Faith In The God of All Comfort

The past few days have been an intense barrage of emotions and ministry. In a seven day period I've been a part of the funeral proceedings for 3 families. The causes of death were varied, and one was especially unexpected. In the midst of these times of deep sorrow, I have been encouraged by the strong displays of faith on the part of the families involved. They have been able to utilize amazing reserves of strength all because of their understanding of the comfort available to them through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Bible contains many accounts of people in times of deep distress and makes a point to declare God's compassion and care for those who suffer. A verse that has always encouraged me during times of grief is found in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and says this:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

This week I saw this verse in action before my very eyes. I have had a few times of sorrow in my own life and I know others who were present at the funerals have had their own seasons of pain as well - some of which I had witnessed personally. It was a reassuring and powerful sight to see first-hand how people were able to appropriate the comfort of the Lord they had experienced in their own lives in reaching out to steady others who were in the midst of a great loss. I know that for me, the losses and pain I have experienced have made me more compassionate and better able to understand some of the struggles and losses of others. I certainly looked back to my seasons of difficulty and God's provision of His love and comfort during those times in my life to reach out to my friends this week in their hurts.

Perhaps the most uplifting example I saw of God's provision of mutual comfort among His people happened as I visited a friend I have mentioned in Previous blog entries. My friend Nelda, who is in the midst of an intense battle with diabetes and other health issues, had to have all of the toes of her left foot removed. This is an especially hard thing in that her right leg has already been amputated up to the knee! What has consistently amazed me about Nelda is her ability to immediately acquire God's comfort for herself AND to pass it on to others. When I entered Nelda's hospital room, there was no trace of self-pity sorrow or depression. On the other hand, her expression of her trust and faith in the Lord was matter-of-fact. Their wasn't a trace of false sanctimony or pretentiousness about her as she shared her trust in Jesus in her situation. I couldn't help but smile as she said,

I got up this morning as was just so happy with how the Lord has been with me. I didn't realize I had an audience, so my spectator asked, 'Why are you raisin' your arms like that and waving them around?' I told 'em, 'I'm just praising the Lord and asking Him what He wants me to do today!'

Her husband Dave, a wonderful person full of good humor and inner strength as well, joined us as Nelda continued sharing about her experiences, describing the amputation - amazingly done with local anesthesia - with grit, humor and a consistent emphasis of her trust in the Lord every step of the way! When I left the hospital, I felt as if I had gotten at least as much encouragement as I had given myself and thought back to 2 Corinthians 1 - God comforts us in our trouble so that "we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Reciprocal blessings dispensed by a loving God Who has provided us with all that we need, even in our most troubled times. As you go about your way this week, and you find yourself facing someone who needs an uplift, call on the God of all comfort who promises to provide enough comfort for you and the person you are helping as well as many more you will meet in the days,months and years ahead. Until next time...

Sam.

A Taste of Heaven!

My family and I have just returned from a vacation we have been planning for the last 3 to 4 years. Our adventure took us from our familiar stomping Grounds in Detroit, MI to the majestic mountainous wonder of Western Canada where my wife's sisters and their families make their homes. It was the third such trip for Luz, my older 3 daughters and I, and the first for our youngest Victoria and our son-in-law Mike.

Plane rides are always exciting and we all enjoyed our flights, but did note that the cost of fuel was leading to a more "No frills" flight experience - no meals, a small glass of soft-drink or two and maybe a very small bag of 5 or 6 miniature pretzels - NO FRILLS! Nevertheless, we wanted our focus to be on our time with family in Vancouver and Victoria, BC and what a time we had!

