Love Your Neighbor

In the early 1960's a small home mission church, Millersville Bible Fellowship Church, purchased about four acres of land on W. Charlotte St. here in Millersville. Over the years they built a parsonage and a basement church which were separated by a 60 ft. wide piece of land to eventually access the property behind the new buildings. In the late 1960's the church disbanded and everything was put up for sale. When there were no buyers, my father decided to purchase the property and sell us the parsonage. We have lived there ever since. Over the years farmers used the land behind us. The problem came with the basement church - nobody wanted to buy it. So eventually dad rented it to a group as a Teen Center. This proved to be a problem and near disaster for all of us and, fortunately, that group also disbanded. Eventually the local Lions Club purchased the building and used it for their meetings. Then they added the top floor and used it for a Community Center. Often this caused problems for us because parties and noise there went on after midnight and kids and teens often ended up in our yard. Many times I had to call the police since the Lions Club did not seem to police the groups using the center. Then a developer asked to buy the land behind us and the 60 ft. access to the land. At the same time our own church was buying land to build a new building. So my father worked out a deal to give his land to our church who in turn sold the land to the developer. As a result, all the sales money went towards our new church. This thrilled my dad and was a huge boost to our church. Dad felt the Lord allowed him to hold this land over the years as an investment in the future of our church which he originally had helped start. Soon the developer built a street on the access and this improved things tremendously for us. The Lions Club now seemed so much farther away and we no longer had throngs of kids and teens in our yard. But then a few years ago the Lions Club membership declined and they could no longer afford to maintain the building. They put it up for sale and we shuddered thinking about who might buy it. To our surprise, a local organ repair company wanted it, but that would require a zoning exception. To get support for the change, the prospective owner and his wife visited us and our neighbors, introducing themselves and sharing their plans for the building. Among the things they shared was the fact that they would never need the 30-40 parking places on the property and that neighbors were welcome to use them whenever they needed a place to park. Their company would only actually need 8 - 10 of the spaces. And, since the company would never be open on Saturday or Sunday, they were always available on the weekends. We were thrilled to help them get the zoning change needed and they eventually moved in. Since then we have seen little or nothing of the owner. It has been very quiet and we have appreciated having them there. Once I did try to talk to the owner when he was having a problem with his lawn mower, but he had no interest at all in talking to me. That was the extent of our contacts until a few days ago. We seldom have taken advantage of his offer to park a car there. However, a number of times when we hosted our small group I did park our red car there for a few hours on Sunday to provide enough space for our guests in our driveway. This past Sunday I did that and at 8 pm I moved our car back to our drive. Monday, about noon, I found a note had been placed on the windshield of our car in our driveway. It said "This vehicle is illegally parked on private property." It told me that I had been ignoring the "notice clearly visible on the side of the building". The note also said that I had broken "PA Crimes Code 3505 (B)(1)(11), Criminal Trespass, Summary Offense, Punishable up to $300 Fine and 90 Days in Prison". It also said "Your car, make, model and license number have been recorded as well as surveillance video of you entering and leaving the vehicle for identification purposes." "Your car may be towed at your expense." I was stunned. I decided to go and talk to the owner who obviously knew me and knew my car, especially since they had come to my driveway to post the notice on my car. I apologized to him for parking on his property and explained that I thought he had said that we could park there when needed. His reply was that he gave me this notice because I hadn't first called and asked permission. I guess the rules had been changed since he won the zoning change. Well, I guess he had me there and I assured him that I was sorry and that I would never park in his lot again. And that may create a problem for us. No parking is allowed along the streets anywhere in our neighborhood so when we have company, our only choice now will be to park on our front lawn - except when it snows. So that's the story. There is no question that in terms of peace and quiet it is a pleasure to have his business in our neighborhood. But in terms of friendliness, neighborliness and cooperation ... well I must be reminded of that admonition to "love my neighbor". And hopefully the Lord will give me the grace to do that. And, if not, then I hope you will come and visit me during my 90 days in prison. Now relax Barry and remember - “Love your neighbor!”

Looking Forward To Retiring?

