Lessons Learned

          We're all aware of the challenges faced by business establishments during the pandemic.  Most wrestled with closures.  Some closed permanently.  Much income was lost by employers and employees.  

          And now when things are opening again many still face challenges.  Many have trouble hiring employees since many can make out better claiming unemployment.  Many companies have trouble getting products or replacement parts.  Have you noticed the empty new car lots?  Have you tried to purchase a new appliance?

          Recovery is placing new challenges on businesses of all types and some of this is resulting in poor customer service.

          My wife was shopping online for a new cardigan sweater.  After searching numerous sites she finally found what she wanted at Coldwater Creek, a company that used to be very credible.

          On July 3 she placed an order with them for a Shaker Button Cardigan, light heather gray, Petite XL.  According to their website it was in stock and would be shipped soon.  We then received an e-mail confirmation from them and were told that we would be notified as soon as it was shipped.

          Well several weeks went by and we heard nothing.  I then sent an e-mail to their customer service asking about the order.  In return I was told that there was a delay but that it would soon be shipped.

         But again nothing happened so I called customer service to inquire.  Again I was told that it was about to be shipped.  Finally, on July 29, we were relieved when we received a notice that it was finally being shipped.

          Then, on August 4, a month after the order was placed, the package arrived.  When we opened it we found that instead of a sweater it was a drawstring dress.  Instead of being light heather gray it was midnight navy.  And instead of being petite XL, it was small.  Nothing was correct except for the invoice which listed exactly what we had ordered.

          When I checked our credit card account I found that Coldwater Creek had already charged our account. for the incorrect product.

          I quickly called their customer service.  They agreed that it was the wrong product - they said that somebody must have just pulled the wrong product off the shelf - where was their quality control?  I was told that my money would be refunded but not until we returned the dress.  Why did I have to go to all this work to correct their mistake?  But I was told, no return, no money.

          But the worst was still to come.  I asked if we could just get the correct product.  The answer?  We no longer handle that product!  Why wasn't I told that in any of my previous correspondence?  Where has honesty gone?  Incidentally the product is still listed on their website.

          So I took the time to send the useless product back.  But I also sent a letter describing my experience with them.  I included an itemized bill for my time and expenses, $74.80 (no tax added).  Don't hold your breath waiting to see if they honor this.  I'm not!

          Will we promptly get our money refunded?  Time will tell.  I might just ask our credit card company to cancel the order.  They will do that.

          Oh yes, Coldwater Creek did send me a form inviting me to write a recommendation about my experience with them.  I filled it out with a step by step explanation of all that had happened.   Would they publish it?  The answer came quickly - a rejection of my evaluation with no explanation.

          So I learned another lesson.  Probably many of those product recommendations you find on the internet have been sorted with negative ones eliminated.  So much for the truth.

          Another lesson - don't expect companies to apologize for their mistakes.  Common courtesy is also a thing of the past for many.

          A final lesson - we will no longer do business with Coldwater Creek.  They don't need our business.

Scams

          Scam -  a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation.

          I guess by now we are all familiar, possibly too familiar, with scams.  We now face them almost daily through the internet and through our phones.  Scammers have bothered us, taken up our time and been a source of frustration.

          I often wonder how folks fall for them and lose so much in doing so.  I guess many, especially seniors, are looking to get rich quick or are just afraid to say no.  Some phishing scams - a scam by which an Internet user is duped (as by a deceptive e-mail message) into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly - are so well done today that you can get taken in before you realize it.

          About a year ago I received an e-mail, supposedly from a friend of ours, telling me that they needed my help.  They asked me to reply if I could help them.  And, of course I did.

          The message in return was that their niece has cancer and it was her birthday.  They wanted to send her some electronic games but their Amazon account wasn't working.  They gave me the information and asked i I would place the order for them using my account.  They would give me cash to cover the order.

          Now they were good friends and had often helped us out.  I quickly agreed not thinking that it could be a scam.  A few minutes later I received another e-mail wondering why the order wasn't yet processed.  I then became suspicious and found that their computer had been hacked.  Fortunately I was able to contact Amazon and was still able to cancel the order ... nothing lost but my pride. 

