It has been a few weeks since I last sent out a TGIF message. There are two reasons for that decision – (1) as Tina mentioned on Wednesday, I have grown tired from carrying out this task which she and I have now done for over 6 years since COVID began, and (2) Cindy was hospitalized for a few days recently due to a serious leg injury occurring during a bike ride. That threw my schedule completely off for a few weeks, and I was unable to think about anything but caring for Cindy throughout this time period. She is now well on the path to recovery, so I now can get back to thinking about my plans for continuing to support Covenant Church.
I really enjoyed Tina’s message last Wednesday, July 15, dealing with the true meaning of life and living life to its fullest. Tina commented – At the end of our lives, no one will remember the furniture we owned or the decorations on our shelves. They will remember the love we shared, the kindness we showed, the faith we lived, and the people whose lives we touched. Those are the things that endure.
This reminded me of Ecclesiastes, the latest Book I have recently read in the Bible. I have a goal to read the entire Bible this year. This Book, along with Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Psalms 72 and 127 were all written by Solomon, the son of David. Solomon had a great reputation for having extraordinary wisdom, which his father David recognized early in life. Solomon gained renown for being exceedingly wise by rendering insightful decisions, a reputation that attracted all the kings of the earth to his courts. The Book of Ecclesiastes is quite straightforward to read and understand, and addresses the issues Tina raised in her message last week. I would highly recommend reading some (or all!) of the chapters in Ecclesiastes as they are so readable. The chapters in my Bible are titled as follows:
Chapter 1 – The Futility of All Endeavor, Chapter 2 – The Futility of Pleasure and Possessions, Chapter 3 – Turn, Turn, Turn (which the Bryds made famous in 1965, which you can Google and listen to it if you wish), Chapter 4 – The Evils of Oppression, Chapter 5 – Your Attitude Toward God, Chapter 6 – The Futility of Life, Chapter 7 – Wisdom and Folly Contrasted, Chapter 8 – Obey Rulers, Chapter 9 – Men Are in the Hand of God, Chapter 10 – Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do, Chapter 11 – Cast Your Bread on the Waters, and Chapter 12 – Remember God in Your Youth.
I think you will enjoy any time you spend reading any chapters in Ecclesiastes and other books written by Solomon!
Note that Cindy and I will be leaving next Friday for our annual family 2-week vacation on Hilton Head Island, with our children and grandchildren. So I will enjoying my family for the next few weeks, as we have been doing for over 40 years now at the same family spot! I will also use this time away to consider how best I can continue to support Covenant Church, certainly in my role as Trustee. I thank all of you for your love and support all these years of making Covenant the church it is today!
I wish you all a safe and enjoyable remainder of the summer! I will continue to mail copies of Tina’s weekly messages to those on our mail list, although will likely cut back to using 2-week intervals for the mail! May God continue to bless Covenant Church, and all our members and friends!
Ron