A vulnerable conversation with Toby Mac regarding grief and loss.

Be anxious for nothing,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philipians 4:6-7

It seems as though pain and suffering is everywhere on this planet. Thanks to social media and around the clock media coverage we can tune into any country to experience the pain they are experiencing. There isn't any delay in coverage because of the worldwide communication system we have that generates coverage instantaneously.

Every night I remind myself that I have a Savior who loves me and speaks to me through the Holy bible words of peace and encouragement. I bend my knees upon hearing the tragic mass shooting in New Orleans and pray for the victims that are still clinging to dear life. I call a friend when someone close to me is ailing to request prayer support. Just before shutting my eyes for the night I will say a word of prayer to my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. I remember the prayer I said as a child.

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. His love be with me through the night, and wake me with the morning light. And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. In Jesus' name, Amen.

As a grownup I would often say a grown up version of that children's prayer.Toward the end ofmy prayer that my eyes would become heavier as I drift off to a deep sleep thinking of happier moments.

Lift your eyes to the hills Remember where your help comes from Lift your eyes to the hills You'll never face a valley alone

I remember how the Lord met the needs of the major and minor prophets. He protected Daniel when he was in the lions den. He protected Joseph when he was sold to the Egytians by his brothers I imagine Joseph was initially worried about what might happen to him because Joseph wasn't aware of God's entire story of his life.But through his journey, God demonstrated time after time He was with him.

'Cause even when your heart is breakin' And you've gone and lost your way You're, you're gonna be okay>You're gonna be okay I know that you're, you're gonna be okay>Not a care in this whole world can take that truth away

Those were the lyrics of one of Lauren Daigels songs.

Some of the greatest hymns flowed out tragedy.

Horatio Spafford, for example, knew something about life’s unexpected challenges. At the height of his business career,successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871 and at around the same time his beloved four-year-old son died of scarlet fever.

Thinking a vacation would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them after he finished some pressing business at home. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk. More than 200 people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio Spafford’s precious daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Horatio immediately set sail for England. At one point during his voyage, the captain of the ship, aware of the tragedy that had struck the Spafford family, summoned Horatio to tell him that they were now passing over the spot where the shipwreck had occurred.1

As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. He wrote them down, and they have since become a well-beloved hymn:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll— Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know It is well, it is well with my soul.2 P

erhaps we cannot always say that everything is well in all aspects of our lives. There will always be storms to face, and sometimes there will be tragedies. But with faith in a loving God and with trust in His divine help, we can confidently say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

No matter what pit you fall into, or what tragedy comes your way, you have a God who promises to bring you to safety from the journey you're on. I remember the words from Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Instead of worrying and getting stress related chest pains He urges me to give him my worries, my anxieties and the things that prevent me from sleeping.

There are some who are afraid of dying. They do not want to focus on that thought because of the unknown; yet, as you read the book of Revelation, the vision given to the Apostle John, you begin to see that heaven is a very real place, a place made possible because of the gift given to us by God.

Heaven will be a place of joyous reunions of lost loved ones.

Before Jesus's final ascension into heaven, he said he is going to prepare a place for each of us. As you read Revelation your mind is blown by how realistic the vison given to John really is.

Oh, the end of all our breath is the beginning of new life You're, you're gonna be alright

[God wants everyone to come to the cross of Jesus Christ. It takes a simple prayer to earn the assurance of salvation and eternal life in the new heaven.

Dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I know I have done terrible things in my life. I know that you are perfect. I confess my thoughts, words and deeds to you and ask you to forgive me for my sins. Jesus, I open the door to my heart and invite you to come into my life. Please help me clean up my thought life, help me clean and tossed things out that aren't glorifying to you. I thank you for the gift of eternal life]

Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Ellie Holcomb / Lauren Ashley Daigle Be Okay lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing

You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hands of God with thanks to the Laminin cellular structure

The words found in John3:16, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,' take on new meaning with the revelation of a simple protein molecule that is in our bodies. 

