Day 39: Saturday, April 8, 2017     Matthew 17:20  KJV

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith.  Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”

2000, a new year, the cusp of a new century, exciting times! The first years of the new century were happy for my family except for the death of my father.  My husband and I were blessed with three beautiful grandchildren and a wonderful dream house in the country. Then those carefree days began to crumble. Jim started having health problems.  First a brain blockage, then his heart problems started. I had double knee replacement, which I can’t call a tragedy. In fact, it was wonderful to be able to walk again. Then came the diagnosis of breast cancer. A biopsy and two more surgeries; four surgeries in six months, and I was ready for chemo. After chemo was over, our beautiful baby girl was born and seven weeks later died of SIDS. After a brief reprieve from our trouble, Jim’s heart worsened. In and out of the emergency rooms and the hospital was taking a toll on us. Next a quick trip to Kentucky, for me, to bury my sister-in-law. Then my world fell apart. Jim spent a week in the hospital in a coma and died on our daughter’s birthday. I began to wonder if every fall was going to bring our family sadness.

I joined the church in 1985 after attending off and on since I came to Killeen. I would attend for a while and then stop. While God was always part of my life, I made the choice to live how I wanted to live. I was not vocal about my belief. One of my coworkers could see my needs and opened a door for me.  Now I always say to her she has kept me on the straight and narrow path. When cancer took over my world, I knew I had to put God back in my life. I started going to the chapel for early services, but kept my illness between God and me, along with my family and a few close friends.

Jim and I went to visit the oncologist.  The doctor wore a tie with the nativity scene on it. I knew at that point he was a special doctor. With God, the medical resources, along with the help of nurse Jim, we were going to get me through this trial. 

Good news! A long-awaited rainbow baby was coming into our confused world! God was giving to us our fourth grandbaby.  Chemo was over.  Things were looking up.

Jim made his annual pilgrimage to Kentucky. The past three times he had gone, he ended up in the hospital there for an overnight visit. This time, he came home, and the next morning I took him to the Emergency Room. I thought he had pneumonia.

A week later Jim died. During that week he was in a coma, it was hard to verbalize a prayer, so I kept repeating the Apostles Creed, The Lord’s Prayer and two of my favorite benedictions. It was hard at that point to think beyond my immediate emotions; my memory pulled up those prayers that are special to me. They gave me hope.

Six months after his death God presented our beautiful baby boy.  What a joy he is to our family! Full of life, humor and love, he has pulled our world back together. While not having Jim here to spoil him, the baby carries his name. 

I could not have survived the tumultuous beginning of the new century without God by my side. While He was always in my life, now I keep Him much closer in my heart. I still try to make my own decisions, but I have guardian angels trying to nudge me in the right direction. I might not listen, but I am better than I was. I thank God for being with me even with my human weaknesses. 

Thank you, my church family, for taking me under your wings. I value the friendship given so freely.

 “For I truly say to you, if you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move hence to yonder place,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible.”

Prayer: May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. 

Contributed by Kathy Smallwood 

Day 38: Friday, April 7, 2017          Genesis 37

Most of us know the story of Joseph and his multicolored dream coat. We know that his brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy and that in God’s time he fulfilled his  calling to lead not only the Hebrew people, but also the people of Egypt. What we may not pay attention to, however, is the fact that Joseph’s life was pretty grim for many years, but he patiently waited. A synonym for patience can be faith. Faith for what is, and faith for what God has in store for us. There will be seasons of waiting in our lives. We may not understand or see the light at the end of the tunnel. We may be mistreated and cheated, and it appears our aggressors suffer no repercussions. However, in due time, God will unfold His plan for us. And in these periods of faithful patience we must always praise God for what He has done, is doing, and will do for us, by us, and through us. So wait patiently and know God is good.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Be with us as we learn to have patience and wait for You to reveal Your plan for us.  May we strive to always let You work through us to show our faith to others and be good example to those who need us. Amen.

Contributed by Arielle Kittle

Day 37: Thursday, April 6, 2017             Mark 12:31 NIV

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment  greater than these.”