What the job gets tough and the boss becomes demanding, it is human nature to look forward to retirement. This can be true not only in your job but in ministry situations as well. But retirement from a job has many problems - dropping returns on investments, the high cost of medical insurance, and increasing living costs just to name a few. But an even bigger problem is the emotional loss of being important or needed and adjusting to the loss of a daily schedule. One of the things a retired person will soon find out is that you and your experience are often no longer needed or wanted. This can be hard. In recent years I've faced that situation in two positions that I held for over 30 years. In one case my decision was easy and I knew it was the right time to do it. In the other it was hard to do but probably necessary because of the opinions expressed to me by others. And in both situations it quickly became obvious that I was no longer needed. Now I am over both situations, but it was hard and many retirees have real trouble adjusting to those dramatic changes in their lives. Over the years I have watched many folks face these decisions with different reactions. I recall once at Pinebrook talking to a group of seniors from a church who proudly proclaimed that they had dropped out of everything at church and were leaving it to the young folks. I found that to be sad. Some times old folks do stand in the way of young folks, but there should be a way to balance the two. The young should be mentored by the old, but often neither are willing to do this. Then I've seen folks hang on too long to a position and they've ruined their reputation. Take quarterback Bret Favre for instance. He was once one of the best quarterbacks to ever play football but his several unsuccessful attempts to "unretire" made him the object of many comedians. Then there are those who continue to hang on and control things when they are still working with a mindset from the previous century. They can't give up their control. Does the name Joe Paterno ring a bell? I admit that I also get bothered by seniors who continue in leadership positions forcing their opinions on major decisions which will greatly affect people long after when they themselves will have passed away. Some seniors fail to listen and adapt to others around them when they feel they have all the wisdom. So often we seniors get so stuck in our ways that we can't accept the wisdom of others and adapt to a changing world. It is sad that businesses and ministries can't find a way to blend the wisdom of older folks with the enthusiasm and perspective of younger ones. But that isn't the spirit of this age. Young is in, old is out. So are you growing older and thinking of retiring from work or from a ministry? If it is a job you will be leaving, make sure that you have counted the costs financially. It is not easy to afford full retirement. Prices of everything continue to grow and your retirement money probably won't grow at the same rate. Also measure your effectiveness in what you are now doing honestly and don't stay longer than you should. But look for ways to mentor your possible replacements, especially in ministry. And look for ways that you can still be respected for your wisdom without forcing yourself to be in charge, making key decisions that will impact others and possibly not yourself. And that is hard. Don't stop learning and picking up new skills - especially technological skills. This will keep your mind sharp and give you more options in the future. Be a life long learner. And be prepared to adjust mentally if your experience and wisdom are no longer valued or wanted after you leave. That is sad, but it happens to many of us. I know that from experience. But there is life after retirement, if you seek God's will and prepare for that time.

Politics

Growing up I was taught to be proud of our political system and heritage. None had ever rivaled it. And it was basically good. People were freely elected and then proudly went to Washington or Harrisburg to serve the people and to protect our great country. We supported elected leaders no matter what party they represented because they desired to serve the people. But times have changed and folks like me are quickly losing our confidence in our government. Today politicians are more interested in protecting their jobs and getting reelected. Politics and party loyalty are much more important than what is best for the people. This becomes obvious when people are predicting that nothing will get done by Congress during the next year because of the elections that are coming up in 2012. The president is already ramping up his efforts to win a second term by promoting a "class warfare" agenda - the rich vs. the poor. Tax the rich to support the middle class. And because of this, nothing important will get done once again this year. And no politician will tackle the pressing problems of the economy because they are afraid politically to take on things like social security and medicare. And so while they position to keep their jobs, the country goes deeper into debt. Are there any true patriots anymore? Are there any elected leaders who will stand up and do what is right for the country? And no Democrat will dare take on the President or even run against him. That would be political suicide. Then there are the hapless Republicans who are battling each other for the chance to take on Obama next year. Publicly they tear each other apart and put each other down. They try to destroy their opponents with their nasty remarks. The one who survives will have been battered, not only by the liberal press, but also by their fellow party members. The candidates will have already exposed all the shortcomings for the country to see before the campaign begins. Then they will try to unite and provide support for the winner to take on the President who has already been campaigning and raising money. None of this really makes any sense to me. And with the economy in the tank, both parties will still spend millions and millions of dollars to try to win the White House. Why not donate that to pay down the national debt or secure social security or lower the unemployment rate. Such hypocrisy. Unfortunately, I no longer feel that I can trust any of them. And the day of a commoner, with little money, getting elected to an important political office is long past. Now it is only a possibility for those who are famous, rich, or in the debt of somebody with deep pockets. Now I guess my blog has been very depressing. The state of politics today is depressing. But the one hope that we have is the knowledge that God is still in control and that the return of Christ must be very near. Years ago I was told that the prefix "poly" means many and that "tic" is a blood sucking parasite. So put them together - poly tic - and you have a good definition of politics today. Keep looking up!

A Special Project

It was a challenge I wanted to accept, but I wasn't given enough time to complete it to my satisfaction. But after I said "no", they reconsidered and gave me more time. The project? Complete a series of dvds showing the history and growth of our church over the past 61 years. They are to be used to kickoff a debt reduction campaign. Given the additional time, I began the project with several reservations. First, I didn't know where I would find about 140 pictures that I would need. I did get some great cooperation from some folks, ran into unexpected problems with others, and never did locate a picture of our fourth pastor, Rev. Norman Weiss. Second, I could not use pictures of everyone and unfortunately there would be several of the Kauffmans included since we have been a major part of the church since its founding in 1950. Third, it would be impossible to include all the ministries and missions trips that we have experienced over the years. And I imagine that there will be some who will be upset that they and their experiences were not used. Given more time and another dvd, maybe I could have improved this. But I have done the best that I can. A year ago I did write a series of blogs on our 60th anniversary, but compiling three dvds has been a much more challenging project. However, I have enjoyed it. The theme is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and that certainly has been very true. We have come a long way from our first service in a tent, with 28 in attendance, to last week when we had 671 in attendance. In the early years we grew about 10% every year and we have always been able to pay our bills on time and pay off our debts earlier than expected. We started in a tent, moved to rented rooms in Malta Temple, built a building and later two additions, sold our building, moved to the Ramada Inn, transitioned to the old Calvary Church and then built our new building on Donerville Road. It has been a great journey and if the Lord tarries, the journey will continue as we face the future challenge of expanding our facilities. We are quickly outfrowing them. But I think the greatest memory that I have had in this project are the great leaders which the Lord has raised up over the years. He has always provided us with godly pastors, but He has blessed us with skilled, dedicated leaders. I was only nine when the church was organized but I distinctly remember the sacrifices that the founding leaders made to establish our church. I can remember the hours they gave in labor to help save money on the first building. I often wonder if people would do that today. I remember the struggles of being a small congregation but I also remember the hope and motivation that resulted. I also benefited personally because there were many needs and few to fill them in a young church. So I started teaching Sunday School as a junior higher. I led the entire children's department as a senior higher. During that time I also directed the first church choir. I was one of the early youth group presidents. These were valuable experiences that young people in larger churches rarely have. I thank the Lord for them. And so, as I complete this project, I have become even more thankful that the Lord allowed me to be part of this church body since its beginning. As far as we know, I am the only remaining living charter member. And over the years, my parents (charter members), my brother and sister and their spouses, my sons and their wives, and all of my grandchildren have been part of this body - many in leadership positions. And for that blessing, I say thank you, Lord! God is so good and God is so faithful!

