Today we are in Arizona taking my Mom on our yearly road trip. This started 5 years ago and now each year I ask where she wants to go and we plan a trip. I figure since she is 87 that I can take a few days a year to do something extra special for her. This year is extra special as she had a stroke in January and we were not sure the trip she chose last fall would work since she cannot walk on her own yet. She wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. But here we are! She is getting rides in her wheelchair and when the overlook is just a few feet away she uses her walker. All day her eyes were filled with tears as she didn’t think she would ever see this amazing creation of God. She kept saying “How great Thou art!!” She kept praising Him and giving Him the glory. Made the day so precious for us too. Seeing her here in this place makes me say “How great Thou art!!!” How awesome that she is making this trip 9 months after a stroke at her age. I am treasuring every moment I have with her. Another great part of this year’s trip is that both my brother’s and their wives and another couple who call her Mom came with us, along with her husband, Dave. My brothers and I have never taken Mom on a trip all together. It was about time.
 
          On another note my 3 older kids lost their Grandpa today. He was a special man and we all loved and respected him very much. My heart was full of sadness as I knew I wouldn’t see Bob again on this side of heaven but wondered what it must have been like when he saw his son he lost in a car accident 40 years ago. My heart rejoiced and I had a few tears too. It is hard to put into words that you are thinking about your first husband who is now in heaven when you love your husband now so very much. It is just a God thing and I am thankful I can think about my older children’s Dad and Ed is okay with it. Dan was reunited with his Dad today. What a day of wonders it was.
 
I am sharing a few of our pictures from yesterday and some of the verses the Lord put on my heart. My heart is rejoicing in Him and full of joy. I am so thankful to Him and all His gifts. He gave my brothers and myself a wonderful Mom and we are thankful. He gave us a beautiful world He created. We are so thankful when we look at such wonders.
 
This devotional is different today and I hope it blesses you. See you all next week! Thank you for understanding when we go away. We are thankful for YOU!!
 
“It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 92:1
“That I may make the voice of thanksgiving heard and tell of all Your wondrous works.” Psalm 26:7
“O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.” Psalm 98:1
“O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples!” Psalm 105:1
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! Know that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise Him. For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting. His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5
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The past few weeks the Lord has been dealing with some issues in my heart and showing me things to release and what to hold on to. I have tendency to pick up the hurts of others and even though I am praying for my friends, families and others I also find myself carrying their problems. My heart cares so much for others but I can’t carry them. The one thing I can hold on to and carry is the love I have for others. My family, church family and friends are so precious to me and I treasure the friendships I have. A few years ago I was over on the Western slope spending time with my Mom and picking up produce. On my way home I stopped at one more produce stand to pick up a few more things. By the time I was done I had 20 boxes of yummy fruit and veggies to bring home to can and share. The lady at the stand told me I had a lot of work cut out for me and I told her I was taking some to friends. She then said that I must be a special friend to do this for others. I let her know that I was here anyway to see family so it was not big deal. She told me I still must be a special friend because the weight in my car would cause me to use more gas. I just smiled – told her thank you and headed down the road pondering her comments. A good friend. What is a friend? I friend is someone who:
 
“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17  
 
“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 
 
“No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends.” John 15:13
 
According to the Bible a friend is someone who loves at all times, sticks closer than a brother and lays down his life for the other person. So what makes me such a good friend if I bring home extra produce for others? Isn’t that what we do for anyone? I was just puzzled by the thought that this made me a good friend. I continued to pray and think about it and I realized how awesome all my friends are. This church family is made up of friendships not just acquaintances. In our 24 years in ministry here we have gone through many situations and most of you have stuck close to us and supported us through thick and thin. You have loved and been there not only for us and our family but for each other as so many have had difficult and challenging situations. I am thankful beyond words that we have each of you and that we are a church family that loves and gives beyond what we have to but as friends. It is amazing to me and I guess I never thought of being any other way. Many pastors aren’t blessed with such precious folk but I know that this family is bonded and knit together in a special way for this time and season and we will go far and wide with the friendships and love we share.
 
Thank you for being our friends. Thank you for giving. Thank you for trusting. Thank you for believing. Thank you for loving. The love of a friend is a blessing created by God. I am so thankful for friends and the love they bring to our loves. Our greatest Friend, Jesus, knew how much we would need each other and gave us the wisdom to have friends and to be the best friend we can be. Here are some verses about friendships. These are familiar verses we have prayed before but powerful promises. Read these verses daily and let the Lord work in your life through His grace to make each promise alive in your heart. I pray for each of you – my friends.

“If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19
 
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 
 
“Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of the righteous avails much.” James 5:16
 
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ and of course there is!, if any comfort of love and of course there is! If any fellowship of the Spirit and of course there is! If any affection and mercy and of course there is! Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and one harmonious mind and intention. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:2–4
 
“He who sings a song to a heavy heart is like him who lays off a garment is cold weather.”   
 
“A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings on silver”   
“Soft speech breaks down the most bonelike resistance.” 
 
“..Admonish, urge, encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin..” Hebrews 3:13
 
“Two are better than one, because they have a good and satisfying reward for their labor. For if they fall; the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
 
“This is My commandment; that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love – no one has stronger affection – than to lay down and give up his own life for his friends. I do not call you servants any longer; for the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from My Father. I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.” John 15:12-15
 
“Rejoice with those that rejoice - sharing others joy and weep with those that weep -sharing others grief. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, snobbish, high-minded, exclusive but readily adjust yourself to people, things and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.” Romans 12:15-16
 
Not forsaking or neglecting to assembly together as believers, as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 
​These last few months I have learned firsthand the value and importance of friends. This isn’t something I did not know but when we really needed others– our friends were there for us
 
“Not forsaking or neglecting to assembly together as believers, as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 Lord, show me how and who I can encourage daily.  I know it is impossible to encourage others and not be encouraged myself. You have shown me that some of the ways I can encourage are: Smile- Give a card-Take someone a meal - Pray-Give a hug-Serve -Give a gift-Make a phone call-Send a personal e-mail-Give flowers -Watch someone’s children -Give an encouraging word-Never let someone give up or quit-Listen-Be a real friend. I know the list is longer than that but as I do any of these things I will be blessing someone else. It is also a way for those that are afraid to be close to others as I have been to be able to open up and begin to trust again. Your ways are endless but thank You for getting me started as I rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep. Your awesome love never fails so I choose to go forward loving others, building close friendship and relationships. I praise You always and thank You for being my very best friend. Thank You for all the friends You are given me. I will protect these friendships. From one friend to another Friend, I praise You, worship You and cherish Your friendship and love. Amen