Forgiveness: The Forever Grace

“I distinctly remember forgetting that”—Clara Barton,
“The Angel of the Battlefield” during the Civil War

How do we respond to sins and offenses against us? I’m all for justice and protecting people from evil . . . inasmuch as possible. By far the most common crime reported to the police is related to stealing: theft, larceny, burglary, and robbery. These offenses are all related to material possessions with monetary value, and it’s possible to enforce the return or replacement of items, although not the sentimental value of the lost items, nor the sense of invasion that comes from being robbed.

I also believe crimes like murder, kidnapping, and rape should be punished according to governmental laws (Exodus 20:13; 21:16; Deuteronomy 22:25). However, even if the perpetrator is penalized, nothing can bring a dead man back to life, undo the emotional trauma suffered by a kidnapped child, or relieve the anguish of someone who’s been assaulted. Imprisonment can protect people from perpetrators going forward, but nothing can undo the damage.

And, what about the myriad offenses that aren’t civil law but are hurtful, like the moral laws God provided in the Ten Commandments, such as “Thou shalt not bear false witness”? There is no punishment we can really mete out for being snubbed because we’re women or despised because our skin is white or black or brown. God created us with distinct age, gender, and racial characteristics that are all good, just different. But, how can we fight against prejudice and unfair persecution?

I don’t think we can force others to “be nice,” nor do I think we should labor under the burden of trying to pay for the sins of our forefathers: “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16). However, there are three things we can do and are responsible for: not sinning against others, seeking forgiveness and restitution when we do sin, and forgiving those who have offended us.

For some, controlling their anger and ill will might be the hardest, but I’ll bet for most of you reading this blog, the hardest part is learning to forgive. For many years as a young person, I thought I could/should only forgive someone if they truly repented and asked my forgiveness . . . and then I begrudgingly felt obligated to forgive based on the many verses in the Bible that require those who claim God as their father to forgive: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

I wanted God to forgive my failures and sins, and so I knew I had to forgive others too, but I was a begrudging forgiver. “Once burned, twice shy.” I would be very wary of anyone who (to my way of viewing life) hurt me or was unfair with me. I failed to forget, although I knew that God was merciful and forgiving: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

Gradually, I started to change my attitude. I wanted to be free from bitterness and hostility and grudges. I could feel the withdrawal of the Holy Spirit when I nursed my wounds rather than embracing grace. Eventually, my desire to be close to my Father became more important to me than hanging on to my hurts, and I wanted to let go, but it was really hard! I can’t find the quote, but I believe it was Abraham Lincoln who said he never wanted to forget a kindness nor remember an offense. Me too.

Why? For one thing, forgiveness is the only way to actually recover. The greatest beneficiary of my forgiveness is myself. If I don’t forgive, the poison remains like a cancer eating away at my heart. When I forgive, the cancer is excised, and my heart can heal. But how?

“To err is human, to forgive divine”
(Alexander Pope, in his poem An Essay on Criticism)

What I’ve learned over the years is that true forgiveness accepts and absorbs the evil without requiring repayment, but we can’t do this in ourselves. We can only do this by faith, based on our truly grasping the reality that Jesus paid the penalty for all sins, not only ours but the sins of those who hurt us. If we try to do this in our own strength, we simply fail and become bitter. We have to turn to God, ask Him to forgive us for our unforgiving spirit, and ask Him to work a miracle in us. Not just for today, but for every day we remember the offense. That may take a year or the rest of our lives in some cases, but the better we are at forgiving and forgetting, the happier we’ll be. So, I’ve been practicing Clara Barton’s brilliant line, “I distinctly remember forgetting that.” Will you join me?

Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross. (Public Domain)

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Travels With Allie 72: The Ongoing Civil War

Associated Press: You say the ideas of the “The Civil War” documentary are “evergreen.” What do you mean?

Ken Burns: Everything that has come before us – our history – has delivered us to this moment. … As we struggle to understand the horrific church shootings in Charleston, the birthplace of succession, or in Ferguson, in Missouri, where the greatest loss of civilian life over the issue of slavery took place in the history of the United States, what can we learn from the past that will help us put into perspective what’s going now? And you find often, not always, that race is a particularly hot-button issue for people to talk about.*

If you’ve not seen Ken Burn’s documentary series on The Civil War, I do recommend it for high school age or older. It’s over 11 hours and has a 9.1 IMDb (which is about as high as I’ve ever seen).

