November 7, 2024

                         Trump Is No David

After removing him (Saul), he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out my will.’ – Acts 13:22

The excuses have begun. People who voted for evil are comparing Donald Trump to King David. We all sin. David was certainly no exception. But the difference between the two men can be found in their hearts.

In 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan confronted David over his sin with Bathsheba. David had not only committed adultery, but he had Bathsheba’s husband murdered. The LORD forgave David when he admitted he had sinned against God. 

David paid for his sin. The son Bathsheba conceived died. Nathan also told David that because of his sin, God had decreed that the sword would never leave David’s house. And it didn’t.

But let’s get back to David’s repentance. He accepted responsibility for his sins. Trump merely blames everyone else. He never takes responsibility for anything. Trump is nothing like King David.

Perhaps the important question for those already making excuses for Trump is why they feel the need to do so. He won. Our country has turned away from God and embraced evil.

I believe that God will work through this horrific time and show His Glory. Just as He did after Christians put Hitler into power and made excuses for him. I also know that the days ahead will be horrific. Will God’s people finally rise up against a would-be dictator and put God back on the throne? I don’t know.

Those of you who voted for Trump made a choice that was yours to make. Don’t now try to justify turning from God by throwing out Scripture. There is no justifying what you’ve done.

September 8, 2024

         Do Not Be Deceived

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

– 1 John 1:8

“I did nothing wrong,” the candidate proclaimed.

“It’s all a hoax.”

“Fake media.”

Do you really need me to list more comments or even to name the candidate responsible? Yet this is the man conservative Christians are holding up as their standard bearer.

Some have even gone so far as to proclaim Trump as “anointed” by God. They are “preaching” for a political candidate and making excuses for his behavior – both past and present behavior.

If Trump were truly chosen by God, there would be no need to make excuses for him. He would admit past sins, ask forgiveness and change his forward path. God is quick to forgive a contrite heart.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. We are ALL sinners. There is no hierarchy when it comes to sin. But God does have expectations for His people.

John writes: If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:10

Our nation has had some truly devout Christian presidents. Jimmy Carter comes immediately to mind. After his re-election defeat, he turned his attention to living out his faith. He taught Sunday School and he worked building houses with Habitat for Humanity.

We are all free to choose the political candidate that best reflects our values and our concerns and desires for this great nation. But do not fool yourself into believing that a man who has repeatedly violated Biblical principles is serving God. No. That man is only serving himself.

June 24, 2022

 

^{Start With Yourself}

 

² How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?
³ Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.
⁴ Therefore the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
    so that justice is perverted.

– Habakkuk 1:2-4

 

It's a small book. A minor prophet named Habakkuk dared to question God. Much like we dare to question God today. The difference? Perhaps we aren’t as righteous as we proclaim.

 

We are quick to pick and choose the issues, the Biblical quotes, the direction of our prayers so that our wishes and our will prevail. Except God always prevails. Always. We forget that.

 

We condemn abortion but demand our right to own and use weapons of war. It is our right to kill who and what we please. It is also our right to demand that you follow our wishes in all things.

 

Perhaps that’s the root of it all. It’s about us. It’s never been about God. He’s only been our excuse, the way we justify the evil that lies within our own hearts.

 

“It’s just business,” is one excuse I’ve heard over and over from so many different people. It’s the way to justify ripping someone off even though it clearly violates God’s law.

 

Or we refuse to help our parents or grandparents unless there’s a payday involved. When did we stop honoring our families except when we are paid to do so? It’s only right, we tell ourselves. Have you checked with the Bible on that?

 

We harbor anger and bitterness in our hearts, lashing out at anyone who dares to disagree with us. We are impatient and unkind. And it is always someone else’s fault.

 

We are a Christian people good at pointing fingers at others who, in our opinion, need to clean up their act. We forget to get the plank out of our own eye before we search for the speck in the eye of someone else.

