Serve by Design

Recently, I visited one of our members in the hospital. She had just received a sobering diagnosis. I had no sooner entered the room than she shared what the doctor had told her. I had not met her before, but I think she had recognized me as the care pastor from the church before I had the chance to introduce myself. Image Credit: istock.com Although I have been in previous situations like this many times during the years of my pastoral ministry, it is still difficult to hear such a serious diagnosis. It gave me pause as I observed the pleasant expression on her face. I was gathering my thoughts just as one of the patient’s family came into the room from out of town. I reintroduced myself as he put some personal items down on a nearby couch. Then, as he made his way over to the loved one’s bedside, he spontaneously asked this question, “Are we going to pray?” I was caught off guard by his prompting, but immediately responded as I put my hat, gloves, and phone down on a chair, “Sure!...

I was perturbed, and felt inconvenienced, until I discovered what was going on! This snow and extremely cold spell have had my nerves more than a little on edge. So, when I looked up to see 18-wheeler trucks and other vehicular traffic lined up farther than my eye could see, I complained aloud to myself, “Here they go again! These guys looking for a shortcut are further tearing up our badly maintained Sherman boulevard! What’s going on?!” Image credit: gettyimages.com Eventually, I would be able to make my right turn and join the flow traveling through a couple of traffic lights and across the Sangamon River up to Peoria Road. On the way, I saw a small but insightful sign above the I-55 directional sign. It simply read, “Incident Bypass.” I knew immediately, this was not about shortcuts, but rather IDOT was managing something up on the interstate highway that required a diverting of traffic through our quiet little village. Recently, I have had one thing after another of personal and...

I have become an advocate for the next generation of leaders. You’ve heard it said, “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders!” I like what I see in today’s youth! That’s why I seldom turn down an opportunity to engage and be with them. This past week, I participated in a youth police camp sponsored by the local American Legion and the Illinois State Police. It was on the beautiful campus of Camp Lincoln here in Springfield, Illinois. This was my third year serving as an ISP chaplain and taking part in the camp graduation ceremony! Homemade Blackberry Pie Thanks, Sis!! The State Police Youth Academy was first conducted in July of 1972. Each year since, young men and women are invited and sponsored to participate in an intensive week of physical training, classroom instruction in law enforcement, field trips to interesting sites, and recreation that bonds them with new friends. They learn about discipline, teamwork, and respect for themselves and others. During this year’s ceremony, a ver...

Our grandsons, Klay and Karter DeFrees, just participated in a Memorial Day service project at their local cemetery in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Churches and schools have promoted the value of such projects to encourage students to “give back” to their communities. Our guys are active in their youth program at Paragon Church. I’m so proud that these beloved grands always “stand in the ready” to help and serve when given the opportunity! Klay and Karter - hard at work! Their church recently featured the guys with this “shout out” on the church website: “Today, two of our youth (Klay and Karter) joined Bob Monclova and Jim S. to clean eight hundred veteran head stones during six hours of service on Memorial Day. Karen, from Daniel’s Family Funeral Home, shared these comments, ‘The guys from Paragon were amazing, respectful, patriotic, and hard working! Thank you gentlemen for honoring our fallen vets!’” There was a moment of levity that Klay, our fifteen-year-old, shared with me about wh...

There was a time in my life when I was flattered to have a target on my back! Now that I am one of the seventy-million or so aging Baby Boomers (born: April 7, 1951, and a card-carrying AARP member!), I am no longer on the radar of businesses who are targeting a much younger generation of consumers. There was a lot of consumer power focused on my generation back in the day. We were part of what fueled the post-World War II economy! That was then and this is now! I should have known that what was going around would be coming around. My beloved mother was lamenting in her seventies and early eighties after a shopping spree at the local clothing department stores (JCP, Kohl’s and the like), “Mike, they just don’t make clothes for someone my age anymore!” I know what she means every time I pick up a piece of men’s sportswear with stretchy-fabric, I find myself declaring, “These are for young, slim guys. Not me!” This brings me to my current lament. After shopping my neighborhood grocery ...

