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Friday, June 21, 2013

Lancaster County Mennonite farm 6/20/13
Wash Day on a Lancaster County Mennonite farm
(Click here for a larger image.)

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"Our Prayer For You"

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up" (Proverbs 12:25). "Say to those with anxious heart, 'Take courage, fear not'" (Isaiah 35:4).  "May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17).

Our ministry of encouragement includes not only this written ministry but the many opportunities we have to share in the business world in our chaplaincy ministry. As we visit companies we look for opportunities to express care to any who may express a need. People have many burdens for a wide variety of reasons and these concerns can weigh a heart down. Rarely a day goes by that we don't encounter someone with a heavy heart. This morning Brooksyne and I both shared with a lady who had a very heavy heart in one of our companies.

As we prepare today's message on this first day of summer 2013 we consider people in our circle of impact who carry heavy burdens. According to how large we make this circle the list can grow very long.  Some of you, our readers, have shared your needs with us. Some of you we have met face to face and know personally but many others we don't.

Our third daily verse is a simple prayer that is appropriate for everyone. In the flow of Paul's writing he neither introduces this prayer nor formally ends it. It seems to be woven right into the fabric of his letter. Paul on several occasions makes statements indicating how frequently he prays for people and this has often intrigued me since he had so many churches and "contacts" under his care.  In other words his circle was very large!

Paul made prayer a vital part of his daily walk, demonstrated by his offering this powerful but brief prayer for the Thessalonian believers as he wrote to them.  He is practicing his own words in his first letter to them: "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Today we earnestly make Paul's prayer our prayer for all our readers, especially those whose hearts are weighed down with heavy burdens. We offer this prayer as a kind word to cheer you on. We say to those with an anxious heart, "Take courage, fear not."

"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

We pray that:
  • You will have a deep assurance of God's love and grace.
  • You will receive and experience the "eternal encouragement and good hope".
  • Your hearts be encouraged and strengthened in every good deed and word.

Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying manDaily prayer: Father, it's been said that "courage is fear that said its prayers". And it's true that You can change our hearts and outlook even when the circumstances have not changed. But it requires our dependency on You through persevering in prayer which results in absolute trust. We can be assured of Your eternal encouragement and good hope as it encourages our hearts and strengthens us in every good deed and word. It is through Christ Jesus our Lord that we pray in faith believing that You turn tragedy into triumph, as You work out all things together for our good. Amen.


Lancaster County Country Roads

Yesterday in the course of our chaplain visitation we passed several scenes we would like to share with our readers.

Roadside produce stand 06-20-13
Small roadside farm stands like this are popping up all along our rural routes with some great values on fresh home-grown produce and flowers. The hanging plant behind Brooksyne is only $5.00! The gazanias in her hands only 25 cents.

Shed with flowers 06-20-13
As Brooksyne looked over the produce stand I drove behind the farm to turn around and caught this simple scene, a shed with these beautiful deep purple clematis blooms.

Lancaster County yellow farmhouse 06-20-13
A tidy yellow Lancaster County farmhouse.

Tractor limo
This morning a friend shared this photo from her son's wedding. Why rent a fancy and expensive limo when you can really travel in style! This hand cranked FarmAll tractor the groom overhauled and gave a new paint job; looks as good as new but retains the old style long passed in recent decades.

Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge 06-20-13
Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge
Last year an out of state trucker got lost off the main roads and used his GPS which directed him on the road with this bridge and he actually tried to drive his semi tractor trailer truck through this bridge! (A standard tractor-trailer is 13 feet, 6 inches high). Thankfully they were able to repair the bridge and we drove through it yesterday. We shared a message about that here along with a photo.




Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Somebody's Praying for Me"
  Video  Jason Crabb

"Somebody's Praying Me Through"  Video  Mark Helton

"Pray For Me" 
Video  Michael W. Smith

"Somebody's Praying for Me"  Video  Don Moen



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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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