Think About These

Times are changing, maybe faster than we want. Have you ever stoped to think how different the world is for today's kids than it was for us. Every year Beloit College provides a "Mindset List" which provides a look at the cultural changes that shape the lives of students entering college that fall. The most recent listed 75 items but I am only sharing 26 with you. I also shared these with our Awana staff as a reminder of what is true in the lives of the kids we work with. Think about these.

1. The only significant labor disputes in their lifetimes have been in major league sports. ... 2. There have always been at least two women on the Supreme Court ... 3. Refugees and prisoners have always been housed by the U.S. government at Guantanamo. ... 4. Their school's "blackboards" have always been white and are getting smarter. 5. "Don't touch that dial!"...what dial? ... 6. American tax forms have always been available in Spanish. ... 7. Amazon has never been just a river in South America. ... 8. Refer to LBJ, and they might assume you're talking about LeBron James. ... 9. There has never been an official Communist Party in Russia. ... 10. Video games have always had ratings. ... 11. Jimmy Carter has always been a smiling elderly man who shows up on TV to promote fair elections and disaster relief. ... 12. Women have always been kissing women on television. ... 13. Fake Christmas trees have always outsold real ones. ... 14. Unlike their older siblings, they spent bedtime on their backs until they learned to roll over. ... 15. Music has always been available via free downloads. ... 16. Grown-ups have always been arguing about health care policy. ... 17. Sears has never sold anything out of a Big Book that could also serve as a doorstop. ... 18. No state has ever failed to observe Martin Luther King Day. ... 19. Public schools have always made space available for advertising. ... 20. Charter schools have always been an alternative. ... 21. Major League Baseball has never had fewer than six divisions and never lacked a wild card entry in the playoffs. ... 22. They won't go near a retailer that lacks a website. ... 23. When they were 3, their parents may have battled other parents in toy stores to buy them a Tickle Me Elmo while they lasted. ... 24. McDonalds coffee has always been just a little too hot to handle. ... 25. They've often broken up with their significant others via texting, Facebook, or MySpace. ... 26. Most have never read my blog!

A Day To Remember

September 11 - a day that Americans will never forget. It is one of those days that everyone remembers exactly were they were when they first heard the news of the terror attacks. It was a day that changed our lives forever. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, there are several days that I will always remember where I was when I heard the news ... the end of World War 2 ... the shooting of President Kennedy ... the launching of Sputnik ... the first walk on the moon ... the shooting of President Reagan ... and a few others. But ten years ago I was in my room at school preparing for my next class. For some reason I decided to turn on the television to watch the news before class. Several minutes later I saw the first plane hitting the tower. The remainder of the day my classes of high school juniors watched in stunned silence as the events unfolded before us. There was little that could be said. As I said before, in an instance our lives were changed. During the days that followed, people flocked to churches. It was suddenly politically correct to talk about God and to call on Him for help. There was a spirit felt throughout the nation unlike any we had experienced for years. Security was tightened everywhere and we feel that even today. Wars were fought to try and stop the enemy - many additional lives were lost. But in the years that followed, the wars continued and some security measures affected our freedoms, but for the most part people returned to their previous ways. Religion was no longer important and, in fact, it even become a focal point of attack by many liberals and atheists. How soon we forget. Ten years later we have elaborate services to remember these events, but in New York City, pastors and other religious leaders aren't even allowed to participate. But God is still here and He is in control, no matter what man may do. And I have to believe that the return of the Lord is just on the horizon. We have just gone through a difficult time in this country with earthquakes, wild fires, hurricanes, flooding and unbelievable frustration. This has come at a time when our economy can't afford the billions of dollars involved in these losses. I don't profess to have the answers, but I can't help but wonder if God has withdrawn His hand of blessing and protection from this country. The scriptures remind us that "God is not mocked for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap." Maybe September 11 is a time that each of us should renew our commitment , our love, and our obedience to God the Creator.

Happy Birthday Millersville!

