Beams of Light Ministries

God Loves You

I was telling a good friend about some things that I am facing. I love talking to her because she always views my situations through the lens of the Bible.

When I told her how I was feeling and my new determination, she listened. And, then she affirmed me by showing me an even deeper way of looking at my circumstance. She told me that God loved me so much that He saw fit to keep that situation from me. Here I was thinking that maybe I'd done something wrong and was being "punished" in some way and she showed me the protective hand of God by removing me from that situation.

When I took a minute to look at everything, I could hardly speak. God loves me that much...it's amazing, for surely I don't know why He does. But I rest in the assurance that He does.

So, as you make your way through this coming week, know that no matter the circumstances you may face, God loves you. He has always loved you, and He only wants what is the absolute best for you. So trust Him.

We the People

I woke up with a heavy heart today. Not because it's tax day. I get a refund! Oooooooo yeah! But, instead because of the status of our country. So much divisiveness. So much political gamesmanship to advance a party or a person instead of a people.

Last I checked, we were supposed to be about "We the people." Instead, we've got camps of folks, pointing fingers at other folks. We've got people dedicating themselves to talk about and demean other folks. Some even make a career out of it. I don't want to hear any talk about freedom of speech. I want to hear talk about mutual respect and being able to talk about the issues without attacking the person. What happened to that?

What happened to our moral compass. America used to have one. There used to be a time when you didn't have to legislative being your brother's keeper. But now, in times where my fellow countrymen are more concerned about money and their own families and futures that they don't have time to consider anybody else's. That's not the way it was awhile back. It seems like we are no longer in anything together. We are always against one another. That's troubling to me. We need to pray.

Consider this from Matthew 12:25 -Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

Let's get intentional about learning how to be inclusive, not exclusive; bi-partisan, not my way or no way; loving, not hateful, so that we can really stand up and say "We the people..."

Army Strong

I got the news last week that everything is a go and that two of my friends will be going downrange real soon (they are deploying). They are both in the Army. One is a mother. She has a 1 year old son. She will be deploying for 15 months. It’s a hard concept for me to get my mind around but she’s done it – she’s Army strong.

She has made all of the preparations for her child and has done everything possible to ensure his comfort while she is gone. The way that she has handled herself up to this point directly signals to me that she is relying on the Lord. She has not thrown a pity-party. She has not expected anyone to lavish sympathy on her for her plight. And when I attempted to, she would have none of it. She is a soldier. Army strong. And, about her business.

My other friend is not deploying for as long but it will still be a considerable period of time. He will leave the comforting arms of his new bride. But he hasn’t complained either. He's a soldier. He’s Army strong. He has been making phone calls and preparations to ensure his wife’s comfort while he is away. She has not been emotional. She married a soldier knowing this day was coming. She is Army strong.

Instead of talking about what she was going to miss out on, she has been encouraging her husband about the things they’ll do when he returns. (Married folk talk…okay!) To this point, she has not shed a tear and refuses to, in his words, “let on” that she’s thinking anything about the time that they’ll be apart from one another. She’s got him focused on the reunion.

While, knowing her, I am sure she will cry later, but for now, she will not show any fear or any worry to shake her husband’s confidence in her ability to manage for herself while he is away. She has a fascinating career to keep her occupied and activities and supporting friends to occupy her time. Quite frankly, his wife has it going on! She’s independent, yet supportive. She'll miss him for sure, but the way she's conducted herself is great. She's Army strong.

My friend and I talk about his wife and smile. She’s going to be alright. He will too. This is one of several deployments for him, but it’s different this time because now, he’s married. But he’s putting his trust in God. God will see him through.

I salute my friends as they make this trip downrange to face evil head-to-head. And I pray that it is God’s will that I will see my friends again, just as happy and healthy as they are now; full of life and joy, even in the face of trying circumstances.

Perhaps you know some Army strong folks. If you do, please take a minute to salute them. Send them your support and encouragement, even if they are no longer deployed. These disciplined, hearty and dedicated men and women are putting their lives at risk for us. What a mighty sacrifice.

I will be sending my friends care packages, because that’s what I do for my troops that I’m close with. But you don’t have to be close to send packages and letters. So, even if you don’t know any active Army (or other military), you can still send a letter of support – or even a package. These folks put their lives on hold for months at a time. So, please consider taking a departure from your regular schedule, and writing a letter or sending a package to our troops. They serve long and they serve hard. Here are some links where you can get some information.

To send letters: http://www.ourmilitary.mil/letters_messages.shtml
To send packages: http://www.ourmilitary.mil/send_packages.shtml

Please keep these soldiers in your prayers!