Joe is with Jesus!

Yesterday morning I picked up the phone to hear..."Chuck, Joe is with Jesus!" Friend Joe's wife called to let me know that she was holding him at 3:05 AM when he took his last breath and passed through that curtain of death. This was anticipated, but it still is a shock when it happens. As Judy related some of the details to me, I am afraid that I was not much encouragement as I made attempts to speak with a broken voice and tears streaming down my face. I wonder how many emotions hit your mind at a time like that? Thoughts of rejoicing, knowing that he is with Jesus but at the same time the realization that I will never be able to speak to him again this side of that curtain. Memories of those last hours with Carol just a little over six months ago are still most vivid in my mind.

I talked with Judy earlier while I was in Florida and she told me that page 66 in the book One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer was a great encouragement to her. I did not have a copy with me then, but now as I look at that page, I am sure that I know the paragraph to which she was referring. Lutzer says; "Of course, dear widow, your husband who is in heaven continues to love you as he did on earth. Today he loves you with a fonder, sweeter, purer love. It is a love purified by God. Your child loves you; so do your mother and father. There is no more a break in love than there is in continuity of thought. Death breaks ties on earth but renews them in heaven." Do join me in praying for Judy, Jennifer and Jay as they go through the adjustment and loss of their much loved husband and father!

Our return to Charlotte went well and it is always good to be back home. I took Carol's brother and his wife to the airport for an afternoon flight home and was able to get through quite a pile of mail and emails at the office before coming home to "hit the bed." I fell to sleep immediately but awoke after a few hours and as I prayed for Judy and family along with others on my mental list, decided that I was so wide awake that I would send out a quick blog. Hopefully it is not too disjointed being written at this hour.

I cannot tell you how much your prayers and friendship mean to me. I am so richly blessed! What joy every believer in Christ will experience when we meet together on the other side of that curtain of death with each other and with our Lord. Free from pain, suffering and any further loss.

You are appreciated and loved!

Chuck

Sessions Ending

Your calls and emails are always a great encouragement as I travel. Before we depart this afternoon, I thought I should get a quick blog out so you are aware of our plans. This morning we will hear Dr. John Jelinek and continue to enjoy the fantastic music by Ron and Gary Matthews. These have truly been days of blessing and challenge! Our plans are to make a brief stop in Orlando this afternoon to visit Carol's last living uncle and a cousin, spending the night somewhere in Northern Florida, the location is dependant upon when I get tired of driving. Lord willing, we should be back in Charlotte on Monday.

Being here without Carol has been a bit emotional, but having family and friends along side has helped to make it also a healing event for me. Several reminded me of a meeting here last year when they were in need of someone to play some difficult music on the piano, and Carol stepped forward filling the spot with excellence.

One of our speakers, Dr. Charlie Dyer did his usual excellent job speaking from Ecclesiastes yesterday. We were reminded that true knowledge, true satisfaction and true wisdom come only from God. Bottom line is that we should not be living for this life but rather for the one to come...a good reminder.

I trust that you each have a blessed Lord's Day.

Love,

Chuck

Living Water

Our drive to Florida was pleasant but the temperature is below normal. Yesterday I was surprised to look out of the motel window South of Ocala to see frost on the cars...brrrr! We are told that the weather will be warming today here at our destination at Fort Myers/Sainbel Island. As I look out over the water from my room at this early hour, the stars are twinkling, a few ships are passing by and occasional bits of light reflect from the black ripples of the sea. It is a beautiful sight!

After a wonderful meal yesterday we began our sessions with a presentation by Charlie Dyer. The theme of this conference is; Come To The Fountain...For You are the fountain of life. (Psalm 36:9 NLT) Being a frequent visitor to The Holy Land, Dr. Dyer spoke about the three kinds of water. Living water, well water and cistern water as they were seen in the time of Jesus. But he prefaced his presentation with a contrast of two flights. The recent flight which was aborted in the Hudson River and the December 1978 flight from Denver to Portland that crashed with the loss of several lives and major injuries. We listened to a lengthy recording from the black box between the pilots on that United flight and were asked..."What was the difference between the pilots of the two planes?" Quickly we could identify the difference in the focus of those pilots, which may or may not have been due to training. Bottom line was that their focus in the moments of decision made the difference in the end result!

