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Today, my husband was the invited speaker for a congregation here in Virginia, that has been without a pastor for about five years. We found out at the beginning of the service that a brief celebration was planned to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the founding of the ministry. One hundred and forty years! What a humbling and inspiring experience. Humbling in that my husband was chosen to speak today; and inspiring because in spite of not having a pastor, the congregation continues to gather to worship.  A history of the ministry was read, and a few stories were shared. The initial half-acre parcel of land for the building was purchased for $50. A few years later, another acre was added at the cost of $30. That was big money for the group of African American believers who sacrificed to purchase the land in 1883. The first building was comprised of logs, each log donated by the various families. Two wood-burning stoves provided the heating in the winter. A good number of the member

It never ceases to amaze me how much God accomplishes through me. It is not because I am so great, it is because God is great, and I lean and depend on Him. The Bible gives us many examples of what is possible when we commit to living a God-focused life. David is one such example. He was the youngest son of Jesse, and, as such, was given a lowly position: watching over the sheep. In that culture, shepherds literally slept with the flocks to watch over them. Because David spent so much time in the fresh air, his complexion was described as "ruddy," which is translated as a "healthy, reddish glow" (online dictionary). David also most likely carried a scent of the outdoors and the sheep that he watched over. 1 Samuel 16 tells the events that God put in motion to move David from shepherd, to ruling over Judah and ultimately all of the 12 tribes of Israel. Why is this significant? It goes back to my opening sentences. I was raised on a farm and know what it means to &quo

 Last evening, my husband and I watched a remake of one of the "Left Behind" movies; the one where the "Rapture of the Church" takes place. The Bible does not call the event described in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 the "rapture;" the name of the event comes from a Greek word that translates to "caught up" or "carried away" in body or spirit. So, the "Rapture" is the term used to describe the first return of Jesus to carry away all those, living and deceased, who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord.  In the movie, a young woman, who was left behind after the Rapture occurred, wanted proof about what the Bible says about the Rapture. To gain that proof, the granddaughter took a drastic approach: she dug up the casket of her grandmother, to see if the grandmother's body was still in it. Her grandmother had confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord, and shared her faith with others. When the young woman lifted th