          I had almost forgotten about it until a few weeks ago when I received two separate e-mails asking for my help.  One came from a high school friend in Texas who I hadn't seen in several years.  The other was from a lady who goes to our church.  Both were the same scam which is once again circulating.  This time I recognized it and contacted both to warn them that they had been hacked.

         A second scam that is tried on us regularly is the "Hi grandma" telephone call.  Each time it is somebody pretending to be our grandson who is in need of money.  Usually they are in jail or in a hospital and can't reach their parents.   I wonder how many grandparents fall for this.

          Recently my wife replied that she will pray for them since she knew that they were lying.  The caller was upset and replied that he didn't need prayer, he needed money.

          The last two calls were a little more concerning and aggressive.  In the first when my wife denied knowing the caller he called her by name.  Now I know that all that personal information can be found on the internet.  Nothing is private anymore.

          Then a few days ago I answered the call and was welcomed with "Hi Grandpa".  I knew it was a scam call but I asked who he was.  He insisted that he was my oldest grandchild.  When I asked for his name he replied "Kauffman".  I told him that my oldest grandson had been here to cut our grass the day before, wasn't in New Jersey, and wasn't him.  He then got more aggressive and said he knew where I lived, stated my address, and said he'd be here to visit me about noon.  I guess that he thought that this threat might scare me into cooperating.  But it didn't and this time I shared the call with the local police.  I knew that they couldn't do anything about it but they did give me some advice such as have a whistle ready to blow into the phone when such a call comes again.  So I guess I need to do some shopping.

          But then on Monday we did get another call that started with "Hi grandma".  I thought, not again.  But the caller went on to say "this is Josh".  We recognized him and he was our grandson.  He went on to tell us that he had just defended his work at Penn State and had earned his Ph.D. in chemistry.  Now that was not a scam - it was exciting news.

          This was a second in a week's time since a few days earlier we received the news that our granddaughter's husband, Daniel, had just defended his work and earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at PSU.

            So congratulations Dr. Daniel Cetnar and Dr. Josh Kauffman.  We are very proud of you and we than the Lord for your success.          

           And that folks was a good week and not a scam!

Interesting But Not Important

         It's time for some very unimportant, useless facts to fill your brains.  Maybe one day this information will help you win some big bucks on a quiz show.

          *  "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.

          *   Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

          *   No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

          *   "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."

          *   Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

          *   The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.

          *   The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

          *   There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

          *   There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

          *   TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

          *   All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

          *   A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

          *   A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

          *   A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

          *   A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

          *   A snail can sleep for three years

          *   Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

      I hope that all this useless information has made your day.  Do you have more of these facts to share?  If you do, please add them as comments.

Winter In All Of Our Lives

          I belong to a group called "Legacy Coalition" which promotes ways for grandparents to minister to their grandchildren.  Their e-mails are always filled with constructive ideas including many specifically for grandparents themselves.

          Recently they sent a poem "Winter In All Of Our Lives" which describes the various seasons of life that we all encounter.  But the season that most of us older folks have reached is winter.  It is a season that is inevitable and one which we can't skip.  I have shared this topic in previous blogs so the notion is not new.

          But as I thought about it I began to realize that winter isn't just for seniors.  It can hit everyone, often suddenly, when you may least expect it.  Life change can happen to anyone.

          I have been praying for many who are presently in their winter season despite their age.  A friend who is a mother has just been introduced to hospice care.  A 60 year old friend is suffering with Alzheimer's.  A 42 year old mother is suffering from the results of covid. Some friends of ours are dealing with children who are rejecting the Lord.  A 50 year old close friend of my son is dying with pancreatic cancer.  Another friend has been diagnosed with colon cancer and needs surgery.  Four folks from our church have died in the past week leaving spouses all alone.  Several others are living with pain.  The winter season can come so quickly, at any age.

          Now we can prepare for the actual winter.  We can get our shovels and ice melt ready.  We can get our snow blowers ready.  We can check our batteries and antifreeze and car tires.  Then we just wait to have it happen.

         But it is much harder to prepare for a mental winter.  Possibly the best thing one can do is to draw closer to the Lord. through prayer, Bible reading and Bible memorization.  That does take real discipline, but is the best preparation for winter.

