HOPE'S CHILD

In the darkness of a quiet night,  

Hope found a place on earth.

From eternity to measured time 

arrived through virgin birth.

In a new born child Messiah dwelt

Though no one really knew,

The day would come when called upon

To see this mission through.

His mother watched her child grow strong,

and too soon become a man.

In sorrow knowing deep within

He would complete God's plan.

He healed the sick, and raised the dead,

still few would dare believe,

This man was who He said He was

We just could not conceive.

Then one dark day the time arrived 

His mission was complete.

I watched as He was beaten, 

nails in His hands and feet.

Compassion still shown through His eyes

Like none I'd ever known.

He closed His eyes and hung His head 

To His Father He had flown.

The next two days had stumbled on 

The future held the same.

The third day broke the darkened sky

And once again Hope came.

Oh death where is your victory,

Oh grave where is your sting.

This child born into darkness wins 

and with Him HOPE He brings.

Larry Houghton 12-09-2019
 © 2019 All Rights Reserved
Used With Permission from the Author 

Bienvenidos

“Hi, my name is Gus. My mom sent me down to welcome you to the neighborhood.” He was around five years old and had loving parents who would become great neighbors and who still live down the block today.

That was 32 years ago in August 1985.

Over the years we watched Gus grow up, get married, and eventually have children who spend time at our house picking berries or just stop by to talk. His oldest has the same gift of hospitality that his father Gus has!

We would get another visitor, Nathan, who was around eight years old, would greet us a few days later. I first saw Nate when every day he would bring his LARGE dog down to our house so that his LARGE dog could do his daily duty in our front bushes. One day, I had enough, so I asked Nate to not do it and he said nothing and walked away.

So, I grabbed a shovel, scooped up the dog’s “present”, and brought it back to Nate’s house; and told Nate that his dog had left something at my house. Nate was not receptive to me returning his dog’s property. I left it on his lawn and went back home.

About five minutes later, I saw an elderly gentleman walking down the block escorting Nate by the ear. It turned out to be Nate’s grandfather who was helping his single mom raise him and his two brothers.

When they arrived at our house, Nate was very lovingly exhorted to apologize for what he had been doing for months even before we had purchased the home.

And then Nate said; “Oh ya, I’m supposed to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

Eventually he came to mean what he said because when it would snow, he would occasionally shovel our walks and, when he was doing lawn care, he aerated our lawn just to be nice, and ten years later he purchased my pickup truck.

I am happy to report that almost every time that Nate stops over at his mom’s house (and sees me outside) he either stops over to say “hi” or shouts; “Hey Mr. Oestreich; hi!”

Nate (and his brothers) have turned out to be great men; mom and grandpa (and eventually step-dad) did an excellent job raising them.

“Welcome” in any language is a simple gift that takes so little to say; but can have lasting effects on the hearer.

Webster defines it as: ‘to greet hospitably and to accept with courtesy or cordially’. ‘To accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of’  

Because of the effect that it had on our lives when we were the newbies on the block, Cathy and I try to be a “Gus” to new people who move to our neighborhood. At the first sign of someone moving in we try to make it a point to go over and say; “welcome” to them into our world.

At the church that we attend, we have members who come from well over thirty different nations so you might hear greetings like; “Karibu” (Swahili) or “svāgat” (Hindi) or “akeyi” (Haitian) or “bienvenidos” (Spanish) or “huānyíng guānglín" (Mandarin) or “bienvenue” (French) or “bine ai venit” (Romanian) or “si argun naaf gammachudha” (Ethiopian) or “sawatdee-krap” or “sawatdee-kahwhich” (Thai)…

The Apostle Paul exhorted the church in Rome to; “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7 ESV)

The Greek word translated there as ‘welcome’ means: to take to oneself, that is, use (food), lead (aside), admit (to friendship or hospitality)

Jesus exhorted us to welcome people. He said in Matthew 25 that “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on his glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats….” (see Matthew 25:31-46)

Jesus goes on Matthew 25 to say that part of how we are judged by God in the last day will be whether we welcomed people in our lives… “I was a stranger and you welcomed me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.”

