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Today is my first Father’s Day without my father.

Dad passed away unexpectedly one month ago tomorrow, leaving an empty space at the head of our family table and an aching hole in each of our hearts.

Normally I’d be on the phone with him right now, wishing him a happy Father’s Day, telling him how proud I am to be his son, what a wonderful father he is, and how much I love him, but that phone call will never again be made. Never again, in this life, will I be able to share with him my accomplishments, seek his counsel, or hear his laugh. Never again will we be able to take a walk, play a game, or share a joke.

Yet, in spite of the grief, I feel peace. I know Dad loved God, he was ready, and I will see him again. Of this I have no doubt. When Jesus comes again, He will raise up Dad and Eddie and my grandparents and we will have a wonderful reunion. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” – and with each other. (1 Thess 4:17)

I also feel joy and thankfulness, because, in looking back, I realize Dad and I rarely had a cross word between us and we shared so many wonderful experiences. Hiking in the Adirondacks, canoeing in Maine, working with wood, playing the sax, ping-pong, and our love for God. I’m just so proud to have been his son and so thankful for the amazing father he was.

Most of all, I feel loved, because, although my earthly father is gone, I know I am not alone. I am not fatherless. I still have a Father, a heavenly Father, who loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), who will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), and who “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Ps. 147:3).

God is “father of the fatherless” (Ps. 68:5) and “tender and compassionate to those who fear him” (Ps. 103:13). He loves us so much “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

This Father’s Day, although I miss Dad terribly, two things ease the pain – I know I will see Dad again someday soon and I still have a Father who loves me with all His heart and always will.

This Father’s Day, if you have an earthly father to love, give him an extra hug. If you don’t then know this – you are not alone. You too have a heavenly Father who loves you and who is coming soon to take you home. Today may you feel His peace which passes all understanding surrounding you and may you find comfort every day in His loving arms.

Happy Father’s Day!

Driving home from Seattle Thursday afternoon, I realized I hadn’t bought Ana anything on my trip, like I usually do. Of course, it hadn’t exactly been a pleasure excursion and shopping had been low on the agenda, but I still wanted her to know how much I’d missed her and how much I love her.

As I approached Cashmere I remembered Christina Ford, the daughter of our friends Steve and Angela Ford, is selling fresh flower bouquets to raise money for college. I gave the Fords a quick call and they said to come on over.

When I arrived, Angela was just bringing the flowers up from the garden. I got to watch as she skillfully put them together, putting accents here and there to add to the beauty of the poppy flower arrangement.

I was surprised, however, when she took out some matches and began burning the ends of the flower stems. Angela said this helped the flowers absorb and retain water better. The scarring from the fire made it possible for the flower to stay beautiful longer.

Thinking about this later, I realized life is often like this. It’s never fun going through the fires of suffering, disappointment, and loss, but these trials can, if we let them, help make us better people, better able absorb God’s love into our hearts and share it’s beauty with the world around us.

So, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

This coming week I hope, no matter what comes your way, you will let God turn it into something good. As you face trials, when you feel the heat rise, don’t despair. Instead let the testing of your faith produce perseverance. Let the pain make your stronger. “Let perseverance finish its work”, and, every day, choose to bloom a little more brightly for Him.

Love is a funny thing.

Love fills our days with joy, our nights with passion, and our future with hope. It lifts us to heights we never dreamed of scaling and gives us courage to take risks we could never take alone. Yet, love also causes us so much pain, especially when the one we love is gone.

In the last two weeks our family has been dealing with this less pleasant aspect of love, the pain of loss. Dad’s death has left a huge hole in each of our hearts, but the pain is especially acute for Mom, as today is their 61st anniversary. They had a love like few experience on this earth, a love that lasts forever.

1 Corinthians 13:8 promises that “Love never fails.” It is that forever aspect of love that is helping Mom and the rest of us get through this. We know even death cannot extinguish the fire of true love, because it continues to burn in our hearts and minds, in the memories of shared moments and the promise of a better tomorrow in heaven someday.

So, although our hearts are breaking, we face the future with faith Jesus is coming soon, unwavering hope in the Resurrection, and the knowledge that, though “weeping may last through the night, joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).

A beautiful new morning is about to break, a day when God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning our crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Until then we will cherish the memories, hold fast to our faith, and remember always, that, no matter what comes our way, nothing, not even death, can ever “…separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

God bless and have a Happy Sabbath!

This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions; sorrow and joy; laughter and anger, acceptance and denial; despair and hope. One moment I’m remembering the fun times we had with Dad, then the realization hits those days are over.

At other times I see his face in my mind, but then I can’t remember his words, his little sayings and his corny jokes. While there is joy in the certainty I will see Dad again when Jesus comes, there is also excruciating pain knowing I’ll have to wait until then.

The hardest part is watching Mom go through this. My heart breaks for her as she tries to find her way into a new phase of her life, making tough decisions, and facing the uncertainty of what come next.

