Embedded Inhumanity in Humanity

Perhaps you have heard the words, “Man’s inhumanity to man.” It seems that during every social crisis someone will repeat or rephrase these words. The phrase is first documented in Scotsman Robert Burns poem, “Man Was Made to Mourn: A Dirge” in 1784. He wrote, “Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn!” When Burns wrote the poem, rural Scotland where he was reared was still in feudalism. He grew up in poverty, hardship, and hard manual labor. This poem depicts life at the time, “Where hundreds labour to support, A haughty lordling's pride.” His tenant-farmer father could only offer his large family an impoverished life of humiliating poverty and debt. With that heritage it is not surprising that he wrote many poems of “deep personal despondency and social rebellion.” His life was marinated in a world where humans displayed, “Man’s inhumanity to man.”

     The inhumanity of 18^th century Scotland may be comparable with our world in the 21^st century. Why such embedded inhumanity in humanity? The events of recent days, not only in our nation but in the nations of our world, beg the question. Is the cause political? One political regime using their power to suppress the aspirations and viewpoints of others assumes their agenda is the cure for society’s ills. Is there perhaps a religious cause? The dominate religion of a nation chooses to eliminate any competitive religious belief systems by persecution rather than by persuasion or demonstration of their merit. Might racial or socioeconomic factors be the cause of inhuman conduct? It is assumed that if racial or economic issues were corrected by some sort of human design or legislation, then tensions would be eliminated, and peaceful harmony would prevail. In a period of deep worldwide hurt, anger, and pain all sorts of explanations are proposed that deal with the inhumanity to humanity we see.

     In the story of Joseph in the Bible we see a young man treated by his brothers with inhumanity (Genesis 37). Joseph was a child of privilege – for his father loved him more than his brothers (37:3). The result was that he was hated by his brothers because of his preferential status and special treatment and gift (37:4). The hatred grew so intense that murderous intentions developed in his brother’s hearts (37:18). Ultimately Joseph is thrown into a cistern and finally sold into slavery (37:27). Their inhumanity was obvious as they confessed, “We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen” (42:21). In Joseph we see unmerited privilege can be a huge liability and even be transformed from a blessing into a bane in a corrupt world. However, God in His grace took what was evil and turned it to good (50:20). We observe how God sovereignly superintends even in the inhumanity we encounter in life.  

     The root cause for the evil in Joseph’s bothers was ungodliness – they hated Joseph for who he was, not for what he had done. He had done them no wrong. But embedded in their hearts was a disposition to do evil. That evil was expressed toward Joseph with the inhumane treatment they dispensed. So often we look at the fruits of humanity’s inhumane conduct rather than consider the roots that gave birth to an unconscionable action. In an earlier biblical record of a human’s inhumane treatment of another human, we read, “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Gen. 4:6-7). Cain neglected the Lord’s warning, refused to control his sinful impulse, and ended up killing his brother Able (4:8).

     It has been my experience oftentimes to excuse my sinful actions by placing the blame on others, or my circumstances, or even on God – “That’s the way you made me!” I must resolve to ask God to help me address the sinful attitude in my own heart rather than transferring the blame to someone or something else. I cannot fix, nor am I responsible to fix, other people. I am responsible to treat other people humanely and lovingly. This creates an atmosphere where God can heal the brokenhearted who have been treated inhumanely in this wounded world.

     The problem with inhumanity is that it breads even more inhumanity. Therefore, we need to seek to live in this world as Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:7-9). May God help us face the world’s inhumanity with Christlike character and conduct.             

