The year is ending, a new one is beginnning.

 Here we are on the cusp of the new year. I think back on how much hope there was when 2020 started. That all came grinding to a halt back in March. Who would have thought that 2020 would have gone the way that it did? I sure didn't. When the shut down happened, it was to flatten the curve, which became something much more. Is this virus real? Oh yes. There is no doubt that the virus is real. Have people died from this virus? Yes they have. Have hospitals been full of people with the virus? Yes indeed. At the same time, have many, many people gotten the virus and survived? Yes. Do people who have had the virus gotten over it without hospitalization and medication? Yes. My point? The coronavirus is real and is survivable. I know that each person will be able to respond with, "I know..." and then tell of somoene who died, someone who was really sick, someone who really had a hard time with the virus. I am not saying anything against that. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones because of the virus. I pray that the Lord will give to them healing in their lives and strength in their loss. 

At the same time, I have had numerous funerals this year, none of which were from the virus. I pray that will continue into 2021. Did St. John have members with the virus? Yes. And they recovered. Most of them recovered at home. Quarantine was the new way of life. Get sick, then isolate, that is how things have gone. I am sure that will be going on in 2021. I sure that we will continue to struggle with the virus throughout this new year. But then again, when it is gone, we will struggle with something else. I don't like to say it, but cancer is still a terrible disease through which many people struggle, get sick and finally die. It is so terrible. People hurt. People struggle. People go through each day with treatments, sickness, more treatments and a whole host of other things. 

I know, that sounds pretty grim. We don't like grim. Instead, we like things to sound rosy and happy. Show us puppy dogs, kitty cats and roses, all surrounded by beautiful sunsets. That is how we like to live. And to be honest, I like that too. I so enjoy taking picture of sunsets (and sunrises), eagles and other animals, trains and whatever catches my eye. I took many pictures throughout 2020, even with the limitations that were in place. With so many things shut down, we had to find different ways to go places and do things. I was amazed this last summer, when we went to the upper pennisula of Michigan, how many people were still traveling, but they were doing more outdoors things rather than indoors. Fresh air, open spaces and the wonder of nature was a big part of many people's lives. We were part of those who were doing that very thing. We just avoided hotels. We have stayed at a hotel only once since March. 

It was a good year in many ways. I had both eyes fixed, cataracts removed and lenses put in place. New glasses. I can see amazingly well. Still surprises me that I can take my glasses off and still see. I need them to read. That is so different. I also have a new knee. That also is amazing. I see the scar from the surgery and then walk without the pain. It is amazing how different it is to not have the knee pain. I give thanks to God for medical field who have done this amazing thing of putting a new knee in my body. Wow! Thanks Lord!

I pray that you will have a great 2021. The Lord will be with us no matter what takes place. There will be good times and bad times. There will be positive things and negative things. And in all, we will have the Lord Jesus Christ with us in all that we do. Look at 2021, and rejoice! Give thanks to God for the new year. And let's move forward.

New Snow, Old Year, rambling

 On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a snowstorm. Well, I guess it is a snowstorm. We received 5-4 inches of snow, freezing rain but very little wind. It isn't extremely cold out, in the mid 20s, which isn't all that bad without any wind. Penny and I enjoy snow. It was a beautiful thing to behold. I must say that I appreciate all those city workers and street workers who have been working non-stop today keeping the road open. They are amazing people. We often like to complain about city workers, but on days like this, we give thanks for them. They are a good group of people. If you haven't said so lately, take time to let them know that you appreciate them.

Watching it snow this morning we did have to get out. I had joint camp this morning. Went to get ready for the next knee replacement which will be January 14, 2021. Looking forward to it. Will be good to have that knee working right.

It is ravioli day. That means that Penny and I spent the afternoon making them. Penny makes the dough, gets it ready, then we both add the filling. Then they are put together, pressed and laid out to dry. We made 17 dozen today, meaning we made 204 ravioli. 

All those ravioli are now in the freezer. When they are good and frozen, we will take them from the trays, put them in bags and enjoy them throughout the year. Penny's folks used to do this after Christmas. We have taken over for them. It is our tradition to make them. We usually make them the day after Christmas but not this year. Why? We couldn't find the ricotta cheese. We looked at both stores here in Clarinda. Went to Shenadoah, looked in a couple stores. On Sunday we went to Maryville. MO and looked down there. Everyone was sold out. Really? Ricotta cheese, sold out. What was there? A covid run on cheese now? That was just weird. We finally found some in Bellevue, NE. Talk about craziness. Anyway, with the snow today, it was a great time to make them. Penny then made homemade baked manicotti for supper. Yum! Talk about a good day.

