From The Deacon's Bench

 As I sat down to start writing this latest post to my blog, I took a look back at my previous entries.  I couldn't believe my eyes...I never realized that I have been using this format since March 2019.  Within a year of that start date, COVID-19 advanced to the point that public gatherings including most church services were suspended. All of this is on my mind, since my wife Sarah and I just received our latest booster injections of Covid-19 vaccine. As of August 20, 2023, 6,910,396 people have died from Covid-19.  Even with having all of our injections and boosters as they became available, we both have tested positive for Covid-19 during the past several years. As a result, we have become very cautious of surroundings and only recently have started to unmask more in public.  It is indeed a human trait to want to return to "normal".  But given the potential hazard that still potentially exists, one needs to use their best judgement in all situations. Even as the numbe

Words can do so much.  At times they can provide more healing than the most skillful Doctor.  At other times, they can provide more pain than the most of us have ever experienced in our lives. Finding the "right" words to say can at times be quite a challenge.  As a result, too often things go "unsaid".  Yet, at other times saying too much can cause more confusion or pain than was intended.   Sometimes we use too many words to make our point.  So, this month I'm going to use these few words to remind all of us to always choose our words wisely and to always be aware that our words do matter.