I have a few minutes before I have to go to the dentist to get my filling fixed. I'm not looking forward to having a numb face, but I'm thankful I don't have to feel anything that hurts either!
It's cooler this morning and breezy--such lovely weather after a kind of hot and sticky Sunday. I went for a walk and watered the flowers since it hasn't rained for a week. After last summer of rain almost every day, this is very different, but kind of nice (except for the plants that need water.)
Jeff got called for work in the middle of the night, so he's still home at 10:45am and went back to sleep for a while this morning. But it sounds like he's up now.
I think I left off with Tuesday at the Pastor's Conference. We had 2 sessions in the morning and lunch then two seminar-type sessions with options to choose from in the afternoon, then dinner, then another evening session. WAY too much info to tell every detail, but I did like one pastor's thoughts about when Jehoshaphat was facing a huge army ready to attack them, he prayed in front of all the people and asked three questions in his prayer: Are you not...? Did you not...? and Will you not...?
Basically, we first need to remember who God is and when we do, our enemies and problems shrink back to where they belong. And then we need to remember what God has done in the past and all the ways He's worked in amazing ways in our lives and in the world. And then that helps us to see that God will act and work in amazing ways in our current situation as well.
He had some very amazing stories of how God had acted--one time their church was in debt, and it was very distressing to him, so he prayed for God to give them $50,000 one day. Their debt was a little over $25,000. He got really excited when the mail came and went out and got it, and sure enough, there was a check for....$5.00. He said to God, "Um, I wrote more zeros after that 5!"
But later in the day, he had a meeting with a man who had attended their church a few times and whose wife attended more regularly. The man asked if the church had any debt and exactly how much. Then he said, "Well, we don't have debt anymore." And wrote a check for the exact amount to pay it off completely. The pastor keeps a copy of the check in his Bible to remind him of how God works!
And he said that the skeptics are wondering where the rest of the money he asked for is, but he was very content and blown away by God meeting the exact amount!
And Tuesday evening was really good too. One of the pastors shared about their family situation and how several of their children aren't following the Lord and may not be saved. It was very hard for him to share it, but it was very important to show that adult children make their own decisions, and as much as parents try very hard to do everything right for our kids, we make mistakes, and then they do too. He also has hope though that God will work in his kids' lives, and there will be changes in the future. And they have several children who are following the Lord who were raised in the same way as the older ones--parenting isn't what saves our children. God's mercy is what saves our children. That is true for all of us!
We had dinner on Tuesday with Fred and Christine who were friends in BG many years ago. Christine was one of my very first roommates with Wendy and Theresa during the first summer I stayed in BG. They had us cracking up with their stories. They don't look like especially funny people or like they lead a terribly interesting life. He's tall, thin with white hair, and he's always looked a little sleepy. He's soft-spoken and extremely kind-hearted. She is full of energy, laughs loudly, super-efficient and able to handle any crisis, and knows how to do everything domestic.
They told us how they got engaged, how Fred delivered one of their children on the way to the hospital in the car, and about when she was on bed rest for 6 weeks after the birth of their 6th child and had a bunch of college students stay with them unexpectedly! Oh my! Such adventures--not the kind I would choose!
OK, need to go get ready for the dentist, so I'm off!
No comments:
Post a Comment