Hope-Full Living

My wife and I fastened our seat belts for the 11-hour journey home from Minnesota to Missouri. Our hearts overflowed at the Baptism of three-day old Elizabeth, our eighth great-grandchild. Despite the challenges of lengthy travel at our age, we treasured the time with family around St. Peter’s reminder that God “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Chri...

In our country today, there are many economic issues with a focus on “profit.” It seems that profit has greater significance than ever before. In today’s conversations and publications, the word profit usually refers to financial gain. In religious discussions and publications, we use the term “profit” in a much more spiritual sense. In the above verse from 1 Corinthians, profit is used to denote...

In the 14th chapter of Luke, Jesus talks to the crowds about the cost of discipleship. This path would not be an easy one to follow. After all, for Himself it would lead to the cross. He tells us to think about and ponder the ramifications of actions. He says to “first sit down and count the cost.” Even as seniors, we are faced with new situations and new decisions. Am I capable of being a full-ti...

Marathon runners know how it feels to hit the wall. It’s the point when they feel they can’t go on, but they must break through if they want to finish. In his psalms, David often wrote about being in a pit and begged God to rescue him. When life feels like a solid wall in our paths, or adversity plunges us into pits, we look for a lifeline. On the cross, our Lord and Savior Jesus hit His wall and...

As we get older, it is easy to see that our life shrinks. As friends go to heaven, our contact list shrinks. As our kids move out, our need for stuff shrinks. As time seems to move faster and faster, each day shrinks. And that is awesome! As the familiar hymn states, “I’m but a stranger here. Heaven is my home.” As all this earthly stuff shrinks and eventually disappears, becoming but a memory, th...

I’ve been wondering: Is it too late to live a good life? I recently read an article that asked, “Is there such a thing as a good life?” The author explained that research says a good life is happy, meaningful, and “psychologically rich.” “Psychologically rich” includes curiosity, cognitive complexity, and coping with health challenges. On good days, I have all that. But there are other days where...

A story tells of a ragged beggar who spots the king’s carriage approaching. “Oh, if he would only give me a gold sovereign so I could be rich!” he thought. Wonder of wonders, the carriage stops. In eager anticipation, the beggar reaches out his hand. To his surprise, the king asks, “What do you have for me?” The beggar fingers in his bag for the smallest grain of rice. The king receives it with th...

“Are you ready yet? Hurry up!” How often have we used those words as a parent with our children or even our spouse! Perhaps the real question is, “For what?” We especially get tired of waiting when we are in a hurry — even on a Sunday morning, not wanting to be late for church. Or, not wanting to miss the bus for a trip to the mountains. Or, not wanting to be late to a friend’s house for dinner. B...

I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:3b Our life is filled with periods of "just a little while." We tell our children going to school for the first time, "I will be back in a little bit." We tell loved ones and close friends, "See you in a few hours," or weeks, or months, or just plain "soon." During the absent times, there are anxious thoughts,...

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life." John 11:25a Easter is the most important festival of the Church Year and celebrates Jesus' resurrection. Easter celebrates Jesus' victory over sin and death. Easter is God's greatest act of love to redeem mankind. Easter is the celebration of God's promise fulfilled and the victory of life over death. It is the heart of our faith where sorro...

I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:3b Lori invited me to join her and Jean for a weekend retreat in the mountains. I looked forward to a peaceful time of fellowship with two dear friends. Jean said, "Instead of meeting us at the cabin, come here the night before. The three of us will enjoy visiting as we drive over together." When I arrived, Jea...

When he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2b As we mature in age, by God's grace, we also mature in faith. Our desire to be like Jesus increases. We seek to live in ways that reflect His love, mercy, and compassion to the people we encounter, but the day is coming when we will be like Jesus in other ways, too. When our Savior returns on the Last Day, we will...

Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19b It was a tough year. My husband of 58 years died; my brother, my only sibling, died; and my step-granddaughter's mother died. My step-granddaughter is only 22 years old. A dear friend died in that time, too. One of my favorite songs, "Morning Has Broken," paints a picture of paradise when the world was new, and God saw that it was good. I can imagine...

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. Psalm 146:8b As I age, I have a hard time admitting my limitations. I recently sat on the floor (my first mistake), reading to my granddaughter. Afterward, I groaned as I tried to stand up. Hearing me struggle, my granddaughter reached out her hand saying, "I'll help you up, Grandma." I was grateful for the help but humbled...

Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19b Like my wife, Lois, her sister, Marilyn, was raised in church and taught God's Word and His love. Unfortunately, Marilyn suffered from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, kidney problems, and cancer. These afflictions caused her to be extremely angry, hateful, and potentially violent. Yet, her faith was there, accumulating many Bibles and religious book...

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16 As a senior, I find that my schedule consists of routine doctor appointments and unplanned visits to hospital emergency rooms. In my spare time, I go to the pharmacy and my fitness center. This is not the retirement that I had in mind. Traveling to London, England, to visi...

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Luke 12:25 NIV "The test proved inconclusive," the doctor explained. "A follow-up scan will reveal if a true concern exists." Most, if not all of us, have experienced the difficult days or weeks of waiting for medical results. What often fills the gap? Worry! Worry is a common human response. Jesus reminds us that our worrying will not aff...

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4 At one point in college, I felt aimless and confused, at a loss determining the direction for my life. Now in retirement, after many blessed years as an international Christian educator, I've re-read my diaries. They reveal a history of Spirit-filled mentorship. As a public-school student, I was naïve about the Holy Spirit's influe...

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Mark 15:38 This was no ordinary curtain. Scholars say it measured 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and four inches thick. It separated the sinful people from our holy God in the Holy of Holies. Once each year, on Yom Kippur, only the High Priest would go behind the curtain to plead with God for forgiveness on behalf of the people. But o...

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:2b-3 Judy and her old neighbor sipped coffee and perused the real estate ads. "It takes time to buy a house," Judy mused. "We'll have to find a place to stay in the meantime." "We have a place for you," the neighbor said. "Our children ar...

My niece, Grace, married Christian earlier this year. The pastor centered his message on the fact that without grace, we couldn’t be Christians. Pretty much every story in the Old Testament has a similar plot line. God lavishes humans with abundant grace and provisions; they soon forget that God is the One who provides for them, and they fall away from Him. They struggle until they realize their n...

Every day, we step into a new world, for no two days are the same. No matter how routine our lives, God can bring about a new perspective, a new hope, a new vision. The resurrection of Christ changed everything, but the newness isn’t always obvious. Perhaps it’s a new appreciation of heaven or simply a grateful heart for caregivers who tirelessly oversee our well- being. It may be the excitement o...

Do worry, fear, and anxiety restrict your travel as you age? Are you limited to viewing scrapbooks and digital pictures of past trips when you were younger and stronger? What role does God play in your physical travel? In Luke 24, two disciples on the road to Emmaus walked with slumped shoulders — without hope and alone. And yet the stranger who joined them was the crucified and risen Jesus! Chidi...

As we age and more close relatives are welcomed home by our loving Father’s embrace, we, too, may think about our end-of-life service. Is it a funeral service? A memorial service? A celebration-of-life service? A coronation service? To answer, I re-read my confirmation verse, Revelation 2:10b, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Through daily repentance, we reaffirm ou...

What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 1 Corinthians 15:36b The grass seeds were sown, and my husband and I nursed our aching bodies after a long day of work. Each day, I peered among the straw looking for sprouts. Not yet. The watering and waiting went on. The seeds had to “die” before the sprouts could appear. After the crucifixion, Jesus’ disciples mourned. Afraid for their lives, t...