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Written and Shared by: Chaplain Chris Belfield
There is something special about living in small town, rural northern Minnesota, that really makes one really appreciate all of the grandeur and splendor that abounds around us. There is also a uniqueness to life in the North Shore country that many envy, but surprisingly few want to embrace as permanent residents. This time of year is when opportunity presents itself to allow us to slow down a bit and truly appreciate the small things that can mean so much. I remember growing up in the suburban area of Washington, D.C., where our county held over a half-million residents. There were many grade schools, parks, shopping centers, and houses so close you could almost reach your hand out a window and shake your neighbors hand out of their window. And yes, there were kids everywhere, so there was never a lack of friends to hang out with. However, the noise of dense suburbia and non-stop traffic and activity can get old after a short time – unless you are really an urbanite and need that. My grandparents, who raised me, were from rural Virginia and moved to Washington, D.C., in the 1920s, because that's where the jobs were. They acclimated over the years to adapt and survive through the Great Depression and World War II. Relatively stoic, they never talked much about those years. My grandfather's only comment was usually, "You did what you had to do to get by." One of the greatest treats was to go to "the country" for a visit. This entailed a two-hour trip to the area of rural Virginia where my grandfather was born and raised. It was another world. People there talked slower and with a different accent. They also delighted in "visiting." There were three primary areas designated for visiting: the front porch (with the obligatory chain swing), the parlor, and the kitchen. I liked the kitchen best because of the tempting aroma of homemade delicacies that teased great delights to be enjoyed later on. But what was really extraordinary about visiting in the country was the quiet, even outside. It was mesmerizing to hear the small sounds of nature usually drowned out by the cacophony of sound in suburbia and large cities. You could distinguish small animals, birds, leaves rustling in the trees. My grandfather told me, as a seven-year-old, that if I was quiet enough that I could hear the corn growing in the field. You know… It is over a half-century later, and I still remember those as some of the best times growing up as a child. Now, here we are in the North Shore in 2020. What is to remember? The COVID-19 Pandemic, stressful times that we have not experienced for decades, and uncertainty what the new norm will be in three weeks or three months? Yes, to all, but if that's our primary focus, then we may be depriving ourselves of some great memories to share with others. This past week saw the first real snow event of the season for us. I know it is an overused cliché, but the snow was having the perfect "snow globe" effect and was truly breathtaking to behold. It was also the first real frost, where we once again had the pleasure of trying to remember where the scraper was to clean the windows. I am certainly glad the car has a remote start. Now, I just have to remember to set the temp and fan accordingly when turning the engine off. Never too old to learn, right? It's also something to see when the first deer begin to look for forage and make their presence known. It was also a little alarming when the neighbor's four free-range roosters decided to migrate to our front door and simultaneously announce their presence. Yes, it's the little things we need to think about and slowing down to take the time to notice. It may seem like a small thing, but it means the world to me. At a local eatery, we go to every Sunday for breakfast, they know us by name. We talk and catch up on how everyone is doing. We are friends, and that means everything here on the North Shore. I can hear the theme song from "Cheers" in my mind right now. I sincerely pray that we never become so busy that we can't see and appreciate all that is going on right around us. This can be as simple as thanking someone for their service to us, being there when we needed them, or just to drop a line or a call to someone we haven't spoken to in a while. There is a characteristic that some people have that I really wish I could excel at. Those are the people who never met someone they couldn't talk to and make friends with. My grandfather was just that type of person who could make you feel relaxed and at home with a friend. Yes, it's the little things that mean so much. Our encouragement verse for this week is: Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV) “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ May you be blessed by God’s word. Chris Written and Shared by: Chaplain Chris Belfield
I shared not too long ago that we have a new dog, courtesy of the Duluth Humane Society. We also have a cat that we have had for three years, courtesy of another humane society. Suffice it to say that the first introductions were not cordially received, and the fur literally flew. Since then, we have been trying a slow-roll integration between the two to affect a more harmonious co-existence. Good luck with that! The 70-pound dog has totally settled into her new digs as her new house. The rest of us are just boarders. The cat has also adapted by secluding herself in my bedroom, and she is totally nocturnal, like "Hey, wake up. It's 3:00 a.m., and I want to talk." What are you going to do? Smile. I guess because that's what I've been doing. Then there are those incidents in life where you just have to shake your head and say, "Really?" First, Cathy again found a great deal. Something for free. What could be better than that? A local lodging establishment was offering two free outdoor metal benches to be picked up. We decided we could definitely recondition and put the benches to good use around the homestead. Cathy opted to take the Nakota along for the 40-mile round trip