When I left for church today there was a pile of mulch in our driveway.  We had ordered 30 yards of mulch to cover our front hill.  This hill has been a multiple year project and the mulch was a final step.

Nancy, Rayann and I had planned on slowly moving the mountain of mulch from the driveway to the hill.  It was going to be a big project.  We did not have many more projects planned for the summer.  Thirty yards of mulch work out to be about 270 wheelbarrow loads.

There was a day when pushing loads of mulch around the yard was no big deal.  These days one or two loads and I would need a nap.  Every time I looked at that mountain of mulch it seemed to be getting bigger. [Read more…]

Why am I at Peace?

As I shared earlier, my last oncologist appointment was very clinical.  It was emotionless.  We talked facts.  There was a reality to be addressed and options to choose from.  The encounter lasted less than half an hour.  Looking back I found myself wondering why I responded and acted in such a way.  I was almost Spock like.  “Yes Jim, the cancer is back.  No reason to get emotional.  Our options are pretty simple, which one do you want to choose?  No reason to let emotions get in the way.”  How could it be that I was so peaceful when I was facing another twenty four weeks of chemotherapy?

Questioning my Peace

Thursday morning I was in my office and that question still haunted me.  Last time around my world was totally turned upside down.  This time it just seemed routine, normal.  As I slowly made myself push papers and do the work before me my mind kept returning to the question.  What was different?  How can you be so peaceful in the face of this? [Read more…]

Habakkuk was no stranger to the questions that keep us up at night.  He knew what it was to wrestle with God about deep matters of the heart.  He was an Old Testament prophet who struggled with many of the same questions we struggle with today.

• Why does God seem to allow injustice to take place in the world?
• How can it be that those who do evil are blessed while people who try to walk right cannot seem to catch a break?
• How long must I cry out before God answers my cries for help?

For the next three three Sundays [Aug 20, 27; Sept 3] we will explore Habakkuk’s questions and more importantly we will wrestle with the response God provides.

It is comforting to know that we are not the first, nor will we be the last to wrestle with such questions.

God is faithful to meet us in the midst of our questions and help us experience peace.

I invite you to join us for worship this Sunday at First Baptist Church, 415 West State Street, Kennett Square PA.

Worship starts at 11:00am

It happens.  It might not happen in “perfect” families but it happens in our family.  From time to time we miss a birthday.  It is not intentional.  Life simply gets busy, the calendar rushes on and all those good intentions go out the window.  I have come to call these moments an “oversight”.

Well, we recently had another “oversight”.

A few weeks ago Nancy looked at me in a panic and said, “I missed my mom’s birthday!”  Nancy and her mom are very close.  Although we live hours apart they are on the phone often and have a very close relationship.  I could tell that this “oversight” moment was painful for Nancy.  Not wanting to see Nancy in pain I offered to help.  “Go call your mom and I will take care of her gift.  I will make sure to get her something special.”

A few years ago Judy started to collect metal art in her backyard.  I am not exactly sure how she got started.  🙂

I came across this amazing piece the other day and it just screamed, “Take me to Judy’s house.”

So, Judy here is your next piece of art.  It is a flower pot and metal art all in one.  Who knew this stuff existed.

We will be down for Thanksgiving and I will bring it with me then.