This Lord's Day

Today we celebrated Exaudi, the jubilant Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost. The readings straddled both - as did the hymns!

After the Divine Services and Bible Class, came home and had lunch and a quick nap and then off to St. Louis with eldest daughter and son. David and Lauren both needed to have their computers worked on at the Apple Store - it's a full hour's drive away. The consolation? There's a Cinnabon there and so I took a wee hiatus from Atkins to devour one. Well, maybe a little more. David and I woofed ours down and Lauren (typical girl!) played with hers and finally said: "I can't eat any more." David and I looked at each other, grabbed our forks, and that puppy was history before you could say: "Yum!"

David's computer got a relatively quick fix, but Lauren's needed a hospital stay. Maybe Cindi and I will run over and pick it up next Friday (we're looking for a chance to eat Greek and then do desert at the Cheesecake Factory - LO-CARB cheesecake, mind you! I need to do MUCH penance for Cinnabon).

We got home and had dinner - Cindi grilled up some steaks for us. I had not spoken to Imogene Kroeger in ages (she used to be a member here and I had the privilege of "whiskey slushes" at her house more times than I can count; she lives now in Texas), so I called and chatted with her for quite a while and we both caught up on all the news. Then my sister called and we talked for almost an hour. It was good to hear from her.

Back to Imogene. She told me the neatest story about this man she met at the beauty shop. He was waiting for his wife, and they started talking and Imogene started witnessing. She does it in the sweetest and most natural way. The man was utterly depressed. He believed in absolute double predestination and KNEW he was going to hell. She worked on him and got him to come to her little Lutheran Church and he met with the Pastor who counteracted his notions with the promises of God's Word and used them again and again, until the dear man finally acquiesced and received the comfort God wanted him to have. He's a confirmed Lutheran now! He comes regularly to church and tomorrow is facing some pretty serious surgery. He told Imogene that he was completely at peace. He hopes to live to be able to care for his wife, but if God calls him home, so be it. He is at peace. He knows His Savior has answered for all His sins and that God loves him with an everlasting love. Isn't that beautiful? The Gospel is such a comfort - beyond words sweet and wonderful.

If you want to pray for him tomorrow, his name is Dale.

Imogene also told me that they have the new hymnals and like them very much - except for how heavy they are! She tells me she's not as strong as she used to be. Hard for me to picture - she'll be 88 in September if the Lord grants it, and yet she is as full of joy in the Lord as ever. I miss her quite a lot at St. Paul's.