Walk in Faith: Reflections on Christian Living

By Jerry Binko and Nancy Binko

"Jerry and Nancy Binko have collaborated in writing a book that is down-to-earth and inspiring. Each of the twenty-one chapters offers thoughts for serious meditation. They include: Getting to Know God, Taking Care of Yourself, Stewardship, The Attitude of Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Humility. Add some humor, personal stories, and practical Scripture quotations, and you have a book that will lead you to a greater appreciation of God's love, as you reflect on what it means to live a life of joy as a Christian."

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512750386

Jerry Binko

Jerry Binko is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received his bachelor’s degree in social studies and his master’s in education and theology from St. Mary University in Winona, Minnesota. Jerry taught social studies for forty-three years in Catholic and public high schools. He led religious education programs and seminars, and created lesson plans for the Milwaukee diocesan publication, Hi-Time. Jerry also directed choral groups and moderated sports programs. He sings in two choral groups, likes to fish, and enjoys his favorite TV show, The Lawrence Welk Show. Nancy Binko grew up in the small town of Bellevue, Iowa. She received her bachelor’s degree in music education from Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and earned her master’s at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Nancy taught music in elementary schools for forty years and still enjoys bringing music to others as a piano instructor. She likes to relax with a good mystery novel. Jerry and Nancy are involved in ministries at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and they lead the ministry at the Somerby Retirement Community. They enjoy relaxing at the ocean and spending time with family. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 Jerry and Nancy Binko.

Imprimatur

† Robert E. Guglielmone, D.D.

Bishop of Charleston

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All Scripture quotations are from the Catholic edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All excerpts of poems by John Corrigan are used by his permission. All rights reserved.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5037-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5039-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5038-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016911665

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/30/2016

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1    Vision

Chapter 2    Getting to Know God

Chapter 3    The Bible

Chapter 4    God Works in Mysterious Ways

Chapter 5    Fear

Chapter 6    The Cross

Chapter 7    Trust

Chapter 8    Ask and You Shall Receive

Chapter 9    The Attitude of Gratitude

Chapter 10    Taking Care of Yourself

Chapter 11    Virtue and Vice

Chapter 12    Love and Compassion

Chapter 13    Stewardship

Chapter 14    Kindness

Chapter 15    The Power of Words

Chapter 16    Forgiveness

Chapter 17    Patience vs. Anger

Chapter 18    Humility

Chapter 19    Happiness and Joy

Chapter 20    Death

Chapter 21    Yes

About the Authors

Addendum

In memory of my loving husband,

Jerry Binko

(March 23, 1933—March 23, 2016)

Jerry’s life was a testimony to his great faith

and love of God.

Praise for Walk in Faith

This book can become a wonderful source of inspiration and guidance for the everyday person who is searching for a deeper, more meaningful Christian life.

—The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone

Bishop of Charleston

I love the way that such great significance and priority are given to the Scriptures. It is our Book of Life—and this book so clearly makes that point. You don’t have to be a theologian to read it.

—Sister Sandra Makowski, SSMN, JCL

Chancellor of the Diocese of Charleston

Author of The Side of Kindness

Holding up a prism in the light of God’s love and grace as it emanates from daily living, Jerry and Nancy Binko show us the wonderful range of colors refracted in everyday experiences. Each experience adds a new color or texture, creating a rich tapestry woven from lives lived with a deep appreciation for God’s abiding presence.

—Dr. Vance Polley

Pastor of Sunrise Presbyterian Church

Sullivan’s Island, SC

Walk in Faith is filled with inspirational real-life stories, small prayers, and commonsense lessons. It is a wonderful guide on sharing your time, talent, and treasure while living daily the teachings of Christ. It is written in an easy-to-read style and is an enjoyable book that will make you smile.

—Mary Murray Bosrock

Author of I Saw God, Grandma Has Wings,

and Mortal Sin On My Soul

As Jerry and Nancy tell their stories and share their faith, it is easy to reflect on what it means to live a truly Christian life. We are parents of three children and find Walk in Faith to be a delightful book perfect for family devotion and prayer time. This family treasure—composed of Scriptures, reflections, and prayers—will aid us in growing closer to our heavenly Father.

