First of all, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope that everyone will take a moment today to reflect on the real reason for the season-the babe in a manger named Jesus Christ.
I have always been one who would rather give than receive. Now don't get me wrong, I love to get gifts just as much as the next girl, but there is just something special about seeing the smile of a child on Christmas morning or the joy on the face of the joyless. This Christmas holiday was especially hard for me. I felt very alone and sad while everyone else around me was having a joyous, wonderful time. I wanted to tell them what was going on with me, but then I felt guilty that somehow that would destroy their joy for the holiday, so I bottled it all up. I knew what was the root of my sadness, so I took it to the only one I knew could truly understand - the Lord. I laid all my problems at His feet and made a decision to enjoy the holiday the best way I could. Little did I know the Lord was working out what would be an amazing Christmas holiday for me.
It all started when my mom and I went Christmas shopping a few days ago. Neither one of us really wanted to go to this particular store because there were so many people, but something just kept drawing us there. We finally gave in to the urge and went in. As we were checking out, it began to be made clear to us the reason for being lead to this place. To make a long story short, the sales lady was going through a terrible time in her life right then and through huge tears she began to unburden herself. She continued to tell us her story, all the while, my mom and myself knew the Lord had sent us there to help and encourage this woman. I told her we would pray for her and after leaving the store, Mom and I did just that in the parking lot in our car. We felt this was an urgent prayer and we took the time right then to go to the Father about it. The Lord then placed a task in our hearts that we knew, if obedient, would brighten her day and ours. We preceded to follow through with the Lord's direction and sure enough, it was a confirmation of something she had been praying about that very morning. It was an amazing feeling to be able to bring joy to a life who seemed to have lost theirs. It made my gloomy day brighter to know that I was able to do this and make someone's holiday very special.
A few days later, I had an answer to my own prayers unfold in a similar manner. To give you a little history, there is a little girl, who is not my biological child, but she has my heart as if she were. Her family has been through tremendous trials in her little short life. Because of this, I try to bring some joy and peace into her life whenever possible. Well, this Christmas would be one of those trials. I bought her some presents to have under the tree because every kid likes getting presents. I had just intended to leave them with her dad and let him give them to her, all the while, wishing I could be there to see her open them. I didn't want to intrude without being invited, so I prayed "Lord if it be your will, please let me spend Christmas with this family, so I can see her open her presents." Literally a few hours after praying this prayer, a phone call came that would change my holiday completely around. Her father called and asked if I would like to bring the presents over and give them to her myself. Of course I went and it was a magical moment that I know had God's stamp all over it.
If I were to have written this blog a week ago, I believe the tone of it would have been sad and unfestive, but thankfully God has once again shown His awesomeness to bring about a time of love, celebration, and joy. I have always believed that this time of year is full of miracles for the brokenhearted, the lonely, the sick, and the lost. I know I received a Christmas miracle this year!!! What better time to see miracles and wonders than a time when a true ultimate miracle took place - the birth of Jesus to a virgin to save this sinful world!!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
"What Faith Can Do"
NOTE: This blog was originally written in September 2010.
What Faith Can Do by Kutless
Everybody falls sometimes
You gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you’re stronger, stronger than you know
And don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
CHORUS: I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
You may decide to take that step
Out on the water
But it’ll be all right
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
(Repeat Chorus)
Overcome the odds
When you don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It will tell you that it can
(Repeat Chorus)
I recently heard this song on the radio and it really spoke to my heart. I know there are many times when the trials in my life seem so heavy that my faith begins to waiver. You ever been there? Even though we are Christians and have faith in the One who can do the impossible, we are also humans who are guilty of being a doubting Thomas. I know first hand that keeping your faith and holding your head high when you are in the midst of the strongest, nastiest storm of your life is hard. I have been there before myself and unfortunately I know it won't be the last time. I have been in the midst of some storms in my life recently and I believe the Lord sent this song my way to encourage me never to lose faith because He is always there. There is not much I can say to add to the message of these beautiful lyrics, so I am just going to let them speak for themselves. I hope this song can give you encouragement in the midst of your storm just as it has done for me.