Robert E. Lee, Commanding General of the Confederate Army

Not sure if this is still true, but when it aired, it was PBS’s most-watched program ever and won 40+ television and film honors.

Ulysses S. Grant, Commanding General of the U.S. Army
and 18th President of the United States

To authenticate his documentary, Burns used over 16,000 photographs and paintings plus excerpts from writings of both famous and obscure people from the Civil War Era as well as interviews with contemporary authors and historians.

Shelby Foote, historian and author of The Civil War: A Narrative
One of the featured historians interviewed for reflections on the Civil War

The Civil War documentary took five years to produce and was initially aired in 1990, but in 2015 it was updated and digitally remastered, so watch the new version if you can!

The war was fought for two reasons: to preserve the Union, and to correct the endemic sin of slavery which had been tolerated and promulgated in America since 1526— two hundred and fifty years before America declared its independence from England in 1776.

Henry Louis Stephens (c. 1863), Public Domain
Untitled watercolor of a man reading the Emancipation Proclamation

Slavery was the most contentious issue surrounding the drafting of the United States Constitution, and it wasn’t until January 1, 1863—during the middle of the Civil War—that The Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery within the United States.

Although the war was fought to end slavery, the dissension and inequities have never ended. I believe racial prejudice is the most explosive and challenging social issue in America today—and perhaps the most critical issue in our entire history. Sixty years ago, when John Steinbeck wrote Travels with Charley, racism was the issue that sickened Steinbeck’s heart and ended his pleasure in traveling. Will cruelty and hatred never end?

What can we do to stop the bleeding and heal the wounds from hundreds of years of oppression? Pray. Be kind. Do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Ask God to help us recognize and feel the reality of our joint heritage and humanity: We are all human beings created in God’s image. Regardless of race, we share 99.9% of the same DNA. Individually, we differ in sex, physical features, and giftedness, but I believe Thomas Jefferson had it right when he wrote in America’s Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Do we believe this? Are we willing to stand up for all fellow human beings so that together we may experience the freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? What will it take to end the enmity between people? To stop oppression and covetousness? Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:27).

(*First 2 paragraphs are quotes from the Durango Herald interview in 2015, but it’s just as “green” and relevant in 2022! https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/qa-ken-burns-says-us-civil-war-still-relevant/. All other photos are from Ken Burns’ documentary on The Civil War except the Public Domain painting by Henry Louis Stephens.)

Ham and Cheese Hash

Do you enjoy hash brown potatoes? We love them so much that I routinely bake extra potatoes so I have some ready to use for easy breakfast or dinner sides. Basic “hash” is just a potato cut into bite-sized chunks and fried until crispy in butter (with salt and pepper to taste), but if you start with a potato that’s already been baked, it cuts the frying time down from 20 minutes to about 5. Hash browns are delicious on their own, although I usually serve them with hot sauce and ketchup to give them a little extra zing.

It’s also easy to add whatever favorite meats, cheeses, and veggies to make a hearty meal-in-one. Here is just one idea to get you started, but if you like it, try adding whatever you have on hand. It’s almost like making a stirfry but with potatoes instead of rice as the base, and you don’t need sauce. Let it be a little on the dry and crispy side.

Ham and Cheese Hash
(Serves 2-4)

In a frying pan, combine:
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped (could also add peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.)
1 large baked potato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup chopped baked ham (could be any cooked meat)
2 oz (=1/4 cup) crumbled feta cheese (or any cheese, shredded or cubed)
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic flakes (or a fresh-pressed garlic clove)
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Fry until everything is piping hot, crispy, and nicely browning. (Ham and feta cheese are both highly salty, so I didn’t add more salt, but test for yourself and see if you want more.)

Ham and Cheese Hash with Fried Eggs and Bagel for breakfast

This recipe was more than enough for both Alan and me for dinner (with french green beans, peaches, and brownie sundaes for dessert), so I used the rest the following morning for breakfast. Because we’re in our 70s now, our appetites are a little lighter, and my guess is that younger people would polish it off for supper (or breakfast), even with added veggies. It really is an old standby at our house, though, so I thought you might enjoy trying it (if it’s not already an old standby at your house too!) 🙂

“And you shall rejoice in every good thing
which the Lord your God has given unto you” (Deuteronomy 26:11).

TWA 71: Fort Sumter National Monument: What Makes a Man into a Hero?

I know this post will expose my northern heritage and slanted understanding of the War Between the States, and for that I apologize. I don’t know how to be neutral.

