Pastor's Journal

Pastor: David Smith

david@fbclm.org

The opportunities that God has placed before us are astounding! In just this last month, God has been very busy in our midst. You'll remember with me that it was just a month ago that we hosted a block party here for our community. Glenview Baptist Church from Fort Worth was so generous in donating the food and inflatables and in providing entertainment for the event. And it was a huge success! Hundreds of people showed up and had a wonderful time of fellowship together. We were able to show, in no uncertain terms, that Christians do know how to have fun. We also showed that Christians know how to care for others in our community. We went a long way in demonstrating our openness in reaching out to people all around us. Every Sunday since that event, we have had at least one family visit with us as a direct result of the block party, and we have contacted every person and family that gave us contact information when they attended. We need to be thinking about another block party soon. New relationships need to be established and nourished. God is glorified in this, and He is working in this.

Disaster response continues to be high in our "to-do" list. Nehemiah's Vision is settling into their offices in our building, and God is using our time together to develop and deepen relationships. I am so grateful for Ken and Jan Johnson and for their willingness to serve the Lord here. Their presence is making a difference in my life and in lives of people all around us. If you haven't met them yet, you need to. They will bless your life!

Our local disaster response warehouse had to close down this last month. The building was bought by another company. But they were so gracious in allowing us to continue operation as we made efforts to relocate materials, and they even aided us in that relocation. Our closest warehouse is now in Baytown. That is far enough away that it does not really meet the needs of our immediate area. So a real prayer concern is for another local warehouse. Please lift this need up before the Lord. He will provide!

We had a wonderful time together on Easter Sunday as our praise team and various members of our congregation ministered to us through music and drama. Special gratitude goes out to all who worked so hard to prepare this message. I want to especially thank Tyler Harrison who reminded us that it is the Lord who gives us life!

Be in prayer as our congregation continues to take steps to meet the future. The Lord is with us in this: "'For I know what I have planned for you,' says the Lord. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'" And we have a part in this as well: "'When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,' says the Lord."

May God bless you as you make yourself available to Him!

  

The pace has certainly picked up here! We are less than two weeks away from housing our first group of disaster relief volunteers. At this point, we are expecting a group of about 65 on the week of February 16 and another group of about 100 on the week of February 23. Both of these groups are comprised of students coming from Michigan! We are very excited at the prospect of ministering to them while they in turn minister to our communities. On March 10, we are receiving a group of about 20 from a church in Lubbock, Texas, then on March 13, we are expecting a group of about 50 from a church in Gainesville, Texas. During Spring Break, we will be housing a group of about 150 volunteers from a church in Ft. Worth, TX. There are several other groups that have expressed an interest in staying here, but I don't have them confirmed yet. Please keep all of these volunteers in your prayers. And consider how God might use you in the work ahead.

 

We have received a "shower unit" built by Texas Baptist Men that will serve our volunteers. This unit contains four showers and a washer and dryer. It's pretty amazing to see how they utilized the space to create this gift! Texas Baptist Men are also planning on delivering another shower unit to us in the near future. It will be quite a bit larger than the one that is already here. Yesterday, we had 150 cots delivered here to be added to the 50+ that were already here. I think we are just about ready to receive our first guests! Just since I began writing this post, I have had requests from two other groups of about 50 each to stay here. God is moving in a mighty way. It is so exciting to be a part of what He is doing!

 

On a more personal note, please be in prayer for my family as we are undergoing several transitions at once. My oldest son, Nathan, just began a new job in South Florida this week. Caroline and our little granddaughter, Violet, will be joining him there very soon. I already miss all of them! This last week, Debbie and I took a load of furniture up to Sulphur Springs, Texas, to help my sister move in there. Deborah has lived in Lake Jackson for the last 25-30 years--so this is a major transition for her. Please keep her in your prayers.

 

And please be in prayer for our church. We are still progressing in our relocation effort. Everything seems to be coming down to God's perfect timing. We really do keep Him busy, don't we?

 

May God bless you in the days ahead.

 

 

 

If all you had to go on was what you learned through this journal, you would probably either think I'm not doing anything, or else I have fallen off the face of the earth! So let me back up in my thoughts and bring you up to speed....

