Big Chief

I'm writing this note from the "Big Chief" cabin at Word of Life Bible Institute on the shore of mostly-frozen Schroon Lake, high in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. We arrived here safe and sound around 4 PM. Jack Wyrtzen (founder of Word of Life) used to stay in this cabin when he spoke at the Word of Life Ranch, hence the name "Big Chief." Last year it was renovated into a cozy cottage for guest speakers at the Bible Institute. We have a bedroom, a washer/dryer combo, a kitchenette, and a neat little living room, with lots of wood paneling. The walls are decorated in traditional Adirondack style. Marlene loves it. At this moment she is stretched out on the sofa reading a book.

I'm teaching the book of Galatians this week. I'll be giving ten lectures (plus two quizzes and a final exam) to 550 students. This is at least my fifth time to teach Galatians at the BI. The school has a unique curriculum that utilizes a few on-site professors along with different guest lecturers each week. This will be the first time Marlene has come with me, and I'm happy she's here.

Several hours ago we drove 9 miles north to the village of Schroon Lake. Biggest surprise: Most of the snow has melted because the temperature here is about the same as Chicago when we left--mid to upper 40s. That's very unusual for this time of year. Normally in February, you'd find a couple of feet of snow. During the drive, Marlene commented on how dark it was. It's never that dark in Chicago. Too many lights. But here, in the mountains, in February, we encountered no cars, passed few houses, saw almost no lights. And since the sky is overcast, the darkness was truly deep.

We went to Schroon Lake and no one was there. Not totally true, but there aren't many people in Schroon Lake any time, but tonight almost the whole town was closed. There were two cars in the supermarket parking lot, and when we went to a café for sandwiches, it was nearly empty. Summer is the big tourist season in these parts. Last week both Marlene and I had bad cases of the flu and we're not really recovered yet. I'm hoping get a bit stronger before I start teaching tomorrow AM. This cabin is a good place to recoup, relax and regain our strength for the next few days.

To sign up for Pastor Ray's free weekly sermon email list, click here. You can find his daily weblog, online sermons, travel schedule, and other resources at   www.keepbelieving.com. You can write Pastor Ray at raypritchard@calvarymemorial.com.