Author: Bode

Blue Christmas

I know that Christmas is only 10 days away.  I am as excited about the holiday now as I was when I was a child. Over the years the traditional Crawford Christmas has changed as our family dynamics have been redefined.  Gift cards have replaced toys, video games, and clothes.  Texts and phone calls, Face… Continue Reading Blue Christmas

Counting Down

When I was a child, each of my teachers counted the days until Christmas.  There would be some kind of display on one of the boards in the classroom. Each day, a student was chosen to add or take away the card which signified that the wondrous day of our Savior’s birth was drawing closer.… Continue Reading Counting Down

ReadGR Distributed 45,000 books in 2021

ReadGR successfully distributed over 45,000 free books to children in Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas this year through a combination of school, food distribution, park, and pop-up events, in addition to our Book Pantries. Our focus, as always, is on creating a more equitable literacy landscape in the Grand Rapids area. To that end,… Continue Reading ReadGR Distributed 45,000 books in 2021

Tragedy in Oxford

I had planned to reflect on the season of Advent and what we do to prepare for the hope this season brings each year.  And then I heard the news from Oxford, Michigan.  A fifteen-year-old young man went into the school with a semiautomatic pistol and fired 15 – 20 times, killing four people and… Continue Reading Tragedy in Oxford

Give Thanks

I am a prayer warrior.  I strive to pray without ceasing each day.  From time to time I reflect on the content of my prayers.  I have the sense that sometimes I ask God for a lot.  Whenever I lift up the Lord’s Prayer, I include an internal list of who and what I’m praying… Continue Reading Give Thanks

Jesus had a Reputation

One of the first sermons I preached was on the healing of the Centurion’s servant.  The miracle can be found in each of the Synoptic Gospels.  The authors of each Gospel do not disclose what the servant’s illness was, nor how many remedies had been tried.  Somehow, the Centurion heard about Jesus.  As people traveled… Continue Reading Jesus had a Reputation

Planting Seeds

I know that we are in the midst of Autumn.  Right now, raking leaves is a daily chore for me.  My next-door neighbor has two 60 foot maple trees in their yard, and they are just now beginning to drop their leaves. Soon, snow will begin in earnest.  Even though that’s true, I am already… Continue Reading Planting Seeds

The Missing Piece

I don’t often talk about puzzles, but sometimes they make an illustration easier for me.  Below is a picture of the new puzzle I’m working on.  It is a 40,000 piece Disney movie puzzle, ten different pictures of animated Disney films.  The first one, which I just completed, was The Lion King.  It took longer… Continue Reading The Missing Piece

The Works of our Hands

A few nights ago, I was watching the Graham Norton Show.  Graham is a British talk show host, and the format of his program is a little different. The guests are already sitting together when the show begins.  What follows is more like friends having a conversation together, rather than an interview by Graham Norton.… Continue Reading The Works of our Hands

We Have The Technology

Each day I am amazed by the way technology has become such an integral part of my life.  I remember when I was the remote-control channel changer for our television. And cooking was an art.  My mom typically had something baking in the oven while simultaneously stirring whatever was simmering on the stove. Dinner would… Continue Reading We Have The Technology