According to Wikipedia, Laminins are high-molecular weight (~400 to ~900 kDa) proteins of the extracellular matrix. They are a major component of the basal lamina (one of the layers of the basement membrane), a protein network foundation for most cells and organs. The laminins are an important and biologically active part of the basal lamina, influencing cell differentiation, migration, and adhesion.[1][2] The laminin family of glycoproteins is an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every tissue of an organism. They are secreted and incorporated into cell-associated extracellular matrices. Laminin is vital for the maintenance and survival of tissues

 laminin, like the steel rods of rebar, holding those concrete structures together, is literally the protein substance that holds us together!

Heavy sigh, as I thought about those moments when we want to give up on life, or a goal because'we're not good enough', or because in our mind God made a mistake when he created me'.

Sometimes, it seems, we can become our own worst enemy. Once I saw what laminin looked like (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/199988039672887021/ ) it suddenly made sense how God fearfully and wonderfully made us!  We quite literally are marked throughout the body with this protein molecule which has become the glue that holds us together!

When you understand laminin, that other Bible verse where it says in Philippians 4:13 ' I can do all this through him who gives me strength'.makes sense!  It also makes sense that the greatest arsenal we have is the power of prayer which James 5 reminds us with these words: 

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made as evidence of your unique DNA and laminin protein structure. You were not a mistake because of the methodical process he put into your particular DNA!

 Whether you live or die, you are the Lord's. He will be there when the good times roll, and he will be there when tragedy comes. 

 God will quite literally hold you together until the storm passes,  just as Colossians 1:17 states:  'He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.'

The Laminin in your body, in the shape of the cross of Jesus, and your unique DNA is evidence of not only God's existence but how much God truly loves you!

As I was studying my Bible study fellowship materials there was a question of when did you feel you feel the presense the Holy spirit?

It was the week before Christmas in 2019. For several days I noticed some problems with my vision in my left eye. The day that was the most anxiety provoking for me was t he day I closed my right eye and discovered that there was a curtain gradually closing off that vision. i went to my wife and shared my concerns and thought back to my dad when he had his own detached retinae in his left eye. My wife got ahold of the scheduling nurse and found an immediate appointment with the eye doctor. My wife drove me the clinic while I rested my eyes. Within minutes I found myself sitting in the chair getting my eyes dilated. Five minutes went by before I received the unfortunate news that the left eye retina had been slowing detaching. He told me I would have to have immediate eye surgery if I was to save my eye from total loss of sight. He left my wife and I in the room and went back to make some phone calls to see if he could find surgeon that was available to perform the procedure a day before Christmas. In the mean made connections with my siblings and with our life group requesting prayers that the surgery would be a success. Ten minutes went by before the doctor who examined me said he found a world reknown retinae specialist who does his surgeries at the Philipps Eye Institute. The surgery was done on Christmas eve morning. It was, like my dad said to me when he had it, the strangest operation he had ever had. I was given instructions to keep head down for the first24 hours. Early the next day my wife drove me to the Phillips eye Institute for a follow up appointment. He said my eye was healing and that the operation was a success, but it would take many months before I regain use of that eye. On Christmas day we had family over for dinner and gift opening. I remember eating my meal with my head looking down at the floor. I also remember opening up gifts with with my head down. Today, November 27th, 2024 I have use of both eyes which I attribute to my redeemer God. In the book of revelations I read, " When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders bowed down before the Lamb. Each one of them had a harp and golden bows full of incense which are the prayers of God's holy people. " And they all sang a new song to the Lamb. " You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because were killed, and with the blood of your death you bought people for our God, from every tribe, language, people and nation, you made them to be a kingdom of priests for our God and they will rule the earth. ( Revelations 4) Jesus died for all mankind when he fulfilled the prophecies in the bible by being judged, tortured, hung on the cross until death, taken down and buried in a tomb before returning to life and returning to heaven