The fifth day of Christmas, 5 golden rings. The five books of Moses, the Pentateuch. Yes, these books are precious gifts given by our Lord to us. Thank the Lord for these wonderful books. We thank Him for the 4 calling birds - the 4 gospels, calling us to see Christ as our Savior. Three French hens, faith, hope and love, calling us to live in our lives as children of God. Two turtle doves...

Sitting in front of the fire, I find peace. Peace in knowing that God sent His only-begotten Son to be my Savior. That He has given me a loving wife whom I care for deeply. I would do anything for her. Next to my faith in my Savior, she is the best gift I have received. 

The year is coming to a close. I look forward to proclaiming the Gospel again as we bring the year to a close and then again in the new year. I hope you will make time for the Word of God in your life throughout this new year. God bless you.

Merry Christmas Eve's Eve

 Merry Christmas! Well, actually it is Merry Christmas Eve's Eve. Today is two days before Christmas. This week has been rather nice, sunny, some wind and warm. We were in the 50s yesterday. Actually, when I got up this morning, it was 54 degrees. December 23rd and it was 54 degrees at 6 a.m. The wind is blowing and we are told that the temps are going to dropping all day. Won't be a white Christmas for us here in Clarinda, IA. I know that north of here there is a good chance of a white Christmas. 

Christmas time, is here. What does that mean for you? I know what it means for me. First and foremost it means that God the Father sent His Son to become a man. This is know as the incarnation - God becoming man. God becomes man. He comes to us. He did not expect us to come to Him. He knew we could not come to Him. Our sinfulness makes it impossible for us to go to Him. As much as we try, we cannot live the life that the Law demands. So He promised Adam and Eve that He would send a Savior. He gave that same promise to Abraham who passed it on to Isaac and then Jacob. The line of the Savior can be traced all the way down to both Mary and Joseph. The Son of God, becoming human, for us and for our salvation. What a glorious event we celebrate on Christmas Day. God became man in order to save mankind, to save you and me. Thank You God! I can see why the angels sang, why the shepherds hurried off to find the child and why the magi traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles to find the one born King of the Jews. 

It also means the opportunity to worship the Lord. Christmas time, is here! Hark! the Herald Angels Sing! Joy to the World! O Little Town of Bethlehem! Those hymns are glorious to sing. Don't you enjoy singing them? I sure do. I know that all of you will not be able to join us in worship. The health situation makes it difficult for some to come worship. Some will need to stay home for their safety. I pray for you. I ask that your heart will be filled with joy even if you are not able to go to worship. For those of you who will be able to make worship, sing out. Praise the Lord! Join in singing those wonderful songs.

Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright...that is perhaps the one song that really encompasses Christmas. I enjoy standing with a lit candle, singing a verse in German and then singing the whole thing in English. For those of you who are from other nationalities, sing Silent Night in your language. Enjoy it. 

We wish you a merry Christmas. Penny and I wish you a very blessed and merry Christmas and a happy New Year. May the Lord bless you as you celebrate the birth of your Savior.

A follow up on snow. Thoughts on cold.

 Yesterday I wrote on that controversial issue - snow. I have been amazed that there has been no push back against it. (I am being tongue in cheek.) Today, I am going to talk about the cold. Yes, the cold weather. As much as I like snow, I don't like the cold. As Penny says each year, "You complain more about the cold than you ever have." And yes, it is worse each year. 

I didn't use to dislike the cold. When I was younger, the cold didn't really bother me. Like most kids, I would go outside and play all winter long. My brothers and I would get together with other kids of the neighborhood and play in the cold. When there was snow, we would spend hours playing, building forts and igloos (we piled snow up and dug out the inside to make the igloo or a tunnel), and snowball fights. We would go sledding all afternoon. When we came in, we were soaked to the bone, cold as could be and really didn't pay attention to it. I can remember that we tried to keep our feet dry by putting our stocking feet in plastic bags (often bread bags), and then sliding them into our boots. That would make it possible to stay out longer.

But all that has changed. I was all right for a while. I would wear short sleeve shirts and sweater vests, and would be all right. It wasn't an issue. I was warm. Then, little by little, the cold started to feel colder. What used to be fine, began to feel colder. How could 40s begin to feel like the 30s? How could the 30s begin to feel like the 20s? And what about that wind chill? When did that start? I find myself saying, "It wouldn't be so bad out if it wasn't for the wind." I don't remember the wind chill being an issue years ago. But it is now. The wind. Brrrrr! I don't like it.

