Tag: Death

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Happy New Year, Friends

On December 31, 2020, Carol and I spent a quiet New Year’s celebration together. It was relaxing because from 2008 through 2022, we had been home on December 31 only five times and on the road ten times. Hey, I just realized that we’ll stay home this year, too. YAY1

Several friends asked, “Can’t sit still, can ya?” My response is normally, “You find no moss under my wheels.” For example, in 2021 we drove over 29,000 miles and almost 21,000 in 2022.

It’s well-known by our families, friends, and those who read my articles, that we enjoy living in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. All cities, towns, and villages have their problems, but we’ve found this town to be one of the most pleasant places we’ve ever lived. With that in mind, why do we “hit the road” so often?

One quick answer is: our five kids live in five different states, and our siblings are spread out from the West Coast to the Mississippi Valley. We enjoy visiting them. We also have the privilege of preaching and teaching in our travels.

A second answer is: we enjoy seeing God’s creation first-hand. Seeing nature in books and on video is great. But nothing beats driving through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, seeing the Space Needle in Seattle, WA, the amazing Oregon Coast, Puget Sound in the great northwest, Niagara Falls, the red granite beaches of Maine, the snow-white beaches of Siesta Beach in Florida, seeing Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks, and HUNDREDS of other places.

We also enjoy seeing the marvels of man’s creation, such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the 605-foot tall Space Needle in Seattle, and the 630-foot tall Arch in St. Louis.

Historic sites such as the Yorktown, Virginia battlefield, the Gettysburg Battlefield, and Pearl Harbor cause me to stop and contemplate how different life might have been if the political and military tide had turned the other way.

The third answer is: we’re getting older, and some day our travel days will be over. So let’s travel while we can.

As we travel, we take thousands of pictures to document where we’ve been and what we saw. We’re grateful for digital photography because that’s a lot less expensive than the film we bought in the past. We often get our pictures out (on computer or other devices) and through our memory, we take those trips again.

The ability to remember amazes me. When I get to heaven, I want to ask God how He created memory. But I think He’ll simply say: That’s My secret.

As I mentally gaze on our blessings this past year, I read that approximately 3,273,707 people died in 2022 in the United States (around 69,163,777 worldwide), others have gotten sick, many have lost homes and businesses due to pandemics, government mistakes, the natural flow of economics, ongoing wars, and natural disasters. But sickness, wars, governmental problems, business failures, and all the other problems and catastrophes have been going on since shortly after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. As we read in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

The emphasis is: there’s nothing new under the sun. We have modern means of traveling, conducting war, studying, and getting work done, but the essence of life hasn’t changed throughout man’s history. Sickness, death, and all other problems related to life on earth will continue until Jesus stops it. And He will return one day.

But if He doesn’t return soon enough, I will die too. I don’t know by what means, but I will die, and the thought doesn’t bother me at all because death is part of life, and I know where I’ll go – to heaven to be with Jesus.

In the same concept as midnight on December 31 starts a new year, or a baby being born starts a new life, when my traveling days are over and I breathe my last on earth, I will start a new year, a brand-new life in heaven. It’s part of the Christian’s cycle of life.

However, as badly as I feel for those who have been hurt by various events on earth, I feel worse for those who die while not believing in Jesus Christ. We can start over after a catastrophe on earth, but when we die without faith in Jesus, there is no recovery. Think about it.

And I do wish you a Happy New Year.

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Be Ready for Surprises

Carol and I have an exciting life. We often don’t know from one day to the next what we’ll encounter – whether we’ll enjoy the events or be disappointed that we got out of bed. However, we understand that every day and in every situation in life, we have choices about how we’ll respond to circumstances. Sometimes events may be planned, but often they seem to pop up out of the blue. But we choose to respond in ways that honor the Lord.

For example, I wanted to visit my brother in California who was having health problems. Stopping for the weekend to visit with a dear, life-long friend who is a pastor, at 5:30 on Saturday evening, the pastor asked, “Would you be willing to preach for us tomorrow?”

I could have reacted with, “This is too short of a notice. I need more time to prepare.” But that’s not how God works. God had a plan in mind for both the church and for me, and I didn’t need much time to prepare. God had already been preparing the message in my mind and heart.

Another example developed as we were planning our route west from Albuquerque. Snow was forecast for Flagstaff, and pulling a trailer uphill in snowy weather is not my idea of safe traveling. So, we decided to take the southern route through Las Cruces, NM, and west through Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona.

