Ken Roesler - continued

During the memorial service for Ken Roesler the following, from his two daughters, was read by one of the pastors of their church. Both Michelle and Jenny and their children have OK'ed my sharing this with you. This is a further insight into a man who believed and lived what it means to be a leader according to Jesus. "If there is one thing that we inherited from our Dad it is the ability to make lists! He loved to write down what needed to be done, bills that needed to be paid, calls he needed to make, or items to be purchased. Every day was an opportunity to make a new list! For you to see with lists, you need never lose track of what needs to be accomplished. So, as we share our thoughts with you today about our dad, it would be fitting to share them in list form. It is a list of what scripture says about being a dad and our thoughts about how dad accomplished each one of these references Scripture says: 1. Don't provoke your children (Ephesians 6:4) Dad did the alternative, he taught and raised us to be young people of faith. 2. Be your child's 'First Teacher' (Proverbs 2:2-6) Dad trained us in the way we should go. not the school, not the government. HE did the teaching, the teaching according to scripture. 3. Dads need to exemplify a good life (II Cor. 3:2-3) Scripture teaches that who we are and how we live is like a 'letter from God', We read that letter, every day, by the way that dad lived his life. 4. Provide for your family (I Timothy 5:6) Dad made sure our family's needs were addressed across the board and beyond. 5. Good dads discipline their children (Proverbs 13:24) The one who loves their children, scripture says, 'is careful to discipline them.' This is also about proactive leadership in our homes. Ok, maybe mom got first crack at the discipline, but dad saw to it that we understood why we were punished and that above it all he still loved us. 6. Dads spend time with their children, and not empty time (Duet. 6:6-9) Dad engaged us in the kind of deep, heart-to-heart conversations that impart more than facts, but dad taught wisdom. He made family time that counted. 7. Compassion is a 'dad' characteristic (Psalms 103:13) As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion.' Dad showed us his compassion as he exhibited kindness in many forms to so many different people. And it was genuine... 8. Put your money where your mouth is. (James 2:22) Well, not in those exact words. But,James instructs us to not be 'hearers' of God's word, but "doers' also. Dad showed us what it means to go out and live Christ to others. Whether to be supporting a missionary or standing on Grand River holding an anti-abortion sign. 9. Dads never give up on their kids (Luke 15:20-24) The story of 'The Prodigal Son' is the story of a father who never gives up hope and is ready to receive his child back with open arms. Dad could discipline and hold us accountable, but he never gave up on us. His arms were always wide open. 10 Dads pray for their children (I Chronicles 29:19) We know without a doubt that dad prayed for us every day, because we own such a deep sense of love and security. "There is our list. And dad accomplished every one of these scriptural requirements. The two of us Roesler girls know that we were not only fortunate ones to experience these qualities that dad expressed through his life. Dad lived this list out with our husbands, with his grandchildren, and we are sure with some of you sitting here today. Dad showed us just a taste of who our heavenly Father is and that is why he was the BEST earthly DAD to us. Oh, the love of a father. And this is why we will miss him more than any list could ever keep track of ..." I had the honor of going to Ethiopia with Ken and Michelle, and several others, and to watch all the above happen! Ken, daughter Michelle, Michelle's son Ian and Ian's 2 month old son David --- all one family, four generations --- I am so deeply honored with the opportunity and the responsibility to still help to mentor! .

On Saturday many, many of us will gather for a Memorial Service in honor of a good and great friend Ken Roesler. In gathering we will get Ken "back".  In his book "ONE HUNDRED MUSINGS - From a journey with Jesus" by Kent Hotaling. He  wrote about two of his very close friends, Kelly and Bill.