excursion along the beautiful North Shore to make the experience even better. Surprise number one – the benches had already been picked up, and the person Cathy talked to was unaware of this fact. OK, it happens. The second surprise was that Nakota, in the truck, managed to lock the doors. Not too terrible, except that the keys to the truck, Cathy's purse, and phone were now keeping the dog company. Cathy called me from the establishment so I could also have the unplanned pleasure of a 40-mile round trip with the extra set of truck keys. Did I mention it was a beautiful day to travel along the fabulous North Shore? At this point, I need to state a little-known fact, but a fact nevertheless: God has a sense of humor. Almost exactly halfway to my destination, Cathy called via my Bluetooth car system to let me know that she was back in the truck and all was as it should be. A good Samaritan from Wisconsin happened to be at the same location as Cathy and had the requisite skills with a coat hanger to effect entry into the truck. I had the exciting experience of trying to turn around on Highway 61 – to go south – on a Sunday afternoon – with the other hundreds of vehicles trying to go the same way. What are you going to do? I was smiling some more. And then there was Monday. In 1966, the Mamas and the Papas recorded the hit song, “Monday, Monday.” Part of the lyrics are "Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way. Oh, Monday mornin' you gave me no warnin' of what was to be." How true that turned out to be. We had our driveway, our steep driveway, redone with five inches of packed and rolled dirt to prepare for the winter snows. We returned from a trip to Duluth to discover a freshly covered driveway with a skid steer doing a formidable job of leveling the dirt and sculpting the driveway and parking area. I noticed the gentleman was looking apprehensive as he approached us. He informed us that the roller was not available until sometime the following week. We needed to stay off the driveway until then. What could we do? Shrug our shoulders and smile. An inconvenience? Yes, but we had done workarounds before where the driveway was not available. And then it rained. We were also told that even with the rain, we had to let the driveway dry to harden before driving on it. (Sigh) OK, I am ready to be done with surprises, but no, wait, now the National Weather Service has decided to add to the unexpected. They are forecasting a possibility of 1-3" inches of snow this Saturday. Well, it is the North Shore, after all. I take solace and comfort in the fact that Spring is only 158 days away, but who is counting? The Bible is an excellent source of encouragement when things don't seem to be going the way we think they should. It is a great reminder that God has already made provisions to ease our anxiety and stress in these very turbulent and uncertain times. What is unsure to us has already been decided by God. I think I'll just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery he has provided for us. Our encouragement verse for this week is: Luke 12:31 (NLT) “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” May you be blessed by God’s word. Chris Written and Shared by: Chaplain Chris Belfield
A famous British Prime Minister in the 1860s, Benjamin Disraeli, stated, "Change is inevitable. Change is constant." I believe Mr. Disraeli must have traveled to the great North Shore as change has been clearly evident over several weeks. Most noticeable has been the dramatic Fall season changes along the entire North Shore. The colors have been vivid and inspiring to behold. It is little wonder that each weekend has seen a mass infusion of humanity to see and appreciate what we are privileged to call home year-round. Cathy and I have affectionately come to refer to this time of the year as the Great North Shore Weekend Parade, Fall Edition. This differs from the same title, but Memorial Day Edition. At one time, we were wondering how to go about researching potential car models for replacement candidates. Courtesy of the weekend traffic, we can now leisurely sit on our hill overlooking the highway and see how hundreds of vehicles look as they drive by. Another change I noticed was the change in ground flora this time of year. Where there had been a blue, purple, and pink lupine field, now there is a new abundant growth of purple weeds. Hold on – they are purple weeds with bright yellow inside. I used my handy phone app with plant identifiers to discover that these are actually asters that bloom this time of year. I have learned something new. In addition to the asters, the three apple trees, Haralson, have fully ripened. Still, another sure sign of seasonal change is the reemergence of the deer. They are definitely on the move again. I recently pulled into my driveway and had to stop as there were three does, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, in the driveway entrance, watching all of the passing traffic. You could almost read their minds – "Is it worth trying to cross the highway?" They turned and pranced around off into the woods. Still another, albeit more subtle change, is also noted. The rising sun on Lake Superior, or any lake up here for that matter, takes on its own unique calming benevolence when the light first becomes discernible on the lake surface. The Fall smells also define the season, including the first wafts of wood smoke on a crisp, clear morning. This time of year also calls for a change in preparation for the coming Winter and follow-on Spring. Cathy has spent weeks crafting a new showpiece garden. This has included lots of landscaping, rock moving, and planting of new additions that will burst forth next Spring. An additional Fall requirement is to get the driveway ready for the inevitable snow to come. A further change is that we have built up the driveway to have a more compacted surface to make snow blowing easier. Several friends have asked where we live in relation to the house with the new driveway. That’s us. Still, the lawn tractor is to be serviced and put away