July 31, 2006
God, you continue to amaze me. I can't believe how far you are going to show you are with me and that you care so deeply for my feelings. You continue to encourage me and comfort every wound I bring to you. You are so awesome!
I never expected to keep receiving emails from the Throne of Heaven. Thank you, again, for arranging for me to receive these emails today.
"Ending Well"
"When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship" (Acts 20:36-38).
One early lesson I learned in life and have sought to practice throughout my life is to "end well". I believe this should apply to all our relationships in life, especially our spiritual ones. Our daily verse may seem a bit unusual without its fuller context. Paul had just preached a dynamic sermon to the Ephesian elders, a moving and challenging farewell before his trip to Jerusalem. (I have used this portion of Scripture in bidding farewell on our final Sunday to each church I've pastored and I did so again yesterday.)
In it Paul had stated that they would never see his face again (20:25) and this especially gripped their hearts causing them emotional distress. However Paul did keep contact with this church through his letter to the Ephesians. Following Paul's message we have one of the greatest "farewell" experiences recorded in Scripture.
After his message they knelt and prayed together and "they all wept as they embraced him and kissed him." Can you picture this wonderful scene in your mind? Have you had similar experiences in life? I hope so.
What really moved the group to tears was a statement that Paul had made in the sermon that he would never see them again (v. 25). Consider how we would react in the fellowship transactions of life if we knew we would never see someone again. Normally, except in the case of gathering around a deathbed, we anticipate that sometime in the future we will meet together again.
I'm sure we would go to extraordinary means to express our love and to show how much that person had meant to us if it was a final good-bye. The fact is, we really don't know when we bid a loved one "farewell" whether we will see them again (at least on this side of eternity). I don't want to seem morbid, but it's a fact of life. I want to live in such a way that those who mean so much to me know of my love and appreciation, not just during farewells. I encourage you to live the same way!
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 From my friend, Janet, who has no idea about
recent events in my life, sent by an email forward.
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Thank you, Father. I am at complete peace about where you are taking my life. I honestly mean it when I say to take my life and do with me what you will. I trust you.
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Unchanging One By Todd Agnew I looked for love in every single situation
For something, for someone
That would last a lifetime, a love that never dies
And I find
CHORUS
You know when I wake, when I rise, when I pray, when I curse You
And You love me the same, and
You know when I stumble and fall, and You're there through it all
The only unchanging one
I looked for faith on the edge of my roof
No fear, daddy's here
Still I struggle to trust You with the rest of my life
When I could just fly
CHORUS
You know when I wake, when I rise, when I pray, when I curse You
And You love me the same, and
You know when I stumble and fall, You're there through it all
The only unchanging one
I looked for God.
CHORUS
You know when I wake, when I rise, when I pray, when I curse You
And You love me the same, and
You know when I stumble and fall, and You're there through it all
Unchanging one
You know my inmost being
You know my deepest scars
You know my darkest secrets
You know and You love and You love
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