What changed? I did. I grew older. I don't like to admit that. And for those who have been around the sun a few more years than me, probably look at me and think, "You aren't that old." But those of you who are in your 20s or 30s look at me and say, "Well, yes, you do have a few years on yourself now." The more trips around the sun, and the colder winter feels. 

If I could have snow in the 40s, I would be happy. I would be happier if you could have snow in the 50s. But that isn't possible. Hasn't happened and won't happen. So I guess I must learn this lesson, if you want one thing, you have to take that which goes along with it. If I like snow, I have to accept the cold that comes with it.

Makes me think about our prayer life. When we pray for something, we have to accept that which comes with the answer. If I pray that my knees would quit hurting, I have to accept that I might have to go through a difficult time when they get replaced. If I pray that the Lord would send rain to water the earth, which we need because of how dry it is, then I also have to accept the gray days and the muddy conditions. If I pray that the Lord would help me lose weight, I need to accept that I need to eat less and exercise more. Oten we expect God to do something for us, and then get upset with Him when getting to that point we must become involved in our lives. 

Pray for that which is in your heart. But accept that which comes with what you are praying for - that God can do miracles in your life, and that sometimes those miracles lead you to changes in your life. That is a challenge. I often think, "Do this for me God." And He responds, "Here is how you will get what you are asking for, you need to do this." I need to accept that. And that is quite the challenge for me in my life.

Cold? No I don't like it. Snow? I want it. So I need to accept the cold to get the snow. Lord, teach me.

All about snow

 I am going to say something controversial today. It may cause a terrible backlash and all sorts of negative comments. But I don't care. It has to be said. 

I like snow. That's right, I like snow. It snowed last Friday night and Saturday early morning. When I got up Saturday, I rejoiced. I like seeing all the white on the ground. It has stayed around to today, Tuesday, and there may be one more day before it starts to melt off. And I love it. 

No, I don't like the cold. That is the down side of snow, it comes when it is cold. And the only way that you can keep snow around is when it is cold. The last couple nights have been down in the teens. Yesterday morning when I got up it was 10 degrees. Brrrr. That is cold. So I had to bundle up, put on my winter coat, gloves and scarf. I used the seat warmer in the van. I had my heater going in my office at church because my feet get cold under the desk. 

But I still like snow. I sat in my office looking out at the blue sky, the trees covered in snow and I felt really good. It was beautiful. So, yes, I like snow. I prefer snow to a cold rain in the 30s or 40s. That just chills you to the bone, makes everything nast and isn't worth being out in at all. I really don't like it when instead of rain, it turns to ice. Ice is impossible to do anything with - you can't walk on it safely, driving on it is terrible and it often brings down tree limbs and power lines. Ice is terrible. 

Snow is better. Get several inches of the white stuff and it looks pretty. Get a foot of snow, and it is amazing. I love it when there is bunches of snow. Is it hard to get around in the snow? Sure. If you don't have to get out, there is no reason to get out. And for those who have to get out, snow is still much easier than ice. And it is wintertime. We are supposed to get snow. I remember one January when we lived in Illinois, we were getting a bunch of snow, and we had to get Penny's mom from the train station. The roads were snow covered but we were doing well getting to where we were going, till I follow the brown, which wasn't road but grass. Ugh, stuck in the ditch at the side of the interstate. Now what? Brandon and I got out to push the van out. Rachael was behind the wheel. Penny was praying. Push a van out of snow filled ditch? A 55 year old man and a 28 year old man. Really? Not happening. But we tried. I still say it was 1 1/2 men doing it. Brandon was the one and I was the half. We pushed. Nothing. We pulled. Nothing. We tried and tried. Nothing. Wasn't going to come out of that ditch. We tried one more time and the next thing we know it was on the road. What happened? If you ask me, I believe that there was another one there, an angel of the Lord helped us. That is the only way that it could have happened. We picked up Penny's mom at the train station, pulled out. We went to pull onto the road, to get through the snow on the ramp, got stuck again. Grrr. We got out to push out and 3 other guys stopped to help. It took 4 guys (I drove, so it wasn't 3 1/2 but 4) to push us out and we were just stuck in the snow on the ramp. 4 guys pushing and it took a lot to get pushed out - compared to 1 1/2 guys to push out of  a ditch. Hmmm. Now you begin to see why I think that we had a angel help us. 

