Posts by Ralph Patrick

“Whoever gives a cup of water to one of these little ones . . . will not lose his reward.” Jesus as quoted in Matthew 10 “Your coffee is ready” Jim Some time ago I wrote about an “unholy trinity” of homeless men whom I met on Good Friday.  Today, the day to celebrate The…

“There is no indispensable man.” “It’s better than a sharp stick in the eye.” “God of my Fathers, I acknowledge and glorify you.” Daniel 2 Memorial Day will always be associated with My Dad, the best man I’ve ever known.  He was part of what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation.”  He fought in WWII,…

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting. A Woman who fears the Lord—she makes herself praiseworthy.” Proverbs 31 “Make sure you excel in the act of kindness also.” 2 Corinthians 8 Linda is one of the most hospitable women I’ve ever known.  She is also very elegant, paying close attention to her appearance and attire. …

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.”  Proverbs 31:30 “Don’t ever give up on the Lord Jesus!  He is with you constantly, to be your rock of strength and a daily friend.”  Mom, taken from her memory book given to her daughter Mary Jo It’s…

Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. This week was a Papua New Guinea week for me.  My family and I lived there from 1991-1994 as missionaries for the Lutheran Church.  It was “the best of times and the worst of times.”  That experience was a significant factor in shaping my life, and I’ve spent…

“Who is my mother and my sisters and my brothers?  These are.”  Jesus “The family that prays together stays together.” Anonymous “The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant.  Every table had an argument going.”  George Carlin My sister Mary Jo is visiting from Wisconsin.  It’s wonderful to have her.  She has…

“Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough.” George Washington Carver “Nothing beautiful comes without some suffering.” The Book of Joy Have you ever met someone for the first time that you felt you had met before?  Someone that you seemed to recognize, or “rang a bell” with you?  Your mind spent…

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in . . . “ Jesus “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others,  and if we can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” The Dalai…

“Then the Lord God formed mankind from the dirt of the ground.” Genesis 2:7 “Turning around Mary saw Jesus, but she didn’t know it was Jesus . . .  thinking Him to be the gardener.”  John 20:14-15 “From dirt you were formed, and to dirt you shall return.” Words from a traditional funeral service. (I…

“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” The The Tao Te Ching “The better I take care of someone else, the better I’m taking care of the whole.” David I’ve never met David in person, only on zoom.  That’s the post-Covid virtual world we live in.  And it’s not all bad.  It was…