It was November of 2016 when my life changed in several ways. 

For the first time in all the years I have been riding my bike (since the 70s) I was hit by a car. It was early afternoon. I was wearing bright clothes. I laid on the ground after his mirror hit me in the left hip and watched as he kept on driving without even using a brake light. Yeah…I felt then and still do today that it was intentional. But that day changed my life. Other than the obvious, something much deeper and more life-impacting happened. It drove me to investigate cycling safety and laws. I became aware of an organization called 3 Feet Please (or 3FP for short).  I remembered it from a few years before but never pursued it. I found out that the man who had been in charge had given all rights and privileges to a man named Dave. Dave Waechter from Gilbert, AZ. I reached out to Dave to inquire about 3FP and that started a friendship I had no idea would develop. Dave was serious about 3FP. Totally serious. Several years before I met him he was riding an MS ride with his daughter, Nina, and their family friend, Lynn. A 90 some year old man tried to pass a lot of cyclists at one time and when he realized he couldn’t he veered into the cyclists, killing Lynn and injuring Dave and Nina. Lynn lost her life, Dave was injured, and that began a pursuit of getting states to pass a 3 foot law between passing motorists and a cyclist. After my experience, I was all for that, so I collaborated with Dave on reaching out to a couple Indiana legislators to get the law passed in Indiana. It finally did!  

But far more important was the friendship Dave and I forged. Soon a weekend visit brought him to Indiana where I picked him up at the airport, the three of us (Dave, Jo and I) tried various restaurants, but more importantly we just hung out together. Tami was still in TN so we had an extra room where he stayed and we relaxed together. He attended OVCF on Sunday and immediately ingratiated himself to our people. He supported some of our efforts throughout the year long-distance (like our diaper drive for New Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center; our Christmas baskets for people who needed them, etc). When he wanted a break from the AZ heat during our winter months, he work remotely from Maine (Maine? I never understood that ) and would stop through going to and coming from where he stayed. Then in February of 2024, he and Susan gifted us with First Class tickets to spend a week with them in AZ. While there they let us use their extra car and we were able to meet Floyd in Scottsdale. We ate out at different spots, but the coolest of all was the 3 days in Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Memories still fresh in my mind and on my phone. 

It was just about a week later I got a phone call that changed my world. He was unintelligible and when I finally found out what was going on, he was in the hospital and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma. He did some experimental treatments that seemed to help some. In February of 2025, David and Susan came to visit us and spent 5 wonderful days just hanging out. He was not the sharp Dave I once knew, but nothing can take away those few days. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see him here on earth. If you know anything of glioblastomas, it is not good. (I recommend reading Dr. Lee Warren’s book I’ve Seen the End of You for more insight, especially from a Christian’s viewpoint). September 30, 2025 I received an early morning phone call from Susan telling me Dave had passed. 

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of him in some way, and yes, still shed some tears. I have cycling gear that reminds me. I have a t-shirt that reminds me. I have some bears he provided that I could give away. I have the 4 of us having our picture taken at the Grand Canyon as my screenshot on my phone. I stay in contact with Susan on a weekly basis and hopefully Jo and I will be able to go visit again this coming February, as we did this past February. It never ceases to amaze me how God brings people together, some who are so different. We met because of cycling. I’m older than he is by a good 10+ years is my guess. I am a pastor; he was a tech geek who helped found a Suicide Prevention Network that boomed. His grasp of things and his intelligence was so far beyond mine. His life experiences would make mine look like LEGOS in the real life. While I’m in my Delorean trying to make sense of things, he is Doc Brown trying to explain everything. I’m Marty McFly and he is Charles Eppes from the TV show, Numbers.  But somehow we hit it off. Perhaps because we were able to look beyond the differences and see each other for who we were. I was in awe of his ability and intelligence (which he never flaunted); he respected my position as a pastor. In fact, in the greatest tribute I could ever be given, he called me his pastor. Oh…it didn’t hurt that Jo and Susan kept us humble.  

