Hallelujah! We Are Not Alone

  The other day, I received a text from a friend who asked how we were making it. I answered by saying that we were doing ok and just taking it day by day. For hours after that, the Point of Grace song, Day By Day, played in my head.  As I looked for a photo to use this week, I found the one above with the clouds just about to cover the sun. I thought it was a good representation of the temporary issues we face, as we know that once the clouds pass, the sun will be visible again. I was reminded of this yesterday as I was painting our porch. I was trying to take advantage of the sunshine before the rain moved in later this week. While the clear sky and warm temperature were exactly what I needed, I also enjoyed the occasional cool breeze and brief shade when a cloud drifted in front of the sun. It didn't take long before the cloud passed by, and the sun was shining again.  I love how the Apostle Paul addresses our issues as  light momentary afflictions  in most t...

  As the weather warms up, we see more and more people outdoors. Gardens are being prepared, softball season has started, ATV riders are abundant, and boats are taking to the water. On Saturday morning as I drove across Delaware Bay, I couldn't help but notice the many large bright colored boats visible from the highway. Lake Dardanelle is over 34,000 acres yet many of the boats were concentrated in this one area . I guess that’s where they thought the fish were. In Matthew 4 , Jesus calls his first disciples. He sees Peter and Andrew casting their nets and he calls to them saying to follow him and he would make them Fishers of Men. What this means for us is that we should be encouraged to share our faith and invite others to learn more about the message of the Gospel. But where will we find people to share that message with? Those that we attend church with should hear it on a regular basis.  Our Student Pastor, Lance, has said many times that he believes it's important ...

Several years ago, I was visiting with a man in our community. He asked about Rusty and then the kids and went on to compliment me on how well behaved and polite they were. He then said something I'll never forget... "There's something different about your family. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I think it has something to do with God." It was probably the most humbling comment I’d ever heard. The man had experienced some run-ins with a few people along the way, but he had always been kind to us. We treated each other with mutual respect, and I had shared my beliefs and convictions with him on more than one occasion. On this day, I was somewhat surprised at his comment. He had long known of my faith, but I never thought of him seeing it as being "different".  He meant it as a compliment, and I made sure to thank him for it but also made sure he knew that the difference he was referring to did indeed have something to do with God.  Actually, it didn...

  Thursday was Rusty’s birthday. We had just returned from MD Anderson the day before and were waiting on final recommendations. Thankfully, the cancer had not spread to his lungs, but it was confirmed to be in his foot again. I received a call from his oncologist that the surgeon recommends a below the knee amputation. It’s not the news anyone wants to hear, especially on their birthday. But considering the alternative, we were still very thankful that it was only in his foot.  We don’t know when or where the surgery will take place yet. Only that amputation is the recommended course of action. For anyone, this would be a life-changing event. For Rusty, it will be a major adaptation. For 13 years, he has worked a schedule of 13 days on and 1 day off pretty consistently.  I woke up yesterday morning with the song Fires  on my mind. I immediately looked it up and then I teared up as I paid attention to the lyrics.  There have been two different times in our almos...

A couple of years ago, I purchased a t-shirt for a friend with the phrase Pray, Trust, Wait, Repeat printed on it.  She was battling some health issues that for a while seemed never ending.  At times, it was hard for me to understand why such a faithful servant of the Lord would face so much difficulty.  One day, I was reminded that it was not my job to understand it or question it, but it was my duty to pray.   There are times when we won't understand why some face so many hardships. However, as Christians we know that God can use every circumstance to bring glory to Himself, to strengthen the believer, and to further His kingdom.  The Bible includes two popular verses pertaining to prayer.  One in 1 Thessalonians where Paul emphasizes the importance of praying without ceasing (repeating) as well as rejoicing and giving thanks through the circumstances.  The other is in the book of James that speaks of praying for others and the power of the pr...