Who are the people that the Lord would want you to reach out to; to say, “Welcome” to? In your neighborhood, place of employment, church, family, and even your own home?

Who are the least of these that Jesus is calling you to reach out to today?

Who is God calling you to be a ‘Gus” to and say; “bienvenidos!”

Scripture from English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Sand, Rocks, and Trees

Recently, Cathy and I spent three days and two nights up on the North Shore. It is located on Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota. It is a destination that we have been going to over the thirty six years that we have been married; as well as the times when we individually went to that area prior to our marriage.

Our goal was to go from St. Paul to Grand Marais; staying in Two Harbors at night. The whole trip from St. Paul to Grand Marais can be done in a little over four hours. The from St. Paul to Two Harbors can be done in around two and one-half hours. We would have gone to Canada, but I forgot to take along our passports.

In the past, my goal was to get from point “a” to point “b” in a little time as possible; because I had a destination to get to. Over the years I have been trying to slow myself down and take in the scenery along the way.

Each and every time we discover something new and exciting that we hadn't seen before. This time was no exception.

What stood out to us this time was how many different beaches and coves there are on Lake Superior. It is almost as though someone had sorted out all of the rocks, sand, trees, and water into different beaches and coves on the entire shoreline of Lake Superior! 

Let me share with you some of my observations…

ROCKS: Each and every beach or cove has a different type, shape, and color of rocks. Some beaches have jagged rocks that are hard to walk on without the right type of shoes. Some have rocks so smooth they look as though someone came in and tumbled them in a rock polisher. Some have rocks that were all the perfect rock for skipping. Some were perfectly round made out of taconite or sand.

Some rocks were black; others were orange, gay, white, tan or red. Some were dull, and some were filled with stones that sparkled as they reflected the sunshine. Some areas even had rocks that look liked someone had gathered all of the variety of stones and melted them together into individual rocks made up of a composite of multiple types of rocks.

SAND: Each and every beach or cove has a different type, shape, and color of sand; from jet black to pristine white, as well as orange, gray, tan and red. Some of the sand was large grains, others were as fine as dust. Some was warm and some was cold to the touch.

WATER: Each and every beach or cove has a different type and color of water; from choppy to calm, from green water to almost clear. Some that was so clear that one could almost drink it and some was so covered in algae that one wondered why the water was stagnant.

TREES: Each and every beach or cove has a different type and color of trees; from pine trees to hardwoods. Some were tall and some were short; almost like bonsai trees! Some were fallen; others were so attached into the rocks that the very winter storms that ravage that area couldn’t remove them from where they were planted.

WILDLIFE: Each and every beach or cove has a different type of wildlife; from birds to fish to other types of waterfowl.

ATMOSPHERE: Finally, Each and every beach or cove has a different type of atmosphere. Some were crowded, while others were secluded. Some were covered in debris, others were pristine with absolutely no trash in any form. Some felt inviting while others gave off a feeling of uncertainty.

Some were harbors for large ocean-going ships, while others were places for kayakers to explore as they calmly paddled along. Some were littered with trash and even old ship wrecks that contained a reminder of who vastly different this great lake can be from one location to the next.

All of these different coves were on the same lake and yet each had their own unique things to offer to anyone who was willing to stop, wait, and observe. Each and every one came with the observation that someone had to have put this all together as part of some master plan.

My thoughts and take away:

Don't just go through this next week as though you are running a race; you already did last week.

Don’t go through this week thinking that you are alone and that no one is behind all of this placing into your life each and everything that is necessary to make you who you are called to be.

Don't just go through this next week as though there is no master plan for your life. Let God show you what He is doing.

Don't just get through this next week; there is so much to see that you won't notice if you don't slow down and enjoy the trip and soon you will be at thirty plus years wondering how the time flew by.

I'm praying for you and looking forward to your observations.

Clingy

It is that time of the year when we will soon lose the north side of our house. In a very few weeks, we will no longer easily be able to look out some of our windows.

Very soon we will no longer be able to get into the side door that goes to our basement. Why? A clingy ivy.

