Pastor Don's Ponderings

 "The desert and the dry land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus . . . The will see the Lord's glory, the splendor of our God." Isaiah 35:1, 2c Most days, I have only to walk in the house and it becomes apparent that our good friend, Mellanie Portz, has been by. Usually the tell-tale sign is a flower from her garden in a simple bottle or small vase, sometimes it is something on which to nibble and yet at other times it is a mention of something which she has read and is recommending for us to consider. Always the gift. Always the smile. Always the thoughtfulness. This particular vestige of a recent visit was sitting on our counter when I arrived home after a long day at the office. Maybe I am deluding myself, but in my heart I believe that many folk imagine that Pastors just sit in their offices all day, read scripture, play their favorite music, consider the lilies of the valley, ponder the open tomb, then prepare for next Sunday inspir...

 "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Matthew 9:37 I was blessed to spend yesterday at the farm helping with harvest. As equipment changes and becomes more complex, so are reduced the number of farming operations I am prepared to step into on a moment's notice or on the chance day off from ministry. Hauling grain, either to the elevator or to the farm for storage, is something I still know how to do, so haul grain I did. Corn in the morning, soybeans in the afternoon. You couldn't ask for a better day. Late afternoon, as the sun was winding its way down towards the western horizon and the dust from the combine was hanging in that lazy lingering fashion like a shroud covering the land for a half mile or so, I caught this picture of my brother, Larry, as he was maneuvering the combine through the field. Less than one percent of the total American population is actively engaged in farming, an even lesser amount are on true family farms. Larry, along with...

 Looking at this picture of our granddaughter, Liza, and grandniece, Lily, it occurs to me that our culture spends far too much time insisting on giving children answers, rather than inviting them to imagine, inquire and explore. Maybe if we spent more time considering the place of the princess or prince in our life, and less time insisting that we be named king of all there is forevermore, we would find more joy and laughter in life and less stress on our heart. In these days of Covid-19, nearing elections, the causes of injustice and inequality in our world, and the general malaise concerning the care and welfare of anyone other than the person in the mirror, take a moment to step back from all of your pat and certain answers and watch a child at play . . . and learn. As much as most of us disdain the inevitable youngster's questions of, 'Why?' or 'How much longer?', perhaps it is time we look to our Parent God and, as the child, ask the question . . . then wait f...