What Faith Can Do by Kutless
Everybody falls sometimes
You gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you’re stronger, stronger than you know
And don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
CHORUS: I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
You may decide to take that step
Out on the water
But it’ll be all right
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
(Repeat Chorus)
Overcome the odds
When you don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It will tell you that it can
(Repeat Chorus)
I recently heard this song on the radio and it really spoke to my heart. I know there are many times when the trials in my life seem so heavy that my faith begins to waiver. You ever been there? Even though we are Christians and have faith in the One who can do the impossible, we are also humans who are guilty of being a doubting Thomas. I know first hand that keeping your faith and holding your head high when you are in the midst of the strongest, nastiest storm of your life is hard. I have been there before myself and unfortunately I know it won't be the last time. I have been in the midst of some storms in my life recently and I believe the Lord sent this song my way to encourage me never to lose faith because He is always there. There is not much I can say to add to the message of these beautiful lyrics, so I am just going to let them speak for themselves. I hope this song can give you encouragement in the midst of your storm just as it has done for me.
Anyway
NOTE: This blog was originally written in June 2010.
As I was going through some CDs in my collection today, I came across a song that I had completely forgotten I even owned. The name of the song is "Anyway." For anyone who hasn't heard it, I will include several lyrics throughout the course of this note. You know, as Christians, we can sometimes get discouraged in our daily walk. However, we should never give up, because we never know when our triumphs will encourage others.
-"You can spend your whole life building something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away, build it anyway."
How true is this? I have seen this happen so many times to people, my parents included. People work so hard to build something, whether it be a business or home, and then in one moment an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or fire can come and blow it all away. But if you ask any one of these people if they would have done something different had they known the outcome, many of them would say no. This is because despite the devastation, there are alot of great memories that came from it, whether it be a family bonding moment while constructing, or just simply a father teaching a son how to run the family business. You see they might not have had those precious moments, if they had decided not to build because they were afraid it would one day be gone.
-"You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach
And it might not ever come your way, dream it anyway"
I think it is great to dream. I think we should have goals and aspirations in life. Don't ever believe that you can't do something because someone told you that you weren't tall enough or smart enough or pretty enough or talented enough. This world is filled with people who were told their dreams were out of reach, but because they never gave up dreaming, they are now an astronaut, baseball star, professional musician, actor, etc. Dare to dream!! If you believe this is your calling from God and your desire, then don't let anyone take it away from you!
-"This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today, believe it anyway"
The state of this world is in a bad way, but we should never give up on it. As long as there are praying Christians interceding for the state of this world, then to believe that it will be better tomorrow than today is not unreasonable. People tend to forget that God is still in control of everything. Nothing that has happened in this world happened without passing through God's hands first. Nothing is impossible when we put our trust in God!! We want a better place for our children and grandchildren, so instead of giving up on the world, believe and have faith that it can change.
-"You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away, love them anyway"
This verse hits home for me because the person that I loved with all my heart did walk away. I did wonder if I had known how it would end, would I have followed the same path and the answer is yes. I struggled some time after our break up wondering if I could ever love again and that answer is yes too. You see I realized that loving and losing is a part of life. If we were afraid to loose, then we would be missing out on a great part of life-to be loved and to love. My advice is don't be afraid to love deeply. I know that advice is hard to take because to love deeply and lose deeply is almost life destroying sometimes. But, think of it this way, you may be the only person in his/her life that loves them and whether or not it is meant for eternity, it could change someone's life to be loved and cared for that deeply.
-"You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang, sing it anyway"
This statement is so true in the ministry. A preacher, missionary, singer, etc can spend hours presenting a message and then people walk right out the door and never know what exactly was said. Here is what I say to all you in a ministry out there, do it anyway!!!! Don't stop preaching because you don't think anyone is listening!! Don't stop singing because you don't think anyone is listening!! We may not see the yield, but we must be faithful to plant the seed!! There may be 99 that leave without hearing the message, but there may be one that did hear it. I know firsthand how discouraging it can be not to see a change in someone's life after you have poured your heart and soul into a message, but we, as ministers of the Gospel, can only present the truth, we can't force them to listen. We just have to preach, sing, teach, lead anyway, and let God do the rest!!
Bottom line: Life is full of trials and tribulations, but don't let them keep you from being the person God has called you to be!!! The storms, the broken dreams, the broken hearts, etc are just stumbling blocks that trip us up. We have to pick ourselves up, wipe the dirt off our clothes, and move forward because we have an ultimate reward that far surpasses all these earthly desires!!
