The war in Ukraine is in its fourth year. Hard to imagine. I wrote about it first in War! on March 4, 2022, suggesting an organization to contribute to. I’m reminded again that the battle is ongoing and funds are still needed by my friend Ed Ward, Colonel, USAF (Retired). Ed and I served together both in Alabama and Colorado Springs. After his retirement, he served as business manager of First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs. Of late, he and his wife, Sally, continue to serve on short-term mission trips even though Ed turns 81 today. I’ll let him explain in a letter which I’m reproducing in its entirety:

Dear Family and Friends,

Yep! Can you believe it: 81 years old on Tuesday, July 8th!  And I’ve been blessed: married to my sweet Sally for 58 fabulous years, helped our Amy celebrate her retirement as a sergeant in the Sheriff’s Office this past week, as well as having a wonderful family and many dear friends. And I’m very fortunate to still be doing short term mission work in China and Mongolia. In fact, I leave for my 29th visit to China at the end of this month. I am blessed.

Not so for Ukraine. I’ve been to Ukraine twice since the unprovoked Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, so I’ve seen with my own eyes what’s going on. We’re all aware of the relentless and growing Russian attacks that continue to this very moment. Nothing is off limits: first responders treating drone and missile attack victims, children’s playgrounds and hospitals, any type of school, overcrowded apartment buildings, active medical facilities, busy shopping centers, churches, cultural centers, museums…absolutely nothing. The suffering gets worse every day.

Ukraine Power is helping alleviate that suffering. A 501(c)(3) founded here in Colorado Springs in November 2022, we raise funds in the US, and then purchase the needed equipment and supplies in Ukraine, ensuring that every item we source reaches its intended destination. We require photographic documentation of all deliveries. In fact, of the 45 shipments we have arranged so far, not a single item has been stolen or diverted. We have reached the Platinum designation with Guidestar, the gold-standard organization ranking non-profits. Further, we have been invited to a session of The Senate of the Colorado Legislature to be honored for our work in support of Ukraine for three consecutive years. 

Among other projects, we’ve supplied essentials to community hubs providing support to those who have lost their homes, livelihood and family members; we are supporting families who have taken in children whose parents have been killed in the war; and we are supporting a massive effort to furnish four University of Kyiv dormitories repurposed into housing for displaced persons from Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, both sharing a border with Russia, and now overrun and occupied by Russian forces. Over 3,300 displaced persons will soon have a new place to live.

I hate asking for money, but this is a moment when I must just swallow hard and simply make the request. So I am respectfully asking each of you to click on the Ukraine Power website link (ukrainepower.org) and make a contribution. Today if at all possible, please. If you have already made a contribution (THANK YOU!), then please encourage others to support Ukraine Power’s work with a financial gift. 

Please help make my 81st birthday the best one ever by contributing to Ukraine Power as we strive to alleviate suffering in Ukraine.

With love and respect,

Ed

Ed Ward, Member, Ukraine Power Board of Directors

If you are able, and God leads, I hope you’ll contribute. I did.

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3.16 – 18, NKJV)

PS My blog Truth is Truth was written early in the war. It’s nasty over there as Ed wrote.

If I were giving driving directions to our new house from the north (a trip we made MANY times during the moving process), they would go like this:

• Go south on I-25 and exit onto Briargate Blvd.
• Turn right at Focus on the Family
• Turn right onto Chapel Hills Drive
• Turn left at World Challenge
• Turn left into Mission Cove

I experienced a sermon every time I made the trip…

Focus on the Family: absolutely. It’s a command.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6.6, 7, NKJV)

For I have known [Abraham], in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him. (Genesis 18.19, NKJV)

Chapel: whether the “chapel” is a place to assemble with other believers or a place set aside in your home, or the “inner chapel” of the mind and heart, the chapel is a place for reflection. What does God want me to do? What does God want me to do today?

