Sunday's Coming

Good morning,

This has been a long week I haven't felt good at all, but today, praise the Lord, I am feeling much better.  Thanks for your prayers.

As I was reading this morning I liked this and wanted to share it with you. Every day is a good day, we need to choose how we are going to view it either positive or negatively.  This is from from The Sower.

THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY

Just before leaving for school, little Noah was saying his morning prayers.

"Heavenly Father, thank You for this beautiful day."

"But," interrupted his mother, "there is going to be a storm with rain, lightning and thunder. That's not a beautiful day."

"I know," was the quick reply. "We just can't judge a day by the weather."

There are some days when the last possible thing we can do is to find something beautiful. We awaken to discover that a loved one is critically ill, we feel overwhelmed by the tough schedule we are facing, the children are out of control and the sink is overflowing because the plumbing is stopped-up. What next? Can anything else go wrong?

Perhaps it is time to listen to the Psalmist:

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Throughout the Psalms we often read about the difficult, demanding and discouraging days they faced. What did they do? They spoke to God honestly and took their problems to Him and plead for His help. And every time, at the end of the psalm, they were rejoicing!

Prayer: Father, we know that You are bigger than every problem we face and have solutions for each of them. May we see Your beauty in all things. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

May God Bless You, may you share His love with someone 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, from Kerrville,Tx.

We had rain yesterday, yea! I pray you are having a great day and staying cool. From what I've heard, this heat has also moved north. Stay safe.

As I was reading this morning, I read the following.  I believe we all need this today:

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “ Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
~Matthew 14:27-29

The story is told of a young boy who liked to jump into the arms of his father. The son would stand at the top of the stairs and leap gleefully into his dad’s secure arms. But, the rule was, the boy was only to jump after he heard his father’s voice inviting him to take flight. One night, the father changed the game. The boy, anticipating this nightly routine, stood perched at the top of the stairs waiting for the familiar voice of his father. But this time, the father turned off the hall lights and the boy could not see the face of his father or the strong arms that always caught him in mid-flight. “Jump!” the father shouted. “I can’t see you,” came the wary reply of the son. Again, the father gave the usual command, “Jump!” “But I can’t see you,” said the boy with fear rising in his voice. The father’s response was calm and sure. “Jump!” And, with terror in his heart, the boy leapt into the air and landed safely and securely in his father’s arms.

This is a great story illustrating the concepts of faith and trust!

Most people are familiar with the biblical encounter of Jesus and Peter walking on water. Often the focus of this account is on Peter’s lack of faith as he begins to sink. What if, however, this story really isn’t about lack of faith, but rather what a person can experience if he or she takes the invitation of Jesus seriously?

Peter’s response to Jesus is, in itself, remarkable, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” I’m not sure I would have been as bold as Peter in asking the seemingly impossible. Was Peter playing some ancient form of “Truth or Dare”?

While we may never know his motive, Jesus calls his bluff, inviting Peter to join Him. And with that invitation, Peter gets out of the boat and learns that Jesus can be trusted as he experiences the impossible.

Wherever you find yourself today, and you hear Jesus saying, “Come,” no matter how dark or impossible your situation seems, put faith into action and dance on the waves!

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 once again,

Time sure flies doesn't it?

We continue staying busy and visiting with family and friends. We went to a church just up the road from us Sunday. It was a good experience. LaVon went back last night to take a women's class that I am sure she will share at Sunscape this winter.

Thank you for your emails, phone calls, visits and your financial support. Sunday nite we went to a church fellowship and Bible study; food and study were both great. The study was "How do you Handle Worry". I was asked how I handle worry. My reply was to trust God. He takes care of us by giving us not only what is good but what is best for us. This summer we are trusting God for our needs since right now we have no extra income to meet our expenses. God, through his great love for us, sees fit to bless some of you by encouraging you to give to our ministry. I can't say thank you enough, you are special to us.

This morning my heart is heavy for many of you, for your loss of loved ones, for the trials and health issues you are going through. Know we pray for you often and I know God is listening and He wants what's best for you as well. I read this devotional today that speaks to this or it did to me.

Beauty for Ashes

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

"…and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." —Isaiah 61:3

A friend of mine was asked by a young couple to perform a memorial at sea for their stillborn child. The three of them planned to spread the baby’s ashes at sea. The morning they chose was overcast and glum, reflecting their feelings of loss. They huddled together on deck, praying through swollen, tear-stained eyes while they pulled away from the shore. When the time drew near to spread the ashes, the young couple did not want to remove the ashes from the small satin box, but instead intended to throw the box overboard. The captain explained to them that it was better to open the box and release the ashes to the waves. With reservation and tears, the couple stood at the railing, releasing their baby’s ashes over the sea. They stood together watching the ashes float away and spread across the rolling sea.

At this moment, something unexpected happened. The clouds parted enough to let a beam of sunlight shine down where the ashes drifted. For an instant, the ash began to sparkle in the sunlight. As my friend shared her story with me, she described the moment as surreal. For what she saw in that moment was beauty for ashes, gladness for mourning and praise for despair. She understood a deep truth about the Lord.

Each of us hides pain inside. Whether it is a shameful past, a break-up, losing a loved one or bad decisions, we all have “ashes” hidden in a box. We try to cover our loss with a beautiful exterior, attempting to make what resides inside less painful than it is. Yet, to experience healing, we need to let those hidden things go. God sees our deepest parts and inmost thoughts. He wants to turn our mourning to praise and give us hope, but we can prevent this healing process from taking place if we hold on too tightly to our pain.

Like the young couple on the boat, we too need to be willing to scatter our pain into the Lord’s hands so He can make beauty of our ashes.

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