I awoke early this morning thinking about the three kinds of water and my day to day focus, asking the Lord how I can adjust my focus to be Living Water that is pure, fresh, flowing and usable by Him. I can see that this is going to be another stretching time as I attempt to absorb the upcoming sessions.

Today we will be hearing from Dr. Erwin Lutzer and Dr. Crawford Loritts, and this evening we will be involved in the live Moody Radio Broadcast from our ballroom here. If you can connect with a Moody station or on the Internet, listen in and find what questions are generated by attendees. Possibly you may even hear someone that you know.

Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Chuck

Sleepless Time

For some reason I couldn't seem to be get back to sleep after awakening at 2:00 am. It is a good time to pray for several of you who are on my heart that may also be having a difficult time sleeping. For Joe, John, Ross and Bob who are in various stages with cancer, and for their families. For Jim who just finished the first week of 42 proton beam treatments to arrest the growth of a brain stem tumor, and for Annie, Julie, Ivan and Linda who have recently lost spouses. Daughter Sue and husband Jeff are driving home tonight from Florida and grandson Jeremy should have now arrived in Jerusalem. And for the others that my sleepy mind forgot at the moment who are also facing challenges.

My reading yesterday in The Daily Message from Psalm 16 spoke to my heart as David shared some of his hearts thoughts. Here are a few brief quotes from the Message Bible. They were an encouragement to me and are a basis for my prayers for each of you dear ones too:

I say to GOD, ‘Be my Lord!’
Without you, nothing makes sense.

And these God-chosen lives all around—
what splendid friends they make!

My choice is you, GOD, first and only.
And now I find I’m your choice!

The wise counsel GOD gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with GOD;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

I had encouraging calls from wonderful out-of-state friends these past few days and enjoyed meals with others. God is amazing! Bringing that right contact or thought at the time when I need it most! Thank you Lord, and thank you dear friends who allow Him to work through you!

Tomorrow, Carol’s brother and his wife plan to fly into Charlotte so that we can drive together to Florida to attend a special Moody conference. Carol and I have so much enjoyed these conferences in past years and I am looking forward to this time with them and with others in attendance.

I can’t thank each of you enough for your love and prayers. They mean more to me that you will ever know!

Love,

Chuck

Sleepless Time

For some reason I couldn’t seem to be get back to sleep after awakening at 2:00 am. It is a good time to pray for several of you who are on my heart that may also be having a difficult time sleeping. For Joe, John, Ross and Bob who are in various stages with cancer, and for their families. For Jim who just finished the first week of 42 proton beam treatments to arrest the growth of a brain stem tumor, and for Annie, Julie, Ivan and Linda who have recently lost spouses. Daughter Sue and husband Jeff are driving home tonight from Florida and grandson Jeremy should have now arrived in Jerusalem. And for the others that my sleepy mind forgot at the moment who are also facing challenges.

My reading yesterday in The Daily Message from Psalm 16 spoke to my heart as David shared some of his hearts thoughts. Here are a few brief quotes from the Message Bible. They were an encouragement to me and are a basis for my prayers for each of you dear ones too:

“I say to GOD, ‘Be my Lord!’
Without you, nothing makes sense.

And these God-chosen lives all around—
what splendid friends they make!

My choice is you, GOD, first and only.
And now I find I’m your choice!

The Wise counsel GOD gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with GOD;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.”

I had encouraging calls from wonderful out-of-state friends these past few days and enjoyed meals with others. God is amazing! Bringing that right contact or thought at the time when I need it most! Thank you Lord, and thank you dear friends who allow Him to work through you!

Tomorrow, Carol’s brother and his wife plan to fly into Charlotte so that we can drive together to Florida to attend a special Moody conference. Carol and I have so much enjoyed these conferences in past years and I am looking forward to this time with them and with others in attendance.

I can’t thank each of you enough for your love and prayers. They mean more to me that you will ever know!

Love,

Chuck

How Long?

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?” A question from David in Psalm 13:2 which I can certainly relate to. Nearly every morning I find the Scriptures speaking directly to me or expressing my feelings. And as I reflect upon the circumstances in each reading, I can usually see how God used that situation to accomplish His will in that particular individual or by working through that one. It is always encouraging to know that God is at work especially when things are not going perfectly for me. It is my job to be open to let Him work in and through me as He desires and NOT feel sorry for myself like a spoiled child.

