Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord you God goes with you: he will never leave you nor forsake you.Deuteronomy 31:6
It never ceases to amaze me how much negativity permeates the air that we breath. We go to work only to be bombarded by the harsh words of someone else having a bad day. We pick up our ringing phones at work only to be sprayed by words of panic by the person on the other end. We open up our e mail only to see by their subject line mail we would rather not look at.
Bad news and discontent permeates everywhere. It flows out of the mouths of our politicians who like bulldogs try to find all he right buttons to push to unleash the anger of the opposing candidate. The more we allow these toxic people to control our lives the more at risk we place ourselves in as far as our health is concern.
As believers in Jesus Christ we hold the key to what the world needs right now. It is the key that unleashes the fountain of living water that gives life, hope and liberty to all. When we make a decision to follow Jesus Christ, God gives us the gift of the holy spirit which is the very source of the living water. Water that quenches our thirst and gives us hope and inspires others to want the same hope that we possess.
Our medical community reminds us that we possess the power from within to heal ourselves. I believe that power is the positive life giving hope that comes from God. Deuteronomy reminds us that God will never leave you, nor forsake you where ever you go. Take time and ask God to be your source of strength and ask him to help you encourage others today.
As I continue reading Imagine Heaven, a book about the scientific research on Near death experiences by John Burke, I came to this chapter on the light of the world which is about a miraculous story of a 4 year old girl named Akiane who had visions of heaven and painted them.
Today I met God," whispered four-year-old Akiane to her mother.
"What is God?" asked her mother, Foreli, who was raised as an atheist in Lithuania.
"God is light-warm and good. It knows everything and talks with me. It is my parent."
The family had never talked religion, never gone to church, they didn't even own a TV, and so this shocked Foreli, "Who is your God?" questioned her mother.
"I cannot tell you."
"Me? You cannot tell your own mom?"
"The light told me not to." Little Akiane held firm. " You won't understand."
About that same time Akiane claimed to have visions with God, she began to draw. But her drawings at age of four and five surpassed high school-level art students-it seemed miraculous.
After drawing "her angel," she explained, "She doesn't smile in my picture, because paper is not white enough to show how white her teeth are, and I wanted to show how she talks to me with her eyes (through her thoughts). You see, where God takes me, He teaches me how to draw."
Akiane claimed God took her to Heaven where she saw a "house of light with walls like glass" where God lives, a place of beautiful grass, trees, plants, and fruit. She claimed God gave her fruit in Heaven. "It tastes good, better than anything you've ever tasted. The Light gives me fruit."
"What fruit?" asked her mom.
"To breathe."
"What do you mean.?"
"To live....God says many will need to eat that. The tree will always be there on a new earth." Though only four years old, her descriptions matched what the Scriptures describes (see Ezekiel 1:22; Revelations 2:7; 21:11, 21), but her mother did not know this.
"I am good there, and I listen there," explained Akiane, "Everyone listens there-God is there...The music thre is alive," Akinane's talk of God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit combined with her supernatural gifts for art eventually led her family to faith. As Akiane grew, her miraculous artistic abilities expanded from drawings to paintings, and at age seven she began composing miracuously mature, spiritual poems
At age eight, Akiane's paintings of Jesus were gaining world wide recognition . She claimed to see Jesus in Heaven and painted the renowned works The Prince of Peace and Father Forgive Them as a result. Every major news program in America and many around the world began to recognize her as the only binary child prodigy alive (for art and poetry). She says the purpose of her amazing art is "to draw people's attention to God, and I want my poetry to keep their attention on God."
At age nine, she painted another picture of Jesus in the cosmos. Her mother asked her about a planet. "Oh, that's the new earth. I just felt that I had to include it. I don't remember where, when, or how but the earth will change. All I know that everything will be different. There will be no fear, no hatred, and no hunger or pain. Only love" (see Revelations 21:4).
"Is your Jesus looking at the galaxies.? her mother questioned as they looked at the painting.
"He is walking with his father in heaven...about the future of our world. I think Jesus will come back in full power very soon. In the back of him you can see a whole birth process of our new universe.
