The Right Words

I just don’t want to pack my bags and head out the door. I typically jump at a chance to head SOUTH and see the family, but this time my purpose is to travel home, be with family and attend the funeral of a 21 month old baby boy. A terminal illness is the culprit, his 21 months were hard ones and my heart ached for him and his family as they dealt with his sufferings.

Is it better for his little body to be amongst the angels, YES.
Was it hard on the family to deal with a son, nephew, cousin and grandson losing his battle….Absolutely.
So as I pack my bag, what words do I use when I see them?
"Sorry, know how you feel…"  (NO)
"So sorry for your loss…" (Yes, but so standard)

I needed some connection with words as I prepared to head home. I have tossed around thoughts, statements and scriptures as I have talked with my sister in law, who is the aunt, during this entire battle. So I began packing for my trip, stuffing the bags, hanging the dresses out to be packed, and my phone goes off…. a new email!

I have a best friend that sends a scripture out every day. I usually read quickly, smile, and then say a prayer of thanks that I have a friend that makes me pause to think about our heavenly Father… then go about my day. But yesterday’s scripture was perfect, it was exactly what I needed to prepare for my trip home. It got me out of my funeral funk, and I will continue to pray that those are the words I can use over the weekend.

Romans 5:1-5
  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the   glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

After I read that email, I paused and thought about it. Smiled and thanked GOD again for my daily scripture!

Sometimes the direction in which we are led is not fun and may be confusing. In those moments we have to choose to see the will of God and realize JD was sent for us all to realize a bigger picture. It was for us to grow in character because of him, and his strength. It was for us to acknowledge that the hard and painful sufferings he and his family faced will allow endurance to be produced. That’s a good thing!  Endurance produces character, character produce hope. Hope is what we can hold onto so that our goal is to reunite with all those who pass before us in Heaven!!!!

This Southern Girl will be on her way home, shortly. My bags are packed and the car will soon be loaded.  I know there will soon be some porch swing time with hurting family members trying to find the silver lining in this experience. I pray that endurance, character and hope is the blessing they each find through this. I would like to end with a special request… would you please offer a special prayer for my sister in law, Alleasha, and the Ferron family as we honor JD Ferron, their Superman, who died of Menkes Disease.

Heavenly Father,
I humbly come before you thanking you for the life, health and blessings we receive daily.
I thank you for placing people in my life that help me with my heavenly walk. I ask that you embrace the Ferron family as they all come together to honor a family member. Please allow everyone to see your love and let it flow into their hearts. Be with all those who have lost family members or who are in a battle now. Thank you for choosing to send your son, to die on the cross, so that the hope of heaven is here for us all.
In Your Son’s name I pray,
Amen  

Ashleigh Feuerbacher
Stephenville, Texas

Just Four Letters

Four simple letters with incomprehensible depth and complexity.
God provides a glimpse into the wonders and miracle of His love for us throughout His Word.

1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

    Ephesians 3:16-19
    I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His
    Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I    
    pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all
    the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to
    know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the
    Fullness of God.

After receiving this marvelous gift from our Heavenly Father, how should we respond to Him and to those around us?

1 John 4:7, 12, 16

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 10:27
He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

A favorite Scripture :

Love is patient,

love is kind

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It is not rude,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil

but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

    always perseveres.
     Love never fails.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

What amazing inspiration for our mind and heart to dwell on!  

The Holy Spirit can empower us to love as Jesus commanded and modeled.

A wise teacher once challenged students to replace the word “love” with God, and secondly, to substitute our own name for the word “love” in this Corinthians passage.  Ouch!  My own failings are crystal clear measured by this standard.

Choosing to explore love in a short article may not be wise, but living in this world among false messages about love; it is refreshing to ponder “true love” as described in Scripture.  The immeasurable love God has shown us through His Word and His actions fuels the love He commands we have for our brothers, our neighbors and our enemies.

Merciful Father,
You loved us when we were lost, drowning in our sinfulness.  Your love and sacrifice lifted us up out of an ocean of sin and guilt.  Asking us to walk as a new creation, learning to love in the manner You teach and command.  Father, purify our hearts that Your love may flow through us to our brothers, our neighbors and our enemies.  Thank You, Father, for the hope and healing Your love imparts to us.
In the name of Your Beloved Son-Jesus, amen.