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. (Psalm 5.3. NKJV)

And if you’re listening for God’s direction, you’ll find that focusing on your family is not enough. There’s a

World Challenge:

God so loved the world… (John 3.16)

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1.8, NKJV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… (Matthew 28.19, NKJV)

By the way, World Challenge is a continuation of the ministry of David Wilkerson who went to New York City to evangelize teenage gang members. Led by David’s son Gary Wilkerson, their core mission today is:

To see hundreds of thousands of orphans and widows loved, cared for, and introduced to Jesus in the next decade…

The Gospel is at the forefront of all World Challenge has done for over 50 years. From our beginnings ministering to teenagers in the United States, international conferences for Christian leaders and the distribution of literature, to our core mission of caring for orphans and widows as James 1:27 instructs  – World Challenge has seen God impact the lives of millions in word and action. 

Mission Cove: we have a mission, and it’s both/and. We take care of our families (see also 1 Timothy 5.8) AND we’re part of God’s mission to the world.

A lot to take in during a 20-minute drive, yes?

You can observe a lot just by watching. – Yogi Berra

I write from our new house, which we’ve been in since Wednesday. “In” is probably not the right word. We are in it, along with hundreds of boxes, that of this writing are not all opened, and certainly not all put away. Little by little…

Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. (Exodus 23.30, ESV)

In a ministry update letter, I requested prayer for an “uneventful move” the same way I often request prayer for uneventful travel. A friend responded:

How can I pray for an “uneventful” move, Bob, when, by its very nature this is a major event?

He’s right. I should have asked for “no major negative surprises” or something like that. (And we had that – a few minor glitches only.)

It’s been difficult, but progress is being made. Another friend who has moved twice in the last couple of years said,

You will survive.

She was here Friday helping us unpack. Another friend was helping unpack Thursday, and my son Mark who lives in the area (and is our real estate agent) is working very hard on both sides – the moving out and the moving in. So we will survive…because we have help!

And despite all the things we have given away, we still have too much stuff! Giveaway boxes are already full. The new house features walk-in closets for both of us, and I can barely get my clothes into it. I told June, “If I can’t get my clothes into this closet, I have too many clothes.” And I do, a lot of which I don’t wear…

Anyway, it will all come together soon. We love the new house, and the first person I “met” in the neighborhood turned out to be someone we’d met before. We share a lifelong relationship with another couple. A blessing.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1.17, ESV)

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.18, NKJV)

The proverbs contain upbeat promises as well as chilling warnings. For example, we have this:

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18.10, NKJV)

And…

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 18.22, NKJV)

Amen!

But the same chapter opens:

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. (Proverbs 18.1, NKJV)

I knew someone like that. The verse describes him precisely. Isolated and took no counsel. A shame. He died alone, estranged from his family, proving yet again another proverb:

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14.12, NKJV)

The solution?

The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. (Proverbs 15.31 – 33, NKJV)

More than a day for picnics and fireworks, The History Channel reminds us of what the day is about. A long article begins:

The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. The Fourth of July 2025 is on Friday, July 4.

It’s interesting to note…

When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical.

By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense,” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776.

When does a rebellion become a revolution become a war where one must choose sides? In the day, many Christians were quoting Romans 13:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13.1, 2, ESV)

While other Christians were leaders in a movement to do just that: resist the authorities. It’s a non-trivial question and how to apply our response to change rubric is unclear. I’m sure many were applying James’ counsel:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1.5, ESV)

I’m seeing something repeated in Proverbs that challenges me to silence. Silence? See what you think:

A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. (Proverbs 11.13, NKJV)

He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. (Proverbs 17.9, NKJV)

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. (Proverbs 19.11, NKJV)

It’s a simple message. A friend of mine likes to say,

You don’t have to tell all you know!

This seems especially true when it involves someone else’s shortcomings.

I wrote recently about an important perspective on work. Work matters. It’s a continuation of God’s work in the world. Good work makes a difference for A LOT of people.

But we also serve at our work, and I was just reminded of a well-known example with which you’re familiar if you’ve seen 42, the movie about Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball.

