Monthly Archives: August 2022

When we decided to make the move from upstate New York to Washington State in 2001, we didn’t know a soul out here. We didn’t have a place to go to or a house to live in. All I had was a new job on the other side of the country. It was a little unsettling, to say the least.

I went ahead of the family to find us a place to live. It was difficult being away from my wife and kids, but I needed to find them a home before I dragged them all the way across the country.

I can’t say I did a great job on that first purchase. The house was pretty dumpy. There were snails in the bathtub, broken cupboard doors, and I ended up having to rebuild the whole bathroom due to water damage. It was not ideal, but it was all I could find that fit our budget.

When we moved to Chehalis a couple years later and then to Wenatchee in 2007, I did the same thing, going out ahead of the family to prepare the way. The choices I made weren’t always the best and some of the places we’ve lived have left a lot to be desired. My family had to endure some pretty difficult situations, because of my mistakes. Thankfully, they’re a pretty forgiving bunch, which is one reason I love them each so much.

Like He did with us, God may sometimes ask you to strike out into the unknown. When this happens He doesn’t want you to not worry about the destination. Instead He asks you to follow the example of Abraham, who “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 NIV).

It can be disconcerting, starting out like that, but just as I went ahead of the family to find a place to live, so God promises to “send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20 KJV).

The good news is, unlike me, God won’t make any mistakes. The place He chooses for you, whether on this earth or in heaven, will be the best place for you. In fact, it will be better than you can imagine! 1 Corinthians 2:9 promises, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

I don’t know what journey God is asking you to take right now, but don’t be afraid to take that first step. Just go forward, confident that God’s Angel goes before you. He will guard you every step of the way and bring you safely to the place God’s prepared for you. Just “Pay attention to him and listen to what he says.” (vs. 21). He will never lead you astray.

“Six days off!”

Heading home last Wednesday night, after a long day at the Walk-in Clinic, this one thought cheered my weary mind – “Six days off!” Six days to do what I wanted. Six days to finish the projects I had started. I went to sleep with my mind filled with plans for all I would accomplish.

Then morning came and with it a mild sore throat and a headache. At first I shrugged it off as allergies, but as the morning progressed I began to ache and feel hot and the headache got worse. I thought about the patients I’d seen this week and groaned. One painful swab up the nose and 15 minutes later, a faint line on the test strip confirmed what I feared. COVID had finally caught up with me.

I’d been feeling pretty cocky, being the only provider at work who hadn’t gotten COVID yet, but, as Solomon warned, “Pride goes…before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18). Now I know for myself what everyone has been saying about this disease – COVID hurts!

For the last two days my head has been pounding and every muscle and joint hurts. It hurts to swallow and I have no energy at all. I wake up for a few minutes, but fall asleep a short time later. Of course I can’t stay asleep, because I’m so congested I can’t breathe through my nose.

But you know what the hardest part is? Being away from Ana. She hasn’t gotten it yet, so I’m staying away as much as possible, in the hope that she won’t get sick. I’m sleeping at the other end of the house and trying not to be in the same room with her for very long, but it’s hard. I miss her!

I think this is how God must feel. The terrible disease of sin has separated Him from the children He loves for over 6000 years. He would do anything to have us back together with Him. In fact, He already did everything in giving His Son Jesus, that “whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

Jesus died so that we might live. His blood spilled at the cross is the only cure for sin. And God did this because He loves you and me, because He can’t stand being apart from us, because He misses us.

How about you? Do you miss Him? Then don’t wait a moment longer. Give Him your heart today. Don’t let sin separate you any longer. Come home to the Father today. He misses you so much!

Concussions are not a lot of fun!

One of the problems with being tall (and clumsy) is I hit my head a lot. Yesterday I hit it a little harder than normal.

I was bending down to plug in the overhead exam light, so I could see better to examine a patient’s skin lesion, when I hit my on the mounting arm for the light. The blow almost knocked me off my feet and left me with a 2 cm cut on my head.

After one of my colleagues Steri-stripped the laceration, I went back to work. However, as the morning progressed, I started feeling woozy, unsteady and nauseous. I was having trouble concentrating and tasks that are normally routine I was having to really think through. Finally, after almost falling when I closed my eyes, I decided it was time to go to the ER to get checked out.

Thankfully, a head CT was normal, and I was released with a mild concussion and instructions to take it easy the rest of the day. No problem with that, because I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon away.

This morning I’m back to normal (or at least as normal as I get), but I’ll be a little more careful and watch where I’m going better in the future, especially when I’m in the tiny exam rooms at our clinic. Some lessons hurt more than others.

Often, like happened to me yesterday, life knocks us down unexpectedly. We can be going along just fine, when – “Bam!”- something knocks us off our feet, sending our world spinning out of control. It could be a job loss, a broken relationship, an unexpected illness. Often, like in my case, it’s just pure carelessness on our part. Whatever the cause, we’re left reeling and in pain.

The good news is, even in times like these, God never leaves us. As it says in Micah 7:8, “…though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness the Lord will be my light.”

No matter how many times life knocks us down, God will always be there to lift us back up. Even when it’s our fault, His hand remains outstretched to help. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up…” (James 4:10 NLT)

This week, when life knocks you down, don’t waste time laying there feeling sorry for yourself. Instead, when you fall, reach up! Take hold of the Father’s hand and “rise again.”

God bless and have a wonderful week!

We live on a very winding road in a beautiful mountain valley. In fact, there are 36 curves between the highway and our house. You don’t want to be prone to car sickness when you come to visit us.

We’ve lived here for about 11 years now, so I know this road pretty well. No matter the weather I feel confident I can get from the top to the bottom without incident. It does get a little hairy when an oncoming driver decides to cut into your lane on a blind corner, but most of the time it’s a pretty smooth ride.

In spite of driving this road for a lot of years and feeling like I know it pretty well, I would never try to navigate it at night without my headlights on. That would be pretty foolish! No, I keep my lights on, watching for deer or other hazards, making sure to stay in my lane (most of the time), and looking for the signs that tell me what lies ahead.

While I wouldn’t even consider driving at night with my lights, even on this road I know so well, I too often blunder through life in the dark, when there is glorious light available to light my way. What do I mean? Let me explain.

Psalm 119:105 tells us God’s Word is “a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” And the Bible is not just any light. It is the greatest light of all!

We are told in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

We don’t need to stumble through life running into obstacles, unsure which way to turn. God has already lit the way through His Word, telling us not only the way we should go, but, through His prophets, what lies around the next corner.

If you want to find your way safely home then remember to follow the example of the Thessalonians who “searched the Scriptures day after day….” (Acts 17:11 NLT).

Every morning open God’s Word and let Him give you directions for your day. As you travel through the darkness of this world let His promises light your way. And when you lay your head down at night, let His Word be the last thing you see before you fall asleep. If you do this you will never lose your way.

This world can be a pretty dark place, but, if we let it, God’s Word will light our way. So remember, before you head out on the road today – Turn on the Light!