Seasons

Frank Buckles

Frank Buckles just died at 110 years old. That in and of itself was amazing, but what made his passing newsworthy was that Frank was the last living American veteran from World War 1. Between 1917 and 1918, 4.7 million Americans joined the military. Frank Buckles was the last of those 4.7 million. My grandmother's oldest brother, Alfredo Valli, died in WWI of the flu. I have the letters that Alfredo wrote to my grandmother as he was dying and those letters, over 90 years later, affect me when I read them.

Today, Cheryl and I will go into Teamworks and for me it will be the first time I have been there since September. The very first time I went there was 21years ago this month and when I think of all that has happened in those 21 years, I'm amazed. One blessing that Deb and I have is that Shawn, the first "kid" I met at Teamworks (then Camp Squanto), has become a good friend over the years. For many years, Deb would visit Shawn each week and the impacts of those visits goes on today. Shawn was recently married and is involved in a great church. Seeing how his life has been transformed is a great joy for Deb and me. 

Please pray for Deb as she is undergoing tests this week after doctors have found a couple of tumors. Please pray for her husband Dave, their kids, family and the many friends who love Deb.

Whether we are 20 or 110, each one of us impacts the future by our presence and the Lord gives us the choice to make that impact one for the better or one for the worse. Lord help us to keep that in mind with each encounter we have today. Amen.