30

Jump Start # 928

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 928

 

Note: Monday is a holiday so there will not be a Jump Start.

Acts 10:29 “This is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me?”

Our verse begins the conversation between the apostle Peter and Cornelius. This was huge. Up to this point the Gospel has been preached, especially by Peter, to the Jews. Philip began preaching to Samaritans in chapter 8. Cornelius was not Jewish nor a Samaritan. He was a Roman army officer. Unlike the typical Roman soldier, Cornelius was a good man, who knew about God and loved Him. He was not cruel, mean or a hard nose like some Romans became after the fighting that they did with other nations.

 

During a prayer, God acknowledged to this Roman that his prayers were heard. Peter was sent. He tells Cornelius about Jesus and the doorway to the Gentiles bursts open.

Peter’s question, “For what reason you have sent for me,” is a great question. It’s a question that all preachers need to consider. It gets into the purpose and planning of preaching.

 

Today is Friday. Most love Friday, because the weekend comes and there are days off. The preacher views Friday differently than most people. It’s Friday, and Sunday is coming and I have to get everything finished. A preacher ought to know by Friday what he is preaching on Sunday. Some don’t. Some have had a busy week and are still working on things.

 

The choice of what to preach on is huge in all the things that a preacher does. Finding the idea is one of the hardest. It comes easy for some. Others really struggle with that. Something interesting. Something needful. Something helpful. The thought has to be given to what the congregation needs, where are they spiritually and how can a lesson help them.

I’m saying these things for a couple of reasons. The choice of sermon is as important as the sermon itself. Picking easy things…or safe things…or things that will make the preacher more loved is not what God wants. Timothy was told by Paul to preach the word. He told him to be instant, in season and out of season. There are sermon topics that are needed but not the number one choice of the crowd. It may not even be the number one choice of the preacher. The purpose of sermons is to help, encourage, warn, teach, and connect with God.

Some preachers like to dwell in the land of controversy. Of all the things that they could preach, they pick something that is out there, that most often only they have given thought to and are concerned about. The thoughts are radical, often not even thought out. Instead of helping, it stirs everyone up. Words are said. The preacher gets upset. The church gets upset. Most of this came from pushing the envelop on controversial things that could have been handled so much better.

Other preachers plow through a book of the Bible which is helpful but too often doesn’t address what is going on with the congregation. Times of death, stress, worry, joy need to be focused upon and directed with God’s word. Hearts are enriched by timely lessons. Long ago, the advice given to young preachers was to have a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other hand. The point, current events are current. These are the things that are happening now. These are the things that folks need to know how to deal with in accordance with God’s word.

 

Timely lessons are just that, they are timely. Many factual lessons come across as college lectures that are full of info and facts but are not practical to everyday living. The preacher must give that some thought. He must be wise in what he preaches about.

The best way to do that is to be with the brethren. He knows what they are going through. He knows the heartbeat of the congregation. He is one among them.

 

Sunday sermons ought to be a great help to you personally. They ought answer questions, fill you with faith and remind you of who we are and where we are going. Sunday sermons need to be filled with Scriptures. They ought to build hope and strengthen our resolve. The preacher is to preach the word, and not his doubts. He is to point the way. It is not a time for him to get back at someone, air his pet peeves, or push his own agenda. He is to preach God’s word and help God’s people. Each audience has a mixture of people. Some who want to be there and some who don’t. Some who understand and some who don’t. Some who are trying and some who are not. Some who are with you and some who have doubts. Some are ready for depth and some still need some spoon feeding. It’s a challenge to connect to such a diverse audience. It’s a challenge to find something to preach about week after week.

 

The challenge to be interesting, factual, Biblical and helpful takes a lot of thought, practice and talent from God. I’m blessed to now sit at the feet of a gifted and extremely talented preacher in our congregation that has helped me so much. Do not take such men for granted. The good ones are rare. The ones that are truly making a difference need to be honored. It is a delight for me to be taught by Zack, who I consider my preacher. Young, passionate, strong, helpful, thoughtful and talented. A true thoroughbred among God’s people. Open the barn door and let ‘em run!

