Ron Goch
The Telios Group
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March 19, 2024

One day following the Giants win over the Patriots and millions around the world viewing the highly anticipated Super Bowl commercials, I thought each of our readers might enjoy a post about a fifth grade teacher in a Christian school that asked her class to look at TV commercials and see if they could use them in some way to communicate ideas about God. Here are some of the student’s responses:
 
God is like Bayer Aspirin.
He works miracles. (more…)

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March 19, 2024

I came across an intense, very moving film, “The States of Grace, ” which is a sequel to “God’s Army, ” a movie I have not viewed.
 

“The States of Grace” movie was released in 2005, but it wasn’t until last week that I read movie reviews and felt motivated to check it out.
 

In short, it’s one of the best Christian films I’ve watched.  You can view the movie trailer here.
 
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Ron Goch,
The Telios Group
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March 19, 2024

Our kids never seize to amaze me with their open, honest, candid and at times, naïve comments.

Sometimes they’re just flat-out funny – making everyone in our family laugh – and other times they’re a bit too much attitude, which we address appropriately. (more…)

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March 19, 2024

We received the following message from our neighbors and I thought it would be fitting to share it with you today:

At one time we all could hear the bells of Christmas and feel the magic.

As years pass they fall silent for many.

Let us always listen for their sweet sound, feel the magic and always remember the true meaning of Christmas.

We truly hope the bells still ring for you as they do for all those who truly believe.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!

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Ron Goch,
The Telios Group
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March 19, 2024

I’ve received a number of mails from family and friends that mostly have a holiday theme, and the one below was one of those true stories during the holidays that makes you stop – no matter what you’re doing – and think about the true meaning of the holidays. I hope you’ll take time to enjoy it as I did:

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, and painting, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest – a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by eight feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder and hangers to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor, ” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?” The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into It there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home; that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

A true story from Pastor Rob Reid who says, “God does not work in mysterious ways.”

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Ron Goch,
The Telios Group
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March 19, 2024

Rick Kuhlman and I met 18 years ago and have remained close friends ever since. He’s without question one of the nicest and most genuine people I’ve ever met, and I’m thankful for our friendship.
 

Rick has been developing a father/son Christian camp concept the last few years, and recently launched the Mission Mentors web site that I thought I’d share in this post.  I encourage you to check out the site and programs here.
 

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Ron Goch, The Telios Group
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