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Thursday, August 16, 2012


Blue Gate Restaurant, Shipshewana Indiana
We enjoyed a fine family style dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana, Indiana.

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"Never Tire Of Doing What Is Right"

"And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right" (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

In the course of our trip to the Midwest we saw an interesting, folksy slogan on a local business, "If it's not right, we'll fix it". I can't recall where I saw this but I like it for a simple promise and an expression of determination to do the right thing. Today let us each personally consider the Scriptural call to, "Never Tire Of Doing What Is Right"


Those of you who know me personally are aware that a signature mark of my ministry is a simple exhortation to stay faithful to God. I often will place my hands on the shoulders during departure and say "Stay faithful." I've said this for so many years that people now come up to me and declare, "I'm staying faithful!" or they ask me, "Are you staying faithful?" Yes, indeed, I am!

We all need to have this truth firmly embedded in our lives. "Doing what's popular is not always right, and doing what's right is not always popular." So much of what is so popular in the world is certainly not right and many times doing the right thing will simply not be popular.

In the daily text the Apostle Paul is concluding his second epistle to the young Thessalonian believers. The broader context of the passage has to do with some faulty notions these young believers had about the return of Christ. The immediate context deals with living our lives in the daily grind, summarized with the phrase of the daily text "And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right." That's a good word for all of us.

The real stuff of the Christian life is choosing this particular day and every day to do what is right. The husband who conscientiously works hard and returns home to his wife and family. The homemaker who realizes the dignity in her profession. The business leader who chooses short-term, visible loss for long-term, often unseen, gain. The student who says "no" to the cheat sheet even though it appears "everyone else is doing it." The teen who resists the urge to follow the crowd into perdition. The one who passes the bar or the many venues for pornography. The millions of faithful believers who will witness in word and deed of their faith in Jesus Christ today, that's the right thing to do.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying manDaily prayer: Father, we enjoy positive results and favorable comments when we do good. But there are many times that we do good or take a position, in accordance to the Bible, that results in our being ridiculed, mocked and even persecuted. Would You enlarge the importance of eternity in our hearts so that we don't become weary of doing good and always expect reward here and now. Help us to remember, in many instances, the proper time that we reap a harvest will not be on this side but on the other side of eternity. Above all, remind us through Your Holy Spirit, that we choose to do good because it pleases You. May the fulfillment of pleasing You be of much greater importance than pleasing or impressing those among us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.



Shipshewana Indiana

Today we share our final set of photos from our trip to the Midwest last week, again featuring the beautiful village of Shipshewana Indiana. Our first set are flowers on a variety of wagons and farm implements.

Shipshewana flower cart
Sedum, Begonias, Petunias, Coleus, and Marigolds

Shipshewana flower cart
A wagon with Purple Petunias and Sweet Potato Vine

Shipshewana flower cart
Variety of flowers around old plow.

Shipshewana flower cart
Petunias and Sweet Potato Vine

I saw a variety of buggies as I sat out on the main crossroad across from the Blue Gate Restaurant while Brooksyne browsed at several gift shops.

Shipshewana crossing
The standard Indiana Amish buggie has two doors on each side and the doors roll up!

Shipshewana crossing
We saw several families pass that looked like they were going on an outing, hauling their gear. Interestingly, the Amish rode bicycles unlike the Amish in our area who only ride push scooters.

Shipshewana crossing
This cart was quite interesting especially the rubber tires.



Today's Suggested Music
and Supplemental Resource

"Trust And Obey"  Video

"People Need The Lord"  Video  Steve Green  As we were preparing to podcast, the lyrics from a well-known song came to both of us, "in a world where wrong seems right". It's interesting that in our secular culture the political, social, and many religious circles see doing the right thing (based on Scripture) as the wrong thing (based on current philosophy).

Shipshewana Indiana is here (Google map) Here's a descriptive website

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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