Got the Problem of Job

Coming from a family of Irish immigrants was at times a bit frustrating to me and at the same time a great fascination to my friends. The traditions from the old country were as deeply ingrained in my parent’s daily practices as was their Irish brogue. As an elementary child, I would come home from school with my buddies and always be greeted by my Mom bedecked with an apron worn over her dress. She may have been pulling weeds in the garden or scrubbing the floor, but her outfit was always the same – a dress and an apron. She would come towards us and give us the usual greeting, “Bless you, good to have you home.” She then proceeded to hug me and each of my buddies and finish off saying, “Let me get the kettle on for a spot of tea and slice you some good Irish scone.” In the house she went and never waited for a reply. I would explain to any new buddy what she said and other friends would assure the newbie, “It’s great!” We followed her into the house and found the tea kettle heating on the stove and her setting out china cups and saucers beside a knife for butter and jam and a spoon for our tea. Once the kettle whistled, we were instructed, “Wash your wee hands and sit down and we will chew the fat.” I translated for any unknowing friend with a startled look on his face that we were not really going to eat fat – we were going to talk about the day.    

Mom had many Irish expressions that needed to be interpreted by me. One thing she did not need to have interpreted was her love and concern for my friends. She made all the “wee lads” around the kitchen table not only feel at home but ready to talk about their day. I was often amazed that she found out more about their day than I knew about them, and I was in their class! There were times when one of the guys would share something that was hard about the day. She would respond, “You certainly had the problems of Job today.” I am not sure how many of them knew who Job was, but they got the idea that he had a hard life just like them. She would end the conversation by saying, “I hope your day ends up like Job’s life eventually did.” Sometimes that took a bit of explanation to a buddy not versed in the Bible stories.

     The story of Job has taught me lots of lessons about life over the years. The older I become the more I discover. As circumstances change in my life, new lessons surface. This year as I read the Book of Job I endured along with the rest of the world the Conid-19 pandemic. I heard the faint whisper of my Mom, “You certainly had the problems of Job today.” What lessons from Job came to mind in this season of life? First, I concluded that all I have can be quickly lost. Job lost his wealth, family, position and health in short order. It impresses me, however, he did not lose his perspective saying, “the Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it way. Praise the name of the Lord! In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming the Lord” (Job 121-22). In these days, I sometimes feel my perspective is too easily altered by my circumstances and I become cross with God about being house bound and ripped from normality.

     Second, I rediscovered that well-meaning family and friends can do more harm than good. Job’s wife told him to curse God and die (2:9). His friends morphed from comforters to accusers and charged Job with all sorts of shortcomings. Job finally says, “What miserable comforters you are! Won’t you ever stop your flow of foolish words?” (16:2-3). The blogs, emails, media, and advice that flow freely these days become wearisome rather than enlightening. So many espouse their perceptions of what is true and give advice as to what needs to be done. This only adds to my confusion rather than supplying clarification.

     Third, I observed that it is easy to lash out at God and cry out unjust criticisms regarding what is going on in our world. “God, aren’t you in control?” “God, where is the justice in all of this?” “God, where are you?” Job summarized his feelings this way, “If only I knew where to find God” (23:3). In our distresses, disappointments, discouragement, and despair it is easy to lay the blame at the feet of the Leader of the Universe. “Things are out of control,” we cry in our pains, “Do something.”

     Last, I realize again in the time of desperation it is often the best time to make meaningful and lasting discoveries about God and ourselves. Job says, “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” (42:5).  C. S. Lewis observed, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” In this time of a painful pandemic, has God’s megaphone shouted any messages to our lives? Are we listening to what he may be saying to our deaf ears? I am thankful that my Mom repeatedly reminded me that sometimes we have the problems of Job and that is OK.

What's Your Security Blanket?

Think back to the time when you were a child and the thunder rolled outside your house. Flashes of lightning lit up your bedroom even though it was night, the binds were shut, and the curtains were drawn. What was your reaction? Who did you run to? What did you clutch on to? In other words, what was your “security blanket”? I did not have a blanket like the Peanuts character Linus. I had a “security bunny.” It was a bunny that I would drag down the steps at night to the landing in our three-story house. There I would fall asleep night after night comforted by my security bunny and the muffled voices of my parents in the living room. I didn’t need a thunderstorm to drive me to seek security. Childhood insecurities I already had made my “security bunny” my inseparable sidekick. I do not remember when I released my emotional grip on that bunny or why I set that gold-colored friend aside. It just gradually happened I suppose. Sometime ago, I walked into my granddaughters’ room in upstate New York, and there spied my old friend slumped to one side on an upper shelf in her room. Long time, many decades, no see!