There were over a dozen of us assembled in Luz's Sisters homes - first Liza and her husband Tim hosted us in Vancouver and later Lanie and her husband Mike hosted us in Victoria. As always, first came the screaming and unrestrained emotion from sisters who had not seen one another for a few years, followed by waves of sumptuous food. In Vancouver we were treated to the traditional Filipino delicacies, Pancit Canton, Adobo, fish and rice with the added benefit of some healthy alternatives of fruit salad, blueberry pancakes made with unrefined flour and numerous other healthy and tasty dishes added by Liza's husband Tim. In Victoria, we had more of the same thanks to Lanie and to Cousin Ruby, and we got to witness first-hand the amazing handiwork of Lani's husband Mike, who built their house by himself - 4,000+ square feet of it, an amazing display of craftsmanship that provided more than enough room of all of us to live comfortably for the week. This was capped by a spa day at Lanie's professional Salon, where our wives and daughters were pampered at Cerelina's, the spa Lanie has named in honor of the woman who gave birth to her and her 5 siblings. I know of three of us in particular who have been blessed by the fruit of Cerelina's labor as it has manifested itself in the lives of our amazing wives!

One aspect of British Columbian living that was a real fringe benefit, was the physical element to all of the fun. We were told that BC is the healthiest of all of Canada's provinces. Everywhere we went involved walking, hiking, lakes, beaches and hills. Talk about guilt-free indulgences! As soon as you ate, you burned it off with some kind of outdoor physical activity. Another characteristic of the area that struck a cord with us was its diversity. There are parts of Vancouver that make it difficult to determine just where in the world you are! For instance, when we visited one of the Asian Night Markets, the sights, sounds, tastes and smells were so overpowering that our youngest daughter Victoria exclaimed with loud and unrestrained joy, "Mommy,I love it here in the Philippines!" That phrase got me to thinking. Though what we experienced in the night markets was wonderful, it was just a shadow of what a market experience in the Philippines is like. Granted, it had many elements one might find in the "real thing" but it was only a faint reflection of a totally different reality altogether.

I believe that is a part of what the Apostle Paul was conveying about our understanding of eternal truths and perspectives when he stated that in our walk of faith we often "see through a glass dimly." There are times when we are blessed to enjoy amazing manifestations of God's love and purpose for our lives, but even at their best, these instances are but a "foretaste of Glory Divine." Our trip was wonderful, but it had to come to an end. Tears of joy were replaced by tears of melancholy as we embarked on the ferry leaving Victoria and heading back to Vancouver and the road back to Seattle, USA. Having family members in your sight gave way once again to wondering how they were doing and keeping them and their problems in prayer from afar.

As wonderful as our time was, it makes me remember that this world isn't really my home and that there is a place being prepared for me and others who have placed their faith in the Jesus Christ. We are promised inheritances that can not be denied and loving relationships that cannot be diminished by time, space or trouble. The little bit of Heaven my family and I experienced this past week made me yearn even more for the Real Thing that will never end. I am eternally thankful for the goodness of God who gives us good things in this world to help us appreciate the great things in store in the world to come! In the meantime, I look forward to another taste of heaven as soon as He allows it! Until next time...



Sam.

God Can handle Our Tough Questions!

I don't typically base my posts on sermons, but the reaction I received from the message I preached yesterday has led me to share some thoughts I presented on July 6 during my Sunday Sermon to the Eastside Congregation. I believe this particular message hit home because everyone experiences setbacks, hurts and disappointments that cause them to ask tough questions. It's comforting to know that we aren't the first generation to ask tough questions and that the Scriptures are actually full of accounts of people of faith confronting God with some very candid inquiries.

Habakkuk is one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament - not minor because of degree of importance of who he was or what he wrote, but minor because of the brevity of the book he authored as opposed to the longer or major prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Though is book is brief in length, it is deep in content and definitely major league in the substance of what he pens. Habakkuk began his ministry during a period that was the last great stand for godliness in his generation. The nation was ruled by King Josiah, who after beginning his tenure of service as a boy, discovered the then long-neglected scriptures and led a comprehensive revival in the land that dispensed with false worship and re-established the nation's commitment exclusively to the Lord God Almighty. When Josiah died, the momentum of the revival died with him and the land began to rapidly descend back into wickedness and a total disregard of the Lord. As Habakkuk witnessed this alarming retreat to godlessness and wickedness, he presents the Lord with a series of "why" questions that strike a cord even today with anyone who has a sincere desire and devotion to live for God. See if you can relate to these questions:

•LORD,HOW LONG MUST THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER?
•LORD,DO YOU EVEN CARE?
•LORD,WILL THE WICKED EVER ANSWER FOR THEIR EVIL DEEDS?

