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Monday, May 15, 2017
A blessing of country living is when a neighbor drives in for a visit on his family tractor. Larry Dombach was out last weekend on his 1953 Farmall, the first tractor he ever drove as a child, while helping during the family harvest. His grandpa left it to him upon his death. Larry had it restored and occasionally drives it in the neighborhood.
"A Consideration of Mothers-In-Law" *
Message summary: Many of you reached out to your mothers-in-law yesterday on Mother's Day, but if not, perhaps you will feel prompted to give them a call or write them a note letting them know that you value them today.
Listen to our
message on your
audio player.
"Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them" (Luke 4:38,39).
We hope you had a meaningful "Mother's Day" yesterday. Whether or not your country sets aside a day to honor motherhood we all have mothers whom we should honor, whether still living or deceased. We all can consider the words of the Psalmist, "For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb" (Psalm 139:13).
Ester prepared a pasta dinner last night and cleaned up afterwards insisting that Brooksyne relax for the evening. She also wrote a nice tribute to her in honor of Mother's Day.
Early last Friday morning, as we travelled to our first company, we listened to Scripture on CD and today's verse was included. Little did we know that upon our arrival at the company a farewell gathering would be held for a long-time employee who was leaving the company.
Brooksyne visited with him afterwards and learned more about his departure. He liked his job and would stay on if not for his mother-in-law's health needs. Her health has deteriorated, and rather than place her in an institutional setting, he is taking on a different job more favorable to arrangements that will allow his wife to give up her job so she can stay home and care for her mom.
The employee, from his outward appearance is a strong, muscular man, the "biker" type. He doesn't look the type (if there is a particular "type") that would take his mother-in-law to her doctor's appointments and oversee her medical care, but his medical attention spares his wife the emotional rollercoaster of dealing with the variables of her health needs. We both admired his dutiful and loving care toward his mother-in-law.
It further prompted our thinking about giving consideration to mothers-in-law today. In-laws, especially mothers-in-law are often the topic for jokes, ridicule, and bad relations yet the most famous "in-law" story in the Bible is Naomi and Ruth who had a wonderful, enduring relationship long after Naomi's son was deceased.
Today's account may seem rather inconsequential. That is unless you or a loved one was the one being healed! The healing of Peter's mother-in-law is recorded in each of the three synoptic gospels. Jesus went into her house and found her stricken with a fever. Jesus touches her hand and the fever leaves her, and she gets up and begins to wait on the men.
Luke, who was a doctor, called it a “great” or “high” fever. This could have been a deadly disease.
Pastor John Hamby who has an entire sermon developed from this account states, "What
we have before us in the accounts of this miracle... is a double
miracle. First of all, Jesus took her by the hand, lifted her up and
the fever was immediately gone. And the second aspect of the miracle,
according to Dr. Luke, is that she was immediately infused with a
complete restoration of her strength, she arose and served them. In all
the accounts, the effect was immediate; the fever not only left her,
but she was able to serve them."
Another lesson we can learn from this account is the invaluable blessing of those who serve behind the scenes. The account doesn't go into detail about how Peter's mother-in-law "served them" but it likely means preparing, serving, and cleaning up after a meal. We all know the importance of that especially when you have a house full of tired and hungry people!
It's likely that many of you reached out to your mothers-in-law yesterday on Mother's Day, but if not, perhaps you will feel prompted to give them a call or write them a note letting them that you value them today.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, for the benefit of the human race, You set the lonely in
families as mentioned by the Psalmist. You knitted us together in our
mother's womb and then used them to love, nurture, protect and guide us
until the time came for us to spread our wings, take flight and
build our own family nests. In doing so we took on a new mother, father, siblings
and other extended relatives of our spouse and learn to love them as
family. Help us to put aside that which can easily sets us off, to get beyond the
differences from our own biological flesh and blood so that we love
them unreservedly. After all there will be the biological blending of
both families when the children are born and that is the greatest
blessing You send to both families. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child; friends on earth and friends above...To
Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. Amen.
* Is It Mother-in-Laws? Or Mothers-in-Law?
Serious birdwatchers know how persistent squirrels are in eating bird seeds. This squirrel managed to leap up on our special "No/No" feeder in front of our home and was not going to be deterred! Notice how his back paw is clinging to the wire mesh giving him holding power and balance. He was there dining to his heart's content.
Early yesterday morning we had a welcome visitor sitting on our back fence, a bluebird, which we don't often see. However it didn't stay long enough for a photo. However I did see we have a resident in the birdhouse!
Yesterday we visited with Fred and Bev Steudler whom we met about ten years ago when we began serving the company Fred's father founded. Also in the photo is Dedan from Kenya who works at the company.
Here's our wedding rehearsal dinner on May 7, 1976. Ruth Sherrell would become my mother-in-law and Georgia Mae would become Brooksyne's mother-in-law.