 

What’s wrong with our country today? Christians who live by their own greed, their own egos, their own comfort, ignoring the Word when it doesn’t fit into their neat little lives. We have turned out religion into our own little political agendas and we have the audacity to wonder where God is as our world seems increasingly out of control.

 

Beware to us all: God will judge each person. We all face the fire of our choices. Stop pointing fingers. Stop living a lie. Bow down and truly worship the Lord our God. Yeah. I know. Most of you won’t do that. It might mean loving people you’ve decided to hate. It could even mean giving up some of your ill-gotten wealth and giving it to those you’ve judged unworthy. You might have to get dirty and serve instead of barking orders at those you consider beneath you.

 

Here is my soapbox once again: If you want to see change, start with yourself.

July 12, 2021

 

Separate Politics, True Faith

 

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” – Matthew 12:25

 

We have turned our faith into a political debate. We divide amongst ourselves based on political ideology rather than love of Jesus. We’ve chosen to pick out parts of the Bible that “apply” to us and our beliefs and ignore the rest. Do we really believe that God will stand for our selfish ignorance?

 

We excuse politicians for bad behavior simply because we believe deep inside that their policies are good for our bank accounts. We ignore the hate-filled Facebook posts by people we like maybe, just maybe, because it’s what we want to say. We condemn the poor, blaming them for our own economic woes. We judge and we judge and we judge.

 

We do everything, it seems, but love others unconditionally. We do everything but lend a helping hand. We don’t want to get dirty. We don’t want to give up our time or our money or our churches for anything or anyone we aren’t comfortable with. We want to surround ourselves with those who look like us, speak like us, are economically comfortable like us and who believe like us.

 

We call out those who defend the rights of the underdog, calling them atheists and liberals and dreamers. We focus on one or two issues and call ourselves conservative Christians when the reality is that our lives are anything but a reflection of Jesus.

 

Who are you? Perhaps you’re the one who puts yourself on a pedestal and demands that your way is the only way. Perhaps you are the modern-day Pharisee demanding that those who love Jesus follow your rules and ignore everything else the Bible says is true.

 

Don’t mix true faith in Jesus with political views that ignore the needs of everyone. Faith and politics aren’t the same thing. Trying to weld the two together is a disaster we see unfolding before our eyes.

February 15, 2020

Seek God

When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. – Isaiah 1:15

They demand the prayers of many as they circle the wagons of righteousness. They are defending against evil or so they loudly proclaim. For it is in their next breath that they clutch tightly to what they “own” and the lifestyle that brings them comfort and security.

They wonder why God hasn’t changed their circumstances. They plead with God to protect them from the evil of Washington politicos who disagree with their version of faith. They cling to lies that will protect themselves rather than seek God’s true will.

God’s will is never comfortable. He doesn’t call us to the easy or to the view of many. God calls us to the light. His light. We are to be beacons in the darkness. Instead, we seek darkness and call it light.

Learn to do good.

Seek justice.

Help the oppressed.

Defend the cause of orphans.

Fight for the rights of widows. – Isaiah 1:17

We make excuses. They need to work. They should make better choices. We aren’t responsible for children who belong to others. If someone is in jail, they deserve to be there. We don’t have time to volunteer. We couldn’t possibly mentor a fatherless teen. It’s not our fault they’re having a hard time.

Really? It is our responsibility to do good where we can. God hasn’t called us to qualify who deserves our help. God doesn’t need us to judge and determine who is worthy. Asssll the financial gifts God has given to us are to be used to help others.

It’s not that God doesn’t want good things for us. He gives us blessings again and again. But God expects us to hold those things loosely. God expects us to show mercy and compassion to everyone.

What are you praying for today? Are you asking God to do your will or are you asking Him to open your heart to His will? God hears the prayers of those who truly seek Him. Are you?

May 16. 2019

What’s Your Excuse?

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. … But they all alike began to make excuses.” 

– Luke 16, Luke 18a

It was one of those casual encounters. We’d barely got the hellos out when she began to make excuses for not being in Sunday school class. I tried to brush it off and move on. She kept talking anyway.

