Friday Coffee with PJ

Friday. Coffee. A few random thoughts. Welcome, my friends, to Friday Coffee with PJ! Oh ... and by the way, here is another article - this time from Consumer Reports - on the benefits of drinking coffee! 

1. What should one of our chief aims as we attend church on Sunday mornings? Obviously the worship of our AWESOME God is at the top of the list (or at least should be). But let me suggest to you another VIP (Very Important Purpose) you should be striving to do every Sunday you walk through the doors of your church facility: ENCOURAGEMENT! And I am not talking about yours ... I am referring to YOU encouraging OTHERS! The New Testament makes it clear that we all need to be on a mission to encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith when we "come together!" Consider: 

Hebrews 3:13  "But exhort (encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Hebrews 10:24-25  "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

So as you head out the door to attend services at your local church on Sunday, do so ON MISSION to encourage those you encounter. And the funny thing about encouraging others? As you do so, you will be encouraged in the process! 

2. Earlier this week, I drove my 5 year old grandson, Nolan, to our house from preschool ... a whopping distance of about 1/4 mile! In that short time we were in the van together, somehow we got on the topic of how his dad works out. I asked Nolan if he ever worked out ... and he replied, "I don't lift weights, I only do cardio!"  Ha! Even this little guy is picking up how important it is to keep our hearts in shape! Well, not only do we need to pursue things in life that will promote good heart health ... we must be just as concerned (if not more so) with the condition of our spiritual heart! In the Old Testament book of wisdom, we are urged, "above all else, guard

your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23). Now there are many steps we can take to do this. For starters, saturating our heart and mind with God's Word will do this. Knowing and living the Scriptures will go a long way toward guarding our hearts (Psalm 119:9-11)! In addition, prayer flavored with praise and thanksgiving will also do the same (Philippians 4:4-7). Knowing how vital this latter step is, we are launching an emphasis this coming Sunday at our church that will lead us as a church family into a deeper practice of both praise and thanksgiving. The Thirty Days of Praise and Thanksgiving initiative will be worth every minute put into it. God is worthy to be praised (Psalm 18:3) and we must thank him in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As we do, we will guard our hearts against such things as pride, bitterness, covetousness, anger and more! 

3. My wife's journey continues. Now that her femur has healed, she is scheduled for a knee replacement revision on Friday, December 16th. The surgery will also involve the removal of the plate and screws used to repair her broken femur. This gives us plenty of time to get "stuff" done prior to the surgery. Your prayers are much appreciated. 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Once again it's Friday! So pour yourself a cup of your favorite coffee and join me for a few random thoughts. 

1. I have been serving on the Board of Trustees of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary for about ten years. As a board member, I receive via email each Friday a copy of Equip, the weekly communique that is distributed on campus for students, staff and faculty. In a recent issue of Equip, I read the following about coffee. I found it to be very interesting: 

The 2016 Grace College Organic Chemistry I students under the guidance of Chad Snyder, recently analyzed coffee samples donated from several of faculty and staff. Although not all coffee samples were able to be analyzed it was discovered that some coffees possessed higher caffeine levels than others. This is not surprising nor is it new information, however, the CHM 2620 (Organic Chemistry I) students found trends in caffeine levels that were region or country dependent. Coffee beans analyzed from Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania presented higher levels of caffeine in their beans. Coffee beans from Costa Rica, Tanzania and Guatemala manifested lower levels of caffeine.

Sooooo .... If you really need a caffeine boost, before ordering your coffee, make sure it is made from coffee beans grown in Africa! 

2. Yesterday I had my 10 week post op appointment with the surgeon who performed my ulnar osteotomy (shortening of the ulna bone - the smaller of the two bones in the forearm) and wrist repair. For the first three weeks following the surgery, my arm and wrist were wrapped in a cast. Then I was fitted for a custom made brace. The brace has been pretty much my constant companion ... until yesterday morning! My doctor made my day by telling me I no longer needed to wear it! Yes. For the first time in two months I felt free! And it felt GOOD! 

Freedom is something we all cherish, especially as Americans. But there is a greater freedom than the liberty we enjoy as citizens of our country. Jesus talked about it as recorded in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John. He put it this way, 

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free . . . So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:31-32, 36).

The freedom Jesus is referencing here is freedom from sin ... it's penalty, it's bondage, and ultimately, it's presence. Have you ever experienced this freedom? If you have any doubts or questions ... or would like to explore this more ... I invite you to check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face.

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Today follows 15 days that have revolved around the death of my mother-in-law, Bessie Pietrowski. Yesterday, we laid her body to rest in the Brigadier General William Doyle Memorial Veterans Cemetery located in New Jersey (my wife's dad was a WW II veteran of North Africa, Sicily and Italy). So for those of you who prayed ... thanks! And please continue to pray for my wife as she processes her emotions upon the passing of her mom.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Seeing that today is Friday ... I invite you to pour a cup of your favorite Joe and join me for a couple of random (but I hope) fruitful thoughts. 