 

Do you have someone like that? When you find one, keep him. Help him. Let him know you are behind him.

Preaching is so much more than just standing behind a pulpit and talking. It begins long before that with finding what’s best to preach on each week. That choice can make all the difference.

Roger

 

29

Jump Start # 927

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 927

 

1 Thessalonians 5:14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

 

Our verse today, near the end of 1 Thessalonians is a common characteristic of the apostle Paul. He often listed several things that the brethren needed to be engaged in and busy doing.  Here Paul listed four spiritual works: admonish, encourage, help, and patience. He also listed four different Christians: unruly, faint-hearted, weak and everyone.

What is interesting about this list is what is missing.

  • Paul doesn’t explain how to do these things.
  • Paul doesn’t explain why these people are this way,

The word “unruly” means out of rank or out of step. You’ve seen the marching band and everyone steps together—left foot, right foot, left foot. Here, when everyone is on the left foot, someone is on the right foot. They are out of step. They are unruly. They are not following the Bible way. They are undisciplined. They are rebels who do not want to conform fully to Christ. They need to be warned. Get back in step is the order.

The next expression is one I want to focus upon. Paul says to encourage the fainthearted. Some translations use the word “timid.” Timid reminds me of shy. Some are shy by nature. They would as soon lose a hand as stand up in front of a crowd and speak. Get a group together and you go around and everyone has to tell something about themselves. Some just nearly pass out from that. The word “faint hearted” literally means, “Little soul.” That sounds like a Indian name, like Running Bear, or Big Crow. Little soul. Paul said to encourage the little soul.

 

Things were tough in Thessalonica. Paul only stayed a few months and had to sneak out in the middle of the night. Jewish persecutors kept following him. Each place Paul went, they caused more trouble. Things barely got started in Thessalonica when the trouble came. Paul was so concerned about these new folks that he wrote this wonderful letter we call 1 Thessalonians. It was his first inspired book. It was to help those with “little souls.”

Some have a little soul because they just never got any depth spiritually. The parable of the sower describes some with shallow or little depth. The scorching sun dries them up and they wither away. Depth. Lowering the nets spiritually. Thinking big. Praying big. Digging deep into the Scriptures. Thinking about things. Using your mind to grasp things. This takes time. It takes work. Some never do it. They remain “little soul.” When trouble comes, the little souls are the first to be impacted by it. A death…a hardship…some ugliness…a spiritual hill to climb—it doesn’t take much and the little soul struggles. The little soul gets discouraged. The little soul quits. It’s too hard. It’s no longer fun. It’s not popular. It’s something.

 

Little souls need to be encouraged. They don’t need to be admonished. That goes to the unruly who are out of step. They need to be warned. The little souls need encouragement. They need to be built up. Air needs to blow into the sails. Encouragement isn’t flattery. Flattery is often superficial and after something. Flattery is like syrup on pancakes. A little tastes pretty good, but too much and they are ruined. Some pour on the syrup when it comes to flattery. Encouragement is spiritual based. It’s lasting, unlike flattery. It’s genuine and heartfelt. It’s only goal is to strengthen the little soul.

Little ones need to hold the hands of the big ones when they cross the street. Little minds will ask how to spell a certain word when they are doing homework. Little ones like to sit close to big ones. I have a special little on in our congregation. She is the daughter of our other preacher. She is the cutest thing ever. She can’t say my name very well but is always calling it out. She loves for me to hold her and I love to hold her. I hold her outside while I shake people’s hands. They don’t pay much attention to me when I’m holding my sweetie, as I call her. She’s fascinated with rain. We’ll stand on the edge of the overhang and hold our hands out just enough to let rain fall into our palms. The look in her eyes is absolute amazement. She’s a little one. Tender. Sweet. Kind. Curious. I wonder if that’s how Paul saw those “little souls” in Thessalonica. He loved them so much. He wanted them to make it.