Winter in All of Our Lives

There is a winter in all of our lives,

a chill and darkness that makes us yearn

for days that have gone

or put our hope in days yet to be.

Father God, you created seasons for a purpose.

Spring is full of expectation

buds breaking

frosts abating and an awakening

of creation before the first days of summer.

Now the sun gives warmth

and comfort to our lives

reviving aching joints

bringing colour, new life

and crops to fruiting.

Autumn gives nature space

to lean back, relax and enjoy the fruits of its labour

mellow colours in sky and landscape

as the earth prepares to rest.

Then winter, cold and bare as nature takes stock

rests, unwinds, sleeps until the time is right.

An endless cycle

and yet a perfect model.

We need a winter in our lives

a time of rest, a time to stand still

a time to reacquaint ourselves

with the faith in which we live.

It is only then that we can draw strength

from The One in whom we are rooted

take time to grow and rise through the darkness

into the warm glow of your springtime

to blossom and flourish

bring colour and vitality into this world

your garden.

Thank you Father

for the seasons of our lives.

– Author Unknown

Fourth of July

          Fourth of July celebrations in the United States feature patriotic music, parades, picnics, concerts and of course, fireworks.  Most of those were canceled in 2020 because of covid, but many of them made a comeback with some limitations in 2021.

          One of the most famous celebrations happens annually in my hometown of Lititz.  Most of the events happen in the Lititz Springs Park with the candlelighting and crowning of the Queen of Candles.  The fireworks went on this year but in a different location.  People come from all over the country to attend this celebration.

          But would you believe that I have never been to the park to view these traditional ceremonies.  For many years we were at our camp meeting over the Fourth.  Then several times I had to work that day for the newspaper.  When we were married I no longer lived in Lititz and we didn't feel like fighting the crowds and the terrible traffic to get there.

          But my favorite part of the celebration was the great parade always held the day before, on the third of July.  It was an amazing small town America celebration with numerous bands, floats, scouts, majorettes, members of the past and present military, fire engines, military equipment, etc.  Thousands came to view it.  We always got there early to save places for our family along the route.  It was one of the highlights of our year.  But, alas, it was a victim of covid prevention this year. But maybe it will be back again next year.

           Then there also were the many gigantic celebrations in cities around the country.  Many of these are televised.  Some included "famous" musicians and today's popular music which I generally don't care for.  But some did include patriotic music which was stirring.  And, of course, they included fireworks - in many cases, too many.  New York was the most guilty of this.  They could have cut their production in half and saved many thousands of dollars which could have been spent on needy projects and people.  And after many years of watching fireworks, I feel that there really isn't anything new to see.  But then, I am old.

           Over the years my favorite televised event is the Boston Pops celebration in Boston.  I've often wished that we could go to see it live.  Now that my niece and her husband are moving to Boston that could be a possibility.  But physically we could no longer handle it.  So we will continue to watch on television in the future.

          The Boston Pops have always been one of my very favorite groups.  A few years ago when we attended a math convention in Boston they came to present a special concert for those attending the convention.  We scouted the area in advance and found the best entrance and location to see them.  We ended up just a few rows from the front - a perfect location.  The concert was excellent but they didn't play my favorite march, "Stars and Stripes".  Now I don't know what got into me but when they ended I called out "Stars and Stripes".  Many joined me and chanted the same message.  They heard us and struck up the march for us.  It was amazing and memorable!

          The 2021 Spectacular was a little different than in the past.  Because of covid the music and program were televised from a location called Tanglewood.  The program included a salute to our armed forces medley, a patriotic sing along, and "Stars and Stripes".  And, as is the tradition, it included a performance of Tchaikovsky's "1812" Overture, with the many cannons being fired.

           Special guests included Six-String Soldiers of the U.S. Army Field Band - said to be the most followed military music group in the world - and members of the United States Air Force Band's Singing Sergeants, the official chorus of the USAF and the first premier military chorus to enlist women.  For the most part they were great.

          But there were some things I did not enjoy this year.  Other special guests  were Jon Batiste, bandleader of The Late Show, and so called legendary singer Mavis Staples.  Now again I am showing my age but I thought their presentations were poor and way too long.  Is that really talent?  But I guess the audience enjoyed them as they stood and swayed and danced along.