1. The destruction and devastation that hurricane Matthew is leaving in its path is downright heartbreaking. For the people of Haiti who have suffered loss of life ... and for the survivors the loss of what little they had ... is heartbreaking. I am sure in coming days, opportunities will arise to give toward relieving their suffering. Please consider doing so. Every gift, no matter how small, when put together with other gifts, will go a long way toward helping these people who have to put their lives back together after having them ripped apart. Our world-wide Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches has set up a storm relief fund through Encompass World Partners' Crisis Response Network to help assist in the relief effort in Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and Florida.  


2. Death. It is something we will all one day face (unless, of course, Jesus Christ returns beforehand!). Yet death is something we rarely think about. Death is something we as a society have done our best to "sanitize." So instead of saying "My Uncle Tom died," we say, "My Uncle Tom passed away."  Now I am not against using euphemisms for death. It does soften the reality being expressed (and even the Apostle Paul used an euphemism when referring to the deaths of believers when in 1 Thessalonians chapter four he referred to those who had died as being "asleep"  - 1 Thessalonians 4:13). But try as we might to push the thought of death to the margins of our minds, the day will come when the vast majority of us will have to watch a loved one die. And that is never easy. Certainly when the eternal destination of that loved one is clear due to their firm and solid testimony of faith in the Savior Jesus Christ - there is a "sweetness" in that moment. And why not? What a thought to know one's loved one with their final breath will leave behind all the trials, pain and sorrow of living in a broken world, only to "awaken" in a place where "every tear will be wiped away" (Revelation 21:4-5)! Calling this to mind will already begin the process of healing our breaking hearts. Yet that sweetness is tempered by the bitterness of the moment. Watching a life fade away, knowing that a dreaded separation is about to occur, is not an easy experience. 

These past few days my wife and I and our family have sat by the bedside of my mother-in-law whose death is rapidly approaching. As she is losing her grip on the barest of threads tying her to this life, it is a huge comfort knowing we are not alone. Yes, we have the staff of the Mennonite Home to help. And yes, there is the presence of the Hospice and Community Care staff. But there is also the presence of our God. And as he works through others and through his Spirit, our souls have been comforted, our faith strengthened, and our breaking hearts are even now beginning to mend ... if only a little bit! :)

My friends, as these past few days have reminded us, death will come calling for us all. When he does, will you be ready to leave this life and enter the next? If you have any questions or doubts, please take a moment and check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face. 

Thanks for stopping by ... and thanks for your prayers! 

pj

P.S. My mother-in-law passed away on Saturday (October 8th) at 3:00 am. 

It's Friday ... so it's time to pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew and join me for a couple of thoughts. 

1. In case you missed it, yesterday was National Coffee Day, and some places were giving away free coffee! Why celebrate coffee? Why not? Is there a better beverage out there? Coffee hot or cold can't be beat. And not only does it taste great ... but it is chock full of great health benefits. So if you missed the fact that yesterday was National Coffee Day you may have missed a free cup. But given the upside of coffee drinking, coffee is worth every dollar you have to spend on it! Oh ... and by the way, today is National Chewing Gum Day. Since people have been chewing gum for several thousand years ... why not celebrate with a chew of your favorite brand? 

2. Long time Los Angeles Dodger baseball fans will no longer enjoy the voice of Vin Scully when they tune in to listen to Dodger games next season. After SIXTY-SEVEN years, Scully, known as "the Voice of the Dodgers," broadcast his last game this week. Scully is one of the most beloved baseball voices of all time. Even non Dodger fans loved listening to him (I know I did!). Among the many tributes that poured in this week was this one: "He makes Los Angeles a better place to live."  That tribute got me thinking. Is Lancaster a better place to live because of me? Is Grace Church a better church in which to worship and fellowship and serve because of me? Is my family a stronger, healthier family because of me? And what about YOU? Are those around you better because of you? For all of us who claim allegiance to Christ, let's be more intentional about being the fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)! 

3. I recently read an article titled, Are We Seeing the Death of Congregational Singing in "Contemporary" Worship? One of the statements made by the author referenced the volume of the worship band in many churches. He wrote, "Often the congregation can't hear itself sing because of the sound level of the 'professional' singers and instrumentalists. So people don't sing." Now that may be true of other churches, it is not true of the church I am privileged to pastor. On one recent Sunday, during our "contemporary" service (which is led by a worship "band"), I stopped singing. Not because I could not hear myself sing, but because I wanted to hear our congregation sing. In fact, on the last verse of the song, the band stopped playing ... and oh, how beautiful was the music being made by a chorus of human voices! Here at Grace Church, our philosophy of music includes this dictum: If the congregation cannot be heard singing ... then the worship band is too loud. Maybe that won't work for other churches, but it sure works for us! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's Friday so pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew of coffee and join me for a couple of random, but I hope fruitful, thoughts.