This passage from Matthew’s gospel may be one of the more familiar sayings of Jesus. We know that God wants us to love others as we love ourselves. Whether from Sunday School as a child, sermons from Sunday morning, or personal Bible study, this command seems to be ingrained into many of us. And let’s be honest, this is extremely important: we are to love others! Often, though, I think we forget the second half of this command. We are to “love your neighbor AS YOURSELF!” I think, especially in Lent, when we practice so much self-denial, we have forgotten that what it means to “love your neighbor” is tied up with loving yourself! It is important to love and serve others; indeed, God commands us to do so, but we must not neglect ourselves in doing so.  Loving yourself is a crucial part of the greatest commandment given by God.

When I was in my final semester of graduate school, I was too busy focusing on things other than myself to actually follow this commandment. I was serving my fellow students as vice-president, making sure I was the student my professors wanted, and making sure I was the employee my boss wanted. I focused so much on pleasing others and doing what others needed that it broke me. I wasn’t paying enough attention to myself, and my life began to fall apart. You know the adage, “Before you can love someone you must love yourself?” I did not love myself. It is hard to love yourself. Loving yourself is not selfishness, either. To truly love yourself, you have to listen to your body, you have to rest, and you have to come to terms with who you are as a Child of God. And this is extremely rewarding! When you focus on what you need, you open yourself up to be rejuvenated by Christ, living how Christ commanded you to live.

This week, take some time to focus on loving yourself and doing what you need. You can’t serve others unless you serve yourself first. There is a reason they tell you on the airplane to put your oxygen mask on before assisting others with their mask. If you don’t give yourself the love and support you need, you cannot successfully give others the love and support they need. Make sure that in loving your neighbor as yourself  you are actually loving yourself so that God may work in you.

Prayer: Holy God, I pray that, while I am working towards loving others as myself, I am working towards loving myself. Help me to listen to my body and support myself in what I need and feel. You showed the greatest love of all by giving Your life for me. Help me to love myself more like You love me. Amen.

Contributed by Corrie Hermans

Day 36: Wednesday. April 5, 2017      John 11:17-37

Prayer: Dear God, Please help me take my eyes off the worldly things and focus them on You, so that I can know Your comfort. Amen.

Contributed by Jana Mayer

Day 35: Tuesday, April 4, 2017           Luke 15

 Lost & Found

The Jackson County fair is still a tradition that my family takes part in every year. October is a cold month when the fair sets up. There is never a day that the fair is not crowded, but this particular year it seemed to be more crowded than usual. My mother told me to stay close and to hold her hand due to the possibility I would get lost in the crowd.

 There is so much to look at while walking; you have food, rides and games for entertainment. We would stop and look and then I would grab my mother’s hand and walk on. I did this for a while; I felt safe because I knew she was right there. But as I looked up, I realized that I was not holding my mother’s hand; it was a stranger who held my hand in his. I totally freaked out, began to cry, and ran off from the stranger.

 After hours of sheer panic and nightfall, something came to my mind. My mother always told my brothers and me, “If you ever get lost, go to the police station. I will meet you there.” I did just that, and after they realized who I was, they said your mother has already filed a missing person report and is waiting for you. 

  As a seven-year old, I was so scared that I can still feel the emotions I felt over 35 years ago. I feel this event, that happened so many years ago, resembles the many times I have distanced myself from God. I place my eyes on many things that entertain me, losing sight of God’s protecting, loving, and guiding presence.

 What I have set my eyes on has taken me from God, and what was best for me was to seek out God, grab hold of His hand, and never let go.

 Much to my surprise, when I was reunited with mother, she was not mad at all; she hugged me, told me that it doesn’t matter how I got lost; she was happy I was found safe. This is how God is; He never turns you away. The prodigal son in the Bible represents many of us. If this is you, don’t be afraid to reach out to God with a humble, childlike heart, and He will welcome you back. There is nothing that you may have done that God’s blood does not cover.

Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for guiding me safely back home in Your presence.  Help me to follow where You lead and protect me from the many distractions in life. By Your precious blood I am saved. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Contributed by Connie Logan

Day 34: Monday, April 3, 2017            Hebrews 4:21

“The word of God is sharper than any two-edged Sword.”

Lawyer = one who has the discernment or knowledge to assess the law to increase or decrease it.  Minimize, maximize – or forgiveness of an offense.

Life as a Christian is to me to live my life with a Bible on one side, and a sword on the other, for both are necessary for life that the wisdom of God teaches. 

For wisdom of life as a Christian does not mean my life is to be a bed of roses or a yellow brick road; for roses have thorns, and brick roads have faults.  The sword teaches me to have discernment of mind to rightly understand false or true teaching on one side and the strength of might on the other.  For thorns have to be plucked, and faults of the roads fixed to ensure safe travel.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:      

2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,          

3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,         

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,         

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

Contributed by Roosevelt “Pops” Smith

Day 33: Sunday April 2, 2017      Matthew 25:40

 “Something for Jesus”

“The king will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you did for me.”

The ministry of our church called Lunch With Our Neighbors has been an arm of our outreach ministry.  This story comes to mind when I look back years ago when we were feeding our neighbors in the downtown church.

Our group had just finished feeding around forty-five neighbors, and we put away the utensils that we used.  I was then given a brown bag to take home to give to my husband for his lunch: a fruit and a sandwich. As I was walking towards my car, a man came running to me looking desperate.  These were his words: “Someone out there,” pointing to the street beyond the church, “told me about the free meal which the church gives.  I had a phone call from my home in San Antonio that my mother is very ill, and my bus leaves in ten minutes.”

There are times in life when we do not expect to do something for Jesus.  However, at that very moment, there was the hallelujah “moment” to be of service to someone.  That brown bag given to me to take home to feed Andy fulfilled my ministry that day by giving it to this man who needed to be at his mother’s bedside.  Matthew 25:40 spoke to me clearly when I handed the brown bag to this man with a prayer in my heart.

Each day, moments like this do come and we are surprised at what the Lord expects of us.  By having a closer walk with our Lord, we can pray.

Prayer:  “Lord, help me to be a blessing to someone today.” Amen.

Contributed by Nina Fowler

Day 32: Saturday, April 1, 2017

2 Timothy 1:7 & 1 John 5:14

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John)

Fear was an overwhelming force on 1 April as it was the day I landed in Vietnam to begin my yearlong tour. I had only been married a few months, and I was in fear of how I could take care of my new wife. I feared that I would not have the courage to face whatever was in front of me during my tour. I feared that I would not survive or, worse yet, suffer some catastrophic injury. I did survive, and that tour put me on a path for the rest of my life, not knowing then that God had better plans for me, and I should have put my trust in Him more fully. Looking back I now see where He was involved in many aspects of my life and continues to do so.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for taking my fears and guiding me through them. I pray that I will always look to You for my path and trust that You will lead me in the right way. Amen.

Contributed by Dean Honchul

Day 31: Friday, March 31, 2017  Romans 8:28-39(NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

 we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The disciples were fulfilling the great commission, sharing the Great News of our personal salvation, through their testimony and teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. They suffered trials, persecution, hostility and physical death to carry out God’s purpose, and yet He carried them through it all.  Have you felt tested in circumstances where you were standing on humility and truth? Possibly, those around you became obstacles to your obedience?  When we choose to call on the Spirit of Christ, His grace and love will guide us to peace no matter what obstacles we encounter.  Christ is the only reflection we see when we call upon His Spirit.

Prayer: Gracious Lord Jesus, Your grace is sufficient and Your love is never ending. You are my only hope in this force against sin and I call on You to intercede in this daily battle. You have called me by name and no one and nothing can separate me from Your love.  All glory and honor in Christ, my Savior.  Amen.

Contributed by Lisa Kure

Day 30: Thursday, March 30, 2017             Numbers 6:24-26 

“May the Lord bless and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.”

Prayer: Thank You Lord, for the peace and protection You provide for us each and   every day.  May we strive to live up to all the blessings You provide for us, all of them.  Amen.

Contributed by Marty Portmann