My Week

Emotionally, this has been one of the more difficult weeks for me. I cannot identify any specific reason other than that the deceiver has been busy. My response to that thought repeatedly has been “greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world.” This morning as I awoke early thinking about the past week, I reviewed each day and how the Lord both spoke to me through His word and through several of His choice servants who stopped to chat, called, sent a note or invted me for a meal. I wrote out a list for each day and the blessings they held. I could not believe how frequent those contacts were throughout the week and how often I had taken them for granted.

Several readings in Indeed this week took their topic from Psalm 34 which has caused me to reread the Psalm several times when I could not sleep. I believe that I am beginning to “hear” what God is trying to say to me through His Word.

“I will praise the LORD at all times, I will constantly speak his praises.” (vs. 1) The author challenges us to imagine what would happen if we let every thought and every breath bless God, reminding us that; “Underlying everything we go through and every responsibility we’re given is the loving hand of a God who is leading us closer to Himself.”

“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy.” (vs. 5a) Some thoughts from this encouraging Psalm were that its promises are extravagant, its message comforting and its priorities our pattern: “We are to praise God first, seek Him second, and then look to Him in gratitude and love.”

“Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!” (vs. 8) I liked the thought that when we are in a desperate situation – relational, economic, physical or spiritual and we call out to God, we’re worshiping! The author reminds us that; “In our depths, His heights are more visible. In our depravity, His righteousness shines brighter. In our poverty, His riches are so much more appreciated that they ever would have been otherwise.”

“The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” (vs. 17) The author says “He (God) wants to deliver us from the internal captivity we face – the emotional anguish, the sense of dread, the worries about our future, the idols that we clutch…We know God better than to think He’s obsessed about our circumstances without giving attention to our hearts. The heart is where He delivers first. The circumstances almost always follow afterward.”

Hopefully that gives you a brief picture of where my thoughts have been traveling during the week, making my heart stronger, I trust, for the next challenge.

You each are a great encouragement to me. I thank God for you! I continue to pray for you and for your specific needs that I am aware of.

Have a blessed weekend and new week!

Love to each one of you,

Chuck

All must be well

I awoke early today thinking about our Easter gathering one year ago. Yes, the 23rd was Easter Day 2008. We were blessed to have all sixteen of our family with us at our lake house in Indiana. The morning greeting was “The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.” We enjoyed attending the early church service, brunch together and an exciting egg hunt with 2-year-old great grandson Joshua. Dozens and dozens of eggs were collected and I was still finding an occasional one hidden in the bushes many weeks later.

It was a time of great joy reflecting upon the Lord’s goodness to each of us and being together as a family. There was also some serious discussion about eternity and we distributed copies of the book One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer. In the afternoon we had the promised discussion about possible funeral plans with our daughters, receiving their blessing for the thoughts which we had. We were so thankful for the extra weeks for Carol that the Lord blessed us with, making it possible to be at Justin and Laura’s wedding in Michigan on June 21 and then being able to get back to Charlotte in preparation for Carol’s “arrival” on July 8th.

Upon our return home, Carol quoted an old hymn by M. Peters which spoke to our hearts:

Through the love of God our Savior
All will be well
Free and changeless is His favor
All, all is well
Precious is the blood that healed me
Perfect is the grace that sealed me
Strong is the hand stretched out to shield me
All must be well.

I expect a bright tomorrow
All will be well
Faith can sing through days of sorrow
All, all is well
On our Father’s love relying
Jesus every need supplying
Or in living or in dying
All must be well.

With both joy and pain I reflect upon those days past. But with hope in His future, I am determined to continue on as He gives strength and health until it is my time to pass through that curtain and join Carol and our loved ones that have gone ahead.

Thanks for your prayers. They do sustain me!

Love,

Chuck

Last Words

I have been having a bit of internet trouble but hopefully that is now resolved thanks to good friends that come to my rescue. Hopefully this blog will go out.

It has been fun to have my cousin Joylynn spending a few days with me as she attends a conference in Charlotte. Visitors are always a blessing! Today I am having a few couples for dinner as we say good by to friends Royce and Beverly that faithfully come each winter to volunteer their labor at the mission. They are a tremendous encouragement to each of us.

I awoke this morning thinking about Easter which is soon coming and last recorded words. The last words of individuals are frequently some of the most memorable, often giving us a brief glimpse into their heart as they are about to face death and what their belief system offers them for the future. I noticed a list of several the other day. “Farewell my children. I go to your father.” (Marie Antoinette) “Oh do not cry. Be good children and we will meet in heaven.” (Andrew Jackson) “Lord help my poor soul.” (Edgar Allen Poe) “I die hard but am not afraid to go.” (George Washington) “See in what peace a Christian even dies.” (Joseph Addson, writer) We read that Jesus last words were; “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

As I was reading King David’s last words (2 Samuel 23) I was challenged by his words; “GOD’S Spirit spoke through me, his words took shape on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke to me…” God spoke to him and through him!

