St. Luke's Blogs

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
    God will help her right early.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
    he burns the chariots with fire!
“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Pee Wee Reese’s contributions to baseball were significant. He was a tremendous competitor. However, his most important action, one that truly helped change the game, is his acceptance and support of Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the major leagues. He joined Pee Wee Reese and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947…

I recently had the joy of attending my daughter’s high school choir concert. It was a joy for so many reasons. This year has been particularly difficult at school. COVID-19 restrictions on the students, teachers and staff have made normal activities challenging. At the beginning of the year, the choir was not even able to practice. Their competitions and normal concerts were postponed and eventually cancelled. So, to have this concert at the end of the year was a joy!

One of my most favorite places in all of God’s glorious creation is the Colorado mountains. Whether driving through or hiking up a mountain, the views from on high are simply breathtaking and provoke me to express utter gratitude to the Lord for such a gift. The stunning views, however, are a just reward for the hard work it takes to climb to the top. In Oklahoma altitude, I can breeze through a three mile walk in 45 minutes and not be out of breath. But when I embarked on my first day-long hike in Snowmass, Colorado, I had a rude awakening of the effects of high altitude…

You would think the most important thing for a future Hall of Fame baseball player is the game itself.  But not so according to Albert Pujols.  Pujols says the Hall of Fame is not his ultimate destination.  The long-time all-star for both the St. Louis Cardinals and later the Los Angeles Angels is a person of great faith who says his primary focus in life is serving Jesus Christ.  Pujols says baseball, while very important to him, has been the means by which he could serve others.

During Mother’s Day this past Sunday, I spent some time reflecting on my mother. She was a wonderful mother. She worked hard to provide a home for my family. She brought great joy to our lives through her thoughtfulness, hard work, and dedication to our family. She helped to build and establish a wonderful family-owned business. My Mom was strong. Most importantly, she took me to church, a gift I am forever grateful for, as she gave me the gift of faith.

It shall come to pass in the latter days
    that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be raised up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
and many nations shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
    and we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
    and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
    and shall decide for strong nations afar off;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and none shall make them afraid;
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

“So, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Gloria Walker has always dreamed of seeing the great pyramids in Giza. It was her hope to one day see these wonders of the ancient world. She often spoke to her family about her dream.  She could have gone alone, but her dream included taking her whole family… a costly trip to say the least. Gloria dreamed of leaving Philadelphia and taking an adventure to Egypt. Sadly, the cost of the trip was not the only thing that kept Gloria from seeing the pyramids. Recently, Gloria was diagnosed with terminal cancer…