Normally when one thinks of “clingy” it comes across as something that is bad.

Not everyone likes it when ivy is clinging on their house. We just gotten used to it over the years.

And no one likes it when clothes are clingy after they come out of the dryer; or else we wouldn’t use static sheets or fabric softeners when we do the laundry.

And who loves it when children are clingy?

You know the type; they are always aware of where one of their parents is and notices the moment that the parent is not in sight. The child gets emotional because they NEED to be right with them NOW and they become unhappy to the point where they panic as tears fill their eyes because the parent is away.

We see this as a stage that they need to get over and rid of lest they grow into a clingy adult and then…

As much as no one likes a clingy child; even more so NO ONE likes a clingy adult! If it continues into adult relationships, sometimes this will lead to someone filing a restraining order.

And yet, according to the Bible, our Heavenly Father encourages and exhorts us to be clingy children with Him! It is something that is desired and necessary in our relationship with Him!

Deuteronomy 10:20 (NKJV) says;

“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.”

That phrase “hold fast” in Hebrew means “to cling”:

dâbaq “A primitive root; properly to impinge, that is, cling or adhere; figuratively to catch by pursuit: - abide, fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard, after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.”

We see it again in Deuteronomy 11:22 (NKJV):

“For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him…”

The New Living Translation (NLT) translates Deuteronomy 11:22:

“Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.”

The Living Bible (TLB) translates Deuteronomy 11:22:

 “If you carefully obey all the commandments I give you, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and clinging to him.”

According to Deuteronomy clinging is part of what He requires of us for our success, victory, and growth.

Our Heavenly Father is saying that part of us following Him is obeying His commandments and CLINGING to Him.

How do you cling to Him?

·        Spending time each day by praying and worshipping the Father.

·        Spending time reading the Bible which is His Word

Our Heavenly Father WANTS His children to CLING to Him! He doesn’t see it as something negative!

He is waiting for you to respond to His mercy and grace that has already been extended to you through Jesus Christ. And you can; today. And it can make all the difference in the world as you look for hope in your present world. Let Him be the Father you cling to!

Need further help? Someone is waiting to talk with you. Call either:

1-888-NEED HIM  or  1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426).

Like Father Like Son

I sat on my front porch watching a lonely figure walking the sidewalk like a night guard keeping watch over the city; barely visible except for the occasional glow of his cigarette and his dog who was leading the way. His appearance was a ghostly reminder of one who had long passed away.

For many years this was the nightly scene of a man and his dog; each going outside to do one more thing before turning in for the night. Each night the two of them would patrol the neighborhood as the non-insomniacs slept.

But both the man and dog had long passed away several decades before; so how was it that I was still seeing them? Were they ghosts aimlessly walking eternity in my neighborhood?

No, this was the son of the man long gone, who now lived in his father’s house. 

This man was the second generation who would perform this nightly habit of walking a dog while smoking one last cigarette for the day, for he had learned this ritual while his dad was alive.

This was the result of a boy watching his father showing him (intentionally or unintentionally) how to go through daily life.

As I sat and watched him, I realized that as a dad (and grandfather) I have passed on systems and patterns and habits that may affect generations; some good, some not so good.

I thought of another father who had influenced his son to follow in his footsteps.

"Good Good Father" is a song heard in churches and on radios around the world. It was written by Pat Barrett, lead singer of the Atlanta-based band, Housefires, along with Anthony Brown. The song was brought into the spot light when it was recorded by Chris Tomlin.

Pat wrote the song to introduce his own daughter to the Heavenly Father who so transformed his life. It was Pat’s attempt to explain to his children who God is; to tell them what He is like.

I first met Pat when he was very young along with his sister, his mother Daryl, and his father Marty at a pastor’s conference.

As I thought of the song, I realized that Pat wrote this song influenced by his own experience with his father Marty.

I really connected with Marty when first we met sometime around 1996. He is a very funny man who lights up a room with his presence. When he is around, very few people can escape his outreaching personality.

