“Faith, Family, Football”—Thanks, Jim!

Pretty much everybody who’s grown up in Michigan knows the name “Jim Harbaugh, ” especially those of us who were living in Ann Arbor between 1982-86 when Jim was the University of Michigan’s star quarterback.

Bo Schembechler, head coach of the Michigan Wolverines from 1969-1989

As a graduate of the University of Michigan and a medical school resident there at the time, Alan was a true fan. I didn’t know too much about football, but I joined everybody in being wild with excitement the day Jim led the Wolverines in a 34-17 victory over the University of Wisconsin. That was the day Jim broke his own record with 310 passing yards and gave everybody’s favorite coach (Bo Schembechler) his 200th career victory!

I think about 99.9% of the Michigan fans were delighted when Jim Harbaugh came back to become the University of Michigan’s head coach in 2015.

There’s been a lot of chaos between then and now, including smears and scandals, and I have no clue what the truth is behind all the charges, but everybody celebrated when Michigan’s Wolverines whomped Alabama’s Crimson Tide 20-27 to win the 100th Rose Bowl Championship on January 1 this year!

And, a lot of Michigan fans were over-the-moon happy (and hoarse) when Michigan beat Washington in a 34-13 victory that gave them the 2023 National Championship title last week (January 8, 2024).

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 01: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with The Leishman Trophy after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide 27-20 in overtime to win the CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

To be honest, I most admire men and women who love well, work hard, and live godly lives of integrity, so although I was pleased to hear that Michigan won the national title this year, I was thrilled to hear Jim Harbaugh give a clear witness to his love for God and his firm belief that trying to live for Christ is his highest priority. The line is famously, “Faith, then family, then football.” Thank you, Jim Harbaugh, for standing up for all that Christ means to you in the midst of a world where fortune, fame, and football would be the natural drivers in your life. May you live out your high calling, and I hope you and your team continue to grow stronger and better year by year!

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Photo Credits: Bo Schembechler, Public Domain; Jim Harbaugh, Maize and Blue Nation (Wiki Commons); Rose Bowl photo by Getty found on Daily Citizen, “Coach Jim Harbaugh Shares Why Jesus Christ is a ‘Key Figure’ in His Life,” January 3, 2024 by Zachary Mettler; other glitzy photos shared by friends on Face Book with no attribution given

Free Upcoming Opportunities for Christian Growth and Learning

Got an hour or two or more to invest in spiritual growth online, from the comfort of your own home? I’m excited to share with you some wonderful opportunities coming up through Aqueduct Project. The first one starts tomorrow and is a book study on Mere Christianity. This is one of my all-time favorite books, because through reading C.S. Lewis’s simple but wise ponderings both my mother and my Aunt Helen came to faith. Whether you’re a believer or would like to believe but still have reservations, this book will stretch you spiritually and help build your faith.

The second offering is a one-hour presentation on Martin Luther given by my son, Jonathan, although I get to be there to introduce him and help field questions at the end (which I’ll most surely be directing to Jon!). 🙂 Anyway, lots of great opportunities coming up, led by men and women who’ve been walking with the Lord for many years. Please come and be blessed!

To learn more or register, go to: https://www.aqueductproject.org/upcoming-courses

“Finding Mere Christianity”
A 6-Week Book Study with Matthew Dereck

In his final hours, Jesus prayed that his Church would be one even as he and his Father were one (John 17:20). More often than not, however, Christians are divided into different camps on a variety of biblical and theological issues. This course will emphasize the points that unite Christians around the world and across time. Together, we will explore what it means to be united amid diversity in the Church as we seek to find mere Christianity.

“In the Footsteps of Martin Luther: The Wartburg”
A Benefit Lecture by Dr. Jonathan J. Armstrong

In this one-hour guided tour, we will explore one of Europe’s most famous castles and the effect of Martin Luther’s translation of the New Testament (which he completed in this castle in the spring of 1522) on the Reformation. This Benefit Lecture will be conducted on Monday, October 16, 2023. There is no need to book a flight or pack your bags! All you will need to bring is curiosity about how God leads his people—in the lives of the saints of the past as well as today—and a cup of tea!