However, we found out that God guided us in choosing the southern route because another friend who lived in Mesa had passed away. Her husband, Bill, called and asked if we could be with him at the home-going ceremony which would be at 10:00 AM on Monday. We agreed and arrived in Mesa on Saturday and stayed with Bill through the weekend.

Arriving at the cemetery at 9:30 AM on Monday, we interacted with Bill and the other family members, but the pastor hadn’t arrived yet. Finally, at 9:55 AM, I asked Bill, “Where’s your pastor?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? You’re him.” Surprised, I asked if he had an agenda. He said, “You’re it.”

I turned to the funeral director and asked him about his agenda. He responded, “I was told you’d have it.”

Again, I could have complained about not being informed beforehand. But if we are truly followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives and schedules are in His hands, and He has the freedom to guide our paths. That eliminates a lot of potential stress.

I took a deep breath, sent up a quick prayer, and reprogrammed my mind. Four minutes later we began our Celebration of Life service. It didn’t take any time for preparation because God was in charge, and Jo had been Carol’s and my friend since the early 1990s. I opened the meeting with prayer, then related an interaction with her when I was music minister where she played trumpet in the orchestra. Other friends who had known Jo since the 1980s were there, along with Jo’s husband and family. They, and others, added stories from their past. We truly celebrated her life, and it seemed like it was all planned.

Guess what? It WAS all planned – in the mind of God.

When a surprise springs up in front of us, all we need to do is ask the Lord for guidance. God likes that, and always has an answer. He’s in charge, and all we need to do is communicate with Him and be ready to obey.

That reminds me of another interaction many years ago.

In 1978 when Carol & I, with our 3 older kiddos were getting ready to relocate from New Mexico to Oklahoma, an older pastor in Albuquerque gave me this admonition:

“Gene, don’t open your own doors. You, and others who are like you, have a tendency to open doors that God doesn’t want open. Keep your hands off the doorknobs. Let God open the doors for you, but be sure to go through the ones He opens.”

“May I try the doors and see if they’re unlocked?”

“You may lightly push – with one finger. But keep your hands off the knobs.”

I’ve lived by that rule and God has led in wonderful ways.

Many surprises await us, so trust God for His guidance. Psalm 28:7a says, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.” Be ready to obey, and enjoy the surprises.

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Unrecognized Dangers

Having been an operations officer (which included safety oversight) at a scientific laboratory for years, I am always on the alert for possible danger. If the grandkids are running around while holding something in their hands, I check to make sure it isn’t something that could hurt them. If I am with a work party and someone is about to climb a ladder, I make sure the ladder is secure. I am always on the lookout for electrical problems. When I was a pastor in New Mexico, several of my parishioners said, “This is the first time we’ve had a safety officer as a pastor.”

Dangerous situations which are easy to spot should be corrected quickly. However, people need to be trained to recognize and understand inherent dangers. Some years ago I was visiting friends who lived in an old house, and they had many children with three under the age of six. As polite as I could, I advised the father to correct a safety issue: five live electrical outlets in the kitchen and the living room did not have covers. If a curious child poked his finger in the socket, it could be fatal. The father began rationalizing that he trained his children not to touch the outlets and thought that spending two dollars for this situation was unnecessary.

But he DID spend the two dollars when, an hour later, he found his two-year-old about to insert her hand into an open socket to pull out a dead moth. That danger suddenly became obvious to the father. Dangerous situations can pose great challenges simply because they are not recognized. Therefore, training is important.

Here’s a minor event that happened with me. I’ve reserved one pair of shoes for working in the yard, and those shoes are kept outside. When I want to wear the shoes, I do not blithely put them on – I check for ants, spiders, crickets, and small snakes.  

When I checked them this time, out flew a big angry hornet. I was glad I checked them; this critter would have redesigned my toes. First Corinthians 12:26 says, “When one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers with it.” How true.

There are many hidden dangers in life. Terrorists hide explosives in their cars, trucks, and clothing; and it takes highly trained people and animals to detect them. These hidden dangers have killed many thousands of people.

Undetected mechanical problems can become life-threatening issues. An undetected screw on the floor of the cockpit of a military jet caused one to crash, killing both pilots. Leaks in hydraulic systems of cars, trucks, buses, trains, or planes have resulted in fatal crashes. Old, frayed, or improperly installed electrical wiring in walls or in the attic have caused houses to burn down. My sister’s house was a victim.

