Today is my beautiful wife's birthday. If you have been around her lately, she would have told you. She tells people that her birthday is coming, not to be braggadocios - but to celebrate God's gift of life.
Tracy had heart surgery when she was a tot and without it, she probably would not have lived passed her teen years. Today, surgery that Tracy had may be more common, but in the late sixties and early seventies, it was risky.
Several years ago, I had an amazing experience. I was visiting a parishioner in the hospital in Oakland. While there, I was introduced to a doctor who was visiting the patient. He had become a friend of the patient. In his 40's now, he had had several surgeries. The doctor went on to explain that he had performed one of this patient's first surgeries as a child.
In context, I went on to say that my wife had also had surgery of a similar kind when she was a child. The doctor asked her name. He then said, "Oh - I think I did her surgery." I was rather taken aback - but he said, I'm almost certain that she was my patient.
So I gave him my card, and he actually went and checked his records. He emailed me, and indeed he was the doctor. We had a wonderful exchange that day, and it was amazing to be able to meet the person who helped make it possible for Tracy to be here today. But what amazed me most was his acute attention to detail and recall of my wife's medical condition and his lasting concern for her well-being.
Thanks, Dr. Pontius for using your God given talents.
Today, Tracy celebrates God's gift of life and today I thank God for my wife.
Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Amazing Things
Once again, Tracy and I had the wonderful opportunity to lead an Elementary Adventure Camp at Jumonville last week. This was the fourth year that we were Deans together. The kids never cease to amaze us, and God always provides.
At the beginning of the week as I was reading some scripture, I came across a passage that resonated with me. In the third chapter of Joshua, as the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordon River into the Promised Land, Joshua told them to prepare themselves to worship the Lord. He said, “Make yourselves acceptable for worship, because God is going to do amazing things for us” Joshua 3:5.
It was the beginning of our week, we had much that was before us, and so I thought that it was amazing to read such a verse at the beginning of our week. I heard God speaking in those words that we should just be ready for anything. So I shared those words with the campers and reminded them that through all of the adventures, in all of the activities, during all of the challenges, we should be open to God and open to worship God through everything that we do.
Each night and even during Bible Study, we would give the opportunity to the kids to talk about how God was working, what they found amazing, where they saw God, and even asked them when they knew when God was real.
Both Tracy and I were amazed at the responses that we hear throughout the week. But above all of the responses about seeing God in creation and in the sounds of the river and the waterfalls, there was one response that continued to resound. Quite often the kids would talk about knowing, feeling, and experiencing God in a way that they felt protected, secure, safe, and loved. How powerful is that!
In biking, in climbing, in hiking, and even in a simple yet necessary harness – the kids felt God’s hand of protection on them. They attributed their safety all to God! Even when they ‘wrecked’ on the bike trail, or when they slipped off a hand hold on a climbing wall, even though they may be bruised or scrapped a little, they knew that things could have been much worse without God’s hand of protection in their lives. And yes, even when they saw their Dean battered and bloody from falling off Cucumber Falls, they knew that God was protecting us. Amazing and God glorifying stuff if you ask me.
So maybe that would be a good question for all of us to answer today. Where do you see God working in your life today? Where do you see God doing amazing things? Further, are you open and acceptable to make worship a daily part of your journey of life?
I pray that you are. Some of us think that worship only happens once a week, in a specific place. That could not be further from the truth. Worship happens in our daily lives, when we serve God, love God, and serve others. Open yourself to worship God this day – and God will do amazing things!
This week, we will continue our series on hymns of faith. Are Ye Able is the hymn that we will share and communion will be the feast that nourishes us. I hope that you will be with us this week. Have a safe and happy Independence Day!
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
At the beginning of the week as I was reading some scripture, I came across a passage that resonated with me. In the third chapter of Joshua, as the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordon River into the Promised Land, Joshua told them to prepare themselves to worship the Lord. He said, “Make yourselves acceptable for worship, because God is going to do amazing things for us” Joshua 3:5.
It was the beginning of our week, we had much that was before us, and so I thought that it was amazing to read such a verse at the beginning of our week. I heard God speaking in those words that we should just be ready for anything. So I shared those words with the campers and reminded them that through all of the adventures, in all of the activities, during all of the challenges, we should be open to God and open to worship God through everything that we do.
Each night and even during Bible Study, we would give the opportunity to the kids to talk about how God was working, what they found amazing, where they saw God, and even asked them when they knew when God was real.
Both Tracy and I were amazed at the responses that we hear throughout the week. But above all of the responses about seeing God in creation and in the sounds of the river and the waterfalls, there was one response that continued to resound. Quite often the kids would talk about knowing, feeling, and experiencing God in a way that they felt protected, secure, safe, and loved. How powerful is that!