World-reknowned by age ten, she began to get tough questions. One day someone asked Akiane why she had decided on Christianity rather than a different religion. " I didn't choose Christianity," Akiane replied,"I chose Jesus Christ. I am painting and writing what God shows me. I don't know much about the religions, but I know this: God looks at our love."
At an art exhibit, one man confronted her, "I am a Buddhist. You called Jesus the 'Prince of Peace', yet in his name so many people were massacred. How do you explain that?"
"Jesus is peace, just like calm water," ten-year-old Akiane answered, "but anyone can drop a stone into water and make it muddy". (pages 170-172 Imagine Heaven, John Burke)
Like Akiane, I too can verify that Jesus Christ is as real as the sun that shines in the sky, the grass I walk on and the air that I breathe, but often it isn't until we enter the storms of our lives that we are able to clearly hear our Lord's voice. I encourage you to take time today and ask God to speak to you. Then, I encourage you to read the Gospel of John and sit back and watch God do a mighty work in your life just like he did for little four-year-old Akiane.
Oh what a glorious morning it must be on Easter in Heaven! All of our loved ones who have gone before us praising the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Alas, I can almost hear the voices from heaven singing to the hearts content with instruments of praise flowing in the background. T
his Easter is especially meaningful since I am reading 'Imagine Heaven' about the evidence of near death experiences research scientifically studied by Dr. Jeffery Long and written about in John Burke's, former Engineer now Pastor, book. I highly recommend this book for all who want to know what lies on the other side of the veil the moment we take our final breath on earth because it will fill you with awe and anticipation of those things yet to come.
For those of us who have suffered through the tragedy of child loss or other significant other, this book reminds us of the incredible peace and absolute joy the moment they took their first breath in heaven. Here is one such account found on page 162 of Imagine Heaven.
One of the greatest indications that the God NDErs describe is the God of the Jewish/Christian scriptures is how they depict their life review in his presence. Despite vividly seeing all their deeds, good and evil, and all the relational ripple effects of both, they do not experience a Being who desires to condemn. They experience a compassion resulting from this Being of light. Yet, if you search the gods of the worlds religions, how many claim to uphold both justice and righteousness, and record our every thought and deed and still hold out forgiveness and compassion because of a desire for loving relationship! A man in Dr. Long's study experienced all this:
"Everything I ever thought, did, said, hated, helped, did not help, should have helped was shown in front of me, the crowd of hundreds, and everyone like (in) a movie. How mean I was (unintentionally also) to animals. Yes, even the animals had had feelings! It was horrible. I fell on my face in shame. I saw how my acting, or not acting, rippled in effect towards other people and their lives. It wasn't until then that I understood how each little decision or choice effects the world. The sense of letting my Savior down was too real. Strangely, even during this horror I felt compassion, an acceptance of my limitations by Jesus and the crowd of others."
Easter Sunday is a reminder to me of how much God truly loves us and desires no one to perish. He longs for people to come to Him and experience a new life regardless of what they might have said, done, or not done. Regardless of hurting others unintentionally He desires us to come to him and lay down our burdens
and experience the gift of the holy spirit inside of them to help guide their every thought, word or action.
Yes, our Lord and Savior was risen and the resurrection and the corresponding studies of Near death experiences serves as a reminder that one day we will come face to face with our redeemer King Jesus!
4 But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. 5 So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you. 6 God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-5
Just as you began to think you were the most reviled,most hated and most despised man or woman to walk the face of the earth, there comes the message from God that he loves you and wants you to be his child. Just as you were going to believe the lies of the devil that your life wasn't worth living and this world would be better off without you, God reminds you that He loved you and wants to fill you with his love and his purpose for you in this life. Just as you venture out to drown all of your pain, all of your sorrow, and all of your dreaded low esteem, God reminds you that he understands your pain, your sorrow and your dreaded low esteem. He understands it because the world he originally created went from loving God and having communion with him to be filled with hating God and having your self esteem being regulated by the court of public opinion Just as you think about ending your life and throwing your life away God reminds us with these words from Matthew, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Just as you feel unloved and not worthy of forgiveness, God reminds you through the words of 2 Corinthians, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Whereas you think you are hated, God's son was reviled, despised and hated even more. Even though He fed 10,000 with a few bread crumbs and a fish as well as a multiple of other miracles performed by Jesus,people in the end feared public opinion more than they feared God and joined the others in stoning this man of many sorrows, not realizing that this action on the part of people was part of God's greatest redemptive story. Just as you try every religion from new age philosophies to Buddhism to Islam, God waits patiently in hopes that his child will discover that the greatest sacrifice ever made was made because He loved them.
