MODERN CONVENIENCES AND TIMELESS TRUTHS

 

Heather and Samantha read together.  Photo by Chris.

Oh no! It broke! How am I ever going to survive?

Over the course of our married life, the microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, TV set, and blow dryer have all broken at one time or another. How did I function without these so-called modern conveniences? Surprisingly, I persevered.

Instead of warming my coffee in the microwave, I heated it on the stove. I washed dishes by hand. There was always a laundromat available. I could read instead of watching TV. And my hair would dry eventually. So I survived.

Of course, having a husband who was a good repairman helped tremendously. Chris became quite skilled at jerry-rigging broken items. He once repaired a washing machine by taking parts from a Whirlpool and parts from a Kenmore and combining them into one working machine. Goodwill provided a decent replacement blow dryer, and TVs were frequently on sale. While I could live without these conveniences, they certainly made life better.

Now, however, I am facing a new dilemma. My Kindle is no longer supported by Amazon. Thankfully, it just occurred to me that I can still read books checked out from the library. Even so, I'll miss my Kindle. It held hundreds of books without taking up precious space in our new, smaller living quarters.

Perhaps that is why I have always loved electronics. I would rather receive a new gadget than a piece of jewelry. Years ago, I even encouraged my son to pursue robotics. While he didn't choose that career path, he did give me a robot that vacuums and mops the floors. I'm still hoping someone invents a robot that can load and unload the dishwasher, washer, and dryer!

Looking ahead, technology has the potential to make life easier in many ways. Robotic assistance in childcare and elder care could relieve physical strain on caregivers. Self-driving cars may increase mobility for many people. I am already fascinated by the "people movers" found in airports and other locations. And I can only imagine the ways artificial intelligence may help us in the future.

Yet this raises an important question: What will all this convenience do to our character development?

When my children were growing up, I often told them they needed to do housework because it helped build character. Responsibility, perseverance, and diligence are often developed through ordinary tasks. On the other hand, if technology frees us from some household duties, perhaps it will give us more time for worthwhile pursuits—gardening, caring for animals, conservation efforts, recycling, inventing new ways to help people, and many other creative endeavors. And no matter how advanced technology becomes, there will likely always be employment opportunities for people who can repair what breaks. But cuddling up with your family and reading is still needed for bonding. The human touch is very important for well being. 

For that reason, I hope AI and other technological advances will be used wisely and for the good of humanity. Every tool can be used for good or ill, but when used well, technology can be one more way that life is improved and burdens are eased.

As James reminds us:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." — James 1:17

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LIFE IS A MAZE ING

 

Me in 1975--  photo by Chris

Have you ever played peek-a-boo with babies? They have no idea where you went. Or have you ever been on a Zoom call when you are suddenly put into breakout rooms? The large group disappears and a smaller group appears. Perhaps you have even been in a maze and couldn’t find your way out. And sometimes, like the words of Dr. Seuss say, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”—yet you still have no idea which way to go.

In many ways, life feels like that. One moment things seem clear, and the next moment everything changes. At times you can feel like a silhouette—no clear features, just a shadow trying to find its way. Life begins with small owies when you are a child, but as you grow older the hurts often become much bigger. Small problems turn into heavy burdens, difficult decisions, and painful disappointments.

So where do we turn when life feels confusing and uncertain? King Solomon gives a simple but profound answer:

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

When the path ahead seems unclear, Solomon reminds us that our purpose is not found in having every answer, but in trusting God, obeying Him, and walking faithfully one step at a time.

TRUTH, BEAUTY, AND THE GOSPEL

 

Photo by Chris

I have often wondered why God would make only one planet habitable. When astronauts view Earth from space, it appears as a beautiful blue-and-white swirled marble. If God made everything for His glory, why did He not make all the other planets capable of supporting life?

I found this thought-provoking answer on Bible Hub: “Biblical teaching frames humanity as the centerpiece of God’s plan for redemption, not as the only point of cosmic scale. A large universe invites humanity to contemplate the nature of God.” The relationship between Earth’s size, its distance from the sun, its magnetic field, and its atmospheric chemistry all reveal that our planet is uniquely positioned for life. Rather than being “wasted space,” the vastness of the universe points to careful design and showcases God’s personal investment in creating a world that sustains life.

