by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:3
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Over the 62 years of our marriage, Joyce has been the driving force behind sending out Christmas cards and greetings. I can remember that she was adamant about getting them in the mail the day after Thanksgiving. Joyce has not able to do that this year and in fact it has been a few years since she was able to do so. Looking back we can now see that it was because of the early signs of her dementia that limited her ability. This has rapidly progressed and just this past week she was placed on Hospice.
Leaving that behind, we want to send to each of you our love and best wishes. As we celebrate the entry into the world of the King of kings and Lord of lords, please make time from all of the gifting, eating and merriment to stand in awe of a God who loves us so much that He sent His dear Son, born as a tiny baby is a smelly stable.
This is a time for rejoicing in the Lord for all He has done for us. Family and friends will surround us, and that is good. But please take time to spend quality time with the Lord in prayer and thank Him for His marvelous gift of our blessed Savior and Lord.
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH OF YOU!
Blessings dear hearts!
Cecil & Joyce
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 3, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn from GloryScapes.
Under His Wings
Under His wings, I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
To access Under His Wings, this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 29, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Over the years I have kept Proverbs 3:5-6 in my heart. I am not sure at what age I set the words to memory, but it certainly has been more than seventy years ago. That is the thing about the Word of God — it never changes. We may change, but the Word of God remains steadfast and true.
The definition of “trust” is: Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. After pondering on this definition, read today’s Scripture once again. Do you see how vital it is for us to rely on the One who is above all others?
Our task is to place our full trust in the Lord completely. That means we talk with Him as we read His Word and, before we take any action, we ask for His will in the matter. Just think of all the messy situations we could have avoided across the years of our lives if we had placed our trust in Him rather than relying on our own abilities or our own understanding.
We may not be able to undo all of our past mistakes when we have left the Lord out of our decisions, but we can certainly do something about it now. We can make a new commitment to repeat these two verses each morning and then follow His directions.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 15, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.
Last week I was blessed to officiate at the wedding of a beautiful young woman who had been a member of the congregation I once pastored. It was a joy to watch as she and her tall fiancé posed for photographs before the ceremony. I could almost visualize when I had dedicated her to the Lord in front of the congregation many years earlier.
As I stood there watching while the photos were being taken, the bride’s younger sister took my hand and shared how much she liked me. Then she uttered the gut honest words that can only come from an eight-year-old. “We have a picture of you in the house. You sure look a lot older now than you did then.”
She did not say these words to show any sort of disrespect, but with a simple awareness of the fact that YES, I DO LOOK OLDER NOW THAN I DID THEN. The reason is that these bodies of ours reflect the years we have lived.
I shudder at the lengths people will go in the attempt to disguise their age. I can still recall when I had a haircut and was shocked at all of the grey hair on the cape the barber had placed around my shoulders. It is nothing to be ashamed about. Oh, how I wish that more appreciation were placed on advanced age in our society. As we read the words of today’s Scripture, we note that these can be the most productive years of our life. Senior citizens, serve the Lord with distinction!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 28, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn fromGloryScapes.
Under His Wings
Under His wings, I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
To access Under His Wings, this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 8, 2014 | Proverbs
Proverbs 22:5-6
In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
If you have ever attended a graveside service, you may recall that there are always a limited number of chairs reserved for the immediate family members of the deceased. It is so distressing, and revealing, when young children rush to be seated while relatives with obvious physical limitations are left standing. Meanwhile, the parents of the inconsiderate children stand by with smiles on their faces.
I have no idea why parents have lost control of their children, especially in our current culture, but they have. If we look into God’s Word, we learn that it is not the responsibility of the children, but the parents to establish discipline and direction. (Sometimes, the children seem to act more adult than their parents.)
Is the situation hopeless? I don’t think so, but it certainly requires that we face the issue directly. We need to start sharing the powerful Word of God concerning the subject. The answer is not some idea conceived by a behavioral scientist, but by what God ordains that the relationship with the younger generation should be. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
We cannot suddenly transform an entire generation and cause it to show proper respect, but we can start by being an example ourselves and encouraging others to do the same. When was the last time you went out of your way to show respect to a clerk in a checkout line? When was the last time you picked up your phone to call someone who had impacted your life to tell them how much you appreciated them? Respect is taught by God’s Word, but it is patterned by our actions. What actions have you been patterning?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
