It was just over one year ago that all of us in this part of Texas were sitting under that unwelcome visitor, Hurricane Harvey. Even as I write this, the poor east coast is sitting underneath a storm that just keeps raining. We are in the thick of hurricane season, so let’s take a moment to think about storms in life. 

Here are two thought-provoking questions - what should life be like?  What makes life, or even one day in life, good?
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Most of us live under the tremendous misconception that things are always supposed to be easy, pleasant, and “right”.  We are continually and completely surprised and distressed when things don’t go our way.  This is probably some shadowy memory in our cellular structure from the Garden of Eden, and of the way things were supposed to be before the fall of mankind.  But the world is fallen, and unfortunately, awful things do happen all the time. One great struggle that many people face is the question of why terrible things happen to good people.  If God is so good, then why does He let such bad things happen, especially to people who live for Him?

The Book of Job is an attention-grabbing book in the Bible, and I encourage you to read it again or for the first time. It tells the story of a man named Job, who was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” It actually says he was the greatest man among all the peoples of the East. He was wealthy and blessed and had a beautiful, large family. In verses 6-12, however, we read that Satan comes into God's presence and accuses that Job would never worship God if all of the good things were taken from his life.  That passage catches my interest! It goes on to say that God responds to the Enemy in verse 12. “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”  Satan then proceeded to destroy everything Job had and loved - his family, his possessions - everything. 

There are so many things to notice in this account. First, I want to remind us that the starting place for understanding anything in life is to realize that the character of God is eternally and entirely without fault.  The Bible teaches that we are created in His image - not the other way around.  He is not just a magnified version of us. God is always good and always chooses for the highest good.  Second, notice that the terrible things that happen to Job were not God’s idea, they were Satan’s idea. Third, remember that we do not have the perspective that God does - He can see everything without constraint of time or location. The things we do not understand and which seem devastating from our perspective are not unclear to God - and we truly can trust Him. 
    
Like Job, some of us have been through some awful things. People suffer and endure hardships like abuse, betrayal, or horrible traumas at the hands of wicked people.  Other troubles take us by surprise - illness in our own body or in that of a loved one, the death of someone close, addictions, marital problems, and rebellious children - the list of life’s storms is long. I am in no way belittling those things. ​

​I do want to challenge our thinking. Storms have a few interesting qualities:

• They help us see things we never could have seen without them. For example, the power of forgiveness can never be experienced without something first requiring it. 
• They help us minister to others in a way we never could have without them.  I have seen many victims of abuse turn around and help others find God’s comfort through a simiar situation. 

• They give us opportunity to know God in a different way than we ever could have without them - His kindness, His hope, His peace and healing.
• They give us opportunity to show how incredible God is, even when life is crazy. He is with us and gives us strength to endure.

We know storms are going to happen, we know life is not always going to be easy. What if we stopped letting life’s storms render us unable to help anyone, and started seeing them as a great opportunity to minister to others who are hurting?  What if we started treasuring hard times as a way to become more like Jesus? The Bible says in James chapter 1: 2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

Listen to this powerful thought from Samuel Chadwick, who lived and ministered over 100 years ago :  ​

“Sometime in the country I have stood and watched the village blacksmith at work, and for a long time could not make out the use of the little trip hammer. The big hammer I could understand, but why should the smith strike in turns the anvil and the iron puzzled me. One day I ventured to ask an explanation, and found that the little hammer regulates the stroke of the big one. The smith holds the glowing metal, turning it lest the stroke fall too often upon the same spot, directing the blows that they may descend at the right moment; turning, tempering, regulating till the metal is fashioned to the desired shape. So God holds the soul and regulates the stroke. Sometimes He makes the Devil His hammer-man . . . Satan strikes to smash. God regulates the stroke, and turns his malice to our perfecting, and the Devil sweats at the task of fashioning saints into the likeness of Christ.”         ​

That horrible thing that happened in your life - the very thing that the Enemy meant to use to destroy you - God can take it and use it to make you better and stronger than you could have been before. We can become more empathetic, more caring, more aware of others, more mature, more wise, and full of steadiness and help for the hurting all around us. Read the end of Job’s story. God was right - Job was not just serving Him because of the good things in his life. Job trusted God and refused to curse or turn away from Him, even though that is what many advised Him to do, and God “blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.” 

​The storms of life are going to come on this side of Heaven. Let the devil sweat, and let God make you stronger than ever. ​

A blessed Holy Week to you and yours! I pray that the Lord’s presence is very real and near to you as the Lenten season of reflection and deep contemplation of the cross of Christ turns to the celebration of His triumph over sin and death.

This morning, Eli and I were praying through our daily reading out of a book we have been utilizing lately called The Valley of Vision. This is a compilation of Puritan-era prayers, written in a beautiful older English, poetic style. We came across these words, which struck me so deeply:

Thou dost not play in convincing me of sin, 
Satan did not play in tempting me to it, 
I do not play when I sink in deep mire, 
for no sin is a game, no toy, no bauble;
Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies
not so much in the nature of the sin committed, 
as in the greatness of the Person sinned against. 

​​What an opportunity the season leading to Resurrection Sunday is to reflect on our deep need for salvation. Thank God for the hopefulness of new birth and new life that we see reflected in the colorful decorations in homes and stores everywhere. But the magnitude of what Easter means can be fully understood only when we come face to face with our own depravity. So many of us who follow Christ have grown used to His life flowing in ours; we are tempted to forget that every good thing in us comes from Him, is made better by Him. We live in constant danger of being sucked in by the spirit of the age which hints we aren’t so bad, after all. More accurately, the spirit of our age says, “Look at that person - they are terrible! Thank my own goodness that I’m not as terrible as them!” We are shocked and dismayed when people sin, as though every last one of us is not also a sinner needing a savior. The Bible clearly teaches...

Dr. Jim Bradford mentioned on his podcast recently that it is striking how quickly humanity gave into total wickedness after the fall. In Genesis 4, the first murder occurs, and by chapter 6 the entire world is so sinful and wicked that the Bible tells us, "The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled." We are not good; inherently, we are terribly selfish. We must not think that we couldn't be like the generation that broke God's heart. We can't think that we aren't also capable of the deepest depravity. 

We can realize our own sinful nature most clearly the closer we get to God. Looking upon His goodness and holiness reveals just how far short we all fall. Throughout history, so many people have loved God and desired nearness to Him. Think of even just the Biblical record of those spiritual giants who knew God, and desired deep intimacy with Him, and then what a face-to-face encounter with God caused them to do:

Job, who God Himself called perfect...

Job 42:5-6
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.

Moses, who was a mighty deliverer of his people...

Exodus 3:6
At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.


Elijah, who was so filled with God’s power that he could shut the heavens...

1 Kings 19:12-13
And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.


Daniel, so godly that several despots in a row trusted him to be prime minister...

Daniel 10:7-8
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.

​Every one of them saw a glimpse of God’s glory, and fell flat on his face with a realization of their own wicked, sinful nature. When we compare ourselves to the goodness, holiness, and righteousness of God, we remember how far from Him we are. We must realize that our sinful and selfish actions and thoughts not only hurt ourselves and other people, but that they are aimed at the most beautiful, innocent, Being of all. As the prayer stated earlier: Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of the sin committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against. 

Realizing God's goodness, and not comparing ourselves with others yields real freedom. Remembering that any goodness and righteousness in our own lives is not actually our own, but God's gives us a right perspective. When we remember God's goodness, and our great need for Him, then we are ready to go out and share His love with others. We know what Jesus' death and resurrection has meant in our own hearts and lives, and we can hope for the same for everyone we meet. This weekend, take some time to reflect on our Savior. May your faith be strengthened with a fresh revelation of the Father's great love for us, demonstrated in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. May your life spill over with the goodness of God. 

​But I know that some of you are having a very different kind of day altogether. Sometimes our circumstances and the situations in which we find ourselves make it excruciatingly difficult to feel very grateful for anything at all. 

I am particularly mindful today of our friends, Collin and Kim, who have been given some very difficult news about their soon-to-be-born son. I would love to invite all of you reading this to join so many of us who are praying for this little boy. Jesus said to ask, seek, and knock, and He encouraged those of us who follow Him to pray and ask for God‘s hand to move. So we do just that, and ask for God to strengthen this baby’s heart, and for doctors and nurses alike to be so surprised at the health and vigor of this precious young man on his birthday.

​The Bible says that we are to bring a sacrifice of praise to God. There is an old chorus inspired by this verse that we used to sing in our church, and I have a vague memory of wondering exactly what it meant to bring a sacrifice of praise. To my young and untested self, who had at that point lived such a sheltered and easy life, the best I could imagine was just a sleepy round of praise, because we had stayed up so late the night before as college ministers.

Of course, now I have lived much more life, and I think I better understand what it means to give praise to God that is also a sacrifice. A sacrifice is defined as an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. To give God praise that is a sacrifice means to glorify God with our hearts and lips even in times of great trial and trouble and uncertainty. It is to trust and thank God, even when we feel so afraid and even angry, and would like to hold on to those emotions. We can praise and express our gratitude to Him, no matter what our feelings or the circumstances of our lives are at any given moment.
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​-It means that even in times of terrible and confusing sickness we can praise the Lord because He is good regardless what is happening in my body. 

-It means that when relationships are complicated, even unimaginable, we can praise the Lord because He is kind and faithful even when none of the rest of us are.

-It means that when infertility or failed pregnancies occur, or when our children are suffering, we can praise the Lord, because He is unfailingly compassionate and comforting.

-It means that when people we love become sick, or even die, we can praise the Lord because His love endures forever. 

-It means that when people we thought were friends betray us or slander us, we can praise the Lord, because He is just and true. 

-It means that when all of the comforts and sureties of life fail, or are taken away, we can praise the Lord because He alone is our firm foundation.

No matter what, we can bring our praise to the Lord, even - and especially - when it is a sacrifice. 

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​J. Oswald Sanders in his book Spiritual Maturity says that we moderns too often equate blessing with comfort. When we have everything we want and things are going our way, it is easy to remember that God is good and cares for us. But we have made the grave error of equating physical or material comfort with the love of God. If things are uncomfortable or not going our way, we sometimes feel that He must be angry at us or giving us the cold shoulder. But God is not like that. God does not love us when…, or as long as…, or if…; God loves us, period. And He is worthy of praise in good times and bad.

As followers of Jesus, we must remember that there is a much bigger picture to keep in mind - an eternal picture. Romans 8:28 reminds us that "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."

This is a powerful truth that we must remember. When we love God and trust Him and give our lives towards His purposes, we can rest assured that no matter what happens, God will use it for His glory and for our good. Suffering is not for nothing. Discomfort is not for nothing. We can trust that God will use all of the things that we go through to help us become more like Jesus and to help others know Him. We may not understand everything that happens at the time, but we can still bring a sacrifice of praise, because we know that God is good. And we know that eternity with Him will make all of these momentary difficulties make sense.

I pray that this week, whether you are rejoicing or in sorrow, you will find sweet rest and comfort in the presence of our wonderful God. May your joy spread like wildfire to those around you, and may your sorrows draw you closer and closer to our loving Savior.

Happy Valentine’s Day! What a special time of the year this is, and how lovely to spend a day reflecting on the importance of loving relationships in our lives. We spend a lot of life thinking about love - we have something deep inside that yearns to know real love. All of the best relationships point to this something deeper, and all of our hearts long to be known and loved completely. 

Eli and I have a small closet in our bedroom that holds a random assortment of things that just don’t fit anywhere else. There are our winter boots, which don’t get a lot of action in Texas, some boxes of old photos and videos from years past, and an odd assortment of other things that I can’t seem to imagine throwing away. Included in this last category is a small, blue rectangular box that contain my some of my greatest treasures in life, namely letters and notes that Eli has written to me throughout the years. Occasionally, I will break out that box and peruse through the contents, loving the wonderful memories that are contained within - sweet notes that he wrote to me after the births of our daughters, a long missive that he wrote on the plane ride home after a three week trip overseas, birthday cards and valentines, and so many others.


Most precious to me are an entire semester’s worth of letters that Eli wrote to me while we were in college. We met on the swim team at our school in California, and then transferred to Sam Houston State university during our junior year. But for the fall semester of that school year, he was still in California while I was already in Texas. This is before the internet was around, and it was also when long distance phone calls cost a small fortune. We made those calls, but they were very late at night when the rates went down, and so few and far between. I remember looking forward to and loving every one of those calls, but can remember so little of what we actually said or discussed. 


In the meantime, several times a week, we exchanged letters through the mail. I am saddened that many of us have lost this special means of communicating. Email and text messages and video chats are convenient and expedient, but long letters are infinitely better. Now we have become accustomed to writing short messages, always in a hurry, straight to the point, and frequently abbreviated. Then, we took our time to really talk and process through things. Thank goodness past generations preserved so many letters - we are certainly all enriched by reading correspondence from eras past. I am thinking of lively correspondence between statesmen like Benjamin Franklin and so many from his era, which give us a snapshot of such a fascinating time in history. Or lovers pondering the depths of their feelings like Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, or even friends talking shop like CS Lewis and Dorothy Sayers. This is not even to mention the immense importance of the divinely inspired letters that became much of the New Testament, which is beyond reckoning. Letter writing is such an important means for thoughts and ideas to be explored and broadened, and for important conversations to be preserved for the benefit of posterity. 


In the letters from Eli, I can read and remember simple, everyday things like what he was studying or thinking about from his school classes, or the way he was looking forward to getting a dog when he got home to Texas. I can recall how his faith in Jesus, which was so new at the time, was growing and strengthening, and how that encouraged my own faith journey at the time. I can look back to see things he was learning and studying as his devotional life was developing, and the beginnings of an awakening to his call into ministry. But most precious are the declarations of love that he made to me, and the promises of our life together when he returned. I can remember vividly the feelings stirred in my heart when I read those words, and cherish them still. 


How wonderful it is to be loved and to have hope for the future! I hear songs that were popular at that time (all considered oldies now) and can vividly remember how every one of them made me think of this amazing red-headed man that had captured my heart. If the song happened to be about marriage and family, it made my heart almost burst with longing for that to happen in our relationship. I am sure that I annoyed every new friend I made in Huntsville with all of the talk I did about this Eli character who was coming in just a few months. He was so often in my thoughts, and the dreams I had for our future together impacted every decision I made. 


Now I can look back on those letters with a heart filled with love and gratitude. He made good on every one of his promises, and then some. He pledged his love and life to me in front of God, our family, and so many friends. We have built and lived a wonderful together, based on deep love and respect for one another and the gifts that God has given to each of us. We have watched our precious daughters grow into beautiful young women with families of their own, and now have the thrill of watching the next generation in all of their wide-eyed wonder. We have had thirty incredible years of marriage together, and, Lord willing, will have many more before eternity. 


As wonderful as my husband is, and as beautiful as our life together has been, it still is just a small taste of the reality of walking with God. The Bible teaches that the Church is the Bride of Christ; we are His beloved and He is our bridegroom. Admittedly, this comparison is more difficult for men to go with than it is for women, but it is such an important truth for all of us to grasp. In God’s great plan, the very basis of society is a picture of God’s design and dream for His prize creation.  Marriage and family represent something deep and spiritual and true. The coming together of husband and wife, and the begetting of children beautifully represent the close relationship that God has with His people, and the fruitfulness that results from that union. The bond and covenant of marriage represent the unending bond between God and His Church. 


In our own homes, our sinful natures frequently spoil the metaphor. We are too often selfish and unkind to one another; we too often spoil Eden again and again with our headstrong ways. So we spend our lives working to overcome our own selfishness in our relationships, and having grace with our spouse as they attempt to do the same - even this becomes a picture of Christ’s constant forgiveness to each of us. But the best seasons and moments of every marriage and family are a glimpse and a reminder of what eternity holds. The safety and stability, the ability to really be ourselves and be comfortable in our own skin, and the knowledge of being known and loved and chosen are all part of what marriage represents. 


As followers of Christ, we are His bride, and are the object of HIs thoughts, cares, and concerns. God created us to have endless fellowship with Him, and He chose us because He loves us with a perfect and unselfish love. He sees all that is beautiful, rare, praiseworthy, and lovely within each of us, and draws that out, helping us to become who He created us to be. 


He is the bridegroom, whose vows and promises to us are true and trustworthy. His thoughts and intentions are for our highest good, and to give us a hope and future. He is always true, always faithful, and always steadfast. God did not need any of us: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have enjoyed perfect and fulfilling fellowship forever…but God chose us to be part of that fellowship, and His love for us will never fail. 


How wonderful it is to be loved and to have a hope for the future! I remember how my heart rejoiced every time a letter from Eli was in my university mailbox. I cannot forget what beautiful anticipation his words stirred in my heart, yet my anticipation could never have matched the deep fulfillment that knowing and loving my husband actually is. In a much greater way, “now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” God’s love and grace are limitless. We cannot fathom what joy and wonder await us when eternity begins, when sin and sorrow and pain are no more.

​Take heart today that you are known and loved and chosen. The One who loves you, whose peace and presence are so real to you even now, is preparing a place for you, that you may be with Him where He is forever. Let this love of God be so often in your thoughts, and let the dreams He has for your future together impact every decision made. This is certainly a love to celebrate!

This season of our life involves a lot of travel, which means much more time in airports than I have ever experienced. They are so interesting, and oddly the same no matter where in the world they happen to be. The big airport in Houston looks so much like the one in Chicago, or New York, or London, or Nairobi, or Dubai. There are restaurants and shops, and endless streams of people shuffling in and out of lines and gates and airplanes. The bright, florescent lights are always on, day or night; muffled announcements which no one can understand play around the clock. Though there are many hundreds, even thousands, of people all around you, almost no one speaks to one another. Each person or family keeps to themselves, and makes getting on that plane their goal. Being in such a place causes such a strange sensation of aloneness and anonymity. 

The deep-seated anguish of our generation stems from a crisis of identity.  So many express feelings of loneliness and emptiness, feeling untethered and adrift emotionally and relationally. People of all ages are reaching for something, anything to make them feel a sense of purpose and belonging.

​It is difficult to say if this problem is new - we only know for certain what we actually experience in our own lifetime. Perhaps every generation before us has struggled with the same disconnect. But we do know that modern additions to the problem certainly include more broken families, more people changing location frequently for work, and less connection with local institutions including the church. 

This day of social media adds in a further confusion: it is too easy to conflate being known with just being seen. I actually love seeing updates from family and friends - I do think there are some wonderful things about the limited connectedness social media affords.  But the whole system does feed into a nagging feeling that somehow I am not measuring up to everyone else. The compulsion to constantly check in, and to be constantly doing something worthy of sharing adds to a disconnect from real, right-now living. Someone said never has life been more highly chronicled and less lived. It turns out that being seen is not at all the same as being known. 

Arguably worse is the misguided idea that being recognized is the cure for feeling disconnected and unknown. This can lead to many dangerous places as people seek more and more outrageous reasons to be noteworthy, not realizing that fame, notoriety, acclaim, renown, or whatever word you call it, is fleeting at best and a deadly poison at worst. The culture feeds into the idea that every person must be the best or the most in some way. We are tempted to look for titles or accolades or attention for being the very best_________, or the most interesting___________, or the wildest ___________.  Many are even succumbing to the great pressure all around to question everything about their very minds, bodies, and identities, and to do something shocking to achieve recognition. It is difficult to remain untouched and unaffected by such a zeitgeist, but even worldwide recognition cannot satisfy the deep longing to be known. 
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We long to be loved, and we long to be significant. Little children, teenagers, young men and women, all the way to the most aged senior can experience the pang of wondering if anyone out there really cares or even knows that they exist. It doesn’t matter whether a person lives in a palace or a slum, or whether they are married or single; everyone wonders does anyone see, does anyone care, does anyone know?


God Himself has put that deep longing within our hearts. We are hard-wired for relationship. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have enjoyed perfect fellowship and love for all time, and each of us were lovingly and purposefully created to share in this deep fellowship with God and one another forever. Many of us know the beauty of being part of a healthy community, whether it be a family or a church or a campus group. We really need one another to grow and mature spiritually. This good fellowship is rich and healthy, and is so much more fulfilling than just about anything the world can offer. Sadly, though, we can look to community for more than it can ever deliver. When we look for others to give constant affirmation and acceptance, it can become unhealthy so quickly. Even wonderful community with other people cannot satisfy the deepest longing in our hearts.
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​The only One who can truly know us is the same One who made us.

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​George MacDonald wisely noted that loneliness and longing are often signs that God is calling us to Himself. We can look for significance and fulfillment through great things like relationships and work and Christian service, but none of these things can give us what only God is able to give: a deep sense of belonging, a heart full of peace and fulfillment, a mind filled with truth and reality, and a life of gratitude and contentment. 


Turn to God, the One who knows you. Revisit and meditate on the powerful words of scripture that recount how deeply significant each of us is to the Lord of All…

​You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
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​- Psalm 139:1-17

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​When we find our fulfillment in God, we can think rightly about ourselves and others. When we look to Jesus for our hope and peace, we can face the cares of each day with courage and confidence. When we first turn to the Lord, and find our significance in and through Him, the rest of life makes sense. You are deeply and completely known by our gracious Creator - may His presence be so real and near to you this week!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours! I hope that you have had some time to rest and reflect on the great love of God this season - the very God who so loved us, that He gave His only Son that we might have life. 

We just heard the news that on Christmas Day, one of our heroes of the faith went to be with Jesus: Rev. Fred Hill finished his race. He and his beautiful wife, Betty, have loved and encouraged so many people throughout their marriage and ministry together. He was one of the first pastors to support and encourage us so many years ago as we were starting out in ministry, and they have been such a blessing to us for almost thirty years. I believe that they were about to celebrate 70 years of marriage, which is an amazing and beautiful testimony of the goodness of God. I am grateful for his life, and for his influence in our ministry and so many others. I am thankful for the hope of heaven, where there is no more saying goodbye. And I am mindful of the beautiful force that a godly marriage can be...

​I love reflecting on this in our own lives. This month we have celebrated the amazing milestone anniversary of 30 years of marriage! I have actually spent the entire year celebrating and reflecting, and in rejoicing over what God has done in our lives. Because you see, I knew us when, too.


I remember when I was 17 and he was 19, and we were both on the same swim team in college. Neither one of us was thinking very much about God, or anyone else but ourselves for that matter. We were living the typical American college student life, basically just living for what we could get out of each day. We were not particularly looking for anything, or trying to change, but God had an appointment with us, which is something I will never be able to fully understand. God knew us better than we knew ourselves, and He certainly saw how selfish and prideful and thoughtless each of us was at the time. But in His great love, He met us, and He also helped us meet each other, and we set out on a journey with Him, way back when.


Marriage is so much more than anyone just entering into it can anticipate. It is actually an institution designed by God himself, something that God had in mind in creation, even before the fall of mankind and the entrance of selfishness and sin into the world. This is a staggering thought… what might marriage have been like, if there had never been a fall, and sin and death had not entered the world? 


Tragically, there has been a fall, and sin and death are very much present. So every marriage is the bringing together (some might say the smashing together) of two very different persons, each with their own idea of the right way to do everything, and with a very egocentric way of looking at the world. How difficult it is to learn of the vast and deep well of selfishness in my own heart! Even 30 years later, I am still too often surprised by how selfish I can be. 


