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Gifts    1-7-2004

Epiphany – The Unexpected Gift
We opened our Christmas presents on Christmas Eve this year. We were traveling to Indiana for the family celebration on Christmas Day, so we broke our “Let’s open presents Christmas morning” tradition. The presents beckoned as we returned from Christmas Eve services.
 
I handed out the presents – one for Bunny, one for Russell, one for me. We each took turns opening the gift. We would read the tag aloud – To: Dad, From Becky – was the first one I chose. The box was the right size, I had hinted enough, she had asked my size, and yes, it was a suede leather jacket! The gloves from Bob and Lori were exactly what I desired. Abby’s picture was set in the position of honor – the top of the TV. Russell’s music CD was next – he worked for years composing and recording songs for his first album and I received one of the first copies. Bunny gave me the 2003 Commemorative Stamp album – to be added to the previous 30 albums she has given me at Christmas. My brother Randy gave me a cool pen – one of my passions. (It is a “Silly Putty” pen.) Brother Dan touched my geek side with a 128 MB mini-storage USB hard drive. Life was good.
 
Bunny and Russell were also very excited and appreciative of their gifts. Each gift brought exclamations of joy, appreciation and delight. It seemed as if the gifts would never stop. Christmas Day brought the kids together as we gathered in Indiana for the family Christmas celebration. Son Rich gave me a very beautiful tie he picked up from his Thanksgiving trip to Paris – along with a pen that lights up!
 
Each gift is treasured, not just for the worth of the gift, but for the thoughtfulness of the giver. Today I am wearing the tie, jacket and gloves from the kids. Each time I look at them, I am reminded of how much I am loved, how much I love them and the good feelings of the day return to me.
 
Then there were the unexpected gifts. My brother Dan and his wife gave us lots of “Moose” accessories for our “Moose” room. They were unexpected and very much appreciated. Bunny took my breath away when I opened the card that informed me that she was having my Mom’s antique clock fixed. I have not heard the clock chime since I was in grade school. Then there was the day I returned home from work and a gift bag was inside our front door. It was some beautiful Coca-Cola tins (for our collection) filled with homemade cookies and some candy. It was to Mr. And Mrs. Cohrs from Eric. We were stunned. Eric is Russell’s friend. It was a very pleasant surprise.
 
We are in the season of Epiphany. It is the time of the year when we celebrate and remember the Magi who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph were not expecting visitors, let alone such wonderful gifts. How they must have thanked the Magi and God as they used the gifts to travel and provide for them in Egypt. Epiphany is also celebrated as the time that the gift of salvation through faith in Christ was given to all people, not just for the Jews. Wow! What an unexpected gift that is! The Jews expected a Savior – they longed for a Savior – they were promised a Savior! The gentiles were left in the dark. But Jesus came for all. The gentiles were given the Light!
 
The unexpected gifts from Dan, Eric and Bunny will be treasured and remembered for years. However, my joy and delight in these gifts is just but a small measure of the joy and delight I have in the gift of salvation.
 
Thank you, Jesus.

Makeovers   1-14-2004

One day I returned to the St. Louis airport and sat in the baggage claim area waiting for Bunny. She was going to pick me up and then we were going to have dinner together. The flight was early so I had time for my favorite airport pastime – people watching. I like to watch people and guess their stories. I enjoy creating whole stories about their lives.
 
This day I was engaged making up stories when I saw a very attractive woman enter the airport. She was stunning! Her blonde, curled hair framed her large beautiful blue eyes. Her dress was attractive, elegant, and flattered her. I could not take my eyes off of her. Her makeup accentuated her features and created a face I have only seen in paintings.
 
I flushed red when she turned and looked in my direction. I couldn't help but stare at her. I then raised my book higher so I could watch her and she couldn't see me watch her. Then the unthinkable happened – she started walking my way. She kept getting closer and closer. I had to turn my eyes back into the book to avoid getting caught staring at this vision of beauty.
 
"Hi, dear, did you have a nice flight?" The words sounded like Bunny. I looked up into the face of the woman I had been staring at – it was Bunny.  My heart skipped a beat. I caught my breath and stammered out, "You look good. New haircut?"
 
