Sep 02

Celebrating My Favorite Octogenarian!

I vaguely remember when my maternal grandparents turned 80 and somewhat recollect when each of my parents reached that  milestone. But what I distinctly recall is that they all were really old!

So why isn’t my husband old as he hits the big 8-0 tomorrow?

He certainly doesn’t look his age and honestly, he has less physical ailments than I do, even though I’m seven years younger. Despite his youthful appearance and early morning daily workouts at the Y, Ralph acknowledges this birthday feels “tougher” than all the other ones because it “sounds old.”

As I tried to figure out a present which could convey how thankful and proud I am of this guy, I might have mentioned to a few people all over the country that sending a birthday card would be nice.

And I may have colluded with his men’s Bible study so they could gift him a stay at a beautiful resort where he can go fly fishing.

And I conceivably could have a family party planned with all the kids and grands this weekend.

But I want to do something more.

So will you indulge me for a few moments as I celebrate my favorite octogenarian?

My husband was born in Scranton, PA, “just like Joe Biden” as he likes to point out.

He was the only child of older parents. “I think Mom finally proposed to Dad after they dated about 15 years,” Ralph says, adding that he thinks he “might have been the second virgin birth.”

He graduated from Eastern Baptist College near Philly with a student body at the time of  525–about 75 people less than my math class at the Ohio State University.

After a sledding accident in college landed him in the hospital with a concussion, he felt “called” to become a pastor. In May of 1973, I accompanied him to his seminary M.Div. graduation in Massachusetts.  A month later, he proposed.

We only had been dating two months after meeting on a blind date, but we waited a whopping six more months more before tying the knot.

Ralph spent more than 30 years pastoring three congregations, including planting an American Baptist church in 1983, which still serves the Lord today. I wish I’d kept track of all the joyful baptisms he did. And he absolutely does the best weddings and funerals.

After retiring, he spent 10 years designing and selling church buildings. Since I retired in 2015, he takes care of many household duties –besides all his beautiful flowers outside–enabling me to have more time for writing and my cancer support ministry.

As the family patriarch, my hubby always texts an encouraging Bible verse prayer to family members each week.

At Refuge Church he’s the oldest member and still volunteers for remodeling and clean-up tasks at our new congregation’s future meeting place. He’s still as handsome as ever and he still makes me laugh–which I definitely need more of!

Shortly before we met, I made a decision that the only reason I would marry someone was if I believed that together we could serve God better than either of us could separately.

I believe that is exactly what has happened for the past almost 53 years.

And I expect it will continue…with my favorite octogenarian. Hopefully, ’til he’s 100 and I’m only 93.

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age. Isaiah 46:4

The song below is my blessing for my wonderful husband. Perhaps you’d like to join me in praying it over him and your family as well. (Be sure to open in your browser to hear this 3 ¾-minute version of “The Blessing” by Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe.)

 

 

 

Jul 29

Slowing Down a Little or A Lot?

I’m definitely slowing down now that I’m in my eighth decade…no, that does not mean I’m in my 80s, but I will be turning 73 in a couple of months.

I’ve never been a fan of slow.

I walk fast (although I do stop to smell the roses, and lilacs, and peonies). I talk fast (but not as quickly as my oldest daughter, whose high school students remind her to please slow down). I think fast, which is good…and also gets me into trouble when I respond too quickly.

As a child, I recall my dad watching me tear holes in a piece of bread as I rapidly buttered it. “Faster, Lynn, faster!” he jokingly chided.

Speed usually is good if you’re a competitive person like I am. In grade school I won lots of races and in high school, being a quick thinker and a fast talker was essential on the debate team. And time was crucial in my career as a newspaper reporter on deadline.

Thankfully, God has delivered me from being so competitive–at least about myself. I’m OK if I don’t win, but now I’m one of those crazy sports fans (short for fanatics) cheering for my Buckeyes and Philly teams…(welcome King James!).

The speed issue with which I still struggle is a much deeper one and a devotional I read this week was spot on.

“We answer messages. We finish tasks. We take care of others. We keep things going because things need to get done. And then one day, we realize the body is tired, but our soul may be even more tired…Slowing down is not wasting time. Sometimes it is returning to what matters most.”
—French pastor Éric Célérier

I believe my soul is even more tired than my weary body.

That’s the bad news.

But there’s good news too.

Jesus cares about my tiredness and yours–some of it self-imposed by our own choices and some of it thrust upon us by others or outside forces.

Pastor Célérier https://about.me/eric.celerier writes that Jesus invites us to slow down as described in Mark 6:31:

Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.

“The rest Jesus gives is not only a break in your schedule. It is a deeper rest, the rest of the heart coming back close to Him,” Célérier adds.