Another question I think about is this: Why do some areas of our world flourish—producing food, clothing, shelter, and stability—while other places struggle with poverty and starvation? Reflecting on the beauty of creation and the condition of humanity, Voddie Baucham, in his sermon Three Trees , emphasizes how the beauty of the gospel highlights truth, beauty, and goodness, along with its transformative power in the world. He says it is not East or West, nor particular ethnic groups, that produce good things, but rather the places where the deep impact of the gospel and a Biblical worldview are present.

So this is all the more reason that God wanted the gospel to go to the ends of the earth. He wants the very best for us. Those are my thoughts today. More later.

Matthew 28: 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

REAL JOY

Burbank 1948 Evy, me, Jay

The happiest times in my life were my childhood in Burbank and then Fairbanks.  I had food, clothing, and shelter.  I had friends near by to play. I had parents who took care of me and took me to church. In California we had great weather.  We could spend most of our time outdoors.   It snowed one time but we wore our summer clothes out to play. In Alaska we had treats of huge blueberries, huge vegetables grown in the short growing season, king crab,  fur parkas, and moose running through the neighborhood. 

It was in 4th grade that my struggles began.  Our family moved to a strange new area.  Nobody in our family had ever lived in the southeast. There was no one to explain the cockroaches, humidity, or the formality of the people. I was embarrassed several times by my teacher.  First she asked if I would show the class where Alaska was on the map.  I had no idea where it was.  Then the teacher made an example of me when I tried to draw one picture then tried to cover it up with another drawing using color crayons.  She held it up and told the class to not do what I did. Then when I was just making friends in one neighborhood we moved to another neighborhood and changed schools.  I just couldn't make friends with anybody in my new class. When we all started high school in 8th grade once again there wasn't anybody in my class in my neighborhood.  Finally my sophomore year I made a friend.  Nancy from then on was a good friend.  She even boarded with my parents for student teaching when she was in college. We have kept in touch ever since. 

College was a fun time for me.  My parents footed most of the bill.  I did work at part time jobs and contributed to the expense. I was chosen for several honors on campus, was able to have several different boy friends, and even made friends with sorority sisters who I am still in touch with. I was also able to borrow clothes from friends.  That way I didn't have to shop.  It was great that I could eat all meals at the college. No cooking or grocery shopping was necessary.  After interpretive dance practice or practicing with the ROTC Sponsor Corps my appetite wasn't there so I ate small amounts.  Because of that I didn't gain the freshman 15. Another thing I loved about college was that everybody paid attention in class.  High school had been such a drag as all the teachers could do was tell the kids to pay attention and stop talking. Now we know home schooling takes 1/4 to 1/2 the time as the student gets the one on one attention. Another thing I enjoyed about college were the mixers, plays, concerts, and other events right on campus.  It was like a little community separate from the rest of the population. 

When college was about to end for us Chris and I fell in love.  The next logical thing to do was to get married.  We planned to buy a boat and sail off into the sunset.  We should have realized that we needed to sign up to crew on a "Tall Ship" or find employment on a tramp steamer.  But we were not very knowledgeable in that area.  We ended up taking normal jobs--  Chris for a daily newspaper and me teaching. Then later kids came along so we needed to bring them up.

That is why I cried out to the Lord in my need. Children are a big responsibility. God helped us.  Our children are exceptional people contributing to society in very meaningful ways. Then I came down with fibromyalgia. This has put a crimp in many things. But now instead of asking why me I ask why not me.  Through these trials I have come to look to Jesus and He has helped me through difficult times.  I now have real Joy. 

Looking back, I can see that happiness came easily in childhood, but joy—the kind that lasts—was something I found through challenge, change, and faith. The moves, the loneliness, the responsibilities, and even illness all shaped me in ways I could not have understood at the time. What once felt like detours or hardships have become part of a greater story of growth and grace. Today, I am grateful not only for the sweet memories of blueberries and moose in the yard, but also for the struggles that led me to depend on the Lord. In Him, I have found a steady, enduring joy that carries me through every season of life.

II Timothy 1:12  which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 

TO THE MOON AND BACK

Message from the Moon

I’m a colonist, and I’m glad my ancestors colonized America. In fact, many came to the eastern shores to escape religious persecution. At first, they were being forced to become Catholic, and later, they were being forced to become Protestant. Eventually, they were required to join the state church. At the same time, however, with the invention of the printing press, Bibles became available for ordinary people to read for themselves. As a result, when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses in 1517, many came to understand that God’s salvation from sin and death was free. So, when the Americas were discovered, brave souls chose to leave behind what they knew and establish a new kind of society.

