Challenged

I have been enjoying as well as challenged by the book of Romans, finishing chapters 7-8 this morning and thankful for the way that the Lord transformed Saul the prosecutor into Paul the Apostle who in turn was used to write some amazing letters that have come down through the ages and are available to us to better understand God’s will for our lives.  As I read these last chapters I was reminded of hearing someone say that Paul was emphasizing know, know, know rather than no, no, no…placing the focus on God’s grace and Jesus rather than their abundance of man-made laws.   Chapters 5-6 give us the keys for dealing with the penalty of sin and also the power of sin.  How fantastic it is to know that both the penalty and power of sin have been already dealt with for believers in Christ, but that does not mean the end of all temptations!  Romans gives us great guidance in dealing with that issue also.  As I work through those chapters, it is always a tremendous joy coming to Chapter 8 that begins “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  (8:1-2) The end of that chapter is also a tremendous encouragement as we are told; “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (8:39)

Earlier this week I had a call that my grandson Gavin had suddenly passed out in his dorm room, falling face down on the floor.  He was rushed to the hospital to get stitches and given medication.  He had been fighting a nasty sore throat and other flu-like symptoms and had been studying late for a couple of difficult exams as he begins medical school.  Apparently all of that caused him to pass out hitting the floor mighty hard, causing the cut and some loose teeth.  I talked with him a few minutes ago and he is feeling somewhat better but finding it a challenge catching up on class work while not being completely recovered.  Please join me in praying for complete and quick healing along with clear thinking as he catches up on class work.

I trust that you have a blessed weekend!

Chuck

A Life Well Lived!

With Stuart’s arrival in Sebring, it was a tremendous joy for me to have two Spiritual Giants (Jerry & Stuart) living close by.  Unfortunately both have been battling cancer for some time.   As neighbors, they were able to encourage each other as they continued down the final stretch of life.  While I was at the lake in Indiana with my family, I received a call that Jerry had passed on and was now free from the severe pain that had accompanied his cancer during his final weeks.  His passing occurred on what would have been our 56^th anniversary making it a date I will not quickly forget!

I drove directly home making only one visit in Nashville to spend a few hours with one of my former pastors from Charlotte.  I had not seen Tom for about ten years so there was much to discuss.  I was thankful to put those 1,200 miles behind me in a couple of days and return in time for Jerry’s services.  On Friday evening I was honored to be invited to join the family and a small group of friends at the funeral home.  On Saturday morning I attended the burial and later the memorial service at his church in the afternoon.  Recalling the many of us that Jerry has volunteered to move, the mode of transportation for his body from the funeral home to the cemetery was the vehicle he was most comfortable driving…a Penske truck!  Bev his wife, told me that she was certain he would have chosen that over a hearse, given the choice.  Each of the services was a blessing and a tremendous encouragement to follow the lead of such giants of the faith to be assured of completing my life well also.

It has been a rather busy time since my return but I am thankful to be safely home after being able to visit family members and friends in several states these past weeks.  If the Lord continues to provide the strength and health, I hope to visit many more of you in the not too distant future.

Love to all,

Chuck

Happy Labor Day

I have enjoyed a delightful Labor Day weekend with family members at the lake house in Indiana.  Gavin and Calli joined us from college, Lisa flew in from DC for the weekend and Karin and Keith kept us well fed and busy with fun family activities. 

With a good internet connection, I am now able to attach a photo of one of the 1,000’ ships coming through the Sault locks as seen from Sue and Jeff’s living room.  This one is an iron ore carrier.  Occasionally a ship from another area of the world will pass by. One day I saw a load of new Volkswagens.

For several of you who have asked, here is a photo of my newest great grandson, Jacob, with his dad Jeremy.  It has been a delightful trip with many special visits along the way.

Tomorrow I plan to head back to Florida and have been pleased that the weather turned warm here.  There is evidence that fall is not too far away as the maple trees are starting to show some color and a few other trees are starting to lose leaves.  After these several weeks away, I am looking forward to returning home and not having to live out of a suitcase for a while.

I trust that each of you is enjoying a fun holiday weekend.

Love to all,

Chuck

Northern Most Point

I have reached the northern most point in my trip, arriving yesterday in Sault Ste. Marie, MI to visit daughter Sue and her husband.  Sitting in their living room I look out over the St. Mary’s River watching ships heading to and from the Sault Locks.  Across the river in Canada, the wind turbines slowly turn, generating power for the Canadian Sault.  The huge ships passing by are always interesting with some coming from far-away countries, having entered the great lakes through the St. Laurence Seaway.  Tomorrow I will begin my return south spending the weekend at the lake in Indiana with family members before moving on to Florida.

Late last week I was amused as I listened to various media people discuss the hurricane heading for southern Florida on Sunday/Monday, with one reporter even attempting to suggest a possible similarity with the one that struck New Orleans ten years ago.  Actually the reports did cause me to call friends back in Florida, only to find that they were only anticipating a bit more rain from the storm as it passed by.   I suspect that the more dramatic reports do generate more listenership for programs but at the same time I wonder how often after hearing the “wolf cry” too often, people in a targeted area may ignore warnings and be unprepared for the real event?

With all of my visits, it has been a bit of a challenge for me to keep up on my daily reading in the book of John, but today I was able to complete the final chapter and continue into the book of Acts.  I like the way that John with his first-hand reporting was lead to relay events, moving the reader to the point of commitment upon believing in Jesus as God’s son.  It is extremely difficult to argue with any degree of rationality, when seriously evaluating the evidence that John gives, much of which was from his own observation.   

I always appreciate your calls and emails as I travel keeping me updated about your lives and reminding me of your prayers.  That is a tremendous encouragement!  Currently I am unable to make or take phone calls because they would be handled by the towers across the river in Canada at a rather high roaming cost.  Fortunately I get prompt text messages reminding me of the potential problem when the signal passes over to those towers so my phone is turned off until I move further from the border tomorrow.

I trust that your week is off to a good start and that you are experiencing the Lord’s presence in your lives providing His peace and guidance!

Love to you all,

Chuck