Unexpected movements underground – earthquakes – have killed millions throughout history. Brown recluses and black widows lurk in dark corners, and copperhead snakes hide in wood piles and in tall grass.

If we foresee or anticipate these dangers, we can “head them off at the pass” so to speak, and mitigate the negative results – at least, to some degree. I am glad to say that mankind has become much better at it.

 But there is one danger in life where man has been a dismal failure at detecting. The results include broken families, poor health, disintegrating society, political corruption, suicide, skyrocketing crime, psychological problems, terrorism, and wars. The Bible calls it sin; it’s a result of refusing to privately and publicly honor God.

Rather than returning to the God of our fathers and correcting personal and societal problems, we ignore God and ignore the cause of the problems. We continue hedonistic, ungodly activities, but spend billions of dollars trying to fix the results. That is irrational. We promote programs which defy God while trying to solve the social ills that we assume are causing the resulting problems. We are intolerant of those who publicly stand for truth because we prefer to show tolerance for anti-Christian beliefs and bizarre and immoral behavior. This is, also, irrational because without a Godly/Christian influence, there is no basis or foundation for truth.

If we insist on pleasing those who live contrary to Scripture while denouncing those who desire a healthy, Godly society, we will never recognize the dangers that are currently leading us to destruction.

The remedy? Study the Bible, turn to Christ, and He will give us wisdom for living: both now and throughout eternity.

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Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941

On December 7, 1941, at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a dive bomber from the Japanese Imperial Navy flew unchallenged over the mountains on the island of Oahu. Then 360 Japanese warplanes, following closely behind, thundered over the mountains, descended on and attacked the U.S. naval base and the Army air base at Pearl Harbor. That catapulted the United States into World War II.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt then galvanized the US Congress and the nation into action with his memorable speech which started with: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

Part of our Pacific fleet was crippled. Included in the destruction were: four battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, several other ships and subs, and almost 200 planes. Over 2,300 Americans were killed and 1,200 wounded in that disaster. That debacle could not and would not be ignored.

Interestingly, the attack was engineered to prevent the United States from entering the war which would have enabled Japan to advance her imperialistic goals.

Dad’s 1999 book was updated and in December of 2021 was released under a new title: Dead in the Water. I put in new Introduction and numerous pictures, and my brother, Paul, put in a new Afterword. You can find the book on Amazon, and you’ll be glad you bought the book.

Japan’s surprise attack – prior to declaring war – propelled this mighty nation into action. The US aircraft carriers which Japan intended to sink at Pearl Harbor were not at Pearl. Admiral Chester Nimitz, also a Texan, had sent them elsewhere, and the aircraft from those ships destroyed the core of the Japanese Imperial Navy six months later in the Battle of Midway. My father was on the USS Yorktown in that battle.

Recently we seem to have forgotten about the attack on Pearl Harbor. No, we don’t hate the Japanese, but if we forget history, we’ll forget who we are and why our nation exists.

When I worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory – where our first atomic bombs were constructed – every year well-meaning people protested on August 6 and 9. Those were the dates the US dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They thought we should never have bombed Japan.

The fact is, we didn’t want to bomb Japan; we didn’t even want to get into the war. But when we are attacked, we do respond.

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Thanksgiving Day

I lean back in my La-z-Boy chair, prop up my feet, turn on the 10 motors in the chair to massage my tired back, and relax. I like football, but I don’t feel like watching a game right now. Carol brings me a cup of coffee with the right amount of milk and sugar. I take a sip, ahhhhhhh, close my eyes, and thank God for the wonderful life He has ….

“Sweetheart. Gene, where are you?”

“Huh … wh … what’d you say?”

“You must have fallen asleep.”

“Yeah … I guess I … was … dreaming.”

Thanksgiving Day is almost here, and I’m in front of the computer where my hand fell on the keyboard. I looked at the screen and saw a page of Js. I deleted them. I looked over to where my La-z-Boy chair is beckoning me in real life.

“The reason I called you – oh, sorry that I had to wake you up – but we got a call from family in California. The fires are raging, and many houses, barns, and businesses have gone up in flames. Are you sure we should go out west?”

I thought back on the dream I was enjoying.