I’m so steeped in a culture that believes freedom is a human’s inalienable right that I can’t wrap my mind around anybody enslaving another person, and I side with Abraham Lincoln who preached, “Stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.” Seems biblical to me, and Abraham Lincoln is definitely one of my heroes.

And so, it was with mixed feelings that Alan and I boarded the ferry boat to visit Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired back on April 12, 1861 . . . over 150 years ago, but it seems like yesterday, right?

Poster at Fort Sumter

Still painful. Still shameful. Still unresolved and unsolved in the hearts of many who allow it to fuel hatred and bitterness rather than forgiveness and reconciliation.

What happened?

Map of Charleston Harbor fortifications:
Ft. Sumter is on an island right in the middle. (Wikipedia)

Fort Sumter was designed to protect America’s richest city, Charleston, South Carolina, from foreign invasions after Washington D.C. was burned by the British during the War of 1812.

Seventy thousand tons of granite were imported from New England to serve as a foundation of the fort, which was intended to be 50 feet high and have walls five feet thick. It would have been one of the world’s strongest forts. It was armed and administered by the American government.

View of Ft. Sumter approaching on the ferry boat

However, it was never completed. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the federal Union (December 20, 1860), and after Lincoln won the election, South Carolina demanded possession of Fort Sumter, as necessary for the safety of Charleston (and to receive war supplies from foreign powers).

Their demands were refused, and at 4:30 am on April 12, 1861, the first shots were fired by the Confederates on the Union army defending Fort Sumter.

Edmund Ruffin, Wikipedia

Although it turned out to be untrue, a man named Edmund Ruffin said he fired the first shot and was celebrated as a hero. Roger Pryor, who was offered the honor, had the good sense to decline: “I could not fire the first gun of the war.”

Newspaper from April 19,1861. Wikipedia

Newspapers reported the folks in Charleston were lining up on the streets watching the bombardment and some were toasting the beginning of the war. How is that even possible?

Our banner in the sky by Frederic Edwin Church. Public Domain

The War Between the States was the bloodiest in America’s history (recently calculated to be around 750,000 fatalities), more than twice the number of American soldiers killed during World War 2.

“The Flag of Sumter” by Conrad Wise Chapman. Public Domain

The Confederates bravely defended Fort Sumter until the end of the war, despite days of shelling that left the fort in ruins.

Interior of Fort Sumter in 1864, taken by a Confederate photographer. Public Domain

After the Confederate troops were evacuated and General Robert E. Lee surrendered, Fort Sumter was taken over by Union troops.

Ft. Sumter was never rebuilt for active military duty, but today it stands as a solemn reminder of the deadly destruction that war brings to all who are involved. President Lincoln was assassinated just five days after the war ended, and Edmund Ruffin committed suicide. Today, Abraham Lincoln is hailed by many as America’s greatest president and hero, but I don’t know anyone personally who thinks of Edmund Ruffin as a hero (or who even knows who he was).

What makes a man into a hero? If I can borrow words from Merriam-Webster, a hero is a warrior who shows great courage and is admired for noble qualities and achievements. The world is desperately in need of true heroes, not ruthless despots.

Don’t you wish all war would end? Don’t you wish Putin would desist from trying to take over Ukraine? I wish all countries would stop invading other countries and learn to live in peace, but I think it’s not going to happen until Jesus returns.

Meanwhile, what we can do as individual citizens to help bring peace to our world?

It’s up to us to be at peace with one another in our families and communities. It’s our responsibility to pray for peace. And work for peace. To be voices crying in the wilderness, like John the Baptist, who said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23).

America, we need to repent and turn back to the God of our Fathers before our nation self-destructs. May His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

(All photos from my trip last April, 2021 unless otherwise credited.)

Acasa, My Home: What Do People Need in a Home?

We watched a video two nights ago called Asaca, My Home . . . a 2020 documentary following the story of a large family in Romania. It caught my attention because it was highly rated and I have several friends who spent years ministering among Romania’s nearly twenty million Romani people (sometimes referred to as “gypsies” because they’re nomadic, although I doubt that’s PC today).

The video by-line read, “In the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, nine children and their parents lived in perfect harmony with nature for 20 years until they are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city.” I was concerned and curious.

Distant memories emerged of tales my spiritual mothers told about growing up on a little island off the coast of Michigan. Their mother died giving birth to twins (over a hundred years ago). The children didn’t want to be separated, so the father gave away the twins to two childless families but kept the five oldest (all under ten; two were toddlers).