Lyrics were written by: Martina McBride, Brad and Brett Warren
As I was going through some CDs in my collection today, I came across a song that I had completely forgotten I even owned. The name of the song is "Anyway." For anyone who hasn't heard it, I will include several lyrics throughout the course of this note. You know, as Christians, we can sometimes get discouraged in our daily walk. However, we should never give up, because we never know when our triumphs will encourage others.
-"You can spend your whole life building something from nothing
One storm can come and blow it all away, build it anyway."
How true is this? I have seen this happen so many times to people, my parents included. People work so hard to build something, whether it be a business or home, and then in one moment an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or fire can come and blow it all away. But if you ask any one of these people if they would have done something different had they known the outcome, many of them would say no. This is because despite the devastation, there are alot of great memories that came from it, whether it be a family bonding moment while constructing, or just simply a father teaching a son how to run the family business. You see they might not have had those precious moments, if they had decided not to build because they were afraid it would one day be gone.
-"You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach
And it might not ever come your way, dream it anyway"
I think it is great to dream. I think we should have goals and aspirations in life. Don't ever believe that you can't do something because someone told you that you weren't tall enough or smart enough or pretty enough or talented enough. This world is filled with people who were told their dreams were out of reach, but because they never gave up dreaming, they are now an astronaut, baseball star, professional musician, actor, etc. Dare to dream!! If you believe this is your calling from God and your desire, then don't let anyone take it away from you!
-"This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today, believe it anyway"
The state of this world is in a bad way, but we should never give up on it. As long as there are praying Christians interceding for the state of this world, then to believe that it will be better tomorrow than today is not unreasonable. People tend to forget that God is still in control of everything. Nothing that has happened in this world happened without passing through God's hands first. Nothing is impossible when we put our trust in God!! We want a better place for our children and grandchildren, so instead of giving up on the world, believe and have faith that it can change.
-"You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away, love them anyway"
This verse hits home for me because the person that I loved with all my heart did walk away. I did wonder if I had known how it would end, would I have followed the same path and the answer is yes. I struggled some time after our break up wondering if I could ever love again and that answer is yes too. You see I realized that loving and losing is a part of life. If we were afraid to loose, then we would be missing out on a great part of life-to be loved and to love. My advice is don't be afraid to love deeply. I know that advice is hard to take because to love deeply and lose deeply is almost life destroying sometimes. But, think of it this way, you may be the only person in his/her life that loves them and whether or not it is meant for eternity, it could change someone's life to be loved and cared for that deeply.
-"You can pour your soul out singing a song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang, sing it anyway"
This statement is so true in the ministry. A preacher, missionary, singer, etc can spend hours presenting a message and then people walk right out the door and never know what exactly was said. Here is what I say to all you in a ministry out there, do it anyway!!!! Don't stop preaching because you don't think anyone is listening!! Don't stop singing because you don't think anyone is listening!! We may not see the yield, but we must be faithful to plant the seed!! There may be 99 that leave without hearing the message, but there may be one that did hear it. I know firsthand how discouraging it can be not to see a change in someone's life after you have poured your heart and soul into a message, but we, as ministers of the Gospel, can only present the truth, we can't force them to listen. We just have to preach, sing, teach, lead anyway, and let God do the rest!!
Bottom line: Life is full of trials and tribulations, but don't let them keep you from being the person God has called you to be!!! The storms, the broken dreams, the broken hearts, etc are just stumbling blocks that trip us up. We have to pick ourselves up, wipe the dirt off our clothes, and move forward because we have an ultimate reward that far surpasses all these earthly desires!!
Lyrics were written by: Martina McBride, Brad and Brett Warren
Why????
NOTE: This blog was originally written in June 2010.
