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Friday, January 6, 2017
"God's Enduring Love And Purpose"
Message summary: A story of God's love and forgiveness.
Listen to this
message on your
audio player.
"The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O LORD, endures forever" (Psalm 138:8).
Yesterday
morning, at the invitation of our friends, Jim & Dorothy
Schmidt, we attended the Christian Women's Club meeting in Mount Joy.
It is quite
rare that a man attends such a meeting unless he's the speaker, but the
Schmidts have connections since Dorothy served Stonecroft Ministries,
which heads up Christian Women's Clubs, for 44 years as Chairman of the
Ocean City, NJ club and served in other capacities in South Jersey
reaching women for Christ and developing leadership.
She and Jim have traveled to many different CWC 's and given their testimony as well. They now live here in Lancaster County and are acquainted with Terri Roberts, (pictured right) the speaker at yesterday's meeting, and felt that we would appreciate her message and besides, Jim needed another male in attendance amidst some 200 women! Brooksyne had recently read Terri's book, "Forgiven", that she wrote in 2015. In fact she read and shared much of it with me as we drove to our various companies making our chaplaincy rounds.
Terri is the mother of Charlie Roberts, shooter of the Amish girls at Nickel Mines, in October of 2006. The Amish actually refer to the event as "The Happening". Terri tells of the unimaginable heartbreaking experience that she and her husband Chuck suffered at the news of their 33 year old son's murderous rampage in the little Amish one-room schoolhouse. Terri wondered if they would ever find joy again and her husband wondered if he'd ever be able to face an Amish person again.
Their neighbors are Amish and Chuck was as an Amish taxi driver (very common in Lancaster County). Of course Terri weaves Scripture into her story and tells how they finally found peace and rest in God through the horrible ordeal, which began with the Amish neighbor paying a tender and loving visit the very evening of the tragedy. We provide some links so you can read more about Chuck and Terri's story and how they rebuilt their lives as they were drawn by God's loving-kindness manifested through various people and in multiple acts of love and forgiveness demonstrated toward them.
Terri forthrightly shared of the deep hurt and the impossibility of
understanding why something like this would happen. We may not
understand but can still seek to find God's purpose for our life. His
promise is to work all things out for ultimate good for
those who love Him. They work out according to His purpose and in His
time. From sacred Scripture we all can have the assurance of David, who
confidently wrote some three thousand years ago, "The LORD will fulfill
His purpose for me."
"Your love, O LORD, endures forever." God's nature has not changed. His enduring love is just as valid this day as when David first expressed it. And it's valid for each one of us regardless of what situation we are dealt in life. Let's believe and stand upon this truth in 2017!
As we turn to God in faith and repentance we can have confidence in God's everlasting love and experience hope even though shifting sand is all around us.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
the tragic story of the Nickel Mines shooting, other school
shootings, or anytime there is the taking of innocent lives we would
despair were it not for Your redemptive power to turn the worst of
circumstances into opportunity for people to see and experience Your
love, grace and forgiveness. The supreme example of this is seen in the
crucifixion of Your innocent Son where it seemed that evil prevailed,
Satan won and all hope was lost. Yet the resurrection took place just
as You planned giving not only Jesus power over death, but it also
provided salvation and eternal life for all who choose to believe on
You. There is nothing the enemy can do to us that over-powers the good
You bring about in Your redemptive plan. We see this in Joseph who
chose to forgive the evil plotted against him declaring to his
brothers, "What you intended for evil, God intended for good." Enable us to hold steady in trust that You will fulfill Your purpose in us; Your love, O Lord, endures forever, for You do not abandon the works of Your hands. Amen.
Brooksyne's note: Last year I read "Forgiven",
as our church library had acquired a copy of it and I had heard very
good reviews. Terri doesn't write so much about "The Happening" as you
might imagine and that can be found in other books and documents. But
she writes about her family's experience of trying to grasp the horror
of their's son's choice to plot and carry out such an evil act, in
addition to his taking his own life. And, then, the overall theme of
how they found forgiveness through the love and acceptance extended to
them from the Amish community. It is an excellent read and would be a
great book if you or someone you know is having difficulty with
forgiveness, either giving or receiving it. Roberts also gives a
perspective of one who must deal with the terrible fall-out from her
son's actions that neither she nor her husband was responsible for, but
still must deal with those consequences. Available here.
"Joy Through Adversity" Terri's website
"Mother of Amish school shooter granted unexpected forgiveness" A report on CBS news
"Forgiven" by Terri Roberts and Jeanette Windle - Chapter 1 audio
"There's Always a Place At the Table" Video Gaither Vocal Band
Finally today:
Lancaster County farm 1/6/17
Overnight we received our first real snowfall of the season which made some nice views while we were out this morning.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
"God's Enduring Love And Purpose"
Message summary: A story of God's love and forgiveness.