Have you heard the story about the stubborn little guy who wouldn’t stay in his seat in the family SUV? As soon the dad backed out of the driveway, he looked up in his rearview mirror and saw that his three-year-old son was unbuckled and standing in the back seat. “Sit down and get back in that seat! Now!” his dad scolded. And the boy argued. “I can’t see!” The dad threatened him, “Don’t make me stop and get out of this car!” All at once, the dad could see that the boy had complied and said, “Thank you. Now stay seated!” Immediately, he heard this defiant mumbling from the boy, “But … In my head ,  I’m still standing !!” Pray and Look for God's Redirect! I hate to admit this, but there are times when there is a stubborn little boy wandering around in my head! Our small group at church had a vigorous discussion about prayer last Sunday. We were asked to consider some pretty probing questions about our own prayer life like “What kinds of prayer do you tend to neglect? Do you find you...

Super Bowl 59 is over, and many are disappointed that it was not more competitive. I admit to only being a once-a-year football fan, but even I was hoping for a close game pitting the number one defense against an outstanding quarterback and team offense! The Philadelphia Eagles, a powerful defensive juggernaut, up-ended the four-time super bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, in a game that was all but over at the halftime. The score, a meager 22 points for the Chiefs to 40 for the soaring Eagles, doesn’t completely explain the surprising outcome!  Roadside Eagle Watching Near Athens, Illinois It was a game of uber-aggressive defense that resulted in too many turnovers for the Chiefs that repeatedly put the Eagles in scoring position for their touchdowns and field goals. Kansas City could never execute its game play as they were constantly scrambling to regain position. It was not a pretty game even though Taylor Swift and other celebrities present were cheering on the 2023 and 2024 ...

Have you ever said, “I don’t feel that old?” and then looked into the nearest mirror and thought differently! Allow me to briefly do my life by the numbers: 73 years of age, 52 years of marriage, and now, 55 years since my high school graduation. By any modest evaluation, I am older than I feel! Last Saturday evening’s class reunion was just another reminder that I am not alone! As I entered the Country Club’s great room, I looked up and could have declared, “Who are all of these old people?” But I quickly checked myself and acknowledged instead, “These are my classmates and peers! Let the stories begin!”😆 Just a few of us! Regrettably, due to living out-of-state and some conflicts with our schedules, I have only been able to attend a half dozen or so of all the reunions. It’s a shame that some of our number bid farewell to Vandalia Community High School after graduation and have never returned for a single class reunion! Our planning team knows how difficult it has been to keep up ...

One of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house was eating all my favorites at the kid’s table on the porch that was situated just off her kitchen. It was a sufficiently spacious, heated, and multi-purpose area for storage, washing clothes, and of course, served as the back entry point into the house. Kids could be as loud and rowdy as they wanted without disturbing the adults gathered in the dining room! Thanksgiving at Aunt Brenda's After eating, and when the dining table had been cleared, grandma would gather back at the main table to sit with family members (generally, females who were recovering from the clean up!). It was a time to snack on grapes from the fruit bowl and chat about many things. Most subjects were “above my pay grade” as a kid! But one topic for discussion gave me much delight and interest. It was the rehearsing how God had blessed us over the past year. Everyone could participate in this time of sharing! I have been doing some reflectin...

Many in our area have been recovering from storms that raged through numerous communities last week. Straight-line and even tornadic winds unleashed destruction with a force ranging from 80-120 mph. This powerful act of nature yanked down soft silver maple tree branches upon houses and properties as it severed power poles at their bases like they were toothpicks. The damage was random, but extensive. Many homes lost power for hours, days and now, over a week! We fared much better than many. Our power was only off for a few hours. We lost two large twelve to fifteen-foot limbs. One came resting upon our six-foot fence and the other sailed right for our picnic table denting the tabletop and shoving it into the side of the garage. There was only minimal damage to the table support, a nearby downspout, and the westside soffit. We were lucky. Some of our neighbors reported that large branches had penetrated their roofs like a spear! I have some mature trees that shed numerous branches thr...

