Click the image to purchase the book from Amazon.
I have written a new e-book about a powerful way you can influence your family for good. I have priced it so everyone can afford it. I would love to hear your feedback on the book.
Ann Voskamp Advent Video
(Holly and Jesse’s Fireplace in Oregon, ready for Christmas)
Holly pointed me to a simple, home-made advent video by Ann Voskamp… Ann said something wonderful and worth thinking about today….
“Maybe more than scientific conclusive evidence of God… maybe the dark depths of us long for a wounded weeping God who doesn’t write answers for us in the stars, but but writes answers for us in His scars. Maybe in ditches and deathbeds–maybe we aren’t seeking evidence of God as much as we are seeking an experience with God. Instead of explaining our suffering, God shares it. …because he knows mere answers are cold and his arms are warm. Remember Job? After losing his health, his wealth, his children… Job’s question is not “Why me, God?” but, rather, “Are you with me?” What ultimately comforts us is not knowing the plan—but knowing his presence.”
Watch the video here:
Meet Ann here. She has created a wonderful blog..
Creative Tension
Thirty-five years ago we set out together
only to painfully and frustratingly discover how very different we are.
For years we have been doing the clumsy dance
of trying to wed our differences and produce legitimate offspring.
Along the way about three decades in… we were surprised to discover
how very much alike we are in one vital way…
After suffering though our differences for a few years
and learning to celebrate them for a few decades
—during which we raised eight beautiful, personable, creative, intelligent, unique children
—we now sit quietly of an evening in our cottage and create things.
I tell stories with words and keyboard
and occasionally even an old-fashioned pen and paper.
She tells stories with images.
In a very core way we are alike.
We both are and always have been childlike creatives.
Neither of us are easily discouraged.
We spar with each other a bit
but we have always faced the whole wide world back-to-back…
I like to consider myself the optimist of the pair
but I have never known Lois to give in to melancholy—not even for a full day.
She doesn’t pump sunshine non-stop
but I have never known her to be depressed
or yield to discouragement without a little fight in her.
She can hit the curve ball.
She may fall but she always lands on her feet.
So after all these years we have this wonderful trait in common.
We are creative types who are blessed
with a deep well of courage in our souls,
praise be to God.
First Snowfall
Evening has fallen as I write this. Yesterday some snow flakes rode the cold air but none of them stuck to the ground. This afternoon the snow has clung to the grass and trees just enough to remind me to keep my scraper and shovels handy.
Toward the end of August, summer warmth and sun walk away and leave us standing and looking down the path that bends into the beauty of autumn in September and in October.
Autumn falls into November-gray and cold and leaves us looking for our sweaters and scrapers.
November has the redeeming virtue of being the month that our son Chuk and I celebrate our birthdays and it is the blessed month of Thanksgiving. Devout hearts stop and recall God’s mercies at the waning of each year.
By the time we have cleared the Thanksgiving table, Advent is upon us—the time of anticipation of the arrival of the long-promised Christ-child… and we are counting the days like children.
In Holy December we begin Christmas preparations and Christmas observances. We sing Christmas songs and turn to beloved Christmas passages and Christmas traditions and Christmas commitments. Christmas Sunday. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Christmas Morning. Christmas Dinner. When all the celebration has cleared away we get down to the business of a fresh, new year. So we have a lot to look forward to, don’t we?
When Your Brother is “Owly”
In the picture above Leland is in the black watch cap and Oliver is the kid in the bright red sweater with the perpetual smile.
So our oldest son and his wife Elizabeth have three adorable sons, Kyle (K2), Oliver, and Leland.
Our son Kyle calls me Sunday morning and says; “Do you have a minte? I have a story for your back pocket.” I’m all ears. As the story goes–
Leland wakes up in an unconsolable mood on Sunday morning. He’s not at all happy with life. He’s grouchy about the cereal choices. His dad’s sunny banter only drives him deeper into his owly disposition.
Oliver, the next oldest, wakes up most mornings with a half-smile on his face. He enters the room and looks over at Leland as if to say, “What up?”
Leland says; “Don’t look at me.”