And it finally pushed my button. I struggled and barely contained my words. I really don’t care whether she’s in class, in church, or anywhere else. I don’t mean that harshly. I just believe it’s between the individual and God.

What I do care about are the excuses. Her words bordered on lies and I’m being generous when I write that. I’m sure she was tired but not because of her ongoing illness, her knee or anything else. Facebook tells all and I knew from the photos that she’d just returned from Disney World.

I’m happy for her. Vacations and fun times are good things but the sad reality is she’s been in class three times this year. She always has an excuse but the truth is far simpler than any excuse. She doesn’t come because she doesn’t want to come. Period.

Jesus told this parable about those who make excuses, refusing to choose God before all else. Are you attending church regularly? What about small group? Do you pray daily (and not just for your own agenda!)? God comes first and everything else behind it. No amount of excuses will make anything else okay.

We all make choices every day. We prioritize what we value and we push aside what we don’t value. God gave us free will and these are our choices to make. Own those choices. Admit them. Don’t make excuses. Don’t try to rationalize your choices. If you feel guilty, if you are filled with the need to explain yourself, maybe the Holy Spirit is telling you that you’ve made the wrong choice.

January 7, 2018

Do You Walk in Love?

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2

How accepting are you? Do you welcome people who are different, whether it’s someone from another culture or a different faith? Do you treat those who are poor with the same respect as you treat those who are wealthy? Do you treat someone warmly, regardless of their social status?

Don’t be so quick to say “Of course!” Our churches are filled with people who are only interested in welcoming people just like them into their fold. “Different” need not apply.

We’re quick to make excuses. We need people who can give back, whether financially or with volunteer hours. We’re not set up to deal with “issues” some folks might bring, things like drug addiction, depression, abusive relationships. Some other church is more equipped to help them. That’s what we tell ourselves, anyway.

Jesus never said to pass our obligations on to someone else. He never said to make people clean themselves up before we extend our hands in love. He also never said our rules and opinions should matter more than loving the lost, the broken, the hungry. In fact, Jesus said just the opposite.

Let’s take it outside of the church for a moment. Do you welcome the new co-worker to lunch with your friends? Do you invite the new neighbors over for the neighborhood cookout? Do you include the new child at school in your own child’s playgroup? Do you extend the hand of welcome, the hand of grace, the hand of acceptance to those you don’t know and those who might not “fit in?”

Who have you rejected today? Who have you excluded from your circle? Who have you made to feel unwanted, unnoticed, unwelcome? Who is walking alone today because you didn’t make an effort to invite them into your world, even if only for a moment, a meal, a short conversation?

Pastor Ryan Martin said yesterday that when we treat people with love and respect, we see a change in them. He’s right. Sometimes all it takes is a kind word and genuine smile to see people blossom right in front of you.

Here’s a basic truth: God loves the outcasts whether we love them or not. God sees the outcasts whether we see them or not. It’s not how hard you love those in your circle that counts. It’s how hard you love those on the perimeter of your world that draws people toward Christ.

We focus on the ugliness in Washington. We condemn those who are different. We spew hatred toward those we paint with a wide brush stroke as evil. And we do it all in the name of Jesus. How ridiculous and how sad.

We justify ourselves using God’s own words. We pull things out of context. We focus on one sentence, ignoring all the others around it. We excuse our own sins while harshly judging someone who sins differently.

Martin noted that God’s Word is a sword. The Bible tells us that. But here’s the rest of that: It can be used for good or evil. God’s Word can be used to strengthen His Kingdom or tear it down.

It’s easy to point fingers and blame others for all the evils in this world. That’s not your job or mine. Judgment belongs to God. Our job is to love people and, in so doing, shine a light that draws them toward Christ.

January 4, 2018

Take the Step

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. – Hebrews 11:8

The New Year is calling to us. It is inviting us to new places, new adventures, new roads to travel. Are you heading out or hunkering down?