Mischelle Oliver, Stephenville, Texas

Dancing with Fear

People have an affinity with fear. It’s a tricky dance we do, fear and us. Fear almost always gets to lead because we don’t like to fight her for the lead on something so complicated. She guides our steps, directs us into intricate spins, presses us close to her so that she can whisper sweet nothings in our ears.   Her whisperings are much more than “nothings,” however. They’re more than we want to hear, more than we want to ponder, and they add an unnecessary tension to decision-making. Her voice decides where we will go, what we will do, and how we will do it. Her voice is so forceful. We let it force us right into emptiness.

And maybe we don’t even realize that we’re acting out of fear. It can be deeply entrenched in other things, so deeply entrenched that we can’t even pick it out of a crowd of emotions and thoughts . . .
I’m afraid to pursue a career that evokes all my passion because I might not make that much money.
I’m afraid to give up [insert addiction here] because living without it might be hard.
I’m afraid to apologize because it might be rejected.
I’m afraid to share the gospel because it might not be accepted.
I’m afraid to love people unconditionally because they might not love me back.
I’m afraid to ask questions in my faith because I might not find answers that I like.
I’m afraid to delve deeper into the Word because it might call me to a higher standard than I’ve previously pursued.
I’m afraid to give away the things that I have to people who need them more than I do because I might live a little less comfortably as a result.

. . . But I’d rather not settle for dwelling in the conditional nature of that which comes after the “mights.” Living life running from the “mights” isn’t living life at all. It’s hiding from life. If you really hate this life and if you’re really discontented, maybe you need to check out your motives for doing the things that you do. If the reasoning behind them is because the alternative has more risk involved, then no wonder you’re unhappy. The joy of investing in an experience that is inherently good should outweigh your fear of possible consequences.

Fear is the absence of faith. Last time I checked, we’re called to faith, not fear. Acting out of fear is about the same as assuming that God’s power cannot transcend human weakness. God has worked (and continues to work) through some seriously weak people.

Own up to your fears and weaknesses and let the Lord work through them. We have nothing to boast in apart from God’s grace. That’s freeing. I’m not obligated to create situations that allow me to boast in myself. Anything I could create will eventually turn to dust anyway. I’m letting God create the situations and I’ll bring my weak self to them. Anything glorious that comes from my involvement in said situations is by the grace of God. That’s something to boast about.

“God has chosen the world’s insignificant and despised things--the things viewed as nothing-- so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But from Him you are in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts, must boast in the Lord.”
I Corinthians 1:28-31

Amen.

Erin E. Daugherty, Abilene Christian University

THE BUSINESS OF RESTORATION

“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:1-2        

Sins are like traps and when people are caught in them, everyone knows. Paul calls this trapping “being overtaken”. Expert help is needed to get the person out of sin and back into fellowship.          

Not everyone should be in the restoring business. Paul says you must be spiritual. This is hard work for a person who is spiritually minded but it is impossible work for those who have the mind of flesh. Paul also says the restorer must be gentle. The goal is to restore the fallen not destroy him. Then he warns us that no one is immune to the temptations to sin. Think quicksand. While you are trying to rescue someone, you are in danger yourself.          

One of the dangers a rescuer faces is PRIDE (Verse 3). When you are doing a good thing, it is easy to think too much of self. Then we are caught.          

Paul is not saying that the church should not be active in restoration; he is saying this great work should be done by mature, gentle, humble people. Anyone can destroy but we need preparation to become one who can rescue and restore.           

Dear Father and God, Thank you for not destroying me. It is your right but you rescued me instead. I must always praise your name. For your steadfast love. You pulled me from the quicksand and restored me to fellowship. I thank you for salvation. I am ashamed of the times I have been a voice of condemnation and not salvation. I ask that you create in me a new heart. Please forgive me for my pride and please rescue me from sin.In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen

Paul Shero

San Angelo, Texas

Lord, Open Our Eyes!

Ginny Owens is a nationally-known contemporary Christian artist. A three-time Dove award winner, her music has inspired thousands of people to a deeper faith in God. She plays the piano and sings of love she’s written for God with a sweet clear, voice.