As we enter these Holy days, won't you take a time to reflect on God's promises and what the cross means for you? He is the man of many sorrows and many stripes and he bored your shame, your sorrow, and your self hate and he did it all because He loves you!
I37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[a] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39
It seems to me that many people have it all wrong about pain and suffering. When things aren't going right with our lives we are apt to do what Job's friends would advise Job to do which was to curse God and die. Grief and loss are perhaps the major pivotal point in lives of people that either draws them closer to the savior or sends them down a cascading slope of other vices that lead to tragic endings.
I have heard many excuses from people why they do not continue in the fellowship with God:
"Christians are hypocrites"
"I am angry with God for allowing this to happen to my family!"
"If God truly loved me then I wouldn't hurt this bad!"
"I am not feeling well to attend church"
"Since God is the source of my problems then why should I honor him?"
"God took my son or daughter away! He doesn't deserve to be honored!"
We do more harm to our bodies when we unplug from the one source that can truly help us. As you will soon see in the Ray Vanderlaan faith lesson God is the source of the living water that satisfies our parched and thirsty lips.
Instead of cursing God whenever something painful should enter our lives we should pray that God gives us just what we need to get through the day. The church becomes an opportunity to be touched by people He brings into our lives to be the source of encouragement we need for that moment. As we travel the forlorn journey we become living billboards with the words, 'Come back to God' emblazon on us that others notice that quickly dissolves any excuses they had toward God.
God's word was given to us to quench our thirst. He is the source of our 'living water', not the alcohol in the cabinet, not the bong pipe, not other vices we think would sedate our pain. My encouragement to all who have heavy burdens is to plug into a church and start learning to put one foot in front of the other and make that church your place of worship regardless of how you feel on any given day. If you do that then sit back and watch God bring people into your life to encouragement. He did that for me and I know He will do that for you.
If you do that God will send streams of living water to help you on your journey.
5 For we know that if [a]the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a [b]pledge. 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by [c]sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:1-8
One afternoon while at work, my wife called to check my spring break schedule. As we compared schedules I noted how I wish we could bring her 89-year-old mom to the cities for Easter break. She, however, didn't have the leave time to travel. I, on the other hand, needed to use up some of my leave time. That evening I mentioned to Linda my willingness to go and bring 'mom' home for a visit. God certainly doesn't disappoint as I got in the car and made my way up interstate 94 toward the highway 29 exit. At the Alexandria exit, I decided to stop at the local Target store to pick up some refreshments. At one area of the store there was just one book, sitting all by itself away from the other books, as though God was trying to get my attention. 'Imagin Heaven', a book by Engineer turned Pastor John Burke is a book about over 1000 near death experiences that, until recently, hasn't been thoroughly studied. John Burke was well aware that there would be many naysayers who would attempt to debunk this book which is why he included research on NDE's from the medical and scientific community. I was intrigued with this book, I suppose because most of us who have lost children or loved ones know, the death of that loved one profoundly affects us in such a way that we really want to know what heaven is really like. John Burke shows in his very compelling detective writing through real stories of thousands of near-death experiences (NDE's), including doctors, college professors, bank presidents, people of all ages and cultures, and even blind people paint a very exhilarating picture of Heaven promised in the bible. Here is one such NDE that intrigued me because she was a child close the age of my daughter Maria. Seven-year-old Katie was found floating facedown in a swimming pool. A pediatrician resuscitated her in the emergency room, but she remained profoundly comatose-massive swelling of the brain, no gag reflex, with an artificial lung breathing for her. He gave her 10 percent chance of surviving. Astonishingly, she made a full recovery within three days. When she emerged for a follow-up appointment with the pediatrician, Katie recognized Dr. Morse. She told her mom, "That's the one with the beard, and then he came in. First, I was in a big room, and then they moved me to a smaller room where they did X-rays on me." She explained the way the doctors put a tube down her nose-all accurate, but "seen" while her eyes were shut and her brain was deeply comatose. Morse asked her what she remembered about her near drowning. After all, if it resulted from a seizure, she might have another one. Katie responded, " Do you mean when I visited my Heavenly Father?" "That's a good place to start," Morse said, skeptical yet intrigued." "Tell me about meeting the Heavenly Father." I met Jesus and the Heavenly Father," she said. Perhaps it was his shocked expression. Perhaps her natural shyness kicked in. Whatever the reason, that's was all she would say at that appointment. The next week, Katie was more talkative. She remembered nothing of the drowning, but recalled an initial darkness, then a tunnel through which Elizabeth came. She described her as "tall and nice", with bright golden hair. Elizabeth, her angel, accompanied Katie through the tunnel, where she met several people, including her late grandfather, two young boys named Mark and Andy and others. During those days lying comatose, Katie reported having other near death episodes where she followed her family home (while out of her physical body), and claimed she saw her brothers pushing a GI Joe in a jeep. She reported watching her mom cook roast chicken and rice. She even knew what clothes each member of the family wore that night. Her parents were shocked at the detailed accuracy. Dr. Morse conducted the first systematic study of NDE's in children at Seattle Children's Hospital. He interviewed 121 children who had been near death and found similar accounts to Katie's. He also interviewed a control group of "thirty-seven children who had been treated with almost every kind of mind altering medication known to pharmacology." He discovered that not one of them "had anything resembling a NDE. Although no two experiences were alike, and some outlying details should be skeptically questioned, there are amazingly common elements to the core near-death experience described by young and old across cultures, in different languages. Dr. Long reports on the percentage of each core element described in his study of 1300 NDE's from around the world. For more information on this you can go to this link: http://www.skeptiko.com/94-jeffrey-long-near-death-experience-research/ Knowing something about what my loved ones are presently experiencing in heaven does three things for me: (1) it eases my pain and suffering when I can see a glimpse that God truly does have a plan for my life, and (2) just knowing that Heaven exists makes me want to know my Savior Jesus better, and lastly, (3) knowing about what my final home will be like instills in me the importance of sharing the hope in Christ to everyone I meet. The words from 2 Corinthians 5:20 are a reminder of our purpose in this world- So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"
I am reminded of a long ago conversation with my son when I blurted out, in the depth of my sorrow, my desire to change places with Maria. My son said to me with those wise young eyes, "Dad, do you really think she would want to come back knowing what she is experiencing right now in heaven Having read this book, I would have to agree with his assessment.
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him,“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” Luke 19:1-11
The theme of yesterday, for me, was seeking and saving the loss. It began at our usual pattern of attending church at our beloved New Hope Church, New Hope, Minnesota. Pastor Matthew St. John, after a glorious period of singing praise and worship to our Savior Jesus came up and read the words from Luke 19:1-9 to us. I discovered from those verses that Jesus called ordinary men to follow him. Jewish men who as boys failed in their system of memorizing the texts to become Rabbi's who instead were encouraged to learn a trade.
Twelve ordinary men who chose to follow Jesus and make a difference in the lives of those around them. 12 ordinary men who spread the news of hope to all who were grieving. 12 ordinary men who defied the old system of gathering great knowledge and degrees to become 'like Jesus' to set the world on fire for Christianity and give hope to the masses where there was not hope.
The world is filled with too many people looking for ways to trip others around them just so they can climb to the top. Unkind and unflattering words are spread about them just so their inner being would be demoralize and defeated. Yet when Jesus uttered the words in Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.", to two fisherman and two men that failed in their quest to become Rabbi's, got up and followed Jesus. These men saw in Jesus someone who believed in them and they wanted to become just like Jesus.
The words of Jesus, not only gave them the hope of their own salvation,but they provided healing to broken people and gave promise of God's holy spirit coming inside them helping them be the change the world needs to see.
It doesn't take much to realize that the teachings of Jesus Christ became a threat to the Jewish hierarchy that remained constant for centuries.
Let me explain.
In the Jewish world all boys are taught Hebrew and are encourage to memorize the Torah by age 12 of which they are to recite the complete texts perfectly. If they pass they would move on to the next level of training to become Rabbi's. If they failed the the test, the Jewish Rabbi would tell them they did not pass and that they should go out and learn a trade. Girls were are also encouraged to learn the texts, but as soon as they had their first menstrual cycle the family would begin preparing her for marriage. When God sent his son Jesus Christ into the world he wanted to enable ALL to come to God and experience the free gift of eternal life simply by believing in his son Jesus Christ that he alone is the forever sin bearer.
When Jesus knew Zacchaeus by name and called to him I am sure this chief tax collector's thought was 'I'm just an ordinary person who failed in my quest to become Rabbi what would you want with me'?
Yet, God had an even better plan than the plan of this long establish system. He simply didn't want anyone to perish.
At the service completion as my wife and I made our way toward the exit stopping and greeting friends I was reminded why we needed this hope in Christ when I saw a couple of emergency response personnel assisting an elderly lady with a unknown health crisis.
I was again reminded of this as we walked out of the building where our Homebuilder's Sunday school classjust met and seeing an ambulance and a squad car in front to the house next door responding to another unknown health crisis.
Life, my friends, is short as those of us who have lost children and loved ones will testify. Yet,Christ death and resurrection reminds us that hope is right around the corner because life simply continues from 'life on earth' to life in heaven where we will get to see our loved ones again all because of what Jesus Christ did when He died for our sin's.
Our primary goal in this life ought to be to get to know Jesus Christ. We can do that simply by reading the four gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The end to our Sunday was spending time with our Life Group and listening to this audio on Discipleship. I encourage you to listen to Ray Vanderlaan describe this concept and the difference it made in ordinary people like Zaacheus.
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6
I read with interest an article about whether Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, can be held liable for the civil unrest in this country. One article stated that Donald Trump had to cancel his recent appearance at a rally in Chicago because of imminent danger. Chicago police meanwhile said that they were not consulted so they couldn't ensure his safety. Hillary Clinton sent out her comment on what she describes as widespread anger in our nation:"The divisive rhetoric we are seeing should be of grave concern to us all. We all have our differences, and we know many people across the country feel angry. We need to address that anger together. All of us, no matter what party we belong to or what views we hold, should not only say loudly and clearly that violence has no place in our politics, we should use our words and deeds to bring American's together. Last year in Charleston, South Carolina an evil man walked into a church and murdered 9 people. The families of those victims came together and melted hearts in the statehouse and the confederate flag came down. That should be the model we strive to overcome painful divisions in our country" As we look at the various candidates we ought to evaluate their speech and see how they conduct themselves on a variety of potentially upsetting topics. Donald Trump, with his raucous approach which I liken to a World Wrestling Federation event, earned a resounding 'F' in his approach earlier in his campaign. In the following video you will notice similarities between the recent political debates and rally's and this world wrestling federation video. I Here is a link for the WWF and I will let you be the judge. https://youtu.be/5-cpgvSa9D0
Politics,it seems, is being dragged down to the bottom of the abyss, like it's a WWF event. This could explain the rise in popularity of figures like Donald Trump and for those of us who live in Minnesota, Jesse Ventura. In this kind of environment one can see how easy it is to spew out speech that is filled with hatred against anyone that doesn't hold our belief system.
We must get politics out of the abyss and one way to do this is to evaluate the candidates on how they conduct themselves. Is their speech seasoned with graciousness and salt so they will know how to answer each person? Is their speech such that we, as American's, won't be embarrassed when he travels to another country and conducts America's business? Is he someone that wouldn't be prone to anger and incite hatred toward groups that do not agree with him? Whoever wins in November should have that kind of speech as described in Colossians 4:6.