 

Of course you already know that we suffered the devastation of Hurricane Ike. But God has been faithful to His promise: "I will never leave you or forsake you." As a matter of fact, God has been very busy in our midst. For weeks, we were involved in clean-up efforts throughout the county. (My family has also been involved in clean-up in Brazoria County at my mom's house.) God has kept us safe in our work and has opened up new doors of service to this community and beyond. We have begun to move from "disaster relief mode" to "rebuilding mode." Our disaster relief warehouse is brimming with building materials now and rebuilding teams are beginning to make plans to be in our area for months and possibly years to come. Our church is preparing to house approximately 200 disaster workers at any one time. We recognize that this effort is already much bigger than we are, and we are trusting God for the strength, direction, and wisdom we will need in order to take care of all of these people who will, in turn, help so many others. God is already at work putting resources together to help us through this time. We need your prayers and for you to be sensitive to what God would have you do in the ministry efforts on the Gulf coast. There are many areas that still do not have drinking water or utilities. There are many homeless. There are many in need of comfort, encouragement, and hope. There is much for you to do.

 

Our Worship Pastor, Don Vinson, and his family have been called to serve in a church in San Angelo. I am really going to miss them, but I am so excited for each of them as they continue to follow the Lord's leading in their lives. My prayers are with them as they begin in this new place of service to our King and His people.

 

And the Lord called my mom home earlier this month. Debbie and I, along with Nathan, Becky, and Matthew were all at her bedside as she gently slipped away from us and into the arms of Jesus. Every prayer I had for her was answered that day. God is so good! During Mom's funeral service, Debbie's dad passed out and stopped breathing. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital but is now back at his home and doing well. As we were driving back to our home the evening of the funeral, Debbie and I talked about the things that had gone on that day and how our night's conversation could have been totally different had her dad died earlier that day. Again, God is so good! It seems like He sometimes takes you right to the edge, but His promise is true: "No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it."

 

Christmas was a wonderful time of family gathering and worship. Lauryn kept crawling up in my lap with a New Testament, asking me to "Read me the story about Jesus." I can't even begin to express how thankful I am that, at such an early age, her thoughts are already on Jesus! It kind of helps put everything else into the right perspective.

 

Speaking of Lauryn, she turned two since my last post, Nathan is now 31, Gary is 32, Matthew is 24, and I am...older! And not only that, I am now "doctor." After years of work, I finally finished my degree at Midwestern, so now a bunch of people at church call me "Dr. D!" Is that crazy or what?

 

I am really looking forward to next year. Beginning with the first Sunday of 2009, we will be offering two morning services, one at 8:30 and the other at 11:00. I believe that both of them have the potential to grow tremendously and touch many with the gospel. The first service will be more of a traditional offering while the second will be a more contemporary style. I feel like we are going to be offering something that just about everyone can relate to. My prayer is that God will be glorified through all of these changes and others.

 

So, as we come near to the end of 2008, I suppose it's time to consider New Year's resolutions. I wonder if I should resolve to update this journal more often...?

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

Before I say anything else, first of all I want to thank God for His blessings. No matter what you are going through right now, God is with you and He loves you. That may be difficult for you to feel on a personal level right now, but I promise you that it's true.

 

It may be that at a time like this, the best thing that can be done for us is for us to be able to hear a Word from God. I would like to offer this verse to you: Isaiah 41:10. In it, God says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

 

The world we live in is full of terrible things; it is saturated with sin, suffering, sorrow, and separation. But God's statement of reassurance is simply, "So do not fear, for I am with you." When we come to God in simple trusting faith, we find comfort with the reassurance of God's presence. And because we have recevied His comfort, as His children, we can give this comforting reassurance to others as well. A smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an offer to help may be just the thing that someone else needs for comfort and consolation. Paul offered a word like this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 when he said, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

 

As reassuring as God's presence is, He does not stop by simply offering His presence. He continues His Word to us: "Do not be dismayed, for I am your God." Even in the midst of the devastation left by Hurricane Ike, God offers peace. The world we live in (especially the world we find ourselves in this week) is searching for peace in the aftermath of the storm and its destruction. So God again offers what we need. Paul said, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Having received God's promise, we can reassure others with His promise as well. You see, God's Word and His promises are enduring; they never fail. Jesus reminded us, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

 

Even so, our faith sometimes weakens and we fail to glorify God and to be the blessing to others that He would want us to be. Our doubts start to overwhelm us and we begin to lose confidence that we can make a difference in, or even survive, the situation facing us. Very quickly, we can feel helpless and even hopeless. But again God comes to our aid: "I will strengthen you and help you." We must come to the place where we are willing to exchange our finite strength for His infinite power. And His power restores our confidence. So with a renewed sense of confidence, we can remind others (just as Paul did), "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

 

It amazes me how we as Christians so often ignore God's promises. There is one final promise contained in our verse from Isaiah that we should consider: "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." At a time like this, why would we ignore God's promise that He will uphold us?  Surely by now we've learned that we will ultimately fail when we rely on our own strength. We certainly don't need to keep going on in our independent way. Trust Him. In these difficult times, trust Him. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). It is because of the fact that Jesus overcame, He is able to help us overcome as well. Jesus reassures us of victory now and promises us of victory eternally. Hold on to the reassurance that He offers!