Millersville is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. I guess the extent of our part in the celebration is to buy the book that was printed for the celebration. We have now lived here about 45 years. Actually we don't really live in Millersville since our property line is the borough line and we are actually in Manor Twp. But I can walk about 15 feet out my den door and be in Millersville.So we usually say that we live in Millersville. Recently one of my sons and I were driving through town and he remarked how much that he liked Millersville and how many good memories he has of the town. I was a little surprised because I do not have the same feelings. I have never really enjoyed this town and have never felt a part of it even though I've spent over 60% of my life here, including 39 years working here. When I graduated from college I had four job interviews - Donegal, Elizabethtown, Hershey and Penn Manor. I was offered jobs at all four places and the Lord led us to choose Penn Manor. Our first few years here we lived about 20 minutes away. When we finally moved to town I could walk to work or else drive there in about 5 minutes. That was enough for me to stay here, eliminating those drives in bad weather. And we've stayed because I don't want to take another mortgage at my age and the thought of packing and moving sort of "blows my mind". Now why don't I like Millersville. First there is no downtown shopping area as there is in a place like Lititz. It was fun growing up to be able to walk downtown and shop and meet folks. The shop keepers all knew you. Not here. Millersville is a college town and that means you put up with the noise and drinking and bad behavior. And it does exist and little appears to be done to control it. There is a law about open beverages but one can drive around and see the drinking parties held openly with nobody enforcing the law. Then there are the out-of-town landlords that buy up homes to rent to college students. We are becoming surrounded by these situations. A friend of ours is desperately trying to sell his house because of all the college students now surrounding them. And despite their complaints to the authorities, nothing is done about the problems. Then there is the major problem of traffic. Thousands of commuters tie up the few narrow roads into and out of town. Don't try to get out of town quickly on a Friday afternoon - impossible. Fortunately a few traffic lights now allow you to at least get across the main street when school is in session. A few years ago there was an attempt to provide a by-pass and another access road to the college to relieve the problem. But the borough officials voted it down because they didn't want to encourage additional developments. But now we have the additional developments and the traffic is worse. Fortunately I don't need to find parking in town. But the college has failed to provide adequate parking lots for their commuters. My grandson often has to drive around campus for 30-45 minutes to locate a parking space when he goes to class. And finally, our neighborhood is very suburban with most folks keeping to themselves. Now part of the problem could be ours, but most of us have little in common except that we exist here. Now why don't we move now that I am retired? Good question. We considered moving to Lititz (I think my heart is still there) after my dad died. But Lititz has its own traffic problems. It is much, much farther to church and to our doctors. It would mean a mortgage which we don't want at this point in our lives and it would mean packing and packing and packing. It would mean all sorts of work to sell our house and after selling my dad's house I'm just not ready for that adventure once again. So the Lord has provided this home for us and until He leads differently we will probably stay. I do know one thing, however. We won't stay another 45 years for we have a mansion being prepared for us and that will surpass anything we could have on this earth. But, happy birthday Millersville.

It's Back!

It's back! College football starts this week. That is something I look forward to all year. Unfortunately during the past few years College football has been marred by major institutions violating NCAA laws. The news has been full of reports about Ohio State, Michigan, USC, North Carolina, Miami and others who have broken the laws. There are a few such as Penn State and Stanford that have never faced such charges. As a result there have been numerous jokes made about football at such colleges. Some are funny, some are sad, some are right on. I hope I don't offend your favorite team, but to start the season here are a few that I have heard. (1) Why do Nebraska football players like smart women? Opposites attract. ... (2) Why do Tennessee fans wear orange? So they can dress that way for the game on Saturday, go hunting on Sunday, and wear it to pick up trash on Monday. ... (3) How do you get a former Ohio State football player off your porch? Pay him for the pizza. ... (4) What does the average Florida State player get on his SATs? Drool. ... (5) How many Miami football players does it take to change alight bulb? Five. And they each get three credits. ... (6) How many Florida freshmen football players does it take to change a light bulb? None. That's a sophomore course. ... (7) What do you get when you put 32 Arkansas cheerleaders in one room? A full set of teeth. ... (8) What are the longest three years of a Florida State football player's life? Freshman year. ... (9) A man asks his friend, "Did you hear about the 22-year-old babe who married the 93-year-old Alabama booster? It was afootball wedding." The friend says, "A football wedding?" "Yeah, she's waiting for him to kick off." ... (10) Why do Mississippi State football players put their diplomas on the dashboard? So they can park in a handicapped spot. ... (11) Why do Michigan State football players go to movies in groups of 18 or more? 17 and under not admitted. ... (12) What is the most common phrase used by a former Colorado football player? Would you like fries with that? ... (13) What do you call a genius sitting in the Arkansas student section? Visitor. ... (14) How did the Georgia football player die from drinking milk? The cow fell on him. ... (15) What's the difference between a litter of puppies and Steve Spurrier? Puppies stop whining after 8 weeks. ... (16) Two West Virginia football players were walking in the woods. One of them said, "Look, a dead bird." The other looked up in the sky and said, "Where?" ... (17) How do you keep a Colorado football player out of your yard? Put up a goalpost. ... (18) A Clemson football player was almost killed yesterday in a tragic horseback-riding accident. He fell from the horse and was nearly trampled to death. Luckily, the manager of the Wal-Mart came out and unplugged the horse. ,,, (19) A Southern Cal football player was bragging to a group of co-eds that he finished a jigsaw puzzle in only three months. One girl said, "Three months? You're proud of that?" The Trojan said, "Yep. On the box it said 4-6 years." ... (20) When do Florida State players NOT run up the score? When they are taking their SATs. ... Well I hope you enjoy the football season better than these jokes. Oh yes, before the kick-off, here is a final one ... (21) What do Penn State football players call the elderly? Coach.