Not many bad things have happened to us, and I’m thankful. But what about my friends and family members? We are mourning for the family whose father and daughter recently drowned. Fires have ravaged multi-thousands of acres and several towns, and tornados have created havoc in many places. How will those whose lives have been turned upside down celebrate? Or can they truthfully celebrate Thanksgiving with the turmoil they’re experiencing?

I thought about the smoke would encounter if we went west. That shouldn’t be too bad, and we probably would not meet up with any flames. At least, I hope not. The smoke is devastating for some folks with bronchial problems, but my allergy pills should help me.

“Precious, I think we should go to our daughter and family south instead of our son and family out west.”

Years ago, two of my sisters lost houses in fires, and some friends are currently without electricity. Friends whose houses were damaged by the twisters are waiting for the repairs or reconstruction to take place. With that in mind, a question hung heavily in my mind, so I asked the Lord. “Father, how can people be thankful in the face of disaster? How can they actually be grateful when so much has been taken from them?”

Then I remembered asking my sister, Jan, how she felt when her house was destroyed. She responded, “Eugene, it’s only stuff. Whatever we want to replace, we can. But it’s only stuff. We’re still alive. That’s what counts.” That was an excellent, mature response.

I asked our friends how they’re doing after the tornado damaged their house. One of them responded, “We’re doing fine. It was hard to sleep afterwards, but it’s only a house. God has taken care of us.” The other said, “We’re doing fine. It’ll get repaired, and we are thankful to the Lord.”

I’ve never heard God speak out loud, but He answered my prayer with the following thoughts.

I give many kinds of blessings, many of them are material. Most people, even those who don’t know Me, are generally happy about what they have. But those who know Me are grateful for our relationship, and they don’t wait for this day of the year to show it. Their gratefulness, their thankfulness, is not based on what they have, but what they are. They are thankful for life. And when their human life is over, they will thank Me face-to-face.

Some time ago, a missionary couple at church told us about a poor family overseas. With barely enough money to buy food, they received a gift of $70. They were excited, but they knew another family who had no food at all. Following God’s leadership, they joyfully gave that $70 to the other family. Their generosity revealed not only a grateful spirit, but a deep, mature relationship with God.

“Precious, I called to see if the repairs on the trailer were complete. It’s almost ready.”

“What if the weather gets stormy?”

“We’ll go without the trailer.”

It isn’t what we have or don’t have that produces joy, and it isn’t whether or not we’ve experienced hardship in life that prompts us to be thankful. What engenders gratefulness is knowing Jesus Who offers us eternal life.

James 1:17 tells us that every good gift comes from God. Let’s express our gratitude to God every day. Let’s be generous to others. And let’s be compassionate and help those who are experiencing hardship and tragedy. Allow God to bless others through you.

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What’s the Basis for Your Faith?

The title of this Reflection is a question I’ve been asked several times. Years ago, I often said: “The Bible is the basis for my faith.” But my answer has changed. Now I joyfully say, “Eyewitnesses, and the empty tomb where Jesus was buried is the basis for my faith.”

What’s the difference? To answer that, I’ll use a Protestant version of the King James Bible.

This version of the KJV Bible (printed around 1885) has 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses, and 788,258 words in the text. It contains stories and narratives that relate information such as numbers of people killed in numerous battles, lists of kings, priests, and prophets, and genealogies of various people.

But that information, and a lot more, is based on various dating and numbering methods. For example: some cultures listed the second year of the king’s reign as the first year simply because some kings were killed before the first year was complete. Sometimes the second year of a baby’s life was counted as its first because 1st-year mortality was rampant. Sometimes, a king and a co-regent reigned simultaneously, yet their individual reigns seem to be listed consecutively.

Various versions of the Bible – even various KJ versions – have different word and verse counts. Other things are documented differently, depending on the original ethnic scribes or subsequent translators.

All of that, plus more, give people opportunities to call the Bible wrong – therefore, impugning the integrity of the Bible – which, consequently, tends to impugn the integrity of those of us who believe the Holy Bible.

Therefore, I no longer say the Bible is the basis for my faith because detractors, skeptics, agnostics, atheists, and adherents of other religions think they have grounds to prove the Bible wrong.