This will be the first in a series of four Benefit Lectures where we’ll be following in the footsteps of Martin Luther. This coming Monday, we’ll be exploring one of the most significant castles in the world: the Wartburg in Eisenach, Germany. It was here that Luther translated the New Testament from May 1521‒March 1522. We will see how Luther’s translation of the Bible sustained the Reformation and how God sometimes does his most important works in our times of confinement and waiting.

“Prayer Walking”
A Workshop by Matthew Dereck and Phyliss Hammerstrom Wright

“For the believer the grace and demand of God are mediated through the concrete situation.” This one-hour workshop will explore the physical practice of walking as a concrete practice of spiritual devotion to our Lord. We will consider tools for praying with, though, and for places along our path, and postures of being oriented to our God as we walk our city’s streets, our park’s paths, our countries’ lanes: this Biblical landscape of life.

“Learning to Pray the Prayers of Paul”
An 8-Week Lecture Series by Jason Hubbard

In this course we will explore both the biblical theology of prayer from Paul and the prayers that Paul prayed for the churches in the letters that he penned! You will discover the key themes of Paul’s prayers, learning how to pray “Biblical Prayer” all for His Glory, and your Joy! You will gain simple tools to help you draw closer to the heart of God in prayer!

“Toward A Faithful Education”
A Workshop Presented by Jonathan Friz with Panel Member Scott Key

What is the place of the Study Center in the future of Christian higher education? The Consortium of Christian Study Centers (CCSC) offers the following definition: “Christian Study Centers are communities of students and scholars animated by the ancient ideal of faith seeking understanding.” After a presentation by Jonathan Friz, a panel discussion including Scott Key (C. S. Lewis Study Center in Northfield, Massachusetts) will follow.

To learn more or register, go to: https://www.aqueductproject.org/upcoming-courses

“Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, Modern English Version).

Unsung Heroism

I hate having friends die, but I do love hearing all the great stories about them. Do you feel the same? I come away from memorial services with a sense of awe and a deeper appreciation for their character. Don’t you wish we could know about people’s unsung heroism before they die? To me, one of the exciting things about heaven will be an eternity of learning more about the noble things people have done . . . and the great God behind them . . . because—as we may forget on earth but will all remember in heaven—God is the one who empowers us to do good (Deuteronomy 8:18). Rob never forgot that.

Dozens of judges filed in before the service to honor their colleague

Not long ago Alan and I attended the funeral of a federal judge who was well known as a man of great integrity. He was a true follower of his Savior, Jesus, and he had a deep desire to see justice and mercy prevail in our judicial system. There were well-deserved tributes given concerning his role as a judge, but the ones that touched me most deeply were the ones I knew nothing about, including one time when there was a car accident just ahead of him during a family vacation. His daughter watched him pull over, jump out of their car, run down the hill, climb up on the side of the overturned pickup (which was steaming from heat), pull the man out of the truck, help pull his wife out too, and then go on his way as soon as the emergency vehicles and fire trucks arrived without ever sharing his name. No glory needed. His daughter had no clue the danger her father had been in until she saw his shoes at home, the soles melted.

As a teenager, Rob helped out on his family’s farm in the summers. During hay baling season, he sweat in the sunshine with his cousins, stacking bales of hay as the tractor drove through the verdant fields. After the hay was stacked, the kids would climb aboard and ride back to the barn atop the hay. One afternoon, a wheel of the wagon got stuck in a rut and the entire wagon turned on its side. Everyone and everything fell off. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but Rob saw one youngster (about three years old) lying on the ground, so he scrambled over, bracing himself on his hands and knees over the child so the bales fell on him instead.

Rob’s act of self-sacrifice was etched permanently into his cousin’s memory, because he understood the risk. So did I as I listened to the story! I have a relative who had a hay and feed store years ago. He was sued when a wagon-load of hay turned over and a woman broke her neck. It ruined her life, and it ruined his business. People die from accidents like this.

Rob’s instinctive passion to help others despite personal risk came from a deep faith and commitment to God from childhood, and it made him especially effective during his 30+ years as a federal judge. It takes tremendous courage to protect the innocent and stand against ill!