     I look upon that “security bunny” with amusement now. At the time, however, the bunny was serious business. When I went away to stay at someone’s house, bunny went with me. Vacation required a place in the suitcase for bunny. Even in early grade school, bunny was placed on my pillow after the bed was made. However, when my buddies came to the house, bunny was quickly sequestered to the shelf in my closet! I did not need to supply ammunition for teasing. Gradually bunny stayed in the closet until one occasion in my later grade school years. Both of my parents were hospitalized at the same time and I had to live with my Aunt for several weeks. Somehow, I reasoned that I needed that bunny. He was squashed into my little cardboard suitcase. Each evening bunny came out for a comforting hug before I went to sleep. He was now a secret bunny – only brought out for an emergency.  

     One could reason that I had insecurities. I would agree. However, I wonder how many others have similar insecurities. In these perilous days, what “security blankets” are people holding on to? I wonder has our security blanket been reduced to rolls of toilet paper? I recently read an article quoting Dr. Thea Gallagher, director of the Outpatient Clinic at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. She suggests there is psychological reason for the behavior of people buying massive amounts of toilet paper. She concludes, “I think that people feel like there’s not much that they can control right now," she told TODAY. "There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of information going around, a lot of impending doom, and so I think part of [hoarding toilet paper] helps people to feel like they have a

little bit of control over what’s happening to them in their lives.” She added, “It’s an absolute illusion because this whole thing is rolling out and there’s very little we can do… "Yeah, we can wash our hands and have some control, but that’s not ultimate control and I think it’s an illusion of control. I think that’s what people are trying to hold onto right now.”

     People want ultimate control and when it is missing, they panic. They become irrational. They lose a sense of peace. King David in the Old Testament lived a life that was many times out of control. He faced attacking beasts, King Saul who was bent on his destruction, life on the run in the wilderness from attacking forces, national rebellion led by his beloved son, and many other hardships that would create insecurities in any human. What was his response? He created a theme song that is recorded in 2 Samuel 22 (worth reading the entire chapter). This song later became part of the Old Testament hymn book, Psalm 18. He looks at his life and he reflects on how the Lord has worked in the out of control times he faced. Most impressive is the way he sings about what he has learned about God. He starts his theme song singing, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, and my refuge, my savior, you save me from violence.” He then gives a glorious statement of resolve singing, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.” David’s life has shaken him. David’s God has comforted him.

     We need more than a security blanket in an uncertain world. We need a rock of stability. David discovered that security. May his discovery be one that we make. Our God is better than a blanket, or a bunny, or any material item we can embrace. I am glad, “My God lightens the darkness” (22:29).             

Contaminating Communication of Complaining

Did you ever view an episode on Discovery Channel “Dirty Jobs” with host Mike Rowe? I have never seen an entire show because I was usually too grossed out by some of the difficult and disgusting things he had to do. The purpose of the program was to show by firsthand experience some of the everyday tasks employees had to endure to do their job. He did this by assisting in the very things these workers had to do in a typical workday. Most of these jobs took him into physically repulsive settings to carry out necessary tasks. Honestly, my stomach churned when I learned of the dirty jobs some people must endure.

   

  I wonder if Mike ever had to work alongside an employee in the Customer Relations Department of a major company. I am pretty sure a person in this department faced plenty of “dirt” in an eight-hour day listening to complaints. Maybe the department would be better named the “Complaint Department.” After all, how many people call Customer Relations just to say, “Man, everything I got from your company was just great! The service was exceptional, and the product exceeded my expectations!” If an employee in this department received such a call, they would probably need a coworker to get them smelling salts to revive them or to place a call to 911 to report a heart attack! People are free with complaints and rather stingy with compliments.

     It was Dale Carnegie who said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most do.” It seems like complaining is part of the DNA of humanity. Chris Tiegreen observes that people generally “speak the language of criticism and complaint far too fluently.” He adds that as a result humans have the “ability to criticize and harp on the faults seen in those around them, blame their own circumstances on the decisions of others, and vilify those who don’t agree with them.” How often the scourge of complaining spreads its damaging effects upon relationships and produces a toxic environment of discontent.

