E.T. Is Getting Married

20 winters ago a little foster baby came into our lives. She was born with a number of birth difficulties, including a severe brain bleed. She also came with difficult legal issues and it took 18 months to sort them all out. She had a big forehead and big eyes and Kathy and I nicknamed her E.T. Her birth mom was 14 and a birth father was not identified. Each evening I took on the responsibility of putting Nicole to sleep. Many evenings during that first winter I would light the gas logs in our family room and hold her, pray over her, talk to her, and generally have a wonderful time with this "little lady". She would snuggle into my arms and get comfortable. I don't know who enjoyed this time more, her or me. More than once I agonized over the fact that she didn't have a birth daddy that knew about her, or cared. One night, as I was praying over her, I felt the distinct impression in my mind that when I prayed words like "be a daddy to Nicole because she doesn't have one", the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "you are her daddy, just like I am your daddy". That was significant to me for a couple of reasons. One, it helped me understand that for the moment, I was indeed being a dad to Nicole and she was safe and secure in our home, and second, I needed the reinforcement that God was allowing me to see Him in a more intimate and personal way. I have always struggled with my image of God. Most times He was a distant God, able to do all that His word told me, and interested in me, but from a distance. I always felt like I was part of huge crowd in His presence. That evening, in the warmth of a fire warmed winter night, God became Daddy to me. I felt like He was there with just Nicole and I, letting us know just how much he loved us and cared for us. That memory will be one that will always be a highlight.

For some reason, babies grow up. We have really enjoyed watching Nicole grow. She has become a delightful young lady. Several weeks ago, her boyfriend and I had a private chat that confirmed what Kathy and I had been feeling for some time. On Easter Sunday, Nicole showed us a beautiful engagement ring and she and Nick announced that she had accepted his proposal for marriage. Since then, this daddy's emotions have run the gamut from being very happy, to the sadness of picturing our home without Nicole. I have already shed plenty of tears, both happy and sad, with more to come, I'm sure, as the fall date gets closer. We have been blessed to raise E.T. I have been proud to be her daddy.

Resurrection - Breaking Bonds

The Easter season impacts us differently, depending on where we are in life, and what our present circumstances might be. For instance, last night, the last scripture that was read as we left the Good Friday service at St. John Lutheran was, And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. (from THE MESSAGE) I know this passage well, and normally would have enjoyed hearing it, but it wouldn't have affected me anymore than any other Bible passage. However, since my father went to Heaven on March 17th, twenty days later, this verse really had an emotional effect on me. The takeaway moment for me, was my renewed faith that I will see him again in Heaven. Tears of sadness mingled with tears of joy.

For many people, Easter Sunday will be their obligatory church attendance day. Perhaps they are feeling pressure from a parent, or spouse, or a child. Others will be in church, like they normally are, but preoccupied with with life events surrounding their jobs, or families or other things that prevent them from fully appreciating the tremendous hope we have in Christ's resurrection. Others will be there who are struggling with the power and bondage of something that they cannot deal with. Even though these people have heard the sermons and read the scriptures about God's complete forgiveness and unmerited favor, they cannot break free of the bondage they feel. I love a verse of the wonderful Charles Wesley hymn, O For A Thousand Tongues, that says,
           He breaks the power of canceled sin,
           He sets the prisoner free;
           His blood can make the foulest clean,
           His blood availed for me.

I pray that tomorrow, during the illustrated sermons, special music, drama, and other Easter special features, that the Resurrected Christ, who Himself was bound in grave clothes and set free by the power of the Resurrection, will have the opportunity to birth freedom and new life into many people who have come to their church services under crippling bondage. I pray that people who have confessed their sin hundreds of times, only to return to it again and again, will pray their final confession and leave the sanctuary a free person, with their bonds left behind to remind Satan that he is the loser. 

The early church would greet each other with the words He Is Risen, and the other person would respond, He Is Risen, Indeed. My Christ, indeed, be risen in the lives of many people tomorrow.