"Makeover – hope you don't mind."
 
Mind? I should mind that she has transformed herself into one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen? (Don't get me wrong – she was beautiful when I left – just in a different way.)
 
Television programs show us how to make over a room. Web sites are made over. Consultants tell us how to dress, act and coordinate our outer appearance. (I miss the "Giraffe head match with the giraffe body" days.)
 
No matter how we may think, all of the makeovers are temporary – external. It is only through the death and resurrection of Christ that the true makeover happens. My sin-filled heart has been made over – sinless. It is Christ's blood that accomplishes this. This makeover is permanent – internal – eternal. I thank God for His heart-changing power.
 
Thank you, Jesus.

Heart Trouble   1-21-2004

“Kenny had another heart attack and is in the hospital.” The message on the phone caught us off guard. Kenny is Bunny’s younger brother. He has had previous heart attacks and has a defib-pace maker. It seems that his pacemaker went off numerous times, preventing his heart from stopping. His wife called the ambulance and he was admitted into the hospital for tests and treatment. We are waiting for results – waiting and praying.
 
The other day Bunny had one of those times in the life of a principal that causes one to have a heart-hurt. Three of the students were caught doing some bad things. They were brought to the Principal’s office for discipline. They were guilty – they knew that Bunny knew that they knew they were guilty. It hurt Bunny’s heart – these were students she had taught. These were students that knew better.
 
Each day brings more heartache. I hear about families torn apart by divorce. I hear about children who are shuttled from one parent to another because they are a burden. I read about children who are abused and mistreated. My heart hurts when I am touched by such news.
 
Kenny has the vast resources of the hospital standing by to help him cure his heart trouble. The students have the vast resources of the school standing by to help them overcome their lapse of judgment. These resources are aided by the power of prayer – prayer by and for them.
 
Each of us suffers from heart trouble. Our hearts are filled with sin. Left unchecked, our evil hearts produce evil deeds. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we have our sin-filled hearts made clean. It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus that we can say that
 
Thank you, Jesus. 

Lights    1-28-2004

The night was clear as we headed down the mountain back to Denver. Mom and Dad Cohrs, Bunny, the kids, and I had spent the day at Central City. The day was filled with train rides, window-shopping and eating in a special restaurant. Everyone was looking forward to home. We crested a small rise and suddenly the whole Denver area was in our view. Each in turn uttered a, “Wow.” Or a “Look at that,” or simply, “It’s beautiful.” My Dad, on the other hand, was very pensive. He was very quiet. Finally I asked him, “Dad, what are you thinking?”
 
“Just think – all those lights – why, there must be thousands of them – and each of them represents – a flush toilet.”
 
The flight from Lubbock to Dallas took off at twilight. Soon the cloudless West Texas sky went from blue to purple to yellow to orange to the black of night. The plane flew effortlessly through the night sky. As I looked down, I could see the lights of range homes, small towns, and cities. The pilot announced that we would turn over Wichita Falls and head into our Dallas approach. I intently studied the lights out the window. I could trace the streets, the neighborhoods distinctively marked by diagonal streets. I traced the Interstate highway, found the boulevard and found downtown. I could see the area of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Then I followed the roads to where the hospital is located. From the hospital it was easy to pick out the intersection of the boulevard and Brook Street. Memories flooded over me as I remembered the church where son Rich was confirmed, the hospital where Russell was born, the house we called home, the school where we taught.
 
Soon the pilot made a wide turn and I saw the lights of Dallas. The bright orange lights of streetlights, the bright white of flood lights, the red neon, the blinking red, the cones of white preceding the cars. I caught sight of the pulsating strobe lights of the landing strip. The plane touched earth with barely a jolt and followed the green lights to the terminal. The lights guided us safely home.
 
We are called to be lights. The light we shine isn’t used to mark household fixtures, roads or landing strips. Our lights shine the bright light of the gospel. This light is seen from afar – the light that directs to the heavenly home. Little did the man who placed the streetlights along the boulevard know that it would someday be used to guide me to a glimpse of home. We also do not know who will see our light and be guided to home. I pray that I constantly shine bright.
 
Thank you, Jesus.
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