Our circumstances, then and now

Certainly the world is not the world of a decade ago, nor even further back to the early days when Meg and I began to learn about ourselves, our similarities, strengths, weaknesses after our marriage on September 2, 1967.  We really did not know God then; we believed he was "up there," someplace, but we were strong on our own, not needing a relationship beyond what we were learning to share between us.

We have changed so much over the decades, physically and spiritually.  The one constant, however, has been a deepening journey toward God, trying each day to apply and understand the love He has shown us through Jesus Christ. Cancer challenges, heart challenges all are part of the experience He has laid out for us.  And the question for each of us always is, "how do we respond?"

Oswald Chambers said it so well in his reading from "My Utmost for His Highest" on August 31, and his statement applies to us as well as to this nation:  "Living a full and overflowing life does not depend on bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God's work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God and in the same oneness and fellowship with Him that Jesus himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances."