Tender Mercies

Where would summer fun be without water?  Like most kids, mine loved running through sprinklers, playing with squirt guns, tossing water balloons, and yes, splashing around in a swimming pool.  Though our six were young, four were decent swimmers  the two youngest, Brad, age two and Brittany, three and a half, were not.  

 

Brent, my husband and I felt that with adequate safety measures in place, the purchase of an above ground swimming pool would bring a lot of joy to them, and in turn, to us.  The pool was purchased, it went up and so did a fence around it complete with locking gate.

   

         One hot, sunny summer day, the kids and I were all in our backyard pool when Bradley wanted to get out.  Brittany came too since I wasn't going to leave her without my supervision.  Off went the floatation devises, and into the house we went.  I remember being in the family room dressing Brad, when, into my mind I heard one word and one word only.  It wasn’t uttered with a shout, but with deep concern.  I simply heard,  “Brittany.”

        I leapt to my feet knowing immediately where I was to go.  Brittany had returned to the pool, climbed up the ladder, slipped into the water without the other children noticing, and was now completely submerged.

       Leaning over the pool wall, I literally dragged her to the surface by her hair.  Her   eyes were wide open and her lips were just turning blue.

       “You couldn’t see my eyes,” she gasped.  She was right, I couldn’t.

       A loving Heavenly Father could and  graciously summoned a negligent mother     to His little lamb’s rescue. I don’t know God’s purpose for intervening on that day and saving my daughter from drowning, but He does.

       His ways are perfect and His plan is flawless.  All I can say is I am a grateful recipient of His tender mercies.

Pam Sturgill                                                                                                                          Ashland, KY

 

A Glass of Wine

                                                                    ( A True Story)

 

A pastor was telling me that he and his wife were dinning out with her best friend and her atheist husband who was also a cynic and always making fun of Christianity.

 

The waiter came to their table and asked for our drink order. Three of ask for ice tea and the skeptic orders a class of the house wine.

 

After the waiter leaves, the naysayer says, “Reverend too bad Jesus isn’t here, he could turn my cheap glass of wine into the best wine,.”

 

The pastor thought to himself, I’m not going there. He ignores the comment. His wife picks up on the moment and immediately changes the subject. The ladies are engaged in a conversation while the pastor sits uncomfortably in silence while the naysayer smirks.

 

The waiter returns with the beverages and places three ice teas on the table and then turning to the man says, “ I’m sorry sir but we are out of our house wine. My manager apologizes and said to give you a glass of our very best wine with his compliments.”

 

“Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he isn’t wise in his own eyes.” Proverbs 26:5

Go Calls Debbie

 

God Calls Debbie

 

    I love my God. He is my everything. So when people would share how God clearly spoke to them I would be puzzled and wonder, Why isn't God speaking to me?

 

     In the fall of 2005 a thought came to mind that I should consider returning to St. Louis. I had been in Florida for five years. I had left St. Louis after experiencing a painful divorce and a lot of heartache. I didn't feel it was a place I would return to live. However, this thought of returning continued to come up in my quiet time. I didn't understand.

 

      My Pastor's sermons were jumping out at me. He talked about taking time to really spend with God in prayer and adoration. Let me tell you, it is awesome what you can hear from God when you are quiet and consistently seeking his Word.

 

     I was clearly hearing from God that he wanted me to return permanently. I had not experienced this before, so I wanted to make sure I was getting it right. So I decided to go back to St. Louis for Christmas.

 

      On my trip, I asked God to reveal to me through my friend Mary that this is what he wanted me to do. Mary truly walks and talks with God. Over the past five years has never asked me, "when are you coming home?"

    

     After a lunch with five lady friends, Mary pulled me aside and says, "Debbie God has put you on my heart for the last couple of months. I think it is  time you came home."

    

 

I    I was trembling inside but I jokingly said, "One problem, I need a job."

 

     Mary said two days earlier that a Nurse Recruiter friend who she hadn't seen in months showed up at her front door. She would always call ahead. She told Mary she didn't know why she was there but had a strong urge to visit.

 

     During the conversation she revealed she was in need of a Nurse case manager and did Mary know of anyone. Mary told her she was having lunch with me in two days and she would bring it up.

 

     Mary tells me, "Fax your resume to Karen (the recruiter) and let God do the rest."

