Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

George and I  purchased our home in Blackridge when Whitney was just 3 years old.  I had taken some time off from work to spend with Whitney, and for anyone who has ever spent time with young children, you know that they often need a nap in the afternoon.  Just as often, they are resistant to napping and you end up with a quite unhappy child.  It was that kind of afternoon in  our hot, Squirrel Hill apartment, so I thought that a cool ride in the car would be just the thing that both mother and daughter needed.  I decided to take a drive and pass by our new home.

By the time we reached our destination, Whitney was blissfully asleep in her car seat

(Praise the Lord!) and I made the fateful choice to drive around the Blackridge neighborhood.  I quickly realized that navigating the unfamiliar and winding streets was a mistake and I became lost trying to find my way home.  It certainly reminded me of the old saying, “You can’t get there from here.”

So many people these days are trying to reach heaven through so many different ways.  Some simply believe that all will reach the kingdom of God as long as they are “good people,” some are looking towards other gods and other faiths, while the rest remain lost on the byways.  We are the people of the Book and we have heard Jesus say, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me/” (John 14:6)

This is the truth we are commissioned to proclaim.

As we re-energize and renew our efforts to be the faithful people of Christ this fall, let us

Be always ready to say, “You can get there from here, through the grace of God in his son Jesus Christ.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can attain the Kingdom of God!”

Blessings,

Pastor Deb