Prayers for friends and loved ones.

There can be do greater calling than to be called forth to
service to our Lord.  All of us Christians receive this calling,
will you respond?

Well this week has started off as a challenging one already.  However mixed within it all have been some moments of joy and celebration.

Sunday afternoon I went to Sunset Hills Baptist Church to witness the Ordination Celebration for my good friend (the new) Reverend Jason Workman.  Jason has taken a nontraditional path to ordination and this event was the culmination of many years of work and study for Jason.  I'm very proud of Jason and I can only hope to someday be half the man he is as an advocate of Christ.

Sadly though afterwards in visiting with my friend Tasha Helms I learned that my mentor Rev. Robert Molby's wife Fayetta had been taken to the hospital just that morning.  Fayetta has just recently been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.  I had already been trying to work my way over to talk to Bob about Fayetta but as soon as I learned this Tasha and I both immediately sought him out to learn more and to give what little comfort we might be allowed to give through God's assistance.  At that time Bob had little information other than she had been in considerable pain that morning and so he took her to the Emergency Room at Lakeside Hospital.  This morning I see on Bob's Facebook page that she has a bladder infection and some internal bleeding from an unknown source.  The Doctor's are hopeful though that she'll be home for the fourth.  Bob and Fayetta are blessed with a wonderful family and I know that their children and grandchildren will be happy to have Fayetta home with them to celebrate.  Please pray for Fayetta and for her treatments both for the cancer, the infection and for whatever is causing the bleeding.

Yesterday morning I awoke to some very sad news.  My friend and gym mate Brandon Stewart (who owns New Dawn Nutrition here in Omaha) posted that he had lost his Mother.  Brandon's Mother put in a three year battle with Pancreatic Cancer and I am deeply saddened because Brandon and I had been discussing how he and his brother were going to take some time off and go and spend a few days with their Mom.  Brandon is a Professional Men's Physique Competitor and has just done two (a week apart) back to back National shows.  In the first one in Las Vegas he finished at the top of his class and took second overall, at the second show (the larger of the two) in Los Angeles, he won his class and won the overall.  Brandon dedicated his win on Saturday to his Mom and I am so sorry and sad that he wasn't able to get down to see her in time.  I'm not sure if he talked to her after his win but I pray that he was able to.  Please pray for Brandon and his whole family I know he is genuinely hurting, even when you know the time is short it still is a terrible blow to lose a parent.

Never pass up a chance to visit your parents or children.  None of us knows how much time we have left in this world and don't put things off until it's just too late.  I'll be going back home myself for my 35th High School Reunion in about a week and a half and I will now make doubly sure to go and spend a bit of time talking to Mom.  I am very fortunate in that my own Mother is in excellent health (nothing like good genes!) but nonetheless she will be 87 in just a bit over a month and that's a good age for anyone man or woman.  I pray I'll be blessed with her being here with all of us Karlen kid's though for many, many more years.  If anyone I know should make it to 100 it would have to be my Mother.

No matter how old we get we always have a special connection to our Mothers.  That's not to say that some do not have strained relationships or even down right dysfunctional relationships with their Mothers, but in the end we should strive just as God strives, to reconcile our broken relationships with all people and who more so than with the very person that gave birth to you.  Again, this attachment and desire to be close to our Mother is a lifelong attachment.  I remember my Grandfather Fletcher telling me not too long before he passed away that he wished he could just lay down on the couch beside his mother once again and lay his head on her lap like he did when he was a little boy.  Just hearing him say those words again in my memory literally brings tears to my eyes.

A Mother's love is a love for all time, just like the love of our Lord

Yesterday Maddie had a pretty good scare.  Our oldest dog is our Cocker Spaniel 'Gracie', we've had Gracie ever since Maddie was 5 years old.  I doubt Maddie can really remember Gracie not being there and Gracie has always been the most attached to Maddie.  She follows her around the house and sleeps most of the time in Maddie's room.  If Maddie is home Gracie is most likely right there with her.  Well Gracie has since she was a puppy had occasional seizures.  Yesterday she had a very bad and very long seizure, afterwards she was unresponsive and her breathing was irregular.  Maddie was very scared and was crying afraid that Gracie was dying.  Gail took off at lunch and ran home to check on them both.  Fortunately by that time Gracie was breathing better but she was obviously very wore out from the exertion of the seizure and it wasn't until late in the evening that she seemed to be back to normal.

I told Maddie that she needs to understand that Gracie is an old girl and that it's possible that at some point her old body won't be able to handle one of these seizures.  I know one of Maddie's greatest fears is losing her puppy and it breaks my heart to know that it could happen anytime.  One of the things about being a farm kid like I am is you are used to the death of animals and you understand that it's just part of having animals around.

Maddie with Gracie, Maddie must be about 13 in this photo.
WmRoy Karlen photo

Creath and Maddie with Gracie when Gracie is a new arrival.
Maddie would be 5 in this photo and Creath 8 years old.
WmRoy Karlen photo

Maddie and Gracie in Maddie's Room.
Not sure how old Maddie is in this photo, she must be around 7 or so.
WmRoy Karlen photo

On Friday last week Gail and I went to the Bank of the West Concert at Memorial Park.  This was another huge show with the news saying an estimated 75,000 took in the show.  I really do not doubt that estimate, however Gail and I were able to find seating within view of the stage.  That really surprised me as we didn't get there until just a few minutes before the opening act started.  We just kept moving forward and spotted a place between two groups where we could easily fit in our folding chairs.

The opening act was a young woman named Morgan Leigh and her band.  She did a great job and I enjoyed her show though I found some of her lyrics and antics to be a bit risque but, I do realize that I have become a bit of a prude.  This risque style is of course common amount country acts which is what her style was.  Gail did question why they had a country act open for Loverboy and Pat Benatar .  Loverboy came on next and Gail immediately let out a laugh.  Before the show she had asked if I thought Mike Reno would come out in leather pants, I said I hoped not.  Well neither of us realized that he has gotten rather large in his later years and the sight of him caused Gail to laugh.  I think it also crushed some of her perceptions from her youth.

Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo were the headliner and I have to say they put on a whale of a show!  Neil Giraldo is still an amazing guitar player and it was impressive to watch and listen to him play.  I have to say it's great to see a couple that have been together so long on stage and appearing to still enjoy each other as well as loving what they're doing.

I'll confess that listening to these old songs brings back a strange mixture of joy and sadness.  Music strikes such a strong emotional cord and has so many memories attached to it that it's impossible to not be transported back at some point.  We all have good memories and not so good memories, things we are thankful for and things that we regret.  Thankful we are surrounded by a grace filled God and those events that we hold in regret will not be held against us.  For God's all encompassing and enveloping Grace is there for us, just waiting for us to recognize it and to reach for it.  Praise God!

I'm anxious for my upcoming 35th High School Reunion on July 12 & 13.  It will be so good to go back home and see old friends and family.  I'm hoping some of my friends that have not been to past reunions will make it this time.  I've reached out to several and asked them to come but whether or not they actually will show remains a mystery.  I have been asked to give a prayer at the banquet on Saturday night so I really need to sit down soon and put together just what I'd like to try and get across to my old classmates.

With that, I need to run for today.  May this day find you all engulfed in the Love of Christ and the Grace of God the Father.

Many, many blessings to you all!

Roy

The Lutheran Church in the small South Dakota town of Gayville.