Mt. Katahdin

Goodbye Klaus

This past Friday, around 8 AM, our little, bright, bundle of energy passed away after fighting what appeared to be pulmonary edema for many months. He did not show any signs of suffering or pain, in fact, he kept up with his affectionate singing to his little toy penguin until close to the end. Ali held him as he took his last breath. The last words I heard him say were "I love you" spoken just as clearly as Petra and Martina taught him. It's very quiet around here now.

"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God." Romans 8:19-21 RSV

Life Sentence

Last night I made a regular visit to a state prison about a half an hour from our house. It is quite a large facility with thousands of inmates incarcerated for crimes mostly related to drugs and alcohol. At this prison a group of seventh day Sabbath keepers is meeting every Friday night for worship, prayer, Bible study, singing, and fellowship. As an outsider it is deeply moving to listen to the testimonies of the prisoners, many of whom are “lifers”.

Two of the men who spoke last night shared some interesting perpectives that they had gathered from reading the Bible.

One, quoted Proverbs 28:1 which says that the wicked flee from no one and shared how when he was on heroin, he and his friend had done this very thing, running through the forest trying to escape an imagined pursuer. He continued that he had read in the Bible that when God created the world, He gave man dominion over everything, but now “the plants are laughing at us”. The role has reversed and drugs and alcohol have given plants dominion over man. "We worship plants"!

Another prisoner who always seems to have a bright and positive disposition, said that he praises the Lord in all things, not that he likes prison, because “prison is hell”, but because God has given him a wonderful work of saving souls. When reaching out to other prisoners he loves to tell them that he has two life sentences. One is a life sentence in prison, the other is an eternal life sentence in Heaven.

When I see these guys praising God in such difficult and stressful circumstances any complaints I may have evaporate.

Norwegian Snow

Two weeks ago we enjoyed the final blast of the season in the winter wonderland of Beitostolen, Norway. What an overwhelming experience! So many things could be written that it wouldn't fit into one post so, here are some highlights: Snow, snow, snow, cross country skiing, blizzard, snow, gourmet meals, lodging in a historic farm house, snow tunneling, snow, the Heibergs, Stave church built in 1250 AD, a 20th century church, a lemming, snow, Norwegian fjord horses, rehab center, biathalon training track, snow diving, skiing at night and did I mention the snow?

A big thank you to the Heiberg family for your wonderful hospitality and a song of praise to you, Lord, for the refreshment you give in the bright snows of winter!

Ski Touring

This past weekend we took a spontaneous trip to northern Pennsylvania for some ski touring in the deep woods of a large state forest. We couldn't have asked for better conditions. No ice. All powder. The temperature was delightfully cold with sunshine during the day and snowfall at night. The hemlocks were green and healthy. The wood stove was toasty. The companions were the best. The food was excellent. The Lord generously refreshed us - mind, body and soul! On a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (superb), this was a 10!

A Desert Place

A few months ago while attending meetings in Nevada I decided to do a little exploring and invited some friends to join me for a Sabbath hike in the Valley of Fire. The contrast to the verdure of the Mid Atlantic was striking, but even in the starkest settings, God is abundant with beauty.

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while." Mark 6:31

Snow and Ice

When we lived in Africa, I often dreamed of the cold winds of winter with the tingling ears, numb fingers and frozen face. In the subsaharan heat and humidity it was sometimes hard to remember that our lips would get so cold that we couldn't pronounce words like "probably" or "bulb". P's and B's became F's and V's.

Last week we had three blissful days of below freezing temperatures. It was magnificent! Here are a few pictures of what I saw.

"Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him. For he refreshes the soul of his masters. Proverbs 25:13

"'Come now, and let us reason together', says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'" Isaiah 1:18