Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries, May 2024
April has been a busy month for us, and maybe a little more challenging month too because, in addition to our regular ministry tasks, we have had to work in several doctor visits. For instance, Claire needed two cortisone shots to deal with recurrences of her carpal tunnel, plus she had minor laser surgeries on both eyes. I have a hard time calling anything that involves one’s eyes or lasers “minor,” but that’s their word. She needed those treatments to remove accumulated film from her cataract surgeries six years ago. And, for my part, I’m trying to adjust to a new eyeglass prescription (I have both a double vision problem and “floating clouds” that never go away.) and I had audiology tests that suggest a bit more hearing loss than what was shown 2 1/2 years ago. However, he assured me that hearing aids are not yet needed…if I heard him right. (Smile) And then the dentist has me on some serious antibiotics right now to deal with tooth pain, but it’s looking like a root canal is in my future. Yipes.
Such things give us more than enough evidence of the apostle Paul’s observation from 2 Corinthians 4:16 that the “outer man is decaying.” Yes, we can be as disciplined as possible with diet and exercise and doctor checkups, but there’s no escaping the hard truth that our physical bodies are flawed, frail, and failing. But then Paul, with the same breath used to express the grim news, gives us the second and most important truth (indeed, the glorious truth) that the Christian’s “inner man is being renewed day by day.” A hearty hallelujah to that!
For though we can’t do much about that inevitable, day by day, physical decline; we can do an awful lot about the renewing bit! One of Claire’s and my frequent prayers goes something like this, “Lord, we don’t need further evidence of the outer man’s decline. That’s all too obvious to us! But we do ask for plentiful evidence of the spiritual renewal within our hearts, enough evidence to encourage us further along the pilgrim’s path to glory.” That glory, by the way, Paul declares in verse 17 of that chapter, is more “weighty” than any trial that comes our way on this side of heaven. That divine perspective on suffering, disappointments, and other refining trials is absolutely indispensable if the Christian wants strength, enduring joy, spiritual growth, and victorious faith. They provide the divine perspective by which we see things clearly and act accordingly. So it is in humility (and yet in confidence of your friendship) that we ask for your prayers for God’s allowing us to stay the course.
And, as I suggested earlier, that course has been quite busy for us these past few weeks. There has been the addition of several articles to the Vital Signs Ministries website; the full schedule of “When Swing Was King” shows; inspiring moments in our weekly church services at Aksarben Village Senior Living (though we lost through death one of our most faithful and beloved members); the prayers and pro-life presence we engage in outside of Planned Parenthood; and 2 very successful letter-writing parties which produced 87 cards and letters of advocacy, protest, and encouragement. (By the way, the target sheet, addresses, and sample letters can be found on the website in the event you’d like to write a couple of letters yourself.)
April also saw us hosting the VSM quarterly board meeting; engaging in several hospitality and discipleship activities; doing the quarterly evaluation of our New Year’s resolutions; compiling and posting the weekly Top 5; and writing for Vital Signs Blog and the Business and Professional People for Life newsletter.
And one more thing I’ll mention — Claire and I have participated in several conversations with key pro-life leaders in our state about how to best oppose the Protect Our Rights ballot initiative by which rabid abortion zealots seek to enshrine unlimited abortion in the Nebraska Constitution. And that leads me to invite you to a very important opportunity we have created; for you namely, hearing Nate Grasz speak at the next luncheon of the Business and Professional People for Life on Thursday, May 23 (11:30-1) in the north hall of the German-American Society at 3717 S. 120 Street. Nate Grasz is the Policy Director for the Nebraska Family Alliance and the host of NFA’s Capitol Connection podcast. Nate will review the pro-abortion amendment campaign, outline the strategy behind the Protect Women and Children Nebraska efforts, and seek to answer points of doubt or disagreement that some pro-life advocates feel about that strategy. Pro-lifers desperately need to be informed, inspired, and as much as possible, unified in our opposition to the abortion extremism that is sweeping the country.
The regular cost for the program and outstanding buffet meal is $25.00 per person. However, if you sign up as a guest of Vital Signs Ministries, the cost is only $15. Such a deal, right? So, please plan on coming along to hear Nate on May 23. RSVPs are very important and we greatly appreciate receiving them as soon as possible. Call or text us at (402) 341-8886.
Finally, a quick note about the next VSM Book Brunch. The book is Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J. Warner Wallace. It is a practical, compelling, and very readable apologetic work and we think you’ll find it of tremendous interest. (Hint — look for the updated and expanded edition.) And the Book Brunch is scheduled for Saturday morning, June 15th at 10:00 at our home.
Well, that’s it for this month. Yes, it’s a shorter letter than usual but, for those of you who are looking for a bit more, you can always check out our most recent posts from Vital Signs Blog (which are cross-posted on Vital Signs Ministries website). Those articles include:
Abortion Hurts…Even the Survivor
A Letter-Party Wrap (Along with Sample Letters)
Why Not Do Only the “Pleasant” Ministries?
“A Test of Character” (On Reading The Wind In the Willows)
A Unique Dickens Novel
What’s Missing from the Guardian’s List of Books For Boys? Plenty!
Okay, until next month,
Denny (for Claire too)