Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:12-17

Back in July of 2014 I wrote a piece titled Remember When with a follow-up Remember When Part Two which described the re-acquaintance of a long-lost friend from the 70s. As I described at the time: In last week’s Part One of Remember When… I related such a story of redemption from a long-ago time when I was literally “betwixt and between” being saved or going to hell, when life was lived “for the moment” and not for the consequences of societal behavior; when the spirit of the world encouraged “if it feels good; do it.” Remember “Angels Unseen” falling to her knees in 1990 crying out to God to heal her marriage, to strengthen her relationship, to show her the way ahead, and God coming forth and doing exactly that. And then the miraculous re-acquaintance through fellow-travelers whom God never forgets, allowing for her to share her testimony to the world. Which is exactly what Satan doesn’t want, strong, successful believers and spiritual warriors of Jesus Christ overcoming the wiles of the devil.

Creation rules...

Creation rules…

Well this past week I heard from “Angels Unseen” once again (we have been corresponding regularly since the re-acquaintance) with the back-story to the past 18 months since the re-connect. Without going into too much detail, her husband suffered a debilitating stroke soon after our re-acquaintance during a period of some hectic family activities including moving their daughter into college in New York plus other family responsibilities. From there she goes on: Well come May it will be two years since that terrible weekend, one we will never forget.  They say it can take up to two years to fully recover from a stroke, but I am so grateful to be able to say that my husband is now about 97% himself.  Sometimes he still has to search for a word or doesn’t recall an incident as quickly as he used to but he is almost perfect; he is actually better than before. We found an alternative doctor and he has been wonderful and my husband is practically on no medication, no statins, no BP meds, no blood thinners, eats healthier and looks great. He recently took a part time job at our County Courthouse to provide an opportunity for him to get out and interact more on a regular basis, since I’m out of the house at work and therefore he would be here alone all day.  Not very stimulating.

And this my dear and cherished friend is where you come in……

“Hello Mr. Hurst, having known you back in the mid-70s I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to hear that you ended up on the same road I did. God is faithful. Who knew? I just ordered your book and am looking forward to reading it this weekend. God Bless. ~ Angels Unseen.”

She goes on…

You became my shelter in the storm, someone I could “talk” to without having to think about my current situation. When you would say you were praying for me and my family, even though you had no idea what was going on, I knew those were “the effective, fervent prayers of a righteous man.”  I was so touched and grateful.  You have no idea how I have been blessed by your friendship and I truly thank you for all your prayers and encouragement these past 18 months.  You have been a blessing and all the while you had no idea.  I’m sure I’m not the only friend  whose life you have touched that way.  God’s divine appointment.  God’s perfect timing. God’s unerring faithfulness.

And now on to you.

Beyond The Cosmos...

Beyond The Cosmos…

I wake each morning at 5:00 AM and have my quiet time in which I lift people up to God in prayer.  Recently while praying for you God dropped something into my spirit.  I started to pray something very specific for you.  I know you are very involved with your postings and blogs, church and helping in your community. Yet I sensed something, not quite sure what it was.  I would not say a loneliness but perhaps an “aloneness.” There is a difference.  A line from a Rod Stewart song “When the kids leave for breeding and the TV’s king, tell me we’re not done yet” comes to mind.

We both have grown children and we know how life changes when they go off and start their own lives.  There isn’t always as much time for us.  This is understandable and how it should be.  We did the same thing at their age.  I started to pray for companionship for you.  I remember praying to God for this in whatever shape he felt fit.  I had no idea what form it would take.  I did know that God would answer as he always does.  And now here you are dear Den heading home to your sister and family, many dear friends and new beginnings.  What a wonderful time in your life.  It truly is a wonderful life.

I’m going to miss you.  Even though nothing will change there is a sense of distance that comes from the thought that you will now be writing from across the pond.  I will be looking forward to hearing of all your new connections and reconnections.  Is your friend Michael and his family over there or are they in the States?  You have so much to look forward to.  We will all be blessed by your writings and keeping us informed, perhaps from a different perspective.

Isn’t it wonderful that even at this stage in life God still has surprises and plans for us?  What a  wonderful God! Well my friend I will be praying for your trip and look forward to hearing from you once you settle in.  God’s speed. Love, Janet – P.S. Look up!

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Destiny...

Destiny…

As some of you followers of my blogs and FB posts have surmised, I arrived in the United Kingdom this past Tuesday on another kind of re-acquaintance mission, only this time with members of my own extended family. It has been some ten years since I was last here, and there have been some unavoidable losses of family and long-time friends in the meantime – Time, after all, eventually runs out for each and every one of us while inwardly we all have a tendency to keep pushing the inevitability aside for “future consideration”; a future consideration that can be fulfilled in the next minute or so, or with the next breath! Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. ~ Matthew 6:34

A few weeks ago my pastor, Kendall Bridges preached the last of a series of messages based upon the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 and summed up the entire series with four points:

  • GOD LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY
  • YOU DON’T DO LIFE ALONE
  • FAILURE CAN BE A GREAT TEACHER
  • IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO GO HOME

I challenge each and every one of you reading this to go to the story and read it over a few times and see if it doesn’t convict you in one way or the other about the strength of “family” to overcome any and all upsets, setbacks, disappointments, displeasure, sadness, regret, sorrow, dismay, failure, dispiritedness, despondency, depression, disillusionment, discontent, dissatisfaction and all the other wiles of the devil, who Peter describes as: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. ~ I Peter 5:8-9

Faith in God ..

The plain fact of the matter is that none of us can defeat the devil alone. As is very evident from what Jesus revealed to Peter, without Christ’s intercession on our behalf we are all defeated. Oh yes, we can bluff and bluster and braggadocio our way ahead, but that is simply pride and ego interfering with love and humility. In his Psalm of sobs, the 51st David declares: Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou shalt not despise. (verses 12, 13, 17)

In closing I leave you with this raison d’etre from W. Graham Scroggie:

Abounding life is just the fullness of life in Christ, made possible by his death and resurrection, and made actual by the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is not the will of God that we should be as fruitless trees, as waterless clouds, or as savor-less salt, but that we should fulfill the highest functions of our Christian calling. Christ’s promise is that he will slake the thirst of all who come to him, and his purpose for those who come is that “out of their vitals shall flow rivers of living water.”

Remember – IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO GO HOME!

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Play Rod as he serenades the carousel of memories..

 

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Lyrics to the song right here….

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Face of Jesus by Richard Hook

Soli Deo Gloria!