I’ve thought back on Rob’s unsung heroism many times, because it pictures what Jesus does for me! How many times do I do something ignorantly or carelessly that could cost myself or others their lives? I’ll probably never know; nor will I ever know how many times God has rescued me from danger during this life. Ultimately, He saves all who cry out to him for help, not only in this life but for the next: “He to rescue me from danger interposed his precious blood.” Rob is also alive in heaven today because Jesus interposed his precious blood to save him! Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life to save Rob’s, mine, and every one who asks. And, thank you, Rob, for a long life of giving yourself sacrificially to help protect others from harm!

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

TWA: SW (18) Larger than Legend Lives

Today’s superheroes wear sci-fi suits and fly around the world doing impossible things, but when I was a little girl, most of our heroes were ordinary people who could do extraordinary things, like the men who died so heroically at the Alamo. One of my favorite folk heroes was Davy Crockett—”King of the Wild Frontier,” a powerful but human woodsman who wore a coonskin cap and killed a bear when he was only three (although Davy denies killing a bear at three in his autobiography).

Davy Crockett was made famous for my generation (“Baby Boomers”) by Walt Disney, who produced five TV episodes between 1954-1956 that were condensed into two movies.

I think the best movie for today’s generation is The Alamo, a 2004 version declared by CNN to be the most historically accurate dramatization of the events that led to Davy’s death. (Don’t bother with the 2015 reimagined story if you have any interest in actual history.)

The legendary Davy Crockett was a more-than-human being who wrestled bears and rode alligators down the Mississippi River. On rainy nights, he rode lightning bolts and could wring the tale off Haley’s Comet.

The real Davy Crockett was a rough and ready character who loved to tell stories of his exploits and was delighted when a play came out about him in 1831, “The Lion of the West,” which made him wildly popular and nationally famous.

Birthplace of Davy Crockett in Limestone Tennessee

He really did live a very colorful life. He was born in a state that no longer exists: “Franklin” (part of North Carolina that declared its independence, although it eventually became a part of Tennessee). He only attended school for four days and then ran away from home for years rather than endure his father’s whipping for beating up a much larger bully and then playing hooky to avoid punishment.

Portrait of Crockett by William Henry Huddle

As a young man, he tried his hand at everything from farming to various business endeavors. He served as a scout under Andrew Jackson during the Red Sticks War in Alabama and then during Jackson’s War of 1812 in Florida. He preferred hunting game to feed the troops over engaging in warfare. During one winter, he killed 105 bears, which helped save the army from starvation. He was more a man of peace than war, though, so he ended up paying a young man to finish his term of enlistment (until March, 1815). Instead, Davy became a professional bear hunter to provide a living for his family.

Davy Crockett had neither a heart for war nor a thirst for blood (despite his wild reputation), although he was a frontiersman at heart. He tried to settle down and help America grow into her new skin (following the huge land increase from the Louisiana Purchase) by going into politics. He served six years in Congress, advocating for the poor but not getting a single bill passed. It sounded to me like he felt frustrated and cooped up, although that was only written between the lines.

Although Davy Crockett really admired Andrew Jackson, Crockett took a stand against Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, calling it a “wicked, unjust measure” (which it was, although the settlers were afraid of the Native Americans so wanted them forced out of their homelands). Unfortunately, Crockett was the only member of the Tennessee House of Representatives to vote against the cruel law, and it cost him his political career. Much as he disapproved of Jackson, he later helped save the 67-year-old president’s life when an insane housepainter fired two pistols point-blank at Jackson’s chest. (The man thought he was the proper heir to the British throne but Jackson had murdered his father.) Miraculously, both pistols misfired, and Davy was one of the men close enough to wrestle the man to the ground.

In 1835, the Crockett Almanac first came out, filled with advice but also tall tales about Davy.

To correct some of these errors, Davy decided to write an autobiography. Alan and I listened to the book on our trip and truly enjoyed it. Davy Crockett is very folksy but intended to “set the record straight,” and it sounded like he was hoping to run for president in the future.

Sadly, that chance never came. The book we listened to (his autobiographical memoirs) ended on the night before the massacre.

The interesting thing to me is that the legends around Davy Crockett aren’t nearly as compelling as some of the facts. He was more interested in saving lives than killing people. He was a compassionate man who advocated for the poor and chose to stand against everybody in Congress to defend Native Americans, even though it cost him his political career. Even at the Alamo, he was trying to defend the right of people to have self-rule.

