On This First Day of Autumn, 2021

Autumn Days

The summer joys are fleeting fast
From forest, field and glen,
And soon shall winter’s piercing blast
Sweep o’er the earth again.

How lovely were the bright spring flow’rs,
That decked the landscape o’er;
But now we see, on fields and bow’rs,
Their dainty forms no more.

The leaves are falling in the wind,
From many a lofty height,
And birds are calling to their kind,
Upon their farewell flight.

But still, how cheering is the thought,
When other joys have flown;
That the little snow-bird leaves us not,
But chirps till winter’s gone.

- Henry Reed Conant (1893)

This World Is Contingent on God

Dear S__ & E__:

COVID-19 or its Delta variant, has affected our communities here in M__ , and also 10 miles north at the small town of R__, where my church is situated. This pandemic virus has infected the church senior pastor and others.  The severity of the illness varied, but with most of the infected recovered.  Nevertheless, some of our church parishioners or their loved ones were hospitalized or died of COVID-19 related complications.  The corollary of this pandemic has garnered followers into three divergent camps: “must vaccinate against”, “not going to vaccinate against”, and “maybe to vaccinate against” the COVID-19 virus.  Nevertheless, conflicting views such as aforementioned are common in private and public spheres.  A testament to the “wisdom of this world; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Still, this viral scourge and other grand-scale recurring calamities, fallen man deemed them as “natural” occurrences.  

The wisdom of this world has shrugged off God’s proclamation that “every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.” Further, that man “cannot make one hair white or black.” Therefore, there is no such things as “natural” occurrences in one's life tapestry. God affirms that He created and own all in the world.  The hairs on one’s head and life steps are numbered. All that in this world are contingent on God. The God defying Invictus of man thinks and acts otherwise.

However the cultural rebellion, marriage is God ordained between a man and woman. For us Christians, marriage conceals the deeper meaning of eternal covenant relationship Christ and His church.  I so very pleased for A__ and J__ in their recent union. So it was, "time goes on crutches till love hath all his rites." You must regale me with stories of their marriage the next time we meet.

All grace be with you and loved ones.

L'

A Death and A Marriage

3 September 2021, 1715

L’

We hope all is well at your end.  One of our long-time friends died this morning from Covid.  She was feeling well on Wednesday 4 Aug, then felt sick on Friday/Saturday.  I think she checked into the hospital the following Saturday when she could not stand (very low oxygen level?).  Her daughter texted us yesterday saying that her mom's body was shutting down.  She is the first that we knew personally that died from Covid. 

All is well at our end.  A_ and J_ got married last Sunday in Palo Alto.  It was a small wedding.  We thank God that everything went well.

Take care.  We plan to see you before the year's end.

S_ and E_