Aches and Praise Four Hundred & Ninety Eight

Posted on 2021-03-25 in English |

March 25, 2021
 
 

Dear friends,

                                                                                                                                                           
In last week’s blog post, I mentioned that I have been blessed by the blog posts of Jon Deming, who serves at Camp Spofford in New Hampshire. What I did not mention is that our daughter, Bethany, is in a relationship with him. Karen and I are glad that we can see Jon on Zoom, but look forward to seeing him in person (as well as Candace and Richie) when restrictions on travel to the U.S. are lifted. Jon’s latest blog post is available at: https://withthegrain.substack.com/p/going-with-the-grain-vol-12.

Another person who writes an inspiring blog is Ann-Margret Hovsepian. An accomplished writer and illustrator, Ann-Margret shares helpful insights in “Whimsy & Wisdom” which is available at: https://www.annhovsepian.com/.

If you are a male reading this, I invite you to consider studying the gospel of Luke on Zoom with me and several others. If you are interested, please email me and I will send you the first lesson in a four-lesson series written by the late Robert Munn, who served at the European Bible Institute in Lamorlaye, France, where Karen’s parents, the late Clarence and Pearl Shelly, lived when Karen was young. Lord willing, our first Zoom meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 3.

In preparing for this men’s Bible study, I have been reading Max Lucado’s Devotional Bible and found the following story by Joseph Stowell: “I was preparing to go into the evening service one Sunday night when I heard that Bob, my friend and a deacon in the church, had just collapsed on the sidewalk. As I approached, the emergency unit pulled up, and three medical technicians jumped out. Did they attempt to re-arrange his motionless body? Did they straighten his tie? Did they comb his hair and polish his shoes?

Not on your life. It was no time for cosmetics. They went right for the heart. That was the crux of the matter.

God goes right for the heart. It is where He meets us. It is where He evaluates us. It is where He desires that the flame of an intimate, life-changing relationship with Him be fanned into a great source of spiritual heart and light. He desperately seeks to dwell with us at the core….”

May each of us come before the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, humbly desiring to wholeheartedly serve Him.

Scripture for the weekend: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NIV)

Thought for the weekend: “When we pray in adversity, we may not see the full answer until we come into the peace of Heaven. When we pray in the face of danger, we may not recognize the hand of protection until we are in His care. Sadly, we are not likely to pray when we are enjoying times of prosperity, security, and freedom. Yet this is the most critical time to pray so we do not become selfish, arrogant, and captivated by the world’s charms.” – the late Billy Graham (from his book “Where I Am”)
 

Steve

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