May 31, 2003
Hi, everybody!
This is really beautiful...God is not sleeping.
Wrong Funeral
Consumed by my loss, I didn't notice the hardness of the pew where I sat. I was at the funeral of my dearest friend -- my mother. She finally had lost her long battle with cancer. The hurt was so intense, I found it hard to breathe at times.
Always supportive, Mother clapped loudest at my school plays, held a box of tissues while listening to my first heartbreak, comforted me at my father's death, encouraged me in college, and prayed for me my entire life.
When Mother's illness was diagnosed, my sister had a new baby and my brother had recently married his childhood sweetheart, so it fell on me, the 27-year-old middle child without entanglements, to take care of her. I counted it an honor. "What now, Lord?" I asked sitting in church. My life stretched out before me as an empty abyss.
My brother sat stoically with his face toward the cross while clutching his wife's hand. My sister sat slumped against her husband's shoulder, his arms around her as she cradled their child. All so deeply grieving, no one noticed I sat alone.
My place had been with our mother, preparing her meals, helping her walk, taking her to the doctor, seeing to her medication, reading the Bible together. Now she was with the Lord.
My work was finished, and I was alone.
I heard a door open and slam shut at the back of the church. Quick footsteps hurried along the carpeted floor. An exasperated young man looked around briefly and then sat next to me.
He folded his hands and placed them on his lap. His eyes were brimming with tears. He began to sniffle. "I'm late," he explained, though no explanation was necessary.
After several eulogies, he leaned over and commented, "Why do they keep calling Mary by the name of 'Margaret?'"
"Because that was her name, Margaret. Never Mary. No one called her 'Mary,'" I whispered.
I wondered why this person couldn't have sat on the other side of the church.
He interrupted my grieving with his tears and fidgeting. Who was this stranger anyway?
"No, that isn't correct," he insisted, as several people glanced over at us whispering, "Her name is Mary, Mary Peters."
"That isn't who this is."
"Isn't this the Lutheran church?"
"No, the Lutheran church is across the street."
"Oh."
"I believe you're at the wrong funeral, Sir."
The solemnness of the occasion mixed with the realization of the man's mistake bubbled up inside me and came out as laughter. I cupped my hands over my face, hoping it would be interpreted as sobs. The creaking pew gave me away.
Sharp looks from other mourners only made the situation seem more hilarious. I peeked at the bewildered, misguided man seated beside me. He was laughing, too, as he glanced around, deciding it was too late for an uneventful exit. I imagined Mother laughing. At the final "Amen," we darted out a door and into the parking lot.
"I do believe we'll be the talk of the town," he smiled.
He said his name was Rick and since he had missed his aunt's funeral, asked me out for a cup of coffee.
That afternoon began a lifelong journey for me with this man who attended the wrong funeral, but was in the right place.
A year after our meeting, we were married at a country church where he was the assistant pastor. This time we both arrived at the same church, right on time.
In my time of sorrow, God gave me laughter. In place of loneliness, God gave me love. This past June we celebrated our twenty-second wedding anniversary.
Whenever anyone asks us how we met, Rick tells them, "Her mother and my Aunt Mary introduced us, and it's truly a match made in heaven."
-----Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.
"Not ashamed? Pass this on . . . only if you mean it.
Yes, I do Love God. He is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I would be nothing. Without him, I am nothing, but with Him I can do all things, through Christ that strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
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The Test of a Hero
It's easy to fight for the cause of the right,
When it's surely, steadily winning,
To nobly stand with a gallant band,
When plaudits loud are dinning.
For nothing inspires and fans the fires
Of our noblest, best endevour,
Like knowing success will crown our best,
And glory be ours forever.
But to stand with the few and yet be true
To a seemingly losing cause,
To fight for the right with all of your might
With never a sound of applause;
To stand like a brave in the face of a grave,
O'erhung with the cloud of defeat,
This, this the test of a hero, the best;
A hero we seldom meet.
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Verse of the Week
I have a verse for the day for you: Jude Vs.. 24,25.I don't know if you already used it or not, but it is a great encouragement to me. "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy; To the only wise God our savior, be majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" just thought I would send a quick note with that verse. Thanks again, your writings and compilations are great. Keep up the good work.
Your Fellow-Soldier in Christ,
Jacob Honebein
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Prayer & Praise
I noticed that there has not been very many prayer and praise things lately , I am sure it is not because of a lack of prayer requests though ! I thought I would pass this prayer challenge along . God bless!
"Prayer Challenge- Can you meet with the Lord for one hour ?
Jesus asked His sleepy disciples , "' could ye not watch with me one hour ? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation ."'( Matt. 26:40-41)
Suggestions for spending an hour alone in prayer :
-Praise
- Wait
-Confess
-Read the Word
-Intercession
-Petition
-Pray the Word
-Give thanks
-Singing
-Meditate
-Listen
~Megan Bousfield~
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Word Study
By AprilRose Pilgrim
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
Thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Isaiah 26: 3
Stayed:
Take hold of, lay, put, to remain, to take up residence, lodge.
Dwell:
To remain for a time, to live as a resident, to keep the attention directed.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalms 23:6
Psalm 25:13
Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will still be praising Thee. Psalm 84:4
Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name: the upright shall dwell in Thy presence. Psalm 140:13
and They that love Thy name shall dwell therein. Psalm 69:36b
This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
Psalms 132:14
words/verses/phrases/ or suggestions? applerp@yahoo.com
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Selected Sayings
1. A cobbler who used to attend college debates was asked if he understood Latin. "No," he replied, "but I can tell who is in the wrong by seeing who gets angry first."
2. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It's the age-old struggle--the roar of the crowd on one side--and the voice of your conscience on the other. -Douglas MacArthur
3. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried and He was never anxious--because He was not "out" to realize His own ideas; He was "out" to realize God's ideas...Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about these things. All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God. -O. Chambers
4. Truth lies in character. Christ did not simply speak the truth; He was Truth--Truth through and through, for truth is a thing not of words but a life and being. -F. W. Robertson
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Smiley
A family sat down at the dinner table following church one Sunday. "The sermon was boring today," said the teenage son. "Yeah, could you believe how the pastor stumbled over the reading of the Scripture?" his sister chimed in. "I've got to admit it was an uninspiring day," said Mother. "The choir was terrible." Finally, father, showing his leadership, said, "Hush, you guys. Quit complaining. What did you expect for a quarter?
Well, thanks for reading this! If you have anything you'd like to see printed here, e-mail me at ready4anything_2003@yahoo.com. The webisite is at www.oocities.org/ready4anything_2003. I haven't updated it in quite a awhile but hope to get back to it soon. Thanks to everyone who sent things in! Have a great day!
Staff: Editor in Chief: Jesus Christ
Assistant Editors: Jamie Scharf & April Pilgrim
Website Coodinator: Cheri Cross
Contributers: Jacob Honebein
Deborah Epp
April Pilgrim
Megan Bousfield