Each For The Other

On August 27, 2013 we reached another milestone in our life together. It was the fiftieth anniversary

of our wedding. It is hard for us to even imagine that it has been a half-century since we pledged our love and commitment before God, "each for the other, and both for the Lord." The very thought of it is very precious to us. Why? One of the reasons is the fact that we are both totally convinced that it was GOD who brought us together for His own purposes -- and, family, all of you were included in His plans. One by one, He sent you our way -- and each one of you is a greater blessing to us than you can begin to imagine.

We have had a lot of joy over these fifty years and we have also experienced some sorrow. Those are among the elements of life. We have known that this life together has been winding down all along, but at this point in our lives we are more keenly aware of that fact than ever before. As I have put it, we are "ripening for the great harvest". One of these days -- maybe very soon or maybe a decade or more -- our stay on this earth will be over. People often say, "they've gone to a better place." Sometimes that is very meaningful and sometimes it just seems like the right thing to say just to comfort ourselves when a loved one or a friend dies.

More than anything in this life, Gramp and I want you to know that life will never be "over" for us. We have a gift of God, which is amazing. We have eternal life, not in these bodies but in the spirits that live in our bodies. Once our spirits were dead, but NOW by the grace of God through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus we are alive forever more. We know that when we go HOME to God, those of you that are still here will have sorrow. But the Christian does not sorrow the way others do, who have NO hope of life beyond what we know right now. The Christian has joy, even in sorrow, knowing that we will meet again and be together forever. What a wonderful, amazing, and secure knowledge that is!

Our most fervent prayer is that our circle will not be broken and that each and every one of YOU will live together with our Lord and with us in Heaven. Read these words carefully from the Bible. If you are a believer, rejoice in them! If you are not, I pray the eyes of your spirit will be open to see what God has done for you.

"For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."  From Romans 3

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

^"He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:11-13

 ". . . if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."    Romans 10:9-10

 ". . . by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:8-10