 

 

  

Just a quick update... The interview on the morning show with FOX 26 went well. I've heard several very positive comments from a wide variety of people--members and non-members alike. Pastor Carrington with Willing Workers Baptist Church called and expressed his pleasure regarding the interview. We had a great talk together and are now trying to work out our schedules to be able to have lunch together in the next few days.

 

LaMarque and the surrounding areas survived Tropical Storm Edouard pretty much unscathed. We really needed the rain, and as usual, God provided what we needed.

 

We are grateful to have Rod Lindsey and his family back in our area for a few days. Rod was the minister of music for our congregation for about ten years. A few years ago he left his position here to become a missionary with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He and Kendra serve as missionaries in Paris, France. I believe that they plan to worship with us this Sunday.

 

Keep praying! God is at work!

 

Sunday, August 3, 2008

 

What a wonderful day this has been...and what a tremendous week! And to think it all started when I came back from vacation....

 

I always enjoy vacations where I can just "get away" with the family, but this vacation was far from a getaway. I spent the week finishing my dissertation project. I've done all the sessions that I needed to complete, all the teaching, all the research--everything--except writing the conclusion. So I figure I'm about forty pages from being finished! And believe me--that's a good feeling! Debbie helped me tremendously during the week, running statistical analyses, making charts, and letting me bounce ideas off her. Then she closed up my last session with the pilot study group of ministers by assisting me with all the details, discussion, food, and just about everything else. I really don't think I would have finished this week if she hadn't helped. So, thanks again, Debbie!

 

This week I think I've run the gamut of emotions. Monday started out as a difficult and discouraging day, but God quickly began to change things! While I was on vacation, I spoke briefly to a reporter from the Galveston newspaper who wanted to interview me concerning our church's relocation plans. I scheduled to meet with her at 11am on Monday when I could be back at my office with all of the information accessible. At 10:00, I had a call from another newspaper reporter who conducted a phone interview that I thoroughly enjoyed. He really seemed to understand my heart and to grasp what God is doing in our congregation. During my interview with him, the Galveston reporter called and had to delay our appointment by about half an hour. I think God was in that because just a few minutes before the original appointment was scheduled, someone came by the church to inquire about the building and to tour the facilities. As it worked out, we finished the tour just as the Galveston reporter arrived. The woman who had toured the building called her pastor and arranged another appointment for later that afternoon so that he would be able to tour the building as well. I then visited with the Galveston reporter. Again, the interview went well. That afternoon, I met with Rev. James Carrington, pastor of Willing Workers Baptist Church. We agreed together that God was doing something that had every likelihood of meeting the needs of our congregations, and made arrangements for his congregation to have access to the building here on Sunday afternoon so that they might be able to pray that God would make it apparent to them what they needed to do in relocating their congregation. We left each other with a sense of excitement and anticipation as we looked forward to the next thing that God was going to do. Monday had certainly turned into a good day after all.

 

Tuesday, I was busy with meetings with various teams and committees of the Galveston Baptist Association. It made for another busy and productive day.

 

On Wednesday, the Galveston newspaper article came out on the front page of the Galveston News. It was a factual article with only one minor mistake (that didn't affect the story), but while it was factual, it also seemed to miss the point of our church's reasoning for relocation. Even so, it was a fairly positive assessment of our situation, so, overall, I was pleased. Shortly after the article came out, I got a call from Fox 26 news in Houston. They had seen the article and wanted to conduct their own interview. I agreed and was able to talk with them before the afternoon was over. This television interview picked up where the newspaper had led--our relocation was basically a matter of economics. While it is certainly true that economics were what initially got the congregation's attention, that was not the main reason to relocate. I told the television reporter that the newspaper had missed the real point...God is doing something in the hearts and lives of His people at First Baptist Church. And He is pulling together seemingly unrelated circumstances to create a "tapestry" that we could not even begin to imagine! When the reporter heard about Willing Workers Church and began to recognize God's activity in our situations, he asked if he might send another crew to cover our Sunday morning service and Willing Workers' afternoon prayer service. I believe that Duarte (the reporter) very clearly understood that God was at work. As a matter of fact, he invited me to be interviewed on Fox's morning show this Monday.