Good-bye Irene!

Good-bye Irene. I won't say "goodnight Irene" because there wasn't much good about that night with Irene except that it wasn't quite as bad as some had predicted. It left homes and properties devastated with billions of dollars of damage. It produced a major blow to insurance companies and the economy. We didn't anticipate too much of a problem at our house because the forecasts called for only 2-3 inches in our area. We actually had 4.5 inches but we were spared the damage that so many others are still facing. Our problems developed at 3:40 a.m. when we both got awake and suddenly realized that our electricity was off. As I listened to the pounding rain, my first concern was the basement and our sump pump. Thankfully the Lord got us awake just in time because I found that the water had just begun to overflow the pump pit and the water hadn't spread too far. Using a flashlight I quickly found a bucket and began to bail water out and pour it down a nearby sink. Dianne soon joined me. We set up two chairs, turned on a portable radio, and spent the next few hours, in our night clothes, taking turns with the bucket. For the first hour or so the pit filled up about every 3 - 5 minutes. Each time we took out about 4 buckets of water. By about 5 a.m. it slowed to about every 5 - 7 minutes. Later it slowed to about every 10 minutes and it finally began to get light outside. Waiting for the daylight reminded me of the many times we were up at night with sick kids waiting for the morning to come. You feel like it will never happen. I had responsibilities at church to count the morning offerings and present an Awana award. So when it slowed to about every 15 minutes, I left Dianne to handle the water and I went to church. I made a quick trip home between services and then when I finally returned at about 11:40 the electricity finally came on and our problem was solved. And finally we could use our well once again to wash and go to the bathroom. We decided to go out for something for lunch only to find that most restaurants and fast-food places were closed because they had lost their power as well. We finally found a Golden Arches that had just opened and we were their first customers of the day. But that wasn't the entire story. At church in the first service, while the organist was playing the offertory, the power went off. No lights, no instruments, no power points, and no sound system. However, the pastor was able to preach and finish the service in the dark. They began the second service with guitars for the singing. And, just as I was about to present the award, the power came back on. It really was a morning to remember. As far as our basement goes, since we do have a water problem when we get large rains, I guess I need to buy a generator. We had a similar experience back in 1972 during Hurricane Agnes and that really was worse because the storm got ahead of us and we did have considerable water in our basement. But since that time, thank the Lord, we have never had a serious problem of flooding during a power failure, at least for any length of time. So is a generator in our future? That's a good question. But as I said, good-bye Irene! We won't miss you!

Safe And Secure

There are certain commercials that I really don't like. The ad about the fellow who shows up 30 minutes too early for the flash mob is funny - the first or second time. But after the 50th time - forget it. The Comcast ad with the turtles has now become annoying. Then there is the one used in every Phillies game when a Phillie is safe on an extra base hit. The announcers say, "Safe and secure - with New York Life". That statement has now become predictable and annoying. Now what is really safe about New York Life? In this economy is any financial company really safe and secure? In fact we live in a time when nothing in this world is really safe and secure. The stock market certainly isn't and they say social security and medicare may soon run out of money. Last weekend we had severe thunderstorm warnings here. At least this time they didn't include tornado warnings but we have had numerous such warnings this summer. And we have had several destructive tornados just miles from our house in years past. We have been more fortunate than thousands of others. Nothing is safe and secure in a tornado. Tuesday we experienced an earthquake - the most serious one in the east in about 100 years. We have experienced earthquakes here before but thankfully none as bad as those in Japan. Everything can be gone in seconds. Nothing is safe and secure in an earthquake. Now this weekend they are talking about hurricane Irene hitting here. It has the potential to follow the same track as one a century ago which settled over New York City and created devastating 13 foot waves there. Will that happen this time? I certainly hope not. We have experienced hurricane damage and flooded basements in the past and realize that nothing is safe and secure in a hurricane. Finances, health, jobs, pensions, family, possessions - none of these are really safe and secure. So what can we do? Worry? Hide? Get ulcers? I hope that you've personally discovered the only answer which is found in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." Or Psalm 46:7, "The LORD of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our refuge." Or Psalm 57:1, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by." Or Psalm 62:8, 'Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.' Or Proverbs 14:26, "In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge." So come what may, God's children know where they are really safe and secure. Safe and secure - with Jesus Christ!

