Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, Most of us love a good story. I am one who especially loves stories that are true. In fact, those who know me, know I prefer reality to fiction! That's why the following story spoke so loudly to me -- a story that is true, sad, and encouraging, all at the same time. It is found in "The One Year Book of Christian History" by Michael and Sharon Rusten and is the story of Doug Herman, his wife Evon, and their two children Ashli and Joshua. Though heart-wrenching in one way, it shows how the Lord can comfort and teach us through experiences we were never looking to learn a lesson from. Enjoy.   Tragedy and Strength on the Other Side "Those best qualified to teach us about suffering and hope are those who have walked through the shadows of tragedy and emerged stronger on the other side. Doug Herman is one such person. This is his story. "In a two-month period my life and faith came to a crashing climax. Evon, my wife,...

Dear Friends, As today is “Shrove Tuesday” and Lent begins tomorrow, I thought I would pass along some interesting facts about the history of Lent. Sometimes we know about it, but don’t really know about it! So, for today, I have put together some background information about Lent. Information varies depending on the source, but I tried to weave together an accurate, historically reliable, and generally accepted summary of the basic facts! Enjoy. Lent is the approximate 40-day season between Ash Wednesday and Easter, during which Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant believers prepare themselves spiritually for Easter through prayer, Bible reading, and a focus on spiritual disciplines like fasting, self-denial, and a commitment to acts of generosity. The word “lent” comes from the Old English word “lencten” meaning “length” and was used to refer to the springtime season in the Northern Hemisphere when the days were lengthening as the sun rose earlier and set later. Lent is ...

Dear Friends, This past Sunday I preached on John 14:12. It's the verse where Jesus says, "Anyone who has faith in me will do the things I have been doing. He will do greater things than these because I go to the Father" (that is, to send the Holy Spirit). Thus, in keeping with what I preached on, I wanted to share some thoughts by Richard J. Foster on "The Power of the Holy Spirit - The Marks of Spiritual Power.” They are taken from a book entitled, "The Contemporaries Meet the Classics on the Holy Spirit." It's a collection of writings from well-known Christians, past and present, compiled by Randall Harris. I wish I could quote the entire article(!), but alas some may feel my posts are already long in an age where we are told attention spans are getting much shorter. Therefore, I will give you the shortened and abridged version. Enjoy. The Marks of Spiritual Power "The power that creates is spiritual power, and i...

Dear Friends, I did not have a chance to send out a "thought" last week. It was a busy week with three funerals -- one completely unexpected. On this end we lost three dear saints, yet they have all gained their desired eternal inheritance. This week (since I have the time) I would like to share a devotional excerpt from a book I bought recently at a thrift shop. I'm not normally a "Daily Guideposts" type person, as some of the entries can be very light on truth and very heavy on personal subjective inclinations or circumstantial guidance. This one is not. As I glanced through this used 2018 Edition this particular entry spoke to me. It was the entry for January 27, written by a former pastor (and I assume former professor) named Scott Walker. I pray it might speak to you as well. Enjoy. "For you formed my inward parts; You wove me together in my mother's w...