This has been my summer for reunions.  My 43^rd high school was in June (we had all turned 60) and it was the first reunion that I had intended since I graduated in 1967.  It was great to renew acquaintances and revive some long ago memories.  This last weekend Renee and I visited Minnesota where students from Moorhead State University gathered together to also renew acquaintances from the 1970’s.  We were in campus ministry there and these students were involved in our work.

The time in Minnesota was in short wonderful.  What struck me about the two reunions was that the one involving ministry was more meaningful to me and I was again reminded of one of the lasting qualities of spiritual relationships: connectedness.  The memories of these two disparate groups were poignant and fun, but there was a certain weightiness to the time with the students (now very much adults) to whom we ministered.  I am reminded as I write this of the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: “For there is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all.”

These words become more and more significant to me as I grow older.  Relationships make up the most important part of our lives.  And the fact remains that our faith in God connects in a way that goes beyond what mere humans are capable of.  Below is an excerpt from one of our students, Mark Warren, who has had an interesting journey to say the least.  Please take time to read this… your heart will be warmed.

Jim

"After earning my B.S. in Biology in 1976, I went to New Staff Training out at Arrowhead Springs with the goal of reaching students with the life-transforming message of Jesus' grace and love. After four years at Indiana State in Terre Haute, I was assigned to Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, where I met and fell in love with Susie, whom I married in June of 1983. Shortly after our first anniversary I was preparing for a career change into X-Ray Technology, and during the physical exam that was part of the admission process into the X-Ray program, I asked the doctor about some strange twitching I had started noticing in both biceps about six months earlier - which led to an appointment with a neurologist, which led to the 1984 diagnosis of ALS. So at the age of 31, while embarking on an exciting, hopeful, optimistic new journey of life with my beautiful new wife, our lives came to a screeching halt with the news that I had 3 to 5 years to live. 
 
'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.' Matthew 11:28-30 
 
In the middle of June in 1984, I had an 'a-ha' moment. It was just a few days before I learned I officially had ALS, and I was contemplating the validity of those words of Jesus from Matthew's Gospel, because after years of long-distance running and weightlifting, I couldn't run anymore, I was having trouble speaking, my bicep and thigh muscles were twitching strangely, I felt out of balance, weak, and my soul was not at rest. All that I had believed about God for a quarter century was hanging on what I made of this situation, so I poured my heart out to God, asking for the faith and strength and all I would need to throw my trust on Him completely. I didn't realize until after much reflection, but that was the beginning of a life-altering journey - a new vision, a new calling, a new adventure of faith, a new opportunity to be a voice attesting to God's never-ending faithfulness, all-sufficient grace, and undying love in the life of an ordinary man facing an extraordina ry health challenge. The uncertainty was still there about the details of my medical diagnosis, but I sensed a new certainty that having put my trust in the validity of Jesus' words, He would lighten my burden and enlighten my path. And after asking for faith and strength, I received newfound strength to live out my faith - strength that has upheld me throughout the 26 years I have lived with ALS (21 of those years on a ventilator). 
 
My life with ALS is an adventure of faith that in many ways has made me love our Lord Jesus all the more. I still miss being able to run, to breathe in fresh air, to sing, turn pages in a book, look through my binoculars at the Andromeda Galaxy, take a vinyl record out of its album cover and put it on the turntable, drive down the Interstate with the windows open and radio blasting, have a prime rib dinner, eat popcorn at a movie...and every single day I want to tell Susie with my own voice that I love her, hold her tight, and take her lovely face in my hands and kiss it. But through ALS I have learned to focus more on what I have than on what I've lost, and believe me - what I HAVE is infinitely more valuable, infinitely more precious. I have the love of my beautiful wife, a selfless love sweetened and deepened by the trial we share; I have the love and support of two dedicated families; I have incredible friends with whom I'm able to communicate regularly via email; I have skilled, ventilator-trained, compassionate nurses who care for me and allow Susie to work full-time as a Special Education teacher; I have a personal relationship with the living Jesus, who tells me, 'In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.' And I still have the goal of reaching people with the life-transforming message of Jesus' grace and love. 
 
ALS has brought new significance to my life by intensifying and refocussing my dependence on Christ. As you all well know, having faith in Jesus doesn't mean the removal of troubles - His peaceful presence within a believer provides a solid assurance that they won't face those troubles alone. Being a Christian doesn't insulate me from life, and sometimes life is tough: sometimes my trach needs constant suctioning - pneumonia lurks in my lungs and is a constant threat - the tube feedings that keep me alive produce nausea. But Jesus promises to be with me as I face the challenges of life with that merciless taskmaster and relentless tutor known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. And in Romans 5 I read that the tough times I endure as a part of living with ALS can actually build perseverance and character into my life because they draw me toward the eternal hope I have in Christ. 
 
'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.' Jim Elliot 
 
As I'm sure you all know, Jim Elliot was a missionary who was murdered by some of the people with whom he was endeavoring to share Jesus' message of grace and love. Later, the very people that speared him to death came to know and love Jesus. Jim Elliot was no fool. His life was cut short but his influence for good will last for eternity. I adopted his quote as my life motto about the time I came on staff, and now that my life has been stripped of just about everything conventional wisdom would value highly, Elliot's words stand stronger and taller and wiser. Even if ALS takes my earthly life, it can never touch the eternal reward I have gained by receiving God's amazing, all-sufficient grace, and then investing this fleeting life in the eternal cause of Christ." 