Today, however, society is again growing dark. Because of this, some wonder if it is time to leave once more—to establish a new kind of society on the Moon and on Mars. Personally, I find myself looking forward to the day when the Moon and Mars are colonized.

Even so, there are those who are convinced we are meant to remain on Earth. They argue that we should focus on solving the problems here. Yet, at the same time, as Jesus said, “For you always have the poor with you…”

Meanwhile, space exploration promises new opportunities—advances in communication, discoveries of water and minerals, greater understanding of climate, new career paths, and technologies we have yet to imagine. Still, this raises an important question: how did our ancestors deal with the fear of stepping into the unknown? And likewise, how should we deal with fear in our own time?

In a recent example, Butch Wilmore, the astronaut who was “stuck in space,” explained that he dealt with fear by trusting that God was with him. Because of that, he recognized that fear was not his friend and refused to let it drive his decisions. Instead, he fell back on his training and focused on the next step of the job. In other words, he did not allow his mind to dwell on fear—he chose not to entertain it.

Ultimately, the question is not whether there will be fear—there always has been. From those who crossed the ocean to those who now look toward the stars, uncertainty has never disappeared. What truly matters, then, is how we respond to it. As Butch Wilmore reminds us, fear is not a guide; it is something to be acknowledged but not obeyed. Like them, we move forward not because the path is safe, but because it is right. We trust in God, rely on what we have learned, and take the next step in front of us. Whether building a new life on distant shores or someday on the Moon and Mars, the call is the same: not to retreat from darkness, but to carry light into it.

With that in mind, the words of Epistle to the Philippians remind us of our direction forward:

Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

FROM FROZEN RIVERS TO EASTER JOY

 

Evy-- Fairbanks Alaska 1952

Our sister Evy was especially happy in the spring of 1952. Even though she was only four—and wouldn’t turn five until October—she would be allowed to start school in the fall. That alone filled her with excitement. Add to that her new Easter dress and the welcome arrival of “shirt-sleeve weather,” and life felt full of promise. After a long winter of 30 to 40 below zero, the temperature had climbed all the way up to zero, and to us, that felt almost warm.

As spring slowly began to take hold, Evy was ready with her boots for breakup season. The ice and snow were beginning to melt. All winter long, the Chena River and nearby Tanana River had been locked under thick, unmoving ice. By late April or early May, however, longer daylight and warming temperatures weakened that ice from above and below. What looked solid one day could suddenly become unstable the next. Everyone watched closely, especially because of the annual contest—guessing when the tripod placed on the river ice would finally fall as the ice broke apart. Tickets were sold, and the winner received a cash prize. It was a big event and gave everyone something to anticipate.

In the midst of the lingering cold, we still made time for simple pleasures. Picnics at Harding Lake were a treat, even if they were chilly. We didn’t think much about the cold—we were young, after all. Our dad, chief of the Weather Bureau, had the important job of forecasting the weather for the picnic. One year, it rained before the picnic, stopped just in time for us to enjoy it, and then started again afterward. To us, that felt like perfect timing.

When we weren’t at school, my cousins and I spent our afternoons exploring. We would trudge over to the latest gravel pit, wading in shallow water or balancing on pieces of floating wood. One day, we discovered a small lean-to made of branches hidden in the woods behind their house. It felt like a secret world of our own. We even gathered buds from a budding plant to make tea, certain we were creating something special.

All of these small signs—melting snow, running water, longer days—told us the same thing: spring was truly on its way. And with it came Easter.

We dressed in our best clothes and attended both Palm Sunday and Easter services. The music filled the church and our hearts. We sang:

• Low in the grave he lay—Jesus, my Savior,
  waiting the coming day—Jesus, my Lord.
  Up from the grave he arose,
  with a mighty triumph o’er his foes.
  He arose a victor from the dark domain,
  and he lives forever with his saints to reign.
  He arose! He arose!
  Hallelujah! Christ arose!
• Vainly they watch his bed—Jesus, my Savior;
  vainly they seal the dead—Jesus, my Lord.
  Up from the grave he arose,
  with a mighty triumph o’er his foes.
  He arose a victor from the dark domain,
  and he lives forever with his saints to reign.
  He arose! He arose!
  Hallelujah! Christ arose!
• Death cannot keep his prey—Jesus, my Savior;
  he tore the bars away—Jesus, my Lord.
  Up from the grave he arose,
  with a mighty triumph o’er his foes.
  He arose a victor from the dark domain,
  and he lives forever with his saints to reign.
  He arose! He arose!
  Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Another favorite echoed that same message of hope:

Hear The Bells Ringing, They’re Singing
That You Can Be Born Again!
Hear The Bells Ringing, They’re Singing
Christ Is Risen From The Dead!
The Angels Up On The Tombstone
Said, “He Has Risen, Just As He Said.”
“Quickly Now, Go Tell His Disciples”
“That Jesus Christ Is No Longer Dead!”