Marty is a man with a theater and arts background who had responded to a call into ministry and serves as a pastor in Atlanta, Georgia. Marty is a man full of compassion and mercy and reaches out to the marginal people of our society.

His church is a melting pot of denominations and races who gather each week to discover who God is in a city still tainted with prejudice and racism.

It is a multi-cultural, living bridge connecting God, the world, and the various parts of the Body of Christ. Healing ministries, the arts, outreach to the city are just a few of the ways they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a broken world; specifically, in DeKalb county Georgia where nations live, highways converge, and God invites all to His table.

Marty is a model of love to his world and in his home. And Pat grew up observing this love and he could write and sing about a “good, good father” because he knew both the love of an earthly and a heavenly father.

So, dads, what are your sons learning from you? Years after you are gone, what will be the habits and belief systems passed on to your sons? What will be the songs that they are singing that they will pass on their children?

The answer will be loosely based upon not how perfect you are or have been, but rather on who is influencing you. Do you know the love of this Heavenly Father? Has He left His mark on your life?

He is a Good, Good Father; it’s who He is. He is perfect in all His ways. And you are loved by Him

 “The return to the "Father from whom all fatherhood takes its name" allows me to let my dad be no less than the good, loving, but limited human being he is, and to let my heavenly Father be the God whose unlimited, unconditional love melts away all resentments and anger and makes me free to love beyond the need to please or find approval.” 

― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

You’ve Stolen My Heart

At the time of this writing, I have four grandsons (Emmett, Everett, Gavin, and Rowan) and one granddaughter (Fallon Ann). I love each of them so very much, and oftentimes it is very hard for me after they have gone home (or when I have left their house). Each of them has a part of my heart.

I still don’t know how it happens, but (seemingly) each and every time we visit the grandchildren, they light up when they see us and come running over to give me (and Cathy) a hug.

And yet, because there is only one granddaughter, I can write this without offending the boys…that is until another granddaughter comes along.

But something happened to me on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 6:34 in the morning, when our daughter Elizabeth (with her husband Chris at her side) gave birth to her first child; Fallon Ann.

A casual look at my BlogSpot revealed that I have written about her at least sixteen times since she was born. I re-read some of them tonight as I am writing this week’s blog and cried because of my love for her.

I was thinking of the casual conversations Cathy and I had this past week when we spent time at Fallon’s hobby farm along with her brother Gavin, my daughter Elizabeth, and her husband Chris. Cathy and I had gone up to their home to help build a playhouse.

I should note that when I work on projects, I have a history of being goal orientated. But sometimes it has been at the expense of quality time with my children and grandchildren.  

This comes from my years working in construction where production meant profits. In fact, Cathy’s dad, when he was alive, used to “drive me nuts” when he would stop and start work on projects (such as when we built the cabin together) just so that he could spend time with his children and grandchildren.

He was a man who really knew that things were not more important than people and relationships. And so, as I thought of him on the drive up to the farm, I was determined this would not be one of those times so I asked Cathy to help me take some breaks to spend quality time with Fallon and Gavin.

I should note that even if I am focused or goal orientated, I have always made room for my children to help by handing stuff to me or swinging a hammer or cleaning up. Today was no acception as Gavin and Fallon worked alongside of us.

At one point towards five pm, Cathy told Gavin and Fallon that we would be staying over for supper so that grandpa could spend time with them. That was my cue to set down the hammer and stop working for the day.

And, just to make sure that I got the message, Cathy said gently said to me; “No more work so that you can spend time with them.” I took the opportunity to thank her and proceeded to go to Gavin and Fallon who called for me to push them on the swings.

It was a wonderful opportunity to swing and talk and laugh and spend quality time with just the two of them as mom and dad cooked supper with Cathy. During this time away from work, Fallon really touched my heart on two occasions.

The first came when I showed her a photo of a drawing that she did on the white board in our kitchen. The weekend before when she was at our house she started drawing a face in dry erase markers and I asked her who it was and she said; “It’s you” and gave me a big smile as she proceeded to draw another person whom I had assumed was grandma Cathy.

