& seeking to walk in His ways ~ Joshua 22:5
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." 1 Thessalonians … Continue reading Hope Grieves
Recently I was awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, missing Sarah, and thinking about the past forty months. As I was lying there, Matthew 5:4 came to mind and I pondered it at length. Since then it has continued to roll around in my heart and mind. "Blessed are those who … Continue reading Blessed Mourner
Each day as I leave my house this is the view I face at the end of my driveway. Until just recently there was a house directly in front of us blocking our view of the cemetery, but the house has been removed. So now as I leave my home every day I face the … Continue reading Facing Death
"So when it was evening on that day, the first [day] of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace [be] with you.'" John 20:19 [NASB] As I was reading through the book of … Continue reading Peace Be With You.
Yesterday Scott and I had the tremendous blessing of witnessing our daughter, Kristen, enter into the covenant of marriage. As I was lying awake this morning thinking about yesterday and all the days preceding it, 1 Peter 1:8 came to mind. "and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do … Continue reading Joy Inexpressible
I realized a few days ago that I was approaching a very difficult Psalm in my quiet time, Psalm 91. June 7th, 2017, the day before Sarah left for her mission trip never to return, I spent a prolonged amount of time meditating on and praying Psalm 91 over her, petitioning God in His faithfulness … Continue reading Three Years Ago Today
"...In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 [NASB] Life can be so very hard in this broken and fallen world. At times it's indescribably hard. No doubt, this is the reason we are repeatedly implored in scripture to endure, to persevere, to be steadfast and unwavering, to … Continue reading Hope Against Hope
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." Hebrews 9:27-28 [ESV] Easter of 2017 is … Continue reading Eagerly Waiting
Since Sarah's death, each time National Daughters Day and National Siblings Day roll around, I cringe. For me, they highlight the incompleteness of our family and the fact that we will never have any new memories or photos together to share. When I realized today, Good Friday, was also National Siblings Day my initial reaction … Continue reading Good Friday Siblings Day
Today as I was praying for many acquaintances and friends being significantly impacted in a variety of ways by the COVID-19 pandemic the Lord brought the words of Isaiah 23:6 to mind. "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3 [ESV] In response I immediately … Continue reading Perfect Peace
