Sunday's Coming

Good Morning,

I just want to take a moment and thank those of you who have sent cards and phoned regarding the passing of LaVon's mother. Your thoughtfulness is special to us. THANKS!

I was reading this morning and this was just too close to home, but I felt I should share. I almost left, but God pressed upon me to stay. WOW! Thank You, God.

Does Your Family Know You Love Them?

By Jim Burns

He will turn the hearts of the fathers [and mothers] to their children; and the hearts of the children to their fathers [and mothers]; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse. Malachi 4:6

My mother had been very sick with cancer. We knew she was going to die. Over the months of her sickness, my mom and I had some very special talks about life, God, and our family. My emotions were often raw. I would laugh harder and cry harder than I ever had before.

My mom’s body was shutting down. It was only a matter of time. Almost every day, I would find the time out of the busyness of life to sit with her, since she was confined to her hospice-care bed. That July, I was struggling with the idea of having to leave my mom’s bedside to go and speak to 6,000 students in Colorado at an international denominational youth event.

The day before I was to leave, my mom seemed to be doing better than she had for many weeks. She told me, “Go and speak to the kids, and I will be right here when you get back.” Hesitantly, I decided she was right. As I left the room she called out to me in a very weak voice, “Jimmy, I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

I left for Colorado and spoke to the students. After the evening event at the conference, I came back to my hotel room, and there was a message to call my wife. Cathy told me that my mom had died.

I was crushed that I had not been there with her. After a restless night of thoughts, tears, and prayers, I left for the airport, and then it dawned on me. The last words my mother ever said to me were, “I love you, Jimmy.” The last words I ever said to her were “I love you too, Mom.” What a blessing!

How is your relationship with your family? Is there an atmosphere of love and warmth, or is there some hostility? Whatever your relationship is like with your family, the biblical mandate is to be loving and supportive. God’s vehicle for faith and love is often the family. Who do you need to say, “I love you” to today?

LaVon and I are truly thankful to God for each of you. Thank you for your continual support and interest in our ministry by investing yourself in many ways as partners with us: by prayer, e-mails, phone calls and your financial gifts. Without any of these we could not continue what God has called us to do and that is to share the living water with the world through the RV ministry.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.

Don

Sunday's Coming

Good Morning,

I just want to take a moment and thank those of you who have given support to us. My heart is full and my prayer is God will bless you greatly.

I had made plans to leave here next Monday to get the rig in south Texas, but things have taken a turn for the worse, so I must stay put for now. I have said this week if you want to make God laugh tell Him what you are going to do.

James 4:13-17 (NIV)

Boasting About Tomorrow

 ¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

 
I came across this story yesterday and it struck a nerve. I pray it does for you as well.

Abraham Lincoln spent years as a circuit riding lawyer. On one of his trips he and a friend were faced with crossing the dangerous Fox River.
While traveling through a small village he decided to ask a minister about the best place to cross it.
“Well,” said the minister, “it’s always pretty bad. I am familiar with all its dangers. But I have one fixed rule that I never change: I never cross it until I reach it.”




Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. But worrying about what might happen tomorrow is a foolish use of our time.

Scripture for Today: 
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."- Matthew 6:33-34
 
I know God wants what's best for us so I will listen and act accordingly.

LaVon and I are truly thankful to God for each of you. Thank you for your continual support and interest in our ministry by investing yourself in many ways as partners with us: by prayer, e-mails, phone calls and your financial gifts. Without any of these we could not continue what God has called us to do and that is to share the living water with the world through the RV ministry.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don

Sunday's Coming

Good Morning,

I pray all is going well with you today. I want to thank those of you who sent a reply to last week's devotion.  You were a great encourager to me.

I read the following this week. It reminded to keep my eyes open to see where God is at work so I can join Him there.

REACHING OUT - REACHING UP

It was a bitterly cold Sunday morning. People were walking as fast as they could from the parking lot to the steps that led into the sanctuary. Standing next to the steps was a poorly dressed man with his hat pulled down over his eyes and his collar held tightly as he tried to keep warm. His clothes were shabby and his shoes well worn. He appeared destitute, hopeless and unimportant. No one stopped to offer help.
The church members filled the pews, the choir took their seats and the organist started the prelude. As the people sat waiting for the service to begin, they suddenly let out a gasp as they saw that man who was outside the church walk down the aisle, stand behind the pulpit and remove his tattered clothes. It was their pastor.
Opening his Bible he read, "I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me."
Every day God places opportunities to serve Him before us and around us. These opportunities do not require wealth or skills, intelligence or power. They simply require eyes that are open, a mind that is alert and a heart that is sensitive to the needs of others.
To refuse to help others is refusing to help God.

Prayer: Help us, Father, to see what You see, to feel what You feel and then do what You would do when we see others who need our help. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Matthew 25:42-46 - Then He will answer them, saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me."

LaVon and I are truly thankful to God for each of you. Thank you for your continual support and interest in our ministry by investing yourself in many ways as partners with us: by prayer, e-mails, phone calls and your financial gifts. Without any of these we could not continue what God has called us to do and that is to share the Living Water with the world through the RV ministry.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don