          And as is happening too often today, in my opinion there was too much emphasis on equality and diversity.  But that is where entertainment has gone.

          Now there was one more song that stirred my heart and troubled me.   The audience joined in singing "God Bless America".  As I listened to the words I could agree that God has blessed this country for decades. For that I am thankful.   But I was haunted with the question could God still bless America today?  Could He bless a country that kills babies, that is troubled with killings and violence, that mocks marriage and Biblical values, that has leadership that has no time for Him, that lies and steals?  I don't think so.  And that is so very sad.

          Maybe we need to fall on our knees and make this song our prayer.   

God bless America, land that I love 

Stand beside her and guide her 

Through the night with the light from above 

From the mountains, 

To the prairies, 

To the ocean white with foam 

God bless America, 

My home sweet home.

Hot or Cold?

my first classroom
before demolition

            So which would you prefer, the record heat waves we have been experiencing or the frozen record cold days of the winter?  Both can produce serious challenges and health risks.

           That can be a tough question and it depends upon other issues.  Do you have electricity to run your furnace or ac?  Are both pieces of equipment working?  Must you travel or even be outside?  Must the sidewalks be shoveled or the grass mowed?

          Now I imagine everyone has a preference, but assuming my furnace and ac are operating and my pipes aren't freezing, I prefer the cold.  When it is cold you can put on heavier clothing ot blankets.  But when it is hot you must take things off ... if that is even possible.  And I do hate the humidity which can accommodate the high temperatures and be horrendous in Lancaster County.

          I am one of those who grew up without air conditioning.  My parents never had central air.  Later in life - after we three kids left - they did purchase two window units, one for their bedroom and one for the dining room/kitchen.  I'm not sure when they finally bought their first car with ac but I know it wasn't until later in life.  Central air and air conditioning in your car were seen as luxuries to them.  They were only for the "rich".  We "poor" folks just learned to adjust to the heat the best that we could.  And adjust we did, or at least we tried to.

          I can still remember those horrendously hot and humid nights when I was growing up.  Often I would take my pillow and a cover down from my second floor bedroom to the living room.  I would open our side door to the porch and lay in front of the door just trying to catch a small breeze.  Sometimes I did, but it was always small and never too refreshing.

          When we rode in our car we always rode with all the windows open and you tried to get a seat next to the window and enjoy the resulting breeze.  A neighbor boy owned a convertible and if you were fortunate you could go for a ride with him once un awhile.  We endured sitting in school and in church and living in tents at camp meeting in the hot summer days.  And we didn't complain - we had no other alternative.

          When I was in college I attended church in Sunbury, without ac of course.  But outside the right side of the building were row homes whose porches adjoined the side of the church.  On hot summer days the church windows were opened exposing the porches.  The residents had no privacy from the church services on Sundays and the congregation had to endure the actions of the neighbors.

          Incidentally, early in June we were married in that sanctuary.  I wore my black wool suit, the only suit that I owned.   The heat, humidity, my suit and my nervousness were a great combination that day.

          In our early days of marriage our only relief from the heat came from a large window fan which we purchased.  It would blow the hot air out and pull the cooler air in from other open windows.  It was the best that we could afford in those days.  Years later we were able to add some window air conditioners that served us until 1991 when we finally could afford central air.  That was 29 years after we were married.

          In 1967 we spent eight weeks in Tallahassee, Florida, while I was attending Florida State University.  It was really hot there but not nearly as humid as we were used to back home.  And at that time, every place there, including our apartment had central air.  That was a summer that we enjoyed.

          But probably my worst experience with the heat came during my teaching career at Penn Manor.   For almost two thirds of my 39 years my office and classrooms were on the third floor, east side of a brick building with no ac or even cross ventilation.  The sun would hit those windows and it was often over 90 degrees when the day began.  And while we had a fan for each room it did little to make it comfortable all day.  After an hour of teaching I was often "soaked" with perspiration and often had to change my shirt.  I pitied my students who had to suffer through those conditions as well as through my teaching.  For years I begged the school to at least install some exhaust fans to move the air.  But as they sat in their air conditioned offices the administrators could never decide to support my requests.  So we suffered.