92 + 1 = Pricless

Yesterday, we had a grand celebration of my father's life. With pictures, songs, prayers and shared memories, we thanked God for his life and influence on us all. Today, we'll celebrate the 1st birthday of his newest great-granddaughter, Norah Grace Peter. And so, the cycle of life goes on. Sixty five years ago, Two people who fell in love, got married, and begin a cycle of life that resulted in a room full of people sharing the goodness of God, embodied in one of his creations. Today, that cycle continues, because in a few years, this beautiful 1 year old will fall in love, and the cycle will begin all over again.

My dad loved talking about heaven. While he was very "down to earth," he was also very "heavenly minded." As some of us were talking yesterday, we talked about the reunions that have already taken place. Undoubtedly, my dad has spent time with his mother, and step-father (who raised him), and his birth dad who passed away when my dad was two years old. He has probably been introduced to their parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts, and many other people who are there. Sometime during the past few days, I think my dad felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down into five little faces that he had never seen before. Two of these are grandchildren that were miscarried by my sister, Lori, and my wife, Kathy. A few years ago Kathy was directing our choir, singing a song about heaven. During a solo section, she closed her eyes and saw a quick vision of her grandmother walking toward her, hand-in-hand with a three or four year old red headed little girl. Kathy knew she was seeing the daughter we never had the chance to meet. The other three children tugging at Papa's sleeve are great-grandchildren, twins that our daughter Aimee lost a couple of years ago, and a baby that our son Jason and his wife, Jennie, miscarried. What fun they must have had at that first reunion.

The Bible tells us that we will know each other in Heaven.What wonderful reunions we will have. I know that Jesus will take great delight in watching us spend time together, and then all of us spending time in His presence, as we worship and thank Him for "preparing us a place." Later today, we'll celebrate a 1st birthday, we'll laugh and enjoy Norah destroy her cake, and we'll thank God again for my father. Sometime during the day I will probably shed some more tears, but it will be okay, because I'll also think about that little red head who's probably walking hand-in-hand with her Papa. 

Waiting...

We have all waited. Waited in lines, in traffic, on the phone, for people, waiting. I still remember the last few days of waiting before our first child was born. As first time parents, we had prepared ourselves with Lamaze classes, and faithfully reading all the literature our doctor had suggested, but waiting was the hard part. Jason was born on his due date, so we didn't have to wait too long.

Today, is another waiting day. My 92 year old father has struggled with congestive heart failure for quite awhile. Like many people with congestive heart failure, he has had low moments when we thought the end was near, and then he would rally and have some great weeks and months. In the past week or so, he has begun a downward spiral that his hospice nurses tell us he probably will not recover from. For the past several days, since I've know about his current condition, I have spent hours praying and thinking about my parents, my siblings and our families. So many wonderful memories have come flooding into my mind as I've thought about our growing up days in San Jose, the summers our older children spent with their grandparents in the San Joaquin valley, and these past years in Ohio and North Carolina. I've thought about the character that was formed in me as I observed my dad. The core values that I hold dear because of his influence, the little things he demonstrated to me that are inseparable from my character. Lots of wonderful thoughts. Waiting thoughts.

But now we're waiting. Should we travel to North Carolina now, should we wait? What about his waiting? What is going through his mind? I'm sure he's had multiple conversations about this with his Savior. My dad has always been a student of the End Times, and because of it you could tell he had a tremendous sense of anticipation of being in Heaven. And now he's waiting. We're waiting.

Before long, my father will start another kind of waiting. He'll be in Heaven, spending time with his mother and father, and other relatives that have gone before him. And he'll be waiting for us. Waiting with a big smile on his face, completely healed, thoroughly enjoying his surroundings, and waiting...

My Favorite Season Of the Year

Last week I was forced to work in my yard. We had very forceful wind gusts come through St. Louis and one of those gusts knocked over a 40' tree in our backyard. The tree was nearly dead, and I had already decided that it needed to come down sometime this summer. I borrowed a saw and Sam and I cut the tree up, stacked all the wood, and cleaned up the area where the tree had fallen. When I was finished with the tree, I decided to do other spring cleanup. I cut down last year decorative grass stalks, pruned rose bushes and trimmed other plants we have in our back yard.

We all do the annual ritual of clearing away the dead stalks of plants that had their moment of glory and now give way to a new season. Pulling here, pruning there, deciding what to keep and what needs to go. Trying not to prune too much, but making sure each plant and tree will fill out nicely and thinking about new plants to purchase when the time comes.