Tennessee, Davy’s home state, is the “Volunteer State.”

“This is the message that comes from the dead.
This is the light down the path where he lead;
‘Be sure you’re right, then go ahead—’
This is the call of Crockett.”

Painting of Davy Crockett by John Gadsby Chapman

The real David Crockett was a mountain of a man, someone whose life was larger than his legends. Even though he lost his political career and eventually lost his life, he continued to fight for what he believed to be right. He’s a hero worth admiring: “Figure out what’s right and then do it.” Amen! That takes more character than taming alligators or riding lightning bolts!

Davy Crockett reminds me of the world’s greatest hero, Jesus Christ, who gave up everything “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:20). He died in the fight for freedom too—freedom from slavery to sin and eternal death. But, thank God, He will come again someday to set everything right: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11).

Serving Two Masters: God’s Double Agent

When feeling discouraged over attempting to endure any challenge in life with perseverance and grace, I say to myself, “At least I’m not sitting in a Chinese prison.” I’m sure there are worse possibilities (Nazi prison camps come to mind), but the possibility of imprisonment for my faith is the worst I’ve personally stared in the face. Have you read about the difficult lives of people who’ve been imprisoned for their faith—not only from the Bible and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (1563)—but from today’s book shops and newspapers?

According to Vatican News, 360+ million Christians (or 1 in seven) “suffer high levels of persecution for their faith” (1). According to the Pew Research Center (2018 study), various religious groups suffer persecution in more than 90% of the world’s countries, either via government restrictions or social harassment (2).

Why? I believe mostly due to fear and hatred. Fear of losing power and being dominated. Hatred for “other” . . . anyone who disagrees and might try to force a change in societal mores. Authoritarian governments often take religious people as a threat to the government’s power, because most religions teach that God is the ultimate moral authority, not government, so if there’s a conflict between the teaching of their holy scriptures and government regulations, they will choose to follow their God. One classic source of conflict for Christians is our desire to share the “Gospel” with everybody, which is not tolerated in many countries. The Gospel is the wonderfully good news that we can be reconciled to God by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, and that we can be “born again” into a life transformed by God’s love and joy. Although this truly is good news in a world desperate for peace and goodwill, it runs contrary to the atheistic teachings of communism as well as the religious teachings and cultural values of countries dominated by different religions.

As believers, what can we do to alleviate the suffering of those who are persecuted? I can think of three things: 1. Pray: “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13:3). 2. Become and continue to stay informed about spiritual world events. 3. Get involved in helping support those who are suffering.

If you’re looking for a deeper understanding of the black heart of persecution today, I just finished reading God’s Double Agent: The True Story of A Chinese Christian’s Fight for Freedom (Baker Books, 2013), and it jolted me out of my comfy cocoon of living the American dream. The author is Fu Xiqiu (English name: Bob Fu), who’s possibly the world’s leading advocate for Chinese Christians. In his book, Bob relives with us what it was like growing up in intense poverty during China’s Cultural Revolution—back in the days when Mao Zedong’s last wife, Jiang Qing, was numbered among the murderous “Gang of Four” and exclaimed to the world: “Christianity in China has been confined to the history section of the museum. It is dead and buried.”

Sadly, Jiang Qing committed suicide in 1991. She didn’t live long enough to learn the joy of Christ or see that persecution in China did not kill the church. Instead, the church in China has grown from one million in 1949 to over 100 million today (3). Persecution doesn’t stop faith. Suffering teaches us perseverance, hope, and love: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5 ESV).

If you—like me—have grown content in your comfortable lifestyle, I highly recommend this gut-wrenching “thriller,” which is fact, not fiction. Bob tells of his disillusionment with the oppression of Communism and his discovery of Christ. For a while, he was teaching English to young Communist Party officials by day while teaching about the love of Jesus by night. Of course, none of us can really serve two masters, and when the conflict came to light, Bob and his wife had to escape from China.