"In these times of great loss being together brings renewal of life.  We remind each other that death is the grace of God that allows those he loves to move fully into his presence with out all that we have to deal with on earth - so that is a partial comfort.  It is a comfort to hold each other and to weep together but the surprising thing to me is:  We get them back.  It takes time, but eventually the memories that initially cause such pain become a reconnecting with this person who means so much to us. I don't need the question, "What would Jesus do/"  Because I have often thought, "What would Kelly say?" Or what would Bill or John or Shari on on and on ... do or say?  In September of 2014, a group of us gathered in Arnprior, Ontario to remember Bill Bussiere who had been died 20 years before.  We told stories with humor and pathos and of wisdom imparted as we celebrated the way God had use him in each of our lives.  We got him back!" p86

Ken was a companion for 35 years.  He and Nancy helped to shape our lives, and we theirs. Ken and I "walked together", respected each others and loved the same Jesus.

I watched  Ken in his professional and personal life.  Worked with him on a couple of  non-profit boards, traveled with him to China and Ethiopia. When in China one of our friends asked, "What position did Ken have in General Motors?" So, we asked Ken.  His very humble response was,"Of the 800,000 employees of G.M. I was in the top 1500."  Ken served people who needed Ken's expertise.  He did not covet their jobs. He helped them to be successful, to climb the corporate ladder! In his book WE by Robert Johnson, he wrote, "When two things are muddled together they need to be separated so that they may be rejoined in a workable synthesis... analysis must always serve synthesis in order to serve life.  What is taken apart must be put back together."p.49

Even when he thought a "lateral move" inside G.M. was the end of his career, the move turned into a even greater career - a career of true leadership in the corporate world.

In his church the influence of his life sheltered and helped pastors, shaped whole mission philosophy and practices. On boards he guided agenda and brought wholeness to the endeavor. Ken could analyse but he never stopped there, he knew that bringing back together was the role of analysis.  So many lesson he taught me in this regard!

I learned many lesson during our journey together as disciples of Jesus.  Wilma and I were drawn to tears when we saw this picture of Ken. A gentle, confident, complete person.

Ken was a "Kingdom of God"  person - maybe this is his real title!  .

EGYPTIAN BIBLE SOCIETY - February 19,2015


Subject : Two Rows by the Sea

An English adaptation of the poignant poem which is on the back cover of a tract published by the Egyptian Bible Society.

                 Two rows of men walking the shores of the sea,
               On a day when the world's tears would run free,
             One a row of assassins, who thought they were right,
                 The other of innocents, true sons of the light,
                     One holding knives in hands held high,
              The other with hands empty, defenseless and tied,
                  One row of slits to conceal glaring-dead eyes,
                   The other with living eyes raised to the skies,
                    One row stood steady, pall-bearers of death,
               The other knelt ready, welcoming heaven's breath,
                 One row spewed wretched, contemptible threats,
                     The other spread God-given peace and rest.
                                                           
                                         A question ...
                                    Who fears the other?
         
                    The row in orange, watching paradise open?
                   Or the row in black, with minds evil and broken?  

