From the Pastor's Desk

"Make it your goal to live a quiet life" (1 Thess. 4:11 NLT).

A dad surprised his son, who was 24 at the time, by taking him to a barber shop to get a straight razor shave. He had a shave like that a couple of years previously and knew that his son was in for the closest shave of his life (in a good way).

The barber gave him the works - pre-shave oil, shaving cream lathered and applied with a brush, and then the shave with an old-school straight razor. He was meticulous in the act of shaving. The dad watched every move to see how it was done. He just wasn't convinced he could use a straight razor on himself, or anyone else for that matter!

Then, just when he thought the shave was finished, the barber grabbed something that was very familiar to the dad: a Gillette Fusion razor. What could that be used for?

What his son and he discovered was the secret to a really close shave was actually no secret at all. It was found in the simple Gillette razor that dad was already using every time he shaved.

The shave was a very cool experience for his son, and he was glad he planned for him to have that experience. However, he discovered that in many cases, the simple things can be the best things in life. The dad now has a newfound appreciation for his razor and a simple life.

"Heavenly Father, help me see where I am making life too complicated. Help me find ways to enjoy a simpler life, and help others do the same."

-Pastors Mark and Jennifer