          Thankfully, during the last third of my years of teaching I took on K-12 duties and then was first given an office in the ninth grade building and then in an elementary school.  Both had central ac.  Then, in 1997, a major renovation also gave me a classroom with ac.  That helped make teaching fun once again.

          As I've watched the news of the recent heat waves I can't help but wonder how folks survive, especially vulnerable seniors.  Many of the folks in the northwest region didn't even have ac, something you just assume everyone has today.

          I also often think of my parents and how they survived all their lives without central air.  But they were hardy folks who lived through many difficult times.  And they trusted the Lord and He provided - ALL their needs.  May I  exercise the same faith.

          Keep cool - the summer isn't over yet!

Test For Seniors

          When I used to lead the sessions at the annual Senior Saints Retreat in Pinebrook I used to start the first session with some sort of quiz to determine if the folks who were there really "qualified" as seniors.  It was always a fun activity and the majority of those in attendance "qualified" without much trouble.

          One of those activities was a quiz to see if you were "older than dirt". So let's see how you would do.  The objective of the quiz is to determine how many of the following you remember.  Here goes - keep your own count.

1.     Blackjack chewing gum.

2.     Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water.

3.     Candy cigarettes.

4.     Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.

5.     Coffee shops or diners with table-side jukeboxes.

6.     Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers.

7.     Party lines on the telephone.

8.     Newsreels before the movie.

9.     P.F. Flyers.

10.   Butch wax.

11.   TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning.

12.   Peashooters.

13.   Howdy Doody.

14.   45 RPM records.

15.   S&H green stamps.

16.   Hi-fi's.

17.   Metal ice trays with levers.

18.   Mimeograph machines.

19.   Poodle skirts.

20.   Letter sweaters.

21.    Five and Dimes stores

22.   Archie Bunker

23.   Mr. Potato Head

24.   Fortran

          Well, how did you do?   Do you qualify as officially being a senior?  If you can, I hope that the following hymn is your testimony.

1.    Of Jesus' love that sought me, when I was lost in sin;

Of wondrous grace that brought me back to His fold again;

Of heights and depths of mercy, far deeper than the sea,

And higher than the heavens, my theme shall ever be.

Sweeter as the years go by, sweeter as the years go by,

Richer, fuller, deeper, Jesus' love is sweeter,

Sweeter as the years go by.

2.    He trod in old Judea life's pathway long ago;

The people thronged about Him, His saving grace to know;

He healed the broken hearted, and caused the blind to see;

And still His great heart yearneth in love for even me.

Sweeter as the years go by, sweeter as the years go by,

Richer, fuller, deeper, Jesus' love is sweeter,

Sweeter as the years go by.

3.    'Twas wondrous love which led Him for us to suffer loss,

To bear without a murmur the anguish of the cross;

With saints redeemed in glory, let us our voices raise,

Till Heav'n and earth reecho with our Redeemer's praise.

Sweeter as the years go by, sweeter as the years go by,

Richer, fuller, deeper, Jesus' love is sweeter,

Sweeter as the years go by.

Pray, pray, pray

          Prayer is an essential part of Christian living.  Among other things the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing, ask and you shall receive, the prayer of the upright pleases Him,  the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  There is no question that believers are told to pray.

          But do we?  Since prayer is such a personal thing there is no real way to answer that question.  Saying that we pray is an easy response, but is it the correct response?  Telling somebody we are praying for them is a great response, but are we?

          Corporate prayer is another matter to consider.  What has happened to all the church prayer meetings.  We used to meet together to pray two evenings a week but now we don't meet for prayer at all.  Prayer from the pulpit on Sunday is often now limited and formal.  Many times those prayers are read and their flowing style might even tickle our ears, but is it really from the heart?

          We have days of national prayer but do we ever hear of days of fasting and prayer?  Do we ever hear of long nights of folks bringing needs before the Lord?  I'm not saying these don't exist or are not effective, I just don't seem to recall hearing about them or seeing results like I read about in earlier years.

          Back in the 1970's we had friends from Ohio visiting with us at Pinebrook.  Sitting around the swimming pool they shared about the prayer chains being run in their church.  We were impressed by what we heard and the Lord led us to start the same thing in our church.  We did and have directed them, in various forms, for over 50 years since then.