     One of the Old Testament characters I appreciate is Moses. He spent one third of his life in the “Customer Relations Department” for the nation of Israel. He was appointed leader by God to deliver the nation from bondage and take them to the promised land described by God in the most glowing of terms – “a land filled with milk and honey.” Repeatedly the national response was complaining, criticism, and threat. Every time life looked tough, or was tough, their response was complaint.

     The books of Exodus and Numbers preserves a catalog of complaints the nation brings against God and his appointed leader, Moses. Here is a sampling of the occasions when complaints were expressed and spread through the nation: Complained when they felt trapped (Exodus 14:10-12); Grumbled when they were thirsty (15:22-24); Whined when they were hungry (16:1-3); Grumbled when there was not enough variety with the food God did provide (Numbers 11:4-34); Griped about the difficulties ahead entering the promised land which was indeed filled with milk and honey (14:1-4). All their muttering and moaning was an aggravation to God as He heard their ingratitude and saw their forgetfulness of God’s work on their behalf. God evaluates their complaining and concludes this is evidence that the people despised, disbelieved, and disregarded what He had done for them (14:11). Not only is a complaining spirit annoying to people around us, it is annoying to God.

     Sometimes I hear fellow pastors complain about the complainers in their congregations. The very thing that bothers them they practice by their own complaining! It is amazing how Moses responded to all the complaints launched toward him.  Moses did two commendable things. First, he took his complaint to God in prayer instead of spreading the contagion among the people he led. Second, he pleaded with God to display mercy and grace to these chronic complainers. That is a good example for all of us regardless of our station in life. All of us “speak the language of criticism and complaint far too fluently.”

     The best antidote to the contaminating communication of complaining is to “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:6). Paul adds this admonition, “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

     What practical action can we take to stop the spread of complaining. Be careful of what and how you text or post! I have often wondered, “How much would remain on social media and social networking, if complaints were removed?” When the spirit of complaining arises in our emotions, perhaps it would be helpful to reflect on the observation of William A. Ward, “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sail.” There are more constructive responses to life than complaining!           

Don't Just Stand There... Or Should I?

     Often in the face of a crisis we have heard a person cry out in frustration, “Don’t just stand there do something!” The thought expressed is that one’s inaction is an indication that another is distracted, disengaged, or dispassionate about the plight the person is facing. The person in panic is grasping at the hope that any action is better than nothing.

     Psychiatrists tell us that when a person is in peril or enduring some type of trauma they most often respond by fight, flight, or freeze. With the fight response the individual determines to resist the danger before them and in doing so will be able to defeat the peril by their own resources or strength. In the flight mode they assume that if they can change their circumstances by getting away from them then they may be able to muster other resources. Then they will be able to deal with the dilemma at hand or at least find a way of escaping the situation. The frozen reaction finds the person cowering from the danger hoping that in doing so they will be overlooked or ignored. They are hoping that by staying in this state the danger will pass.

     There are occasions when a situation elicits all three responses. The person’s first response is to fight until they realize their resources do not match the foe they face. Then they determine to run away from the peril hoping to avoid such a powerful force. Finally, they conclude that the force is not escapable, thus they collapse in despair, and pull the proverbial emotional blanket over their head until the crisis is over. They falsely conclude, if they do not acknowledge the danger, maybe it will go away. During this entire process adrenalin pulses through their body, emotions explode in their pounding heart, and their reason dissolves in a mind that is overcome by the perilous situation they face.

     Many times, when we do this, things only become worse. It is paradoxical that the same person who yells, “Don’t just stand there do something!” is the same person who will scream when an action is taken, “Stop it! You’re only making matters worse!” The person is frankly admitting that they do not know what needs to be done. It is sort of like the person who gets tangled up in the string of Christmas lights that are being taken down. They yell for help, but when help is provided, they are frustrated with both the solution and the slow pace in which the escape is occurring.