When we enter marriage with God as the center, it can be the most beautiful and satisfying relationship besides that of our own relationship with Jesus. How lovely to learn to put someone else first. How wonderful to trust someone enough to let them be honest with you, and you with them. How amazing to be with someone through so much good, bad, ugly, rejoicing, sadness, hope, fear, dreaming, changing, aging…life. Should the union be blessed with children, there are a couple of decades filled with pouring the best of ourselves into the next generation; guiding and encouraging them to be all that God created them to be. All the while, our own hearts and lives continue to be refined by the great daily choosing afforded by continuous relationship in such close quarters. If we let Him, God can do a wonderful work in all of our hearts as we raise our kids. 

But then everyone is suddenly grown and gone, and it is just you two again. After so many years of focusing on the younger set together, it is a delight to look up and really see each other again, Of course, this can be a perilous time if we aren't careful to maintain friendship and to keep God at the center of everything. But it can also be an amazing time to look back and see how far the Lord has brought you since you first started the journey together. Though we still have much learning and growing left to do, I know how much we have stretched and grown and changed over the last thirty years. I remember how many wonderful people have been a part of our lives, and what incredible things we have seen and experienced. We started out back when with a little hope and love, and have watched it all grow into something deep and rich and beautiful. 

I can only imagine what our parents, who are even further down the road than us, must feel, and what our dear friend Betty experienced with the love of her life for nearly 70 years. I do know the impact that these great marriages and others like them have had on us and on so many others. Godly marriages are a beacon of health and safety and hope to the watching world. The love and power of God shine through every couple that treats seriously the business of daily choosing to love, to constantly forgive, to put one another's needs higher, and to choose to believe the best of one another, year after year, decade after decade. It is beautiful picture of the way God loves His people, and of our great love for Him. 


For all of you reading this who are married, I encourage you to reflect back on where you two started in your own back when, and how far God has helped you come. Spend some time focusing on the many good things that the Lord has done in you and through you. Shake off any bad habits of thinking and speaking poorly and negatively to one another. Instead, recommit yourself to the vows that you took on your wedding day, and to unselfishly choosing for the good of your spouse and marriage. Let the Spirit of God fill you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and an extra measure of hope. May the Lord bless your marriage and make it stronger than it has ever been in the coming year!

A blessed Advent season to you and yours! I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and were able to find at least a little time to enjoy the peace and presence of God. Reality is such that sometimes, large extended family gatherings on holidays can be rather stressful experiences. I was with our university ministry interns yesterday, and many of them expressed that the week was anything but easy and refreshing. One young couple was dealing with a severely depressed sibling who was speaking of ending her life. Another person had a difficult time with warring parents. Still another had a close family member going through a difficult divorce.  Several had parents or grandparents suffering from serious illness. Other friends of ours are struggling through the first holidays since they lost a loved one, and these days are not quite as joyful as they once were. The list goes on and on - people are hurting and broken, just like the world we live in. 


But, thank God! During these four weeks of Advent, there are some amazing things that we can and should take time to ponder and remember daily..

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
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This beautiful passage of scripture was written many long years before these events came to pass. Imagine what it was like to live in the years before that blessed child was born. Certainly terribly dark, and without much hope at all. The world was no less broken then than it is now, and sin and rebellion ran just as deep throughout the earth then as now. Just one tiny nation in the midst of the wide world knew of God anymore. Somehow all understanding of the True God had been lost over the centuries, and just Israel remembered. God had made a covenant with Abraham, promising…

I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.
Genesis 12:1-3

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​But even they, who were God’s chosen people to bring His light and hope to the nations, often forgot Him, or just disobeyed His law and commandments for years on end. It was during one of those times that Isaiah delivered his beautiful and hopeful prophecy about the coming King, who would right all of the wrongs in this world. 


This side of the cross, and having experienced the grace of God in Christ, it is difficult to imagine what it must have been like not to know about the cross. Of course, there are still billions of people living without the knowledge of what Jesus has done for them, but there are billions of us who do know. The point is that Jesus really did leave glory to come here to save us! The words of Isaiah were more than just a dream; they were reality. During advent, we take time to remember exactly what that means.


One day long ago, a young couple really did stumble into a crowded little town and realized that yes, the baby really was coming right then. They really did have to put Him in a manger out there with the animals because all of the rooms in the entire town were full. That blessed child really was named Jesus, and really was announced by angels and visited by kings. He really did grow into the most unusual and wonderful person ever to live: fully God and fully man. He really did teach and preach and heal and encourage, everywhere He went. He really did confront the religious status quo, and bring Good News of a Kingdom of love and relationship, not endless rules and regulations according to man’s ideas. He really didn’t overthrow any earthly government by force, but instead took the way of suffering, and gave HIs life for all of us. He took the punishment of our sin on Himself, so that we wouldn’t have to be separated from God forever. He really was crucified on a Roman cross, died, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. 


But, of course we know that that wasn’t all. Jesus really did rise from the dead, conquering death, hell, and the grave! He really did show Himself alive and well to people for 40 days, before the amazing day that He ascended back to Heaven. He really did pour out the Holy Spirit ten days later, and to this day offers this amazing gift of power to any who will receive it. He really is sitting at God’s right hand right now, acting as our advocate. His words still give life and hope to countless people every day. His healing presence is right now moving across the world through His Spirit and His people; the Good News of His Kingdom is being spread by believers everywhere. 


Better than all of these wonderful things, HE REALLY IS COMING AGAIN! This time, to rule and reign as the rightful King of all of Heaven and earth forever. The apostle John saw a glimpse of this in his revelation…


Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  -Revelation 21:1-5


Take courage this Advent. This is a special four weeks to remember the amazing things that God has done, and the amazing things He is still doing and yet to do. The entire world calendar divides on the time before Christ came, and after. Try as any nation or people might, His reality and presence cannot be erased or wished away. We live in a world that is currently enemy-occupied territory. But even that wicked enemy knows full well he has lost it all. The war is over, and Jesus won the victory. The great power of God has made a way for everyone who will to be with Him forever. This time of waiting is God graciously giving His Church time to gather all of HIs lost lambs back into the fold. 