After openly expressing his feelings and thoughts, David concludes; “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” (vs. 5-6) Okay, now that is where my thoughts need to go too. How helpful and practical God’s Word is!

This was my early morning, leaving the office at 4:30 am to pick up more donated bread items for the mission. We are blessed with that wonderful gift from the bakery that helps supply our guest house and reduce costs of meals prepared for missionaries passing through Charlotte and going to and from the fields around the world. It makes a long day, but it is a privilege to be able to have a small part in what the Lord is doing around the world.

I trust that you are all keeping healthy and warm during the cold which seems to be sweeping across the country. I am thankful for the relatively mild weather that we are having in comparison of many locations.

Have a blessed day!

Love,

Chuck

Saturday

It’s Saturday and time to catch up on household chores again. Fortunately things are not growing outside so I don’t also have yard work today. What a tremendous change there has been in my life since Carol passed through that curtain of death six months ago. There are events that will ever be vivid in our minds and that is certainly at the top of my list. Such a variety of emotions presented themselves, from the fantastic sense of loss to the thrill of knowing that Carol had arrived on the other side, completely healed from cancer and experiencing a new life that is far beyond anything that I can imagine. How sad it is that there are many living/existing today without that hope!

Yesterday advance copies of Serving In Mission Together which Carol edited for some years, arrived at the office. Plans are for the issues to hit the mail around the 15th of this month. The theme of this issue is “The ministry of hanging out” which features teens and young adults serving in mission around the world. If you are receiving the magazine you will see a picture of grandson Jeremy who spent six months on a short-term mission in Niger. Jeremy is in his second year of studies at Moody Bible Institute and will be leaving for Jerusalem on Saturday to spend the next semester studying. There has been a bit of a concern about safety, but he has received assurance that there location is in minimal danger. Join me in praying for safety and a good learning experience.

My reading in Indeed during the past few days has featured sacrifice and surrender. Friend Judy whose husband Joe is in the latter stages of cancer and I have talked about how much the readings have ministered to us. Yesterday the author mentioned the pain of having a loved one removed, financial security threatened and our time or talents limited by Him to make our devotion to the Lord more than theoretical. He says; “His removal of your props should be no surprise. We cannot give Him our lives and then complain when He takes them—or painfully touches them, or seemingly deprives them…He has higher purposes than we do, and we trust Him.”

Thank you Lord for the peace, confidence and hope that you provide as we walk with you!

Love to you all,

Chuck

Have a Blessed New Year

I trust that you all had an enjoyable New Years. I have to confess that it would not rate as one of my best. I was able to get a number of things done at the house, spent some time reviewing pictures from past years and reflecting upon God’s goodness. But as you can imagine, along with the thrills of remembering so many wonderful times, there still is an underlying pain from the loss of the love of my life. I am thankful for a family and friends that continue to encourage me and a God that I am learning to fully trust as I commune with Him.

The BIG news for the new year is that grandson Jeremy is now engaged to Juliana. They still have some college ahead of them so are projecting a wedding in 2010. This next semester Jeremy will be studying from Jerusalem. We trust that things will settle down there so that he is able to travel around the area as planned.

For several years Carol and I have used the devotional Indeed as part of our morning study time. I was delighted to see that the theme this year is a focus on what it means to worship in Word and with our lives. That could not come at a better time for me. I believe that it is a key to making a proper/healthy adjustment to my new challenges of life.

Here are a few thoughts that spoke to me: “He wants our outward expression to match our inward attitudes…We turn a worshipful heart into a routine behavior in the blink of an eye…What was sincere devotion yesterday is a performance for God’s approval today…What was once an act of passion is now an act of obligation.” And I found the following especially timely; “The antidote to our depression and anxiety is surprising to many…Praising God lifts us above our trials and reminds us of how He overcomes them…The thought of an exalted God who is entirely on our side is an awesome inspiration…He is who He is all the time. For that, we can praise Him. All the time…Our praise opens our eyes to the truth of the situation: God rules.”

I think that I am beginning to get the point Lord. Help me to take the focus off of myself and place it on you and your will for my life.

Have a Blessed New Year!

Love,

Chuck