Dear Church Family, Seasonal milestones mark the passage of the calendar year. We welcomed spring this week, and after the major late winter storm, we are probably ready to welcome the change. The daffodils and tulips were already poking their way through the snow. But certain chronological milestones are also important markers along life’s way. Parents make a special fuss over baby’s first birthday. Teenagers generally can’t wait to be 16 and get their driver’s license, even if that milestone occasions some parental anxiety. My father often told the story that when he turned 30 his secretary reminded him, “well, Mr. Reifsnyder, you’re no longer a young guy now!” Fifty is a marker for some, and so is 65, when we are eligible for Medicare, if not quite social security yet. I turned 75 last year, with its reminder that I’m unlikely to make the next quarter century mark and being so grateful for what I’ve experienced so far. Lynn’s brother Bing Rebillard, turns 80 this month. He grew up in Salisbury and attended Salisbury Central and Salisbury School, but he has lived in Florida for many years. Bing and his children and grandchildren are gathering in Salisbury ( from PA and VA) for a big birthday celebration this Saturday. We’ll be hosting a lunch. It will be fun to see the family who are gathering for the first time since a wedding last September, which Bing wasn’t able to attend because of a hospitalization and two operations. You may remember he was on our church prayer list for many weeks. Milestones are particularly cherished during these years of maturity. But we are also reminded that each day is a milestone, and the blessings of each day provide ample reason for thanksgiving. We continue our trek through several of those lengthy conversations of Jesus in John. This week we explore the raising of Lazarus and the spirited engagement of Jesus with Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha. The text is John 11:1-45 and the sermon is titled “If Only You Had Been There.” See you in church. Rich