Goodbye Norb

My friend Norb Aalsma went home to be with the Lord last night. I knew this day was coming, ever since I said "goodbye" to him at the end of December. I hurt for his wife, Faye, and the kids, as well as his brother Norris (& Lois) who have endured the long ordeal, but I'm happy for Norb...his suffering his over.
I met Norb 30 years ago when I was selling insurance, and when I became pastor at 1st Congregational Church in 1977, Norb & Faye came with their family to the church shortly after. We made an immediate connection.
I remember running a daytime discipleship course once a week. Norb, who was a dairy farmer, came in and we grew closer.
Norb was infected by the grace of Jesus. Raised in a fairly strict Reformed church tradition, he fell in love with the freedom that comes by the grace of God. He often spoke to me about the realization of God's grace...that he was acceptable to God because of nothing more than God's love for him and not because he obeyed the law. This was his greatest delight that he never recovered from...Praise God!
I don't think I ever had a conversation with Norb that did not at some point result in his referring to the wonder of God's grace, and the love of Jesus.
My, how I miss him.
Norb and Faye asked me a while back if I would lead his funeral service. My message will be short: He Lived to the fullest, He loved Christ, His family, and Friends, and He leaves a legacy of Faith that I pray his children and children's children will embrace.

Recently, another friend, Jim Watters (who was a part of that same church once) wrote a blog where he reference this old canticle...I'm using it here because it says so much of what Norb is and did, thanks Jim:

Teach us, dear Lord, to number our days;
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Oh, satisfy us early with Thy mercy,
that we may rejoice and be glad all of our days.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us;
and establish Thou the work of our hands.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us;
and establish Thou the work of our hands, dear Lord.

Goodbye Norb...I will see you soon!

2007 -- Here We Go Again

I've watched this amazing video on You Tube called "Here We Go Again". I really like it, because of it's creativity and amazing choreography. You can watch it at.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI. I love the idea of "Here We Go Again".

It's 2007 -- for a week now -- and I thought about the movement from one year to another...here we go again!
The writer of Ecclesiastes (probably Solomon) described the futility (better word than 'vanity' that the old King James had translated) of life lived repetitiously without a sense of either the sacred or the significance of living intentionally.
By "intentionally", I think I mean "choreographed".
The guys who put together "Here We Go Again" took creativity to an artistic level and instead of something repetitious and boring, it had beauty and creativity.
I'd like to imagine that my life in 2007 will have some creative choreography to it. I don't mind repetition...in fact, I usually love it...but I do mind boredom. So, with God's help..."here I go again."