 

     I shared with Mary what I had been praying for and how she revealed to me what God desires for me. We both began to cry tears of joy and praised God for his goodness.

 

     I returned to Florida, listed my condo for sale, had a telephone interview and was hired for the Nurse Case Manager position. I moved to St. Louis.

 

     I clearly had heard God and was excited to be obedient. Whatever lies ahead I will be able to get through it because God is my strength and is ever present.

 

     I encourage you to spend quiet time with the Lord. Pray, read scripture and them, most importantly, be still, "listen and know that I am God."We MUST listen and be obedient to God's will in our life.

 

     Debbie Houston

     St. Louis, MO.

Driving Through The Fog

 

I was traveling out of town on a freeway when the weather turned bad and fog began to limit visibility. Traffic slowed and eventually became stop and go.  I decided to get off the freeway and exited behind a car that had a number plate that was outlined by a purple neon light. I couldn’t see very well but I could see those purple lights. As I was driving slowly through that fog I began thinking about the past five months.

 

A transition team I had been a part of was charged to find a new senior pastor for our church.  I was lamenting all that time spent in confusion and seeking direction. I now realized that this had been a process. It wasn’t about finding a new pastor it was about being humble and obedient to God.  Like the church at Ephesus, we had to be reminded, “You have forsaken your first love.”

 

  I followed that car for an hour and a half. It was as if God was using the neor light to say, “you need me, keep your eyes on me and I will lead you one step at a time.” The fog lifted and the car in front slowed to turn back onto the freeway. It was then I drew close enough to see the words at the bottom of the number plate. It read, “Jesus Loves You.”

 

Frank Burns

Dallas Texas

Along Life's Way                        Humor with a message

20 "The two most important days of your life is the day you are born and the day you find out why."

Mark Twain

A Mother's Prayer

 

 

Week of March 15th

 

My daughter Sandy was on her way back to college after a weekend home. About 45 minutes since she left our home, I was on the phone talking to a friend. I suddenly felt a strong prompting to pray for my daughter's safety.

"Gotta go! Gotta go! "I told my friend, "Call you later," I said as a hung up.

I dropped to my knees and asked God to protect her and keep her safe. I prayed for a hedge of protection around her. I added, "God I don't what is happening, or about to happen, but you do. Protect her please."

After Sandy arrived at Taylor University she called me. "Mom, we had a huge tire blowout on I-94,(the busy interstate between Detroit and Chicago). "We were all over the highway in heavy traffic. I didn't think we were going to make it.

I asked her when that happened and It was when God prompted me to pray for her safety.

God is so faithful. I thanked the Lord and praised him for keeping my daughter and friend safe.

Erika Lewis                                                                                                                                 

 Detroit, MI

A Frozen Coal Car

Week of March 1

 

In the fall following graduation from high school my best friend since the fifth grade and I decided to climb Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.

 

We didn't have any plans beyond high school and were just having fun one day at a time. Then the North Koreans attacked the South Koreans drawing the US into the "conflict."

 

I went to work part time in my step dad's appliance store and my friend enrolled in a post graduate high school program.

 

Christmas week I called my friend and asked if he would help me unload a frozen coal car for my step dad. The rail car was on a siding and had to be unloaded that day. We had no idea the task we were facing together.

 

We had to build small fires under the car to help thaw out its contents. While the fires burned we stood on top of the coal and chopped away with crow bars. It was back breaking labor.

 

By lunch we were exhauster and very little coal had made it down the shoot and into the empty bin. We were both covered with coal dust. We left dark finger prints on our sandwiches.

 

We both decided that day that we didn't want to be day laborers. I enrolled at Wentworth Institute and my friend went to college the following year.

 

I became an engineer with General Electric and my friend was heading a community foundation in Connecticut. He called me one day and said he had hired an assistant  who grew up in a housing project. He asked him what motivated him to leave the project life and obtain two degrees from a university.

 

” It was my uncle. He  asked me to help him unload a frozen coal car. That day I decided to make something out of my life." Go Figure.

 

I haven't seen a manual for dads (or uncles) that says to motivate young men, have them empty a  railroad car full of frozen coal.

 

Come to think of it, Solomon provided guidance when he said: " All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." (Proverbs 14:23)

 

Ken Maymon

Milford, NH