Even with all that, I still like snow. You might think I am crazy. You might disagree. You might not like snow. And that is all right. I still do. And no matter what you say to me, won't change my mind. 

Advent and Christmas thoughts.

 We wish you a merry Christmas! All right, I know that it isn't Christmas yet, but I do like singing Christmas songs. Joy to the world. Silent Night. The Twelve Days of Christmas. Deck the Halls. It doesn't matter to me. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. I always wondered how they knew that the angel's name was Harold, but it must have been so since we sing it each year. (Go ahead and groan, that was a bad pastor joke.) Singing is a part of Christmas. 

It is part of the Advent season as well. There are many great Advent songs. Hark the Glad Sound, the Savior Comes. On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry. Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates. That one is one of my favorites. Why? I can remember learning it while at the Lutheran School Association in Decatur, IL. I was in 5th grade or perhaps 6th grade (memory fails me) and we learned that song to sing it in chapel at school. I can remember going into St. Paul's Lutheran Church, there at LSA, and practicing that song. It was a memory that I carry. Singing that song in that huge church, it reverberated throughout the building. When I sing that song today, I still think about how that sounded in that church. Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates. The King of Glory is coming! Hurrah! Advent songs are great. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. That is also a song I like to sing. I stand in the sanctuary at St. John Lutheran Church here in Clarinda, IA and sing that hymn. It sounds so good in that building. 

Advent and Christmas. What a wonderful season. I love the Christmas gospel. I love the prophecies that point us to that Christmas gospel. It amazes me when I see how the Lord had this all worked out. He spoke through the prophets, telling of what is going to happen when the Savior is born. The place - Bethlehem. Who - a virgin. When - at the just right time. So much. Pay attention to God's Word and you will see what God has said througout the centuries. 

Have you seen this Christmas star thing? Where Saturn and Jupiter will show up in the night sky, close together, something that happens every 800 years or so? People are saying it is the Christmas star. I disagree. The Christmas star happened once - at the time that Jesus was born. It is a star that God placed in the sky to guide the wisemen to Bethlehem to find the King of kings. Was it a couple stars or planets that came together inthe night sky? Nope. It was a star that God Himself used at that time for that special purpsoe. Why do I make this point? Because to say anything else, is to nullify or dismiss the miracle of God there at Jesus' birth. Having Saturn and Jupiter come together is really awesome to see, a neat night time event. I encourage you to make sure that you get out and see it. But remember, it isn't the Christmas star. The Christmas star was a special gift from God at the birth of His Son in Bethlehem.

John the Baptist, what an amazing man. Proclaiming the message that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He spoke God's Word, calling people to repentance. Yes, we need that message. Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Christ is coming again. We don't know when He will come. But it is going to happen. Knowing that, we should be proclaiming the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People need to hear that there is a Savior, One in whom they must believe in order to be saved. Each one of us needs to be the John the Baptist in our communties, proclaiming this message. No, I don't want to eat locust, though wild honey isn't all bad. Nor do I want to live in the wilderness or wear camel's hair clothes. But the message is the same. 

On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry...on the bank of your community, be the voice of one calling people to hear the message of the Gospel. 

Following the Lord's will

 "Your will be done. Amen. " How many times have you ended your prayers with those words? How many times have you talked with God about the situation of your life and said that you were going to abide by His will, whatever that will might be? I know that I have prayed that over and over again. I pray that every weekend in worship. I pray that with people who are struggling in their lives. I pray that for people who are ill or facing surgery or treatments. I pray that in my own life. 

Do you? Have you? When you pray that, how do you accept God's will? That is always the question. How do I accept God's will in my life? If I am praying for something, and it doesn't happen, how do I respond? I think about that because today I sit here waiting to hear from the doctor's office. For what? I find out today if I am going to have my left knee replaced on Thursday or not. I really would like to get this behind me. I really want it to happen because we have met all my out-of-pocket expenses for my insurance company. There won't be a further financial strain on the family if it happens on Thursday. If it doesn't, that means that we will need to meet all those financial obligations once again, and with the increase of the new year. And I say, "Lord, You wouldn't want to put that upon the family, would You? So Your will be done, but I think I know what that will should be." Oops, that is not really trusting in the will of the Lord, is it? It is me telling the Lord the way it should be, and then placing that "Your will be done" on the end of it.

Here is where it gets difficult. If I get the call that surgery will not happen, I will be challenged. I will probably be depressed. The challenge to my faith will be to accept God's will and move forward and live life as He would have me live. I go forward thanking the Lord for showing His will to me and learning to live according to it. 

