June 2010

“The sacrifice You want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.”

I’m a fan of Trader Joe’s and on most occasions that I frequent this establishment, I find nestled in the back corner of the store, a small stand where they faithfully serve a “surprise of the day”. You see, a friendly lady distributes to each passer-by, delectable morsels that she has prepared for patrons to taste; recipes gleaned from the shelves of Trader Joe’s products. On this particular day, as I made my dash to the rear of the store to collect my treat, she was enthusiastically serving mini-toastette crackers topped with bruschetta (an Italian tomato topping with fresh basil and garlic, for all you cooking connoisseurs). Mmm-m, crunch, crunch—now THAT really hit the spot, and teased my taste buds! Convinced of continued enjoyment at home, I tossed a package of mini-toastettes and a jar of mouth-watering bruschetta into my cart and proceeded to the checkout.

Several days later as I was rummaging for something to munch, I settled upon the toastettes and bruschetta, remembering the delightful crunch and burst of flavor they offered. As I opened the package of crackers, I was instantly dismayed. After inspection, I determined that about 95% of the crackers were broken into halves and thirds, few vaguely even resembling a whole and complete “toastette”. My enthusiasm for this snack was dimmed, but my hunger pangs were determined. I carefully assembled the topping on the mangled sliver of cracker and popped it into my mouth. Despite its’ broken and shattered condition, it still tasted WONDERFUL! I then considered how the Lord delights in us, when we acknowledge Him and bow before Him with all of our “brokenness”. Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken joys are His specialty. He sees the potential within us, and with His unlimited love and grace, restores wholeness. Thank you Lord, for putting the pieces of my Humpty Dumpty life together again!

Broken, Yet Made Whole in Him,

Carl & Bonnie Friedrich

May 2010

“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure it is in you as well.”

II Tim. 1:5

For those of you who have visited our home, you are mindful of the large wall of windows along the rear of our house, offering a splendid view of the yard, birds that visit, trees, and flowers. Now Pastor Carl is a fanatic when it comes to keeping the windows clean. He has appointed the task of window cleaning to him and him alone. Arming himself with his trusty bottle of no-streak Windex, newspaper, and some muscle-power, away he goes to eradicate those unmerciful smudges and smears. The resulting restoration of sparkle and brilliance is undeniable after the chore is finished, BUT we still have one very small problem.

It seems that mysteriously, there is always a steady sprinkling of fingerprints along the length of the window and its’ adjoining sliding door, their appearance coinciding with visits from our grandchildren. A common definition of a fingerprint is this:  “an impression of the lines and whirls of the inner surface of the end joint of the finger.” Yes, our dear little Abbey had left her mark and with her fingerprints she had stated—“I was here and I left my impression.

I then realized that as Moms, we leave our fingerprints on our children. From the time of conception, we are leaving our fingerprints, or an impression on their lives, right into adulthood. Chuck Swindoll once said, “Mothers, don’t ever forget the permanence of your imprint. The kids may seem ungrateful, they may act irresponsible, and they may even ignore your reminders and forget your advice. But believe this—they can’t erase your influence.”

As Moms, we need to care about the kinds of legacy we leave when the Lord calls us home, and with our words and actions, pass on our faith to our children. Remember, it’s never too late to leave your fingerprints on the precious gifts the Lord has entrusted to us—our children.

Happy Mother’s Day,

Carl & Bonnie Friedrich