Carl Eicker - Birmingham, MI.another very special man

Carl's memorial service was on December 27th - he would have 93 on December 19 - just did not quite make that magic number although he tried really hard to do so. As he said just 3 days before his death, "There is just too much sickness here!" Having known Carl for at least 40 years there are hundreds of issues I could share. The most important was his relationship with Dorothy "Dottie" to me and so many others in his church and in the Tuesday morning group in Birmingham. We had a picture of the two of them on the brochure which was given to the people who came to the service. I wish I knew how to send a picture with this blog. During the planning for the service one of his daughters brought dozens of picture and one of them, more than all the others showed the relationship between he and Dorothy. Carl was absolutely focused on Dorothy and She on him. I asked a friend, who did not know Carl, to look at the picture, his response was so interesting, "I don't want to look at it, it makes me feel guilty!" A woman who was helping me to put the service together, also did not know Carl, commented, "I wish I had a man who looked at me that way!" This picture has been sent to each of his children and grandchildren and has become one of the "healing tools" throughout the whole family! In the Tuesday morning group Carl was the person who reached out to every man. He was brought by a mane named Bob. Then Carl brought Murray and Murray brought John - something like Andrew bringing Peter to Jesus - and the story still goes on and on. Carl was a part of chain web that circles our globe. It is said that there is only a 6 degree of separation from one person to any other person on the whole planet. With Carl that degree of separation has to be 3 at the most. He is related to people all over the world through just the Tuesday morning group and his church, the First United Methodist in Birmingham. Ethiopia, Croatia, China, Costa Rica, India just to name a few. This chain of relationships is so huge, so personal, so much bigger than any group or even one church. Carl was an attractor to Jesus. Many people came to the group with a great logging chain weighing them down and Carl was often the one who lifted that chain and secured a person to Jesus - even a person whohad a 20 year struggle with marriage, the church, business etc. I received a letter just today sharing with me how their inner life has been changed and the outer life,reflected in their home, has now been changed so much so that they are no longer afraid to have someone come to their home - it has been cleaned up! Sometimes a memorial service can be used to change lives in very real ways. This is how Jesus has used Carl even today --- just wonder how the fellowship is in heaven. I'm a few years behind Carl - by birthday is on 12/20. Bob Sayed's birthday was on 12/21 - Bob is the one who brought Carl to the group one Tuesday morning and Carr brought others and stayed around for 40 years. Influence ---- absolutely!!!

Two very special men

Two wonderful memorial services were held&in the last 3 month -- Sam Carpenter of Battle Creek, Michigan and Carl Eicker of Birmingham, Michigan. Both men were leaders of a group of men who met in those two cities - both groups gathered for over 40 years. The Birmingham group is still meeting on Tuesday mornings. Sam was lawyer for over 50 years - but he was really more than even that - a "music man" for the whole of his city! Wherever there was a piano available Sam would play and people would listen, call out songs, hum a few bars, and Sam could play! At his memorial service a few hundred people heard from family and friends about Sam's life, public and private, from his partners in the law firm and from his quiet work serving all over the city.For me the remarks of his pastor Bob Zuhl of the Weslyan Church,when he opened Sam's bible and read a few passages... in the margins of the bible were written the words WOW and WOW,WOW!!! Chris Christ Sam's friend and law partner shared one of Sam's mottos, "When you are wrong, admit it. When you are right, shut up!" Sam did pro bono legal work for seniors at Burnham Brook and several other places, he was a man of great faith working in his church and the Gideons and numerous service clubs. Sam taught the Wednesday morning group for a number of years, even when driving to the group was a slow drive. That was a thriving group until the drive became too much - another group leader or teacher has not shown up - yet! For Sam and the other men Wednesday was a time for understanding those WOW passages and discovering even more how deeply Jesus can and does influence our life! I'll write about Carl Eicker's memorial and about his life in another blog Bill

Sometimes we receive something in the mail which should not immediately be thrown into the trash.  Year end solicitation, in our house, usually are thrown away with all there mailing labels - our address was recently changed so the throw away has been easy - we have a couple of thousand left over from the old address anyway - but one arrived which has lain around for a week or so.  It is the annual Art Calender 2015 from the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists organization,  How they got our names I don't remember but this years calender did not hit the trash.

Each month of the calender has a reproduction of a painting with the artists name and a quotation from some famous person.  January 2015 artist Trevor Wells, the quotation by Ralph Waldo Emerson. "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."   The painting that  prompted this blog is from a reproduction of "Spirit Of The Season" by Tony Ryals.  The quotation by W.T. Ellis, "It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."

Maybe this is the challenge for 2014 as well as 2015 ---- a whole year in advance!    

A WORKING MAN'S CROSS

The last time I saw Clint, a year and a half ago, was at the family farm - Bolton Ornamental Grass Farm - just south of Battle Creek, MI.  M66 to H road S and about 2 miles west.  Clint was working, running a front loader mixing dirt with cow manure to spread on his ornamental grasses. But, I'm getting ahead of myself...

