Life by Grace Alone

On 4/7/12  I posted a piece about my grandson, Henry who had surgery for hydrocephalis at 7 months of age. I was amazed how God used a simple song about a simple truth to calm . baby,mother and grandmother. The song clearly declares God's greatness and strength as well as His sovereignty over all of  His creation in the typical repetitive language of a children's song. Henry had his surgery and shunts were not needed. He is now 4 and a member of  a tae kwon do class. Although every test has looked good for Henry he is behind in the area of balance. Shortly after enrolling in the class Henry was painfully aware of  the things the other kids could do that he couldn't. The combination of encouragement from the staff as well as Henry's tenacity has produced wonderful results. The other day Henry proudly showed me kicks alternating with forward jumps. His ability to balance has noticeably improved,  Three years and a few months have passed by and now Henry's sist...

I just finished writing a piece on my friend Trudi Rockey who died at 91. She graduated from Cornell University with a major in chemistry. When she married a widowed pastor with 3 children, Trudi had a job that paid very well as she supervised engineers. Travel to Europe  and New England ski trips were normal parts of her life. Let's see. My friend was very intelligent with a scientific mind. She had proven leadership skills. What do you think people would remember most about  this pastor's wife ? Yes, people remembered her as a good Bible study leader and the driving force behind the women's conference. What seemed to make the biggest impression on people was how warmly she greeted those she just met as well as those she already knew. This was a an always present theme as I questioned people about her.  She did not just go through the motions. Trudi focused on what a person was saying to her. One family that was moving to the area talked to her after church one Sund...