In biking, in climbing, in hiking, and even in a simple yet necessary harness – the kids felt God’s hand of protection on them. They attributed their safety all to God! Even when they ‘wrecked’ on the bike trail, or when they slipped off a hand hold on a climbing wall, even though they may be bruised or scrapped a little, they knew that things could have been much worse without God’s hand of protection in their lives. And yes, even when they saw their Dean battered and bloody from falling off Cucumber Falls, they knew that God was protecting us. Amazing and God glorifying stuff if you ask me.
So maybe that would be a good question for all of us to answer today. Where do you see God working in your life today? Where do you see God doing amazing things? Further, are you open and acceptable to make worship a daily part of your journey of life?
I pray that you are. Some of us think that worship only happens once a week, in a specific place. That could not be further from the truth. Worship happens in our daily lives, when we serve God, love God, and serve others. Open yourself to worship God this day – and God will do amazing things!
This week, we will continue our series on hymns of faith. Are Ye Able is the hymn that we will share and communion will be the feast that nourishes us. I hope that you will be with us this week. Have a safe and happy Independence Day!
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Shows I Watch
I thought I'd post something different today, so here is what I watch on TV when I can.
- Hell's Kitchen
- The Discovery Channel
- When We Left the Earth
- Good Eats
- Iron Chef America
- Anything my children are watching if they have the remote!
- ESPN
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Rains Came Down, and the Floods Came Up
No doubt many of you have been hearing and reading reports of the recent devastation in the Midwest due to flooding. Record rainfalls and saturated earth has led to flooding beyond compare. Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana are only a few of the states that have been hit the hardest.
Sometimes it's hard to imagine what it must be like to live through a flood of that magnitude. We can only hope that faith will take people through the devastation and restoration that lives will be restored. In the midst of the flooding however, people seem to lose hope because everything is in ruin, lives are shattered, and what can be seems like it will never be revealed.
Flooding is a not too distant memory for many in Western Pennsylvania. It wasn’t too long ago that we were cleaning up our own houses when record rainfalls caused our rivers and streams to rise. Some people call them 100 year floods, others call them floods of the century. Regardless of what you call them, a flood is a flood.
Bishop Gregory Palmer of the Iowa Area was our guest preacher at Annual Conference Last week. While he was here, his own Annual Conference was dealing with the flooding. I can only imagine what it must have been like for him to be so far away – yet provide so much hope. Bishop Palmer spoke a lot about hope, hope that is restored, hope that can be revealed. We do not give up hope, but yet we remain steadfast in our conviction that God will see us through this. He has said openly as well as in print, “Remember, when you pass through the waters, God will be with you.”
That word of promise has come up so often in my scripture reading, “God will be with you,” or “I will be with you” is a promise that begins in Genesis and continues throughout the entirety of scripture. We hear it with Abraham and Noah, we hear it as a promise to Isaac and Jacob. We hear it with the prophets and we hear Jesus promise his Spirit to the Disciples. The promise of God’s presence is important for us as people of faith.
God’s promise is real in our lives. He promises to be with us always. His Spirit guides and protects us, reminds us of his love for us, and reminds us of Christ’s teachings. When we feel at our weakest, God is at his strongest.
As we remember those who are living through the floods in the Midwest this day, I hope that you will take some time to remember them in your prayers. Lift them up and pray that they might know God’s presence even in the midst of the devastation.
Finally, we have an opportunity to reach out in ways that go beyond prayer. Through the United Methodist Committee on Relief, we can respond to the need by contributing financially. Our financial gifts become a tangible presence of God for the people living in the midst of trouble. Consider giving. As the Bishop noted to us, this can be a second flood – a flood of compassion.
Donations for UMCOR's relief efforts in the Midwest can be made to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670. Checks can be dropped in church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087.
I look forward to seeing you all soon. Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
Sometimes it's hard to imagine what it must be like to live through a flood of that magnitude. We can only hope that faith will take people through the devastation and restoration that lives will be restored. In the midst of the flooding however, people seem to lose hope because everything is in ruin, lives are shattered, and what can be seems like it will never be revealed.
Flooding is a not too distant memory for many in Western Pennsylvania. It wasn’t too long ago that we were cleaning up our own houses when record rainfalls caused our rivers and streams to rise. Some people call them 100 year floods, others call them floods of the century. Regardless of what you call them, a flood is a flood.
Bishop Gregory Palmer of the Iowa Area was our guest preacher at Annual Conference Last week. While he was here, his own Annual Conference was dealing with the flooding. I can only imagine what it must have been like for him to be so far away – yet provide so much hope. Bishop Palmer spoke a lot about hope, hope that is restored, hope that can be revealed. We do not give up hope, but yet we remain steadfast in our conviction that God will see us through this. He has said openly as well as in print, “Remember, when you pass through the waters, God will be with you.”