Father Kaskala would leave a pot of oatmeal on the stove each morning before heading off to work, and the oldest son had the responsibility for getting the children to school. I was assured by my “moms” that they were happier together than they would have been separated despite the difficult circumstances, and they treasured their childhood of roaming free, swimming, and playing together.

I felt pangs that in Romania the government would interfere with a family’s freedoms. However, the two situations had only their freedom in common.

The Romanian children were living in squalor with pigs and other animals roaming in and out of their tree-branch and blankets hovel. The delta where they lived routinely flooded and was in the process of being turned into the largest nature preserve in the EU.

The father did not hold a job and did drink. Had it not been for the fishing ingenuity of the oldest son, I can’t imagine how they would have survived. Instead of making it possible for the children to attend school, the parents in Acasa didn’t teach their children to read, write, or even count. Instead, the father burned what books the children had in the fire for warmth in winter. That’s not my idea of “perfect harmony” at all!

In the documentary, Romanian Social Services got involved and relocated the family to a comfortable, clean apartment in Bucharest, provided clothing and money for the family to get established, and enrolled the children in school. The kids tried hard, but the parents didn’t know how to care for anything, so the apartment was soon trashed and nobody was very happy. Neither parent got a job. It seemed so sad and almost futile.

In contrast, I remember helping build a house for a Christian family in Aqua Prieta, Mexico. They were also poverty-stricken, but they kept their tiny home clean and neat. We built the home where thousands of others were squatting: on a garbage dump. No matter where you dug, you’d hit trash and plastic bags. Still, they kept their dirt floor swept and somehow managed to provide clean clothes for their children when they went off to the mission school each morning. They were happy, and it gave me great joy to be able to help them! The children only had a rubber band and an empty plastic bottle for toys, but they were content. It wasn’t money that made the difference.

What was the difference? What is it that a family needs to have a functional home? To me, it’s having motivated and invested parents who love their children and are capable. We can give people monetary help (and that’s good), but if the people aren’t motivated to change and improve, the gifts won’t help them over time.

Hillsong United at Van Andel Arena

Last week Alan and I joined with 6,000 others in a beautiful night of worshiping God together: Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, and Pat Barrett. We enjoyed four hours of singing our hearts out together in praise of our Father, God, who loves us, and his Son Jesus, who died for all of us so that by faith we can receive forgiveness for our sins and eternal life in Christ.

This transformation comes “from the inside out” and is described as being “born again” whereby we become new creations with new desires. We become children of God and followers of Jesus. People who believe in Christ and receive him as their Lord and Savior are changed forever. They become motivated to be like Christ . . . to love him and to love others. This is true freedom and produces good homes, lasting fruit, and happiness for all.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
(John 3:16-17, ESV)

Juneteenth—A New Federal Holiday with a 157-year History

I am often culturally unaware so wasn’t surprised but very grieved with myself to realize I didn’t know what our newest Federal holiday (first in almost 40 years), “Juneteenth,” is all about! All I knew was that our son Michael had a long weekend off so was bringing his family home to celebrate with us!

June 19th. That’s been special in our family as the birth date of one of our sons. This year, Fathers’ Day also fell on June 19, and we had 3 fathers for Sunday dinner to celebrate Fathers’ Day. For us personally, we also had two additional birthdays to celebrate, since our “twins” (Alan and our daughter-in-law Brianna, albeit born a generation apart!) share a birthday earlier in June which had to be postponed due to illness. So, we made big plans to celebrate three birthdays and three men who are fathers. What a wonderful day for rejoicing over these special blessings in our families!

But, “Juneteenth Day” . . . what is that? It’s also known as Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, or Emancipation Day. It celebrates June 19, 1865, which was the day all enslaved people in Texas were proclaimed free. This was almost two and a half years after the January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the United States, but Texas was the most remote state in the Confederacy and the last to emancipate their slaves. Actually, two border states (Delaware and Kentucky), didn’t release their captives until December 6, 1865, when the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution proclaimed freedom for all citizens of the United States. The very last group to emancipate their enslaved people were the Choctaw (Indian nation that had sided with the Confederacy) in 1866.

And, it was in 1866 that the first celebrations of Emancipation Day started among Christian communities in Texas. From there, it slowly spread throughout the country, particularly among African-Americans. Finally, FINALLY, Joe Biden signed it into law as a federal holiday last June 19, 2021.