I now rely on eyewitnesses and the empty tomb as the basis for my faith. As surely as the person on the right of this blog witnessed the US Navy Blue Angles flying over Duncanville, Texas, there were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection and of the empty tomb in which He had been buried. That means Jesus rose from the dead. How can you argue against a person who predicted that he would die, how he would die, by whose promptings he would die, by whose hands he would die, and that he would come back to life in three days – and it all come true? Are you going to call him a liar? Not me; especially since much of it was also predicted centuries earlier by others.

How can a person debate that? Jesus either rose from the dead, or he didn’t. It isn’t “The Bible” I have to believe – it is eyewitnesses I believe. Witnesses such as Matthew, Peter, John, and others who documented their observations. They had no idea that their writings might be saved for people to read centuries later. However, because their observations and stories were found to be authentic, they were incorporated into a group of books that became the Holy Bible.

Merriam-Webster defines the word bible as: a publication that is preeminent especially in authoritativeness or wide readership. Many bibles abound such as the Machinists’ Bible, Deer Hunters’ Bible, Flower Gardener’s Bible, the Holy Bible, and many more.

The topic of Jesus’ rising from the dead has been found by archeologists in ancient Roman documents because it was a political concern for the emperors. Therefore, it is worth our time discussing it, but not arguing over it.

But I don’t blindly accept the Holy Bible. We can believe it or we don’t have to believe it; but there isn’t much sense in arguing over it. The fact is that the Holy Bible is not just a spiritual book; it is one of the oldest and greatest history books in existence. It’s also a matter of faith. But faith goes both ways: you either have faith to believe Jesus rose from the dead, or you have faith that he didn’t rise from the dead. You have faith to believe the Bible, or you have faith not to believe it. You have faith to believe in God or you have faith not to believe. Everyone’s life is based on faith in something or in someone.

The historicity of Jesus living and dying has been proven by non-biblical sources, so that is not the issue. His raising from the dead is the issue. But you’ll also discover that Jesus’ resurrection has been proven by atheists and agnostics. Of course, they became believers in Christ once they verified the deity of Jesus Christ.

Not only does the empty tomb provide me with answers for this life, it also substantiates my faith for eternal life. And I ask you to turn to Jesus Christ and live for Him.

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Suicide Doesn’t Help

Carol and I had been at the Niagara Falls for five minutes when the State Trooper walked up and asked, “Sir, I don’t understand a thing any these folks are saying, but you look like you speak English. Have you heard anything about a man jumping over the edge?”

“No, sir. I’ve been here for about five minutes, and I haven’t heard anything about that.”

 “The rumor is that he jumped over about seven minutes ago. If you hear anything about it, I’d appreciate it if you’d find me and let me know. I’ll be in the State Trooper booth over there.”

“Yes, sir. Will do.”

An estimated 12,000,000 people visit the Falls annually, and every year about 40 people are killed going over the Falls – most of them suicides. The horrendous water pressure mangles the person against the rocks below and sometimes the bodies are never found.

We walked to the railing that is supposed to keep people out of the Niagara River. Here is basic information about the Falls.

The water plunges onto the rocks and slowly erodes the cliff at the rate of less than a foot per year. The confluence from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls creates the large whirlpool below. The American Niagara plunges down a total of 167-188 feet (depending on the specific location), but the water hits the mound of boulders around 70-110 feet.

The river flows about 25 miles per hour with an average of 150,000 gallons going over the edge each second; but the highest recorded volume was about 700,000 gallons per second. Its speed is estimated to be 68 mph as it hits the jagged boulders with multiple tons of pressure.

On the lighter side: As I read other information about the five Great Lakes, the Niagara River, and the Falls, I leaned back and laughed. For an unknown number of centuries, the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered Canada and a portion of the Northern US. According to one theory, the last ice age ended about 18,000 years ago, and the ice sheet which gouged out the lakes began receding.

I read: “20,000 years ago, earth started to warm, and the Laurentide Ice Sheet began to disappear. By approximately 10,500 BC, the Niagara Peninsula was free of the ice.”

This is why I laughed. Man is accused of causing global warming, but man wasn’t capable of generating substantial local heat until about 1500 BC, and no substantial regional heat until the 1700s AD. But the ice sheet began melting around 18,000 BC.

If man wasn’t the culprit 20,000 years ago, what caused the global warming back then? For that matter, what caused the earth to warm and freeze to generate the multiple theoretical ice ages? If the earth can cool and warm by itself, why blame man now? This is simple logic and easy to think through.

Back to Niagara Falls.