Isn't that what happens each day? We pray for someone, and they continue to have the cancer, heart disease, or whatever. We pray for someone, and they still die. We pray for the virus to be gone, and it isn't. We pray that our nation would get along, and it doesn't. And we say, "God, I prayed for Your will to be done and it wasn't." No, what we wanted wasn't done. God's will might well have been done. But we don't want to accept it.That and our sinfulness gets involved. Why don't people get along when I pray for it? Because they don't want to. They refuse to even try to get along. Sin gets involved. And people refuse to even listen to the Lord. There is a differenc here. It would be like me refusing to listen to the doctor's office, going to the hospital on Thursday and expecting them to do the surgery on my knee even though I am not scheduled. Then throwing a fit about it, getting upset and yelling at them, "But God wants me to have the surgery today!" I would be misuing the name of the Lord. I would be trying to force them to do something even when it is very obvious that it wasn't the will of the Lord for me to have surgery on that day. I make my will become God's will and then try to force it. It doesn't work that way.

God is the potter and I am the clay. I am not the potter and God is the not the clay. I cannot mold God into what I want. Instead, He molds me into His will. That is difficult. That is what it means to trust in the will of the Lord, to live in faith. Today, I pray that I may listen to the Lord as I go through the day. I ask that the Spirit would help me to live according to that will. And then, I pray that I will face each day with a certainty that God is with me and leading me. 

Lord, Your will be done. Amen. 

One Week Later

 It has been one week since Thanksgivng Day. Can you believe it has been a week already? With all that has been going on in the world today, it seems that time should be dragging by, but it isn't. Time marches on. One day rolls into the next and then the next and before you know it, it has been a week. Then it will be a month. And then finally a new year. After all, this is the month of December. I felt like time had been dragging along ever since March. But then I turned around and here it is December. This is the first week in Advent. It focuses us upon hope - hope that is given in Jesus Christ. We look forward to His coming - as the Christ child, into our lives with Word and Sacrament, and on the Last Day. Hope does not disappoint us. We live in hope, a sure and certain hope that is shown us in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Living in that hope, we are lifted up, especially in this difficult and tumultuous time. 

So let me ask you, are you still as thankful as you were last week? Have you continued giving thanks to the Lord each and every day? So often, we take one day, give thanks of that day, and then go back to our normal lives, forgetting to count the many blessings that we are given each day. Life gets busy. We go back to work, school, our mundane lives and we spend time thanking the Lord. On Thanksgiving day, the gospel reading is from Luke, the account of the healing of the 10 lepers. All were healed, one returned to Jesus to give thanks. We focus on that one. I often wonder about the other 9. What was going on in their minds? As they went along, did they think about giving thanks? Did they think, perhaps we should go back to Jesus and give Him thanks? Or did they think, I will get around to it after I go to the priests, after I spend the prescribed time in isolation, offering the sacrifices and then returning to their homes? When Jesus passed through their town at a later day, did each one of them go out to greet Him and offer Him their thanks? Did they tell their family about Jesus as their Master and Lord? I truly hope so. We will never know until we get to heaven. I look forward to seeing them there in heaven, to hear their story that they were healed by Jesus when they were lepers. I look forward to hugging them (no covid!) and lifting up my voice in songs of praise at that moment.

But do I do the same thing today? I hope so. I think about the love that the Lord gives to me each day, and I give thanks. I think about my family, and I give thanks to the Lord. I think about the church I am serving, and I give thanks. I think about the churches I have served, and I give thanks. I think about the lives I have touched hrough the various ministries, prison ministry, LWML zone, district and national, through the youth ministry and youth gatherings, and I give thanks. I thank the Lord for all that He has done for me and through me. I thank the Lord, not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day, for the life that I have been given. This life, with all the ups and downs, the goods and bads, is a blessing to me. I have learned much through the trials and tribulations. I have received more forgiveness from the Lord, from Penny, from my family, from my friends, than I deserve.

I rejoice. I thank God. I want to hug each one, despite covid, I still want to hug each one of you. Why? Because that is one way that I am able to show the love that Christ has placed in my heart. It is one way that I am able to say, "Thank you for being a part of my life, and for letting me be a part of your life. I thank God for you."

Each day, giving thanks. One week later. Still giving thanks. I hope that I am still giving thanks one month later, and then another month. I want to still be giving thanks when Thanksgiving 2021 shows up. For in a year's time, I will not have given thanks enough for all that the Lord has done for me in my life.

One week later, are you still giving thanks?