The one thing I love about this time of year, and the thing that kept distracting me yesterday, was looking at all the bits of green. I love seeing nature wake up. Tiny buds that are just starting to open. Looking at Bradford Pear and Dogwood buds. Right now they are just tiny little balls, waiting for the right time to explode into color. I was even on my roof sweeping off the last of winter debris and saw the first Redbud blossoms about to burst open. I pulled last years dead plants away from all the daffodils and crocus plants, saw the first of those blooms and took a look at my rose bushes. In fact, the picture in the top right corner of this blog are some of the first daffodils of the season. Tiny bits of red and green where beautiful leaves will grow in a few weeks.

I was sore from moving wood and bending over to trim and prune, but my spirit was rejuvenated. Spring has a way of doing that. New life has a way creating a freshness that is renewing. Soon it will be the first day of Spring. This year God has been doing some trimming and pruning in my life, getting me ready for a new season. Thank you, God, for your care for us, and a wonderful reminder of Your life, in us.

The Bottomless Jar of Flour

Yesterday marked exactly nine months since Kathy and I started on a journey of unemployment. Never, in my most "worst case scenario" thoughts, did I think I would not have a job by now. The combination of the overall poor economy, churches operating conservatively, my age and general uncertainty, have combined to put us in this "never before in our lives" situation. Last week I was talking with a mortgage re-adjustment specialist and we were going over my income for the past months. Since I didn't have much to put down, he asked how much  unemployment pay I was getting. When I told him that the church I worked for did not pay into the unemployment pool, he was amazed that we had not applied for a mortgage re-adjustment sooner. It was great to talk with this man who interviews people all day long with horrendous financial situations, and tell him how, and Whom, was taking care of us.

I must admit, though, that I have had some very difficult days, mixed in with a some great days and a lot of just regular living. Leading up to my birthday last Friday, I was having a difficult Thursday. Early in this process, I had set a threshold that I did not want our savings to go under. In mid January, we got to that threshold. Miraculously, after all the bills, our missions giving, and living expenses were taken care of, we didn't cross the boundary I had set. February started the same way, and again, by the time February was over, we had gotten close, but our savings account was still a little above the line I determined I didn't want it to go under. I have begun to feel a little like the women in First Kings 17. She was out collecting a little firewood to bake a small loaf of bread for she and her son so they could eat it and lay down and die of starvation. Elijah says to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.'" (Early on, Kathy and I decided that we would continue our missions giving, even if it meant giving something else up that was important, but not as urgent) She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. 

Back to Thursday...so here I was, on one hand rejoicing because of God's faithfulness and feeling like this woman in First Kings, and then at the same time feeling a little panicky because we had a new month, and we had to do it all over again. When I brought in the mail, in among the advertisements, junk mail and a couple of bills, was a card from two of our wonderful friends. Inside the card was a check labeled "Ash Wednesday Offering." It was for an amount that would carry us through half of March! As I held the card, and the check, it felt like my hands were covered in flour and oil. I can imagine Elijah, with a "isn't this fun" look on his face, nodding his approval at God's provision for us. If you are desperate for God's provision, maybe you ought to look in your flour jar...

Christ In the Storm

A few years ago I was introduced to the Henri Nouwen book, The Return Of the Prodigal Son. The book was a wonderful study of the scriptural story of the prodigal son, his father and brother, and some great applications to our lives. I was so struck by the cover art, also titled Return Of the Prodigal Son, by Rembrandt, that I purchased a print, had it framed and hung it in my office. I have re-read the book many times.

Yesterday I downloaded an iPad app titled Rembrandt Paintings. On the cover was a painting that captured me just like The Return Of the Prodigal Son had several years ago. It depicts the terror of the disciples as some of them try and get the boat under control. It also shows the moment that other disciples wake Christ up from a nap and say to Him, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" (Matthew 8:24-25) From the punctuation marks, you can tell this was not a soft and gentle wake-up conversation. I suspect they woke Christ up with their yelling for Him to save them. In verse 26, Matthew records,  He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" 


I suppose this painting made such an impact on me because right now I could be one of those disciples yelling "Lord, save me! I'm going to drown!" The answer, however, is in verse 28, When he (they) arrived at the other side... For you, the wind may be howling, the waves may be crashing, and the situation may seem totally out of your control. The same Christ that calmed the sea in Matthew's account, is the same Christ who will see you to the other side. Let's meet up there and compare notes.