Carol and I spent the next four hours looking at the beauty and wondering about the power of nature on this spot on the map in northwest New York. Standing on the observation tower several hundred yards away or at the railing a few feet from the water’s edge, the sight of the water plunging over the edge and the roar of the cascading water crashing on the rocks was almost mesmerizing. Is that what prompted the man to take the leap? Or was it sorrow, loneliness, embarrassment, or emotional pain that prompted him to end his life?

The Niagara Falls is called The Honeymoon Capital of the World, so why do so many people end their lives here?

For the western mindset, the thought might be, I just can’t take the pain any longer; I’ll end it all. For the New Age or oriental religions, the mindset might be, This life hurts too much; perhaps it will be better next time.

But suicide neither solves nor ends any problems; it only creates more. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, “Just as everyone must die once and then be judged, so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of the people. And he will come a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Suicide will not help anyone, but Jesus can help whoever asks Him for help. Turn to God, and to friends, for help, comfort, and direction for life, because you are loved. Your life is valuable, and people need you.

John 3:16: For God so loved the [people in the] world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

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Who Are You?

I recently heard a portion of a conversation. A man named John went to a hospital to visit a bed-ridden, dying man. The name of the man in bed was Tom. (The names have been changed.)

In the early portion of the visit, Tom perceived that his visitor was troubled concerning his vocation. Not wanting to be nosey or pushy, the dying man realized, however, that John was the one who needed to be encouraged. Also, Tom noticed that John was an up-front, forthright kind of man, so Tom jumped right in. As close as I can recall, here is what I heard.

“John, who are you?”

That took John off guard. “Uh, I’m a basketball coach. Why do you ask?”

“If basketball went away, who would you be?”

John thought about it, then mentioned his other vocations, adding that he is a father, a lay-leader at church, and ….”

“John, you’re missing the point of my question. All those things are what you do or have done, and every one of those things will someday not be so any longer. I’m asking you one simple question. WHO are you? If you became an invalid, as I am, who would you be?”

John is like most of us – he never thought of that before. But Tom wasn’t through. He had one more question.

“My friend, here’s how you can figure out who you are. When you die, as I will soon, you will be none of those things you mentioned. As you enter heaven, none of those titles, jobs, and positions you filled will be part of you. None of your importance, influence, prestige, reputation, or money will go with you. Who will you be then? Think about it, John. Who are you?”

John left the hospital perplexed, and that question began rolling around the corridors of my mind. Who am I? I’ll come back to that in a minute.

Dear reader, you and I could spend several days or weeks trying to impress each other about our jobs, our accomplishments, how we’ve changed our company, church, or society. We also have a culturally imbedded idea that what we do is who we are. I am the president of this. I’m the CEO of that. I started this company. I am a pastor. I’m the chief mechanic over this operation. On and on we could go because we strongly identify with what we do.

But is any of that who we are? If we sleep in a garage, does that make us a car?

Bed-ridden, dying Tom was pointing to eternal reality. When all the temporary things in life vanish, when we breath our last, the eternal question is: who will we be? If we can answer that question, we’ll know who we are.

So, who am I? I’ve learned not to tell folks about my accomplishments because it could be considered a matter of pride. Even while I was a pastor, I truthfully said that I didn’t have a ministry. Why? The Ministry belongs to God, and He graciously allowed me to be a part of what He was doing.

Who am I? I am a King’s Kid. I am an adopted son of the Living, Loving, Eternal, Creative, Almighty God. That’s who I am. And I’ll be that forever.

I remember a 1796 song written by Charlotte Elliott. The first verse is: “Just as I am without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”

I asked the Lord to accept me into His family when I was five years old, and I’ve never turned my back on Jesus. Do I sin? Yes, but when I realize it, I ask the Lord to forgive me. And He does. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Today, I listened to a 1992 song written by Mosie Lister. In addition to being a song-writer, he was a great pianist. The words to the chorus are, “Beyond the Cross is a tomb that is empty, you won’t find Me there anymore. And beyond the tomb is life ever-lasting, and hope forever more.”

Jesus died for us, but He raised back to life three days later. He is alive, and I’ll be alive with Him forever. Who am I? I am an adopted son of God!

Friend, who are you?

