Ground Zero was the word the media used to describe the devastation in the aftermath of the appalling attacks on the World Trade Center. The infamous events of September 11th have caused millions of Americans to re-examine priorities and take inventory of their lives.

Stanley Praimnath was at Ground Zero that September 11th. Stanley, an assistant vice-president of Fuji Bank in New York City, was at his desk on the 81st floor of the South Tower. He arrived early to spend time reading his Bible and praying. “For some reason, I gave the Lord a little extra time of myself that morning in prayer,” he says. Fifteen minutes later a red-orange flash catches his eye. Outside his window flames cough black smoke as the result of American Airlines Flight 11 plunging into the World Trade Center North Tower. Stanley and his co-workers rush to the 78th floor elevators. At ground level a security guard meets them. “Don’t leave the building,” the guard says, “You’ll be safer inside because of falling debris.”

The former governor of Illinois, George H. Ryan, made an astounding move before leaving office – he pardoned all convicted murderers sitting on death row. Whether he was right or wrong in doing so, I leave that to the legal professionals, politicians, and moral ethicists who are more astute in such matters than I am. We could ask those pardoned what they think.

When I walk through Foundation Park, I occasionally stop to read the bronze plaque that is embedded in one of the stone pillars at the entrance to Dr. Hall’s fields. This amazing inscription reads: “I, Dr. J. Carl Hall, announce to all patients owing me at the date of my death, that their accounts are automatically receipted in full, for all medical services rendered to them during my lifetime and not paid on or before the date of my death, and all and singular of said accounts are hereby forgiven.” – August 13, 1961.

Looking through a veil can be frustrating. Through the veil you can see the shadow of a thing but the real substance is hidden and unobtainable. Jacob worked for seven years to obtain his promised bride Rachel. Finally, on his wedding day, in joyful anticipation he took his bride. But after the veil was taken away, he found that his father-in-law had tricked him. Jacob was given Leah instead of the promised Rachel whom he loved. He had to work for another seven years to obtain his beloved bride. (Genesis 29) Evidently, Jacob could not see through the veil and was prevented from receiving the promised love of his heart.

There are those in the media who have recently pointed out Vice President Cheney’s penchant for the often repeated phrase, “If you will”. Some have asked why he prefers to preface his points with “If you will”. Is it a colloquialism from where he grew up or simply a euphemism? When he adds “If you will” is he just being polite? Is it a bad habit of language he has developed? Is it a deliberate, calculated way of making his point? I personally don’t know why he uses that phrase so much. But perhaps, if you will, it’s not all that important to know the reason why.

A few years ago a movie was produced with an intriguing title – “Dead Man Walking”. The movie dealt with inmates on death row and the death penalty. As an inmate is escorted to the death chamber an announcement is made, “Dead man walking!” All the other inmates on death row watch the inmate walk the last few yards to their execution.

It was a sad movie without a lot of hope offered. But the Word of God teaches us that we are all “dead men walking”. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

What a surprise! I don’t really relish surprise birthday parties. As I unwrapped the gift wrapped box given to me by my special friend, out popped a white hound dog with black spots, bobbing it’s head profusely up and down and from side to side.

I’ve had numerous dogs in my life. My favorites are outside dogs. Pampered pooches are just a little too annoying. I guess I’ve never been close to a dog since Old Shep died. When I was a preschooler, my grandfather gave me a black and white border collie. It had been a cattle dog. It was probably given to me to watch over me in my many wanderings. My parents reminded me of the many times Old Shep grabbed me by the seat of my baggy pants and pulled me from the road when I got too close. Now Old Shep is long gone.

My mother almost ruined my life. Oh, she wanted to be a good mother, and she was in many ways. I don’t know where the idea first came to her. Perhaps it was the pop-psychology of the day, or one of Dr. Spock’s brainy ideas. Somehow, she thought that she could either increase my brainpower or make me into another Einstein by making me memorize Mother Goose nursery rhymes. I guess she was desperate for anything that might work. And being her first child, she probably didn’t know any better. So, she cajoled me, bribed me, and inspired me to memorize nursery rhymes at a very young age.