Donald Trump may very well go on and win the Republican nomination, but sooner than later, he is going to have to find a way to unite everyone so people of all color, all faiths, all nationalities can be proud to have him as our President.
The bottom line is this: America has been and will always be the greatest nation on the face of the earth. People across the globe are filled with envy as they watch people of all faiths voting at the polls. They may see a nation divided now, but the day after the November election they will see a nation united.
Matthew 8:13New King James Version (NKJV) 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Many of you have been the recipient of many prayer requests for my younger brother who had an infection on his foot that refused to heal. When he finally went in to urgent care they sent him immediately to the emergency room where he was admitted. Until yesterday I hadn't seen the actual pictures of his left foot which you know in those requests that there was the remote possibility of him losing it. Until yesterday I didn't see the full extent of the miracle that God had done on my younger brother. He never lost his foot and today continues to see healing take place after several surgeries to clean out the infection. I will spare you of the gory pictures I saw, but do take my word on it that it was bad. Around the same time period of his health crisis I had the chance to sign up for a employer benefit program called preventnow.com, a online program that helps you change the unhealthy eating habits through educational lessons, daily weigh ins, communication with a health coach and your group of other participants with the same goal of weight loss. I am now in my 16th and final week of the regular program where I have lost a total of 42 pounds. Next week I begin the Sustain part of the Prevent Now program where I have the opportunity to continue working through additional goals. Through 2 brothers God is doing a miracle and further reminds me that every day God continues to be doing miracles in all of our lives. Sometimes, those miracles are accomplished in the storms of our lives. Sometimes they are accomplished in the calm, but there is no question God is still in the miracle business! My brother? He has returned to work at his quality control job and each time he sees his foot and infectious disease doctors they too are amazed at his on-going progress and, I think, they know that a miracle has happened. Finally, I am reminded that everyday there are men and woman in the medical profession that are experiencing God's miracles in the people that are assigned to them. They may not recognize those successes as miracles because of the tendency to focus on the ones who didn't survive under their care./ We must never forget the good things that our medical community are doing each and every day! So, if there is a lesson found in these stories it would be for everyone to make sure you get in to see your medical doctor even it it is only to have routine blood workup, weight, and other routine labs done. When you do do one more thing. Tell them how much you value their training and their service because when you do that you will really encourage them to press on.
In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. Exodus 15:13 My wife shared this piece in a new's letter from the care ministries at our church. As I read it it occurred to me that most people are not equipped for the inevitable storms of this life. We protect our children from the inevitable future pain when we leave them with relatives each time we go to a funeral. Some Adults refused to attend such events because it makes them sad. I learned that one of the greatest ways of surviving the storms of life is to always keep the same rituals you had before your loss occurred. For our family, it was making sure we got up and attended our same church and eating out at our families favorite restaurant. You see, rituals give us comfort and security. Healthy families, I have learned, maintain their rituals in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
"The best plan for surviving a storm is preparation. No seasoned fishermen or responsible ship captain sets across the open sea without a thorough knowledge of the vessel's equipment and without making sure all is in proper working order. They rarely leave without having first spent sufficient time going over the navigation charts – studying the weather patterns and acquainting themselves with dangerous passages.
And they never leave port without anchors. That's for certain. No one wants to be shipwrecked. But the reality is, it happens, not only on the open sea, but also in life.
The secret of survival is what you do ahead of time in calmer waters. If your life is storm-free as you read this, I urge you to take advantage of this peaceful lull. Spend time in God's Word. Study the inspired charts He has given you for the journey of life. Deepen your walk with Him through prayer and personal worship.
Then, when the inevitable winds of adversity begin to blow, and they most certainly will blow, you'll be ready to respond in faith, rather than fear. Don't wait. Check those anchors while it's smooth sailing. You'll be glad you did.
And while you're at it, pick out a specific God-given promise you'll be able to cling to, put your index finger on it, and tell the Lord you're anchoring yourself to it."
As we approach the Easter Jesus has risen season let us remember that we have a Savior who will guide us through whatever life's storms deliver! He will teach you how to grieve for your loved one and he will help your heal from that grief
