Ohio Winter

One must be properly attired (see jacket logo) to deal with the harsh Ohio winter .

"Good News" by Betsy Walker

Gettin to heaven
Not ‘cause I’m straight
Gonna live forever
Not ‘cause I believe that True Love Waits
Those things don’t save me

I know why Jesus loves me
It’s not ‘cause I pray
Yes, I am a Christian
Not because I vote the right way
That doesn’t save me

And I don’t understand why we spend so much time
With our passionate debates
And our picket signs
Cause how will they know how to change their lives
Till we hold up the answers
Instead of the crime

Jesus, He’s the lover of our soul
Only He can make us whole
He can change us
Clean us up, make us new
He’s the only way, only truth, Good news

I have found salvation
But not in the church
I have been made new, same as you
By a grace I don’t deserve

What can wash away my sin
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood

What can wash away my sin
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

He’s the only way
Only truth
Only way
Only truth

And I don’t understand why we spend so much time
With our passionate debates
And our picket signs
Cause how will they know how to change their lives
Till we hold up the answers
Instead of the crime

The Blessings of the Moment

I have trouble believing it's February already! Last summer and fall ran right into Christmas and now the depths of winter. I spent a week in Mexico visiting our daughter last month, and came back to 4-degree weather here, so there's no question that we're well into winter. At least it's given me a little bit of time to slow down and think. I don't know all that God's up to (do we ever?), but I continue to believe He's definitely up to something special.

He has blessed us in so very many ways. Truth be told, He's blessed us in lots of other ways, too, but we don't always recognize them. Do we still receive the blessing, then, or do we miss out on part or all of it because we fail to recognize and acknowledge the true source of it? Too often I've missed the blessing of the moment while waiting on some expected or desired "blessing" that only materialized much later (if ever).

Lord, help me to live fully in the moment (not worrying about tomorrow) and to trust You for what is to come. At the same time, help me to be faithful in carrying-out the responsibilites of caring and providing for my family that You've entrusted to me.

"This strange sea"

It's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea, but I'd rather be here than on land

I was recently asked what kind of music I listen to. Truth is, I pretty much listen to most anything my daughters (ages 23, 19 and 17) put in my CD player. The line above is from one of the songs I heard from them--Out of My League by Stephen Speaks--and it really sums up a lot of what my family and I have been through in the last several months. A couple of surgeries (with an ambulance ride to the ER in between), the sudden illness and death of my wife's mother, and a (fortunately minor) car accident interwoven throughout an interstate move (and a new job, of course) as our youngest entered her senior year in high school have made for some interesting times.

We truly believe that this move is what God has called us to, but it surely hasn't come about as we had imagined (or would have designed) it. Though we still know God is working through it all, it is certainly a "strange sea" to us. There have definitely been some "frightening" days, too, but they seem to be fewer and fewer as we go along.

God continues to be so much more than faithful through it all. I'm grateful for it all, but I'm especially grateful that He's blessed us with three beautiful daughters that can teach us some important truths--through their music and so much more.


Blessings!