Abraham didn’t have to go when God called him. Abraham could have said no. God gives us the freedom to make choices, good or bad, as we live life on this earth. Abraham chose to follow God, even though he had no idea where he was going or what challenges he might face.

In a very real sense, Abraham took a chance on God. He believed God and the promises God had made to him. We look at those passages in the Bible and, still, we hesitate on the calling God has made on our own lives. We explain that times were different then. We rationalize that Abraham was a very special person and, thus, much more qualified to follow God.

Except that we’re really no different than Abraham. We’re special because God made us. We’re qualified because God provides all that we need to accomplish the task He sets before us. The difference between us and Abraham? Faith.

Somewhere along the line we’ve gotten the notion that following God should be easy. We’ve come to believe that stepping out in faith should come without hardship and doubts. We truly think that God’s calling doesn’t involve actual work or sacrifice on our part. Where in the world did we get that belief? Certainly not from the Bible.

Jesus promised that in this world we would have trouble. I know. It’s not what we want to hear. We want an easy life filled with blessings and little to no heartache. That’s not the life Jesus promised. That’s just not reality.

Faith means we trust God when we can’t see the way forward. Faith means we trust God when doubts set in and naysayers abound. Faith means we trust God in the storm, certain that it will pass and God’s blessings will come in abundance.

Faith also means understanding that our journey here is not about us. Sure, God wants us to enjoy life. But this life He’s granted to us really isn’t about us. It’s not. But we sure do have a hard time with that, don’t we?

Putting God first doesn’t fit with who society tells us we should be. Isn’t life supposed to be about us? Isn’t it supposed to be fun, filled with blessings, with little to no sacrifice on our part?

This isn’t our home. We know that but sometimes we have a difficult time wrapping our minds around it. We are restless, hungry for something more but we can’t seem to understand that we’ll never really be content so long as we live on this earth.

So, what has God called you to do in this New Year? It’s probably won’t be an easy journey. It might not be something you particularly want to do. It might require sacrifice and hardship and skills you never thought you had. Do it anyway.

December 19, 2018

Excuses

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.

– 1 Samuel 17:38

He was only a shepherd boy. Sure. He’d been anointed by Samuel but he was still the same boy. He’d come to bring bread and cheese to his brothers, who were on the front lines of the fight against the Philistines.

Except no one wanted to take on Goliath. No one was willing to challenge the giant and almost certainly die. Except for the boy whose trust in God was so great that he believed God would show His glory by allowing him to defeat Goliath.

David’s brothers were angry and believed their little brother was showing out. I suppose it was easier to be offended than to face the reality that their youngest sibling was braver than they were.

King Saul agreed to let David try. This was long before he turned on David and tried to have him killed. Saul offered David his personal armor. His intentions were good but David didn’t need Saul’s armor. He wasn’t accustomed to it and the very items meant to protect David would have hindered him.

How often do we try to add resources to what God has already provided? He’s equipped us for what He has called us to do but we’re still making excuses. We’re certain that we need something more, something better, something that will insure victory. It’s easier to trust in a coat of armor than a God we know but don’t see.

Faith calls us to something greater.

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give all of you into our hands.” – 1 Samuel 17:45-47

David wasn’t arrogant because of his own abilities. He simply knew with deep certainty that God would show up. What would you do if you knew with that deep certainty that God would show up? Why do you doubt?

We’re all good at making excuses for not doing what we know God has called us to do. We want the perfect time. We want all the perfect resources. We want to be in the perfect frame of mind. We want a reason not to try because when we try we reveal the depth of our faith.

Do you believe? Really? Truly? Then what are you waiting for? God has already given you everything you need to do what He has called you to.

January 12, 2018

What Labels Do You Wear?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here! 

– 2 Corinthians 5:17

What is your label? Who are you, to the world and to yourself?