As I read that, I am challenged. First to be listening so that I hear Him speaking, and second to respond to what ever He is saying to me. I seems that I can get so occupied in my work, responsibilities, relationships or what ever, and fail to hear Him speaking. And thus be unavailable for Him to speak to or through me.

Lord, keep me from excessive busyness and oblivious to what you are wanting to say to me. Help me to be quick to hear what you are saying to me through your Word and ready to respond according to your will.

I trust that you all have a blessed weekend and new week.

Love,

Chuck.

Earnest prayer

Sunday morning I received a call that our friend David Pfurr collapsed from a massive heart attack. It was a tremendous shock for me, but even more so for his wife Judith who found him. We have prayed much for David over the years, and on Christmas Eve 2004 he received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. In November 2005 we celebrated their 25th anniversary which was very special for all of us. On Wednesday we celebrated his life during a beautiful service at their church. Join me in praying for Judith as she adjusts to life without David.

Judith has been a tremendous blessing to Carol and me as she has served as Head Nurse in our medical office as well as being a dear friend. During Carol’s battle with cancer, Judith was an absolute miracle when it was time to once again find a vein to obtain blood for analysis. The chemo treatments had broken down Carol’s veins to the extent that it was extremely difficult to obtain needed specimens. But Judith always was able to locate an access point with minimal discomfort, which was not possible for many nurses.

I have been thinking about so many answers to prayer since David’s home going and am reminded about James statement in 5:16 where he states; “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” (NLT) I am convicted about being more earnest in my prayers, but admittedly that can be hard work.

Yesterday I read in grandson Jeremy’s blog (hemustbecomegreater.blogspot.com) that he has not been feeling well. He is studying in Jerusalem this semester with a group of college students. It seems to be a "bug" that is going around causing a painful cough and chest congestion. He is on antibiotics which I am praying will clear the problem shortly. Do join me in praying for him. I have been enjoying his observations and the photographs that he puts up on his blog. It sounds like a wonderful learning experience. He tells me that his sickness has been a blessing because he has been forced to slow down a bit which is an opportunity to be more productive in his homework and gives him time to learn Greek and Hebrew which was not part of his plan. Wow...there is an example of making lemonade when receiving lemons.

Thanks so much to all of you for your faithful encouragement and earnest prayers!

Love,

Chuck

Peace about death

Friends are a tremendous encouragement! What a delight to have dear friends from Michigan spend time with me this week. Our days and evenings were filled with catching up on each others lives and remembering many events that we experienced together over the years. We even managed to squeeze in a few extra hours to attend the Charlotte Spring Show and enjoy the beautiful exhibits with waterfalls and an abundance of gorgeous spring flowers bursting from their winter’s nap. It was a sample of what we can expect here very shortly, but is still a good number of weeks off for Michigan.

Carol’s cancer buddy John is still having a very difficult time. His past troubles continue to persist and the new chemo has put him flat in bed with exhaustion. In addition, wife Mary Ella has picked up the “bug” which has been going around and she is continuing to care for him while trying to “nurse” herself and avoid giving the bug to John. I am sure you get the picture. Please join me in what James (Chap. 5)calls effectual fervent prayer for both of them.

Great news this week was that friend Ray who went in to have a spot on his lung checked found that it has disappeared! Also Anne in Alabama got a favorable report from tests to check the source of some discomfort. I am reminded how easy it is to forget to thank the Lord and take His goodness for granted…Thank YOU Lord!

We are two weeks into a training session for new missionary candidates that plan to go to various locations around the world. Each morning when we meet together to pray for those serving around the globe, we take time to hear testimonies of a couple of the candidates and it is always thrilling to hear how our God is working in so many different ways in multitudes of lives. One of our candidates told about being on a short-term trip overseas, working in the pediatrics area of a hospital, and after a difficult time of adjustment ministering to extremely sick children, had…“developed a peace about death.” That thought has continued to come to my mind. How difficult it must be to see little ones dying of HIV/AIDS and maladies that they had no control of acquiring.

I had to ask myself…Have I complete peace about death? I felt that my rating was quite good until one of our internal publications came across my desk about an hour later. In it was a listing of six or seven of our members that have passed away since the last edition. After glancing at the names, I found myself noticing that the ages of every individual but one was over 85 years old, and thinking about Carol I asked…”Why so soon?” Oops…My “peace rating” is not as high as I thought.

This week by “coincidence” the topics in Indeed have been about God’s unlimited wisdom, power, love and grace. So how can I even begin to ask Him why? I can’t say that I like it, but I think that I do “get it” a bit better. I am so human and He is so God! As the author observed, when “applying our finite experience to an infinite being, the result is a distorted view.”

Thank you Lord that we are here by your plan and will depart according to your plan as we are obedient to You. What a privilege it is to be your child and to have the ability to experience your unlimited wisdom, power, love and grace on this earth and look forward to an eternity with you!

Love to you all,

Chuck