          Our chains began using the telephone.  Folks were asked to relay the message to the next person on the list.  If somebody didn't answer they were required to try the next person until the message was relayed.  Each person was required to write down the message and then repeat it to the caller.  The last person was to call us so we could verify that the message was relayed correctly.  It was the best thing that we could do under the circumstances but there were a few who would often add to or modify the request.  And sometimes the chain was broken.

           And as we grew we added more chains.  Once we had three chains with up to ten folks on each.  One of the challenges was to try to set up the chains so that nobody had to make a toll call.

          A few decades later the computer took the place of the telephone.  As more folks purchased computers we changed to e-mail prayer chains, the practice we still use today.  Unfortunately we have some folks who still do not have or use a computer.  Those are asked to find someone on the chain who will call them personally with the requests.

          And we have several rules that we insist upon.  For example, we will only post a request if the person being prayed for gives permission.  No notes from social media.  We also reserve the right to edit them.  My years of doing rewrites for area newspapers gave me some skills which are useful here.  We also limit some types of requests.

          Now this type of chain has been very useful  Requests vary.  In the last few weeks we have prayed for folks having surgery, folks going to the ER or the hospital, folks being treated for cancer, those who are grieving the deaths of family or friends, those who have important decisions to make, those who have unspoken needs and a variety of other needs.  As of this date we have processed 33 requests in the past 18 days.

          We presently have 103 addresses on our chain so with families involved we may have twice that number involved.  Are they all praying?  Possibly not, but that is beyond our control.  That is between them and the  Lord.  Unfortunately there are always some folks who just want to know what is happening.

          I am also aware that there are probably few real "prayer warriors" today.  For that reason I tend to share my personal requests with a small group of friends who I know will pray faithfully.  Over the years I have had several folks who took prayer seriously but  many of them have passed on.

          The Lord provides the challenge to us to pray.  We need to obey and seek the provision which He has promised.

1.   I have a Savior, He's pleading in glory,

A dear, loving Savior, tho' earth-friends be few;

And now He is watching in tenderness o'er me:

And O that my Savior were your Savior too!

Refrain:

For you I am praying, for you I am praying,

For you I am praying, I'm praying for you.

2.   I have a Father: to me He has given

A hope for eternity, blessed and true;

And soon He will call me to meet Him in heaven,

But O may He lead you to go with me too!

3.   I have a robe: 'tis resplendent in whiteness,

Awaiting in glory my wondering view;

O when I receive it all shining in brightness,

Dear friend, could I see you receiving one too!

4.   I have a peace: it is calm as a river,

A peace that the friends of this world never knew;

My Savior alone is its Author and Giver,

And O could I know it was given to you!

5.   When Jesus has found you, tell others the story,

That my loving Savior is your Savior too;

Then pray that your Savior may bring them to glory,

And prayer will be answered, 'twas answered for you! 

Give A Call

          Yesterday I was talking to my wife's physical therapist during her weekly in-home treatment.  We got on the topic of differences in skilled nursing homes and how they varied so much.

          He mentioned that the day before he was doing an in-home treatment with a client when his client got a phone call from his wife who was in an area skilled nursing home.  His wife was sobbing and begging for him to come and get her out.  She had been ringing for help for over 40 minutes and nobody was responding to help her.  So sad!  We recognized the name off the home and it was one that we hope we'd never have to use.

           It made me remember stories my mother used to tell about another nursing home where she worked for years as a volunteer.  Many times she would find patients who desperately needed help and were ringing for help without any response.  The staff was too busy - often they were in the hall talking to each other and ignoring the call.  Often my mother would go ahead and help the patient and then get in trouble herself for doing things that weren't her responsibility.  But at least the patients were helped by somebody.

          Sometimes nurses really are too busy and overwhelmed to respond immediately to every call.  And some patients are too demanding. There are often good reasons for delays.  But there is no reason for a patient to call for help and then wait over 40 minutes without any response.

          My wife was very fortunate.  While she was a patient at LGH and then at the Quarryville  Presbyterian Home skilled nursing unit, most of her nurses were very responsive and helpful.  When a call was made, they responded.