For the last few years, every August I take a break from blogging and ministry correspondence for what I’ve called “a mini sabbatical.” So I won’t be posting again until September as I embrace the title of Célérier’s devotional: “This Summer, Let Your Soul Breathe.”

I’m not sure exactly what that looks like for me, but I’m looking forward to a deeper rest for my soul. Perhaps you want this as well. I know many of you have issues and responsibilities which weigh you down and can’t simply be ignored, but as Célérier explains, “Today, I encourage you to receive this invitation: Come away with Jesus. Even for a few minutes. Even if everything is not fixed. Even if your heart still feels crowded.”

And perhaps you’d like to pray this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, You see my weariness.
Helps me slow down without guilt.
Teach me to find rest close to You.”*

*From the YouVersion Bible App, the most downloaded and viewed Bible app in the world https://www.youversion.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Open in your browser to hear the incredibly peaceful 4-minute song, Slow Down, by Chuck Girard ©1975 Good News Records and Dunamis Music (ASCAP). I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chuck in 1977 when he sang at Houghton (NY) College. A very humble guy.

Jul 15

The Love of God (and a Dog)

Life has been a struggle for my friend Trish since she was a little girl.

Shortly before her 6th birthday, she was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, drastically altering her childhood–especially as her parents didn’t cope well with the news.

So Trish learned to give herself daily insulin shots and always hide her tears because her mom’s family warned: ‘Don’t upset your mother!’

“My parents lost a daughter not long before I was born, and when I got diagnosed, they didn’t know how to handle it,” Trish explains.

Unfortunately, these early physical and emotional traumas were just the beginning. A cascade of struggles followed, beginning with a massive heart attack in her early 30s.

Rock bottom came soon after when her husband of 14 years left her and their young son.

“I felt like the earth was pulled out from underneath me,” she recalls. “I still loved him and I thought he loved me.”

A few years later as Trish tried to cope with cardiac issues and diabetes’ toll, she applied for a service dog, confident it was the Lord’s plan for her to have one–after all, she loved dogs and training them had once been a favorite job and pastime.

But the waiting lists were long and she never got a call.

Instead the ensuing years brought a litany of maladies, including a handful of mini-strokes; water on the brain requiring a shunt; damage to both retinas; neuropathy in her hands and feet; and small, benign brain tumors.

For three years, she and her son were in a homeless assistance program. Clinically depressed and with little resources, Trish started “self-injuring” as a coping mechanism for the pain and anger she felt.

Eventually, when she joined a Divorce Care group at an area church, the leader referred her to a clinical psychologist. As Trish met regularly for counseling, she was able to stop the self-cutting and the two women even became good friends.

“I didn’t have any big conversion–it was a gradual thing over many years ,” she explains. “I finally started  believing the Bible verse (Romans 8:28) that God will work all things together for good and all along the way He would give me little words of blessing.”

About three years ago–as she faced growing mobility issues– the biggest blessing came.

“I was listening to the song ‘Even If’ and I brought the idea of a service dog to the Lord again,” Trish says. “I was able to surrender it to Him–realizing even if He didn’t fulfill that desire, it would be okay.”

The very next day–many long years after she first applied–came the good news: A service animal was available. But the bad news arrived too: She needed $6,000.

Unable to work for several years, Trish had no way to get that kind of money.

So, as she explains,”God recruited a whole community” (including her psychologist) to donate on her behalf.

“I had no idea how many generous friends I have!”

A beautiful black lab named Adler came home with her in December 2023.

His service tasks include fetching a carton of juice from the fridge for Trish’s low blood sugar, bringing her sneakers and opening the front door so she can go outside in her motorized wheelchair. And if she needs something picked up off the floor, he’s especially helpful because bending over can easily cause her to fall.

Inside he loves to snuggle on her lap and outside he never leaves her side.

Nearing 60, Trish still faces a mountain of daily health issues, but emotionally and spiritually she has experienced an abundance of healing.

And the best part?

“The Lord showed His Agape (unconditional love) for me through Adler–that’s what my dog represents to me: God’s Agape.”
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Please open in your browser to hear Mercy Me sing”Even If,” the 2018 K-Love Fan Song of the Year, which also earned multiple GMA Dove Award nominations.

 

Jul 01

Celebrating as Much Life A.C. as B.C.

There’s quite a big anniversary being celebrated this week.

No, I’m not thinking of the  exciting 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth on Independence Day, July 4.

For me personally, an even more momentous anniversary occurs two days earlier. July 2 is the 36th anniversary of my surgery to remove Stage 3 colon cancer, diagnosed when I was 36 years old.

That’s right, I will have lived as long A.C. (After Cancer) as I did B.C. (Before Cancer).

Wow…so many emotions and memories swirling in my 72-year-old brain.