I could go on, but I have already written a small book. I hope I have not bored you but have given you a glimpse into the life of a special man whose passing I “celebrate” today…one year later. Dave, I love you my friend, and I’ll see you again. And Susan, if you read this, Jo and I love you as if you are our own flesh and blood. 

1. OVCF’s mission and vision (see our website) https://www.ovcf.org/ovcf_wp/
2. My strong desire that OVCF be seen as a home, a safe place for people to experience love and grace and healing. 

You walk into most homes in Everytown, USA and it is not uncommon to find some type of photo album. Some are very prominent and found on coffee tables or end tables. Some are in boxes of all shapes, sized and condition. You might find faded pictures, old polaroids, old black and white pictures, and some with faded writing on the back. Family and home is important to us. 

Church should be like that. It should be a place where people can make themselves at home and feel loved. The simple truth is the Christian life cannot be lived properly as a loner. Do I have to remind you what happened during COVID and the social isolation that played havoc (and still does) with the mental health of just about everyone, especially kids? 

My series is designed to bring people back to the idea that church is a Home, a safe place. Here are the titles of the series:

• We Speak Safe Place- Eph. 2:19-22
• We Speak Truth- Romans 1:18-32; 2:1-16; 3:9-28
• We Speak Jesus- Col. 1:15-22
• We Speak Fresh Starts- Philemon
• We Speak Changed Lives- Col. 2:6-15
• We Speak Real Life- Rom. 6:11-23

I owe a big thanks to the late Lee Eclov (“Feels Like Home”) for putting me on this path; Craig Cooper and Walker Hayes (“Glad You’re Here); Drew Dyck (“Just Show Up”) and Karl Vaters (“De-Sizing the Church?). I’m praying for big things during this series. Join me in that please, as well as watching online (YouTube or Facebook. Links can be found at the above website) or in person. 

Until today.

I’m reading a 31-day devotional book on Shame by Esther Liu. In today’s reading (Day 5), she writes about the game we play with our emotions. If you struggle with shame because of X,Y,Z, then the solution to get rid of shame is to fix X,Y,Z. It is likened to climbing ladders. Each ladder represents a standard we live by, whether physical beauty, intelligence, ministry success, or something. The higher you are on the ladder, the better you feel about yourself. The lower you are the more you feel resigned to a lesser, shame-filled life. We tend to look at those above us on our ladders and feel self-condemnation or envy. We look at the people below us and feel superior, even judgmental. We look at the people right under us and worry they might surpass us.  Ladder-climbing doesn’t ultimately deliver on its promises. That’s why they are called “the ladders to nowhere”* or “the ladder game of hell.”**

Here’s my take: we often spend an awful amount of time and energy  (especially emotional) trying to get rid of shame by comparing. We spend time comparing our lesser with their greater. The “I wish I had/could game” is hard to play. Instead of focusing on our strengths, we lay eyes on on our weaknesses and compare those with the strengths of others. We either feel superior to or lesser than depending on what we are comparing. 

God has written His name on my/your heart. It is His stamp of approval. That is enough to know I belong to Him and He takes me as I am, not as I think I am, nor as I think I should be. And that is worth far more than all the gold in Alaska. 

*David Powlison

**Esther Liu

In 2002, our daughter, Janna, moved to Columbus, Ohio for a job in a corporate daycare. She began attending a church where she met her future husband. She also met some girls at the daycare, one who eventually began serving in the youth department at a church in Powell, where they would buy a home. For almost 15 years they attended that church, and when possible took an active part. (They, like so many, had a very active, sports-minded son which involved some Sundays). After 15 years that marriage ended and Janna had to move into an apartment because she couldn’t afford the house. After unrelated incidents, she needed to move back into the school district so Braden could continue going to the same school system he started in and was involved in. During those two years of upheaval, the church she had been involved in for close to 15 years never contacted her. No one called (not a friend). No one visited (not even the pastor). No one offered any help. She was alone, until Mike came along. Sadly, I know of others that happened to as well. So…while I have always wanted the church to feel and be like a family, that cemented my drive to make it happen. Mike’s death heightened her need for the church to be there. It was her “other friends” who came to her aid, not the church. Fortunately, her ex’s recommitment to Christ and Braden’s desire to attend church with his mom has at least drawn her back to the place she once knew. Are they reaching out to her? I don’t know. What I do know is that I shudder to think that might happen here.  Now you know why the church being “HOME” is so important to me.  Thanks for listening. Let’s make it happen!

