Category Archives: Miscellaneous

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ARE YOU WORRIED?

His Mercies are New Each Day

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Philippines 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

As I was traveling today at 7:30 am, listening to music on my phone, the verse again that I had prayed to myself the day before popped into my head. His mercies and steadfast love are new each day from Lamentations. 3:22-23.

I had just come out of a normal medical procedure the week before that left me a little rattled. I am not getting any younger and each year the stakes get a little higher for medical examines coming out “positive”. However, from all outward appearance there was no reason for me to worry except for a few slight changes that concerned me. Of course those were the ones that I “naturally” honed in on.

Philippines 4:8 tells us to think on things that are good, pure, and truthful. I thought I was doing pretty good until the whole procedure was over and the results all came back a resounding “negative”.  It was then I felt my body relaxing. I was surprised I was worrying more then I wanted to let on.       (more…)

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Christmas 2016

Living With a Hopeful Heart

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“God of Hope may He fill you with joy and peace as you trust Him and may you overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13

Our Family would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas from our Home to yours! Whatever is your life’s journey remember God Love’s you so much that He sent His Son as a baby, who lived, died, and rose from the dead, so that we might have life and life more abundant, eternal life.  May He encourage your heart and help you remember what is important even when things might not be as you expected or would like. And be thankful for the things that you do have. You are blessed to be a blessing.

We look forward to visiting many of you this coming 2017 and enjoying getting to know more of our grandkids…..

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WHAT STORY ARE YOU DYING TO TELL?

The importance of writing down your stories

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I John 1:4-5, “4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

What excuses are you making for not writing down your stories? We share our stories but we often don’t write them down. Can you say God is working in your life? How much more could God be praised by others reading about what Jesus is doing in your daily stories?

A Few Examples of Excuses 

     1. Sterling’s personal story: 

I have a learning disability.  I often get my words mixed up. I have to say things in my head first before I say them out loud or they come out backwards. I often struggle through saying big words with 3 or more syllabus.

You could say like me, “I don’t see myself as a writer”. I know if I want others to tell their stories, I have to do it too.  I want to set the example that God can work through someone even like me who has trouble speaking sometimes. If I had used this as an excuse you wouldn’t be hearing my stories; this blog would never have happened.

So what do I do? I have friends and various people who like what I have to say and are willing to take their gift of editing and correct my work so it is readable for you. I didn’t say perfect, but readable. :}

     2. Moses’ story, in the Bible: 

We have the stories of Moses and are encouraged by them.  Exodus 4 tells us that Moses had trouble with his speech. What did God do? God gave him Aaron to speak for him but eventually Moses learned to speak himself.

The more we do something the better we get at it. Take time to read his story and maybe like me you will be encouraged.

Why Write Down Your Stories?

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LIFE CAN BE HARD

Put your Hope in God

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“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23.  

“Life Sucks” as our son often remarked when younger. I don’t know about you but some days just feels that way. God has been reminding me lately again that His mercies are new each morning and His love is steadfast and never ceasing. God is faithful!

He is not only faithful but gentle!  If He can be gentle with me I can be gentle with myself.    

I’ve been wondering how many of us have quoted Lamentations 3:22 and 23, yet never taken time to look at the verses around it?

My pastor sometime back walked us through this passage and now these words have taken on new meaning. Just what is the context of which these verses were written, and why were they written?  

A story of a man named Jeremiah author of Lamentations 3, tells us that God’s mercies are new each day and His steadfast love never ceases, yet he had great trials, and was currently going through great affliction. If anyone could say “life sucks” it would be Jeremiah.   

The whole chapter leading up to Lamentations 3:22 and 23 tells us that Jeremiah experienced a bleak life of darkness, where he was often left to die. He found himself in all kinds of tribulations becoming even bitter at life. He would, at those moments, often cry out to God, yet feeling as if God was ignoring him and didn’t hear him.    

Maybe you feel (or have felt) that God isn’t answering your prayers? Maybe life is bleak and dark right now and you have no answers? (more…)

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WHEN LIFE SEEMS DARK

Often things look brighter in the morning

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“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night,  but joy comes with the morning.”Psalm 30:5  

Do you often doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light? Does heaviness of heart press on you at night when it gets dark?  Often things look brighter in the morning when we see it through a different lens.

After Cebu, Philippines in Asia, our next stop was going to be Bohol.  I would finally get to see the place God had called us to serve.  This would be home for the next four years.    

The night I was supposed to leave Cebu it started raining. Really raining!  I had never seen it rain so hard and so long. This is part of living in the tropics as I would soon learn.  

One of the missionaries named Sandy, an old friend, came to get us a few days earlier than expected. She had already been living in Bohol for a year and would escort us to our new place. Sandy and her husband were both in our wedding. Seeing her felt like seeing family. A familiar face in a sea of unfamiliarity was like the feeling of being home again.  

Jim wasn’t ready to leave Cebu and needed  a few more days with the group of young people we were responsible for, for the month. But he encouraged me to go ahead of him.  He would follow some days later.  This way I could get some rest and have some time with Sandy before everyone joined us. It seemed like a good idea.  

Our transportation to get to the island would be a boat.  Sandy and I left at night with the rain still coming down. I had visions of the boat going down, me draining and never seeing Jim again. I found comfort that we weren’t in the Arctic with icebergs like the Titanic. Fortunately, it was a bit warmer too.   (more…)

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THEY SHALL RISE UP AND CALL HER BLESSED

(A Mother's Love Expressed and A Young Man's Journey)

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28 “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:”
29 “Many women have done excellent but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:28,30,31 ESV)

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I wrote “They Shall Rise Up and Call Her Blessed” Poem below, February 2009.  Shane would soon turn 19, not knowing what life would bring him. We had seen 9 of his friends die of drug related overdoses, and Shane was on chemicals himself. However, in December 2009 Shane came to know the Lord as his personal Savior.

Shane has been drug-free now for 5 years. He will turn 26 on May 18th, 2016.  This blog article is one way to praise God in celebration of another year of Shane’s life. Happy Birthday Shane!

My son loves poetry. The year Shane was in his senior year of high school I wrote this poem for him. After his graduation in June we moved to Tennessee, leaving him in Pennsylvania, where he would finally be making all his own choices. Leaving him behind was tough love and it hurt. It was like my life, as a mom would be ending. I was releasing my son to God to do with Him what he wanted. (more…)

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

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WELCOME TO MY BLOG

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Merry Christmas from my home to yours.  My blog is coming soon.  The launch date for my first blog is January 4th, 2016.  I am so excited!  Many have been working and praying for this.  I plan to have one post put out about every two weeks.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you and for you to get to know me. May we grow and learn together.  Please take time to go into the “Who am I” and “About the Blog” pages and I look forward to seeing you on January 4th.

May God give you a wonderful joyous time with family and friends over the holidays.  We are having 2 of our children and one of our sons-in-law join us for a few days.  We love being with family, putting up all the Christmas decorations, and having people over to our home celebrating our Christmas season with as many friends as possible.  We like going to church on Christmas Eve and driving around looking at all the lights.  It’s a great time to remember the reason for the season.  Merry Christmas!

Personal Reflections:  Please share one of your favorite Christmas traditions you enjoy celebrating with your family or one you plan to do this Christmas.  I would love to rejoice with you during this Christmas season.

From one pilgrim to another together on the journey,

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