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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Happy and Blessed Easter from Faith Family Resource Center

Special thanks to Family Life Today for this inspiring story !  See www.familylife.com for more information!


But Is It Enough?



Through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption.  -- Hebrews 9:12



It began as a short, one-night romantic getaway for Martin and Gracia Burnham. It turned into a year-long nightmare when armed Philippine rebels burst into their cabin and took them hostage. These humble, hardworking missionaries, whose hearts had been wedded to their work in the Philippines, now found themselves with a handful of other captives, trudging at gunpoint through the tropical jungles of this island nation.


By the time it was all over, Martin was dead from a stray bullet fired during their rescue. Gracia escaped but was a widow.


There are many amazing accounts of faith recorded in Gracia's autobiography, In the Presence of My Enemies, describing the events and emotions of those harrowing 12 months. But one of the most haunting was one she shared with us one day in a radio interview.


As their hostage odyssey neared Easter, Martin and Gracia were told by their captors that a sizable amount of ransom money had appeared in the camp. Gracia's family had collected it, hoping against hope that it would be sufficient to satisfy the terrorists' demands. But in the typical fashion of irrational diplomacy, the leaders of the group called the couple over and made this curt pronouncement: "There is a ransom that's been paid for you, but we've decided it's not enough."


That really struck me, especially with "Easter" and "ransom" being mentioned in such close proximity. How tragic would it be to go through life, not knowing for sure whether Christ's payment -- His ransom for us -- was enough. What if our lives, instead of being safe and secure in the arms of His forever provision, were still teetering in limbo, subject to the changing whims of an unpredictable, unjust God?

Thankfully, we won't have to worry. His ransom has already been declared complete and acceptable on our behalf.


Discuss

Recall for a moment what it was like to be lost, under the penalty of sin and in need of a ransom to be paid by the Savior.


Pray

Thank Him for the ransom that was paid and a full and totally guaranteed salvation.











Thursday, March 14, 2013

Oh where....Oh where...has your blogger been?

Well, my friends, I must apologize.  Weeks have passed and I have not blogged a bit. 

Where oh where does the time go?

Isn't it just like the devil to steal time away with distractions?

I want to share a couple of my newspaper articles which shed light on my focus these few weeks.

In a way....it's OK....This is all about family. 


Valentine’s Day 2013


Valentine’s Day was a pleasant day. It was sunny, a bit breezy, but the roads were clear and my mom had a plan.

My mother and father have been married 62 years. One would think spontaneity and pizzazz would have gone from that relationship long ago.

On Valentine’s Day, however, mom packed her chocolate-covered strawberries and a picnic and took her husband on a road trip.

Our cabin has been in the family since before my mom and dad were married. It was built in 1949 by my father and has been inextricably linked to his life ever since.

The cabin is three hours away. You have to travel over rolling hills and down narrow roadways. It’s nestled in a remote part of Missouri on a spring-fed stream .

Mom and Dad made their way down the curving roads and arrived at the cabin. Nothing had changed there. Nothing ever does, it seems.

The cedar trees rose strong and tall next to the shaded cabin. The sycamores had lost their leaves, but they swayed just as rhythmically in the daytime breeze. The cabin was quiet and cool and smelled of cedar logs.

The river was at its finest. It danced in the sun and sparkled as if it was a summer’s day. The crystal water didn’t seem to care about the chill in the air as it splashed over the rocks.

The Valentine’s couple paused and looked out of the cabin windows at the river. In a moment, they were teenagers, wading and splashing, and playing and flirting.

They glanced around the shadowy cabin. Sixty five years of golden, joyous memories flooded their senses. They paused, sighed… and then resolutely climbed the stairs to their waiting car.

In the warmth of the car, gazing out through the cedars at the cabin they loved, my parents ate their Valentine’s picnic. Dessert was chocolate-covered strawberries and lovely memories.

Nothing I could ever do could ever be as romantic as that sweet road trip to the cabin. I only pray God will give me the privilege of celebrating a 62- year Valentine’s road trip with my husband some day.

Thanks, mom and dad, for setting such a wonderful example.