Here, let me give you a magic pill. Just swallow it and you can go back to any moment of your life. You can either relive the experience, or change it. Where will you go? What will you do?

Unless you're still young, I bet that you, like me, would return to the moment of your deepest regret. This time, though, you would do something different. You would try to avoid the regret.

I frequently meet people who just want things to go back to the way they were before something happened. The "something" may have been a significant loss, a bad choice, or a catastrophic event that altered them in a way they wish could be undone. They long for the way things use to be.

We can't go back. No matter how hard we wish, no matter how hard we try, we can't erase those events that have become part of our life story. So what can we do?

We can spend our lives consumed by regret, focusing on what we lost or what might have been, always looking backward. Or we can try to ignore our regret, pretending it never happened, living a kind of lie. Either of these choices will keep us from living an abundant life. There is a better choice...

Acknowledge your regret and recognize it as an important part of your life story. This perspective does not minimize or excuse past failures, but it does realize the power of grace. The wonder of grace is that our deepest pains can become a catalyst for our most significant growth. We can't go back to the way things were, but we can have a realistic hope for something even better. Sometimes broken things heal in ways that make them even stronger than before.

Tim Tedder

"I know what I need to do, I just don't want to do it" 

This is the theme I've been hearing from a number of clients lately. Much time and many tears have been spent digging deep, finding insight into their behaviors and thought processes and reconciling the past.  They've taken a step back and the picture has been brought into focus. Usually about this time they realize there are changes that need to be made in the way they do life. Sometimes they are tiny adjustments that are easy and thus immediately fulfilling; more often than not, however, these changes are hard. Old patterns of behaving and thinking have to be dug up by the root and a new pattern set in its place. The changes are hard because usually they are a complete 180 degree turn from what we would "usually" do. Our emotions, mind and bodies are telling us to do what we know is "safe". Nevermind that we have been unhappy with the outcome of our lives when we do what we usually do. At least the outcome is predictable. We may be in misery but it is well known and well loved misery. This other path? Who knows where it may lead us? It is unknown, and therefore frightening. And so change is delayed; sometimes by weeks, sometimes by months, and sometimes by years. I've watched people busy themselves in the trappings of life to avoid changing. Others will create chaos around them so they do not have the energy to change. They are busy surviving. Still others will avoid it, preferring to float along in life blissfully unaware of what is brewing beneath the surface. 

Please don't get me wrong, these changes are hard. It takes courage to hold up the mirror and be honest about what you see, and even more courage to take full responsibility and do something about it. But it is extremely rewarding. It is living purposefully and mindfully, and as you leave the comfort of the known, and overcome fear, your character becomes further molded by the conflict taking place.  

Julia

This weekend I, as many others, heard about the humanitarian group of medical doctors that were in a remote village in Afghanistan and killed by the Taliban. The team leader, Tom Little, was a both a member of the Church that my family attends in New York and a longtime friend of my parents. His wife happened to be in New York when he was killed. Just 2 days earlier she was having dinner with another family friend and suspected that something had gone terribly wrong. She had not heard from Tom in 40 hours which was right before they were headed back over the mountain from the Village to Kabul.  Her gut instinct was right. As we know, most were shot dead en route. Just a few months ago Tom had been at the Church in Loudonville, NY saying that things were getting worse and worse in Afghanistan and that their ability to give medical aid to those that need it in remote areas was becoming much more dangerous than ever. He would know; he and his family had lived there for 30 years as medical missionaries or serving as humanitarians. He and his family knew the risks.

His life no doubt will be a legacy of what he was willing to give and sacrifice for a greater cause. The calling for he and his family is unique, no doubt. But I think it is important for each one of us to think about what we are willing to sacrifice for a greater cause or greater good. The scale does not have to compare to that of the Littles in Afghanistan. Each person, each family can evaluate what that is for themselves. My prayers go out to all the family members who lost a loved one in that terrible shooting.

Melissa 

Dealing with disappointment is something that all of us have to face at points in our lives. I went to St. Petersburg, FL recently with a good friend for our annual Detroit Tigers – Tampa Bay Rays series. We had great accommodations, good food, great tickets, and to top it all off had the joy of our wives joining us for the trip (but not to the games). All in all we had an excellent time, except for one factor: the Tigers lost both games we observed. To add insult to injury, the first game was the first no-hitter thrown in Tampa Bay history. Talk about disappointment!

I know, I know… it’s not anything to get really upset about, but I was upset. At an advanced age I still don’t have the ability to not be aggravated at losing.  I even found myself praying! Praying that I could see a victory… I just didn’t want to be disappointed.

Having recovered emotionally from the trip let me share some things I’m in the process of learning:

1. If I cannot be happy unless I win all the time, then I will never be happy, because no one wins all the time.
2. If sports can affect my attitude about my life, even briefly, then sports has taken on a distorted role in my existence.
3. Where are my priorities with God if I am praying for a victory as opposed to praying that He do whatever it takes to make me into the image of Christ?

Just a couple of things I am learning that I thought I’d share with you.  Hope they help because they are helping me.  

Jim