Listen to this
message on your
audio player."The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O LORD, endures forever" (Psalm 138:8).
Yesterday
morning, at the invitation of our friends, Jim & Dorothy
Schmidt, we attended the Christian Women's Club meeting in Mount Joy.
It is quite
rare that a man attends such a meeting unless he's the speaker, but the
Schmidts have connections since Dorothy served Stonecroft Ministries,
which heads up Christian Women's Clubs, for 44 years as Chairman of the
Ocean City, NJ club and served in other capacities in South Jersey
reaching women for Christ and developing leadership.She and Jim have traveled to many different CWC 's and given their testimony as well. They now live here in Lancaster County and are acquainted with Terri Roberts, (pictured right) the speaker at yesterday's meeting, and felt that we would appreciate her message and besides, Jim needed another male in attendance amidst some 200 women! Brooksyne had recently read Terri's book, "Forgiven", that she wrote in 2015. In fact she read and shared much of it with me as we drove to our various companies making our chaplaincy rounds.
Terri is the mother of Charlie Roberts, shooter of the Amish girls at Nickel Mines, in October of 2006. The Amish actually refer to the event as "The Happening". Terri tells of the unimaginable heartbreaking experience that she and her husband Chuck suffered at the news of their 33 year old son's murderous rampage in the little Amish one-room schoolhouse. Terri wondered if they would ever find joy again and her husband wondered if he'd ever be able to face an Amish person again.
Their neighbors are Amish and Chuck was as an Amish taxi driver (very common in Lancaster County). Of course Terri weaves Scripture into her story and tells how they finally found peace and rest in God through the horrible ordeal, which began with the Amish neighbor paying a tender and loving visit the very evening of the tragedy. We provide some links so you can read more about Chuck and Terri's story and how they rebuilt their lives as they were drawn by God's loving-kindness manifested through various people and in multiple acts of love and forgiveness demonstrated toward them.
Terri forthrightly shared of the deep hurt and the impossibility of
understanding why something like this would happen. We may not
understand but can still seek to find God's purpose for our life. His
promise is to work all things out for ultimate good for
those who love Him. They work out according to His purpose and in His
time. From sacred Scripture we all can have the assurance of David, who
confidently wrote some three thousand years ago, "The LORD will fulfill
His purpose for me.""Your love, O LORD, endures forever." God's nature has not changed. His enduring love is just as valid this day as when David first expressed it. And it's valid for each one of us regardless of what situation we are dealt in life. Let's believe and stand upon this truth in 2017!
As we turn to God in faith and repentance we can have confidence in God's everlasting love and experience hope even though shifting sand is all around us.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
the tragic story of the Nickel Mines shooting, other school
shootings, or anytime there is the taking of innocent lives we would
despair were it not for Your redemptive power to turn the worst of
circumstances into opportunity for people to see and experience Your
love, grace and forgiveness. The supreme example of this is seen in the
crucifixion of Your innocent Son where it seemed that evil prevailed,
Satan won and all hope was lost. Yet the resurrection took place just
as You planned giving not only Jesus power over death, but it also
provided salvation and eternal life for all who choose to believe on
You. There is nothing the enemy can do to us that over-powers the good
You bring about in Your redemptive plan. We see this in Joseph who
chose to forgive the evil plotted against him declaring to his
brothers, "What you intended for evil, God intended for good." Enable us to hold steady in trust that You will fulfill Your purpose in us; Your love, O Lord, endures forever, for You do not abandon the works of Your hands. Amen.Terri Roberts (left) with Dorothy Schmidt
When I, Brooksyne, took this photo at the Christian Women's Club yesterday I couldn't figure out why the coloring had a reddish tint. I took several shots and still couldn't get good coloring. After I sat down and examined my phone camera I realized the transparent red phone cover was on upside down which was covering up the lens.
When I, Brooksyne, took this photo at the Christian Women's Club yesterday I couldn't figure out why the coloring had a reddish tint. I took several shots and still couldn't get good coloring. After I sat down and examined my phone camera I realized the transparent red phone cover was on upside down which was covering up the lens.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Joy Through Adversity" Terri's website
"Mother of Amish school shooter granted unexpected forgiveness" A report on CBS news
"Forgiven" by Terri Roberts and Jeanette Windle - Chapter 1 audio
"There's Always a Place At the Table" Video Gaither Vocal Band
Finally today:
Lancaster County farm 1/6/17
Overnight we received our first real snowfall of the season which made some nice views while we were out this morning.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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