Thirty Years

Thirty years is either a long time or a short time depending on what has happened during that time. This week will mark 30 years since we started our Awana program and it is hard to believe that it has been that long. It has been an exciting 30 years and we have watched the Lord work in so many marvelous ways during that time. When we began we decided to hold a training class during Sunday School, beginning in September. And if by December we had at least a dozen folks committed to the ministry, we would start it in January. I taught the class and in December we had 20 adults ready to go. And since then the ministry has grown. We will begin this year with a staff of at least 90. During these years we've now trained and certified over 270 adults. We've had the experience of working in three different locations as our church has relocated. In the second building we had to create game areas in two different locations and that meant measuring and laying tape on carpet, several times. Often we have faced what appeared to be major obstacles in replacing staff, especially key club leaders. But every year the Lord has answered our prayers and provided the people that we needed. Last year we had a major need for men to work with our boys in grades 3 -6 and the Lord actually provided more than we needed. This year we had a major need to replace most of the staff in another club and the Lord again provided all the help that we need. Often we needed to replace key directors and the Lord led us to just the right replacements. I should not be amazed, but I admit that I still am. Now as you might guess, I am thoroughly sold on the Awana program. Their goal is to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and train them to serve Him. The key verse is 2 Timothy 2:15 from which the name comes - Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed. Their major emphasis is teaching children fundamental Biblical concepts and memorization of scripture. It is fun to see our kids excel in regional Bible quizzes and in Awana games. But the greatest thrills for me are to see a youngster come to know Christ personally or for me to present Sparky and Timothy Awards in our morning worship service to those who have disciplined themselves to complete the Awana curriculum. I will have the privilege of presenting a Timothy this coming Sunday morning. During the past year Dianne and I have had the special honor of completing Commander College 101 and 201. Despite our years of service there is so much to learn and so much more that we would like to see accomplished. But we know that we don't have 30 more years to do that. In fact we're not sure how many more years we will have. We are training replacements and we know their time to take over is approaching quickly. Life does go quickly when you are serving the Lord. We would enjoy being able to attend the final training program, Commanders College 301 in Chicago, but that appears to just be a dream. In the meantime, here we go again with another exciting year of Awana. Pray with us that many children will be reached for the Lord this year and that children will grow in their love and passion for the Lord. And while you are at it, join us in praying for the 14 adopted clubs that our Awana sponsors internationally as well as for a new Spanish club in Reading that we are helping to sponsor . Incidentally, over 12,000 churches in the U.S. now sponsor Awana clubs reaching 1.5 million children. Another 10,000 are reached internationally. Pray for this great ministry.

Tradition, Tradition

Over the past few years I have begun to realize how important it is for parents to establish traditions for their children and to do things to pass their legacy to future generations. This has become an important activity and goal for me and I have done numerous things to pass my godly heritage to my children, grandchildren and maybe someday even to my great grandchildren. I have had the opportunity to share this concern and some ideas at Pinebrook and in a Sunday School class years ago, but it is not a "hot" topic and there seems to be little interest in it. But most families do have traditions. Some are better than others. One of ours is that we annually host a birthday dinner for each of our grandchildren. They get to select the menu. We have had everything from pizza to ham to hoagies to chicken pot pie, and much more. Then we make them a special cake. Each year, until they are 13, the cake is a special shape that has some special significance in their lives. Once they are 13 they receive a cake in the shape of a heart but they still may decide what kind of cake and icing we should make. As part of our tradition, we always sing together the prayer which goes "We thank thee Lord for this our food, God is love, God is love. But most of all for Jesus' blood, God is love, God is love. These mercies bless and grant that we may live and feast and reign with Thee, may live and feast and reign with Thee, God is love, God is love. Amen". And all learn the words and participate. I recall having sung this at family gatherings on my father's side since I was a toddler. It is one tradition that I want to continue to pass on. The cakes have been a challenge. I do most of the designing, Dianne does the baking, and we share the decorating. I've just placed 18 pictures of some of these on my Facebook wall. One of our granddaughters has had a butterfly, a castle, a cat (her pet), a horse (her hobby), a piano, a dolphin, and a violin. Her sister has had a Christmas tree, a cat, a panda, a teddy bear, a reindeer, a Christmas stocking (her birthday is near Christmas), and a bicycle. A grandson has received a crown (he used our King puppet in Awana) and a football. Another granddaughter received a soccer ball, a soccer ball (guess what sport she likes), a roller coaster, and a blonde wig (she had the lead in a church musical and dressed with a blonde wig). A grandson has received an ark (guess what his name is), a Sparky (an award won in Awana), a snowman, a french horn (guess what he plays), a Brian Westbrook uniform, and an angel (he had the lead in a church musical as an angel). Pictures of each of these are included in the annual family DVD which I make each Christmas for the families. Traditions are important as are other activities for sharing your legacy - maybe I'll need to write blogs about some of these ideas in the future. However, many of my writings and pictures can be found on my web site, fbfawana.com. Well we have another birthday this Sunday - number 11 for one of my granddaughters. She has asked for ham loaf, mashed potatoes, french green beans, chocolate cake with white icing and Lady Liberty ice cream. And her cake is done! It's her favorite of the three instruments which she plays - a trumpet. A two-layer trumpet which is made from two flat cakes. And you have a special preview of the finished product - just don't tell her about it or you'll spoil the Sunday surprise.

Turn Your AC On

I never enjoyed history when I was young, but the older I get, the more interesting history becomes. I guess that is because I've actually now lived through a great deal of history. And there are so many interesting stories that folks often don't know about. One of those is about the Goldberg Brothers, the inventors of the automobile air conditioner. The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees. The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter. Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car. They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees, turned on the air conditioner and cooled the car off immediately. The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them $3 million for the patent. The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they wanted the recognition by having a label, 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner,' on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed. Old man Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords. They haggled back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on $4 million and that just their first names would be shown. And so for many decades, all Ford air conditioners showed - Lo, Norm, Hi and Max - on the controls. And that's the news - have a great day!

