by Chris Abbey

Matthew West has a song out called “What If”. The words are really cool and they got me thinking about any regrets I might have at the end of my life. 

I remember a man in our choir at the church where I fellowshipped in Atlanta talking about a friend of his who had passed away suddenly. He was berating himself because he knew he should have shared his testimony with his friend but kept putting it off. Until one day, it was too late. He was ashamed that he didn’t heed the call to talk to his friend about Jesus when he had the chance, and now he worried that if his friend wasn’t in Heaven, could he have helped change that outcome?

That confession has stuck with me all these years. Why is it so hard to share our testimony with those we love? We don’t have to spell out the whole Gospel, we don’t even have to have all of the answers. We only have to share about how God has worked and still works in our lives. It’s that simple, we just think it’s hard. All that matters is John 9:25 NIV, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.” That’s all we have to say.

My best friend’s dad recently passed away, and although his absence in this world is profound to me, I have peace. A couple of years ago, I sent a letter to him and his wife simply telling them about how God worked in my life and how He was carrying me through my husband’s illness and death. I did my part, I obeyed God, and now it was up to God and my friend’s dad what they did with it. 

“What if today’s the only day I got?

I don’t wanna waste it if it’s my last shot

No regrets, in the end

I wanna know I got no what ifs

I’m running till the road runs out

I’m lighting it up right here right now

No regrets, in the end

Lord, show us where, when, and how you want us to share your love with those around us. Give us the foresight to know when you are calling us to witness and the right words to say. Remind us that we only have to do a small thing, then move out of the way so you can do a big thing. Thank you for opening my heart to receive your salvation. Amen.

by Deb Leib

The Bible says that enjoying your work is a gift given to you by God (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 NIV).

I retired a little over a year ago which was a hard decision to make, because I loved the job God blessed me with. I worked for the Visiting Nurse Association for more than 32 years. I wish I knew how many houses I’ve been in and how many miles I traveled. I know I went through four Subarus! With being a home health/hospice aide, I met a lot of people with a lot of personalities. With home health patients, you knew they would improve in their health, but it was different with Hospice patients. Yes, some did get better, and I was always happy for them. I knew my calling was taking care of the sick, especially after my mother died with ovarian cancer. I knew how it felt to lose a loved one.

With Hospice, I always tried to make the best of things; there was a time for laughter, a time to listen, or a time for just being there. It was a blessing to take care of patients who knew Jesus but taking care of patients who had nothing to do with Jesus broke my heart. I always prayed to Jesus to help me show His love through my words or by my actions.

Over the years I worked, I couldn’t begin to count how many houses I came out of, where I felt Jesus tapping me on the shoulder saying, “Why didn’t you say something about me?” So I always tried by my words or my actions to let them know about Jesus. There were times they let me pray for them but when their time came at the end, I cried many times, praying they were with Jesus because I loved them so much.

I sit in church and think of the church family I took care of; they were a blessing to me. It was hard because they were my family in Christ. I always tried to keep my spirits up for them, even though the inside of me was crying. I was glad that God brought our paths together to the end.

I sit in church and see and know what some of our church family went through, or are going through now, and my heart goes out to them. There is one man in our church who is an inspiration and blessing to me—Skip Scipioni. No matter what comes his way in health or any other matter, he knows God will take care of him. You are a true blessing to me, Skip.

So God, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the blessings I got from the job you blessed me with. I can only hope that in Your Eyes I did a good job.

by Deacon Moise Derolus

 “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”  (Judges 6:16 NIV)

It was my first week after my training as a skipper. Being new to this area as a captain, I spent the day organizing my toolbox and my thoughts at the nautical dock. The next day I was assigned a task to bring food to a catamaran that was around Saona Island. I did not feel prepared for that task. With fear, I went down to the dock to do the regulatory check before leaving. When I was about to leave, someone boarded the boat. It was the chief of the captains. “I’m going with you,” he told me. At that moment, my fear was gone.

Dear Jesus, you are all what we need. Thank you for your presence in our life.

by Jeanette Kessler

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV)

 It was 20 years ago and we were entering into the sale of our first home. The market was good. The realtor said the house should sell in just a few days. She prepared us by telling us that we may have to fix a few things, considering our house was built around 1890 and had many issues with it. It’s just the way it is with old houses.

My friend and mentor came over to the house to pray for the sale to go smoothly and quickly. We prayed that whatever was needed would be minimal because we didn’t have a lot of money to put in to fixing this old house. Two weeks passed and there were no offers but there had been several showings. The realtor said that she felt it was time to lower the price. I talked with my friend and told her of our situation. She said to me, “Jeanette, you can’t lower the price. Remember? You gave it to God. Once you give something to God, you can’t take it back. You need to have faith and allow some more time. He won’t let you down.”

The realtor was not especially happy with us when we told her that we would wait. “Suit yourselves…but If you want it to sell it, you will have to lower the price” she told us. Four more days passed and then we received a phone call from her. Good news! Someone had made an offer and they would give exactly what we were asking! And on top of everything, the inspection went smoothly and there wasn’t a single thing that needed to be fixed! Not one thing!

The realtor said that we were extremely lucky for that to happen. Lucky? No…. that’s not what it was. It was God!! You see, when you believe and have faith, things like this don’t just happen. It’s not luck…it’s God! He hears us! We gave it to him and waited for his answer. And he blessed us immensely.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:5 ESV)

AMEN!!

by Terry Hess
 
“Our mouths were filled with laughter our tongues with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:2 NIV)

In today’s world, there is not much to smile about, let alone laugh about. The Bible has over a hundred verses on humor and laughter. So I hope these few lines of humor bring a smile to your face and maybe even a chuckle.

Wound Up
The twelve-year-old boy stood patiently beside the counter while the druggist waited on the adult customers. Finally, he got around to helping the youngster, who made his purchase and hurried out to the curb, where his father was impatiently waiting in the car. “What took so long in there, son?” he asked. “The man waited on everybody in the store before me,” the boy replied, “but I got even.” “How?” asked the father. “I wound all the alarm clocks while I was waiting,” the youngster grinned happily. “It’s gonna be a mighty noisy place around eight o’clock!”

A tip is a small sum of money you give to somebody because you’re afraid they won’t like not being paid for something you haven’t asked him to do.

Bad habits are like a comfortable bed—easy to get into but hard to get out of.

Insurance Claims & Actual Responses
I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought.

Q: Could either driver have done anything to avoid the accident?
A: Traveled by bus?

I didn’t think the speed limit applied after midnight.

I knew the dog was possessive about the car, but I would not have asked her to drive it if I had thought there was any risk.

A driver collided with a cow. The questions and answer on the claim form were as follows:
Q—What warning was given by you?
     A—A horn
Q—What warning was given by the other party?
     A—A moo

I hope just for a moment you smiled a little.

“The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126:3 NIV)

Jesus the Way to the Father

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:5-26 NIV)