1) Last Monday when I mentioned to a fellow at the coffee shop that Claire and I were heading down to Wichita to visit my little sister Sherry (she who is dealing with an early and severe dementia), he asked, “Why do you do that when you realize that she might not even recognize you?” My reply? “Because I recognize her!”
The point being, of course, that the key to experiencing the blessings of God in one’s life and relationships is to love, honor, and serve unconditionally — not because of what someone can do for you or what arbitrary and utilitarian tests they can pass to “deserve” being treated with honor and kindness. No, we are commanded to love as Jesus loves us; namely with grace, humility, courage, a willingness to sacrifice, and a persevering spirit. Yes, I love my little sister because of who she has been. But I love her for who she is right now – physical and mental illness notwithstanding. And, thank the Lord, because Sherry has trusted in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to pay for her sins, I also love her for who she will be!
2) We received 3 personal notes in the mail yesterday. Sad to say, especially considering the volume of cards and letters we send out, that was a very high number for us to receive. And yet, all 3 of those notes came from friends of ours (and of Vital Signs too) from George, Iowa where we invested a lot of time providing “pulpit supply” over 20 years ago. Talk about loyal and enduring friendships! Thank you so much Ruth, Rod, and Ruby.
3) Claire and I had an invaluable time on the phone yesterday with Karen Bowling of Nebraska Family Alliance. Our talk was about the Nebraska pro-life community’s response to the wicked move by Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other abortion zealots to enshrine unlimited abortion in the Nebraska Constitution. The details of that talk cannot be revealed for a few more days so please stay tuned to learn about the dramatic moves coming from this coalition of statewide pro-life groups and their associates (like us). In the meantime, know that “Aslan is on the move!” And please check out the Brenna Grasz article, “Nebraska Can Stop the Abortion Industry’s Latest Initiative” which we have linked to on the Vital Signs website.
4) Here’s an important household tip gleaned from my experience yesterday. Be extremely careful when, in your attempts to clean high places in your kitchen, you risk breathing in breathing in fumes given off by a potent product like 409 — particularly if you’re trying to balance on a ladder! Yipes.
5) My early Thursday morning conversations over coffee with John Malek are becoming more valuable to me than ever. They provide a crucial sanity check, a stimulation to love and good deeds, and a great help to our respective sanctification priorities, perspectives, and disciplines. If you do not have friends (and times to spend with them for this kind of intentional fellowship), by all means, go find some!
6) And I end these random thoughts by passing along a few other recommendations today. A) I remain high on Tim Tebow’s Mission Possible Daily Devotional. B) I hope you can find a time to join us for one of our “When Swing Was King” shows in March. You’ll find the schedule on the VSM website. C) This week’s Top 5 is up and is also right here on Vital Signs Blog. And D) Vital Signs Ministries monthly letter for March (and a very interesting, newsy letter this time around) is on the VSM website too.