It's Coming!

It's coming! I can feel it! My favorite season will soon be here. I love the cooler temperatures. I love the colored leaves. I love the fields filled with pumpkins. I enjoy the smells of burning leaves and wood burning in fireplaces. And I love football. Now the calendar certainly indicates that Fall should soon be here. But here are my top ten indicators that tell me it is coming quickly.

10. It's getting dark earlier - daylight is really getting shorter.

9. High school sports teams are beginning to practice and today, in the mail, we received the school calendar for the coming year. It's on its way!

8. We're getting sick of reruns on television. They aren't too bad the second time, but the third time - boring. Bring on the new shows.

7. Garden stores are beginning to sell mums. I love to see mums bloom in Fall.

6. People are beginning to talk about wild card teams for the October baseball play-offs. Hopefully the Phillies won't need to worry about winning a wild card spot this year unless they begin to fall apart. And that has happened to the Phillies before.

5. Advertising for Awana begins, I have meetings each Wednesday beginning next week and I am spending hours getting everything ready to go again - for the 30th year.

4. Our tomatoes are all getting ripe at the same time. We are living on tomato sandwiches and tomato salads ... and we have tomatoes, and tomatoes and tomatoes!

3. The kids are counting how many days of vacation are left until school begins. The parents probably began doing that in June.

2. The cicadas are singing loudly and the cicada killers are busy attacking them and digging up our yard.

1. And my number one indicator is that the Penn State football board has started its countdown to the first kickoff. While I am writing this, the clock says there are 21 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 53 seconds until the opening kickoff. And when you read this blog the clock will already be much closer to 0 0 0 0! Let's go Lions.

Ready or not, here comes Fall!

Lesson Lived - Lesson Learned

Monday morning I heard a song that was new to me. I don't know the title nor the artist, but the message was clear - his father taught him many lessons. One of the things mentioned in the song was how the family used to take an elderly lady to church each week. That message stirred my memories. My parents were married about the time World War II broke out. Times were tough. Jobs were scarce. For about eight years of married life they lived without owning an automobile. This is so impressive since during those years they moved seven times. During the war, among other things, dad taught Air Force cadets at Susquehanna University and worked on the Manhattan Project in Wilmington, Delaware. He also taught math and physics at Doylestown High School, New Cumberland High School and Elizabethtown College. He coached football and had to travel fall weekends to scout opposing teams. He had two young sons to support and all of this was done without an automobile. He spent considerable time walking and traveling by bus and train during those years. And, we never missed getting to church and weekly he had to carry groceries home by hand. All this was done without a car. Then, when I was in second grade, he purchased his first car, a Ford, from Garber Motors in Elizabethtown. Now we could drive to Harrisburg to go to church, three times a week. We could visit relatives and do many of the things we couldn't really do before. Then we moved to Lancaster where dad helped establish a new church. During the initial services, in a tent, we met an elderly lady, Mrs. Brenneman, who came to the services by bus. Dad told her that we could provide transportation for her and for many years we did that, each Sunday. During those years she lived in two different locations, neither of which were on our normal route to church. Later she moved to Lititz. Again we would take her to church, each week, even though it meant six of us squeezing into dad's car. Finally she was physically unable to come anymore. And the transportation stopped, but not for long. There was another lady who lived in Lititz, Mrs. Sturgis, who had formerly attended our denomination's church in Easton. She wanted to attend our church and once again the weekly transportation was provided by dad. But this situation was a little tougher - our family was growing up and needed more room. And Mrs. Sturgis was very overweight - and that is saying it as kindly as possible. In fact at one point she even broke the springs in our car. But I never heard dad complain. But what I do remember is that during these years he often said that the car wasn't his - it was the Lord's. He had struggled for many years without one until the Lord provided one for him. And he dedicated its use to the Lord, not just in name but in practice. That was true of all that my father and mother had. And they lived that way through the lean years as well as through the years of plenty. They continually thanked God for all that they had and they were always ready to use it for the Lord. Our home was always open to host missionaries, visiting speakers, and students. They provided meals and clothing to others. They hosted Bible clubs for children and they supported many ministries with their time and money. All that they had was the Lord's. And that is a lesson I hope that I too will practice and never forget. Lesson lived - lesson learned.