I am out of my skill set when it comes to anything electrical! I feel a lot more comfortable with tools like wrenches, ratchets, and pliers. Those are the instruments of automobile mechanics like my dad and brother that are used every day in their shop. I have shied away from wiring, outlets, breakers, and the like. One reason is that it’s no fun getting accidentally shocked, and I have had that unpleasant experience! However, occasionally, I will venture out of my comfort zone and engage in a “Do It Yourself” small electrical project. Yesterday was one of those occasions! I have changed out duplex outlets a few times in the two houses we have owned over the last 36 years. That morning, I had told the local hardware store salesman who sold me the outlet and a lamp socket too, (for another project), “I am not comfortable with this kind of stuff, but I can follow my nose!” In other words, I can see what the old one looked like and then replicate what I see to reconnect the new one. As a ...

The idea of spiritual renewal has been on the minds of many believers in the wake of the recent outbreak of revival on the campus of Asbury University that began February 8th. The Asbury outpouring is still reverberating throughout the community and beyond after two weeks of non-stop prayer meetings that started in an after-chapel prayer service and spontaneously continued on. Photo credit: pixabay.com Driven by social media posts and live streams, estimates are that some 50,000 individuals descended upon the college campus and Willmore, Kentucky, with a population   of only 6,000 residents! Students came from more than 260 colleges and universities to pray alongside those on the Asbury campus. Many of those arriving on the scene were hungry to see what God was doing in that setting and hoping it would be replicated in their lives, churches, and communities. I had "a taste of revival" at the Second Baptist Church of Marion, Illinois in 1972. I was serving on staff as a summ...

During springtime, mid-April to early May, in the wooded areas of Illinois, you will find a search underway for the much-treasured morel mushrooms. The timing for this quest is dependent upon the warming temperatures and amount of rainfall.   Individuals of all ages can be seen carefully combing undisturbed acres of shady timber and moist leafy places for the emerging signs of these delectable varieties of edible fungus. Morels as large as your palm and as small as an inch or two can be found in colors that often blend into the terrain – golden yellows, reddish rusts, and shiny blacks. My Sis, Bren's Find This ritual hunt has become a rite of passage for many a young person. The only equipment recommended, aside from a light step and keen eye, is a walking stick and of course, a bag to contain the harvest! My grandchildren and their daddy didn’t have to walk far from their house in our suburban village to find enough morels to share with the grandparents. This batch of morels was s...

I fondly remember an old friend who disliked computers. Although he was the CEO of a moderately-sized farm supply company, he vowed to never own a computer or use one! He was of my dad’s generation. There are even a few of my peers that have little interest in computers! While our family purchased its first personal, tower-type computer in 1988, it would not be until 2000, 12 years later, that I would start using a similar pc as an exclusive ministry tool to process sermons, meeting agendas, correspondence, and other documents. I had depended on my wife and ministry assistants too long to do my typing and filing! But, when I “jumped into” the computer age, I did so with enthusiasm! Computer Frustration! Image credit: depositphotos.com That was then, and this is today! My enthusiasm has waned, but I cannot go back. Everything we do today seems tied to some computer application! I work from my desk with a laptop, utilize my phone as a device to answer emails, send texts, check the weathe...

Our beloved granddaughter, Eloise, has a growing collection of various-sized Squishmallows. She has given a name and voice to each one. This is “Eloise being Eloise” who delights to use her creativity and imagination to entertain family, friends and of course, herself. These soft, plush stuffed animals, food items and other cute things in her menagerie surround her at home and some even travel with her to school, church, restaurants and playdates with friends. When Eloise can’t be in certain places at times because of her busy schedule, she requests that her daddy, Matt, take her stuffed friends on road trips to greet family in her place. So, sometimes you will see an extra passenger belted in the rear seat of his car! We enjoy how Matt relishes these opportunities to introduce Eloise’s “squishy friends” to us and as a result, we know by experience how charming and comforting each of them are to embrace! Of course, we are "required" to document these occasions with a pictur...