Dear Friends:

I hope you are having a good summer, not to hot, not too cold and the fires around the country don’t come near your dwelling! Things are going well of for us here. CFM is still alive and well and I am busy as usual doing counseling. I have had several folks to work with this summer who had been released from prison that were referred to me to work with as they put their lives back together. What a privilege. My book is still selling in several venues and I still have folks contact me that have read it and been blessed. My goal is to have the sequel to the publisher before first snowfall this autumn.

Summer Inspiration

I have been preaching a series at church this summer called “Psalms for Psummer.” Of course the “p” is silent in both! The folks seem to be enjoying it and most of the seats are filled even with all the activities calling for our attention in “the land of the midnight sun.” So far we have just finished Psalm 5. I think the folks may get nervous as I am trying to do one Psalm per week. Psalm 119 has an awful lot of verses to cover in 40 minutes.

As usual, summer in Alaska gets pretty hectic for us all as we try to cram all the outdoor activities into the short months of long daylight hours and warm weather. This summer has been no exception for us as we have entertained guests and groomed the lawn and berry patches and occasionally ply the river in search a few salmon for the freezer. I have, however, been able to spend some quiet hours re-reading a couple of books that are in my all-time favorite list and that I highly recommend. Both are inspirational and encouraging somewhat along the same line.

Story of L’Abri by Edith Schaeffer

This is the story of how God led Dr. Francis and Edith Schaeffer to found this ministry in the mountains of Switzerland in 1955. It is almost like reading a modern day book of Acts as they follow the leading and provision of the Lord and witnessed God’s miraculous involvement as the ministry grew from one small group to what is now an international ministry offering teaching and discipleship to young truth seekers. It always amazes me how faithful God was to provide the finances and facilities they needed when they would simply pray…no writing donors or publicizing their needs. Time after time as the small group would pray and petition God for what was needed, God would put it on the hearts of folks thousands of miles away and just the amount needed would arrive in the mail…often proving that God really does know our needs even before we ask for His help. I usually read this book about once a year to remind myself to pray and not worry or fret about the things that we may need. highly recommend it.

A Place Called Simplicity by Claire Cloninger

A perfect book for anyone feeling the pressure of our troubled times when there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get done all that is demanded of us. Claire Cloninger’s journey back to a place called “simplicity” describes a feeling that I think we all experience to one degree or another. In a section of her book called “Missing Your Dad” she writes:

“Last night standing in my little garden after the evening news was not the first time I’ve felt homesick for Eden. I’ve felt it many other times too…At times like these, when I am wondering why life has to be so fractured and so complicated, I find myself yearning for the serenity of that simple place where two people really knew who they were and where they stood. Where there was a sense of connectedness understandable boundaries, and a primary trust relationship in the middle of it all. Standing there last night in the midst of all of those swirling memories and feelings, I suddenly remembered something very important about homesickness. The child who is away isn’t the only one who suffers. At home, most likely, the parents are feeling it too.”

Cloninger concludes that section of her book with this:

“And that is when it hit me that God is probably homesick for Eden, too. He’s probably missing his children with a great ache in his living Father heart. And, he’s probably missing the way it used to be before everything got so complicated between us and him.

Are you feeling a longing inside tonight for something you can’t quite put your finger on? Do you understand tonight what Paul Simon meant when he wrote, ‘I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why’? Well, I think I know why. In the back of your mind, you’re remembering a time before time, when things were simple and lovely and right. You’re homesick- that’s all it is. You are missing your DAD. And he’s missing you, too. Maybe you should call HOME. Tonight!”

Just might be a good thing to find yourself a log in the woods to sit on and think about it.

God bless you.

Pastor Wayne