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Safest Place in Iraq

My brother, Colonel Paul Linzey, US Army Chaplain (retired) spent a tour of duty in Iraq. Not because he was ordered overseas, but because his men were stationed in harm’s way, and Paul wanted to be with them to minister hope, peace, and life with them. Coming within mere feet of death, himself, Paul clearly identified with his men, and that is beautifully portrayed within the pages of Safest Place in Iraq.

He encountered numerous experiences – many serious, yet many humorous – and he detailed some of them in this book.

I had the privilege of reviewing and endorsing the book, and I highly recommend it. You don’t need a military background to understand and “enter” the story; but if you are military, you will “find yourself” in Iraq, and will immediately be a part of the story as it unfolds in these pages.

As the mournful sirens sound off, the missiles come screaming overhead, and as the bombs explode creating death all around, you’ll walk with Paul as he visits the hurting, the dying, and as he helps the soldiers see past the deadly present and gives them hope for the future.

Go to https://paullinzey.com/books/ and visit Paul’s website. You can order Safest Place in Iraq, and see Paul’s other endeavors.

You can also find the book at https://www.amazon.com/Safest-Place-Iraq-Experiencing-During/dp/1642799173

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Loving the Elderly

DSCN0410BMy 97-year-old mother was in and out of hospitals, and getting ready to meet the Lord face-to-face. The family was getting ready for another big change; and as is often the case, the family wasn’t able to address every detail. We needed assistance. (The picture of mother and me was taken when she was 95.)

Elsa Anderson was one of mother’s care-givers. She and I discussed our purpose in life for a while, and she said that God had given her 54 talents – that she knows of anyway. Caring for people near the end of life is a talent she cherishes the most. Elsa said, “I love being with these dear folks and sharing God’s love with them. But it isn’t always the elderly who get blessed: many times as I reach out to them, I receive the blessing.”

This reflects the attitude and gifting of a friend in New Mexico.

Rev. Thomas Kearns, chaplain at the Las Cruces Good Samaritan Retirement Community in New Mexico, said, “Many times you go to a hospital to minister to someone with the intent of praying for healing, for comfort for the patient and family, and also ready with scripture to share God’s word. But your ministry is, also, to be there – what I call ‘the ministry of presence’. Even if I don’t say a thing, my mere presence often provides emotional healing to the people.” I agree.

Elsa employs that concept. Her mere presence often provides a type of healing for the families. It’s obvious that she loves her patients, and – in this case – loved my mother.

The word “love” is used in many ways. You’ve heard it, I’m sure: I love my cat (dog, horse, turtle, whatever). I love my house. I love apple pie and ice cream. I love my country. What else? Oh yes: I love my wife and I love God. The meaning of love is based on context.

But when we think of loving our elderly relatives, friends, or citizens, we think of not just those who are infirm, disabled, or handicapped. We include those in their upper years who may not be able to fend for themselves in some ways.

The briefest description of loving or caring for the elderly comes from a book bytRIALB Wm. G. Justice titled “Training Guide for Visiting the Sick.” Mr. Justice, referring to all the elderly, whether sick or not, said, “The purpose is to oversee the care of those who are hospitalized, sick, shut in, or are in some way in need of care; and to assure they have their needs met to the best of our ability.”

Rev. Gary Kroah, retired minister living in Siloam Springs, agrees with Mr. Justice. At one point in a discussion, Gary said, “Just because they are elderly and cannot come to church, we cannot ignore them. They are still a vital part of church and of our community. It is our privilege to continue loving them. Jesus loves them, and we are effectively the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus to them.” I add a hearty amen.

But loving the elderly comes with a price, and we had to differentiate between mother’s best interests and our emotional needs. I definitely do not believe in euthanasia, and I won’t discuss my mother’s condition; but I will say this: at 97 years of age and the condition she was in, it would actually be a loving act to allow her to go home to be with Jesus. She will also be with her parents, my father, and one of my sisters … and multi-millions of others in heaven.

With her body trying to shut down, I believe it is neither loving nor merciful to use every modern technological means that’s available to keep her body alive. Rather, it is loving to let her know how much we love her, but that we also release her to “go home” to be with Jesus.

Does it hurt us to do that? Yes, it does; and we knew we would miss her. But is it loving her? Yes, it is; for where she was bedridden, could not communicate, and her body trying to shut down with several terminal maladies, she would be well, healed, strong, and vibrant in heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 says, “For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died” (NLT).

Mom experienced her final graduation on November 11, 2016; but we’ll see mom again when it’s our turn to graduate.