Inspiration Thursday

There is a television show called "Finding Your Roots" in which celebraties find out about their genealogy. Previously, there was a program called "Who Do You Think You Are?" that did the same thing. Genealogy can be a fascinating subject but I fear that I may be a little too impatient to get too deeply involved my family history. However I do know that there are a number of teachers in my family tree, and several of my ancestors that had a gift of writing and poetry. There have been several strong women in my family. My great grandmother, Ida May Kemp Roberts, and one of my great aunts were both talented writers and poets. 

 Ida May Kemp Roberts

Much of their poetry focused on the Christian journey in this life. While going through some family archives to send a couple of photos to one of my second cousins, I came upon one of my great grandmother's prose. It reminds us that every day the life of a Christian is not going to be filled with happiness. We must endure the troubles of this world. If our Savior suffered death on the cross, we should not expect to live a life void of difficulty. However, in the darkest days, we must remember that God is in control. Here is her view on the "Mission of Suffering".  Click on image to enlarge. Have a blessed week.

People Get Ready

It's funny how life has a way of changing your perspective. Six months ago I was cruising the web, watching American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and making light hearted comments about the contestants. Today, none of that seems terribly important.
Each day that I get to see my father, I am reminded of just how precious life is, and how important family is and how trivial are most of the things that we tend to fill our lives with these days. I have moments when I fear that my father will not be with us for Christmas. I have other days when I think he may be here for some time yet. The doctors haven't told us what to expect just yet. There are still few more tests to run before we know the whole story, and maybe not even then. In the mean time, I have found peace in these facts.
My father is ready to step into eternity. I was three years old when Dad accepted Christ as his savior. My father has out lived all seven of his siblings. He is the last of his generation. He has outlived all of his friends. He is the last of the golden age of railroading. He has out lived his bride, the love of his life. Mom stepped into eternity six years ago. He is ready to meet her again.
What ever happens from this day forward it is my prayer that God is honored and glorified. I pray that the decisions that we make as a family honor the Lord. I pray that the way that we handle the days ahead glorify the presence of God in our lives. I pray that the love we show toward one another and to everyone that we come into contact with, in these coming days, will be a reflection of the love of Christ that is within us. When it is all said and done, I pray that we can say, "It Is Well With My Soul".