I know I can definitely relate to these questions! They are gripping,honest,and pertinent to the real world and the way it seems to work. I'm not going to attempt to answer these questions point by point as I did in my sermon, because this blog entry would either be too long or not long enough. Nevertheless, I will share some of what Habakkuk's questions tell us about the nature of God.

More than anything, Habakkuk's exchange reminds us that God is open and eager for us to seek a deeper relationship with Him. Do you have a complaint about your present life circumstances? Have you experienced a numbing loss that has caused you to have doubts and uncertainties? Has the daily grind of life spawned a cynical spirit within you and tempted you to think you never see justice for all the evil
in the world? God is ready to hear your complaint. Scripture has many examples of these kinds of questions from people like Abraham, Job and David to name a few. Though the Lord does not always give us the specific "because" answer, he does give us powerful faith-building reminders of His past faithfulness and comforting thoughts of promised strength to prevent us from losing hope.

God also wants us to keep eternity in mind. The Bible is a Book that doesn't merely address the life we presently live, but the life that is to come. This includes the promise of eternal justice, Heaven or Hell. It means an eternal reward for those who know the Lord, and even recompense for those who have suffered greatly for standing firm in faith during great difficulty. Revelation 20 informs us that everyone will give an account for how they have responded to the Lord. There will be no short changing those who have kept the faith and no bypassing those who have rejected the Lord. Everyone will give an account.

We must keep God's love and concern for our troubles in mind. God cares.
He cares so much that He wants to give everyone the maximum opportunity to turn from sin and to turn to Him. 2 Peter 3:8 and 9 states the issue like this:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In other words, if it seems like God is taking a long time to make things right, take into account that His desire is to give the wicked more time to repent. The righteous in Jesus are in good stead no matter what the situation. It is those who don't know Christ who have cause for worry. God is on top of the situation and is giving more people a chance to "come home!"

So when you find yourself getting tired of running the race and fighting the good fight, remember a few verses to keep your head high and looking for the redemption God has promised will come:

Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles,they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." So...when life feels more like a kick in the gut instead of a pat on the back, look to Lord to gain strength and don't be afraid to ask the tough questions. God can take it and he can take your faith to new heights even as you struggle in this rough and tumble world. Until next time...


Sam.

The Life Long Lessons of Panther Pride!

On June 6, 2008 one of the most important pieces of my personal development and a tremendous source of my scholastic pride and identity faded into history and will exist no more except in the cherished memories of those of us who had the distinction and privilege to be part of the Mighty Black and Gold of Hanau American High School. As a result of a reallocation of U.S. Forces and the draw down of US troop levels in Europe, The Home of the Panthers closed its doors forever and the roar of the Panthers was silenced in an emotional ceremony highlighted in the Armed Forces paper the Stars and Stripes. It's hard to communicate or explain the special community that existed amongst the military personnel and their families who were stationed in Europe from the end of WWII until the collapse of the Soviet Bloc during the period which will be forever known as the Cold War.

In many ways, the communities that existed amongst the Cold Warriors formed the closest approximation to the American Dream of Unity that I have ever been privileged to experience. Thousands of miles away from home, and divided into sub-communities that were called Kasernes in Germany, American Military members and their families created a small town feel that was warm, inviting and supportive. Going to High School was a unique experience that I would not fully appreciate until finishing my High School career stateside where the school community was much more divided.

At our school, the children of community VIP's and what the civilian world might call management (officer's kids), walked side by side with the children of blue collar types and the formen (junior enlisted and Non-commissioned Officers) and formed life-long friendships that would be extremely more difficult to experience in corresponding social circles back in the "World" (U.S.) Friendships were formed without respect to race or culture in a world that produced some of the most spectacular varieties of ethnic togetherness one could imagine. One might see a boy whose father was African-American and whose mother was German, dating a girl whose father was Puerto Rican and whose mother was Korean. There were innumerable varieties, all kinds of friendships and everybody sat together in the lunch room. This unity showed itself especially strong during times of crisis. When Iran took US hostages and the rescue attempt to retrieve those hostages failed, there was no question about whether we should have attempted it nor was there any political division among us, only deep sorrow that the mission effort had fallen short. After all, those who died in the attempt were part of our extended military family.

