Sometimes, out of the blue, God gives us encouragement. One week, got an inbox full of endorsements based on this email from the Medical Director where I serve as a Hospice Chaplain: "I want to take this opportunity to give thanks for the wonderful man in all our lives. Pastor Joel we are so blessed to have had you join our team, your support both emotional and spiritual means the world to all of us. Your care for our patients is above and beyond what we are used to from pastoral services, our gratitude to you is never ending. This week being Pastoral Care Week, we want you to know how loved, and appreciated you are. Thank you Pastor Joel for all that you do. On and Off the job." Then,

I recently had a 94-year-old woman propose that I dump my wife and marry her. She said she liked my face. Despite the fact that this was driven at least in part by her senility, I couldn’t help but feel a little spark of pride. I quickly texted my wife and told her she “had competition.” She was not impressed nor did she feel threatened. In fact, much to my chagrin, she didn't even glorify my bragging with a reply. Thinking about this, it occurred to me that all of our pride is foolishness. Foolishness to God and to many others as well. No matter what I might boast about, God is FAR greater and more accomplished. Even on the human plane, whatever I've done, someone, somewhere has likely acco

Karen and I recently returned to an “old stomping ground” in Mt. Pocono, PA. Our families were involved in what we now see as a cult group that owned property near the Mr. Pocono airport. We met there annually for our attempt at keeping the Feast of Tabernacles from Leviticus 23. I say, “attempt” because the Feast was originally kept in little huts called sukkot in Hebrew. We interpreted that as meaning hotels, motels, campsites, etc.; and we were mandated to save and then spend 10% of our families income over a 7-8 day time-frame. It was Biblically in error, but often fun nonetheless. Despite the rain and 3 hour services (sometimes twice a day), we have bitter-sweet memories of those childh