A devotional by Pam Benedict When Steve & I were in Israel this past March, we were part of a large tour group which included 6 other buses. Each bus had its own guide to keep things personal and well connected. But even so, there were times things could get quite noisy and crowded. To compensate for this, Inspiration Tours used a “Whisper Wireless Tour Guide System.” Each member of the tour was issued a “Whisper” headset. This device was…
A devotional by Sandy Martin When my daughters were little, I had this hard plastic molded bike seat mounted on the back of my bicycle. My oldest daughter and I had more time to bike the back roads of New Holland, because there would not be a sibling until 3 years later. I became very confident with the additional weight on the back of my bike and began to take her on longer and longer road trips. One particular afternoon…
Yesterday was blazing hot. The kind of hot which could melt your sneakers to the pavement if you stayed in one place too long. KYW said it was 99 in Philadelphia with a heat index of 110, And I’ll tell you what, Lancaster County wasn’t far behind. I went out as needed, but pretty much decided to make it an office and administrative day… in the air conditioning. I can’t imagine how our tradesmen fared yesterday. I know I wouldn’t…
Pam is an avid birdwatcher. We’ll be driving along the highway at 60 miles an hour and she’ll point excitedly out the window at some blur of motion, “Look, a red-tailed hawk!” or “a blue heron!” or “a golden eagle!” I try to keep up, but to me they just look like… well… birds. I know the obvious ones- cardinals, robins, blue jays, crows; but beyond that, I don’t have a great eye for our feathered friends. I now have…
This has been a GREAT year for hydrangeas. You know, those bushes that have large snowball-like flowers that bloom either blue, pink, or purple depending on the soil acidity? Pam has wanted hydrangeas for years, but down in Virginia the soil was so poor and the summers so hot, that I could never seem to get one started. So, when we purchased our home in Pennsylvania, an added bonus was the well-established hydrangea bushes. The flowers have been so spectacular…
Last night Pam and I returned from an extended weekend at my dad’s cabin in Tioga County. I know we weren’t the only ones because I’ve seen a ton of pictures on social media from many friends who were away for the Independence Day holiday. I always feel closer to God while out in nature and this is especially true in rural upstate Pennsylvania. There’s something restful about being in a place so remote that your nearest neighbor is a…
A devotional by Sandy Martin The first 10 years of my life took place on a farm with meadows, a pond, plowed fields, and woodland. I was the youngest of 6 children, so I grew up surrounded by a community. Our farm was a place to gather for neighborhood kids. So, as a true-blue extrovert, it was quite traumatic to watch all my siblings and then my best friend & neighbor, Kevin head off to school. My days were filled…
A devotional by Sandy Martin Leadership is the art of moving people from point A to point B. It involves careful planning and a connection with those you are called to lead. A good leader shares the vision, creates desire, and infuses people with a purpose. I have noticed that the most successful leaders are those who know well their strengths AND their weaknesses. No one is fully prepared to lead solo. We need the input of those who are…
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 Today, Pam and I celebrate 31 years of marriage- no small feat in this current day and age. I know we have a good half dozen couples in our church who have celebrated 50+ years, but 31 feels pretty monumental to me. So, at the risk of sounding pretentious, I thought I’d share a few lessons I’ve…
“Father, what is sex-sin?” And so begins one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite childhood biographies, The Hiding Place. The book chronicles the life of Dutch resistance fighter and committed Christian Corrie Ten Boom who, along with her family, defied the Nazi occupation of Holland in WW2, masterminded a nationwide underground network to hide persecuted Jews and ultimately suffered and survived two years in a German concentration camp. For her sacrifice, the nation of Israel has honored…