An Interesting Job Interview

Last Wednesday I had a "first" in job interviews. I met via Skype with a search committee at a church in southern California. In the past few months I have had several telephone interviews, some of those were on a speaker phone. The farther away a person was sitting from the speaker phone source, the harder it was to hear questions or comments. The Skype interview was great because I could see each committee member and hear them all well. The hour flew by... Now we'll wait and see if the process continues.

Today I had an in-person interview at a large St. Louis compassion ministry. Obviously, those are the best. I had already spent 90 on the phone with someone from this ministry a couple of weeks ago. This interview came as a result of that phone interview that went very well. Again, the hour flew by. I think it was a very good interview. I guess I'll know for sure if it was in a few days.

As I was driving home from today's interview, I was reminded of the most unusual job interview I ever had. Kathy and I had been invited to First Assembly in Grand Junction, Colorado to visit for a few days. I spent some rehearsal time with the choir, prepared music for the Sunday services, and met with various groups and people. On one of those evenings we were invited to the home of one of the board members. This couple had built a gorgeous home right next to the National Monument. The Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. It has towering monoliths that exist within a vast plateau-and-canyon panorama. It has sheer-walled, red rock canyons that were visible from the back yard of the house we were at. Two other deacons and their wives came over and we had dinner together. After dinner, the three deacons and I put on swimming suits, I had to borrow one, and we all jumped in the outdoor hot tub while the ladies visited inside the house. The landscape was spectacular and the stars were amazing. For about an hour I was asked all kinds of questions, and I was able to ask questions as well. When we were done, (both done talking and shriveled as prunes), one of the deacons said, "well, as far as I'm concerned, you are hired." Two of these deacons told Kathy and I that if we would come to be the ministers of music, they would bring us coffee shop coffee every Sunday morning. (for 4 1/2 years, almost every Sunday morning we had hot coffee from a local coffee shop) While it was the pastor who extended the invitation to join the staff after Sunday services were done, I think the "deal was sealed" in the hot tub.

Even though I haven't had any hot tub interviews this time around, it has been a real adventure as I've met so many nice people, answered a lot of questions, and told my story many times. Maybe the next interview will be in a hot air balloon... :)

All Because Two People Fell In Love

Kathy has a plaque hanging in our kitchen that says "All because two people fell in love..." This morning as I was praying, and pacing back and forth in our living room, I looked at several framed photos that we have on top of our piano. I have seen these photos hundreds of time, but this time I was overwhelmed with a tremendous sense of gratitude and thankfulness, to God, for the people in those photos. The groupings in the photos are of each of our married children, their spouses, and children. One son a university professor, another son a missionary in Europe and a daughter who is a children's pastor in Oregon. Each of them finding the perfect life-mate that God had set aside for them. In each case, their spouses complementing and helping each of our children achieve all that God has designed for them. I'm not sure there are seven more talented, intelligent and cuter grand kids in the world. If there are, I haven't seen them. When you add our three adopted children that we are still raising, there are eighteen of us.

Kathy and I have a running joke between us. Before we were married, we discussed the number of children we would like to have. I wanted two, she wanted four, so we comprised at six. :) I'm not totally sure how that happened, but this morning, as I thanked God for so many blessings He has granted us in our marriage, I was overwhelmed at these sixteen blessings that I saw in front of me. Parents, you know that raising children is not easy. There are many challenges, heartbreaks and disappointments. But there are great high points in celebrating achievements and successes. Overriding all of our experience in raising children is the tremendous love that God puts in our hearts for them. We have been raising children for thirty six years. I'm not sure we'll ever have an empty nest...but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else. So today, I am an especially thankful, and blessed, father and husband...all because two people fell in love.

