'Little Granny' goes homeIt was an eventful year, 1912. The Titanic sank, New Mexico and Arizona joined the Union, Juliette G. Low founded the Girl Scouts of America, Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States. And in Wartrace, Tennessee, Kate and Frank Taylor welcomed their firstborn -- a daughter they named Celia Baldwin Taylor. She grew up to marry Jamie Locke of Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, to whom she gave a daughter, Sara Faye, now my wife....
death be not proud(This gracEmail summarizes remarks I gave on March 26, 2002 at Mason [Ohio] Christian Village Chapel at the memorial service for my stepfather, Joseph Dewhirst of Morrow, Ohio. These thoughts come from the story in John 11 of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead.)
Bill Love -- Asleep in JesusBill Love, known to many gracEmail subscribers around the world, died peacefully in his bed on Friday, April 30, 2004, following about two weeks of hospitalization and hospice care at home. Bill was preaching minister at the Bering Drive Church of Christ in Houston, Texas from 1974-1996 where he was my family's preacher and dear friend from 1982 onward.
Homer Hailey (1903-2000) Sometime during the early morning hours of Thursday, November 9, Homer Hailey fell asleep in Jesus, peacefully in his bed at home in Tucson, Arizona. Although 97 years old, he continued to study and to write until the very end. Hailey is known worldwide for his commentaries on the Minor Prophets, the Gospel of John and other biblical books, and he lives on in the hearts of tens of thousands who studied Bible at his feet from 1934-1973 at Abilene Christian University and Florida (Christian) College.
Robert Shank (1918-2006)I have just learned of the passing of Robert Shank, 88, who died peacefully at his home in Mount Vernon, Missouri on October 16, 2006, ten days after suffering a debilitating stroke. His death concluded an earthly pilgrimage of humble conviction and quiet scholarship, bringing to an end more than 60 years of faithful ministry as a Christian pastor, preacher, author, lecturer and teacher.
when the unthinkable happensIt could have been anyone, but it happened to be Len's* wife. In her mid-thirties, this attractive mother of three looked forward to completing a master's degree in a few more months, fulfilling a dream of many years. She left her morning classes and drove toward her home in suburban Dallas. Her light was green as she approached the intersection and she had no reason to think there was any problem.
death of a childTwo different gracEmail subscribers wrote this week about the deaths of young soldiers. The first asked: "How do you comfort a mom who lost her young Marine son in Iraq? Her eyes are now hollow and empty. She is just trying to get through the days." The second writer inquired: "My 19-year-old nephew was recently killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. We need to know why we should pray for the safety of our families if God isn't going to answer our prayers.
Mr. Bill is goneLike most of us in Houston, he came from somewhere else. In his case, home was New York. Now retired, he worked part-time as a sacker at our neighborhood Randall's supermarket, an age-indifferent job which places high school students side by side with white-haired retirees. Dependent largely on tips, they share an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and usually good cheer.
one of God's 'little ones'He was one of God's "little ones," I would think. Self-conscious and timid to a fault, James could hardly bring himself to talk face to face. When he did, it was with utmost deference. But what a worker -- and in some of the most tedious, demanding, and low-paying jobs in the law firm. First as file clerk for litigation, responsible for accurately organizing and filing a daily flood of paper. Then as detail man for case closings, ear glued to telephone much of the day, verifying medical bills, case costs and other necessary minutiae. Rarely absent, never tardy, scarcely taking a break, he worked faithfully and diligently day after day after day. I complimented his work whenever the opportunity arose -- almost selfishly, because it made me feel so good to see the joy in his face when he was noticed and commended.
Suicidea gracEmail reader in Florida writes, "I've heard it said that a genuine Christian would never commit suicide and that it is a sin which God does not forgive. Any thoughts?"
what about cremationA gracEmail reader in Atlanta asks whether cremation is inconsistent with any biblical or Christian principle.
passing remarksI normally don't read all of the daily newspaper but the obituaries fascinate me. The word "obituary" is the English-language version of the Latin word obituarius and means simply a report of death (obitus). This final earthly report provides grieving loved ones an opportunity to commemorate the deceased person and to state something they consider significant about his or her life. Obituaries also reveal how we look at death, from many fascinating angles. People might describe the loved one's transition from this life differently in various parts of the country or world, but these are some of the ways they have related it this weekend in Houston, Texas where I live.
life summationThose born since about 1960 will likely think it strange, but I frequently find myself browsing through the obituaries these days while reading the morning newspaper. That can take a while in my town, where the Houston Chronicle sometimes devotes three or four pages to this section .... I have also come to appreciate the obituary as a literary form and am intrigued by what the various authors consider noteworthy or at least memorable about the subjects of their respective final remarks.