My grandfather, Al Petri, Sr. died today. I never spent enough time with him. It seems that life is too short and we never have enough time to spend with those we love. He was a good man, a first generation Hungarian American. He was a man of integrity, loyalty, and, most of all, faith. He taught us how to love and how to live. I am really going to miss him. He loved God and was active in his church. He attended St. Francis Xavier in Ecorse and served there for many years in many different ways.
I am his namesake. I was born July 9th, which was my grandparent's anniversary. When my dad left the hospital that day, he left assuming that my name was David. My grandfather stopped by after Dad left and tried to convince Mom that since I was born on his anniversary, I should be Al III instead. And if you knew my grandfather, you wouldn't be surprised that he was able to change his daughter in-law's mind. So I am, and have been ever since, Al Petri, III.
When I was a young teenager, Grandpa would take me for summer vacation to the lake or the KOA Campground in Dundee. Once, we drove out west to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, the Wild West! The time we spent at the Grand Canyon will forever be etched on my mind.
He and my grandmother cared about family. They started our bicycle shop as a family business 60 years ago this year. Grandpa would work at the factory during the day while Grandma would pack up the babies and bring them to the bike shop, waiting on customers, unpacking orders, doing the bookkeeping. After finishing his work at the factory, Grandpa would come in while the shop was closed and do the service work. We have had 5 generations of Petri's work at the shop my grandparents founded, a true family legacy.
I know that you are no longer suffering, that God has truly healed you now, the way only He can. We will all miss you, and we love you. Goodbye, Grandpa.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Heal the Children
We just received word that a boy in our congregation has been diagnosed with a spinal tumor. They are doing a surgery today to remove the part of the tumor that is impacting his spinal cord, and will discuss further treatment options afterwards. They haven't determined whether or not it is cancerous. We also know of a young girl whose father was raised in our church who was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently battling this awful disease.
Debbie and I lost a son to cancer, so this is especially painful to us. We know what it is like to go through these treatments, this time of uncertainty and pain. It is so difficult to watch our children getting poked, getting radiation & chemo, becoming ill. We do know, however, that God is with them all, holding their hands and hugging them, giving the comfort and support that only He can give.We are asking for your prayers that both Jake & Cassie will be healed and that their families will be strengthened by God through this ordeal.
Debbie and I lost a son to cancer, so this is especially painful to us. We know what it is like to go through these treatments, this time of uncertainty and pain. It is so difficult to watch our children getting poked, getting radiation & chemo, becoming ill. We do know, however, that God is with them all, holding their hands and hugging them, giving the comfort and support that only He can give.We are asking for your prayers that both Jake & Cassie will be healed and that their families will be strengthened by God through this ordeal.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Nooma
Well, several of us from church got together and started a new small group this past Sunday. We are using Rob Bell's Nooma videos as a discussion starter, but our aim isn't to just have another group that talks about things, we want to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. Our goal is to learn how to be real followers of Jesus, not just believers in Him. As Rob Bell puts it in one of the videos, we want to be covered by the dust of our Rabbi, Jesus Christ. It seems that too many of us get worked up about what you're supposed to believe when you become a Christian, and not enough of us take the time to discover how to really live as Christians.
In Mark 10, the rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. I used to believe that he meant "How do I get into heaven"? But go re-read that passage, and it's parallels in Matthew & Luke. Look closely at Jesus' answer to him. If his question meant "How do I get into heaven?", then I would expect Jesus to say "Repent and believe in Me".
But that's not what Jesus tells him. He says "Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I wonder if what Jesus was really telling him is how to live in God's Kingdom here and now. Jesus concern is so often for the poor, the widows, the orphans. How can we claim to be like our Rabbi and not show the same concern for the marginalized in our world? When Jesus says to us "Come, Follow Me" are we prepared to obey Him?
In Mark 10, the rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. I used to believe that he meant "How do I get into heaven"? But go re-read that passage, and it's parallels in Matthew & Luke. Look closely at Jesus' answer to him. If his question meant "How do I get into heaven?", then I would expect Jesus to say "Repent and believe in Me".
But that's not what Jesus tells him. He says "Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I wonder if what Jesus was really telling him is how to live in God's Kingdom here and now. Jesus concern is so often for the poor, the widows, the orphans. How can we claim to be like our Rabbi and not show the same concern for the marginalized in our world? When Jesus says to us "Come, Follow Me" are we prepared to obey Him?
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