Clint's funeral was yesterday at the North Athens Baptist Church. I believed that I had given myself enough time to get to Athene and to find the church. Driving south on M66 I began to wonder if Clint and Arlene would drive that far on a Sunday morning.  Athens is really not that large but there was no Baptist Church sign.  Getting through town in a couple of minutes, it was time to stop and ask for directions. I went into a small restaurant and asked the young lady if she knew the directions to North Athens Baptist Church? "Yes, it is north on M66 to M road S, then turn left." Thanks you, I still had time!

North on M66 - pasted N road S and the next sign I saw was L road S. I must have missed my turn.  Back down M66 and turned into M road S just in front of 2 or 3 other cars with 2 or 3 other cars in front of me.  This must be the right road!  Two miles later I see the spire of a white church.  As we neared the church we could see what must have been a couple of hundred cars and the hearse at North Athens Baptist Church.

I was dressed in my black suit, light blue shirt, dark blue tie and dress shoes and was completely over dressed.  I go to city funerals.

Clint and Arlene's church is a country church. A group or 200 plus people who gathered as a community of believers had come their building for Clint's funeral.  There were 3 generations of the Bolton's with their friends. Friends with whom they had lived their whole lives together. Clint and Arlene were married in the church with the white spire which was across the street, having been replaced by the new building several years ago.

Jonathan Bolton's remarks about his dad were incredible.  He told about the wooden cross which hung back of the pulpit. Jonathan called the cross, "A WORKING MAN'S CROSS"! It had been hewn from a tree on the family farm and had been put together by his grandfather and his dad. The cross has been hanging in the church for over 25 years now.  Four generations or more of the Bolton's have now worshipped under that cross, been part of that community of believer.  Clint's grandchildren know about this Jesus whom grandpa served since he became a disciple of Jesus as a 14 year old boy.

In the biography they called Clint an agriculturist but he was really a farmer. .Farmer Bolton@ was his email address  He was given the opportunity. to work with farmer and volunteers in over 25 nations. He was part of the Peace Corp in Cyprus and head of the Peace Corp in Sierra Leone West Africa. At the American University in Beirut, Lebanon Clint taught  Farm Mechanization.  It was at this school that he taught Jose Zaglul who is now the President of Earth University in Costa Rica.  This agricultural school has students from all over South and Central America and, when I was there, from 9 countries of Africa.

For the past 10 or 12 years Clint and Arlene have gone to be a part of Earth University and to serve Jose in any way that he needed. True to himself,  Clint was able to have a regular bible study with some of he students while he was on the campus.  And now, after 10 years, some of the African students have picked up the vision to carry on - they now have 38 students with whom they now keep in touch for encouragement and discipleship!

Clint was a quiet, gifted, humble and dedicated student, teacher and disciple of Jesus until he died last Sunday.  His community gathered yesterday.  They sang, they spoke of Clint, they spoke of his work but mostly they gathered because he and Arlene are part of Clint's family!

From the grave site the people came back to their home building to talk and to eat. This was no ham and scalloped potato dinner.  This was a family dinner from dozens of kitchens, family receipts, and  loving hands who made salads and pies and loaded the tables!  I entered the Fellowship Hall through a side door - a lady who was cutting a cake into squares was blocking my way, so I said to her, "You don't need to cut that cake, I'll just take it home as it is!" She had already heard that line so I  too late. Besides, there were strawberry pies, brownies, berry cobblers, etc. I could not have decided any way,.

Lee, Joe and Gordan, men from the Battle Creek group were at the funeral to honor Clint's life.They were also there as a part of the Gideons and as a part of a 25 year old fellowship with Clint and Arlene - to encourage and to continue this community centered in Jesus Christ - the person whom Clint had worshipped since he was a 14 year old boy.

Because of Clint I had been introduced to Earth University and Tillers International.. Interacting with students at Earth I now share something of Clint's dream and hopes that Jesus will open the door for someone to fill Clint's shoes. I'm not an agriculturalist, but I'd be willing to try --- especially in February and March.  Michigan winters don't need Wilma nor me and Costa Rica is far enough south ----- but more than that, the kids (students) at Earth are so open!