There are many times in our lives we ask the question why. It could be anything from a bad grade to the death of a loved one. We, as humans, try to dissect each circumstance in our lives to understand just how exactly we ended up where we are. Most of the time, we find those answers and when we do, it can be very humbling. These moments are used to aid in our growth as a person, both spiritually and physically. However, there are circumstances in our lives that creep up and blindside us and we never know why. I am sure you have had those moments, because I know I have. There is one chain of events in my life where this was the case. For those of you that know me on a personal level, you will know what I am referring to. I am sure you all have had them. The moments were your world is turned upside down and all you have left is God. If you don't know what I am talking about, then I hope you never do. Situations like that can break a person, especially if they don't have God to lean on. I woke up one day and my world as I knew it was gone. The person I loved most in this world, next to God, was gone, my "friends" turned their backs on me, and a relative of mine was diagnosed with cancer. I regard myself as a strong person, but sometimes when you are hit with enough, even the strongest will break. I was hurt and confused and all I could think is why. Why is this happening to me? Why am I going through this? Why so much? Why now? I asked these questions over and over, but I never got an answer. I just wanted someone to help me understand why these things happened to me. I got on my knees and cried out to God all the time, asking Him why? While He didn't answer me at that moment, He has answered me in time.
As I have grown in my Christian walk, He has shown me that while I didn't see it, He never took His hand off the situation. As time has progressed, I have seen Him a little at a time bring peace to the broken parts of my life. He has brought me amazing Christian true friends, who won't turn their backs on me to help themselves, and who will pray with me and be my rock when I am crumbling and I them. He healed my relative of cancer, and has performed amazing things in that person's life. He has even healed my broken heart from the loss of my love. I can never give Him enough praise for all the wonderful things He has done in my life!! But I can say, I NEVER could have made it through without the Lord. But, even though He has mended the broken pieces, I never really got my reason why until this weekend. I don't know why He waited so long to reveal to me why these things happened, but I am thankful that He tarried because I have a greater appreciation for the path I had to take to get here.
Earlier this week, it was laid urgently upon my heart to pray for someone. As the week progressed, small pieces were revealed to me as to what I was praying for. However, the full extent of the prayer request was not revealed to me until this weekend when I saw this person face to face. I told him that the Lord had laid it on my heart to pray for him and he proceeded to tell me why he believed that was so. As he continued talking, I realized that he was experiencing the exact same trials in his life now, that I had experienced before. I knew then the reason God had tarried in answering my question of why. The reason why I went through these things was to be able to help him now that he is going through the same things. If the answer had been revealed to me sooner, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the awesomeness of that moment. The moment to be able to say "I know how you feel" and see the peace that came with that. Words can not describe what I am feeling now. I believe that God used this moment to help me minister to my friend, but also allowed him to minister to me. I know that a soulful bond has been made and I will be forever grateful to the Lord for bringing him into my life. This weekend, for me, was one of many life-changing experiences that I will cherish. So next time you are faced with a trial and you ask why, don't get discouraged when the Lord doesn't answer right away. He is just waiting for the perfect moment to show his awesomeness!!
There are many times in our lives we ask the question why. It could be anything from a bad grade to the death of a loved one. We, as humans, try to dissect each circumstance in our lives to understand just how exactly we ended up where we are. Most of the time, we find those answers and when we do, it can be very humbling. These moments are used to aid in our growth as a person, both spiritually and physically. However, there are circumstances in our lives that creep up and blindside us and we never know why. I am sure you have had those moments, because I know I have. There is one chain of events in my life where this was the case. For those of you that know me on a personal level, you will know what I am referring to. I am sure you all have had them. The moments were your world is turned upside down and all you have left is God. If you don't know what I am talking about, then I hope you never do. Situations like that can break a person, especially if they don't have God to lean on. I woke up one day and my world as I knew it was gone. The person I loved most in this world, next to God, was gone, my "friends" turned their backs on me, and a relative of mine was diagnosed with cancer. I regard myself as a strong person, but sometimes when you are hit with enough, even the strongest will break. I was hurt and confused and all I could think is why. Why is this happening to me? Why am I going through this? Why so much? Why now? I asked these questions over and over, but I never got an answer. I just wanted someone to help me understand why these things happened to me. I got on my knees and cried out to God all the time, asking Him why? While He didn't answer me at that moment, He has answered me in time.