Think about it. Are you an employee, a spouse or a parent? Are you a liar, a thief, a hypocrite? Are you someone who thinks highly of yourself or do you feel sorry for yourself? Are you someone who makes excuses or who takes responsibility? Do you know everything or do you judge everyone by standards no one could reach?

What does the world say, and see, when it looks at you? Are you a failure or a success? Are you a giver or a taker? Are you honest or do you skirt the truth when it benefits you? Do you have potential or have you stumbled so many times no one expects anything else from you?

We all carry labels. Some we place on ourselves. Some labels others brand us with. Some of those labels are justified and some aren’t.

When you become a Christian, when you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over your life, you become a new creation. You have been washed clean by His blood. What is past no longer defines you. Yes, there may still be consequences from past choices but they don’t define you. That is no longer your label.

The hardest part isn’t moving beyond your past. The hardest part is ridding yourself of the labels you and the world use to define who you are. God may have forgotten our sins the moment we repented, but we haven’t and neither has those around us. It’s like lugging a ball and chain into the future. It sure does slow the journey down.

We all are guilty. Have you ever watched a recovering alcoholic try to make amends and peace with what their actions did to their children? It doesn’t matter how many years they’ve been sober, they still beat themselves up over a past they can’t change.

Have you ever listened to a parent trying to make excuses for an adult child? They can’t seem to grasp that the adult child continues to make bad decisions. They are full of excuses. Admitting anything else means they failed as a parent, doesn’t it? Better to pretend something else, anything else, than to know and accept that sometimes you can do everything right and still have a child repeatedly make poor choices.

Have you ever cheated on your spouse, even if it was only in your heart? Have you ever told a “white lie” rather than deal with the truth? Have you ever spread gossip, played “politics” at work, or taken advantage of someone and called yourself justified?

I’ve asked a lot of questions. Sometimes the hardest part of labels is looking ourselves in the heart and taking inventory of what is real, what is the past, and what belongs to the world. It isn’t an easy journey. We aren’t nearly as awful as we think. And we aren’t nearly as innocent as we want to believe. It’s easy to point the finger. It’s easy to wallow in past mistakes. It isn’t so easy to get up, dust ourselves off and go forward as a new creation.

Jesus gives us an opportunity to take a different path. He calls us beloved, child of God, forgiven. Does your life reflect that? Really? Think about it.

February 4, 2016

Lies Are The Devil‘s Seeds

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. -- Exodus 20:16

Why do people lie? There are so many reasons. Fear. To make themselves look good. To cover up a mistake. To do Satan’s will. To cause dissension.

It’s all wrong. There really isn’t an excuse. A lie never brings anything but heartache -- especially to the liar. But at the time it seems easier than admitting you’ve messed up.

There is an unseen battle that wages here on this earth. It is a battle of demons trying to disrupt God’s people. It is a battle of good versus evil. The plan is to make God’s people turn away from Him, to plant seeds of doubt and derision. Lies are seeds the devil plants.

13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” -- 1 Samuel 15:13-15

Another lie Satan tells us is that it’s all for our good or for God’s glory. Lies are never for your good or God’s glory. Ever. In this passage of Scripture, God told the Israelites to destroy everything, all the people and all the cattle. Everything. But the Israelites, with Saul as king, kept the best. When the prophet Samuel pointed this out, they tried to excuse their behavior by saying they kept the best to offer as a sacrifice for God.

Did they get away with it? Did God excuse them? Of course not. God knew what was best and that’s what He told them to do. It was there own greed they were feeding.

Isn’t that usually the case? We tell ourselves we’re lying to do good to others but we’re really lying to save ourselves. We tell ourselves we did it for God but in reality we just don’t want to admit to Him or to anyone else what we did.

Here’s the thing: No one is innocent. We’re all guilty. But God’s people admit their mistakes, ask forgiveness and take a different path. Satan’s minions keep pushing their lies again and again and again.

Lies come from evil. They are planted to destroy. Those who believe those lies are being deceived by Satan. Watch out! Satan’s lies will destroy you.