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:28). Many mothers live with a sense of guilt and frustration in measuring up to the standards of a good mother. One mother confided in me, “When will my family understand that I am not super-mom? Mothers are people too.”

How does the Bible describe the mother that pleases God? She possesses a sense of spiritual values: faith, courage, prayer, wisdom, joy, trustworthiness, dedication, kindness, and reverence. (Read Exodus 2:2; I Samuel 1:12; Proverbs 31; Psalms 113:9.)

My mom makes quilts. Quilting has almost become a lost art in America, although there seems to be a revival of it as an art form. Years ago quilting was done out of the need for warm bedding. Many women joined “quilting bees” where groups of women who enjoyed one another’s company got together and helped one another.

Quilts are now valued for their artistic form and have become valuable to collectors and treasured as heirlooms. If I had the artistic gifts, skills, and patience (and I don’t), I think that I would make a quilt.

The world has been blessed by many great men and women throughout history. These great men and women, while passing through this world, have left it a better place. On November 11th our nation has set aside Veteran’s Day to remember and honor those who selflessly served our country in the armed forces. They helped maintain the liberty we enjoy in the United States of America and around the world. Many of them are unsung heroes and patriots. Our hats go off to them! We say, “Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for our freedom.”

The Columbia River gorge in Oregon is breathtakingly beautiful. Multnomah Falls is a popular destination for many hikers and tourists. The legend of the falls tells of a beautiful Indian maiden, the daughter of the chief of the Multnomah tribe. The princess was the only child left to her aging father. The chief loved his daughter dearly and picked out a husband for her, a young warrior who was a prince of the Clatsop tribe, whom she loved. The two tribes came together to celebrate the days of the wedding feast. Just before the feast began, a terrible sickness fell on the men of the tribes killing many of them.

Being lost can be frightening. It can cause a person to become disoriented and desperate. One night as a teenager, my cousin and I had to admit that we were indeed lost. I was a bit miffed that Tom, being an avid coonhunter and woodsmen, could get us lost while only hunting a short time. It had become so cloudy that there were no stars visible to guide us back to our truck. So, after much wondering around for a while, we decided to stay put and wait for daybreak. After daybreak, we quickly found our way out.

A businessman shared that he felt guilty if he took time off from work for fun and recreation. I somewhat identify with him. Early in my pastoral ministry, some people tried to put a guilt trip on me if I spent time with my family or having fun. The values of our western culture would have us to believe that the busy, publicly active, nose to the grindstone person in business, work, or ministry is the most successful or spiritual person.

In our culture there are multitudes of people who live stress-filled lives that end in burn out, disease, or their world coming apart at the seams.

Sometimes I think that I’ve spent most of my life in the emergency room. If not for myself and my family, it seems that supporting others in the emergency room of life has been our life’s ministry. We live in a fallen, imperfect, fragile world. Job spent much time in the emergency room. He concluded, “Man is born into trouble as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). But thank God for the emergency room. It is in the emergency room where help is sought and found. Unfortunately, only an emergency room will motivate some people to seek help, both physically and spiritually.

I found it in the ragbag! In our house some articles of clothing too worn out to wear or give away are thrown into a ragbag. They might be utilized later in other assorted ways. I could hardly believe my eyes at what I found in the ragbag – my favorite shirt – my high school football jersey – the one that I’d wear almost everyday, except to church, of course. Now how in the world did it get in the ragbag? You’re right – my wife.

After rescuing my shirt from the ragbag, I marched upstairs to my wife and demanded to know what my football jersey was doing in the ragbag.

Someone in my family thought I am prone to losing my keys. One of the gifts that I received for Christmas was an electronic key finder. It works somewhat but sometimes it works too good. The instructions say to whistle in it then when you lose your keys all you have to do is whistle and the key finder will emit a loud alarm. The trouble is that I whistle a lot. When I’m driving, working, or want our golden retriever to come I whistle. It gets annoying when you whistle a tune and have to contend with the ear-splitting key-finder. Setting the alarm to go off when I clap my hands doesn’t work either. It just so happens that people clap a lot at our church which for some reason can set off my key-finder. I thought about setting the alarm to go off when my wife snores – but our dog snores too.