That word of promise has come up so often in my scripture reading, “God will be with you,” or “I will be with you” is a promise that begins in Genesis and continues throughout the entirety of scripture. We hear it with Abraham and Noah, we hear it as a promise to Isaac and Jacob. We hear it with the prophets and we hear Jesus promise his Spirit to the Disciples. The promise of God’s presence is important for us as people of faith.
God’s promise is real in our lives. He promises to be with us always. His Spirit guides and protects us, reminds us of his love for us, and reminds us of Christ’s teachings. When we feel at our weakest, God is at his strongest.
As we remember those who are living through the floods in the Midwest this day, I hope that you will take some time to remember them in your prayers. Lift them up and pray that they might know God’s presence even in the midst of the devastation.
Finally, we have an opportunity to reach out in ways that go beyond prayer. Through the United Methodist Committee on Relief, we can respond to the need by contributing financially. Our financial gifts become a tangible presence of God for the people living in the midst of trouble. Consider giving. As the Bishop noted to us, this can be a second flood – a flood of compassion.
Donations for UMCOR's relief efforts in the Midwest can be made to Domestic Disaster Response, UMCOR Advance #901670. Checks can be dropped in church offering plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087.
I look forward to seeing you all soon. Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Grit, Determination, Faith, and Hope
Today, I am playing with just a little less than I would on a Tuesday. You may know that I typically go to bed around 10 to 10:30 at night. If you ask my wife, she will tell you that I usually fall asleep in my recliner about that time; and it isn’t until later that I move upstairs.
But last night I was up until after 1:00 a.m. The answer to the question is “yes!” I stayed up until the final goal in the Penguin’s Game 5, Triple Overtime Win over the Detroit Redwings! I put that exclamation point at the end of the sentence only to disguise my level of malaise.
I will admit to you that going into last nights game, I was not expecting much out of the Penguins. They had yet to score in Detroit during this Stanley Cup Final series, and this was a critical game for them. It was win or lose, do or die. If they lost last night, the Detroit Redwings would have won the 2008 Stanley Cup. Let’s also admit that Detroit is a great team and they were proving that throughout the series.
But being the fan that I am, I watched the game with great excitement as the Pens went up 2-0. I continued to watch as the Redwings cut the lead by one, and then eventually tied the game. I also watched with diminished joy as the Redwings scored a go ahead goal early in the game and listened as the fans in Detroit began to chant, “We want the Cup!” I admit that I was deflated; I felt defeated; I was a little hurt.
With less than a minute left in the game, however, the Pens scored the tying goal!
And then the game went into overtime. And then it went into a second overtime. And then it went into a third overtime. At this point, Tracy and I began to say things like, “even if they lose, they played with grit and determination. Even if they lose, they played with heart. They could actually win this game. Yet, if they lose – we can go to bed knowing that they played till the very end.”
What a roller-coaster ride! In the end, the Pens did win with a goal at around the half-way mark of that third overtime. I don’t think we had the energy to scream very much. Winning justified staying up that late to watch something that in the end holds very little influence in our life other than providing some entertainment and enjoyment.
I say that because I’ve been thinking a lot about hope and faith over the past few days. There are times in our lives when situations seem insurmountable, life seems inescapable, and death seems imminent. We lose hope sometimes when situations appear to be filled with hopelessness.
But, as Christians – we are always filled with hope and faith. Winning doesn’t always happen the ways that we think they should, healing isn’t always given to us according to ways that we expect. Filled with hope and faith, however, we are given new life through Christ who makes all things possible for us. Even in the face of insurmountable odds, we win – regardless of the outcome! Do you believe that?
One of my favorite passages of scripture talks about that hope. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” He then goes on to say that there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But there is a great phrase that is a part of that concluding statement. Paul says, “I am convinced.” That simple phrase for me speaks volumes about faith and hope for me. It reminds me that sometimes we need to have a conviction that is greater than our doubts and our fears, one that allows us to hold fast to God’s love and the power of Christ to save us – even in the face of adversity.
Today, I don’t know whether the Pens will win the Stanley Cup. Regardless of the outcome, I know that there is always hope in my life and in the life of those who love God. And in the end, I guess its really about how we played, rather than if we win or lose in this lifetime.
I hope you are well. Get some rest tonight if you were crazy enough to stay up that late. This week, I will continue my mini-series on Genesis with a sermon entitled, “Go Where?” I look forward to greeting you in worship.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
But last night I was up until after 1:00 a.m. The answer to the question is “yes!” I stayed up until the final goal in the Penguin’s Game 5, Triple Overtime Win over the Detroit Redwings! I put that exclamation point at the end of the sentence only to disguise my level of malaise.