 

I went home for a few minutes to get a little bit of rest late Wednesday afternoon before evening meetings and our prayer service began. While at home, I got a call from a reporter with KHOU news in Houston. He had also read the article in the Galveston paper and wanted to have a camera crew in our services on Sunday morning. While I did not talk with the crew, I think they were in our service briefly today. Channel 26 stayed with us throughout the day and then ran an initial report tonight.

 

Saturday, we got a large part of the congregation together for a previously-scheduled church clean-up day. Our building and grounds were really sparkling before the day was over. That night, Don got the praise band together for a practice that just built on the sense of anticipation I was already experiencing. One of the highlights for me personally was that my son, Nathan, agreed to play bass for the practice and for today's service. It was so good to see him exercising his musical giftedness again. I hope that he will continue to do that more and more.

 

Our worship service this morning was one of those wonderful times when everything came together in such a way that we know we didn't cause it to happen. Although Don and I knew the general direction that each would be taking in the service, we never collaborated on much more than a basic outline of the message, three primary scripture passages, and the order of service. As the service played out, I discovered that both Don and I had used the same "auxiliary" verses in structuring our worship time together. We didn't know it was happening, but I have a feeling that God did. Today, the band was great, the music was outstanding, and the sound was excellent. From the beginning of our time together in worship to the end, God was speaking to and through our hearts. We were privileged to witness a young man's profession of faith in Christ as his Savior and to receive a wonderful new couple into our membership.

 

Then this afternoon, our excitement was palpable as car after car pulled into our parking lot, followed by a large chartered bus. From this caravan, the congregation of Willing Workers Baptist Church began to come inside God's building here in LaMarque. Our time with them was particulary blessed as they worshiped together and allowed us to join with them in praise and prayer. We capped off the afternoon with a time of fellowship between the two congregations, thanking God for His magnificent provision. He has blessed us beyond measure today! All praise belongs to Him, and Him alone!

 

  

 

The family got together at our house last Saturday to celebrate Becky's birthday. She finally reached her "29 and holding" birthday! We had a great time together with all three of the grandkids, all three of our kids and their spouses. Debbie's mom, as well as Debbie's sister and niece from Kuwait, were there as well. I know a lot of pictures were taken, but I haven't seen any yet. We had kind of an 80s theme party, complete with "pin the tail on My Little Pony!" By the way, Matthew won that game!

 

Mom's sister and her daughter and granddaughter came down from Texarkana yesterday to visit with Mom. They'll be in town for a couple of more days. Mom really seemed to enjoy her visit with them.

 

Don and I had lunch together yesterday and are really beginning to "strategize" together so that our church can reach out to young people and young families. I'm praying that God will be very actively at work in our midst to grow His people. A lot of great things are beginning to happen...and the glory all belongs to God!

 

 

 

 

Last Sunday afternoon, Nathan and Caroline brought Violet and came to visit. We had a great time together and then all went to see my mom in the nursing home. She was so pleased to see all of us, but especially the new family. Mom got to hold the baby and had one of the biggest smiles that I can ever remember seeing on her face! After church on Sunday night, Nathan and Caroline went out to eat and left Violet with us to babysit. All in all, this was one of the best and most fun days that I've experienced in a long time.

 

I'm also really excited about some decisions that many of our church's youth made at last week's pre-teen camp at Palacios. Dylan Plain accepted Christ as Savior and wants to be baptized and join the membership of our church. We are planning to baptize him this Sunday. Other decisions were also made, and I'm looking forward to talking to each one about what God is leading them to do.

 

By the way, Debbie passed her comps at DBU! Now the "fun" begins as she starts her dissertation.

 

In everything, God is SO good!

 

 

 

I have a new granddaughter! Violet Ananda Smith was born to proud parents Nathan and Caroline on May 31st. Mom, Dad, and baby are doing fine. God is so good! The plans are for Caroline and Violet to go home today. That's always a big day! Next, ... adjustments! Please keep Nathan, Caroline, and Violet in your prayers in the days to come.

 

Debbie finished her comprehensive exams at Dallas Baptist University as she attempts to complete her Ed.D. Exam results are still not back, so she's not completely at ease yet. If she passes everything, she will begin to work on her dissertation. I have just about had all the results returned from the various ministers of the LaMarque Ministerial Alliance to enable me to finish up my ministry project. Once I have compiled the data, I need to write two more chapters on my dissertation and then submit it to the dissertation committee for approval. If everything goes right, I'll be finished by the end of summer and graduated by this December. THAT will be an answer to prayer!

