We haven’t posted to this blog in a little while. Over the last couple of weeks we’ve helped our daughter Kari and family move (about a half block.) They’re now in a 100 year old house with more room than they have had in their married life and now are wondering how to furnish it. Papa and Nana had the tough job of caring for the grandkids. What a treat.
In addition, we’ve made some trips to Iowa to spend some time with Dave’s mother. She’ll be 99 on Wednesday (God willing), but had a few days stay in the hospital and now is on comfort care at home. We still see some signs of the old “Bestemor”, but also see the failing health. She’s at home with Dave’s two sisters who do a marvelous job of caring for her. Dave had tried to help with time spent on the mower working around their very large yard.
One of the good things about retirement and Mary Jo’s time off from school is the opportunity to do these sorts of things. We are thankful for that.
Dave had a chance to preach this weekend. The gospel for the day presented some metaphors–”The kingdom of heaven is like…” The kingdom of heaven is when God does what God does, or is God being God.
One of the metaphors we heard in that gospel is that the kingdom of God is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a most perfect pearl, he sells everything to possess it.
When God is being God, it’s like a merchant searching for a priceless pearl. Could it be that the priceless pearl God is searching for is YOU! Yes, in all of your humanity, with all of your strengths and weaknesses, with all the good that you do and all of your faults, all of your sins of commission and omission. God is willing to give up everything to have you–becomes human with all that means including dying. That’s what the kingdom of heaven is like, that’s what God does.
This kingdom is a gift to live in, a gift to receive, a gift to live out of in service to the world and the people in it that God loves so dearly.
July 25, 2011 at 3:10 pm |
Hi Pastor Dave,
I check your blog often and enjoy your posts very much. Glad you are enjoying your retirement.
Please keep posting.
Loretta
July 26, 2011 at 12:35 am |
What a pleasant surprise to log on to your blog, which I haven’t done for some time, and find that you posted something for us today! So glad you’re able to preach once in a while and that you and Mary Jo have children and grandchildren close by. I hope you’re finding that retirement doesn’t have enough time to do all you want to do, which means you’re really enjoying it.
God’s peace to you and your family, and may He watch over and comfort your mother and the family at this special time.
Vernetta
July 28, 2011 at 1:10 am |
Hi, Pastor Dave and Mary Jo – check your blog regularly. So glad to find your message left today. Have thought of both of you so much and hoping that you are enjoying your retirement. With all the activity you have had, I’m so glad that now you have the time to do all these things that you are supposed to do in retirement, especially being with your mom and sisters at this time. Will keep all of you in my prayers, as I have been, and keep on with your blog! We all enjoy them so much. Bonnie