Here’s the story as told by Bob Green in the Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2025, The Man Who Stood by Jackie Robinson:

In 1947, when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first black player in the major leagues, he faced raw hostility everywhere he turned. Some baseball fans cursed him and mailed threats. Many players, some on his own team, made it clear they felt there was no place for him in the big leagues. It was an awful time for Robinson. The sportswriter Jimmy Cannon, covering the Dodgers, wrote: “He is the loneliest man I have ever seen in sports.”

During one road game—most likely in Cincinnati’s Crosley Field in 1947, but some accounts place it elsewhere, in 1948—hecklers were casting particularly vile comments. Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers’ shortstop, a white man born in rural Kentucky, heard the words. Then he did something seemingly simple, yet profound.

He walked over to Robinson and stood beside him. He met the gaze of those doing the taunting. He didn’t have to say a word. The message was clear: Jackie Robinson is not alone. I am his friend. We are Brooklyn Dodgers.

There’s a statue commemorating the event outside a minor league stadium on Coney Island.

Later in the article, Mr. Green includes this observation:

Reese died in 1999. Although the Dodgers are long gone from Brooklyn, the Cyclones, affiliated with the New York Mets, maintain the sculpture outside their ballpark as a lesson, especially for children: All it takes to overcome cruelty and ugliness is one person standing beside you, someone who cares.

All it takes is…one person standing beside you, someone who cares.

Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me…no one cares for my soul. (Psalm 142.4, ESV)

As [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. (John 9.1, ESV)

Sometimes a song just grabs me. My son Matt introduced me to this song, wanting me to play so he could sing it at a family gathering. It’s called “Find Me in the Vineyard” by Matt Zoeller a worship leader at Resurrection in the City Lutheran Church in Denver, where my Matt sometimes plays the piano.

It’s about people in the Bible taking pride in what they do, people who don’t know…

…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us… (Titus 3.5, NKJV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2.8, 9, NKJV)

The Bible is filled with teaching about this (the whole book of Galatians, for example), but this song captures it succinctly from the perspective of the prideful doers.

See what you think. I’ve annotated the lyrics with links to the biblical text from which they come.

Stanza 1

• You’ll find me in the vineyard
• since the morning up to dinner (Matthew 20.1 – 16)
• And all of the latecome sinners
• Who are not as tired as me

• Cause I am the older brother (Luke 15.11 – 32)
• I stayed home unlike the other
• Planned for winter all through summer
• When all he got was all for free

Chorus 

• All I wants’ what I deserve
• I kept records what I’ve earned
• It’s my time and it’s my turn
• These things I have kept from my youth (Matthew 19.16 – 22)
• All my fasting and my praying (Luke 18.9 – 14)
• All my doing and my saying
• I am not in need of saving
• In these rules …     I know the truth

Stanza 2

• The promise that I heard is
• You’ll have kids and you deserve this
• (N’ if I) just take Sara’s servant (Genesis 16.1 – 6)
• it’s in my control again

• And I see myself in Judas 
• Always pointing out what’s stupid 
• Perfume wasted why’d she do this? (John 12.1 – 8)
• Don’t you see what could have been?

Chorus

(See above)

Stanza 3

• I am not my sister Mary (Luke 10.38 – 42)
• Freed from burdens that I carry
• Every word of Jesus’ sharing
• (But) someone’s got to get it right

• Someone’s got to keep the lights on
• Cook the food and sing the fight song
• Keep the wrong one from the right one
• Til’ all this justice takes my life

Chorus

(see above)

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3.27, 28, ESV)

Back to Proverbs…

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16.3, ESV)

A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs 16.9, NKJV)

As I wrote before, we are taking on a move that requires downsizing. Downsizing requires getting rid of furniture we can’t use. These verses say that we can decide what to do, but God works the details.

I’ve already written about a “chance” meeting with a pastor who took my theology books. Another pastor (not by chance!) came and took what was left of my Christian books to give away and is sending them to a seminary in India. Praise the Lord.