     Perhaps that is how the children of Israel felt in Exodus 14 after God had delivered them from the bondage they had endured in Egypt for over 400 years. They were freed but their captors where in hot pursuit. The Bible record says, “The people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly” (14:10). Then they responded in two ways – one good and one bad. They cried out to the Lord. That’s good. Then they complained to God’s leader, Moses. That’s bad. They were in a sense saying, “Don’t just stand there do something!” Look at how Moses responded, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today” (14:13). How hard it must have been for them to just stand still and wait for God to work. The natural tendencies of fight, flight, or freeze all had to become subservient to faith. They had to have faith in the God who had miraculously delivered them out of Egypt by standing and waiting to see Him work on their behalf once again. How many were thinking, “We’ve got to do something!?” God called upon them by faith to rely upon a faithful God who had demonstrated His almighty power. They were to stand firm and not engage in fruitless activities.

     There have been numerous occasions in life when I should have waited on God to act instead of me acting impulsively and unwisely only to make a mess of things. Instead of facing and fixing a crisis, I only knotted up my life with more problems. Even then I found God mercifully gracious as He managed the messes I made. V.R Edman, former president of Wheaton College advises in The Disciplines of Life, “Remember that with thoughtless and impatient hands we tangle the plans the Lord has wrought, and when we cry in pain He says, ‘Be quiet, dearest, while I untie the knot.’”

     The children of Israel listened, obeyed, and saw again the Lord deliver them just as He promised. God is like that. He is bigger than our problems and He knows exactly how He plans to “untie the knots” we have made. So what problems are you facing that look impossible? A relationship that is collapsing? A financial situation that is overwhelming? An emotional state that is leaving you anxious? A medical prognosis that has you fearful? Maybe this is just the moment you need to stand firm by faith and “see the salvation of the Lord.”

Agent of Change

Are you skeptical when you hear the statement, “It’s never been this bad?” This statement is commonly held, if mass and social media can be trusted as a reliable reflection of what people are thinking. The expression is used to color national politics, morality, religion, social conditions, international relations, and even climate conditions. It seems that whenever someone wants to make a case for something that disturbs them, they dip into the darker shades of the language palette to color their comments with this expression. Certainly, we are living in a less than perfect world. But is it true that, “It’s never been this bad?”

     Reflect upon the time of the birth of Christ. Politically Palestine was under Roman rule. Historians tell us Herod was the  appointed ruler of Galilee (40-4 BC.) His history “is a drama of extraordinary moves of political chicanery accompanied by a succession of atrocious crimes… his reign was one succession of monstrous crimes until his death” (J.W. Shepard). Culture and philosophy in the region were dominated by Greek perspectives that permeated life and thought under the Roman rule. Skepticism ruled in much of their thinking. This influence invaded and dominated religious thought in Palestine when Christ was born. As a result, the Jewish community was divided into the conservative branch of the Pharisees and the more liberal branch of the Hellenistic Jews who were dominated by Greek culture and thought. Morally historians indicate, “The world was in a state of extraordinary moral degeneration.” Slavery was widespread. The rich minority lived in extreme extravagance – the majority in abject poverty. Shepard describes the sexual situation this way, “Chastity and marriage were the exception while divorce and immorality were the rule… Romans had no power to cope with the degeneracy of the times… None of the philosophies could meet the deep moral needs of the times.” The Roman historian Tacitus writing of the world of that day said the goal of the people was “to corrupt and be corrupted.” In this time of history Jesus was born to be an agent of change.

     Describing conditions centuries later during the French Revolution, Charles Dickens wrote about that period in history in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of disbelief, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Perhaps throughout history one could justly say, “It has never been this bad.” This is the nature of living in an imperfect world. This does not mean one resigns himself to despair. It does mean that one looks for the agent of change that can enter a marred world to make a positive difference.

