Adieu

The E-Tidings is coming to an end. Six years of sorta weekly updates comes to a close. Pastor has decided go another route to keep you informed. And so my weekly column comes to conclusion as well.

Or maybe not. You can find this short blog and many previous ones at www.bottomcorner.blogspot.com
where I write even a little more often than I do here. If you are interested, stop by and look- I try to make sure to add thoughts at least once a week. Who knows, maybe you'll see an email every so often in a new and improved format from me.

February 11, 2004 marked the very first E-Tidings. The premiere issue reminded us of our Monday night Bethel Bible study, a possible 'The Passion of the Christ' movie event (which we later did, selling out a theatre), the opportunity to hear our very own Pastor Chris Boehnke on KCRO each week and to pray for Phyllis Rhodig who was having a back issue. Lots of things were going on in 2004!

In the almost 300 columns since, my intent has always been to encourage. Hebrews 10:25 tells us we are to encourage one another because the day of the Lord is drawing nearer. That verse has driven me to try to speak an uplifting word of encouragement into your life each week through seven short paragraphs.

I've enjoyed commenting on life and our church in this small space. Maybe most meaningful to me were the times I wrote on those we lost from our church- like Max, Joe, Jack and Jeannie, Viola, and Bev. Even tougher was writing about the loss of family, Sherri's mom Bette, her aunt Peg and our nephew Christopher. All these losses still sting but they also remind me of faithful witnesses who now know how awesome heaven really is!

I've also learned alot while writing. I learned about the legend of St. Dennis (while trying to figure out if my new 'Sedona' van had any meaning to it's name) carrying his head while preaching a sermon in France. I learned lots of Latin phrases including Coram Deo- the face of God. I learned about Titus, Barnabas, St. Francis and Mother Theresa. I hope maybe you learned a little as well while being encouraged.

So blest regards to you my friends! Keep encouraging one another, and stay strong in your faith. Maybe the best encouraging word of farewell I can leave you with is 'adieu'- which means 'I commend you to God'. This thought I can't say any better than the children sang in the Sound of Music- so just picture me singing......
'So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu.'

Adieu! And Blest Regards,
Keith