Just a couple of years ago, we decided to upgrade the bunk beds in the grandchildren’s room. I had to pay a junk remover to take away the existing beds. Now, here are these two sets of bunk beds, almost brand new. What to do?

I wasn’t quite ready to have them picked up since our daughter Melody and her daughter Liana were coming for a quick visit, but I did list the small dresser on NextDoor. A lady said she wanted it and would come the next day. When someone else asked for it, I told him it was spoken for. When the lady came with her husband the first thing they said was, “Are you getting rid of the bunk beds also?” Long story short, they’re setting up a room for four grandchildren! “How much do you want for the bunk beds?” I’m finding that free is the price most people are willing to pay, but these folks were glad to have two new bunk bed sets for $100. And I gave them the kids’ rocking chair…it was MINE when I was three years old! They love it.

The theme continues. Give stuff away, make people happy. And God directs our steps by bringing us the right people.

It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2.13, ESV)

Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, died recently at the age of 80. I’ve always loved the story:

Fred Smith was near the end of his junior, or third, year at Yale in 1965 when he dashed off an essay proposing a “hub-and-spoke” system for parcel delivery. His plan involved collecting parcels from local depots and transporting them to a central hub for overnight sorting before delivering them to their destination the following day. “If a hospital in Texas needs a heart valve tomorrow, it needs it tomorrow,” he said, recalling a time when American parcel deliveries routinely took days or even weeks.

The idea was not original. “It had been done in transportation before: the Indian post office, the French post office. American Airlines had tried a system like that shortly after the Second World War,” he said. However, his professors were lukewarm and supposedly awarded his paper a C grade, although the essay itself was lost and its author later claimed not to remember the details.

Smith turned his paper into Federal Express… – from The Times, a UK Company

By the way, do you see the arrow in the FEDEX logo? I didn’t until someone pointed it out.

Jason Riley wrote a beautiful piece, published by the Wall Street Journal on June 24: What Public Schools Could Learn From Fred Smith. I don’t want to focus on the lessons for public schools, which is that competition improves everybody, but on two other points about Fred Smith and other wealthy entrepreneurs.

The article opens:

FedEx founder Fred Smith, who died last week at age 80, was a committed philanthropist. He sank millions into renovating sports stadiums, funded zoo exhibits, and endowed scholarships at historically black colleges and universities.

Jason is making the point that these “evil billionaires” as some characterize them are doing a lot of good with their wealth. He mentions Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, and Bill Gates as other examples of philanthropy.

Generosity is a good thing as I wrote recently. But it’s Jason’s second point that flipped my switch:

Smith’s legacy almost certainly will be how he made his riches rather than how he spent them…

The Ford Foundation has spent billions of dollars on poverty initiatives, human-rights advocacy and other selected causes, yet Henry Ford’s most significant achievement was developing the moving assembly line in the 1910s, which transformed manufacturing. Ford made automobiles accessible to America’s burgeoning middle class, expanded job opportunities, and accelerated the expansion of related rubber and steel industries.

John D. Rockefeller likewise grew fabulously wealthy by revolutionizing an entire industry while improving the lives of others in the process. The rise of Standard Oil led to cheaper prices for oil and oil byproducts, including kerosene and gas. More goods could be transported over greater distances at lower cost and in less time. The everyday man could illuminate his home at night and no longer had to stop working when the sun went down. Rockefeller’s money gave us the University of Chicago, Colonial Williamsburg, and New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, but his ambition made immeasurable contributions to U.S. productivity.

In other words, the work of these men made a difference in the world. Fred Smith revolutionized shipping and even indirectly forced the US Post Office to improve its services. Henry Ford made cars available to everyone, and Rockefeller made the fuel the cars needed more affordable.

As I have written before, work is important. Our work is a continuation of God’s work in the world. We serve people by our work, just as Fred Smith, Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford did.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2.1 – 3, ESV)

Six days you shall labor, and do all your work… (Exodus 20.9, ESV. Also Exodus 23.12, 31.15, 34.21, 35.2, Leviticus 23.3, Deuteronomy 5.13)