The world is so divided right now. You can't say anything without offending someone and causing strife. This is so contrary to what God commands us to do: love one another. It's one of His two great commandments. Yet we stand divided on just about every issue. God woke me up one night and laid it on my heart that I needed to do something about this. I didn't know what someone with my skills could do about something that significant, so I tried to ignore it. But it kept eating at me throughout the day, which I can see… Read More
Loving Your Neighbor
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I have always been passionate about helping people and I knew that we had people in our own community that needed help. Especially during the pandemic when so many people were losing their jobs. The state and local benefits offered to those in need did not cover everyday items such as toilet paper and shampoo. I knew that we could be doing better. I came up with the idea for a pantry. The pantry at our church, Bethany Lutheran in Parma Ohio, is called Sharing G.R.A.C.E. with G.R.A.C.E. standing for Groceries Reaching Across Community Everyday. The pantry offers items you cannot… Read More
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I wanted to find a special way to honor our veterans. I got a little tired of the media showing people disrespecting our flag, although I value their right to protest. Veterans put their life on the line to keep us free, and they should be saluted and thanked. Every day. So I thought I'd do something special for a couple veterans in my community: my dad and his neighbor. For each of their front yards, I purchased a kit for a lighted flagpole, set the pole in cement, bought a large American flag and raised it for all to see.… Read More
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Staying at home during this pandemic is not easy. We all need to be finding some meaningful things to do with our time. Since we were coming up on Easter week, I decided to make our two grown sons a wooden cross that they could place in their own front yards so people could be reminded of the sacrifices Jesus made for all of us. So I went to Home Depot, bought several pieces of lumber and started working. I put them up in their yards one morning before they woke up and they each loved them. One suggested I do this… Read More
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When I retired from my job, I knew I wanted to serve the Lord with my gifts and volunteer at my church. I went to a meeting at my church. A leadership position needed to be filled. I was new to the group so I kept my hand and my head down. I didn’t want to volunteer to be a leader, that was for someone else. The next position was for the “Sunshine Committee.” Only one person was needed to send out the get-well cards to church members. I knew that it was the perfect position for me. My hand quickly… Read More
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Most people look forward to the day they retire. I suppose I was no different. At first, I wanted a typical sit-around-and-lounge retirement, but the fantasy of that wore off quickly. It didn't take long before I was bored and searching for something to do. I started to get involved in the community that I love dearly, and that's when I really began to enjoy my retirement. Most people don't understand the concept of volunteering. They think they are doing others a service, or maybe themselves a service by checking their "good deed" box. Volunteering is simply giving of yourself, expecting nothing… Read More