Joy To The World!
He Is Risen! Hallelujah!
He’s Risen! Hallelujah!
He’s Risen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Halle! Hallelujah!

Hear The Bells Ringing, They’re Singing
That You Can Be Born Again!
Hear The Bells Ringing, They’re Singing
Christ Is Risen From The Dead!
The Angels Up On The Tombstone
Said, “He Has Risen, Just As He Said.”
“Quickly Now, Go Tell His Disciples”
“That Jesus Christ Is No Longer Dead!”

Joy To The World!
He Is Risen! Hallelujah!
He’s Risen! Hallelujah!
He’s Risen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

He’s Risen, Risen, Risen From The Dead!
He’s Risen, Risen, Risen From The Dead!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

And in the end, that was what Easter and spring meant to us.
After months of darkness, cold, and waiting, everything came back to life—the rivers, the land, and even our spirits. Just as the ice broke and the waters began to flow again, Easter reminded us of new life and fresh beginnings. For a little girl like Evy, starting school, and for all of us emerging from a long Alaskan winter, it was a season of joy, hope, and the promise that something new was always just ahead.

WAIT AND HOPE

Chris and me 1965

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a time when we celebrate a fifth-century British monk who brought Christianity to Ireland. However, his story did not begin with strength and success—it began with suffering. At just sixteen, Saint Patrick was captured in Britain and taken to Ireland as a slave, where he lived for six long years.

During that difficult season, something remarkable happened. In isolation and hardship, he drew close to God—talking to Him, trusting Him, and learning to wait. Day after day, he held on in faith until, at last, an opportunity to escape came.

After returning home, Patrick did not simply move on with his life. Instead, he became a monk. Then, in time, he had a dream—one that called him back to the very place of his suffering. In obedience to that call, he returned to Ireland, this time not as a captive, but as a messenger of hope, ultimately helping bring Christianity to the nation.

In a different way, I see how God works through seasons of waiting in my own life as well.

War, for example, shaped much of Chris’s life and mine. We were born during World War II, and later, during the Cold War, hiding under our school desks became a normal part of childhood. Then, as young adults, we were married during the Vietnam War. At that time, Chris was in the Army Reserve and could have been sent away at any moment.

So we waited. We worked, paid our bills and taxes, and lived with the quiet uncertainty of not knowing what would come next. Fortunately, he was never activated, but the waiting itself was real.

Even today, life can feel like a holding pattern—waiting for the next shoe to drop. At any moment, circumstances can change: war, illness, financial struggles, or difficult relationships can enter without warning.

Looking back, I realize my life, like Patrick’s, has been marked by waiting. I waited to grow up. I waited to have a boyfriend. I waited to get married. When we finally became engaged, it felt like stepping off a cliff into the unknown.

Yet in that moment of uncertainty, God gave me comfort through a poem by Ruth Bell Graham:

Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we’re inclined to do),
I do not need a handsome man
but let him be like You;
I do not need one big and strong
nor yet so very tall,
nor need he be some genius,
or wealthy, Lord, at all;
but let his head be high, dear God,
and let his eye be clear,
his shoulders straight, whate’er his state,
whate’re his earthly sphere;
and let his face have character,
a ruggedness of soul,
and let his whole life show, dear God,
a singleness of goal;
then when he comes
(as he will come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I’ll understand that he’s the man
I prayed for long ago.

— Ruth Bell Graham

And so, as I reflect on both Patrick’s life and my own, I see a common thread: waiting is not wasted time. Rather, it is often where God does His deepest work. In the waiting, our faith is shaped, our trust is strengthened, and our hearts are prepared for what comes next.

Perhaps the real lesson of St. Patrick’s story—and of our own—is this: the very seasons we would never choose may be the ones God uses most powerfully. And in the waiting, He is never absent—He is quietly at work, leading us, just as He always has, toward His purpose.

“Never forget that, until the day comes when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these words: Wait and hope!” Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo