"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).

This past weekend we returned to upstate Pennsylvania where we had pastored from the late 70's to early 90's. What a blessing to see so many friends from this long chapter in our lives. The main occasion for our visit was the wedding of a young lady who grew up in the church. Brooksyne and I had the privilege of serving the couple communion at the ceremony and giving them an exhortation and prayer.

What a great joy to see a young couple make an earnest, lifelong commitment to the holy institution of marriage. One of the highlights of the service I have never witnessed before was a specific blessing the father shared with the couple as the minister asked him, "Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?"

Following the traditional "I do" he solemnly pronounced the Aaronic blessing on his daughter and son-in-law. It was a very moving moment.

It was moving in the sense that Tom and Marsha had sought God over the years for this blessing upon their own marriage and family of three daughters. And God's blessing is apparent as we witnessed great joy, love, and devotion among this family for over 25 years.   

But now this blessing was extended to their oldest daughter who would begin a new family unit of her own.  And I am confident that she and her husband will receive the fruit of this blessing as they continue to express their commitment to God.

The imparting of God's blessing is being assured of His protection from evil forces and all that is adverse to one's spiritual walk in life.  The shining of the Lord's face indicates God's favor and His unlimited grace directed toward His people.  The turning of the Lord's face toward those He blesses reminds us that God is always compassionate and giving heartfelt love toward those who look to Him.  The blessing also includes that of peace.  The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, meaning far more than the absence of conflict.  Its basic meaning indicates harmony, wholeness, soundness, well-being and success in all areas of life.  To find peace within our own souls is the greatest expression of this blessing. *

Isn't this indeed the timeless blessing we all desire to experience and impart to others?


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber

Note from Brooksyne:  Our family has been having recent experiences of experiencing a little heaven here on earth.  When we reunite with our brothers and sisters and see how God has preserved their lives and continued to make them fruitful it brings us great joy.  Following those times of sweet fellowship I contemplate what heaven will be like when we visit together and we'll no longer be separated by miles, life's difficult circumstances, or time restraints.  A little foretaste of heaven on earth can certainly bring praise in my heart for everything that God has given us to enjoy in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

"Lord, even as Moses instructed Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites by praying this blessing I bless the readers of our encouragement ministry by pronouncing this very personal blessing upon each of them today: 'The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.'  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Saturday's wedding was held at the Neizmik farm where the bride grew up in the mountains of upstate Pennsylvania. It was an outstanding setting and Tom and Marsha, the bride's parents, had worked very hard to make this a special day for their daughter. Here is a photo of the scene. Several hundred attended the wedding and the tent in the background is where they had the reception.

This photo is of Sean and Jeanette as well as Pastor and Mary Carocci (right side of couple) and Brooksyne and me.

"The Blessing"  - Tom's blessing upon his daughter and son-in-law brings to mind a very helpful book titled, "The Blessing" that I read many years ago, which is again available in an updated version. I would recommend it to all who desire to impart God's blessing upon their families!

As I did following our trip to New England, later this week I hope to place up a page on the website with photos of this trip for any who may be interested. It was really great to see many long-time friends and what a blessing to see so many with a steadfast walk with Christ.

* This paragraph is based on some notes from the "Full Life Study Bible."