Oliver chuckles and settles into the seat in the window where the sun is shining through. He leans back on his chair. Leland knows that one of the house rules is “No Leaning Back On The Chair.” He says; “Don’t lean back.”
Oliver is chill. The smile never leaves his face.
Leland drops his blanket and starts to cry… “…blanket—blanket—BLANKET!…” shouting toward Oliver.
Oliver gets up, walks over, picks up the blanket, hands it to Leland and then he says; “Leland, do you need a hug?”
Without waiting for a reply He hugs his brother for a few seconds.
With his brother’s hug the dark cloud moves from little Leland’s soul and the crabby mood lifts like fog in bright sunlight.
Learn from Oliver. Does someone in your life just need a hug today? You know what to do.
Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
October 14, 2014
BONUS STUFF:
I was looking up Owly and ran across this little exchange on the site of the “Word Detective.” It put a smile on my face so I thought I would pass it on to you NEC (No Extra Charge). Here you are—Thank me later:
“Dear Word Detective: When I was growing up in rural Nova Scotia, my mother often used a word to describe my sister or myself when we were in irritable moods. I have never known how to spell this word, but it sounds like “owly,” as in “Your sister’s in an owly mood” or “Why are you so owly?” Anything you could tell me about this word would be gratefully appreciated! — Lady G.
That’s a good question. Incidentally, of all the possible introductory biographical clauses one could encounter in such a question, “when I was growing up in Nova Scotia” ranks as one of the most evocative and romantic. It’s right up there with “growing up in the Cotswolds” and “as a child on the moors of Cornwall,” and certainly beats my “when I was growing up in suburban Connecticut.” Technically, I suppose I can claim to have grown up in New England, but that’s only sightly better, and whatever faint cachet it confers collapses completely when folks discover that I don’t like seafood.”
—You can read the whole exchange and the witty replies here:
https://www.word-detective.com/2008/09/owly/
A Tribute to Lois
Sunday morning our furnace burbled to life and faithfully warmed the house for the first time since late last spring. The floor is warm when I make my coffee and oatmeal in the morning. I have a sense of warm well-being as I putter almost prayerfully about my morning routines. Last night the temperatures were in the mid-forties here. On the way home last night I sipped a hot carmel-apple cider and watched the moon rise full in the east. Today the sun will climb up over the lip of the world into a cloudless blue October day. I’m going to try to make room in my schedule for a quiet walk along the Lower Huron today. It will be good for my body and soul. Tonight I will speak to the faithful mid-week group at Evangel and we will gather into little clusters of prayer to close the day.
Last week I wrote a tribute to Lois, my wife of thirty-five years. It was very well received. I am sending it along to you so you all can enjoy it too.
——————————————
A Tribute to Lois
by Ken Pierpont
For thirty-five years of ministry and life Lois has been the anchor of our home and a blessing to hundreds and hundreds of people over the years as a Pastor’s wife. She was not raised in a Pastor’s home. She learned how to be a Pastor’s wife by trial and error.
She is a person of resolute conviction.
She is a person of unimpeachable integrity.
She is a person of unswerving loyalty.
She is without guile.
She loves Jesus.
She listens to people.
She is willing to challenge her husband-pastor and say what needs to be said, but in rough water there is no-one in the world that I would rather depend on.
In order for us to be in ministry she has worked tirelessly to help pay the bills. She bore four sons and four daughters and taught each of them at home all the way to graduation. She has followed me wherever God has led us including being willing to sacrifice over and over again so we could be a blessing to people.
She has a tender conscience and she is truly a God-fearing woman. She has done exactly what I have asked her to do as a Pastor’s wife.
Many, many people have shown her great kindness and respect, but when we have been mistreated she has had Kentucky-girl tenacity and will not be intimidated by bullies.
In all this she maintains a child-like love for life. She is content with simple things and has been willing to be patient with my weaknesses and areas where I am not gifted.
I am so proud of her and I love her and respect her more every day.
Stop today and take time to think deeply about the people God has placed in your life. Maybe it would be good for you to take some time to express your thoughts about them… while they are still alive to hear them.
Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
October 8, 2014
Recent Comments