Encourage them. Show them. Teach them. Spend time with them. Answer questions. Watch them grow. Those sweet souls with a little help will grow and be able to help others someday. Little souls don’t need harsh words, pointing fingers, judgmental looks. They are little. They are timid. They are fainthearted. They are a bit scared. Scared to stand for Jesus. Opposition was intense in that city. They needed a backbone. They needed conviction. The timid are much like a turtle that hides it’s head inside the shell. The scared turtle feels safe in the shell. There was a kids song many years ago that my children loved about a turtle. The song said, “You can’t make a turtle come out.” That’s what Paul was facing. Timid Christians. Scared Christians. Little soul Christians. Give them some encouragement and they will make it. They need the old veterans to help them. Younger preachers need to hear the stories of the older preachers. Not the funny stuff, but the tough stuff. They need to see that they can endure. Little soul Christians need the same. They need to be built up and told that others felt just like they did but they made it. Life can be scary, especially when you deal with co-workers or neighbors, or family members who like to get in your face because you are a Christian. Popping someone in the nose is not the Christian way, but neither is hiding in our shells. Stand up, stand up for Jesus is what we sing and it’s what we need to do. The world is forcing it’s dumb and wrong ideas upon us. Evolution, same-sex marriage, legalizing drugs, removing God’s name from things, immoral shows and music—that’s today for you and I. We can’t hide. We can’t run. We need backbone. We need wind in our sails. We need encouragement. We need not be a little soul.

 

One of the best ways we do this is through our connections with each other. We help each other. We remind each other. We pray for each other. Alone, we are a mess. Alone, we are lunch for the lion. But together, we are the army of the most High God. Together, we are marching to Zion. Together, we shall prevail.

You may have little souls in your home. You most likely have some in the congregation. Do what you can to encourage them. That’s what God wants you to do. Make sure you don’t lose the little ones.

Roger

 

28

Jump Start # 926

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 926

John 4:16-17 “He said to her, ‘Go, call your husband and come here.’ The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have correctly said, I have no husband; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.’”

 

Our passage today comes from the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well. We are not told her name but we are told much about her life. There are several things about this that are interesting and they are examples for us.

 

This takes place in Samaria. Jews did not like Samaritans. They avoided them and that region. If the Jews didn’t like someone or a kind of people, they shunned them. Many people are still doing that today. Not Jesus. He went right to Samaria. He sent the disciples ahead into the city to buy food. That would have been awkward for them.

 

Jesus was alone at the well. The Samaritan woman came to draw water. John specifically tells us that it was the sixth hour, which is noon according to Jewish time. Noon. Middle of the day. Most gathered water in the morning. At noon, things are going on. Cooking is being done. Laundry is being done. Noon is not the time to gather water. This Samaritan woman did. Could it be that she wanted to avoid the crowd? Could it be she wanted to avoid the gossip about her?

 

Jesus strikes up a conversation with this woman. He moves smoothly from well water to living water. Jesus could always do that. He was offering this woman the living water—which is salvation. That is remarkable, so remarkable that John tells us that Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. That is compounded even more when you see that a Jewish man is talking to a Samaritan woman. Worse still, this Samaritan woman seems to trash and destroy marriages. Our verse picks up on that. Jesus knew. He was teaching. He told her to go tell her husband. She answered very guarded that she didn’t have a husband. The initial thought would be that she is either single or a widow. Not so. Jesus knew. She was living with a man and they weren’t married. Worse, she had gone through five husbands already.

 

Five husbands! Five weddings! We are not told what happened to these five. Did they die? Was she a widow five times over? I don’t get that impression from the text. If so, why not marry Mr. Six? Instead, she was living with him. He was not her husband. The impression is that all five of these marriages fell apart, trashed and crashed. This woman doesn’t know how to pick a good man or she has some real relationship issues. I can only imagine what her family must have thought. “There she goes again, another man and another wedding. I wonder how long this one will last?”

And there she is talking to Jesus at the well, a public place. Those that happened to see this might have thought, “there she goes again, working on another man.”