It’s been said that blood is thicker than water. It’s natural and normal for families to stick together and care for one another. Even though there may be disagreements, imperfections, and family issues that all families contend with, there is an inherent quality that says, “Blood is thicker than water.” Jesus stated that, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25 NASB). Strong, loving families living in peace and unity are vital for the health and happiness of society and the individual. The Psalmist declared “God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:9).

All true believers want their faith to increase. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). We cannot receive anything from God without faith. The benefits of the cross come to us only by faith in Christ. The power of the resurrection can only be appropriated by faith. (Philippians 3:10)

One of the apostles of faith was Smith Wigglesworth. In his classic book Ever Increasing Faith it is quite evident that a key to Wigglesworth’s radical faith and miraculous works was his radical obedience to God. Faith increases as we are obedient.

Have you ever had a dream that seemed lost and dashed to pieces on the rocks of disaster or disappointment? Take heart. Many great men and women have had such experiences. But they believed that good things come to those who wait. They learned valuable lessons in God’s waiting room that could not be learned anywhere else.

Abraham was 100 years old before the promised child Isaac was born. Joseph, the dreamer, was sold into slavery by his brothers, unjustly accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison for 13 years before seeing his God given dream become a reality.

As a child, no one had difficulty picking Roger Loomis out of his family’s photos. He was the one with the big head. From infancy, through adolescence, his head grew disproportionately with the rest of his body.

Classmates would sneak up from behind, hit him on the back of his head and yell, “Fathead!” He laughed on the outside, but inside the nickname cut like a knife.

Years of ridicule and abuse could have set Roger off in a rage, sending him on a shooting spree, taking his anger out on whoever happened to cross his path. Perhaps he could have simply withdrawn from society, or dropped out of life through suicide or drugs or alcohol.

What a beautiful morning to soak up the sun and enjoy God’s wonderful creation. As I sat in our backyard swing I was fascinated as I watched hummingbirds feast at the nectar feeders suspended from our patio roof. As I pondered the particular problems we were going through, they seemed to take flight as God reminded me of the unique creation of even the smallest bird. The hummingbirds are able to hover in space as their little wings beat up and down in a whirl like miniature helicopters. God feeds them and directs their yearly migration.

The story is told of a man who fell over a cliff. As he plunged downward he was fortunate enough to grab hold of a protruding tree limb. He held on for dear life but was quickly losing his strength. “Help me! Is anybody up there?” he called out. After what seemed to be an eternity a voice called down, “Just let go of the branch. You’ll be saved.” “Help me!” the man cried. Unbeknownst to the man, the tree limb was only a few feet above a ledge with a path that would lead him to safety. “Trust me, just let go and you’ll be okay,” the voice called back. The man hesitated, “Is anybody else up there?”

Have you ever considered some of the varied and peculiar greetings that people give? How are you supposed to answer some of them? Have you ever been greeted with some of these salutations? “Whaz up?” “Whaz up, dog?” How’s ya do’n?” “What’s new?” Whatever happened to plain old “Hello”? Granted “Hello” could have a dozen different meanings, depending on the rising and falling of the intonation pattern and the prolongation of the first or last vowel. I guess that’s why some of my ancestors were exiled from England when they gave the wrong “Hello” to the king and queen.

“Good grief,” sighed Charlie Brown as he fielded another ‘dumb’ question from his friend Lucy. One of my favorite comic strips is the classic “Peanuts” by the late Charles M. Schultz. “Good grief” seemed to be a favorite expression of Charlie Brown and Lucy. When I first heard it several years ago, I thought it was a rather strange expression. How could grief be good?

King David grieved for his dying baby. His grief was intense but short. When asked by his servants and friends why his grief seemed to be of such short duration, David replied, “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (II Samuel 12:23). David’s hope brought him through his grief.

I had forgotten the thrill of catching a fish. My grandson reminded me of the thrill as he reeled in his first catch, with assistance from his dad. I recalled my youth when I went fishing with my dad, brothers, grandmother, or anyone else that would go with me. But for some reason, in middle age, I had forgotten how to fish. I had forgotten how to have fun and just relax.

It seems many kids grow up today without trying their hand at fishing. Many stay indoors playing video and computer games. There’s nothing like getting outdoors and away from it all for awhile.