At good ol' Hanau High we also had the typical joys of High School with a few special distinctions. Our Varsity football team was undefeated and unscored on during one unbelievable season. At the end of the following season when the team was placed in the toughest bracket possible because of their outstanding performance, they repeated undefeated and were only scored on a few of times over the course of the season. The JROTC program in which I was involved, mirrored this accomplishment, taking down the mighty Stuttgart High School JROTC Program in a drill team Championship causing everyone who competed and lost to us to wonder who this little team from Hanau High was. It was an impression so deep that a few years later when I entered West Point, one of the members of that fabulous Stuttgart team we managed to beat, shook my hand and refused to harass me though he was an upperclassman and totally within his rights to do so during my Plebe Year. Hanau High was a special time and place.

The import of this special place and time is indelible for me. My lifelong commitment to see people come together across barriers and my devotion to break down walls of division between people comes from having seen it work at HAHS. It can be done. Whether or not I see it repeated in the world at large, I will never relent from applying the lessons of togetherness I learned at Hanau in the Christian Community. The Apostle Paul said it in unmistakable terms - All are one in Christ Jesus. Until Jesus comes or I go to Him, I will doggedly pursue this vision of oneness in Christ that can model oneness for others. Thanks to my days as a Panther, I know it's not just an illusive dream, but a powerful and possible reality. I love you Hanau High, and I'll never forget the wonderful lessons I learned in your hallowed halls! Until next time...

Sam.

The Importance of Remembering the Day After

None of us wants to be forgotten. We have been created with a deep need to know that we are significant to someone somewhere and that our lives have contributed meaningfully to something beyond ourselves. Yesterday was Memorial Day - a day set aside not so much for mattress sales and barbeque's, but to remember those who gave what Abraham Lincoln so eloquently called, "The last full measure of devotion" in service to the nation. It is a remarkable thing that outstanding people at the very height of their giftedness, potentials and powers are so often called upon to put themselves in harms way, sometimes willingly running headlong into the ugliest human situations imaginable for the benefit of others who may never care to remember their Herculean sacrifices. Nevertheless, the sacrifices are made by these oft-forgotten heroes- sacrifices which forgo personal comfort, safety and long term well-being for the acquisition of a higher prize that will serve to bless the common good.

I remember a particular time when I had the opportunity to pay tribute to heroes who were out of sight, but not out of the minds of those who witnessed their sacrificial deeds. During my Junior year of High School, as a member of Task Force Hanau, the JROTC program to which I belonged while attending an American High School in Germany, our program was selected to travel to several out of the way grave sites of fallen soldiers who died in service of the nation, but were buried in lonely grave sites away from the larger American Forces cemeteries often frequented by tourists. We were very proud of the opportunity we had to fire salutes and to sound taps at these grave sites and did our very best to honor the fallen with excellence and reverence. nevertheless, the full significance of what we were doing and the work it took to allow us to pay that homage escaped me at the time. Our instructor, CW4 Donald M. Lesch, a WWII, Korea and Vietnam Veteran who invested so much of himself into youngsters like me, had to seek out and find these grave sites, obtain permission from the German government to conduct the ceremonies and coordinate with the US Armed Forces to make sure everything was done according to protocol and arrange for our logistics in traveling to the sites and back. There were no crowds, no abundance of flags, no great speeches, but there was our Task Force, a handful of veterans and a strong sense of the importance of the task in which we were involved.

As I think of the importance of remembering, I am moved to remember selfless service beyond the battlefield. There are individuals who thanklessly go about incredibly important daily tasks in which the impact is not fully understood. They serve for years, are taken for granted and pass on only to have someone look past their accomplishments without even a casual consideration. (Ever pass by the pictures of former members and pastors of your church and smirk at how out of style their clothing is while ignoring the work they did to build up a congregation that passed on a legacy which now blesses you?) In our current tendency to celebrate the new and downplay the old, we forget that all of us stand on the shoulders of many who have gone before us and served without notice or acclaim for our benefit.