How to celebrate? I suppose the most common ways include family reunions, cookouts, and community festivities like picnics at parks . . . sort of like we humans tend to celebrate all warm-weather holidays, and exactly the way I had anticipated celebrating ours this past Sunday. However, since I did some research to understand the meaning behind Juneteenth, I discovered that other traditions included public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing spirituals like Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which has become somewhat of a Black National Anthem. Also, some communities celebrate with greater festivities than could be done at home, like rodeos and parades.

So, next year I hope we can celebrate in a new way! Not only fatherhood. Not only birthdays. But the day when all men and women, boys and girls who already had been created equal were officially proclaimed equal and free in America. I’m so sorry it’s taken 157 years to catch on, but I intend to keep celebrating on my blog for a couple of weeks with more history and thoughts on racial issues in our country, because I love America—all our people—and long for racial reconciliation and peace.

Lift Every Voice and Sing

By James Weldon Johnson (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46549/lift-every-voice-and-sing)

“A group of young men in Jacksonville, Florida, arranged to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday in 1900. My brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, and I decided to write a song to be sung at the exercises. I wrote the words and he wrote the music. Our New York publisher, Edward B. Marks, made mimeographed copies for us, and the song was taught to and sung by a chorus of five hundred colored school children.

“Shortly afterward my brother and I moved away from Jacksonville to New York, and the song passed out of our minds. But the school children of Jacksonville kept singing it; they went off to other schools and sang it; they became teachers and taught it to other children. Within twenty years it was being sung over the South and in some other parts of the country. Today the song, popularly known as the Negro National Hymn, is quite generally used.

“The lines of this song repay me in an elation, almost of exquisite anguish, whenever I hear them sung by Negro children.”

Lift Every Voice and Sing
(-James Weldon Johnson)

Lift every voice and sing   
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.   
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;   
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,   
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,   
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might   
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,   
May we forever stand.   
True to our God,
True to our native land.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free . . .
If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
(John 8:32,36)

Premium Orange Julius

When baby boomers were kids, the drink called “Orange Julius” was so popular entire restaurants sprang up on college campuses dedicated to producing these delicious concoctions. A bit like the Starbucks of yesteryear. They were too pricey for my pocketbook, so I didn’t indulge more than once or twice and had pretty much forgotten about them until a good friend served them at a dinner party. I decided that this summer they’d be on my menu too. Our youngest and his wife approved, so my theory is that Orange Julius is a classic summer cooler. Try it and see if your family likes it too!

Orange Julius
(Makes 4)

In a blender, combine:
12 oz. can of frozen orange juice concentrate
12 ice cubes (standard size, or a few more if they’re smaller)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend until uniformly creamy and a little frothy; pour out and serve immediately. (Could garnish with a slice of orange, although I got in a hurry and forgot!)

There are a multitude of variations that can be played on this theme. You can use fresh, peeled oranges rather than concentrate or sub out part of the orange with fresh strawberries. Some people add banana or pineapple, substitute 2 cups milk (even lowfat if you need/want fewer calories) for the 1 cup milk and 1 cup ice cream. Some use pasteurized egg whites to make it more frothy, but if you whip it a lot and serve it immediately, it will be plenty frothy. If you’re vegan, substitute almond or oat milk for cow’s milk and use vegan ice cream or full-fat coconut cream to replace traditional vanilla ice cream.

By the way, you can also pour this drink into popsicle molds and freeze them to make terrific orange creamsicles!

“May this food restore our strength, giving new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to you, who gives us all” (Author Unknown). I thought this might be an appropriate blessing given orange julius drinks are really refreshing after a hard day of working outside!!

 “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God,
and may with you be refreshed” (Romans 15:32).

Show Me the Father

Feeling pain about your experience with your dad? Looking for a good bonding movie for Fathers Day? Sometimes I just can’t resist telling you all about how wonderful a particular movie is, but this time there are a couple of surprises so amazing and miraculous that I don’t want to spoil anything by accidentally saying too much. So, all I’ll say is that this 2021 documentary lives up to its byline: It’s a film that “features captivating stories interwoven with inspirational truths about the fatherhood of God.” Alan and I both loved it and unreservedly recommend it! Whether you’re looking for inspiration to be a better dad (or mom!) or longing for a deeper relationship with your own father, you’ll be moved by these true stories about adoption and finding your true Father!

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:4-6).

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

A Father’s Legacy

What’s your father like, or are you one of the millions of people around the world who have never even met their father?