Some lessons:

First, Jesus did not let her history keep Him from talking to her. He did not decide for her that she couldn’t nor wouldn’t turn around and follow God. We tend to do that. We look at a person and make the decision for them. We think, ‘They will never come if I invite them.’ So, we don’t. Or, that guy would never be a Christian. So, we don’t give him the opportunity. This woman certainly needed to learn a lot about marriage and relationships. Jesus didn’t think, ‘Oh, she’d be a problem if she became a follower.’ The guy with a foul mouth…the person with multiple tattoos…the couple who are living together…the co-worker who has flown through several marriages—we tend to “pre-qualify” them and if they don’t make our cut, we don’t waste our time with them. Shame on us. The gospel is for all. The great commission said to preach the gospel to every person—that includes the woman who has had five marriages.

 

Second, Jesus met with this woman in an open and public place. People could think what they wanted. It was in the open. One lesson older preachers teach younger preachers is to be aware and be careful of meeting and studying one on one with a woman. Temptation happens. People can talk. Don’t place yourself in harms way. Don’t encourage a weak soul to make the wrong choices. In the public and at noon, that’s where this conversation took place. Had it been at midnight, in a secluded place—that would not have been good. Jesus is sharp. Always.

Third, some people have made real messes of their lives. Five husbands and what she had now wasn’t a husband. People can really get themselves into all kinds of trouble. The same happens today. Many marriages. Addictions. A record from being arrested. Fired for stealing. Kicked out of school for cheating. A child by another woman, while married to someone else. Registered sex offender. Driver’s license revoked. Shamed. Embarrassed. Guilty. Layers and layers of problems and issues. This woman is not unlike many today. Living without Jesus leads to that. Some, while claiming to be a follower, have made wrong choices. Their lives mirror those who have never walked with Jesus. It wasn’t too late for this woman. It’s never too late, as long as there is life in the body. Not everyone has had an easy life. Not everyone has made right choices. Some of us could never understand this Samaritan woman. We would have never done what she did in a thousand years. If we are not careful, judgmental attitudes will rise to the surface. If we are not careful a “better than you” spirit prevails in our tone of voice. Yes, she made some real messes in her life. Yet, Jesus spent some time with her. Have you ever thought that maybe no one ever sat down and talked with that Samaritan woman. The same may be true of your co-worker, boss, classmate, or neighbor. People have heard the rumors, but no one seemed to care.

 

Fourth, Jesus took a simple, non-threatening concept like water, and made a bridge to the spiritual. Jesus was so good at that. Talking with people ought to be comfortable. He didn’t go into this conversation with guns blazing, condemning her and pointing fingers. He never used the word “Hell” in this conversation. He did talk about God and worship. Imagine this woman in worship. It may have been forever since she had been to worship. And with her trail of broken marriages, worship and God most likely have not been on her radar for some time. That didn’t stop Jesus. We ought to learn from this. This woman had enough guilt already. Why do you think she is getting water at noon instead of the early morning like most women do? Just happened that way or was it planned so she could avoid even more guilt. Jesus offered good news. I’m afraid we miss that. We go up to someone and tell them bad news about the good news. Not Jesus. Our conversations ought to flow like Jesus. Natural. Easy. Helpful. We should not feel compelled to iron out every problem in a person’s life. That comes later on through the Gospel. God will lead them to that through His word. Too often, we’d feel like that we had to tell her about her marriages and her worship and her lifestyle. When we finished, we would feel noble about telling the truth, but we would have destroyed her and given her no hope. Jesus didn’t do that. Lead to Jesus. Let the Gospel do the work. They are powerful. Take common things and build bridges to spiritual things. There are many subjects and topics that we can talk easily with others, even strangers. Learn how to weave Jesus into those common areas. It can be done.

Follow Jesus—that’s the key!

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 925

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 925

Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”

Yesterday in our Jump Starts, I wrote about going to the funeral of a young 27 year old. It was a very emotional day. Lots of tears. Today, is a new day. I’m back home and have a long list of things that I need to get about doing. It’s a work day. It’s a school day. But for a family in Ohio, the day after the funeral can be just as difficult as the day OF the funeral. This is not just for them, but for all of us. I have been there. I expect most of you have been there. The emotion of the funeral often carries one through the immediate grief. There are flowers and cards and tons of people that come. There is food and emails and phone calls. It’s exhausting. It’s powerful to know that one is not alone. But after the funeral, most return to a normal life. For a family of a departed one, normal doesn’t exist anymore. There is someone missing. There is an empty chair at dinner. There is a empty room. There is a empty spot in the bed. This is when the grief really hits.