     Jesus came to be an agent of change in a world of proverbial darkness. Conditions in his world were bleak. God knew that government, dominate religious systems, philosophy, culture, or any other humanly contrived solutions were not a match for what was needed. So, God provided an agent of change in the form of a Divine Solution. The announcement to shepherds in a dark world, tending sheep on a dark field was simple yet profound, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 ESV). The Divine Solution was a Savior; not a politician subject to corruption; not a philosopher with limited wisdom; not a cultural guru proposing transient solutions; not a military leader whose arena of conquest is limited to the physical; and not a financial wizard throwing finances at problems that need more than money. People needed an agent of change that exceeds human capacity to address human depravity. To those shepherds they heard an announcement about an agent of change that could really make a lasting and even eternal changes.

     How did humanity respond to God’s Divine Solution? Sadly, the Apostle John wrote, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). An agent of change is only effective if he is allowed to implement change. What good does it do to have a tile cleaner in the house if the cleaner is never applied to the area needing cleansed? The good news is that when Jesus came there were those who were tired of things being as bad as they were and trusted the announced savior to make things better than they have ever been (John 1:12). Did the world become perfect? Not quite yet. They did however become better for those willing to accept a divine agent of change. Those changed then joined in becoming mini agents of change by becoming lights in the world still shrouded in darkness (Matthew 5:14).

      Christmas reminds us that while things may be “as bad as they have ever been” that God gave the gift of a Divine Solution so that things may be “as good as they have ever been.”     

Christmas Letter 2019

Christmas Letter December 2019

This update is a replacement for the traditional Christmas card. We have joined with many of our family and friends who have replaced physical cards with electronic greetings. I trust you and your family are doing well.

The small white lights on our front porch punch holes in the wintery darkness of our neighborhood. To me it is a visual reminder that Jesus came to earth as a baby to be the Savior of the world. The Apostle John describes Jesus as “the light that shined in darkness” (John 1:5). He adds that those who “receive him [as the light], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (1:12). That’s encouragement for a world that could stand an infusion of good news. Our family wishes you blessings in the New Year!

This year has been an interesting one for Doris and Bob. Last December Bob underwent a hip replacement. He spent much of the winter months doing therapy after responsibilities as Pastor at Large at Lancaster Bible College (LBC). In the Spring Doris underwent emergency surgery in May to remove a large mass from her abdomen. We are thanking the Lord that she was given a good report and after 6 weeks of restrictions she was back officiating lacrosse. She also is active in Child Evangelism Fellowship (teaching and board member), volunteering at Calvary Fellowship Homes (Thrift Shop, Gift shop, and various committees), and teaching a ladies Bible class at our home church, and interacting with lots of ladies fellowships.

Bob continues to serve at LBC but with a new title as an “Ambassador for Lancaster Bible College/ Capital Seminary and Graduate School.” The functions are mainly the same, but he has the flexibility to control his schedule a bit more. Bob continues to preach, do conferences, mentor students, and interact with pastors and churches. He also is writing articles for a local newspaper every five weeks, and serves on the Board of Directors for Calvary Fellowship Homes. Basically Bob continues to drive Doris crazy as she likes to plan in advance and he likes to “wing” it! The Lord has been so good to us and we look forward to our 50th anniversary in June.

Front: Doris, Kristine, Calvin, Lewis (very front), Emma, Meg. Back: Bob, Andy, Reid, Charlotte, Jamie, Kathryn.

 

Andy continues to teach in upstate NY as well as raise steers, chickens, and other farm products. Kristine homeschools Calvin, breeds labs, and maintains the farm. The children are involved in sports and many other activities making Mom the chauffeur. Charlotte continues teaching at Carin University, Valley Christian School, and Veritas (online). Jamie continues to work with “Capture” (working with colleges to assist in student recruitment and marketing). Their children too are involved in sports and many other activities—parents are on the run. All the families are active in their churches and it great to see their children growing in the Lord.

Doris and Bob got to travel some to Cape Cod, MA; Cape May, NJ; and numerous trips to be with the family. We had special times too with family and friends. A fun time with Irish family (Naill and Kathryn Collum and their children) as they visited with us and our children. Keep in touch! Email: bdreid1@verizon.net or Facebook (friend me!). Blog: reidsreflection.blogspot.com