Shout Louder

Good Morning Everyone!
This morning as I type I'm reflecting on the past couple of months in my life and those that surround me and I hold dear. It has not been the smoothest of times for any of us, but we still seem to persevere. We do this not because we want to, we do this because we can by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is nothing more painful than watching someone you love struggling. There is nothing more joyful than watching them rise again. Today while reading through my Bible briefly during a break I came upon Psalm 27. I've probably read it numerous times, but today it seemed to carry more weight. It was like God was using these words to convince me that I could not only be there for those I love, but also share the words so others could gain strength from them.

Here's a couple of verses from Psalm 27... I encourage you to read it all:

5 For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

13 I am still confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Do you feel the power from those words? Can they live in you as well? What do you think this says about the next time you are faced something from the enemy? I would venture to day that this Psalm might be your secret weapon. It has become a new favorite of mine. Amazing how verses hit you differently at different times in your life. Don't fall into the trap of thinking all is lost. It never is when you remember that you are a child of the Risen King and he will never let you go. Our enemies have some pretty strong weapons, but they are no match for Our God. Be Strong... Take Heart! The Lord is not only watching... he's standing alongside you! Time to raise those shouts of joy! Time to drown out the enemy!

Love in Christ,
Steve

Meaning of a Friend

What a wild and strange week this past week has been. I've been and experienced so much in the past 7 days that I can't even begin to put everything into words. Perhaps I should just start with a verse that has been extremely heavy on my heart ... its Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity"

As I type this I'm not sure exactly where to start, but will take a stab at what occurred last Wednesday. I was blessed with the experience of watching a friend discovery the power of Christ firsthand. As I watched the tears roll down her cheeks I was reminded of the Grace of God and how he could heal anything said or done... how he can transform us, renew us, and love us when we don't have the ability to love ourselves. I hope I had a small part in the transformation that occurred in her, but we all know that anything that I said or did was from our Risen Savior and he just used me to help her find her way to the truth. God's power is awesome to watch when you allow yourself to be his vehicle and allow him to speak through you. I have to say this was one of the most humbling experiences of my life and changed my outlook and perspective greatly. It made me realize that even though we are small ... we can be BIG through Jesus. We can do anything through him!

Next, I will share what happened Saturday. The family and I were part of a three car accident on I-270 in Columbus. We were basically T boned at 70 mph on the drivers side, hit another vehicle, and God helped me not only keep our truck from flipping, but wrapped his arms around everyone involved and no injuries occurred. The truck may be a total loss, but that is so secondary. My lovely wife reminded me of this and helped me regain my focus in spite of it all. I choked back the tears as I thought about what could have been, but was truly blessed to have the angel I married next to me to remind me of what was important.

Finally, I will give you my observation of other things that occurred and continue to occur in the context of the verse above. It never seems to fail that when I face adversity someone is there to pick me up. And, apparently I was there at the precise moment I needed to be there for my friend last Wednesday. When I think of Proverbs 17:17 I often think of the healing power of friendship through forgiveness (i.e. A friend loves at all times...) I guess the past week, God has shown me the second part and perhaps the most important (and a Brother is born for adversity).

Praise be to our incredible God my friends! I can't wait until the day we are all dancing and worshiping in Heaven together without pain, without struggle, without everything that binds us! Let's continue to let God's Love, Agape Love fuel our hearts and fill our minds.

Thank you for the honor of being your Brother... Thank you for the honor of being your friend!
Love in Christ,
Steve