Of course, we’re all trying to make it as easy as possible for Mom, but none of us can replace Dad. Still, I’m amazed at her strength, her faith in God, and her ability to find peace in His promises. I think, in some ways, she’s stronger than all the rest of us.

Yet, no matter how strong Mom is, there are still moments the tears flow. But she knows those tears do not fall unnoticed. Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have [our] grieves recorded each one in your book.”

Mom knows we serve a God who feels our pain. He sees our tears. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) He “comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 49:13)

Someday soon God “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4).

Until then, in the midst of our pain we take comfort in knowing we do not grieve alone. God sees each tear. He collects each one in a bottle, held close to His heart.

God bless and Happy Sabbath!

This is a post I knew I would someday have to write, but hoped I never would.

Two days ago our father, Jay Edison, passed away unexpectedly at home. He apparently fell asleep sitting on the couch and just never woke up. Thankfully it appears he didn’t suffer, for which we are very grateful.

Dad was an amazing man and an incredible father. He dedicated his life to helping others, both as a physician and later as Health Director for ADRA, traveling to 48 countries helping to organize child survival programs and other much needed humanitarian and health interventions in the developing world.

Although he loved helping others, Dad’s passion was his family, willing sacrificing his own comfort to give us a good life, yet always being ready to play catch or ping pong, give a hug or some much needed advice. But his greatest desire was that we would know Jesus and be ready when He comes. Daily Dad led us in morning worship and in everything he did he pointed us to Jesus, both by his words and, more importantly, by how he lived his life.

The next few days are going to be rough for our family and we need your prayers. However, though our hearts our breaking, we “will not grieve like people who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4;13 NLT). For us this is not “good-bye”, but “see you soon”!

Dad knew Jesus as His dearest Friend and his Savior. He was ready for this day. We will see him again! Right now Dad is resting, just taking a little nap, but someday very soon Jesus will come back to wake him up.

On that bright morning “the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.” Then Dad and all “the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

So, yes mourn with us today, but also rejoice! Jesus is coming soon! The night is almost over! A new day is about to dawn! Soon God “will wipe every tear from [our[ eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:4)

We will see Dad again! I can hardly wait!

I had an argument with gravity this week and gravity won!

I’d found a dead snake on our lawn and, not wanting to hit it with the mower, I threw it in the field across the road. Well, it ended up wrapped around the barbed wire fence, looking pretty nasty hanging there. Not wanting to gross out the neighbors, I climbed up to take it down.

On my way back down the steep bank I tripped and fell, landing hard on my left side in the middle of the road. Dragging myself to the shoulder I assessed the damage. I’d torn the callus off the end of one of my fingers, banged up my knee and bruised my ribs.

Since then, everytime I breath, cough, laugh, sneeze, move (etc., etc.) my ribs give me a friendly reminder of my stupidity. The pain also reminds me I have a lot to be thankful for. If a car had come around the corner while I was laying in the middle of the road I would have been a PA pancake!

All of us fall at one time or another. Sometimes it’s a physical fall like mine, which leaves us bruised and bleeding. More often it’s a fall from grace, poor choices which leave us with scars on our hearts and our souls, overwhelming us with guilt and remorse.

Thankfully we do not have to remain in that condition. God tells us “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10). No matter what we’ve done or how far we’ve fallen, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

If this last week has left you bruised and bleeding, if every breath is a painful reminder of how far you’ve fallen, do not despair, do not give up. Instead, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” This morning, take Jesus’ hand and let Him direct your steps. Then, “when you walk your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.” (Proverbs 4:12).

God bless and have a wonderful (and safe) Sabbath!

This last week I came across the story of Zuly Sanguino, a 25 year-old young woman from Columbia, born with Tetra Amelia Syndrome, a rare genetic condition which left her with only partially developed arms, no hands, and no legs. You can see a video of her story here.

In spite of her difficulties, and with the help of God and a loving mother, Zuly has more than just survived – she has thrived! Using her mouth to hold her brush she has become an accomplished painter. She is also an inspirational speaker, motivating thousands to reach beyond their limits and live life to the fullest. The words “I can’t” don’t seem to be in Zuly’s vocabulary.

Unfortunately, for too many of us, “I can’t” has become almost a mantra:
– I can’t loosed weight
– I can’t stop smoking
– I can’t go back to school
– I can’t exercise
– I can’t, I can’t, I can’t…

This is not what God wants for us. He created us with huge potential. Christian author Ellen White, in her book Our High Calling, wrote, “When the human will cooperates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent…” (p. 298). “Omnipotent” – that means “unlimited…able to do anything.”

This is what God is calling us to, a life where “I can’t” is no longer in our vocabulary, a life lived to the fullest, within the context of a loving relationship with our Creator.

As the band Kutless puts it, in their song What Faith Can Do, “Impossible is not a word. It’s just a reason for someone not to try.” “Impossible” is just an excuse and excuses just hold us back from living the life God wants for us.

Today let’s stop making excuses. Let’s banish “I can’t” and “impossible” from our vocabulary and join forces with the God who “can”. Jesus said, “…apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), but “with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37).

