“If anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is made complete in him.”  Complete.  Perfect.  That’s a BIG order.  But it is God who makes His love complete in us, not we who make His love perfect in us.

Let’s take one step at a time:

Obey His Word.  Accept His perfect love.  Walk as Jesus did.

We CANNOT DO THIS BY OURSELVES.  We MUST submit Him.

  We must obey His Word.

As we work toward obeying God’s word, let us each day try to focus on one small piece of perfect love….

Prayer:

  Loving and gracious God, please help us to obey Your word so that your Love may    be complete in us. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

      Contributed by Jean Gautier

I’ve learned that I do not need to go to the mountain or to my rock.  I just have to look up.  My faith does not come from the mountain or hills; my faith comes from our Lord.  My mother made certain that I had this faith that will carry me wherever I travel.  Our Lord is always with us.  Our Lord is the same Lord that has served us throughout all of history. Our Lord will give us the strength to face any challenge.  All we have to do is to look up to our heavenly Father for help and guidance.  He will always be there.  My mountain and my rock are just symbols of my family and my faith.

As parents, if we raise our children to have our faith, we have done our “jobs.”  We will pass the most important values from our parents to our children.  Thank you, Mom, for teaching us our faith and our family.

Prayer:

 Heavenly Father, Help me to remember that all I have to do is to look up to find You.  You will give me strength and guidance.  You are always with us.  Your teachings laid the foundation for every single day throughout the ages.  Help me to follow your word and have faith to make decisions that reflect your guidance.  Thank you for my mother who shared her faith with each of her children.  Help me to pass the values of our  ancestors forward to my children and grandchildren.  Thank You for always being present in our lives; all we have to do is look up for your help!  In Your name I pray, Amen.

Contributed by Carol Dugger

In 2011, a dear friend of mine asked if I would co-lead a small group with her.  I had a lot on my plate but prayed about it, and, of course, my answer was yes.  We had six weeks of training and were commissioned on October 16, 2011.  We planned, we strategized, and we prayed some more. 

The second Tuesday in January 2012, our small group, “Son‘N Fun,” began.  We were pretty salty, I’d say, inviting all to give our group a try, regardless of our their home church or even no church.  Attendance has varied; we’ve had anywhere from 10-32   attending, sitting six to a table.  We have built lasting relationships, and what an exciting adventure “Son n Fun” is!  We eat a meal, hear a devotional, pray, encourage, share through laughter and tears, support and love each other, and play a game called “Bunco” at the end of our meeting.  The salt continues.

  We began our seventh year on January 9, 2018, with 23 in attendance.

Prayer:

 Heavenly Father, Thank You for ALWAYS being there for us.  Thank You for the salt that is in us and for guiding us to use it to do Your will, to use our salt to encourage others to come. Amen.

Contributed by Patricia Vassaur

 “I turned to Jesus when I thought that I was going to die.”

My parents brought us up in the church, but we never paid attention when we were in church. At the age of 18, in October 1961, my family was in a hurricane shelter as     category 5 Hurricane Hattie was approaching Belize City in the country of British    Honduras. My younger brother Burley and I were told to go and stay at our house until 6:00 a.m. the next day to ensure that nobody would break into it. We took our friend Wilson with us. To me, it made no sense to leave a hurricane shelter and go home.

It started raining before we got home; at 7:45 p.m. our electricity went out so we had to use a hurricane lantern.  The house had three bedrooms, so we each used a bedroom and slept in our clothes with our shoes on. I woke up at 2 a.m. The house was shaking and all the windows were blown off. I shouted to Burley and Wilson to get out of bed. We were unable to go through the twisted front door, so we jumped through one of     the windows by the verandah and ran downstairs. We got into the street and heard the house crash to the ground, and I shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!”

From our house to the hurricane shelter was about ½ mile, but we were unable to make it there. The wind was blowing at 160 mph with gusts of 225 mph; we were in the hurricane getting battered by the wind and rain for three hours and five minutes until we reached a club, and they let us in.  There were 35 of us in the club, and the building was about to fall. The man who ran the club took a crowbar and broke into the downstairs   of a brick building. We had to leave there and go upstairs when the water came. We knocked on the door and a female voice said there was no more room, and I remembered Mary and Jesus. The woman eventually let us in, and that was how we were saved. The water eventually came up about 13 feet high.

  I remembered Jesus said, “I am with you always.”

 Prayer:

  Dear Lord, May we always remember Your words when we need them most.  Amen.

