Intentional Encouragement

      I am preparing some thoughts for a funeral that I have this afternoon.  The dear saint lived 82 years and was a delightful example of faithfulness to her Lord; to her family and to our church.  I officiated at her 88 year old husband's funeral last September who likewise had been a faithful servant of God for many years.       At the graveside of a believer, I always turn to 1 Corinthians 15 and speak of the certainty of the resurrection.  My eyes wandered down to the last verse of that chapter and I thought I'd share some words of encouragement with you today from there.       “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.” ( 15:58, ESV )        That’s something to remember when you are in the midst of your service for Christ.   As anyone involved in ministry knows full well; i...

     I have been reading a book recently written by a friend of mine (you can read her blog and secure a copy of her book here ).  It chronicles the first couple of years of the missionary journey that she and her husband have been on for more than 25 years now.  I have followed along as she shares her fears and her faith; her pain and her joy. She writes honestly about the "culture collisions" that were part of her routine as she learned to cook, bathe her children, do laundry and keep her house clean in the rain forest of Liberia just a few degrees above the equator.  I have been inspired by the courage of the couple as they conquered new forms of food; new modes of transportation and faced challenges that I have never faced.  I'm thankful for Kim's honest revelation of her reactions to the various situations they endured, because I can much more readily imagine myself there knowing that I wouldn't be alone in my struggles.      Mostl...

I'll be headed out soon for some vacation time with my family.  I'm looking forward to that time immensely.  We'll spend quiet mornings walking along the beach with the sand squishing up through our toes.  The cool water will refresh us and we will do our best to take in all the beauty.  Even the sounds and smells of the ocean town we're staying in will help us to relax and refresh.  I've got the next 2 books from my reading list all picked out to finally attack.  We're meeting dear friends from a former church I served in, so the fellowship time will be delightful as well. Mostly though; I'm looking forward to just taking a break. The last time I took "time off" like this from my ministry was last Thanksgiving. I'm sitting here mulling over the reasons for that this morning. Is it because I think my ministry can't make it without me?  I've been at this long enough to realize that there will hardly be a hiccup while I'm gone...

I was reminded this morning of an important truth from Luke 18:1.  "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart."  It came from a brief conversation I had with a friend of mine who related a story from an extended family member of hers. The family had a daughter who did "the right things" growing up.  Professed faith; went to church with her family; followed the "shoulds and shouldn'ts" like she was supposed to.  Then she got out of high school and into college and wandered from her faith.  For years, her parents prayed and prayed. Just this past Easter, the mom was talking to their daughter, and before they hung up, the daughter said "do you want to know what I did today, mom?"  Since the daughter is now 40, the mom was stunned to hear her daughter say "I went to church!"  This was no Easter only Christian; she wasn't going anywhere at all.  To top it off, she told her mom that...