Tis the Season
It surely must be getting close to autumn here in the northland!  Our little raspberry patch is racing to ripen before the frost hits.  While the leaves have not started their annual change of color here in Nikiski, there is still a lot of color along the highways with all of the political signs urging us to vote for this or that person or one cause or another.   Late into the evening last night, Marveen  and I watched on TV as the votes were tallied and sent in to “election central” where the media, candidates,  and their supporters joined with other interested Alaskans for the event.  Some candidates were savoring the “thrill of victory” and others tasting the “agony of defeat.”  While the primary election is history except for a few close races, the focus now will turn to the general election in November.  It is a blessing to be an American and have the ability to have a one vote opportunity to determine the direction of our state and country.  The poorest American’s “one vote” counts just as much as that of the wealthiest person.

Interestingly, it was an interview with pollster, Dave Dittman, which caught my attention as he was sharing some of the behind the scenes dynamics that went into determining who some of the winners and losers were in the election process.  While I don’t have his words in an exact quotation form, the essence of one of his observations was that what often happens during an election campaign, is that the candidates tend to make it a point to polish and promote their own qualities and accomplishments on one side while doing all they can to diminish or discredit those of their opponent. It is that last aspect of politics (tearing down your opponent) that tends towards giving the whole thing an unsavory flavor and wears very thin before the final votes are cast and the snow starts to pile up in November. 

The point I want to make with this political talk is that the concept of making oneself look better by pointing out the faults and flaws of others is NOT something that should ever weasel its way into our lives as Christians.  The Kingdom of God operates completely different than that.  In Galatians 6:1-5, the Bible gives us some really direct advice as to how we should relate to one another.  It is addressed to “Brethren.”  The brothers and sisters in Christ….that is us. Read it carefully from the Amplified Version and you can’t miss the point that God is calling us to walk in humility and love with one another and never take the low road of comparing ourselves with someone else to make us look better.  Here is the text:

1. BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.


2. Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].


3. For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.


4. But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor.


5. For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults].

As you can see…God is telling us in a crystal clear way  that ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE, ATTITUDE is important to Him.  Sure sounds like great advice to me.

CFM News:
This has been an unusually busy summer for our counseling ministry in Kenai.  I think the economic situation in America and Alaska as well is creating a lot of stress for people.  Domestic violence seems much more prevalent and I am working with a number of families in which that is the case.  Some are referred to me by the court system.

One bit of good news is that a few days after I wrote my last newsletter and mentioned the problem I was having with the rowdy and sometimes violent neighbors in the apartment building across from my office, the owner of the building installed a seven-foot chain link privacy fence between the two buildings.  I can still hear the fighting and see over the fence from my second floor office, but at least the folks coming for appointments or leaving the building don’t feel as threatened by the activities there.

On the River:
After a record setting rainy summer (32 straight days of rain I think), we have had three days of sunshine in a row.  What a relief.  That rain was getting old and our lawn was starting to look like a mushroom bed!

We have been blessed to take a number of folks out on the river silver fishing so far.  One of the highlights was being able to take Tom and Rebecca Brimmer and Ed Smelser out for a successful day on the river.  Tom is a registered tour guide in Israel and Rebecca is the international director of Bridges for Peace, a ministry to the practical needs of the Jewish people, especially those just moving back to their “homeland.”  Ed Smelser is the West Regional director of that ministry and an old college friend.  The three of them ministered in our church that weekend and really blessed the folks here with some “up-to-date” information on what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.  Our church takes an offering for this ministry every month and I believe that the Lord has really blessed the church for showing love to Israel in this way.

Please pray
Please pray for our friend, Hilmer Kiser.  He leaves in a few weeks for the University of Florida where he will be getting treatment for prostate cancer.  He and his wife will need to rent an apartment and vehicle there for two months so this will be a spendy deal.  I believe his treatment is covered by his insurance but the trip and these other needs are not covered.  This treatment is a complicated somewhat by some heart issues Hilmer has so please pray that it all goes well and he can get back to his ministry in Seward and the villages of Alaska.  If you feel motivated to help Hilmer and Maranna with some of this expense, you can send it to CFM as a donation and I will see that they get it.

God bless you.