Contributed by Lennox Reid

Each week, I visit the nursing homes in our community. I felt called to go and nurture the elderly, giving them a little time and support. I felt it was something that I could do for others. When I go home after visiting, I reflect on each visit.  They are so        appreciative of the least little things. If I walk in with an Upper Room or a box of candy, you’d think I brought them the greatest gifts. They are just thankful that I came. It is someone other than family. It is like having a new or true friend.

I love visiting Annie Roe Buckley. She loves talking about her family and her dog. She loves sharing this joy with me. She is so very kind. All of her physical needs are met; she just loves to share her joy. Her spirit is so pure and beautiful, and I get to receive this from her! I am blessed.        

I love to see Gussie Ashhurst. She just laughs and reflects on the happiness she has experienced throughout her life. She tells me about her, about her husband being a Methodist minister, and going to church in the nursing home.   

When I visited Betty Nonnemacher, she would ask me about my faith. “Did I know Jesus?” She would tell of her walk of faith.  She was such a blessing to me.

I think about Billie Laney. She was so kind.  I didn’t know her, but I heard about her from church friends. When I went to see her, she was so gracious; I felt like I’d known her forever. She gave me a greater connection to our church. The memories of this   beautiful lady warm my heart to this very day.

At first when I thought about visiting people in the nursing homes, I thought my role was to bring them comfort and support.  I thought I was to share my love of Christ with them. I was wrong. I’m the one who is blessed by their pure joy. They give me comfort. They give me inner peace. They bring Christ’s love to me. I get to experience the pure spirits of these beautiful people. Each of us has a talent to serve. Serving in the nursing home brings me the greatest joy. I am truly blessed.

 Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for showing us the way to serve. Thank You for guiding us with Your words. Your scriptures continue to teach us. Thank You for giving us people in our lives who show us their spirits and, in turn, allow our spirits to grow. Amen.

    Contributed by Patti Monroe

“…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom is God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Remember Christmas and ALL the “stuff” it took to get it done? We are now approaching Easter. Are we as driven in our preparation for Easter?  No, there is a big difference.  Let’s look closer.

In 2016 Pope Francis had a different idea for Lent.  He asked us to reconsider the heart of the Lent season, fasting.  According to Francis, fasting should be carefully planned.  Many of us will give up types of food, but Francis believes that you also need to do good for others with a loving heart.  “Lent is a good time for penance and self-denial.”  I am going to put down my iPad and use my time to serve others with a loving heart.

   In his annual Lenten message (2016), the Pope stated, “Indifference to our neighbor and to God also represents a real temptation for Christians.  Each year during Lent we need to hear once more the voice of the prophets who cry out and trouble our conscience.” We need to help others and not let someone else do it.

What are you giving up for Lent?  It is a question a lot of people will get these next few weeks.  Spend time in prayer, read the scriptures, and ask for guidance to open our eyes and hearts that we may serve others as Jesus taught us.  

Prayer:

Praise God that we have the Lenten season to prepare for the Easter celebration.  May God give us the hearts to look closer to our lives and make the adjustments needed to lead a more Christian life. Amen

 Contributed by Sue Boudreaux

My husband and I were living in Virginia when we got the call to come home.  My mom was diagnosed with terminal lung and liver cancer.  She lost her life in July 2011.  What little closeness we had was torn apart after her passing.  My brother turned to alcohol to help deal with his feelings.  They had a special bond, and her death took a toll on him.  About six months later, we received another phone call to come home.  This time it might be to bury my brother.  He ended up in the ICU, battling for his life.  The cirrhosis of his liver was so severe that his body was shutting down.  He had lost all feeling in his legs, and it was paralyzing him.  His attending physician advised me to put his affairs in order; they did not expect him to recover.

This was tearing me apart on the inside; I missed my sister and brother.  I began to pray in earnest and asked God for his forgiveness and for His help and His guidance to bring my family back together.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, Guide us to always lean on You, especially in times of heartache.  Your strength and love for us can carry us through those hard times.  Amen.

 Contributed by Carrie Cardenas

 Have you ever looked up all the different meanings for “friend?”  Do you have friends that you labeled with special titles?  Maybe like many in your category of friends, you include things like ‘my new BFF,’ or maybe ‘friends forever.’  Think a moment about other categories, i.e., acquaintances, or those you claim as ‘someone I know.  Do you have someone that fits the description found in Proverbs?  I used to think it was so great to have a ‘Chum’ in school.  And then  of course several ‘Buddies’ through growing up and even Pals in the Military.  But I have come to cherish those I have found since     getting to know what the Lord has brought into my live.  He gives so many reminders in the Word through Scripture that when we study, discuss, and live by those instructions, we can to learn to increase our ‘Family of Friends’ that will always be with us. 