Two Significant Birthdays

Within four days of each other, two of our children have birthdays. On January 21st, our oldest son Jason had a birthday. I can't imagine a another father being prouder of a child than I am of Jason. Of all of our children, he was the planner, and determined to reach his goals. From ninth grade on, he knew he wanted to attend Evangel University, major in music and orchestrate music for live and recorded sessions. Today he is an Assistant Professor of Music at Evangel University. He has been instrumental in expanding the music technology and music industry sections of the Music Department. He has written countless orchestrations for many churches, civic orchestras, recording sessions and more. The idea of hearing the music in his head, and then being able to display it on a computer and then print all the parts for an orchestra, boggle my mind. I love hearing the music he has worked on. If he stays on his goal schedule, Jason will begin working on a doctorate this coming fall. The family side of life makes me just as proud. He is a wonderful husband and father. He and Jennie have done a wonderful job of raising their two sons. Both of them excel in different areas. Two years ago, Jason and Jennie began the adoption process to adopt a Haitian orphan who was very ill. Today, Josie is a bubbly, full-of-energy, bundle of excitement, and very healthy. Jason, Jennie and their boys have loved this little girl into health and vitality. The compassion and care of disadvantaged children that Jason saw in his own home as he grew up obviously translated into he and Jennie's decision to follow James 1:27, The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father's point of view, is the one who takes care of orphans... Happy birthday, Jason.

Today is Nicole's 20th birthday. It is hard to imagine that my little girl is all grown up. The memories of her as an 18 month old, playing "chase me" with me are as vivid today as they were 18 years ago. Every Friday we would dress her "to the nines", complete with her fuzzy white coat and take her to the county's social services division so she could visit with her birth grandmother. At the end of the visit, Kathy would usually spend a few minutes talking with Nicole's social worker, and I would take Nicole out in the hall to burn off some energy. For some reason, today she won't play "chase me" anymore. :) I agonized over this child because she had no father. Many nights I would feed her a bottle and put her to sleep, praying over her, and her future. After her grandmother had exhausted all the possible relatives that Nicole could have gone to, we began the adoption process. For you see, by 18 months, she was already embedded far too deeply in our hearts to let her go back into the foster care system. Today she has blossomed into a wonderful young lady. Her photography hobby has evolved into a small photography business, she is working and paying off her car, and learning the life skills that will make her a wonderful wife and mother. Near the end of the adoption process, we had a session with a doctor who discussed with us all of the possible health problems that Nicole could have. She was born a preemie to a 14 year old mother. She had a severe brain bleed at birth. The disclaimers went on and on, enough to scare anyone away from taking responsibility for her. Today she is healthy, beautiful, and is smart and intelligent. None of the "possibilities", ever came to pass. I believe God helped Kathy and I to love her to health, and God has blessed her with His presence for His purpose. Happy birthday, Nicole.

It's Really All About People

I spent the last week in northern Illinois, helping the Illinois District of the Assemblies of God, install new software and train church users. While I have never served in an Illinois church, I have always admired this district, and the cutting edge ministry they bring to their churches and ministers. In this case, they are trying to give their district supervised churches better tools to do the best job possible in their communities.

Generally, a district supervised church is a smaller church that needs help in organization, funding, governing leadership and other elements. Once a church has become healthy in all the major areas, it transitions to being a self supporting autonomous church. The idea in Illinois is that if you give as much help as possible to the district supervised churches and pastors, you build strong churches in each of the communities that you are trying to reach.

Both communities I worked in last week were rural, and small. The first town was small enough that it did not have a single chain business of any kind. That included fast food restaurants, drug stores, grocery stores, etc. However, the church we were working in has more than 300 people worshiping there today, nearly 10% of the population of their town. The other small city we worked in was a little larger, with a smaller church. The pastor is bi-vocational and they do not have any paid staff. Everything is done by volunteers. The infectious enthusiasm I sensed there was refreshing. Each person that came for training was excited about the new tools. While our job was to install and train on a software system, I could see that each volunteer saw this as a better way to reach their own people and reach out to their community. When we talked about a "person record", the trainees saw that person as a "real person". It was fun to hear them talk about their various groups and ministries and how this new tool would help add people to them.

As a church administrator, sometimes the job can break down to software, numbers, buildings, supplies, and systems. I was reminded this week that it is all about people. Telling people that Jesus can change their life, and then demonstrating that by the way we live. I'll be doing some more of these installations. I can't wait to meet the people.