Since their flight from Communist oppression, Bob has earned a seminary degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and a Ph.D. in the field of religious freedom from the University of Durham, U.K. Today, the Fu family lives in Midland, Texas, where Bob can worship freely with his wife, Heidi, and their three children. (Although it has recently become legal to have three children in China, it was not when the Fu children were born.) Bob founded and serves as the president of ChinaAid, is Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Law and Religion Monitor, and speaks on religion and public policy. (He spoke here in GR a couple of years ago during Calvin University’s January Series lectures.) If you want to know more about persecution in China and how you can help, he’s on facebook (4). Definitely worth checking out!

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me‘” (Matthew 25:37-40, ESV).

(1) https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2023-01/over-360-million-christians-suffering-persecution-in-the-world.html
(2) https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2020/11/10/harassment-of-religious-groups-continues-to-be-reported-in-more-than-90-of-countries/
(3) https://www.bu.edu/articles/2023/why-is-christianity-growing-in-china/#:~:text=Over%20the%20past%20four%20decades,1%20million%20to%20100%20million.
(4) https://www.facebook.com/bob.fu.1460/

The Servant Queen and the King She Served

Did you attend (online) the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II this morning?

We did (along with perhaps billions of others).

Thanks to CNN and broadcasting systems around the world, we got a birds’-eye view into one of the most historically significant events of our lifetime.

Westminster Abbey in London

The state funeral was held in Westminster Abbey.

It was attended not only by her family and friends,

but by heads of state from around the world because the queen was so well respected and loved.

Thoughts from Liz Truss, Britain’s Prime Minister

Archbishop of Canterbury

There were scripture readings from 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 8, many prayers, and several wonderful anthems, some written specifically for milestones in Queen Elizabeth’s life (like her coronation and funeral).

There were also beautiful hymns sung by all to remind us of the Lord, who is our shepherd, and of his wonderful love for us.

The family of Prince William while singing about the love of Christ,
“Love Divine All Loves Excelling,” which was also sung at their wedding

I hope you’ll take time to view the state funeral whether or not you were up in time to see it streamed live earlier today.

This link shows you the ongoing funeral services and what’s happening right now.
To see the service at Westminster, you may have to google for it later tonight.

It was sober but joy-filled, sad but hopeful. “We will meet again” the queen reminded her loved ones shortly before she died, and every expression, prayer, and hymn offered were reminders of this truth.

The royal piper, who played for 15 minutes every night at bedtime,
whether or not the queen was there to hear him play!

The only book written about her that she endorsed with a personal foreward

To my mind, the most wonderful thing about Queen Elizabeth was her devotion to her God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

She saw herself as the devoted follower of Jesus, who came from heaven to serve and save all people—whosoever will!

Jesus was the servant king, and Elizabeth II attempted to follow in his steps as a servant queen for her people.

When she was only twenty-one, Elizabeth pledged to serve the people of Great Britain for her entire life. This was before she was the queen and before anyone had pledged their allegiance to her!

This reminds me of Jesus, who pledged his life to save anyone who is willing—long before any of us were born! “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). I can hardly wait to join the throngs of those who celebrate and adore Jesus forever in heaven!

Meanwhile, may we live lives inspired by Queen Elizabeth’s example as someone who spent every day of her life trying to be the best she could be.

Was she perfect? Of course not! None of us are, no matter how hard we try! That’s why Jesus had to die in our place. Jesus was the only sinless one— God in the flesh, who lived a perfect life and died so that through His death we can have forgiveness for our sins and the gift of rebirth, becoming a child of God and an inheritor of His eternal life.

We’ll never be perfect on this earth, but may we live such that our lights shine for Jesus, like dear, sweet Queen Elizabeth did so admirably!

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

This video captures the queen singing “Love Divine” at Westminster in 2020

TWA (73): The Admirable Admiral Aboard The USS Yorktown

My favorite experience in Charleston was going aboard the massive aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown.

USS Yorktown (CV-10) – Crew stands at attention as the National Ensign is raised, during commissioning ceremonies at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, 15 April 1943. Photographed by Lieutenant Charles Kerlee, USNR. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Public Domain.

The USS Yorktown (CV-10) is one of two dozen Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II.

She served valiantly in the Pacific Theater, where she earned 11 battle stars and the nickname: “The Fighting Lady.”

Hull of USS Yorktown

She was “in the fight” supporting General Douglas McArthur.

She was in the fight for Guam, and in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

F-14 Tomcat “Top Gun” fighter plane on the USS Yorktown’s top deck

She was at Iwo Jima, the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Okinawa, and many places not so famous but critical during World War 2.