 

How does one continue on spiritually? Worship is different when you went as a family and someone is no longer there? It’s especially hard when the departed had a leading role, such as an elder or a preacher. There are constant reminders everywhere of what is missing in your life. There is a hole in your heart that nothing seems to fill.

Our verse helps. It states that the memory of the righteous is blessed. Grief is similar to surgery. At first, it just hurts. There is no short cut, detour ramp around that. It is a journey. For some it is longer than others. Even within the same family, the journey takes different lengths of time. Every holiday, birthday, anniversary, even songs on the radio bring back a torrent of sorrow and tears. It hurts, plain and simple. The first year is the hardest. There is a ache in your soul that just doesn’t seem to go away. A person wants to fast forward through all of that but you can’t. Understand that those who love you and are near to you feel very awkward. They don’t know if it is right to talk about the departed or not. If they do, you might cry. If they avoid the subject, it seems like they don’t care. Your transparency helps. Let them know that this is not a good time to talk about that. Or, I want to talk about the person. Your lead helps.

Know that God knows and God cares. Don’t let the mountain of grief keep you from the Lord or worship. Worship is hard, especially immediately after funerals. Everyone will ask “How are you doing?” What are you supposed to say? There seems to be more attention that you like. More hugs. More people hanging around. It’s uncomfortable. Folks are trying, be thankful for that.

 

Pray helps. No one understands more than God. This is the time for those closest prayers that Jesus talked about. You can just pray and pray to God. Remember in all of this, that you are talking to God. He doesn’t have to answer our “Why’s?” He doesn’t owe us an explanation. He doesn’t answer to us. He is God. You are talking to God.

 

The journey eventually moves past the hurting point to the memory stage. The memory of the righteous is blessed, that’s our verse. You start thinking and talking about the departed more easily. The tears are fewer. You start remembering things that you had forgotten about. The smile comes back. Laughter returns. Healing is taking place. Just like a surgery. It takes time.

This is the natural process. Some don’t make it there. Some never heal. The grief crushes them and destroys them. Without Christ, the winds, rain and floods collapses their house. They had no foundation, no faith, no hope beyond the visible. They are destroyed by grief. Paul talked about those who grieve without hope in 1 Thessalonians 4. The death of the righteous and the death of the wicked is different. The hope for the righteous and the hope for the wicked is different. The memory of the righteous and the memory of the wicked is different.

 

I have many friends who have had funerals this year. It’s been very hard on them. I wish there was a pill you could take that would get you through all of these things. There isn’t. I know these things because I have had funerals in my family.

I have found comfort in the expression from Ps 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me.” I walk through. This is a journey. The shepherd led the sheep through the valleys to the high country as summer began. They didn’t stay in the valley. The valley wasn’t the end of the journey. I walk through. I pass through. We shall pass through the land of grief. We are heading somewhere. Grief is not our destination.

The other expression from this verse that helps is knowing that YOU ARE WITH ME. I am not alone. No one else may fully understand. God does. No one else may be there. God is. No one else really comforts. God does. You are with me.

The tears will dry. Life will go on. God is your help in trouble. Make sure you are with God. No one will help like God.

I hope these words help those who are hurting today. I hope it helps to know that others care and are thinking about you. I hope it helps to know that others have been right where you are. I hope it helps to know that others have made it through grief and are better today.

It takes time…but God has all the time in the world, to help you and to be there for you.

 

Roger

 

 

26

Jump Start # 924

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

 

Jump Start # 924

Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

 

By the time you read this, I am on my way to Ohio for a funeral. My preaching companion, Zack and I are participating in the funeral service of one of our members. She was only 27 years old. She lost a fight with cancer, but won a home and a promise with God. Her parents live in Ohio and this is where the funeral will be.

 

I want to share a few thoughts with our readers that I hope to use today.