When I showed her the photo of the drawing and made a comment about grandpa and grandma, she said; “That’s not grandma, that is a picture I drew of you and me, grandpa”. I stood corrected and my heart was touched that she would draw a picture of the two of us.

After a while, Fallon said that she wanted to sweep out the clubhouse one more time before we ate, so I walked with her.

As we walked through her yard, talking about all sorts of things, Fallon said to me; “Grandpa, I’ve been trying to think of something special that just you and I can do together today.” This little girl was reciprocating love to me and desired to spend time with me and communicated it so very clearly.

And, as important as it was for her to get her clubhouse built, she wanted even more to spend time with the builder.

Now it is one thing to for me to think that I am a favorite person to my children and grandchildren and quite another when I find out that it may be true.

For some of us, this is easy to believe and receive. For others of us, this is not so easy to believe and receive. In fact, our minds can self-talk us into pushing it away.

And yet, the fact is my granddaughter loves her grandpa and wanted (wants) to spend time with him.

As I write this I realize that sometimes I do the same thing with God. Oh, I am grateful that He provides for me and forgives me (and doesn’t squash me like a bug).

But sometimes it is hard to believe and receive the fact that He wants to spend time with me; after all…if He only knew…oh wait, He does know…

Or that He could possibly ever say to me; “I’ve been trying to think of something special that just you and I can do together today.”

It is in these moments that I must believe that He has a part of my heart and stand on His Word that tells me that He demonstrated His own love toward me when I was a sinner and died for me.” (Romans 5:8)

He hung on a cross while we were yet sinners arms wide open, heart exposed, and longing for us to come to Him like my grandchildren do every time I see them.

And He isn’t as preoccupied with the religious things as we might think. And, as important as it is for us to do things for Him, He wants even more to spend time with the person doing the work.

He wants us to come to Him and spend time with Him as though nothing else matters.

How about you? Do you know that you are loved; really loved? Believe it or not you can. God is waiting for an opportunity to love you. But don’t take my word for it; take His – the BIBLE. Unsure where to start? Drop me a line pastortommyoestreich@gmail.com

I would love to share with you how you, too, can have a slate that is clean and heart that is open to love.

Or call 1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Adopted or Orphan?

The following is from a message that I heard in 2008 by Pastor Andrew Gross entitled; “From an Orphan Spirit to the Spirit of Adoption”

Do you ever feel . . .

• A gnawing sense of insecurity about relationships?
• It is only a matter of time before you are rejected?
• A need to protect yourself when getting closer?
• A basic instinct to flee from relationships?
• The need to make “exit plans”?
• The need to day-dream about “Plan B”?
• The need to fight because others don’t have your best interest in mind?
• The need to preemptively reject others?
• An automatic suspicion of those in power?
• The need to respond out of all proportion to unintentional snubs?
• That disagreements, corrections, or constructive criticisms from others are really masks for disrespect, dismissal, or rejection?

This belief or feeling is an ‘Orphan Spirit’; a sneaking suspicion that you are rejected, you will be rejected, and you deserve to be rejected.

Am I talking to the right audience?

Imagine a community in which people believe . . .

• I don’t belong here
• I’m not wanted here
• My contribution is under-appreciated here
• People wouldn’t miss me if I disappeared today
• I don’t feel valued here
• I don’t feel safe in relationships here
• I can’t really be myself here
• If others saw the real me, they would reject me
• People don’t accept me

But what is the “Spirit of Adoption?” 

It is a certainty that you are accepted

• I belong
• I am included
• I am known
• I am desired
• I am wanted
• I am cherished
• I am treasured

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:4-7)

“having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5)

With the Spirit of Adoption comes the certainty of

• God’s goodness as your Daddy
• Your security as His child
• A wide, broad mindset of confidence

We need to make this shift, but HOW?

The Problem:  You don’t believe that God is good

The Solution: Fix your eyes on the character of God

Check the adoption papers

Rivet your thoughts and your imagination onto the Truth

 “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

How much more does your heavenly Father know how to give good gifts.  (See Matthew 7:11-12)

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  (Luke 12:32)

 “For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.  Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:16-20)

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.