The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

I’ve mentioned it before: I like to cook. That can be problematic when there are only two people in your household. Leftovers are inevitable. There have been weeks when we’ve dedicated several days to cleaning up leftovers. But I have this bad habit of taking what’s left over and adding things to it until we have more left over after that meal than when I pulled whatever we’re trying to finish up from the refrigerator!

Right now there’s a ground turkey – rice – vegetable – cheese casserole sitting in our fridge that started out as a meat loaf a couple weeks ago. It’s a very simple concept: take what’s in the ice box, nuke it in the microwave for a minute or two & eat it. That’s what I intend to do but somewhere between the fridge & the microwave I get struck with a thought like: That beef would make a wonderful beef-vegetable soup. That would really taste good on a chilly day like today… Before you know it I’ve got enough soup to feed a family of five.

Eventually much of what I’ve made ends up in the freezer in one form or another. So, if you’re ever having company from out of town & you’re low on groceries or you’re up for a different taste combination than you’ve ever had before (something that’s not readily identifiable just by looking at it) … give me a call.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

I’m busy but I’m not busy like people with their kids still living at home or those taking care of their parents (or both kids and parents). People are like time sponges: the more of them that live in your home the less peace & quiet you will experience. There may also be more laughter, activity, entertainment, purpose &/or help, but there will definitely be less privacy.

It’s really a balancing act, isn’t it? An empty house can be lonely, depressing, or too quiet, yet a full house can be too hectic. Babies don’t come with a money back guarantee good for thirty days after you bring them home from the hospital. Parents can’t be traded in for a more cooperative set. Children & teens don’t have a knob you can turn to control their energy level or volume (someone really ought to invent one of those).

Other people in your home get in the way of many of your plans: what you’re going to cook for dinner, where you are going to spend your “free time,” what you’re going to watch on television, if & when you will get to sleep, sports car or minivan …. Yet no matter who or how many make your house their home there always seems to be room for them. And when they’re gone you’ve got more time, space, money, rest … & a hole in your heart. As it turns out the whole time they were sponging up your time, they were stealing your heart!

– Pastor Joel Everhart

My wife and I have been visiting our neighbor, Ann, who went into the Brethren Home a couple months ago. She has been battling cancer & bipolar disorder for some time, but more recently — Alzheimer’s. She’s been in four different sections of the home because her conditions have deteriorated since she’s been there. Now she’s in a lockdown unit with others coping with dementia.

When we first started visiting her there, Ann was a little more like a staff member helping with the other patients & we wondered if it was really necessary for her to be in that section of the home. On one occasion she insisted we have a cup of tea & some cookies with her. As we sat there visiting, another patient walked up beside me, spoke three sentences (none of which had to do with the others nor did they make any sense in the context of what was happening). She reached down & took several sips of my tea, placed the cup back in front of me then scooted a chair along in front of her as if it was a walker until she disappeared around a corner.

Well, it finally happened … Ann didn’t recognize us the last time we stopped in to see her even though it had been less than a week since our last visit. It was sad but at the same time we’d never seen her happier. All the stress & worry was out of her system. She lives in the moment because that’s all she has. Her painful past with its memories are gone. Not all Alzheimer’s patients are pleasant, of course — one seemed to take great pleasure in growling at our Yorkie pup we like to take along to visit the patients. As Callie runs behind me the patient beams with delight. May God richly bless those that care for them! Such concern they show, such patience, such strength! Those caregivers take such abuse but respond with such grace. And God bless those of you taking care of loved ones!

– Pastor Joel Everhart

A couple words about running in the winter before sunrise:

First, check the Internet for the temperature & wind chill. Overdressing for a run can be as uncomfortable as underdressing … but not as dangerous. For any temperature above 40 degrees a T-shirt & shorts along with good running shoes is sufficient. At 40 degrees you’ll start out chilly but feel fine after the first mile. Between 35–40, a sweatshirt added to your ensemble is good. Between 28-35 degrees, I add a pair of gloves & a knit cap. Anything under 28 degrees requires sweatpants: light ones in temps above 20, heavier ones for the teens & lower. Once it’s in the teens I add a second sweatshirt with a turtleneck & a hat that completely covers my ears. For single digits I also tie the hood of my sweatshirt over my hat. For wind chills below zero, I wear a face mask & add an extra pair of sweatpants. When wind chills are in the double digits, I run in the gym.

On top of it all you need to have something fluorescent & reflective. Never assume that the people in the cars can see you or that they care about your welfare — there are a few people out there who actually enjoy watching you jump out of the way. Next week we’ll discuss weather conditions.

Who cares? you ask. Anyone thinking about adding a morning run to their exercise routine. Okay, maybe that’s nobody reading this column. Let’s try this then: everyone reading this will one day die. Are you prepared for what comes next?

– Pastor Joel Everhart