One of her most famous escapades involved sinking the elusive battleship Yamato and the cruiser Yahagi, which marked a turning point in the battle for the Pacific.

The Fighting Lady was in Tokyo Bay at the end of World War 2.

But, that wasn’t the end of her illustrious career.

F9F Cougar on display at the USS Yorktown

The USS Yorktown also played a major role in the Korean War.

And in Vietnam.

Even after these international wars, The Fighting Lady has continued serving her country.

In 1968 she was one of the recovery ships used for the Apollo 8 space deployment.

She continued to serve as a platform for several movies, perhaps most famously Tora! Tora! Tora!, a historically enlightening (and fascinating) 1970 recreation of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Getting ready to board the Fighting Lady from Patriot’s Point

In 1975, the USS Yorktown was ensconced at Patriot Point, near Charleston, South Carolina, and on the 200th anniversary of the US Navy (October 13, 1975) she was formally dedicated as a memorial.

She was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and is today one of our nation’s most outstanding naval museums.

The USS Yorktown

Not only was my favorite experience in Charleston learning about the USS Yorktown,

Admiral Joseph James “Jocko” Clark. Public Domain

My favorite part of the museum was learning about Yorktown‘s first commanding officer, who was a hero’s hero!

He was famous for many things, but I particularly liked this saying: “If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But get the job done. If you can’t get the job done, get off my ship!”

Joseph James “Jocko” Clark was a brilliant young man and a devout Christian.

He was the first Native American to graduate from the United States Naval Academy (and graduated in only three years!!).

Prominent Among Admiral Clark’s possessions was his Bible

Because of his deeply spiritual nature, a classmate dubbed him “The Right Reverend J. Johnathan Jockey Clark.”

He served our country with unswerving loyalty for 40 years—from World War 1 and 2 through the Korean War.

As a mother (with a son in the military), I was especially taken with the Bible his parents gave him just before his commissioning during World War 2. What his mother wrote in his Bible echoes my heart’s desire for my own son (and every other person):

“Dear Son: Am praying that you will pack this little book and carry it with you all the time, and now and then when you have an opportunity to read it that you will and will meditate and pray over it. Your loving Mother, Lillie B. Clark. Chelsea Oklahoma. The Bible is the greatest book in the world. It is God’s word to mankind. It is the source of authority. It is the source of wisdom. It is the foundation for our faith. It is the Charter of liberty. It teaches five things:
1. The purest morals
2. Highest aims
3. Wisest councils
4. Most enduring promises
5. Most satisfactory results in the heart of men

“In this world we are confronted with sorrow sickness and death. God has a purpose in giving us the Word: Its object is to teach us how to live, so that we will miss lots of sorrow and trouble here, and to prepare us after death to enter a home eternal in the heavens where sickness sorrow nor parting ever come. Mamma”

I suspect he heeded his mother’s wise counsel, as studying his life made me think of this verse: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8, ESV).

(I took all the photos of, at, or in the USS Yorktown in the spring of 2021 except the two labeled “Public Domain.”)

Thirty-seven of Abraham Lincoln’s Wisest and Most Clever Quotes

Abraham Lincoln was a plain-spoken, country-spun lawyer who became the sixteenth president of the United States and stood like an emotional and spiritual giant to guide our country through the Civil War. He is definitely one of my heroes! In case you’ve never studied his life and writings, I want to share some of my favorite of his many sayings that seem as true, inspiring, and sometimes funny as they must have more than 160 years ago:

“You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.”

 “Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time.”

“What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.”

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

“Love is the chain to lock a child to its parent.”

“I would rather be a little nobody, then to be an evil somebody.”

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

“I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”

“The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land.”

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

“You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.”

“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”

“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”

“I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.”

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”

“And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.”

“Tact: the ability to describe others as they see themselves.”

“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”

“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

“You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry.”

“You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”

“A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.”

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

“Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.”

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”

“Every man’s happiness is his own responsibility.”

“In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book.”

“And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.”

And, a final wise quote about the Bible from Abraham Lincoln’s God:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Also, I want to say that my all-time favorite hero is the Lord, Jesus Christ, who can break the chains of slavery to sin and set us free! He has done great things for me and will for everyone who comes to Him in faith! Having trouble believing? Here’s a prayer for you: “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:23-24).