The Christian Faith is built on this kind of sacrifice. We are reminded of Jesus' total embrace of this level of service in the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians. In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul sets the standard to which every Christian should aspire:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Christian tradition informs us that the 11 faithful Apostles took this standard seriously and each displayed a loving disregard of self so that others might be blessed by the Wonderful Message they carried. I am sure at the time they made their sacrificial decisions to serve, they had no idea that they would be remembered, but cared only that the message and the Messenger be remembered for the salvation of those to follow.

As you continue about your business today, the day after Memorial Day, I want to challenge you to remember. Remember that many people have suffered in anonymous service for your benefit and their sacrifices need to be honored. Remember also that God loves you and showed that love on a Roman cross over 2 thousand years ago through His Son, that you might receive the benefit of Eternal Life at no cost to you. We receive Glory at Jesus' expense. Don't limit your remembering to Memorial Day. Let Memorial Day serve a as launching point for a lifetime of humble gratitude that causes you to serve others with no regard for self and every regard for the blessings it can bring for years to come. Until next time...


Sam.

Loose Pastoral Lips

"Loose lips sink ships." They also damage credibility. One of the dangers that accompanies pastoral ministry is the irresponsible expression of pastoral opinion apart from biblical guidelines. This temptation is multiplied the longer one serves as a pastor of a congregation and the more comfortable one becomes with the pulpit ministry of that congregation. This week, two more preachers are in the spotlight for making remarks that have offended many and confused many more. Reverend John Hagee and Reverend Rod Parsley have made comments that have brought a firestorm of criticism on them as pastors and have caused their political endorsements to be rejected by presidential candidate John McCain. Senator McCain's rejection of the endorsement of these pastors naturally brings to mind Senator Barak Obabma's rejection of his pastor's public statements and has led many a pundit to evaluate the appropriateness of pastors issuing endorsements for political candidates. The question is a fair one, and one I'd like to carefully consider with you.

In many discussions I have had with friends and church members on this issue, the first thought that comes to mind is this: Jesus warns that people will give an account for every word that comes out of their mouths - every single word. Even the little stuff will be called into account. If this is true for people in general, then those in pastoral leadership must be even more careful. In an earlier entry, I stated that the book of James reminds Christian teachers and leaders that their standard for accountability is stricter than that of non-leading Christians. Pretty sobering when one considers that those outside of leadership are accountable for every single word! If you speak up in public, the judgment for what you say is stricter.

When claiming to speak for God, a preacher better be absolutely sure, with no margin for error, that the word they are proclaiming is from God. Just because a word rolls easily off of the tongue and is readily received by the congregation, doesn't mean that God has endorsed the message. Exposing the Biblical text for the edification of the church and the spreading of the Good News to those without faith is job one. Other uses of the pulpit increase the risk that the essential message will be compromised and that the purpose of the church and the pastor will be misunderstood.

Pastors must take care in equating the Old Testament office of Prophet with contemporary Christian pastoral responsibilities. The Prophets of the Old Testament were speaking in the context of a theocracy, with a unified religious system and a nation that acknowledged both of these authorities and lived in subjection to them. Though the Prophets certainly had words from the Lord for other nations outside of their authority, their message was targeted primarily towards those in a covenant relationship with the Living God. The message of salvation did at times hit its mark in the most ungodly of uncovenanted nations - the brutal city-state Nineveh, for example, which heard the word of the Lord through Jonah and repented. Nevertheless, the Bible instructs us that judgment begins with the "House of God" and we pastors would do well to make sure our own back yards are in order before we go pruning bushes in the yards of others.

Christians have a responsibility to engage culture and to bring the Message of Jesus Christ to bear on any society in which they live. The realization must be made, however, that even the most cherished politicians, whose platforms seem to line up with whatever convictions we may possess, are still politicians and by nature highly motivated by ambition and resigned to some degree to the art of compromise. This means that the same politician that courts Christian citizens and raises their hands in a church service is also courting all kinds of other people with all kinds of other agendas as well. This same individual has to convince all of us from all of our divergent backgrounds that our interest are precious and equally held by them even when our combined convictions are in direct opposition to each other. As the pastors we have mentioned have all learned, political candidates will not hesitate to "throw them under the bus" when their endorsement is perceived as a burden rather than an advantage.