1. Today is the first official Friday of the fall season (autumn officially arrived yesterday at 10:21am). This is somewhat ironic given the fact that the high temperatures for yesterday and today are from the mid to upper 80s. Just shows that the thermometer doesn't always agree with the season. But the forecast for next week is much more fall-like. You see, the seasons come, and the seasons go. And they always come in their proper sequence. So we know that the summer type temperatures won't continue forever… For autumn has now arrived. And the temperatures will progressively trend downward  as we approach the next season of winter. Life is a lot like this. We go through seasons of life. As I look back at my own life I think fondly of the season of childhood. My earliest memories go back to when I was three years of age. Childhood passed and I entered the season of adolescence and then young adulthood.  This was followed by middle-age… And just this year I hit the season of life known as the sixties! I have eight grandchildren! Before I know it, should God grant me more years,  I'll be rocking away (and not to music!), wondering where life went!  But that's OK. I know that this life is merely a preface to the life to come. And with my faith firmly fixed on Jesus Christ, my savior and Lord … I know with the utmost confidence that I will one day cross the great divide from this life into the next. When that happens I will find myself in that glorious place called heaven. How about you?  Do you have this confidence? Or do you have questions about your eternal destination? Courage you to take a few moments and check out Two Ways to Live: The Choice We All Face. You will be glad you did!

2. This week I did a couple of really really stupid things! On  Monday, my wife and I stopped at Walmart. We needed to run in and pick up some miniature pumpkins and some google eyes for a project she was planning for our "little kids." When I got out the car I noticed that it made some sort of strange noise when I went to lock the door. I paused for a moment, and then turned toward the store. About 20 minutes later, shopping mission now accomplished, as I went to unlock the car, I found the door already unlocked. "That's odd!" I said to myself. So I opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. When I went to start the car I discovered it was already running! That's right! I left the car running with doors unlocked the entire time we were in Walmart. Now a little background on this. We bought this car in late June. It has a push button ignition.  I'm not trying to make an excuse for my stupid move… But I guess I am still getting used to this new technology. That was stupid move number one. Stupid move number two occurred the very next day. I was walking back from a lunch our staff  enjoyed together in the café of the nearby supermarket. There were three of us walking abreast along the sidewalk. I was walking near the curb.  As I turned my head from the side to look straight ahead, I did so a split-second before I walked right into a metal rod that was holding a banner on the lamp post. You talk about seeing stars.  I saw a few! But after a couple of minutes I started feeling better and no significant damage was done (to me or the banner, my pride, however, took a huge hit!).  All of us from time to time pull stupid stunts like this. As I look back on these "duh moves," I am glad and thankful that no one hopped into our car and took off with it! I'm also grateful that I didn't knock myself out walking in to that metal rod! But when we do stupid things,  I find it a comfort to know that our God… Who is wise beyond measure . . . has his eye upon us (Matthew 10:29-31) and and his hand firmly gripping our lives (John 10:28-29)!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday coffee with PJ

 It's Friday so pour yourself a cup of coffee and join me for a few random thoughts…

1.  Monday evening of this past week, my son, Tim, invited me over to his house to watch our favorite NFL team play (which is the Pittsburgh Steelers of course!).  Since our granddaughter, Ella, was attending art club at our church facility (which is only a couple of minutes from our home), I offered to pick her up and bring her with me to save my son a trip. When we arrived in the house my son informed Ella  that she needed to do some reading. The conversation went something like this:

T -  OK Ella, before you do anything else you need to do some reading.
E -  How long do I need to read? Ten minutes?
T - No, you need to read longer than that.
E - So  how long?
T - Well why don't we negotiate? How about 40 minutes?
E - Well (with a sigh) ... OK

With that Ella proceeded up the stairs to retrieve her book. After she went upstairs, I looked at my son and said, "I guess she needs to learn what the word negotiate means!" Negotiate. I wonder how often we do this with God. We try to negotiate with him when it comes to the demands he makes upon us. Yet when it comes down to it… Who are we to to negotiate with God?  I think we often forget that he is God and we are not. If you need reminded of this take some time and read the  Old Testament book of Job.  Job tried to negotiate with God. And when God finally showed up, any thoughts of negotiations were over! God reminded Job of this truth: "I am God and you are not."  If we pause to remind ourselves of this truth AND the truth that God's commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) and are for our good (Deuteronomy 10:13), this should dampen any desire we have to negotiate with God. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

2. Here's a quick update on my health. Yesterday I went back for another post op follow-up appointment with my surgeon (surgery was four weeks ago). When I went two weeks ago for my first post op, the surgeon was concerned with a  hematoma which had formed.  I am very thankful to say that the hematoma has almost totally dissipated on its own (otherwise a surgical procedure would've been required to remove it).  I'm also grateful that the x-rays taken yesterday showed everything was looking good. I will continue with physical therapy twice a week. I will continue to wear the brace. And I will continue with the weight restriction of 4 to 5 pounds (lifting  with my left arm). Thanks for all of your ongoing prayers! Very much appreciated! To God be the glory!!!

Thanks for stopping by…
PJ