A
photo of me along with my mother-in-law, Georgia Mae, taken in 1998
when she was 78 years old. This was taken at the wedding of a close
friend
in California. That very night Mom had a serious fall resulting in a
serious head injury, which she never fully recovered from, though she
would live another six years, five of them in our home. We very much enjoyed our relationship as mother-in-law, daughter-in-law.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"For The Beauty Of The Earth" Video Michelle Swift
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
A blessing of country living is when a neighbor drives in for a visit on his family tractor. Larry Dombach was out last weekend on his 1953 Farmall, the first tractor he ever drove as a child, while helping during the family harvest. His grandpa left it to him upon his death. Larry had it restored and occasionally drives it in the neighborhood.
Message summary: Many of you reached out to your mothers-in-law yesterday on Mother's Day, but if not, perhaps you will feel prompted to give them a call or write them a note letting them know that you value them today.
Listen to our
message on your
audio player."Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them" (Luke 4:38,39).
We hope you had a meaningful "Mother's Day" yesterday. Whether or not your country sets aside a day to honor motherhood we all have mothers whom we should honor, whether still living or deceased. We all can consider the words of the Psalmist, "For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb" (Psalm 139:13).
Ester prepared a pasta dinner last night and cleaned up afterwards insisting that Brooksyne relax for the evening. She also wrote a nice tribute to her in honor of Mother's Day.
Early last Friday morning, as we travelled to our first company, we listened to Scripture on CD and today's verse was included. Little did we know that upon our arrival at the company a farewell gathering would be held for a long-time employee who was leaving the company.
Brooksyne visited with him afterwards and learned more about his departure. He liked his job and would stay on if not for his mother-in-law's health needs. Her health has deteriorated, and rather than place her in an institutional setting, he is taking on a different job more favorable to arrangements that will allow his wife to give up her job so she can stay home and care for her mom.
The employee, from his outward appearance is a strong, muscular man, the "biker" type. He doesn't look the type (if there is a particular "type") that would take his mother-in-law to her doctor's appointments and oversee her medical care, but his medical attention spares his wife the emotional rollercoaster of dealing with the variables of her health needs. We both admired his dutiful and loving care toward his mother-in-law.
It further prompted our thinking about giving consideration to mothers-in-law today. In-laws, especially mothers-in-law are often the topic for jokes, ridicule, and bad relations yet the most famous "in-law" story in the Bible is Naomi and Ruth who had a wonderful, enduring relationship long after Naomi's son was deceased.
Today's account may seem rather inconsequential. That is unless you or a loved one was the one being healed! The healing of Peter's mother-in-law is recorded in each of the three synoptic gospels. Jesus went into her house and found her stricken with a fever. Jesus touches her hand and the fever leaves her, and she gets up and begins to wait on the men.
Luke, who was a doctor, called it a “great” or “high” fever. This could have been a deadly disease.
Another lesson we can learn from this account is the invaluable blessing of those who serve behind the scenes. The account doesn't go into detail about how Peter's mother-in-law "served them" but it likely means preparing, serving, and cleaning up after a meal. We all know the importance of that especially when you have a house full of tired and hungry people!
It's likely that many of you reached out to your mothers-in-law yesterday on Mother's Day, but if not, perhaps you will feel prompted to give them a call or write them a note letting them that you value them today.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, for the benefit of the human race, You set the lonely in
families as mentioned by the Psalmist. You knitted us together in our
mother's womb and then used them to love, nurture, protect and guide us
until the time came for us to spread our wings, take flight and
build our own family nests. In doing so we took on a new mother, father, siblings
and other extended relatives of our spouse and learn to love them as
family. Help us to put aside that which can easily sets us off, to get beyond the
differences from our own biological flesh and blood so that we love
them unreservedly. After all there will be the biological blending of
both families when the children are born and that is the greatest
blessing You send to both families. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child; friends on earth and friends above...To
Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. Amen.* Is It Mother-in-Laws? Or Mothers-in-Law?
Serious birdwatchers know how persistent squirrels are in eating bird seeds. This squirrel managed to leap up on our special "No/No" feeder in front of our home and was not going to be deterred! Notice how his back paw is clinging to the wire mesh giving him holding power and balance. He was there dining to his heart's content.
Early yesterday morning we had a welcome visitor sitting on our back fence, a bluebird, which we don't often see. However it didn't stay long enough for a photo. However I did see we have a resident in the birdhouse!
Yesterday we visited with Fred and Bev Steudler whom we met about ten years ago when we began serving the company Fred's father founded. Also in the photo is Dedan from Kenya who works at the company.
Here's our wedding rehearsal dinner on May 7, 1976. Ruth Sherrell would become my mother-in-law and Georgia Mae would become Brooksyne's mother-in-law.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"For The Beauty Of The Earth" Video Michelle Swift
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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 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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