. How we adored that little boy. How kind and merciful it was of the Father to make me a father. I haven’t gotten over it, still. And now my first-born son is going to be a Dad.
It is a beautiful spring Lord’s Day evening as I write this. Sunday I preached at Grace Christian Fellowship in Bay City. We will be there for the next two weeks, too. My series of messages is on How to Build A Community of Grace.
Message One: How to Overcome a Dark Past.
Message Two: How to Have a Bright Future.
Message Three: How to Build a Community of Grace to Help Others Who Have a Dark Past Have A Bright Future.
How’s that for a mouthful?
We just returned from a weekend retreat at Camp Barakel. As always the food and fellowship at Barakel were good. I preached four times at Barakel, a total of about nine times this week. This morning we welcome a nice group of young people to the Stonebridge Newsletter from the retreat this weekend.
It was a beautiful, cold weekend up north. There were over ten inches of snow on the ground. The pines were all dressed in it. We did a little ice skating on Saturday afternoon and a little extra napping and reading in our warm, pine-panelled quarters. At night the winter sky was cold and clear and silent. The lake was a wide expance of white visible thorugh the woods. Late Saturday night I stood on a hill above the lake watching my breath and the steam from a cup of coffe rise up into the cold air. It was refreshing to my spirit to drink in God’s creation.
I was reminded of something Jim Elliot wrote in his Journal fifty years ago:
“I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God-what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into his eyes – ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself.
“O Jesus, Master and Center and End of all, how long before that Glory is Thine which has so long waited for Thee? Now there is no thought of thee among men; then there shall be thought for nothing else. Now other men are praised; then none shall care for any other’s merits. Hasten, hasten, Glory of Heaven, take Thy crown, subdue Thy Kingdom, enthrall Thy creatures.” (From the Journals of Jim Elliot).
This weekend we will be preaching and singing at Family Fellowship Bible Church near Imlay City.
I met Gilbert Morris last night. We were asked to sing at a little church on the other side of the state. We arrived and set up and just before the service a friendly older man carried a guitar up to the front of the church and set it down. He turned and introduced himself to us. He said his name was Gilbert Morris. I thought that was interesting because there is a fairly well-known Christian author with the same name.
We were introduced and sang to a full church. They sang some hymns and then asked us to come back and sing again toward the end of the hour. When we were done the pastor closed the service and we all went downstairs for refreshments. It was nice. [Read more…] about Gilbert Morris
This fall we enjoyed a Lord’s Day afternoon together taking pictures at a covered bridge near Lowell, Michigan. The young lady in front of Kyle is his sweet, new wife, Elizabeth. We all love her so much.
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