 

Don Vinson has become our Worship Pastor. He and his family are a real blessing to us and to our church. I look forward to serving with him. Our church also deeded some property to the Galveston Baptist Hospitality House in order to support that important ministry to patients and families at UTMB in Galveston. We also voted to offer space in our building to Pine Drive Christian School to allow them to conduct kindergarten and first grade classes here. We will also offer space to Joanie Garro so that she can provide services for students with special needs. I am so excited to see how God is bringing us through this time of transition and how He is expanding our ministries at the same time! God is truly so good!

 

Keep praying...

 

 

 

I have so much catching up to do! Peyton had his surgery and is doing much better. Johnny did well through his surgery. Nathan's job is going great. Gary seems to be feeling better. Debbie still has shoulder problems but has been so busy that she hasn't gone back to the doctor. Mom has had some good days, but her general health seems to be declining. My granddaughter, Lauryn, has decided that it's time for her to start talking and hasn't quite figured out how to stop yet! Nathan and Caroline are expecting our third grandchild (a girl) just about any day now. Needless to say, it's been a very busy time for us.

 

 

 

And it's been busy at church, too. Our Vision Team continues to make progress as we look toward the future for our congregation. Our Minister of Music Search Team has finally found the person they believe God has prepared to be our next Minister of Music and will be presenting him to our congregation this Sunday. I am very excited that our search is almost complete! Don and his family will be a wonderful addition to our church.

 

We experienced a major burglary at our church sometime after ending our services last Sunday and before we came back on Monday morning. We've been dealing with police, cleaning up, making lists of stolen items, and replacing those items since then. This afternoon, we were finally beginning to feel like we were on the verge of catching up as we were able to start doing some of the things we usually do on Monday! It's really been a week....

 

But God has blessed us through all of this. When it became apparent that God was preparing to have us relocate as a congregation, and when we began to take some really big steps in that direction, it also became apparent that we would experience direct spiritual challenges. A verse of Scripture that has been on my mind continually this week is found in John 10:10. Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." I have come to appreciate this promise of God in a brand new way this week. Our congregation has pulled together and is showing signs of life in new and vibrant ways. Satan may have had his plans to hurt us, but God had other plans! He has blessed us immeasurably through these trials. All praise belongs to Him!

 

 

 

I've never been all that great at journaling. Obviously, things haven't changed. It seems to me that those who really know how to do this well are able to put their thoughts down almost as those thoughts occur. For me, I seem to get so tied up in those thoughts that I have to let them stew for awhile before I know what to write.

 

This has been a very busy month - so much so that I can't begin to write about all of it. Mom did go back to the doctor and let him know that she is not going to have further treatments. My oldest son, Nathan, was finally able to land a job (which he started Monday) after months and months of searching. My son-in-law, Gary, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. My wife, Debbie, received a shoulder injury that has resulted in a lot of pain for her and in several referrals to doctors and specialists. My brother-in-law, Johnny, will have eye surgery next Monday. And my seven-year-old grandson, Peyton, will have surgery the next day.

 

As much as I am concerned about everyone else, it is my grandson that I am focused on today. It's been almost a year ago now since my daughter and her husband began to notice some changes in Peyton. At first, these were pretty slight, but as time went on, they became more pronounced and occurred more frequently. Before long, his teachers began to notice the differences as well. Peyton has undergone all kinds of tests: he has been poked, prodded, and scanned until he's just about worn out. Yet with all the tests, he still does not have a diagnosis. He is now being seen at M.D. Anderson and will have a tosillectomy there on Tuesday. There will be biopsies and tests performed, and hopefully these will either lead to or rule out some diagnosis. At this point, being able to name his illness will probably provide some relief for him and his parents (not to mention his grandparents).

 

Yesterday, my daughter, Becky, called and talked with Debbie and related to her that the night before, Peyton asked Jesus to come into his heart and save him from his sins. Becky said that today, Peyton is like a changed person - calm and at peace. He still faces his surgery, but now he faces it from a different perspective, and so do Gary and Becky. I have often preached on the importance of keeping our focus on Christ and not on our circumstances. Circumstances can change in an instant - but Christ and His love for us never change. Even in the midst of a very trying month, He can bring to pass something more wonderful than we can ever hope for! We truly serve an awesome God! He alone is worthy of our praise!