According to the United States Census Bureau, between 1968 and 2020, the number of children living with two parents in the home has dropped from 85% to 70%, while the number of children living with their mother only or no parent at all, has doubled.

There seems to be a national shortage of invested fathers and father figures, and it’s reflected in an increasing number of movies exploring father/son issues. With Fathers’ Day coming up this weekend, I want to recommend a couple of recent movies that deal with the importance of experiencing a father-son relationship. I remember once during a very difficult period of my life about 15 years ago, a wise man said to me, “Kathi, keep trying to be the best mother you can be, but you have to understand that only a man can teach a boy how to become a man.”

That’s a father’s legacy, and this movie—although not overtly Christian— gives a touching look inside the heart of young men and their need for mentoring and direction in life.

Tobin Bell in the role of Billy Ford

A Father’s Legacy is a 2020 movie, 1:30 minutes in length, earned a 6.8 on IMDb, and is not rated, but I’d give it a PG-13 for language and themes. It’s a fictional story about a crusty old man who’s been living on his own for many years and likes it that way.

Jason Mac playing the role of Nick Wolfe

His solitude is disrupted when a young man in need forcibly seeks shelter in the old man’s cabin.

There is suspense, danger, guns, bad decisions and some bad guys, but over time we learn that the young man is about to become a father, although he feels completely unprepared because he never met his father and had no mentoring. He needs someone to stand up to him and confront him about right and wrong.

But, most of all, the young man needs a father. He needs someone who will take time with him and teach him things. To talk about life and be there for him. To believe in him. To model for him how to be strong . . . someone who won’t run away from troubles but will face them with integrity and courage.

Did you have that kind of a father? Are you that kind of a father? Are you a young man in need of a father or hoping to become a father someday?

Whether your answers are “yes” or “no,” this movie will remind you of some of the foundational character traits needed to be a good, responsible man. At least, it reminded me of what a good, responsible woman should be like! 🙂 It’s worth a watch.

“That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Perfectly Chocolatey & Coffey Cake (with Peanut Butter Cups and Chocolate Ganache on Top)

I can’t believe our “General Principles” Gang from Soo High are all turning 72 this year!

Alan, myself, Larry, Kari (Larry’s wife), and Brenda;
4 of us were classmates since junior high!

Brenda and her husband, Tom (who took the previous picture for us)

Celebrating 60 years of God’s goodness in allowing us to be friends!

I wanted to make something memorably delicious for Brenda’s birthday, and it passed muster with the troops, so if you’d like to make something just a little different for a special occasion (like Father’s Day—although this gives you an extra week to think about it and get the ingredients if you like the idea 🙂 ), here’s one sure to please any chocolate lovers out there.

Perfectly Chocolatey and Coffey Cake with Peanut Butter Cups and Ganache
(Serves 12)

It all started when our son Stephen fell for a Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake that Brisha-Poata Te’o served while he was visiting his sibs (Mike and Grace) in Hawaii. Brisha used coffee instead of water to give it a little extra hint of flavor, and then Mike and Grace used reduced coconut milk in the frosting. Over time, Stephen has experimented with various frostings. All this to say, the cake has evolved and become a wonderful concoction of flavors. I added the toppings to make it extra, extra special, but it’s also great without anything but frosting on top too!

First, the cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F

Grease 2 nine-inch round cake pans

Add all these together and whip with a mixer on high speed for 3-4 minutes:

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup boiling water (or coffee per Brisha)

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

Bake 20-25± minutes (until a toothpick comes out pretty clean)

Cool

For the icing, you have a couple of choices:

Make chocolate frosting with reduced coconut milk instead of milk (Mike+Grace style)

Make buttercream icing (chocolate OR no chocolate), but instead of milk, use espresso. Also, be sure to use a little salt and vanilla!

For this particular occasion, I used white buttercream frosting crowned with 8 oz of crushed peanut butter cups on top, and then I drizzled ganache over everything.

Ganache

Heat:
1 cup light cream (heated to just before it simmers), then add:
24 oz dark chocolate chips. Whisk it all together until it’s smooth and glossy. Cool. Drizzle some over the top of the cake, but use the rest to pour over the cake and ice cream just before serving it.

It’s a pretty rich dessert (she said as an understatement), so save lots of room! We were very circumspect about how much dinner we ate so we had room for the highlight! And, of course, we needed ice cream on top before pouring over the ganache, and then some swirls of whipping cream to make it truly unforgettable! If you make it for your father, I think he’ll be pretty delighted! 🙂

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long
in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12, ESV).