As we wait for His return, we can remember how wonderful Jesus is, and we can bring HIs light and hope to everyone in our lives. We can recall that all of the promises of God are true, and that He is faithful. Rather than being overwhelmed by the problems of life, we can be emboldened by all that Jesus has said and done. I encourage you to set aside time in your daily routine these next few weeks to contemplate these things deeply. Let the truth and reality of God’s generosity and faithfulness sink deeply into your heart and mind.  I pray that God’s peace and presence fill you with strength. May your heart and home be full of His hope and joy. May the Holy Spirit fill you with wisdom and grace as you interact with your family, coworkers, and friends during this holy season. 

Earlier in the trip, we were near Lake Oneida in New York. That is where a young Charles Finney moved with his parents and siblings close to 200 years ago, when those parts were still the western frontier of our brand-new nation. Finney referred to that region as the “burned-out district” since everyone had heard a good share of preaching, but were numb and indifferent to it. What the preachers had to say had very little impact on the hearts and lives of the people; many were jaded by the dissonance between what they were taught the Bible said, and the difficulties they saw in their own lives. 

All throughout this part of the country, we see evidence of this same feeling, unfortunately alive and thriving today. There are billboards all along the roads warning of the dangers of pills laced with fentanyl. There are signs encouraging people not to be fooled by the too-often fatal allure and false promise of opioids. There is ample evidence that people are not finding anything that makes them feel alive and purposeful; rather, so many are discouraged and despondent.

​We spent time with a good friend in New York, and he mentioned having to watch out not to be overcome by what he called his “Northeast skepticism.” He described the condition as wondering if anyone would be able to actually walk with Christ in abundance and victory like we all hope. There have been so many moral failures, so many people who claim to be godly but are actually rascals, and so much hurt and pain that it is easy to begin to wonder if all of this Christianity stuff is actually too good to be true. Sadly, this skepticism is not at all relegated to only one part of the country.

But there is something we must not forget...

- All of the great apostles and disciples of the early Church, who marched right into a fierce and raging persecution, including Peter, John, Paul, James, Barnabus, Lydia, Phoebe, Timothy, Junia, Philip and his daughters...


- The great fathers and mothers and fathers of the Christian faith, who faced trial and tribulation in an age of great uncertainty and change  - Justin Martyr, Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Thecla, Gregory of Nazianzus, Theosebia, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, Jerome, Fabiola, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo...


- The great theologians and artists of the long Middle Ages and the Renaissance, withstanding the press and threat first of barbarians and then of a militant Islam, and of pestilence and disease - St. Patrick, Boniface, the many nameless monks who preserved and copied the Bible, the architects and builders of stunning and mighty cathedrals, St. Francis, St. Clare, Anselm, Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, Leonardo daVinci, Michelangelo…


- The reformers and mystics, who withstood much pressure and persecution from the most powerful within Christendom to bring the Word of God and a personal walk with God back into the forefront of our faith - Erasmus, Luther, Katherine von Bora, Calvin, Zwingli, Wycliffe, Huss, Count von Zinzendorf, Madam Guyon, John Bunyan…


- The revivalists and creatives, who refused to let a vibrant faith in Christ be swallowed by the cold reason and individualism of their age - Whitefield, the Wesleys, Finney, Hannah Whitall Smith, Beethoven, Bach, William Wilberforce, Olaudah Equiano, Hannah More…


- The moderns, who stood strong for Christ in the age of rising atheism, fascism, and militant Marxism - GK Chesterton, CS Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Watchman Nee, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II, Tolkien, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King, Jr., Francis and Edith Schaefer, Corrie ten Boom…


The list goes on and on, filled with men and women who left a lasting mark because of their bold faith in Jesus Christ. Just about all of this cloud of witnesses faced hostility from people in power during their lifetime, some who hated God and some who claimed to represent Him. This always has been and likely will continue to be the case on this side of heaven. But even in the face of unpopularity, persecution, and violence, an incredible number of the most wonderful people ever to live have been followers of Jesus, all the way up to today.

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I feel like the writer of Hebrews must have - there are so many amazing people who are alive today, loving and serving Jesus faithfully and making a real difference in their communities for His glory: it would take a whole library to contain all of their names and stories! They are standing up against the absolute insanity and confusion of this age, boldly proclaiming the love and reality of Jesus Christ.  The broader world may never know any of their names, but they are many and they are bringing life and hope through Christ to people - and not just in the West, but all over the world.
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Just like in Charles Finney’s day, this whole country is a burned-over District. We have seen and heard it all. Politicians make endlessly empty promises, social media never stops blaring its smoke and mirrors, many try desperately to deconstruct an orthodox faith and belief in Christ, and people are tired and confused. Families are breaking apart, kids don’t know who they are, and many people are desperate for an escape from reality.

​Just like 200 years ago, many think they know what God has said, but are numb and indifferent to it. What the preachers have to say has very little impact on the hearts and lives of the people; they are so jaded by the dissonance between what they think the Bible says, and the difficulties they see in their own lives. 

Friends, may we not give in to the confusing spirit of this age and grow weary or lose heart. May we keep our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. May we remember the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, and who cheer us on still. They withstood the tremendous pressures, uncertainties, and dangers of their own generations and remind us that if they can make it, we can too because the same God is with us.

​Just like them, may we lean heavily on Jesus - the same Christ who endured the shame and brutality of the cross for the joy set before Him - and take courage and comfort in His help and presence. Just like them, may we believe the Word of God to be true and alive and active, sharper than any sword.

​Just like in Charles Finney's day, when many tens of thousands came to vibrant faith, may the Spirit of God breath a mighty revival of faith in Christ into our hearts and throughout our burned-over land. 

Greetings from the end of a long, hot Texas summer! We have finally entered the only other season that we have in Texas, known as “not summer,” and thank the Lord that we made it. The evenings and mornings are cool and glorious, and though we all try not to let the oppressively hot season affect us, a drop in temperature always makes it seem like hope has been restored. 


