Worry About the Future

 

[1]

Matthew 6:34
King James Version
³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 

We had a much-loved teacher of creative writing at our Goeske Senior Center. When the COVID-19 struck us in 2020 she started teaching us using Zoom. This continued through January of 2021. Since the class was virtual, the students didn’t have to be local, nor did they have to be older than 50. She gained several international students. She was having a bit of trouble with one of the international students trying to dictate what she should do. This added to her already stressful life. She was a cancer survivor, and her health was already tenuous. Then in February we lost all contact with her. Her landlord found she had passed away in her own apartment.

I chatted with several of her students, and they all wanted us to continue as a workshop. So, I got a Zoom account and contacted those I had e-mails for. Since then, we have met virtually. Inlandia Institute works closely to promote the fine arts in the Inland Empire—a group of inland suburbs of Los Angeles.  They have taken us under their wing and are helping support us.

My wife, Sylvia, is a gifted writer and poet and has also been a strong supporter of the workshop. Monday, amongst her many projects, she was worried that she wouldn’t have something written for our workshop. After the workshop on Tuesday, she came in to me and mentioned that her blood pressure was 199/68. Those numbers don’t mean a lot to me, but I do know that the 199 is way too high. We quickly dashed down to a local urgent medical care. They were extremely helpful and got her to a doctor who prescribed some medicine to, hopefully, lower that number.

I couldn’t help but think of this verse where Christ warns us about worrying about the tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worries of its own. In this case it certainly did. We covet your prayers for her healing.

Oh Lord, I pray for Your healing hand on Sylvia and for Your continuing support of our endeavors.

 

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[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/high-blood-pressure-why-me-201605029288

Pray for Our Government

 

[1]

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Good News Translation

2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; ² for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.

 

First of all, I want to thank God that we are living a quiet and peaceful life. This past summer we left our home for over two months and had no fear that anyone would break in and steal. We parked in Walmart parking lots all over this country, climbed into the bed of our pickup, and slept soundly in the full knowledge that God would look after us. I walk my dog, Katie up and down our streets near home at all hours of the night and day and fear no evil. We have been spoiled because we have done this all our lives. I remember walking from Nyamuswa to Ikizu in “the heart of darkness” of Africa at about 2:00 in the morning without fear.

We had a blatant liar as our president for four years. I followed him on Twitter and was stunned by the out and out lies he told. The first thing our Jesuit president did when he went to the climate conference in Europe this month was to visit the Pope. Now is indeed the time for every Christian, no matter what your denomination is, to pray for our government that we may continue to live a quiet and peaceful life.

We had our governor ban all meetings in churches in 2020. Our church responded without a murmur, shutting us out of the church and adjacent schools. I was stunned again. We have been championing religious liberty and yet knuckled under without so much as a whimper? There were several churches in our area, however, who continued to meet in defiance to the governor’s command. They filed a lawsuit against the governor that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Praise the Lord! The Supreme Court ruled that the governor had breached the separation of church and state clause of our constitution and exonerated the churches. The governor never apologized, but he quit mentioning churches in his lockdowns.

Again, it is getting more and more urgent that we do pray for our rulers “and those who are in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God.”

O Lord, in the face of global crime and corruption, grant us continued peace and quiet that we may share Your love with others and live with reverence for You.

 

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[1] https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2021/10/29/video-pope-biden-meeting-2021-241750

Joe Corson

 

Hebrews 11:1

Holman Christian Standard Bible

11 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

 This summer we stopped in to see my former college roommate, Joe Corson. I had last seen him about 2 years earlier. When we left him at that time, he was unable to walk due to his weight. It seemed that every organ was shutting down, but his faith was strong. He knew that Christ had died to save him.

 I said with sadness to Sylvia when we left: “This is the last time we will see him! He has deteriorated so much!”

 Then he got medical help. He received both physical therapy and occupational therapy. When we saw him this August, he had lost 93 pounds. He was full of vim, vigor, and vitality. He had plans to resume his quilting, at which he had to stand for fairly long periods of time. He showed me a movie he had taken of three bears—a mama and two cubs—attacking his backyard bird feeder.

 Then he got a urinary infection, and it took him. His son found him dead last Sabbath morning. But he died and full of belief in his salvation and the soon coming of the Lord!

 It is nearing our time now. I'll be 80 in January; but I too believe that in spite of all my inadequacies, Jesus has saved me.

 Thank You, Jesus Christ, for Your marvelous unexplainable love and mighty power. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!