Last week a friend, a former parishoner and just a neat lady named Kim said thank you for prayers. With her family: husband Nick, 2 daughters and a son; Kim treated us to wings in exchange for our prayers. What a wonderful idea!
You see Kim has been waging a battle with cancer for over a year. And it looks like God is granting her wholeness. Many people, many churches - strangers who are friends who haven't met yet have been and will continue to pray for Kim. Through the medium of the Internet and an organization called "Caring Bridge" Kim has kept us updated on her progress. We, in turn, have written her notes of encouragment and we have prayed.
It looks now as though Kim has gone over the top, and so she wanted to say thank you and threw this wonderful, crazy "wing party." The firehall was packed and was ringing with laughter as people were drawn with the common thread of love for Kim. All glory was given to God and that'll preach.
You know, tomorrow will bring Kim many different things, maybe even more cancer. But last week love had the final say. Regardless of what her body does, Kim is already a winner. Her prayers have been answered.
Now I want to say thank you to Kim - it's been good for this old preacher to see God with skin on.
Pastor Bill
Death Comes Calling
My best friend died last week. I don't guess it was unexpected, Harold has been struggling with his health for several years. I just wasn't prepared. But are you ever prepared?
Harold was a man of God - he brought the Word with power and conviction. He preached in word and in song and he lived what he preached. So he was prepared and he lived as he died.
His fmaily and friends loved him. In the words of Scripture he has received the "crown of righteousness." In his families words, "we do not grieve as those without hope." But we do grieve.
I shall miss his laughter. I shall miss his obvious love for his West virginia bride of 50 years. I shall miss the opportunity to match his wit or probe his thoughts. I shall miss his love for the Church and I shall miss his love for me.
Once a month we would take over a restaurant and "catch up" with our families. He was an unrelated uncle to my children. Simply put, I shall miss him.
At his funeral my daughter said, "Dad, death seems to come in three's, I wonder who is next." I guess that depends on where you are in life. For the folks at Bridgeville, PA it came in the form of a deranged shooter who simply wasted life. For people in Afghanistan is comes with the suddenness of a missle or an IED. But who is next, my daughter, I simply don't know.
They say death sometimes comes as a friend, I have not experienced that.
When death has touched my life it has been through the tragedy of a mistake or an accident. But death does come calling; it is the end point of life as we know it. But I want to shout to the world and to death itself - death is not the final word.
Hard as death can be and has been for me, God is the final word. And God's word has been life. so yes, death comes calling - but God's love carries me even through that final breath.
Harold was a man of God - he brought the Word with power and conviction. He preached in word and in song and he lived what he preached. So he was prepared and he lived as he died.
His fmaily and friends loved him. In the words of Scripture he has received the "crown of righteousness." In his families words, "we do not grieve as those without hope." But we do grieve.
I shall miss his laughter. I shall miss his obvious love for his West virginia bride of 50 years. I shall miss the opportunity to match his wit or probe his thoughts. I shall miss his love for the Church and I shall miss his love for me.
Once a month we would take over a restaurant and "catch up" with our families. He was an unrelated uncle to my children. Simply put, I shall miss him.
At his funeral my daughter said, "Dad, death seems to come in three's, I wonder who is next." I guess that depends on where you are in life. For the folks at Bridgeville, PA it came in the form of a deranged shooter who simply wasted life. For people in Afghanistan is comes with the suddenness of a missle or an IED. But who is next, my daughter, I simply don't know.
They say death sometimes comes as a friend, I have not experienced that.
When death has touched my life it has been through the tragedy of a mistake or an accident. But death does come calling; it is the end point of life as we know it. But I want to shout to the world and to death itself - death is not the final word.
Hard as death can be and has been for me, God is the final word. And God's word has been life. so yes, death comes calling - but God's love carries me even through that final breath.
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