—Ed and Sonja Long

Members of St. Benedict Catholic Church

Mount Pleasant, SC

Acknowledgments

Special mention goes to the following individuals for reviewing the manuscript and for their kind and encouraging words: The Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone, Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina; Sister Sandra Makowski, SSMN, JCL, chancellor of the Diocese of Charleston; pastor of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, Father Daniel Papineau; pastoral associate Father Vincent Maroun; Dr. Vance Polley, pastor of Sunrise Presbyterian Church; friends Ed and Sonja Long, and Mary Murray Bosrock. Thanks to Father Vincent for permission to incorporate some of his reflections on the manuscript in our chapter highlights.

We thank our family: Jerry’s sister, Sister Patricia, and our daughters, Cathy Binko-DeRaimo and Jean Maczko, for their encouragement and support. Thanks to Steven Binko, our grandson, for his ideas on organizing the manuscript and help in formatting. A special thanks to Frank DeRaimo, our son-in-law, for the initial printing of the manuscript and for sharing his expertise in the field of marketing. We owe thanks to editor, Dave Rank; also to our good friend, Carol Robb, for being a great sounding board.

Many friends and parishioners from St. Benedict Church have shown support. Jerry is grateful for the kindness of the Men’s Group from St. Benedict, who will no longer have to ask him when the book is coming out!

Valuable information and pictures of Bob Hentzen were provided by his sister, Barbara Hentzen, and his nephew, Paul Pearce (Director of Global Strategy at Unbound); Loretta Kline (Managing Editor in Communications at Unbound); and Bob’s friend Lou Guillou.

Thanks to Bruce Pollock, president of the Hartford, Wisconsin, Lions Club, and to Ray Tweedale of the Lions Club and Blind Outdoor Leisure Development (BOLD) for sharing stories about Richard Wolter. Thanks to Jackie Schneider, who provided Richard’s photo.

We owe gratitude to our friend, John Corrigan, for sharing his truly meaningful poetry with us.

Preface

Comments

Nancy Binko

As stated in the dedication of Walk in Faith, Jerry passed away on his eighty-third birthday. Jerry had thought about writing a book on Christian living for three years. He began putting together ideas—waking in the middle of the night and jotting down thoughts, gathering stories about examples of the kindness of people in every walk of life, and studying the Scriptures. He originally wanted the book to be based on stewardship. He wanted to call the book That Bar of Soap. Just as soap cleanses and renews, a giving person brightens the lives of others. It was a unique approach, as Jerry was a unique man. He and I had many discussions about ways to expand the idea. We started writing about two years ago, and the result was Walk in Faith. Jerry had been ill with pulmonary fibrosis for about a year, and he so wanted to hold this book in his hands before he died. He wanted to share with others the values and faith that he held so dear. He can now enjoy the fruits of his labor in the presence of the God he loved so much.

What’s the Story Behind This Book?

Jerry Binko

For as long as I can remember, quiet moments of introspection were the special times I could look forward to every day. I was approaching my eightieth birthday, and even though I had already accepted my age, I felt there was still much to do in a short amount of time. You never feel as old as you are, and then one day it blindsides you. You begin noticing things you never saw before.

One morning as I went out to pick up the newspaper from the lawn, I realized that I didn’t have to walk to the curb to get the paper. It was right in front of my door. I asked our neighbor, Elizabeth, if we had a new delivery boy. She told me that it was a fellow neighbor, Warren Marcus, who was in the habit of helping people. This sparked a feeling of gratitude in me that would carry throughout the day.

This act of generosity inspired me to think about what I could do for others and what it meant to be a good Christian. Simply finding my newspaper at the front doorstep was enough to change my attitude for the entire day. If more people made simple gestures like this, it could make such a difference in people’s lives.

Reflecting back on my childhood, I recall feeling the need to help others. I attribute a lot of that to the way in which my mother raised me. She did not preach to me, but the way she lived her life was an