I write what I call the Midweek Message (MM) to the folks at OVCF and others who have requested it. (You may do so as well). I wrote #303 this week. I began the MM during COVID to use as a way to stay in touch. I used to write every week but since the beginning of the summer began writing every other week. I wrote the previous thoughts in this week’s edition because I am beginning a new series this coming Sunday called “There’s No Place Like Home.” 

August 12- 11:20 pm. “Mike just passed.” We were in bed asleep. A storm had come through the night before and delayed our leaving by a day. If not, we would have been there. I failed him. I failed Janna. I failed God. That is the feeling I will have to deal with. My last interaction with him-other than texting while getting his treatment-was me riding back to the house with him after a meal at an Amish restaurant talking about a matter he would need to be aware of because it would involve Janna eventually. All the while I now wonder if he had things on his mind about how he felt. I never talked to him about Jesus. Never had the chance to. I have no idea where he is today. 

September 19- Two days away. A “celebration of Mike’s life” takes place at the Pickleball club he and Janna played at a lot. Jo and I plan to be there. Tami will be unable to go with us. We don’t know anyone. The only common element is Mike and Janna. No question it not be like the gatherings we normally go to. No question that Jo and I will be like fish out of water. We will be there for Janna and to honor Mike. I wish I could have the reassurance of seeing him again. Maybe I will. Maybe he opened his heart to Jesus in the past and reaffirmed that as his life was ending. He wanted us to come. Maybe it was to talk “assurance” and forgiveness. I’ll never know. I do know that I loved him and appreciated all he did for Janna and bringing her back from the brink of despair. I’m not his judge, but I trust the ONE who is. 

All that to ask for your prayers this weekend as Jo and I head over to Ohio early Saturday morning and return Sunday afternoon. Please keep praying for Janna as she deals with life without the love of her life. Pray that she finds refuge in the arms of Jesus. 

1. NO ONE IS IMMUNE. Even God’s best can despair. Elijah was alone, hungry, tired, and angry which for anyone is a recipe for disaster. Warning: be careful of saying, “That will never happen to me” or “I will never.” 
2. GOD SPEAKS TO US IN THE QUIET. I draw your attention to I Kings 19:11-15 for a stunning display of God’s power. But take note of when/how God spoke to Elijah. 
3. YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE. Elijah wanted to die so he calls out to God. It is a sign of wisdom and strength, not weakness, to ask the Lord for help and guidance. And don’t be ashamed to reach out to people/professionals (preferably Christian) for help. You are no less a man or woman to do so. 
4. JESUS IS STILL LISTENING TO AND HEALING THE HOPELESS. Multiple incidents in the life of Jesus show that He cares for the welfare of people.  Mt. 4:24 and Lk. 8:26-33 are just two examples. 

I closed with a song, “Who Am I” which you can listen to here. Yes, there are “tamer” versions.  

I want to encourage you today to not give up. You matter to God not because of what you have done but because of who He is.  

Have you ever forgotten something-a date perhaps-that had significance? For example, there are serious consequences if you forget your wedding anniversary. Your spouse’s birthday. Your child’s birthday. A ring-the-bell day when a person walks out of the cancer ward for (hopefully) the last time. The date when a loved one dies. 