I will admit to you that going into last nights game, I was not expecting much out of the Penguins. They had yet to score in Detroit during this Stanley Cup Final series, and this was a critical game for them. It was win or lose, do or die. If they lost last night, the Detroit Redwings would have won the 2008 Stanley Cup. Let’s also admit that Detroit is a great team and they were proving that throughout the series.
But being the fan that I am, I watched the game with great excitement as the Pens went up 2-0. I continued to watch as the Redwings cut the lead by one, and then eventually tied the game. I also watched with diminished joy as the Redwings scored a go ahead goal early in the game and listened as the fans in Detroit began to chant, “We want the Cup!” I admit that I was deflated; I felt defeated; I was a little hurt.
With less than a minute left in the game, however, the Pens scored the tying goal!
And then the game went into overtime. And then it went into a second overtime. And then it went into a third overtime. At this point, Tracy and I began to say things like, “even if they lose, they played with grit and determination. Even if they lose, they played with heart. They could actually win this game. Yet, if they lose – we can go to bed knowing that they played till the very end.”
What a roller-coaster ride! In the end, the Pens did win with a goal at around the half-way mark of that third overtime. I don’t think we had the energy to scream very much. Winning justified staying up that late to watch something that in the end holds very little influence in our life other than providing some entertainment and enjoyment.
I say that because I’ve been thinking a lot about hope and faith over the past few days. There are times in our lives when situations seem insurmountable, life seems inescapable, and death seems imminent. We lose hope sometimes when situations appear to be filled with hopelessness.
But, as Christians – we are always filled with hope and faith. Winning doesn’t always happen the ways that we think they should, healing isn’t always given to us according to ways that we expect. Filled with hope and faith, however, we are given new life through Christ who makes all things possible for us. Even in the face of insurmountable odds, we win – regardless of the outcome! Do you believe that?
One of my favorite passages of scripture talks about that hope. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” He then goes on to say that there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But there is a great phrase that is a part of that concluding statement. Paul says, “I am convinced.” That simple phrase for me speaks volumes about faith and hope for me. It reminds me that sometimes we need to have a conviction that is greater than our doubts and our fears, one that allows us to hold fast to God’s love and the power of Christ to save us – even in the face of adversity.
Today, I don’t know whether the Pens will win the Stanley Cup. Regardless of the outcome, I know that there is always hope in my life and in the life of those who love God. And in the end, I guess its really about how we played, rather than if we win or lose in this lifetime.
I hope you are well. Get some rest tonight if you were crazy enough to stay up that late. This week, I will continue my mini-series on Genesis with a sermon entitled, “Go Where?” I look forward to greeting you in worship.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
Monday, June 2, 2008
Race Results
Well, it took a while for the results to be posted, and then it took me this long to post them here. On Sunday, May 25th, I competed in my very first Triathlon in New Brighton. I am happy that I finished the race. I committed to myself that I would not walk during the race. I didn't. And I also committed that I would finish with a smile on my face. I did that too.
I finished in 1 hour and 23 minutes. That was 2 minutes faster than my estimated time. For that I was happy. However, I have been thinking now about things I could do better and so there is a touch of disappointment for me that I didn't fare better. I'm just being honest.
Now for the next one. Maybe an open water Triathlon this summer. Then I think I will be doing another 5K or possibly a 10K as well.
Thanks for all your encouragement and your prayers.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Run the Race!
Well, here it is, just an hour before I leave to compete in my first Triathlon. I am leaving with family in tow for New Brighton, PA for their Memorial Day Triathlon. Over twelve weeks of preparation has led me to this place. I am trying to keep my mind focused on finishing the race. That has been the goal from the very beginning: to finish this first triathlon with a smile on my face! As a friend recenlty said, my second goal is to Beat everyone else! I will compete, but my main focus is finishing.
I have been strenghtened by so many prayers and I thank you for each of them. My family has been so supportive, and the youngest is even making up her own words to "Triathlon." It has an tune that is quite similar to "Lamb of God" I think.
Well, after this morning, I will be heading off to Titusville for a little picnic and Memorial Day service tomorrow. I will post results soon.
"let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith." Hebrews 12.
I have been strenghtened by so many prayers and I thank you for each of them. My family has been so supportive, and the youngest is even making up her own words to "Triathlon." It has an tune that is quite similar to "Lamb of God" I think.
Well, after this morning, I will be heading off to Titusville for a little picnic and Memorial Day service tomorrow. I will post results soon.
"let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith." Hebrews 12.
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