Daily Ups and Downs

One day last week personal comments from three different people really impacted my emotions that day. All three made comments - two of them were public - about things I had done. I was surprised because I really didn't expect any of the three. One negative one came from a person I don't know very well. And it hurt even though I realize our lifestyles are very different. The other two were from people that I know who are born again Christians. One of these two is very vocal about his/her faith and you aren't with that person very long until you hear of all the "ministries" he/she and his/her church are involved in. And they are really good ministries and I think he/she is sincere and is being used by the Lord. But this person has very strong opinions and isn't always bashful about sharing them. Comments made by this person have hurt before and this unnecessary public comment stung once again. Being human, my first thought was to defend myself and strike back. I thought of all sorts of comments I could make in return. But as I thought about it, it certainly wasn't a way a Christian should respond. Better just to turn the other cheek. So I have decided not to react, but to forgive, try to forget and just move on. However, I was reminded of the scripture verse, Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Unfortunately, just because we are born again doesn't mean that our speech will be perfect. Our tongues still can create problems. But as Christians we must recognize the need to speak with grace to those who cross our paths - believers and unbelievers. That isn't always easy. Another of my favorite verses is Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." I find that I need to pray that many times throughout the day and I think most Christians probably need to also make this a daily request. Now to finish my story. I mentioned the two critical comments that were made to me, but there was a third one that day. A dear Christian brother surprised me by calling just to say "thank you" for a decision that I had made and to tell me how excellent that decision was. I didn't ask for this reaction nor did I expect it. But it sure was an encouragement to me and it more than balanced out the two negative comments I received that day. God is so good. I need to be more sensitive to others and to encourage them as this caller did for me. We don't need to attack or wound fellow believers - the world does this enough to us. Let me urge you to watch what you say - and think - and to encourage somebody today. Years ago I heard "To live with saints above, oh that will be glory. But to live with saints below, well that's a different story." It's sad that there is so much truth to that saying. Have a great day! God is still on the throne and He is in control! And, keep looking up!

You've Got Mail!

It started like any typical Monday morning. I headed to my den to check the morning mail - the e-mail that is. I was waiting for some replies to e-mails that I had sent over the weekend. I needed to check the tracking information on some products that I had ordered online. I needed to see if there were any prayer chain requests that I needed to send out to the prayer chain which we supervise. I wanted to check to see if my newest blog was online as scheduled. I wanted to update my website. I was hoping to get an update on my cousin who has been in the hospital for several weeks. I wanted to see if there were any updates and new verbals on the Penn State website which I check daily. And I wanted to see if there were any messages from friends, either by e-mail or on Facebook. But after my computer fired up I found that I couldn't get online. I tried our other computer with the same results. And I checked our new iPad and found the same problem. I tried a different browser and still couldn't get online. In frustration I checked all the connections. I unplugged the modem and the router, reset them, and rebooted with no change. Then I decided to call Verizon, our internet supplier. I finally waded through all their menus and finally received a message that there had been an outage in the Lancaster area but service was now restored. I was told to pull out the power supplies to the modem and router, wait 60 seconds, plug them back in and reboot. For the second time I did that and still had no service. Frustration was now building up. It was amazing to me how isolated I began to feel. I was not able to communicate with the outside world - at least by computer. It almost felt like we had a snowstorm or bad electrical storm and were housebound with no electricity. I then had a reality check and realized that it was just the internet and I could survive without it. But I kept trying, unsuccessfully, throughout the morning. Finally, early in the afternoon I decided to call Verizon once again. I spent 35 minutes going through their phone system. They required me to go through the routine of unplugging and rebooting once again before I could talk to a real person. Finally I reached what I guess was a real person who spoke in broken English. Despite their recorded message that all service was restored, I think he told me that their technicians were still working on the problem and that it would soon be restored. I gave up and decided just to wait. A few hours later it was restored and life returned to "normal". But the experience reminded me of how much we are learning to depend upon the modern technology. I was embarrassed to realize how isolated I felt when I couldn't use it. And yet I am not alone. I still am amazed to see folks everywhere - driving, shopping, walking - talking into their phones. Many others are listening to their iPods. How dependent we've become. I am convinced that one of the biggest terror threats to our country is the loss of electricity and internet service. We couldn't bank, we couldn't buy, we couldn't communicate, and we'd all feel isolated. And that might be devastating to many in today's technology dependent society. That's enough for now - I really need to check my e-mail.

How Our Lives Change

Recently we were talking to somebody about their new baby and the remark was made that children really change the lives of their parents, sometimes more than anticipated. We discovered that almost a half century ago. Recently somebody sent me an interesting e-mail that listed some of these changes. I enjoyed it enough to share with you. Parents, enjoy!

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful to have been born the USA, the most powerful free democracy in the world.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for Velcro tennis shoes. As well as saving valuable time, now I can hear the sound of my son taking off his shoes -- which gives me three extra seconds to activate the safety locks on the back seat windows right before he hurls them out of the car and onto the freeway.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the recycling program which will preserve our natural resources and prevent the overloading of landfills.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for swim diapers because every time my son wanders into water in plain disposables, he ends up wearing a blimp the size of, say, New Jersey, on his bottom.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for fresh, organic vegetables.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for microwaveable macaroni and cheese -- without which my children would be surviving on about three bites of cereal and their own spit.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to obtain a college education and have a higher quality of life than my ancestors.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful to finish a complete thought without being interrupted.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for holistic medicine and natural herbs.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for pediatric cough syrup guaranteed to "cause drowsiness" in young children.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to vacation in exotic foreign countries so I could experience a different way of life in a new culture.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful to have time to make it all the way down the driveway to get the mail.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the Moosewood Vegetarian cookbook.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for the Butterball turkey hot line.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for a warm, cozy home to share with my loved ones.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for the lock on the bathroom door.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for material objects like custom furniture, a nice car and trendy clothes.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful when the baby spits up and misses my good shoes.

Yes, life does change when you have children.