As I have grown in my Christian walk, He has shown me that while I didn't see it, He never took His hand off the situation. As time has progressed, I have seen Him a little at a time bring peace to the broken parts of my life. He has brought me amazing Christian true friends, who won't turn their backs on me to help themselves, and who will pray with me and be my rock when I am crumbling and I them. He healed my relative of cancer, and has performed amazing things in that person's life. He has even healed my broken heart from the loss of my love. I can never give Him enough praise for all the wonderful things He has done in my life!! But I can say, I NEVER could have made it through without the Lord. But, even though He has mended the broken pieces, I never really got my reason why until this weekend. I don't know why He waited so long to reveal to me why these things happened, but I am thankful that He tarried because I have a greater appreciation for the path I had to take to get here.
Earlier this week, it was laid urgently upon my heart to pray for someone. As the week progressed, small pieces were revealed to me as to what I was praying for. However, the full extent of the prayer request was not revealed to me until this weekend when I saw this person face to face. I told him that the Lord had laid it on my heart to pray for him and he proceeded to tell me why he believed that was so. As he continued talking, I realized that he was experiencing the exact same trials in his life now, that I had experienced before. I knew then the reason God had tarried in answering my question of why. The reason why I went through these things was to be able to help him now that he is going through the same things. If the answer had been revealed to me sooner, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the awesomeness of that moment. The moment to be able to say "I know how you feel" and see the peace that came with that. Words can not describe what I am feeling now. I believe that God used this moment to help me minister to my friend, but also allowed him to minister to me. I know that a soulful bond has been made and I will be forever grateful to the Lord for bringing him into my life. This weekend, for me, was one of many life-changing experiences that I will cherish. So next time you are faced with a trial and you ask why, don't get discouraged when the Lord doesn't answer right away. He is just waiting for the perfect moment to show his awesomeness!!
Don't Take Life For Granted
NOTE: This blog was originally written in January 2009.
Yesterday, I watched as a dear friend of mine had to say goodbye to the man she loved. No he didn't leave to serve our country as some of you might think. He DIED trying to serve our community at the young age of 23. You see, he was a fireman and he was killed in the line of duty last week. As I sat in that service, the Lord convicted my heart of many things. The first being how we, the citizens in our local community, take our fire and police for granted. We treat them as everyday normal people like us and that is true out of the uniform. However, when they put on that bunker gear or bulletproof vest, they become someone more than just your next door neighbor. They become the men and women who have taken an oath to protect their community at all cost. When everyone else is running from a fire, they are going into the very depth of it. When everyone else is taking cover from sheets of gunshots, they are walking in the middle of the fray. Most of the time, they make it back, but sometimes they don't. They give their lives to save another. After 9/11, America couldn't stop thanking the fire and police for all of their hard work, but now many seem to not even acknowledge they are there. Along with the troops serving our country, we should also remember and pray for our local "troops" serving our community.
Another thing that was heavy on my heart is how we get so busy in life that we forget to live it. I was watching a slideshow of all the things he did during his short life. The vacations he took with his family, the Sunday afternoon meals after attending church, and the joyful times with family and friends were all reflections of him living his life to the fullest. Throughout the service, his family and friends would say "he lived life like there was no tomorrow, with no regrets, because he never knew if there would be a tomorrow in his line of work." He always strove to tell his loved ones I love you every time he would hang up the phone with them or leave the house because he wanted them to know without any doubt that he loved them. I don't know about you, but I have failed to live life sometimes because I was too busy. I let one-of-a kind moments pass me by because I was too busy looking the other way to see them. After all was said yesterday, I left with a resolution to myself to try from this moment on to live life like he did, with no regrets and to its fullest. Don't ever hesitate to tell someone how much you care about them because it could be the last moment you ever get to tell them.
My heart was saddened when this realization hit me as well. I watch 500+ firefighters from all parts of Texas in their dress blues stand and salute as their fallen "brother" was laid to rest. Most of these "brothers and sisters" didn't know him personally, but they came in love and rememberance of him simply because he was one of their "family". There was no hesitation on any of their parts. Why can't Christians do the same thing? We are "brothers and sisters" in God's family, but when one of our own is hurt or dying we fail to come to them. These men traveled far and wide to attend not one, but two of these funerals in as many days without as much as a complaint. Not only was the fire family represented, but many police and EMT officers were also in attendance as well. It saddened me because although his blood family and his fire family were represented, where was his church family? These people call themselves his "brothers and sisters" too. Don't be that Christian brother or sister who becomes so busy with life or your own desires that you fail to come to the need of your fellow family member in their time of need. Sometimes during these times their Christian family may be the only family they have.
