WHERE’S THE NEWS?

I usually insert news stories relating to Christian interest on pages 4 and 5 but I’ve had a lot on my mind lately and the news will always be there.

THE WEBSITE

The website for the newsletter is going better than expected due to the web master, Doug. He sends a very detailed report of the people that visited it and I am overwhelmed.

The coolest part of the report is the map showing the locations of the visitors. I expected a few states but it shows every state. It also tells me that I’ve had visitors from Togo, Tanzania, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Romania, Brazil, Philippines, Spain, New Zealand and India so far. More keep popping up every month.

I was just looking for a simple place to archive all of the old newsletters but the Lord led me to Doug and they worked it out among themselves how the Word should be presented. That Old Man Doug has been a blessing.

The most intriguing email came to me concerning the site. A Pastor Arthur Mbumbuka of Mbey, Tanzania felt compelled to share with me “what the Lord has laid on our heart after reading about you from your website”. He wrote a wonderful letter suggesting a sister ministry. I will stay in touch with the good pastor.

I’ve also had emails from people in the Army. They have written very heartwarming emails from time to time. I never really knew just how mysteriously God can work until he allowed an old, clueless guy like me to spread His word. I find myself shouting, “Praise the Lord” many times each day.

CRHP

Men’s Chirp 23 is officially over and Chirp 24 is off to a good start. The guys of Chirp 23 have vowed to keep meeting informally and whenever my health allows, I will make those meetings for I now have an extended family. These men are heads a shoulders above any I ever met and I’m proud to call them “Brothers”.

I’ve written descriptions of CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish) in past newsletters. I’ve said as much as I can without revealing the surprises in store for those attending. The women of Good Shepherd are organizing their next ladies CRHP and they will have the obstacle of our church being rebuilt. I have prayed for their success many times.

If your church doesn’t have a CRHP program, find one that does. I’m not telling you to change churches; just suggesting CRHP as the most moving change in your life. Be careful though; you will be changed forever. All that was old will be gone and behold you will be renewed.

LEAP OF FAITH

I remember driving home from Michigan late one rainy night. I had been on the same stretch of this Interstate many hundreds of times before. I knew I was coming up to a hill with no view of the road until the crest. Visibility was very low and I was driving rather cautiously in the right lane.

I can’t explain this well and few believe me when I tell this story, but I had a vision appear quite vividly in my mind of someone kneeling dangerously close to the road in a really bad part of the road. It woke me from my calm state and I found myself moving quickly to the left lane even though there was nobody in sight.

Still, I felt alarmed and just I reached the crest of the hill, I saw a guy changing a flat for a lady. They were okay but just as my car passed, he lost his balance and fell back from his crouched position onto the pavement. Had I stayed in the right lane, I may have killed him.

I’ve asked myself many times since; was it God’s hand turning my steering wheel left? Are there really guardian angels and if so, which of us had one that night?

One time on a hot sunny day, my wife and I were leaving a convenience store and as we were getting in the car, a very strangely dressed old man made eye contact with me from about a hundred feet away. He seemed in a panic and though there were other people around, he bolted towards us.

He was dressed in very old world Polish style clothing. He was a nice looking old man but he was lost. He spoke only a few words of English and I’m dumb as toast when someone blurts out another language.

Somehow we realized he was trying to find Archer Avenue. We got him to follow our car. However, we were at the west end of the Cook County Forest Preserve and I remember the old man saying he wanted to go west on Archer. West would have put him in Lemont and I don’t recall a Polish community there.

I asked to see his driver’s license. He lived in a very Polish neighborhood in Chicago and he needed to get home. I made him understand enough to follow me and we lead him home. I got out saying goodbye and the old man cried because he was so turned around he didn’t think he would make it home.

Do you believe God intervenes in small affairs of our lives? Maybe there are guardian angels. If so, who are they guiding? Many have told me they aren’t sure they believe in God or angels but they’ve seen strange things happen.

Those events are true. I felt like I was being guided both times. Help someone in need or keep your mind open to events around you and ask if there is a God. Take a leap of faith and you’ll never look back.