Earlier this week, I was enjoying the wonderful morning weather on a walk with my dog, Maggie, when I heard the sound of a golf cart coming behind us - it was my father! Even though we have now lived in the same town again for 25 years, I still haven’t gotten over the pleasant surprise of bumping into my parents out and about in town. We lived across the country from each other for a season, and being together again is such an unexpected blessing. 


He was headed home, so for just a moment I wondered where he might have been so early. When I remembered, I realized instantly what the subject of this blog post would be. Recently, I brought up the idea that a large part of our culture is has developed a new religion, and that Christians must take care not to become swept along. In the last post, we examined being careful not to engage in the Culture of Comment all around us. This time, let's think about the question, 
​

Not just your life, but also your time and effort - what kind of price can be put on such things?

​That morning, my dad was heading home from the golf clubhouse, where he and a group of people meet one early morning each week to spruce up the golf course. They pick up trash, fix the divots, and otherwise get things back into perfect order. Similarly, he and another group from church regularly give time to doing odd jobs around the church property - changing light bulbs, cleaning messes, straightening papers and books, and keeping things in order. These examples are indicative of the way he and my mother have chosen to live, and not just in their retirement years. 

My father is one who, after he retired from 30 years in the Navy, taught at a military college for a few years, and then gave a decade at our local high school in an effort to help young people learn math and even a little bit of respect. Next, he taught for the prison system, helping men who made some terrible choices have a chance of making a life for themselves once they were released. Likewise, my mother has volunteered for every group my sister and I were in, and for all kinds of church and community ventures through the years. During Covid, they both participated in drive-by golf cart greetings for people who were shut in all alone. They are always visiting and caring for others, rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn. They give so much of their time to help people, and they have been that way all my life. 


They don’t do this for recognition or accolades. Neither of them are running for political office or some other position. They give of themselves, and know that what they get in return has nothing to do with money or fame or power. It has everything to do with helping others know that they are seen and heard and cared for. It has everything to do with looking to help the next generation have a good start. It has everything to do with keeping things in order, and even making things better. They serve and give because they are grateful for what they have had, and want others to have it, too. 


Unfortunately, this way of thinking and living is no longer the norm in our society. Instead, most of us sit around, bemoaning the fact that things just aren’t like they used to be. Our schools are struggling. Our churches are not nearly as full as they once were. Kids are disrespectful and can’t pull themselves together. Things look so run down and uncared for. Families are falling apart, the suicide rate is alarmingly high, and substance abuse and even overdose deaths are all too common. Why are things so bad? Why doesn’t someone do something?

​Last week, a royal person, when participating in an official function on behalf of their ruling family, was quoted as saying, “I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this.” What a striking contrast with the late Queen Elizabeth, who selflessly and tirelessly served her God and her people for 70 years. But it should not be surprising - this thought is in the very air of our modern culture and is a tenet of its new religion. 


The worldview assumes that each person’s worth literally boils down a dollar amount. In this way of thinking, the value of your life is dictated by your lifetime bottom line. How much are you worth? This danger does not apply to just one political or ideological branch: some have to be careful of a tendency to want to always make more no matter the cost, and others have to be careful not to want to take more no matter the consequences. Either way, the danger is found in evaluating the worth of a human being in terms of money. 


If you cost someone else too much to bring into the world or to stay in the world, you aren’t worth it and are terminated. If you aren’t constantly adding to the bottom line of net worth, then you aren’t really living or being true to yourself. Choices in life, death, education, marriage, vocation, location, parenting, philanthropy, and so many other avenues are made depending on how much a person can make and how much each decision will cost them. Does it help my resume? Does it take from my retirement? Does it cost me or benefit me in any way? 


No one considers the possibility that there might be quite a few things in life worth much more than money. No one stops to think about what will happen if and when money is suddenly worth much less than it is today. No one is encouraged to volunteer or give freely, instead everyone is coached to ask, “what is in it for me?” It is no longer thought of to do something for nothing - not even for our own families and communities. 


This way of thinking leads to so many difficult and even dangerous ideas, actions, and inactions, and we must be careful not to become engulfed by it. 


The good news is that Jesus showed us what to do and how to think rightly about this. As followers of Christ, and as people who believe the Bible, we know that every man, woman, and child is lovingly created in the image of God. This means that there is no price high enough to equate to the worth of a human being: each person, whether they live in a palace or a shelter, is God’s treasured masterpiece. One of the best-loved passages in scripture reminds us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” God lovingly and carefully made us, and then spared no expense in redeeming us. 


The ideal of Christian service, which has inspired many of the greatest people in history, and still inspires people like my parents and others like them, was modeled by Jesus Himself. He gave His own life to love and serve all of us. He left the glory and majesty of Heaven to come to this fallen earth, tirelessly showing all of us what real, abundant life can look like.  


He showed us that we were all striving in the wrong direction in looking for abundant life, and getting things backwards. It isn't about power, or possession, or political gain. He plainly told HIs disciples, when they were lagging behind Him on the road one day and indulging in their usual argument about which one of them was the greatest, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” The One who actually is the greatest showed us how a real King lives, by making Himself the lowest and giving everything for us. 


This is exactly the opposite of what our culture preaches. It says take and get all you can. It says demand your rights. It says don't do anything that doesn't directly benefit you. But this makes people miserable, and so many people get hurt. All you have to do is read the headlines to see that all the money and fame and power in the world can't keep anyone happy or fulfilled for long.


Following Jesus' way in being servant of all can be described by the idea that love finds a need and meets it. We don’t have to wait for someone to tell us that someone needs help or visiting or encouraging, we can look around and see who needs our help. We don’t need to be told to clean or fix things, we can see that it needs to be done and take care of it. Our cities and towns are the place we all have to live, together, and it is our responsibility to keep them in top order. Our schools and churches are where our minds and spirits are nourished and it is up to all of us to keep them healthy. When we all do this, things remain in order, people are helped, and few remain uncared for. 