 

  

 

"You will have to decide for yourself. I can't make this decision for you." With those words, Mom's doctor very gently and lovingly helped her to understand that there were some things he could do and some things he could not. He told her that regardless of her decision to pursue treatment or not, he would remain her physician and friend. Still, she was not sure what to do. Her doctor recognized this and offered his advice: "Because of the hesitation I hear in your voice, why don't you take a little more time before you decide. Perhaps if a month passes, your body may give you the answer you are looking for."

 

So many things during that visit reminded me of important decisions we make in life - decisions that we must ultimately make for ourselves. By far, the most important decision that I believe we make is whether or not to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives. Yet, even with this supreme decision, God lets us know, "You have to decide for yourself. I can't make this decision for you." And sometimes it seems like God lets us drift away from Him as we try different alternatives and head in other directions. Yet, through it all, God is still there, He is still available, He is still providing opportunities, and He is still waiting for your decision. Eventually, we come to the point that we actually understand what we need and what we need to do about that need. And still God says, "I can't make this decision for you."

 

One of the great things that Mom's doctor told her was, "If you make a decision before your appointment next month, call me and let me know what you've decided. Then I'll know what to do." In a very similar way, God is waiting for you to let Him know what you've decided. He knows what to do.

 

 

Monday, January 14, 2008 

 

This afternoon, it's back to the doctor with Mom. A decision was not reached last week, so today she is supposed to tell her doctor what she wants to do. As I think just about anyone would be, Mom is vacillating between active treatment and no further treatment. One of the factors in her decision-making is the feeling that she does not want to "lose" her doctor. Over the years, she has come to trust him and his judgment. She values his opinion and his expertise. She does not want to lose him as her "friend."

 

I've thought about that a lot this week. At some point, we are each one going to lose everything that this world has offered us - even the very good things. It's hard to imagine that anyone could look forward to losing it all. But Paul had some very encouraging words: "For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.... I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!" (Philippians 1:21, 23b NET). But even Paul said something that reminds me of Mom's struggle: "I feel torn between the two..." (Philippians 1:23a).

 

We all seem to be pretty much aware of what we are losing when this life comes to an end. What we have to remind ourselves of is what we will gain. Should Mom decide to end her treatments, it is true - she will lose her friendship with her doctor. But when the day comes that she takes her first step into heaven, she'll be greeted by a Friend that she will never have to leave. Jesus said, "I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everythng I heard from my Father" (John 15:15). He offers a friendship that will never end.

 

 

 

Mom made it home a couple of days before Christmas, but today she is at the doctor, getting the results of her bone scan, and finding out if she will be moving toward more treatments or toward hospice. Have you ever thought about how we, as Christians, often focus on the wrong "home?" In Philippians 3:20, Paul said it pretty well: "Our citizenship is in heaven!" On Sunday, our Senior Saints choir will be singing "This World Is Not My Home." Days like today remind me of that important truth.

 

 

 

Mom's house is almost in order. Hopefully, she will be able to be home by this weekend. I know this will be a great relief for her and for my sister because it never feels all that good to be in unfamiliar surroundings. It didn't feel good for Israel as they were wandering in the wilderness for forty years between their bondage in Egypt and their arrival in the Promised Land. It doesn't feel particularly good for Christians as we "wander" between Christ's first advent and His Second Coming. Things haven't changed much, have they?

 

Even though we are daily experiencing God's blessings, we sometimes become discouraged because we haven't yet achieved all of God's promises. It amazes me how impatient we can be! But it doesn't surprise me. Jesus anticipated our impatience and reminded us that suffering belongs to us in this world - but He is victorious anyway: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

 

 

 

For the past several months I have had two Vision Study Groups meeting at the church. After a lot of hard work, research, prayer, and "wrestling," they presented their findings to the church yesterday. I don't think I have ever been through a longer business meeting, but I also don't think I have ever been through any business meeting that was more bathed in prayer. I saw a church that was supportive of the efforts of the two teams...and a church that truly listened. What we wanted to do was to discover and follow God's will for the future of this church. What we discovered together is that we are being faced with change. And believe me, change is not something that comes easily to this congregation. But it appears to me that change is exactly what our church is willing to go through.

 

Just as prayer was necessary before the business meeting, it will be necessary in the days ahead. We all understood that God is calling us to something much bigger than any one of us--and much bigger than this whole church together. That can be a little unsettling...but it also can be very exciting! I think that I am beginning to feel an air of anticipation here. God is about to do something great!