First, twenty seven is young. My kids are all around that age. I look at them and they are busy people. They are getting married, having babies, buying houses, going to school, starting careers. Watching them wears me out. They are always on the move. One thing they are not doing is planning funerals. Twenty seven year olds don’t think about that. Twenty seven is much too young to be finished with life. This makes this so difficult. If she was 87, it would be sad, but not nearly like it is now. Life, dreams, plans are all ahead of twenty seven year olds. But on this day, we go to bury a twenty seven year old. It does happen. God does not promise a long life. He does not shelter us from disease nor disaster. Death, that ugly enemy of God, comes at the most unwelcome of times.

Our passage, from Ecclesiastes, is a contrast. There is a time to be born. I found out yesterday that one of our couples from church is expecting their first baby. We have another grandchild that is due to be born in December. Exciting times. Can’t wait. That’s how parents and grandparents think. Wish today was the day. The opposite is true of death. We dread it. We hate it. We wish it would never come.

Death at any age, especially a young age, reminds us that life is precious. It makes us wonder if we are making a difference in anyone’s life. It makes us think about what is really important. Sometimes we can get so busy and so stuck on ourselves that we forget about others. Some of our connections with others ought to be stronger. Spending time with people, helping people, teaching people, being there for people is so important. We need to be better about such things.

 

Secondly, the young lady that we bury today belonged to that rare group called, PKs. Not very many are in the PK club. I’ve never been in it. I’ve heard about it. I’ve seen it. My kids are in it. But I myself have never been there. My friend Zack is one. PK, if you have never heard that before, stands for Preacher’s Kid. PK—grew up in a preacher’s home. My dad wasn’t a  preacher. I wasn’t a PK.  I’m the first in our family to preach. My four kids are all PKs. The young lady that we bury today was the daughter of a preacher, a friend of mine. She is not the first PK funeral that I have been involved in.

 

PKs can have it rough. They grow up with dad as a preacher. Sometimes, even though you leave the church building, the sermons never seem to stop. There is an unwritten code about PKs. Everyone expects them to walk a little straighter, because of their dad. Everyone seems to think that they ought to know the Bible, like their dad. Some members seem to get away with things, but never the PKs. Their mistakes in life can lead to their dad getting fired. It has happened. I wonder if we judge the PKs too harshly. Some of them wish that their dad’s did anything but preach. Many of them have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of church and preaching. For some PKs finding their own identity and faith is a real journey that sometimes takes them to the wilderness. Some PKs really struggle with their faith. It’s hard. Too often, the bar is held pretty high for PKs. Maybe too high. Many PKs I know seem to find themselves and the Lord through all of this chaos. They turn out all right, even with all the added pressure, judging and expectations that are placed upon them. Some of them become preachers themselves, as one of my sons’ has. The young lady that we bury today seemed to make it through ok. I’m glad. It was refreshing to see her own faith. It was good to see her stand upon what she believed. She wrote a sweet letter to the church. It was sprinkled through and through with hope, joy, thankfulness and faith. She truly walked as she truly believed.

Finally, the young lady that we bury today died on Friday. I have another young friend that also died on a Friday. They were about the same age. Something happened to my friend on Sunday. On Sunday, He was resurrected. My friend is Jesus. He was in his early 30’s when He died.  His death, makes the death of all believers easier. His death opened the door for forgiveness and hope. His death lifts us to Heaven. His resurrection is Heaven’s exclamation point! His resurrection crushed Satan. His resurrection is the proof for our coming resurrection.

 

The young lady that we bury today is Whitney Wright. She is charming, bright, funny, rather shy in public, thoughtful and a follower of Jesus. She was beautiful, but not like those air brushed, touched up girls in the glamour and Hollywood magazines. She was beautiful in the way she thought. She was beautiful  in that sparkle in her eyes and when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful for her ability to make others smile She was beautiful in her sweet love for Jesus. She was beautiful in the areas that count. She was beautiful on the insides and in her heart. I am thankful that our lives intersected. I am thankful that we knew each other. I have several fond memories of her. I enjoyed watching her smile. Her smile made everyone else smile.

 

My thoughts are with her family. This is a hard day for them. God is good. Greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world. Someday, we will be through with tears, sorrow and death. Someday, there will be no more funerals. Someday, we will be with our Lord forever. Can’t wait…how about you?

Roger