Another Employment Update

It has been awhile since I have updated my blog readers on the status of my journey towards a new job. Since my last update, Christmas has come and gone. Today we will finish putting away the last of our Christmas decorations and our tree goes to the recycle pile. Since we traveled to Colorado Springs for the Christmas holiday, we did not decorate our house as much as we normally do. Sadly, some of my favorite nativity scenes were packed in my office "stuff" boxes in our storage unit, so they didn't get to be enjoyed this year. Not having an income changed the way we did most things, but it also reinforced the joy of being with family and enjoying those moments far more than the commercial part of the season. I really missed not being part of a Christmas production, but I was blessed to attend several in our area and in the Springfield, MO area. I read more Christmas stories and writings this year than ever before, and all-in-all, we had a wonderful celebration. As you might imagine, however, all church hiring activity stops from Thanksgiving through the New Year, so there wasn't much activity on that front.

I am waiting to hear on a couple of possible positions, I have recently applied for a couple of others, as well. Kathy and I are trying as hard as we can to hear from God. We are confident in His love and care for us, and know that He knows exactly where we are. We also know, however, that 20 million Americans are out of work. Many of those are devoted Christians, trying to trust God just as much as we are. We also hear the sad stories of homes lost, bankruptcies, financial devastation and family unrest as people try and cope with this very difficult time in our country's history. We had our house on the market, but after 6 months we took it off the market and have decided to wait until spring to try and sell it again.

So where are we? We have had and continue to have some tremendous prayer and emotional support from our families and great friends. We have had just-in-time financial support that has helped us stay current with our financial obligations. We are using our savings, but at a slower "clip" than we expected. Our faith in God's provision for us is at an all time high and we are confident that God's open door for us will be revealed soon. Thank God we are not in this alone. Blessings for a New Year...

Another Year Is Dawning

I meant to post this blog yesterday, but ran out of time. One of my favorite hymn lyrics writers is Frances Ridley Havergal. If you look through a hymnal, you will will find several of her hymns included. My all time favorite Havergal hymn is Take My Life And Let It Be.

Frances wrote several hymns for the new year. This one, titled Another Year Is Dawning, was written on December 31, 1874 for the new year of 1875.

   Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be. 
   In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
   Another year of progress, another year of praise, 
   Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.


   Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace, 
   Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face.
   Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast; 
   Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.


   Another year of service, of witness for Thy love, 
   Another year of training for holier work above.
   Another year is dawning, dear father, let it be. 
   On earth, or else in Haven, another year for Thee.


Another year to see the great hand of God at work in our lives as we demonstrate who He is to a needy and desperate world.

I Am Blessed To Be Just Unemployed

The month of December marks 7 months that I have been unemployed. For 3 of those months, I have not had any income, and as a former church employee, not eligible for unemployment insurance. As I contemplated all the wonderful blessings from God this Christmas season, I realized how fortunate I am, as a husband and father, to be just employed. For instance;

I could be a husband and father in a Somalian refugee camp trying to keep my wife and children alive. Trying to find enough food and clean water each day just to live until the next day. Nothing else would matter, including the "things" that we left behind in our hasty exodus.


 I could be a father in Juarez, Mexico, terrified every time my teenage sons leave the house, knowing that the drug cartels are killing young men involved in drug trafficking. Sadly, many young men have lost their lives because of mistaken identity.


I could be a father in Southeast Asia, escorting my teenage daughter everywhere she has to go, scared to death that she might be kidnapped and sold into the heinous sex trafficking industry.


I could be a Christian husband and father, looking over my shoulder every time we attend ourchurch in Tehran, Iran. Many of our friends have been arrested and fathers have a way ofdisappearing and never being heard from again.

Instead, I live in the most prosperous country in the world. I do not have to fear when my children leave our house. We have yet to miss a meal. Even though our financial health has suffered a serious blow in the second half of 2011, we have been blessed abundantly by friends and relatives. God has been so good to us. Today, December 26th, we are celebrating Christmas with 20 relatives in Colorado Springs, CO. Most of my children and grandchildren are here, along with parents and brother and sister-in-laws. We've discovered that the "things" of Christmas are not so nearly as important at the "people". While I have always known the presence of God in this wonderful season of the year, this year, Immanuel truly has been God With Us.
    

