Tree of Life

"A God-shaped life is a flourishing tree."
By Terri Conlin


Paul Fruin came to Rolling Hills a broken man, his branches stripped bare by the winter winds of divorce. At one point in his Catholic faith when reciting the Apostles’ Creed, he fell silent at the mention of Christ’s name, exposing a frozen heart. He met people at Rolling Hills whose faith included a warm familiarity with God’s Word. Paul had never owned a Bible. He purchased his first Bible and found new life between vellum pages. His heart began to thaw. He bought a second Bible filled with life application notes and joined a class called “Equipping the Saints” taught by Glen Luikart. That momentous decision, and his faithful attendance for 16 weeks, unfurled a root system for his faith to grow both deep and strong. After years of choosing from the tree of knowledge, Paul had discovered the tree of life. He was amazed to see that the canopy of his faith might reach from believer to disciple to laborer for Christ.

With these tender shoots of growth, he reluctantly attended a Christ at Work gathering. Here he encountered respected businessmen working out of lives firmly planted in God. Paul’s own gifts of leadership and encouragement found both sunshine and shade. At one meeting came the quiet call for a regional manager for His Church at Work, a ministry equipping churches to help each member realize their significance in the workplace. For Paul the job crackled with high voltage, a lightning bolt that struck his heart into rhythm.

That rhythm continued in a service project for Kinship House, a constellation of support services for children and families from foster care through adoption. Kinship House brings healing to life in an Irvington Neighborhood historic home needing some nurturing of its own. Paul’s community group, led by Vince and Shelley Mast, spent more than a year cleaning, painting, landscaping, building fences and a front porch, all to create a warm welcome for children longing for a permanent home. Everyone worked hard, but Paul was unhurried and engaging as he mingled among staff like Ann, Executive Director at Kinship House. She turned to Paul between brush strokes and asked him to join their board. Without hesitation, his first response was simply “no,” but given time, his answer and his heart flowered into “yes.” A patient Gardener and twenty years by the stream grows a tree where birds come to nest on leafy branches.

Who's Your Caddy?

By Terri Conlin


Some linksmen can close their eyes and feel the swing. On a clear day a clean sweep sends the ball sailing across turquoise sky toward the tin cup below. Mike Tate spent the day on lush green links, but his heart was to fill the tin cup for a thirsty man. The charity golf tournament was a benefit for the homeless. The event was a success by any measure, raising $10,000 and allowing the shelter to feed and clothe the homeless one more weekday. But it was more than a hole in one. Mike renewed an old friendship with Burt, the man who pioneered Transitional Youth, and linked together they offered one homeless young man a job with Mike’s company.

On the outside, Mike stands 6’ 3” with a booming baritone voice. But inside is a father’s heart of mercy. Sean’s story took a divot from his heart. After a childhood in foster care and his teens in MacLaren, on his eighteenth birthday the doors swung open and he walked out into the world. No one came to meet him. Fore! He went in search of his mother who took him in, but offered him drugs. Fore! When he and his habit became a burden, she kicked him out.

When Mike met him, Sean had lived three years in the rough of the streets learning deception for survival, but no life-skills; no cornerstones for building a life – trust, ethics, boundaries and relationships. Fore! Among the warnings came two signs of hope: he moved into the Transitional Youth boys’ home and opened his heart to Christ. Mike thought training and a steady job would help Sean avoid the hazards in life. For a time, the job opportunity looked like a clear shot to the green, but he was soon way off course.

Mike blames himself. He was sure all Sean needed was a mulligan, but he needed more of everything: supervision, encouragement, accountability and maturity. Many warnings about job performance, safety and teamwork ricocheted off his heart, until finally Mike let him go. But he was already gone. Sean refused all wisdom and hooked the shot.

If you measure success by coins, Sean made enough to secure an apartment off the streets. If you measure it by the end result in Sean’s life, he’s on a par 5 hole in the first round and he’s lost his swing. If you measure success biblically, then you have to witness the turnings of the heart. These we must close our eyes to see. Consider Moses, who never set foot in the Promised Land, yet saw God face to face; David, who never built God’s House, yet was a man after God’s own heart; Jesus, whose death scattered his followers, yet gathered them in eternity; or Mike, who watches the fairway for Sean’s return, his caddy by his side.

Caddy: A companion who carries the golfer’s bag giving insight and moral support. An experienced caddy is aware of the challenges and obstacles along the course of play. He can keep the linksman from wavering, and if in relationship with the golfer, offer adjustments to his swing.