Pastors must avoid making statements simply for shock value that can easily be taken out of context or misinterpreted. If a statement calls for 3 hours of commentary and a press release to help it make sense, it is probably better avoided altogether. All of us make misstatements, even when we're not trying to be particularly controversial, but I find the advise of a seminary professor particularly helpful to remember when trying to deal with difficult, controversial or political topics: "Don't dig up more snakes than you can kill!" In other words, make sure you can support, explain and defend everything you say when you preach - both within the context of your congregation and to others outside of it who may call for an explanation. For some perspective, remember that the same Gospel that speaks to US citizens in the context of our democratic form of government must also speak to our brothers and sisters in Christ who must engage their cultures within the context of repressive governments. The core of our message is solid enough to encompass that wide of a spectrum - our extreme and crowd pleasing commentating statements may not be.

Finally, we need to recall a few basic Scriptural admonitions that simply and eloquently offer us the guidance we need to avoid the pitfalls of Christian and pastoral "Hoof-in-Mouth Syndrome."

James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Matthew 12:34-37 - For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Let us strive to speak the kinds of words that expose a heart full of the love of Jesus and that justify a life committed totally to Him. Until next time...


Sam.

Proud Papa!

There are moments in parenting when you just can't help but be proud of your children. Of course I'm proud of my children just for being mine, but there are special times when your children accomplish something that just demands that you take a special pause to shine a light on their accomplishments and give to thanks to the Lord for the goodness He has shown through them. May of 2008 stands out as one of those moments in our family history that I need to give that special thanks to the Lord and to give some props to my children, particularly to my oldest two daughters!

This weekend, our family had the privilege of attending my oldest daughter's graduation ceremony as she completed her Masters Degree in Psychology from Roosevelt University, in Chicago. As we observed the ceremony and watched Coco walk across the stage to receive her diploma, my mind drifted to the first time I took Coco to school almost 20 years ago. It was a tropically hot Manila day, as usual, and Coco and I walked through the streets, holding hands, dodging traffic and chatting about "this, that and the other." When we arrived at her school, I noticed her friends were staring at me, amazed at this man they had heard about but never seen. Coco noticed too, and one of her bolder classmates broke the silence and asked, "Sino yan?" - "Who is he?" Coco responded matter-of-factly, "Daddy ko!" - "My Daddy!" When that didn't seem to satisfy her classmate's curiosity, she looked up at my head and added, "Pero Calvo!" - "But he's bald!" A knowing look and broad smile appeared and suddenly all was well. If she was Okay with my strange appearance, then it must have been Okay for them too!

When I think back to that time of Coco's early grade school years in the Philippines, I think of all the effort Luz expended to make sure that Coco and our second oldest Maris, attended the best schools possible and received an educational foundation that emphasized hard work, discipline, focus and respect - attributes that paid huge dividends and produced much fruit, which we were blessed to see this weekend. Though we couldn't attend my daughter Maris' graduation in South Carolina, we are equally proud of her and see the same fruit produced in abundant measure in her life and work and a continued harvest in our 2 younger children too.

Most of us are familiar with the Scripture that states, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and in his old age, he will not depart from it." This is not meant to be a guarantee, but a principle, and one that is somewhat debated among biblical linguists and scholars regarding the exact application and meaning. Nevertheless, the basic meaning is obvious enough. Children must be lovingly and passionately taught, not just passively and casually observed. Guided by the Scriptures, Luz and I have imperfectly, but enthusiastically attempted to guide our children in such a way that they would make sound decisions based on godly principles and choose the path that God would have them to follow. That doesn't mean that we have agreed with every decision they have made or that we need to, but it does mean that whatever path they may choose, we can be assured that their choice will be made from a righteous basis with a noble intent.

I watched my oldest girl walk across the stage, knowing her mother and I hadn't produced a clone of ourselves but that literally by the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ, we had raised a conscientious, motivated and dedicated woman who has her own walk with the Lord and her own calling to fulfil. It is this knowledge that has made me content and an especially proud papa. I just can't help it! Until next time...

Sam.