Carol Wilson Update

Stage 4 Cancer brought many challenges--and also a host of loving and praying friends. Almost-daily postings to this site are to help my friends walk with me through this journey, and to express my gratitude to them and especially to God...On 7/8/08 Carol passed through that final curtain of death and is now healed. We thank God for her life and "arrival"! Chuck

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Winter is here

This has been an unusual winter in Charlotte with extra cold days and then...Saturday morning I awoke at 2:00 AM with small hail pelting my bedroom windows and by daybreak we had about an inch that had accumulated. With the ground being warm when it fell, the small stones started to melt and then froze together making travel difficult on the ice covered surfaces. Many places closed Saturday and Sunday about everything was closed in the morning, but warmer temperatures and lots of sun took care of much of the ice before nightfall.

On Saturday afternoon I ventured into town with friends to attend a home and yard expo, taking the light-rail train which had no problem with ice.. The walks and parking lots were a glare of ice but we managed to stay upright. Sunday morning about everything was closed including churches, so I had a productive time caching up on some reading and a few needed chores around the house.

On Wednesday I plan to leave the cold and spend a few days in the Bahamas with Carol’s sister and her husband. It is always a delight to spend time with them and their weather is also a bonus. Today it was a balmy 83 there when I talked with sister Ruth. I believe that my still slightly congested sinuses will appreciate the change and hopefully clear up while there.

Recently during our office prayer time, the leader read Psalm 91. It is such an encouraging Psalm and since then I have been especially thinking about verses 14-16:

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue them and honor them.
I will satisfy them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

How can we not be encouraged with that message!

I trust that you will have a blessed week.

Love,

Chuck

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Amazing God

This past week I have been doing a more in-depth study of Acts 13:13-52 as Paul is speaking in Antioch to the people of Israel and the devout Gentiles (vs. 16) which I am always pleased to see includes me. With Indeed using those verses for their focus, it motivated me to dig deeper in study of the early church and how God dramatically changed lives as multitudes of both Jews and Gentiles turned their lives over to Him.

The daily focus was The Intrusive God, The Faithful God, The God of Promise, The Confidence of the Believer and The Direction of History. I found those 39 verses to contain enough material to spend more hours of study than I had available during the week. This weekend I plan to continue my study.

Here are some thoughts that caused me to really think and dig deeper in the study of other portions of Scripture:

Many rejected the message because their personal world was to well-constructed to be modified…They (and we) often just can’t handle the surprising intrusions of our God…Those intrusions are fulfillment of His promises. Our God loves surprises. He surprised the first-century Jews with the Messiah and the Spirit, he surprised the early church with miracles and missions, and He will surprise us with the blessings we crave today.

As my weeks reading continued, I was thrilled by getting a closer glimpse of God’s character, faithfulness, trustworthiness and His plan for this world and each one of us as I was reminded that the same loving God who guided many of those in Scripture such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Isaiah, Daniel, and Paul is also available to each one of us as we entrust our lives to Him. After a study like this, I have to ask myself…Why do I ever have any doubts or let any of the daily stresses of life cause any tremors to my faith? Okay, I see that I haven’t “arrived” yet!

This evening I am having a group of friends in for dinner and games. They have been so kind to include me in their fun times and I am looking forward to having them here. I still don’t feel completely comfortable about my cooking skills, but people are always gracious and I have yet to have any complaints, even when everything is not perfect.

This week grandson Justin and wife Laura lost their first child (early term) which has been a matter for much prayer. There is never a good time for these things, but this is one of the more difficult semesters in Dental School for Justin with around 34 hours in class each week along with a one-hour commute each way, depending on weather. I am thankful for their terrific attitudes and their continued trust in God and His perfect plan for their lives but continue to pray for them. Cousin Joylynn and Thor welcomed their first born into their lives on Tuesday, and I understand that dad is already an expert at changing diapers which is much appreciated by mom.

I trust that each of you will enjoy a blessed weekend.

Love to you all,

Chuck

Sunday, January 17, 2010

May you overflow with hope

It has been an active and delightful weekend. Friday morning friend Keith arrived from Wake Forest and we were able to join our SIM-Start folks for a delicious lunch there. In the evening his father took us out to dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant, but I was still so full from lunch that I ordered light and ended up taking half of my order home in a box. Saturday Keith and I had a bit of time together over breakfast and then he headed back to Wake Forest. We continue to pray for a job and direction for him.

Sunday we had a special speaker in our class that returned from Russia to give us an update on his work at the seminary in Moscow. Sasha was a KGB agent for many years and has a testimony that I wish each of you could hear. Through an American pastor’s daughter who was teaching his wife English, he ultimately turned his life over to Christ. Ask me about it sometime. Only God could orchestrate anything like that!

In the afternoon I had a delightful visit from former neighbors who now live in Alabama. We had a fun time talking about the years we spent together and how Carol and I had been part of their wedding years ago in our adjoining yards. It is hard to believe how many years ago that was, but their ten-year-old daughter helped peg it back about twelve years. Wow…time sure does fly!

Tomorrow (Monday) is a holiday for our office so I plan to tackle some more of the house chores that need handling. It always amazes me how “demanding” the house and yard can be but I am thankful for the health and strength to keep up.

As I was reading this morning I was especially interested in the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13; “I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” That certainly is the desire of my heart, and I want to extend that prayer to each of you dear friends.

Love to you all,

Chuck

Friday, January 08, 2010

The last enemy

This morning as I read Indeed, the verse for the day was The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (I Corinthians 15:26) How appropriate on this 8th day of January! Eighteen months ago tonight, Carol took her last breath on earth and immediately experienced the truth in that verse. At that moment my life certainly was changed. However Carol’s life was changed for eternity, as will each of our lives when we also come to that moment.

After the past weeks of fighting infections, I am thankful to be feeling so much better and I enjoyed the reminders in verses 43-44; “Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when thy are raised, they will be spiritual bodies.” Now that is something to look forward to!

Isn’t it interesting how much time, effort and dollars we invest in work, pleasure, possessions, health and everything imaginable, which we will ultimately leave behind. I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to be a small part of God’s work through SIM and be continually reminded of the value of eternal investments. Frequently as we meet for prayer each morning, we will hear from folks that have recently returned from various fields, providing us with updates about the amazing things that God is doing in lives around the world. It sure does make the struggles easier and helps to keep better focused on eternal values.

I like Paul’s final reminder in this chapter; “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (vs. 58)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Chuck