The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog



March 18, 2015

 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

The wonderfulness of the human mechanism is so great that, if realized, it produces a sensation of fear. It has been said that if we could see one-half of what is going on within us, we should not dare to move. Each of us is given special abilities & talents from God. As we use them for Him it brings marvelous glory to His name. We are not to compare ourselves with others, but to give thanks to the God who made each one of us, unique in their own way, to minister His grace so that others may come to know Him.

From the view of my window this past Sunday morning, I witnessed two amazing young people use their (musical) talents for God. What joy it brought to my heart to see God’s creation acknowledging & praising Him. God’s work in you Lathan & Libby is wonderful, & I know that full well!

– Barb Everhart

March 15, 2015

 

old tea cup 2

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

March 8, 2015

 

white runner

Last week we considered how to dress for winter temperatures when running before sunrise. This week we’ll talk about weather conditions:

Don’t run when the roads and sidewalks are covered with ice. A day without a run is better than a day in the emergency room. When there are patches of ice, use extreme caution & slow down whenever anything looks remotely slippery. I love running on newly fallen snow & especially if it is snowing while I run. Fresh snow has a grip your shoes can grab if you run a little more flat-footed than the normal exaggerated heal-to-toe. Snow also has a way of lighting up an otherwise dark landscape. Snow that others have trampled is pretty much ice (especially if it’s a day or more old).

As for rain, I choose not to run in heavy downpours but find that a gentle shower is not a problem; you’ll be wet with sweat by the time you’re done anyway. If a little rain keeps you from running you are not a runner. Maybe we can put all this to the old tune Kenny Rogers used for “The Gambler” … “You got to know when to go out, know when to stay in, know when to take a walk, know when to run; you never skip a session just because you’re lazy; they’ll be time enough for resting when your body’s dead.”

And there it is again: that whole thing about everybody dies. Are you more ready for your date with destiny than you were last week? You ought to be because you are one week closer to it.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

March 1, 2015

winter-runner-2

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

February 8, 2015

The following post was submitted by an anonymous reader of this column:

I really got a lot out of your last post. I could not stop thinking about it — it even kept me up late one night. One of the reasons you wrote about for why we all might be here on Earth still (God’s waiting for us to tell others about Him) really stirred something in my heart. Parenthood is teaching me a lot about God’s love for us & this is what came to mind after reading that post:

It’s like having three kids that you have to live apart from until a set time (which only you know) in the future. Only the oldest child knows you, has memories of you, & loves you as the two other kids are too young. The only way all three can live with you is by their own choice. The oldest already wants to live with you but the other two aren’t sure as they don’t even know you. You, then, have a choice to make — either (1) leave the oldest child with the two younger ones in hopes that he’d share your love for them so that all three might one day come to live with you or (2) only bring the oldest with you & leave the other two behind for good, despite your great love for them. You decide to leave the oldest child (he will come to live with you no matter what at the future date) with the other two, but you’re able to check in via video cam to see how things are progressing.

How frustrating it would be as that date creeps closer to know that your oldest is squandering his time because he doesn’t feel the same urgency you do & that he is not sharing stories about you, how much you love his siblings, or his own memories of how cool of a parent you are in order to convince the other two to want to live with you. Can you imagine the hurt you’d feel if he’d never even mentioned your name (because he’s got a free pass to live with you already)? How selfish. And, obviously, in this analogy I am the selfish, oldest child.

February 1, 2015

I try to be out the front door & on my morning run by 5:30am. Stretching beforehand is a priority. My old bones crack & pop as I twist & bend. Apparently there is this zone between sleep & activity that cannot be rushed lest a different kind, a damaging kind, of cracking & popping takes place.

Cannot the same be said for our spirits? Shouldn’t there be some adjusting of our heart & mind before facing the world? You may have fallen asleep uttering sweet prayers & praises to our Savior but by the time you wake your spirit needs attention. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Don’t just jump out of bed & into the world! Stretch, move, transform your mind by spending at least a little bit of time in God’s Word. Be sure it’s a Christian radio station you’re tuned into as you drive to work or do your morning chores. You don’t want to miss God’s will for your life ever — after all, it’s “good, pleasing, & perfect.”

– Pastor Joel Everhart

January 25, 2015

A. W. Tozer says that God will be as pleased to have us in Heaven as we are to be there. That’s an amazing thought! I suppose it’s just one more way to express God’s immense love for us. It would help to explain the cross: Jesus did what He did in order to save us — at such an enormous cost! If He didn’t want us in Heaven, He could have just not suffered the pains of Calvary. The cross is the Lord’s unforgettable valentine to you signed with His own precious blood.