          We are thankful that the Lord provided a room for my wife at Quarryville.   When we were told that she had to be taken to a nursing home the two that we suggested had no beds available.  LGH then provided us with a list of eight facilities that had a bed available.  Two were close to our home but we had seen and heard problems with them and I wouldn't let my wife go there.  The list we were given also gave numerical evaluations for each of the eight.  Then the administrator also shared with us the two that she would be willing to send her mother to if she had to.

          We finally chose Quarryville, which was highly rated and recommended, even though it was a 30 minute drive from home.  It was an excellent choice.  We found a modern single room, kind staff, good food and excellent care.  We had no complaints at all.

          But calling for help without any response is a growing problem in our society.   Some doctor offices now will no longer answer your call directly but will ask you to record your request or question with a promise to get back to you.  Usually they do, but sometimes after you wait many hours for a reply.

           Some businesses do the same.  After having to listen to a lengthy recorded menu you are finally asked to leave a message.  That can be very frustrating.

          Yesterday I had some questions for my wife's in-home care coordinator.  I called the number given to us only to find it went to an answering service.  I shared what I wanted and who I wanted to talk to.  I was told that they would get back to me.  Two hours later the wrong person returned my call.  And I never did hear from the case manager as I had requested.

          Calling someone and getting an answer is not always easy, especially if you are in a hurry.

          These experiences have made me remember one of the first Bible verses that I memorized as a youngster - Jeremiah 33:3.  "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

          First, we are invited to call upon Him whenever we want.  Second, He will hear and answer us.  He is never too busy.  Third, not only will He answer us but He will show us more than we ever expected.

          What a tremendous promise that He always keeps.  I have claimed this promise  throughout my life and have been amazed by the results.

           This is one call which will never go unanswered.

Joy

          Usually my two weekly blogs are not related to each other, but this week I came upon something that I felt I needed to share in both.  Most of what you read here will also be in my Hymn Blog this Sunday.  But I know not all of you read both blogs each week so I have decided that this is too good to miss.

          Like a few of you, we have become big fans of the Collingsworth Family and each Sunday we have been watching their streaming videos as part of our Sunday in-home worship.  We are blessed by their music and their harmony and their presentations.

          However, we are most impressed by the piano arrangements of Kim Collingsworth.  She is exceptional and amazing,

          In the video which we saw last Sunday she shared some of their reaction to the pandemic.  This included the thought that while things all around have been canceled, joy has not been.   And with this thought she wrote a song on this theme.  I felt that it was encouraging enough to share with all of you.

Joy is not canceled 

It still remains 

Gods' goodness, kindness 

His grace isn't running low 

And He has not changed" 

His power is still abundant 

His mercies are still new 

God's plans have not been canceled 

He's fully in control 

And everything that matter still remains. 

When life is put on hold  

All our plans have canceled  

Things have changed  

Nothing feels the same  

Disappointments fear and doubt  

Go hand in hand  

and waves of worry threaten me 

Everywhere uncertainty  

But in the midst of chaos  

In the midst of fear  

There is something to remember  

There is something we all need to hear  

Joy is not canceled  

Peace still remains  

God's goodness kindness  

His grace isn't running low  

And He has not changed  

His power is still abundant  

His mercies are still new 

God's plans have not been canceled  

He's still in control   

And everything that matters still remains 

So when the trials and tests they come 

Darkness only hides the sun  

And You can't seem to find Your way  

No light of day 

There are some things we know for sure  

They never change they will endure  

No matter what things look like  

All around us  

So in the midst of chaos  

In the midst of all the fear  

There is something you should remember  

Yes there is something we all need to hear  

Joy is not canceled  

He still remains  

God's goodness and kindness  

His grace isn't running low  

And He, He has not changed  

His power is still abundant  

His promises they're all still true  

God's plans have not been canceled  

He's fully in control   

And everything that matters still remains  

Yes everything that matters still remains 

Psalms 30 : 5, "For his anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a lifetime: Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy `cometh' in the morning.    Philippians 4 : 4  "Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice."

          Now here is a clip where Kim reviews the circumstances behind this song and then sings the song which she wrote.      JOY