Our church family will soon be engaged in a church-wide study titled, "Life's Healing Choices."    We will be reading John Baker's book by the same name, and with the subtitle: "Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits."   But, more importantly, we will be reading and reflecting upon The Beatitudes, from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.    I am asking and encouraging all of us to read Matthew 5:1-12 each and every day August 1st through October 10th (The Beatitudes).     What powerful and difficult teachings from Jesus!

The week before last my Mom and my siblings (3) and I, along with our families, sorted through Dad's stuff.    Pop passed away in late April, and Mom is moving in order to down-size since she no longer needs all that extra space and lawn to look after.     I must say it was a chore.  In some ways it was sad.  It was not easy.   And, yet, for me anyway, it provided further closure on Dad's death; and, it provided yet another cathartic experience.    I was also blessed and impressed how sixteen of us could go about this difficult, emotional process and still act civil and come out still friends!     I never heard one negative toward each other the whole three days of work.  In fact, when it came to dividing up Pop's personal items, etc. there was only grace and graciousness expressed.    Of course, as someone reflected, if we would of had one more day  together"we might have witnessed a homicide!"