O Come, All Ye Faithful

The Christmas truce on Flanders Field in Belgium is a timeless testimony to the power of the birth of Christ. On the western front of World War 1, a brief, unofficial cessation of hostilities occurred between British and German forces. It began on Christmas Eve 1914, when German soldiers in their trenches began singing "Stille Nacht", (Silent Night). The British stopped firing and began singing English carols. Soon the troops were greeting each other across no-man's-land and exchanging small gifts. According to the written account of an unknown British soldier, the next morning, December 25, 1914, was foggy and very cold. Neither side began firing; the truce held. Some British troops went over to the German side to help bury a slain soldier and then returned for a Christmas worship service. "How we did sing, 'O Come, All Ye Faithful.'" he wrote his family. "I never expected to shake hands with Germans between the firing lines on Christmas Day, and I don't suppose you thought of us doing so. So after a fashion we've enjoyed our Christmas." The next day the war resumed.
 
   O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
   Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;


   O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
   O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.


   Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
   Glory to God, all glory in the highest;


   Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
   Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

The Essence of the Christmas Season

Here is a wonderful story, by Loren Young, that demonstrates the essence of Christmas.

   One recent Christmas I was visiting my parents who live in a mining community in West Virginia. Times were bad. I noticed in front of me a young couple stopped near a lame man.
   The husband, obviously a miner, and his wife were talking in whispers. As the young husband looked down at his wife, a smile slowly came over his face and he nodded. She pulled out an old black change purse. Then she walked slowly to the lame man and turned the purse upside down.
   Coins rattled into the old man's cup. "I'm wishin' you a Merry Christmas," she whispered. Gratefully, the lame man reached out to shake her hand.
   I watched them walk down the street. They were broke and would have to walk home. But I could tell by the bounce in their steps that it would not be a long walk. When they lightened their purse, they also lightened their hearts, and the joy that comes from giving had worked it ageless magic once again.

Let this Christmas season be  renewing of the mind of Christ in our thinking, and a cleansing of our lives by His pure presence. Let His joy come to our weary world through us. Gerald Kennedy

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

One of my all time favorite Christmas carols is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. I have performed the carol many times as a piano solo, several choral arrangements, orchestra arrangements, and in the last couple of years, a wonderful arrangement for choir, cello, and piano. The cello part was played b Jonathan Gathman, one of the most creative and accomplished musicians I have ever had the privilege to perform with.

In medieval Europe, there were cathedral services each evening leading up to Christmas Eve. Each service would begin with an antiphon, a choral call to worship. There were seven "Great O Antiphons," beginning with the Latin word veni (come), followed by the Latin words for "O Wisdom," O Lord," "O Branch of Jesse," "O Key of David," "O Dayspring," "O King of Nations," and "O Emmanuel." It is believed that O Come, O Come Emmanuel was written in the 12th century. These choral prayers were rooted in messianic titles used by the prophets in the Old Testament, pleas for God to come. In the 1800s, various English translations of the "Great O Antiphons" were made. This well-loved British version is the work of Thomas Alexander Lacey, who was born today, December 20, 1853.

   O come, O come, Emmanuel! Redeem Thy captive Israel.
   That into exile drear is gone, far from the face of God's Son.


   Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. Shall come to Thee, O Israel.


   O come, Thou Branch of Jesse! Draw the quarry from the lion's claw.
   From the dread caverns of the grave, from nether hell, Thy people save.


   Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. Shall come to Thee, O Israel.


   O come, O come Thou Dayspring bright! Pour on our souls thy healing light;
   Dispel the long night's lingering gloom, and pierce the shadows of the tomb.


   Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel. Shall come to Thee, O Israel.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

When you look at printed music, the lyrics (words) are attributed to the author and the music (tune) is attributed to the composer. Sometimes both are written by the same person, but not always. When you look at the printed music for O Little Town of Bethlehem you see the tune is called "St. Louis." Here's the story.

In 1865, the famed Boston pastor, Phillips Brooks, visited the Holy Land and stopped at Bethlehem. He was so moved that he wrote the lyrics to this wonderful carol for the children in his Sunday School. He handed the words to his organist, Lewis Redner, and asked him to compose a melody. "If it's a good tune, I'll name it 'St. Lewis' after you." The completed song was an instant hit, and Brooks did name the tune for the organist, changing the spelling to "St. Louis" to avoid embarrassing him. Here are a couple of my favorite verses.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.