 But the most staggering thing about Ginny Owens is the fact that she is completely blind. She was born seeing, but a degenerative eye condition gradually took her sight until, at age three, she became completely blind.

 Listening to her music, knowing this fact, brings rich new colors to the tapestries of words she weaves. I invite you to enjoy her song “Wonderful Wonder” by clicking on the link below.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L14JsjqJ7Uc

 “Wonderful Wonder” by Ginny Owens I don’t know the ocean’s crystal blue / And I don’t climb the mountains for the view / Or wish upon the stars above my head / Or bear witness to a marvelous sunset / But the very thought of things I’ve never seen / Is all it takes to bring me to my knees Oh, what a wonderful wonder / A display of great beauty and power / Oh what a wonderful wonder You are to me I wish that I could see life through Your eyes / To gaze upon the canvas from Your side / To understand all that You’ve done before / And to realize the plans You have in store / But when I long to know what I don’t see / You give me the courage to believe Oh, what a wonderful wonder / A display of great beauty and power / Oh what a wonderful wonder You are to me I can hardly wait until the time / When You will turn my darkness into light / And I finally find my way to Heaven’s door / Where I won’t need my faith anymore / And when my eyes behold Your majesty / I’ll join with the angels and we’ll sing Oh, what a wonderful wonder / A display of great beauty and power / Oh what a wonderful wonder You are to me 

The first time I heard that song, I was deeply moved. First, I felt so sad for Ginny that she has no memories of the great beauties of this earth: oceans, mountains, stars, sunsets. I can imagine she hears her family and friends talk about these places with amazement in their voices, and I wished for a moment that she could know that beauty, too.

 As I listened the third verse, I realized with a jolt that when she sees Heaven, it will be the first thing she ever sees! What an incredible thought! Ginny lives in a world of darkness and visual sameness. Can you imagine what it will be like for her on that Great Day when she is given a new body, with new eyes, seeing colors that humans have only dreamed of?

 All of a sudden, I thought, “That’s us. All of us.” We are used to the spiritual darkness we must live in at all times. We have never known any different. Can you imagine God, Jesus, and a host of angels looking at us, saying, “There is so much more you don’t see!! You have no idea what is all around you all the time.”
 Remember the story of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6? They were surrounded by a strong army with horses and chariots from the King of Aram. Elisha’s servant was terrified when he saw the soldiers, and he hurried back to Elisha, asking “What should we do?”

 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed that God would open his servant’s eyes. God did – and the servant “looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

 There is a greater reality than ours, co-existing in the same space as ours. We don’t know all the science behind how it works, and sometimes the pains of this life cause us to ask hard questions. But God wants us to know with certainty that human experience is not all there is. He wants us to choose to be aware of it, to seek it out, to live life placing our trust in a greater world that can never pass away.

 It is incredible to think that all of this is going on right now! The spiritual world doesn’t awaken someday in the future. In Luke 20, the Sadducees, who didn’t believe in an afterlife, questioned Jesus about the Resurrection Day. Jesus tells the Sadducees that though God is called “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” he is not the God of the dead. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob didn’t cease to exist when they died – God is “Not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him, all are alive” (Luke 20:38). Wow!! Unlike us, God can still see all those who are physically dead. Amazing!

 The greater reality is full of things humans don’t experience with their five senses. All creation has a limited existence, and it is tied to a system of time. There are unseen beings, boundless and non-corporeal, interacting with creation; those who have died continue to exist; and Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control are the supernatural works of God in the lives of people who trust Him. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus says, “But My words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

 And when we get to Heaven someday, we will be just like Ginny Owens – it will be our first time to really See, too. We’ll get the full view of the meaning of this world, and we’ll see the Truth and the Life for who He really is. Our human minds cannot fathom the “wonderful wonders” He has prepared for us! (1 Corinthians 2:9).

 I am so thankful that we don’t have to lodge our hope in this broken life. God uses the pains of our lives to help us wake up to that fact. If we love this world, we will be broken, too. Instead, we can, with joy, “Fix our eyes on what is unseen, because what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Bicky Tolar
Abilene, Texas