Break Out the Lights - h2o devos loc 122012

+Katherine von Bora, 1552+

 

Break out the lights shine them bright


Hang them from tree and from rafter


Let them burn all through the night


Light up your hearts with the laughter

The Christmas star, shines from afar

A herald of joy far and wide


Break out the lights Christmastide

 Ring Out The Bells by Peter Mayer

Five years ago today my father, Frank Glusenkamp woke up on his 90th birthday and suffered a stroke. The stroke was so debilitating that he had seizures for 3 and ½ hours and never regained consciousness.  He died 14 days later on January 4th, 2008.

Many of you h2odevos community folks walked with me and talked with me as our family went through the “valley of the shadow of death.”  I will always remember the “light” you gave to us during those dark days. Here is part of an obituary about my dad.

 

There isn’t a day that I don’t think about him. I suppose our relationship was typical of many fathers who were members of the “greatest generation” who had sons and daughters growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I know that’s why I like Peter’s song, Harmony, so much because it names the distance and difficulty of being in “harmony” with a parent or with a son or daughter.

Frank Glusenkamp was a plain speaking person. My sister, Trina and I marvel how she (an attorney) and me (a preacher man) can “smooze” whereas our father didn’t have time for that. Now that is not to say he didn’t talk, in fact he loved to authentically talk and listen to just about anyone. But, when he asked “how are you?” He actually meant it and wanted to know “how you were.”  “Smalltalk” was not something he was interested in doing. “Plain talk” or “getting to the point” was were he was at.

He’d be happy that I share the following information with you today which can be found HERE.

“The most common symptoms of stroke can be remembered by the acronym FAST:

• F = Face: Is one side of the face drooping down?
• A = Arm: Can the person raise both arms, or is one arm weak?
• S = Speech: Is speech slurred or confusing?
• T = Time: Time is critical!! Call 9-1-1 immediately!”

You also can get more info HERE.

If you haven’t spoken to your parent or an adult child for some time, why not pick up the phone today and give them a call? You’ll be glad you did. Furthermore, I can just about guarantee it that your loved one will be very glad you did. If you need an excuse or reason to make the call, tell them that Pastor Ron is conducting a PR campaign (with the PR standing for Personal Relationship)

Blessings,

rtg