How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

There Is Nothing Better Than A Christmas Baby

34 years ago, today, our daughter Aimee was born at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, California. For a minister of music, the timing was very interesting. That week, we were in the final preparations for our annual Christmas concert, and the hospital was 2 hours driving time away from the city we were living in. It was this way because of insurance requirements. Our oldest son, Jason, was almost 2 years old, so that year we had a great Christmas with Jason, who understood what was going on, and Aimee, our brand new baby, that everyone wanted to hold.

Every year we had to really work at having Aimee's birthday on the calendar early enough so that the church music I was working on wouldn't overlap. Jason was an almost perfect baby. He hardly fussed, slept through the night starting his first week home, and was an easy baby and child to care for. Then came Aimee... One night when she was still pretty young she came into our bedroom. I was already in bed, reading Dr. Dobson's The Strong Willed Child. She asked me what I was reading and I told her, "Aimee, I'm reading a book about you." Then there was the time she and her mother were visiting Kathy's parents. Marjorie taught organ lessons in her home and was finishing up with a student. As the adult student started to leave, Kathy and Aimee came into the room and Kathy's mom introduced them. The student asked Aimee, "what do you call your Grandma?" to which Aimee replied "Grandma." Then the student asked her "what do you call your Grandpa", to which Aimee proudly replied "jerk." We're still not sure where that came from. What we did know early on was that Aimee had a mind of her own, and she would march to the beat of her drummer, not necessarily ours.

Today Aimee is an outstanding Children's Pastor in Albany, Oregon. This is the second church where she has made tremendous strides in the church's ministry to children. I think the single-mindedness that she displayed as a child has benefited her tremendously as she creatively designs ministry to children. I believe that somewhere down the road, Aimee will be a regional, if not national Children's Ministry leader. I think she will be a wonderful mentor and creative resource for children and children's leaders across our country. She is also a wonderful mother and wife.

As I stand back and watch from a distance, I am so thankful to God for this wonderful little dynamo that He trusted us with. Her mother and I are so proud of her. We can't wait to see all of the great things that God will help her and her husband accomplish.

Is Christmas Celebrated in Heaven?

I have started watching some of my favorite Christmas movies. On of them is the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol staring Alistair Sims. One of my favorite scenes is where Bob Cratchit asks for Christmas Day off, and after Scrooge scolds him for taking off this one day of the year, Bob's face lights up as he puts on his scarf and coat. The joy of anticipation shows all over his countenance. I know how Bob Cratchit felt, because I love Christmas as well. Another recent movie that is becoming a favorite is The Nativity. I love seeing the story acted out on the screen. Every year I read the story from the gospels, but there is something special about seeing each scene unfold. On Friday evening I attended a presentation at St. John Lutheran Church titled The Legend of the Christmas Angels. Part of the story explored the idea of how the angels interact with humans during Christmas.

All of this got me thinking about Christmas in Heaven. I wonder if each year a grand pageant is presented for all the heavenly residents? I have directed many Christmas presentations over the years. Many of them have included a nativity scene. The success of each presentation depended somewhat on the budget for costumes and sets, and the actors that were available, lighting and sound, music and all the elements that go into a Christmas pageant. There would be one huge advantage to the presentation of a Christmas pageant in Heaven. They have the original cast! No one has to wonder about what the costumes looked like, the script is exactly right, and there is no question about "did the angels say or sing?" The lighting would be perfect and the audio crew wouldn't miss a single cue. Can you imagine the power of the presentation as this wonderful story is enacted by all the people who were there more than 2,000 years ago? I wonder if everyone kids the innkeeper about not trying harder to find a room for Mary and Joseph? I believe the angel host that announced Jesus' coming to the shepherds numbered in the thousands on that wonderful night. I wonder if when they reenact the story in Heaven, they give other angels who might not have been there, the opportunity to shout "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

I hope they really do present The Nativity every year. And...if they do, that will be one of the highlights for my first Christmas in Heaven. I love this story, and what an incredible thing to see it re-enacted by the original cast. Merry Christmas.