Think now about your friends.  Have you checked with them lately?

Prayer:

 Dear God, guide us to study scriptures and recognize those people who will become our life-long family of friends. Amen.

Contributed by Ken Smith

When I first gave birth to my daughter, I found the meaning of true love. I felt a type of love that only a parent can understand. Words could never describe the emotions tied to holding that    innocent life. I became solely responsible for something so much bigger than myself. However, with my love for my child came great resentment. I understood the responsibility that was     bestowed upon me to raise this child, and though I was not prepared for it, I was willing to do whatever it took to ensure that she always had everything she needed. Because of this, I couldn’t understand some of the struggles that I experienced in my own childhood. There were periods of neglect, some emotional abuse, and some exposure to things no child should ever be exposed to. I could not understand that, no matter how unprepared I was for the monumental responsibility of being a parent, I would never allow my daughter to experience the things I had as a child. So grew my resentment for my own parents. It was years of bitterness, anger,  and isolating myself from my family. That was, until I made a choice.

I visited my parents on Mother’s Day one year, and I spent the week learning about the struggles my mother went through as a child, as a teenager, and as a (very) young mother and wife. As she explained some of her and my dad’s hardships throughout life, I began to realize that mine was nothing compared to theirs. I began to understand that there was never any intentional hurt in my childhood, it was mostly due to a lack of resources and knowledge. I started to see that    bitterness and anger had clouded my vision, and instead of seeking information and trying to love, I just kept throwing stones. My parents couldn’t change the past, no matter how much they wanted to. What we all needed was simply to understand each other and to be validated. During that visit, I learned that love is not always a pretty, painted picture. It is loving through the trials and mistakes. Sometimes people annoy us, they challenge us, they are unkind, they make huge mistakes, etc. People aren’t perfect. Sometimes it takes a moment of perspective, a moment of looking through a lens other than our own that can shed light on the truth. We were born to love. My relationship with my parents is stronger than it has ever been, mostly because I made the choice of love over anger. There are many stories in the Bible where God loves His children, despite their shortfalls. Love is so important to Him that it is the second commandment that    Jesus shared with His disciples in Matthew 22:39: Love your Neighbor as Yourself.                

So no matter what the circumstances, be lovers.

Prayer:

Lord, be with us throughout this Lenten celebration as we face our own challenges in sacrifice to You. Remind us to spread Your love, even when it is difficult. Teach us to understand our neighbors, to forgive their inadequacies, and to love them as they are. Help us to understand Your love for us, and to know how to love ourselves so that we may understand how to share it with Your world. In Christ’s name, Amen.

            Contributed by Brittany Diaz

It was February 23, 2007. Tug and I had planned a vacation and were anxious to escape from the hectic pace of the Dallas metroplex to the Texas coast.  Our bags were packed, and we were scheduled to leave later that morning. We looked forward to the warm Gulf breeze, the cry of seagulls, and, of course, great seafood. 

At 4:30 a.m. the phone rang.  It was unexpected, and I felt suddenly apprehensive. The following minutes took us from a place we knew to an unknown territory. We were   advised that my youngest son, Shane Ingram, had been in an automobile accident and did not survive.  At the age of 36, “my baby” was gone, leaving two young children of his own. I was devastated, and my emotions were numb. What would I do without him?

The next few weeks were a blur with bad moments and good moments.  Family was called in, funeral arrangements made, and memories of Shane were re-lived by everyone. The family and friends helped me survive this difficult period.

However, when I did begin to regain my sanity, I am ashamed to admit that I did not act in a Christ-like manner.  I spoke harshly against God.  Was Shane’s death an act of God? How would I fully live again when my life was so full of hurt?  But as time passed, I began to realize how truly fragile life is and that I am not in control.  When Shane died, I grieved beyond words.  I was sure no one understood my heartache and pain.  I was so full of self-pity that I could not look beyond the walls of my grief to the comfort of my Heavenly Father, much less to others who had their own griefs. God  remained patient, loving, faithful and merciful.  I had not!  The lesson I learned, and I hope you will remember, is that God is full of mercy and blessings.  Regardless of your heartache or pain, He is with you when you wake up, when you go to sleep, and every moment in between.

Prayer:

Gracious Lord, I am grateful You never run out of the love, compassion, mercy and grace I need.  Thank You that I can begin each new day with You.  Amen.

 Contributed by Bev Tuggle