for the season, lawn furniture moved, and the dog acclimated to a new home. Yes, we added a new member to the family. Nakota was a former resident of the humane society in Duluth. All seems to be going well so far. Well, almost everything is going well. Our cat, Sophie, is being petulant. We did not consult her first on our new acquisition. She has absented herself from the human company for the time being. Another famous Benjamin – Benjamin Franklin, also commented on change. He stated, "Change is the only constant. One's ability to adapt to these changes will determine your success in life." These past 10 months have shown how we have had to adapt to some of the most far reaching changes this country has seen in the past 50+ years. Even more changes are on the immediate horizon within the next month as a national election happens. I have had the privilege to have my voice heard through the ballot box for over 40 years. It has only been in this century that I have heard with such alarming insistence that each election determines our existence as a nation and as individuals. And each year we vote, adapt, and continue as a great nation and continue to progress as individuals. By ourselves, this is a daunting, virtually impossible task to perform because of our pronounced differences. However, God looks past our weaknesses, and graciously gives us his strength to carry on through all changes- regardless of who is elected for the various offices. I believe that is a fact that both Benjamins would agree on. Our encouragement verse for this week is: Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV) "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.” May you be blessed by God’s word. Chris Written and Shared by: Chaplain Chris Belfield
I have said it before, but it bears repeating: I am technologically challenged. I confess that I have resisted technology for the last two decades with all of the remarkable advancements that have been made to enhance communication and life in general for everyone. I am also an avowed minimalist in that if I don't need it, then why bother having it. My most significant accommodation to technology was learning how to use a cellphone and email until several years ago. The email was a forced necessity because working for a government entity required it. I also admit that learning to use email was much quicker and more productive than making phone calls. Information could be simultaneously shared with an infinite number of people. However, even email presented a lost art – actual human interaction, even if only by a phone conversation. Now that I use email, I was introduced to another technological phenomenon – Facebook. No, this is not a commercial endorsement by any means. However, now I can connect with people I never have and probably will never meet in real life. And for some unknown reason, dozens of people each day are asking to be my "friend." Why? If you really got to know me, you might have second thoughts based on my beliefs, experiences, and faith-based outlook on life. Whoops, a half dozen of those interested in becoming friends just declined to pursue the matter. It is incredible to see how technology affects human interaction in social settings. Cathy and I are people watchers from a long time past. I am pretty sure it has to do with us both having been law enforcement officers. What is fascinating to see is in a restaurant, two people at a table together will both have cell phones out and are either texting or viewing something interesting. And this goes on until the meal is served. It is almost Pavlovian the effect our phones can have on us. Don’t believe me? Try going 24 hours with your phone off. Now, don't get me wrong – I am actually grateful for the advances in technology and their benefit. Growing up, I remember taking vacations where one of the most critical items was the paper map. We relied on the information it provided. As a flight student in the Air Force, we relied on various scale aerial maps to direct us. This was before the advent of the Global Positioning System, GPS. Today, GPS is on our phones. While taking a trip to the east coast last year, the phone GPS guided us. The system told us where traffic delays were, the quickest route, the nearest gas station, and information on lodging. It was all done on the phone. Incredible when you consider where we were just 40 years ago. This past weekend we had family visiting from the twin cities. You remember how the traffic was, with everyone traveling up to the North Shore to marvel at the beautiful panorama of colors that proclaimed another Fall season. When our company was ready to depart, we checked the traffic app on the phone. It showed traffic backed up southbound almost four miles from Two Harbors. It took them one-hour to travel ten miles through town. We have heard of how technology saved lives by helping to locate the lost or stranded. Technology enables emergency responders to arrive sooner and provide life-saving services. I could go on about the virtues of sound technology. My point is that technology has been, is, and will continue to be evolutionary. Perhaps in my lifetime, I may be able to say, “Scotty, beam me up.” And then again, maybe not. Another benefit of technology is in the ministry of the church. Bibles, in all translations and many languages, are now electronically available. During the pandemic, we can attend church through different media platforms. The study tools available online stagger the imagination as to how much information is available. I firmly believe that not only has God provided the technology, but it also gives clear direction that it should be used to benefit us and the world He has created for us. God offers the opportunity to live smarter, safer, and healthier lives in a world that we can now also make cleaner, healthier, and safer for generations to come. Our encouragement verse for this week is: Matthew 6:33 (NIV) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” May you be blessed by God’s word. Chris |
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