Now, if He is so anxious for us to get to Heaven in order to be with Him He must have a pretty good reason for keeping us here a little longer (or maybe I should say reasons). Here are a few I can think of: (1) He enjoys watching us live this life much like we enjoy watching children & grandchildren grow & conquer new feats, (2) He’s already enjoying intimacy with us as we worship, pray, & live, & (3) only while we’re here can He use us to influence others to grasp a hold of faith for the first time or keep holding onto it if they’re already a believer.

You won’t be here much longer. Look forward to being with Jesus in Heaven but enjoy the view while you’re here — be with Jesus as much as possible now. Make good use of your remaining days or hours by helping someone else see the light we’re journeying toward.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

January 18, 2015

It was the Sunday after Christmas … our kids from Utah had already been with us since the Wednesday before when our gang from North Carolina showed up. It was the first time ever that our three grandsons (ages 9 months, 1 year 3 months, & 3 years) were together. I absolutely felt like the richest man on the planet! When you only see them once a year even their tantrums are cute.

It seemed to throw them off their game when they’re throwing a fit & Grandpa is laughing; that’s just not the reaction they were expecting. They weren’t going for cute, they weren’t trying to be entertaining, they were trying to whine & cry me into submission to their will. (Not that they flipped out very often mind you — most of the time they delighted us with their smiles & giggles.)

Since they’ve all gone home the house sure feels empty but I don’t think anyone has taken it harder than our Yorkie Callie. She thought she got three little boys for Christmas & somebody took them back!

– Pastor Joel Everhart

January 11, 2015

I ate too much. I didn’t just eat too much of the good kind of food I ate too much of the kinds of food Dr. Oz warns the world not to eat. We baked pies & cookies & cakes in anticipation of our company through the holidays but our guests really behaved themselves (nutritionally speaking). Every night I promised myself not to eat like a pig the next day & each day I succumbed to a craving for sugar.

Just thinking about cutting back made me hungry. Apparently I’m a better baker than motivational thinker. Once again I need to stop fighting my own battles & cast my wimpy soul on the mercy & power of the Savior. Thankfully, He’s not just about saving our souls He is a friend like no other.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

January 5, 2015

Well, our kids from Utah made it for Christmas & it made for a most memorable occasion! The boys (Hudson, 9 mos. & Colten, 3 yrs.) really lit up our holiday. Too young to get so anxious that they couldn’t sleep yet old enough to enjoy the wonder of presents under the tree. Colten’s Dad said, “There are presents under the tree for you.” Colten responded, “No there isn’t.” (It took some doing just to get him to go look.) His first reaction was to run back & tell his Dad, “There are presents under the Christmas tree!”

Later we visited a lady in a retirement home that doesn’t have any family left. In the gathering room where we met with her is a large tree with lots of beautifully wrapped boxes underneath. When we told Colten there weren’t any actual presents in the boxes he had a meltdown. Apparently a person can get used to getting gifts real fast. Isn’t that one of the keys to a happy life? Learning to accept blessings graciously while staying pleasant when the stuffed stocking is for somebody else; it’s great to enjoy your turn as long as you can be just as happy for your brother or sister when it’s theirs.

Paul said he had learned the secret to being content with very little or with a lot. I think that even after you’ve acquired that skill it requires a refresher course every so often to stay current with that degree. So if you got what you hoped for this past holiday season, congratulations! If not, you may have received an even greater reward: an opportunity to build your contentment muscles.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

December 28, 2014

It’s kind of ironic that I wrote recently about not being able to recapture that childlike anticipation of Christmas, yet, here I am this morning anxiously awaiting news of whether I’ll get what I want this year. Our kids from Utah are to fly in this Tuesday in order to spend Christmas with us, but they’ve had a bout with the flu this past weekend. If they’re not feeling better by today (Monday) they’ll postpone their trip. Since they’re two hours behind us it’s too early to contact them. I’ll have to patiently wait for them to get in touch with me. Our freezer is packed with meats to be cooked & cookies galore. The past few years we’ve not had a tree but we bought one a couple weeks ago since “the boys” were, I mean ARE coming. Stupid flu.

So what I’ve learned is that anticipation isn’t about age or theory; it’s about wanting something bad enough yet knowing it just might not happen. I’m old enough that if I want something bad enough I either go get it or (if it’s too expensive) I just get over it … but this isn’t a thing it’s a visit — contact with loved ones. It’s what I want most; it’s what I was told I’d get… Alas, we learn yet again that the most precious things in life aren’t things at all.

Thanks, Father, for giving me the gift of anticipation this Christmas & even if I don’t get what I’m asking for exactly when I’d like to have it, I know that You are always up to something good. Merry Christmas! There, a prayer like that ought to guilt God right into doing exactly what I want … right? Just kidding — it is a sincere prayer. We serve an awesome God.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

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