Zuly Sanguino’s example proves “impossible is just a word”. Don’t let it limit you any longer. Banish “I can’t” from your vocabulary and step into the life God wants for you – a life limited only by His limitless imagination!

Happy Sabbath!

BTW – You can learn more about living a life where “impossible is not a word” by listening to my sermon at CashmereSDA. God bless and have a great day!

I love spring in our valley!

Gone are the cold dark days of winter, the frozen ground, and chilly mornings. Instead, gentle breezes and warmer temperatures draw us into the outdoors, where bird songs welcome the new day. Lush grass covers our fields and the bright yellow blossoms of arrowleaf balsamroot carpet the hills. Everywhere new life springs up from the drab refuse of winter’s passing.

Nature itself seems to be transforming before our very eyes, as flowers spring up from the dark earth and new leaves unfold on every tree. This is a season of rebirth, new beginnings, a new start. It is a time of new life, renewal, hope. “…old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

This morning your Heavenly Father longs to bring a similar transformation to your life. For far too long you have endured the winter of your soul, weighed down by the dead refuse of old sins, poor decisions, and past mistakes. It is time for a new beginning, a new start.

With His blood Jesus paid the price for your sin and with His resurrection comes the promise of new life, a life which will never end, for all who believe. This morning He calls you to a new beginning, a new start. He says to you:

“Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.”

Song of Solomon 2:10-12

Why cling any longer broken promises of the past, the overwhelming guilt of your past mistakes? New life is yours for the taking today.

The “winter is past…The time of singing has come…” Don’t wait a moment longer. Accept Jesus’ invitation right now, take His hand, and step together into a brighter tomorrow – a springtime that will never end!

God bless and Happy Sabbath!

It’s Easter Weekend, the holiest holiday of the year. Yesterday we remembered Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, willing laying down His life for us, purchasing with His blood our salvation. Tomorrow we will celebrate His resurrection and the promise it offers that, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25).

Obviously Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday give us ample reason to celebrate, but what about today? What does this Sabbath, this “day in-between”, tell us about God and His love for us?

There are many lessons to be learned from this “day in-between”, but one which stands out to me this morning is this – God never changes.

At the beginning of time, “…on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it…” (Genesis 2:2, 3)

Thousands of years later, with the triumphant cry, “It is finished!”, Jesus declared victory over the enemy. His work of redemption complete, the way cleared for the re-creation of the earth and its inhabitants, God again rested on the seventh day “from all his work which he had made.”

By resting in the tomb over the Sabbath hours, Jesus forever sanctified the seventh day Sabbath as a memorial of both creation and redemption, “because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis 2:3)

Man may “think to change times and laws…” (Daniel 7:25), to change the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first, but God declares, “I change not…” (Malachi 3:6). “He is the Rock, his work is perfect…” (Deuteronomy 32:4) and “whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it…” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

The Sabbath was, is, and will always be a memorial of God’s creative and re-creative power
and throughout eternity, “from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:23).

This unchanging character of God gives us reassurance we can just trust Him in all things, that His word is true and His promises are sure. This gives us hope for tomorrow and peace for today.

This Easter Sabbath, this “day in-between”, put aside your troubles and your cares and rest in the arms of the One who gave His life for you. Trust in the God who changeth not and know that, no matter what comes your way, His promises are true and He will be “with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20).

God bless and Happy Sabbath!

Tuesday I spent part of the day with wires hooked up to my chest, sweating on a treadmill. I was getting the stress echo done which had been aborted 2 weeks ago when they found a small pericardial effusion.

Thankfully, things went well this time. My exercise tolerance was better than expected and there were no significant arrhythmias. Most importantly, the echo came back normal. Even the pericardial effusion was no longer visible. I am cleared to exercise without restrictions.

What I do with this good news is up to me. I can choose to continue my sedentary ways of the last few months, potentially setting myself up for future health problems down the road, or I can get off my butt and hit the road, paving the way for a healthier tomorrow. The choice is up to me.

Life is all about choices. To stay or to go. To follow the crowd or take a stand. To meekly submit or resist with every fiber of our being. To stay in bed or go to church. To drink or not to drink. The list goes on and on.

Some choices are seemingly small, like choosing between chocolate cake or an apple for dessert. However, even these small choices can have long term consequences, setting up patterns of behavior resulting in long-term success or failure.

And our choices do not just affect us. None of us live in a vacuum. The choices we make, even the small ones, can affect others for years to come in profound ways we may never fully realize. Remember Eve in the Garden? Even thousands of years later we’re still dealing with the consequences of that choice.

You may say, “Well, it’s my life isn’t it? I should be able to choose whatever I want!” True, but do so with the knowledge even your small choices can have big consequences for those around you.

This Sabbath morning, as you face another day of choices, remember the promise of James 1:5 that, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Claim this promise for yourself and then go boldly forward into your day, trusting whatever choices you may face, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it…’ ” (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)

God bless, have a great day, and, whatever else you do, make sure to make the most important choice of all – Choose God!