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).

TWA 70: General George Patton’s Museum of Leadership

If you ever visit Fort Knox, Kentucky, be sure to take time to tour the Patton Museum, featuring the life of America’s famous General George S. Patton (who looks a lot like both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, according to our grandchildren):

General Patton

Joe Biden

General Patton

Donald Trump. What do you think?
I think there are definite facial resemblances!

This is a museum with a mission: How to define and inspire leadership.

It’s a great place to teach kids history and excite them with stories of heroic character.

Depository for much of America’s Gold

And, what better place than next door to the United States Bullion Depository and the home of the famed 170 square-mile army base, Fort Knox, which besides everything else is the national center for training Junior Army leaders and the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

General Patton is most famous for his relentless leadership during World War 2 (which earned him the nickname “Old Blood and Guts”). He was a tall, impressive commander, but one of the things I loved best about him was learning that he believed in leading his men in person and suffering with them.

While many generals were sleeping in castles, Patton slept in a converted truck.

While many generals directed the troops from the security of warm clothing in armored vehicles at the rear, Patton preferred to ride in open-aired jeeps and wear the same uniforms as his men despite harsh weather.

(We visited this museum on our trip to the Southwest
but hope to share that experience later.)

The Nazis believed he was the Allies’ best commander. For that reason (and due to his unwillingness to follow orders), General Dwight Eisenhower used him as a decoy during the D-Day campaign, placing him in charge of a phantom army with brilliant deceptions such as inflatable rubber tanks and plywood aircraft. This “army” was located at the English Channel’s narrowest point, Pas de Calais, and was so effective that for weeks after D-Day Nazis continued to amass supplies across the channel from this point, thinking Patton was coming!

But Patton didn’t become a great leader overnight. He was trained from childhood for his role as a military leader.

From his earliest childhood, his father taught him how to use swords and guns. As a 26-year-old cavalry officer, Patton competed in the Olympics’ first-ever Pentathlon, which included both fencing and riflery.

Despite his unstoppable fervor for winning wars (he served in both World Wars), he wasn’t successful “just because.” As a child he struggled to learn how to read and write, and as a young cadet, he failed mathematics so had to repeat his first year at West Point.

Despite his best efforts, he never made the varsity squad on West Point’s football team.

Only “some” of Patton’s medals of honor

He wasn’t “the best” at anything, but I think what made him great was his perseverance and character. He earned a Purple Heart in World War 1 after being wounded while leading a charge at Meuse-Argonne. Instead of retreating, he continued to lead from a shell hole and wouldn’t leave for the evacuation hospital until he’d filed his report at his division headquarters.

Some of Patton’s maxims will always be true and valuable for training in good character.

Lest this become too long (and I’ve really just scratched the surface of all the information and memorabilia available at the museum), I’ll conclude with one last tale, explaining the circumstances around his death.

This account of the grace and sacrificial forgiveness with which he ended his life touched me more deeply than anything else. The died at age 60, just before he was to go home for Christmas in 1945. But, instead of getting angry with the drivers involved in the accident, he stopped the investigation, not wanting the young men’s careers destroyed, even though the accident paralyzed him and soon cost him his life.

General George S. Patton

This makes me think of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the greatest leader of all time. Jesus extended grace by laying down his life for us so that we can be forgiven for our sins and failures. Through faith in his death for us, we can be born anew into eternal life.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
(John 15:13)

“Patton,” 1970, 7.9 on IMDb, 2:52, won 8 Oscars, stars George C. Scott

P.S.— If you want to learn more about General Patton, the above is an excellent movie, although I’m ambivalent about recommending it because of the profanity, which I suspect was true to life but is nonetheless abhorrent to me. Patton tells the story in a vivid way that really highlights the importance of valor and determination during war.

P.S.S.—”Clear Play” (https://web.clearplay.com/) removes the excesses of bad language, violence, and sexual content from many movies and makes some of the more culturally profound movies palatable for Christians.

P.S.S.S—If you want to learn more about Jesus Christ and how you can know you have eternal life and will be going to heaven when you die, click on the “Coming to Christ” icon at the top of this page