A date of significance. Like 9/11. I’m ashamed to admit it sneaked up on me. I’ve been so busy, so preoccupied with other stuff that the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks (and that is what they were in spite of what the Socialists or that Canadian newspaper spout off) on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and (the plane that may have been headed to the White House but went down in a field in PA due to some heroic actions of some passengers). 25 years today. 25 YEARS AGO TODAY!!

Like many other adults old enough to remember, I can still tell you what I was doing that day. I confess that I knew very little about the Twin Towers that fateful day. What happened in NYC was not even a blip on my radar, until… I watched the news reports hoping to see or hear of people rescued alive. More often than not, it was the opposite.  I vividly remember the pictures of people covered in dust, soot, and all sorts of stuff as they tried to get away from the scene. I shuddered every time I watched the planes hit the Towers and the pure evil it took to pull that off. I remember the 1-year anniversary and the special program several pastors and I in Sandusky, OH put together. I said I would never forget. I almost did. May it never be!

Even more importantly, may I never forget or take for granted the life poured out and the blood spilled on a rough hewn cross on a hill called Calvary. An act of heroism that has changed lives for over 2000+ years. MAY I NEVER FORGET! 

Proverbs 10 has several verses dealing with integrity and also the words we say. So often they go hand in hand. 

• Verse 9- “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.” 
• Verse 29- “The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.” 

But the most frequent references are concerning our words. For the sake of shortness and for your own study, here are the verses I highlighted this morning. 

• Verse 11
• Verse 13
• Verses 19, 20, 21
• Verses 31,32

I’ll let you check those verses out on your own. Go ahead, get that Bible out!  

Meanwhile, please check back tomorrow for more thoughts.

• Judas takes his own life by hanging
• Pilate facing an angry mob with a dilemma: release Jesus or Barabbas
• The mockery of the soldiers and the passers-by of Jesus before and on the cross
• His death and the open tombs of the already dead saints
• Joseph requesting the body and the burial of Jesus. (Matthew says specifically that some of the ladies were watching the process. So much for the “wrong tomb” theory.
• Sealing the tomb and placing guards

Well…if that was the end, it is pitiful. But I kept reading into chapter 28. 

• The ladies went to the tomb
• They are met by an angel proclaiming Jesus was not there but alive
• On the way to tell His disciples, Jesus meets them
• The guards report the missing body (empty tomb) and are bribed to lie (real fine upstanding religious leaders wouldn’t you say?)
• Jesus appears to the disciples and give them the Great Commission: “Go.” “Teach.” “Baptize.” “Teach.” 
• It ends with a promise- “I will be with you.” 

Quite an eventful few days! Summarized like this:

1. Mockery to Exaltation
2. Defeat to Victory
3. Death to Life

“Because He Lives I can face tomorrow,” so the song goes. 

No greater truth gives men/me hope than that. 

“I’ve come to the end of my rope. I just don’t know what to do.” Been there. Said that! Actually, that, or a thought like it, is pretty common among Christ-followers. We want to KNOW but the way is fuzzy and the results are even murkier. 

In Proverbs 3 are two verses that are on almost everyone’s “verses to memorize” list. Verses 5-6 to be exact: “Trust in the Lord will all your heart; do no depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”  (NLT)

THE ADMONITIONS:

1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Easy to say; hard to do. Take a moment and read Mt. 21:21-22. Trust/faith is exactly what Jesus was speaking about. 
2. “Do not depend on your own understanding.” “But, I know best!” Or so we think. I get in deep trouble thinking my way is the best way. 
3. “Seek his will in all you do.” Jesus said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Submission to His Father’s will was asked. Jesus didn’t consider any other option. Whatever happens. Whatever turns up. “Not my will but Yours be done.” 

THE RESULT?

“And he will show you which path to take.” The fork in the road is in front of me. I can choose to lean on my wisdom and my way or I can choose to seek His wisdom and way to follow. 

“Lord, remind me that Your way is better. Remind me what David wrote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need…He leads me beside peaceful streams.’ (Ps.23:1-2 NLT). Show me your path and lead me straight into Your arms.”