The world says your life is only worth a dollar amount. God says your life, and your neighbors' lives, are worth more than could ever be counted. He gave of Himself to save us and serve us; now it is our turn. We can give ourselves and our time and resources to help others, and will find that this brings more joy, purpose, and fulfillment than any amount of money ever could.


We do not have to fall into line with what our culture is saying. Instead, we can follow Jesus and give of ourselves, knowing that what we will get in return has nothing to do with money or fame or power. It has everything to do with helping others know that they are seen and heard and cared for. It has everything to do with looking to help the next generation have a good start. It has everything to do with keeping things in order, and even making things better. We can love and serve and give because we are grateful for what we have, and want others to have it, too. 
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This week marks the end of a special era in human history. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has passed from this life, and gone to be with her Lord and Savior forever. Considering that there are photos and videos of her still fulfilling her duties and graciously receiving Britain’s new Prime Minister a mere two days before her passing, we can give thanks to God for this special woman as she finally enters her rest.


There is nobody like her. I wonder if anyone will emerge from the current era to be role model for the younger set like Queen Elizabeth has been to so many us who have come before? She ruled for 70 years, meaning that for almost everyone alive today she has always been the queen of England. Her life marked an entire era of time that perhaps someday will be referred to as the second Elizabethan age. As the rest of the world went through its many kings, presidents, prime ministers, and dictators, Queen Elizabeth lived and served gracefully, bringing a steadiness and sense of timelessness to the world. Her life was so special, and there is so much we can learn from her example.
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​Of course, she was born into royalty as the granddaughter of the king, and therefore had a rather unusual perspective on life for her whole life. When Elizabeth was just 10 years old, her grandfather died and her uncle soon abdicated his role as king, leaving Elizabeth the heir to the throne. At the tender age of 25, an age when so many of us are still trying to figure out who we are and what we ought to be doing, her father died and she became the queen of a vast number of the world’s people. The rest of the world joined in the excitement. My mother, who was 10 in 1952, remembers her whole class gathering at the home of the one family in town who had a television set to watch the coronation of the young new queen. It was an exciting and hopeful event. 


There are some pretty amazing things that came with her unique position. She never had to have a driver’s license or a passport, as all of those things were issued to everyone else in her own name! Her image has been on all the coinage and currency, postage stamps, and legal documents for Great Britain and the Commonwealth nations around the globe for the better part of a century. She met most of the world’s leaders throughout her long reign, and was given beautiful gifts of honor and respect by a great number of them. She traveled the world and was celebrated by gatherings of thousands everywhere she went. She lived in fabulous palaces and had beautiful clothes and jewels, and people to attend to her every need. She attended balls and galas, and really lived all of the fairy tale ideals. 


Though she was surrounded by opulence and plenty all her life, she was not ruined by them. People were continually shocked by what a normal woman she was. She loved her husband and children, her parents and sister, her dogs and horses. She had a wonderfully regular daily routine that she maintained wherever she happened to be in the world. She was kind and gracious and respectful to all, whether family, stranger, servant, or world leader. There is a story of an encounter with two American tourists who did not realize who she was, and she just played along and even took a photo for them. Her bodyguard laughed, wondering if anyone would ever tell those two who they had been speaking with that day. 


She deeply loved her God and country.  At a young age she committed herself to the service of both, famously saying on her 21st birthday, “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”  Though many under her dominion practiced other faiths, she boldly and lovingly represented the goodness and majesty of Christ, and always referred to Him as her Lord. Though many in her care had widely differing political opinions from one another, she loved and hoped for all of her subjects, living above and beyond politics. She knew exactly who she was and exactly Who and what she represented, and took great care never to do anything that did not represent God and country rightly. 


Certainly not every person born or married into human royalty has viewed the position and privilege in quite the same way that Queen Elizabeth did. So many have wasted and squandered and misused their influence. There is much in the written record about her, documenting that even at a very early age she had a deep understanding of what it meant to be the child of a king. Friends and contemporaries testify that she was always both grateful and dutiful. She was a person like all the rest of us, and must have had off days, but we never saw them. She kept her frustrations to herself. There were no bitter and weeping interviews when she felt she just couldn’t take it anymore. There were no sensational books or exposés about her secret and awful hidden vices. For nine decades, this lovely woman lived her life of service to God and others. She never wavered, she never complained, and she never quit. Right up to the end she was the steady and responsible queen that her people and the rest of the world could count on to do what was right. 


It is such a lovely thought to picture such a graceful and dedicated queen finally entering into the courts of the King of all Kings. May her memory be a blessing for many generations to come. 

What can we learn from such a life well-lived? None of us are likely to ever know the kind of broad power and significance that she had by virtue of her office and birth, but each of us has our own sphere of influence in this life. We have the opportunity to choose to live a life of unfailing service and encouragement. 

There is something wired deep inside every person that longs for a good person to rule.  We seem intuitively to know that things were supposed to be a certain way, and they are not. We know that everything about illness and death feels wrong. We know that injustice and poverty and misuse of power are wrong, and should not exist. We know that the weak and vulnerable should be loved and cared for by those who are stronger. We know that families should be healthy, not broken. There is something in every heart that yearns for true justice and peace, and wisdom and plenty for all. Our hearts are longing for the very one who made and sustains us - the Lord Jesus Christ.

​Elizabeth exemplified a true servant of this good King. She believed that her honor came only from Him, and always sought to point back to Him. She knew that He was the giver of life, and the One from Whom all blessings flow. On His behalf, she strove to rule with wisdom, grace, and justice, and always had a hopeful and encouraging outlook for her people - the people she knew He loved so much. She stood for righteousness and peace, and against division and unbelief. She determined to always remind her people of who they were, and of what they could be with a little faith and diligence.

I am grateful to have witnessed someone stand steadfast and faithful for the entire fifty years of my life and beyond. We are blessed to have had such an example of a strong and committed leader, who spent a long lifetime in joyful service as a child of the King. What a difference it could make if many of us determined to serve God and the people in our lives with such unfailing hope and faithfulness. 
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