Without cancer I wouldn’t have developed a deep friendship with my oncologist, Dr. Marc Hirsh and his wife Elizabeth (pictured at this year’s Pink Out fundraiser for cancer patients).

Without cancer I wouldn’t have been an oncology patient advocate offering free emotional and spiritual support to thousands of patients and their caregivers for almost two decades.

Without cancer I wouldn’t have become a bestselling author of multiple books published by Tyndale House.

Without cancer I wouldn’t have met many of you.

And without cancer, I might not have learned how very wrong I was about God.

Back in 1990 from my hospital bed, the future looked bleak.

My chance of survival was maybe 40-percent. Odds were that my wonderful husband, whose first wife died from ALS, would bury another spouse. Chances were my sweet daughters would grow up without a Mommy.

Feeling afraid and overwhelmed, I fumed to God: “You are making a really big mistake here. And there’s nothing You can ever do to make up for this because it is too awful.”

But I was the one who was making a really big mistake. Even though I had been a Christ-follower since 1972…I was limiting God’s power to my meager human understanding.

My hope was just to see my daughters, then ages 8, 10 and 12, grow up. Instead I have had the precious privilege not only of seeing them mature into beautiful adults, but of getting to know and love seven amazing grandchildren, ages 8-15.

Thirty-six years ago I simply wanted to get well quickly. Instead God allowed me to suffer through my treatment (constantly nauseous and allergic to the primary chemo drug) so that I might be equipped to minister to suffering people–hundreds of thousands, according to my book sales.

My desire was to put my cancer ordeal behind me and return to a normal, happy life. Instead this disease has been a main focus of my life for more than three decades as God continues to show me that He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”  (Ephesians 3:20)

I am so humbled to see how the Lord has used me in spite of me and how He has used my cancer story for His glory. I don’t know why He allowed me to “beat the odds,” but of this, I am certain:

“The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude.
All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee.” (Andrae Crouch ©1971)

As you celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, I hope you will join me in praising God for my 36th  “cancerversary.”
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Please open in your browser to hear (and perhaps sing along to) “My Tribute (To God be the Glory)” with Natalie Grant and CeCe Winans.

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Jun 17

Trying to Feel God’s Presence

Ever have days (weeks, months?) when you just can’t seem to feel God’s presence?

It’s not because you’re out robbing banks or tripping little old ladies. In fact, you’re not really doing anything “wrong,” and actually may be you’re doing the “right” things–praying, reading the Bible, worshipping with other believers. But the connection just isn’t there.

That was my dilemma recently. I kept going through the motions and even though I’m not a real touchy-feely person, what I really longed for was to feel God’s loving presence.

Reading more scripture didn’t change my mood, talking longer to God hadn’t helped my malaise, and singing louder didn’t do the trick.

I kept watching for something big to produce the close, connected feeling I missed.

And then out of nowhere, when I didn’t expect it…God answered.

I had switched my morning devotional book at least three times in recent weeks as I searched to find one that would “scratch the itch” in my soul. Finally, I went to my basement library and again looked through all my old devotionals. I pulled out a small hardback copy of ALL I NEED, which I had read probably a couple of decades ago.

I went back upstairs to my La-Z-Boy recliner and hot tea, book in hand. I turned to that day’s reading to see if it seemed like I might connect with its message.

It was entitled “HIS DAILY PRESENCE.” Nothing flashy, eye-opening or heart-stopping there, but it seemed relevant. I couldn’t remember when or how I had gotten this book so I turned to the front pages for a clue.

The simple inscription in beautiful penmanship, which I recognized right away was from my dear friend Carolyn Dunn, who passed away in November. I always called her my mentor, but had forgotten her words to me:

To Lynn, a sister mentor–Carolyn

The dam of unshed tears broke as I wept openly for my precious friend. I hadn’t said anything to anyone about how terribly I missed her and wished I could talk with her.

But God knew.  And His whispered message was loud and clear: I see your grief. I’ve heard your cries. I love you and gave this message today to remind you.

God-whisper. God-wink.  Godsend. People have all kinds of names for these divine “coincidences.”

Whatever the term, it reminds me of when the Jewish prophet Elijah was feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and ready to give up. He cried out to God and this is how the Almighty responded:

“And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
–1 Kings 19:11-12

As the song below says: “You whisper love when I feel lost, You whisper peace at any cost. No shout or sign, just quiet grace, Enough to hold me in this place. Your silence isn’t absence, Lord— It’s where Your deepest truths are stored. You speak in whispers, calm and true. And in the quiet… I hear You.”

Dear friend, if you are yearning to hear God’s voice: Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. He will answer…and it just might be a whisper.

P.S. As I was writing this blog, I realized it would post three days before what would have been Carolyn’s 82nd birthday. Another Godwink?
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Open in your browser to hear the short song “God Whispers” from Ambient Sounds.