After the service, his body was escorted by hundreds of fire and police vehicles to his body's final resting place. Words can't begin to describe the scene on the way to the cemetery. People were stopping their cars on the side of the road so the occupants could get out and salute as his body passed by. People came out of their homes with reverence to show their respect for his sacrifice. As touching as it was to see this scene, why did it take his death to get this response out of people? The next time you see a fire or police officer, whether its in person or on tv, take a moment to remember what they do and the dangers they face.
Yesterday, I watched as a dear friend of mine had to say goodbye to the man she loved. No he didn't leave to serve our country as some of you might think. He DIED trying to serve our community at the young age of 23. You see, he was a fireman and he was killed in the line of duty last week. As I sat in that service, the Lord convicted my heart of many things. The first being how we, the citizens in our local community, take our fire and police for granted. We treat them as everyday normal people like us and that is true out of the uniform. However, when they put on that bunker gear or bulletproof vest, they become someone more than just your next door neighbor. They become the men and women who have taken an oath to protect their community at all cost. When everyone else is running from a fire, they are going into the very depth of it. When everyone else is taking cover from sheets of gunshots, they are walking in the middle of the fray. Most of the time, they make it back, but sometimes they don't. They give their lives to save another. After 9/11, America couldn't stop thanking the fire and police for all of their hard work, but now many seem to not even acknowledge they are there. Along with the troops serving our country, we should also remember and pray for our local "troops" serving our community.
Another thing that was heavy on my heart is how we get so busy in life that we forget to live it. I was watching a slideshow of all the things he did during his short life. The vacations he took with his family, the Sunday afternoon meals after attending church, and the joyful times with family and friends were all reflections of him living his life to the fullest. Throughout the service, his family and friends would say "he lived life like there was no tomorrow, with no regrets, because he never knew if there would be a tomorrow in his line of work." He always strove to tell his loved ones I love you every time he would hang up the phone with them or leave the house because he wanted them to know without any doubt that he loved them. I don't know about you, but I have failed to live life sometimes because I was too busy. I let one-of-a kind moments pass me by because I was too busy looking the other way to see them. After all was said yesterday, I left with a resolution to myself to try from this moment on to live life like he did, with no regrets and to its fullest. Don't ever hesitate to tell someone how much you care about them because it could be the last moment you ever get to tell them.
My heart was saddened when this realization hit me as well. I watch 500+ firefighters from all parts of Texas in their dress blues stand and salute as their fallen "brother" was laid to rest. Most of these "brothers and sisters" didn't know him personally, but they came in love and rememberance of him simply because he was one of their "family". There was no hesitation on any of their parts. Why can't Christians do the same thing? We are "brothers and sisters" in God's family, but when one of our own is hurt or dying we fail to come to them. These men traveled far and wide to attend not one, but two of these funerals in as many days without as much as a complaint. Not only was the fire family represented, but many police and EMT officers were also in attendance as well. It saddened me because although his blood family and his fire family were represented, where was his church family? These people call themselves his "brothers and sisters" too. Don't be that Christian brother or sister who becomes so busy with life or your own desires that you fail to come to the need of your fellow family member in their time of need. Sometimes during these times their Christian family may be the only family they have.
After the service, his body was escorted by hundreds of fire and police vehicles to his body's final resting place. Words can't begin to describe the scene on the way to the cemetery. People were stopping their cars on the side of the road so the occupants could get out and salute as his body passed by. People came out of their homes with reverence to show their respect for his sacrifice. As touching as it was to see this scene, why did it take his death to get this response out of people? The next time you see a fire or police officer, whether its in person or on tv, take a moment to remember what they do and the dangers they face.
An American flag suspended between two firetruck ladders floats in the wind at entrance of the cemetery
Members of the honor guard stand in attention as the casket is moved to a waiting fire truck to be transported for burial
New Blog...
I have been contemplating starting a blog for quite some time. Well, I finally gave in and am going to try this blogging thing. I plan to post all kind of things on here from music to life experiences, so if you are interested fill free to tune in. The first few that I will post are ones I wrote awhile back that were posted on another site.
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