February 23, 2015

What's Your Excuse?

 

"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you." -- 1 Samuel 13:13a

Saul was a foolish man. God had given him a kingdom and much success. He threw it all away. His pride and arrogance caused him to sin greatly against God. So God sought a man after His own heart. David.

That's what God does. And that's what we do. We get so caught up in our own goodness, our own mission and purpose, that we forget it all comes from God.

We get lazy. We started skirting the basics. We're good, we tell ourselves. It's okay to skip today's Bible reading. God understands. I'm so busy because of all the things I'm doing for Him.

Or we don't make it to church. We don't feel well. We're tired. We've had a rough week. We don't like the pastor or the music or the coffee. Seriously?!

I know a woman who fought and won a battle against lung cancer a few years ago. She will always have stamina issues and many at the church still treat her as a shut-in. The woman goes to Wal-Mart shopping. She runs errands. She is able to come to church. She chooses not to. Don't put her in the same group  as people who are literally not physically able to attend. You're enabling her, encouraging her excuses.

Or let's look at the man who got shingles, something that is really and truly painful. We prayed for him and worried about him. He is better now, though not completely healed. He's back at work, running errands and doing pretty much what he wants. But he hasn't quite made it back to church. Shingles is a convenient excuse but if he can live the rest of his week normally, then he can come to church on Sunday.

So what's your excuse? Do you attend church regularly? Why not? Do you give God credit for everything good that happens to you? Do you set aside time every day to spend with God? Or is He last on your list?

How often do we make excuses, telling ourselves that God will understand? In a way, He does. God knows us far better than we know ourselves. But it means that He also isn't fooled by our excuses. We're only fooling ourselves.

Jesus died for us. For you and for me. God loves us that much. How dare we make excuses, especially when it comes to the basics. So show up! Read your Bible. Pray every day. Attend church when you are able. There's enough sin in each of our lives without compounding it with foolishness.

January 13, 2015

Service Without Limits

 

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. -- 1 Peter 4:10

There are different opinions on how many people are actually active in their church. I'm not talking about attending on the occasional Sunday or even tithing as you see fit. I'm talking about actually working in and for the church. Volunteering to participate in one of the many ministries every church has.

Yeah. This is one of those talks. Those who are active are already nodding their heads in agreement. Those that aren't are feeling a twinge of guilt and considering not reading any further. Please keep reading.

This verse was in my Scripture reading this morning. I guess it really hit me hard because today would have been my sweet cousin's 88th birthday. This dear woman went home on December 30th and our lives on this earth will always have a void because of it. She was a doer of God's Word. Right up until the end, she did what she could with where she was. That doesn't leave any excuses for any of the rest of us.

She was raised in church. I have to chuckle at how literal that statement is. Her Mama believed in having her five children in church every time the doors were open. When she married, she did the same with her husband's church. Later there became a need for a second church and they left to help start it. That meant meeting in living rooms and giving sacrificially for many years. It is a beautiful church now. It's members mourned her in large numbers and with much food.

She raised her boys in that church. She was involved in so many things. But here's what set her apart: she never stopped serving God. Never. Not through two bouts with cancer. Not through her husband's battle with Alzheimer's and his death. Not as one son fought lung cancer and lost. And not in these last years with her body tethered to an oxygen machine.

She was the one who always called to check on the sick, the hurting, the family. It was difficult for her to talk sometimes. But she called anyway, letting others know that she cared. She prayed and sought God daily. She never stopped learning and growing in Christ. I loved discussing different Bible passages with her. She had so much knowledge and when she didn't know or understand, she asked. It was good having a grandson who is a pastor.

I know I don't do enough. I don't. I get so caught up in my own life that I don't make the phone calls I should make. I don't send enough cards. I don't donate enough time. And surely I could spend more time with God. And there is no excuse. None. Because if this fine woman could serve God as she did, through it all, then so can I. What about you?