Friday, December 31, 2010

Daily Encouragement (12/31/10) "Special Year-End Edition"

Daily Encouragement Net -A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
Having trouble reading this message?  Read mobile edition online
RSS feed               Podcast feed
 Daily Encouragement Net Header
The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

<Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition

Friday, December 31, 2010

Martin farmpond
Martin farmpond in Lancaster County
Our friend Nancy Martin sent us this photo she took of their farm pond after a beautiful snowfall. This is a photo from several years ago. We still haven't had a major snowfall in our area and today it is clear and mild!
Click here to see a larger desktop-sized photo.

ListenListen to this message on your audio player.

"Special Year-End Edition"

"Encourage one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13).

Scene from "It's a wonderful life"
The other day we quoted a line from the end of the classic Christmas movie, "It's A Wonderful Life" when George Bailey receives a note from Clarence reminding him, "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." We useed this quote in our message Wednesday titled, "The Blessing Of Friendship".

"It's a Wonderful Life" is one of our all-time favorite movies. It's amazing how interesting the plot and dialogue is without swearing, violence, sexual scenes and crude humor that seems to be in most all modern movies.

Essentially, if you're not familiar with this movie, George Bailey runs a small Building and Loan Association that barely survives, in part due to George's generosity and compassion for others.  He's always threatened by the movie's chief antagonist, greedy old Henry F. Potter, who wants to drive George out of business for financial control of the village of Bedford Falls.

The movie opens with a scene of prayers rising to heaven for George who is discouraged to the point of despondency and suicide.  The angels discussing the situation call on a junior angel named Clarence who has yet to earn his wings.  He is commissioned to go to earth to encourage George Bailey. Much of the movie is an overview of George's life provided to help Clarence understand George in order to help him and remind him that his life is a blessing to many.

There's one early scene that always touches me.  When Clarence is first called he's told that George is in trouble and he asks, "Is he sick"? The senior angel says, "No, it's worse than being sick; he's discouraged."  Now certainly I don't vouch for the theology in the movie as the Bible doesn't teach that angels earn their wings or worse yet that they are humans who have died and returned to earth.  But I do believe there is great power in the prayers ascending to heaven for people in need and I know how debilitating discouragement can be.

The way Clarence helped George was to show him what it would be like had he never been born and this powerfully reminded George of the value of his life as he saw how many people his life had touched and this greatly encouraged him. That's an interesting motivation for how we want daily encouragement to be!

But in this special year end edition allow us to express a lot more administrative material than usual. Regular readers know that we generally keep the administration of the ministry behind the scenes but feel this overview may be of value.

We are grateful for the growth in this ministry during 2010 and the opportunity to provide a small, regular dose of daily encouragement and Bible teaching to many readers and podcast listeners around the world.

Our practice is to write these devotionals early each weekday morning or sometimes the night before. The goal from the very beginning is based on a verse from Hebrews 3 stating that we are to "encourage one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13).

Foundationally we want to remind you that one of the main things we want to convey in each devotional is the daily outlook of two very ordinary believers seeking to live another day faithful to Christ. Our email ministry began with a brief message to several friends in 1996. We wanted to offer a spiritual perspective. That remains our primary objective.

We are dedicated to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and each devotional is written based on a commitment to Christ and His Word. Even though we may share glimpses of our own family life or that of others, or an illustrative or humorous story we want the major focus to be on our Lord Jesus along with a brief exposition of the daily Scripture text.

A variable is the delivery schedule. We normally try to get it off by Noon (Eastern Standard Time), but a phone call, technical problem or other interruptions can easily throw off our good intention. All devotionals are prepared fresh. However we do at times take previously written messages from years earlier and revise and refresh them.

From the beginning this ministry has been on a weekday basis. We purposefully do not prepare devotionals for Saturday or Sunday. We hope each of you, if physically possible, are active in a local church where the Bible is faithfully preached. We are opposed to the concept of a "cyber or internet church". (This concept calls for believers to essentially forsake the real life fellowship of a local church and be in "virtual" association with believers on the internet.) We believe God calls us all to be in regular fellowship with fellow believers in a local church congregation if possible. We affirm the ministry of each local pastor as he fulfills his call to "watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13:17).

Administratively we want to be easy to reach if there are comments, prayer requests or problems. If you have feedback you can use the comments page.  However please use this and our email address only for personal, specific feedback. We do value brief notes of appreciation and prayer requests or comments prompted by a specific message and generally receive several daily. But please do not use the comments form or place our email address on your own group list for forwarded inspirational stories, virus warnings, free Disney trips, etc, etc. We kindly ask that you do not send these types of mail to us. We also suspect most who use email feel the same way!

Since most subscriptions are anonymous we have little information regarding the background of the vast majority of our readers. As it has grown we now know only a minority of you personally and of course this percentage gets smaller as the list grows. We do know our messages go to a wide variety of corporate addresses, educational institutions and countries all around the world.

For those who have subscribed to the email list we want the email to be easy to "unsubscribe" if you prefer to be removed from the mailing list. Just use the automatically inserted link below the footers for immediate removal.

A weekly version is available with Friday's message sent out along with the link to previous messages.  This may be a preferable subscription for those who check their email infrequently.  I especially appeal to those who know us personally to consider the weekly list if frequency is a motive for unsubscribing. We are so thankful for the hundreds of people we have maintained contact with through the years who are on this list and would hate to lose contact!

The daily mailing and the content of our website are offered as a ministry without any cost whatsoever. We do not use any advertising since in our opinion this would clutter and confuse our message. We merely rely on the Lord to provide for our needs and meet the expenses of this ministry as He leads people to support.  For any desiring information on support please see here.

We truly hope the daily encouragement devotional has been a blessing through 2010 and continues to be a blessing and source of spiritual strength and hope to each reader and listener in 2011! Our desire is that each of you are committed to Jesus Christ, that you stay faithful, and that you impact many others for Christ.


Be encouraged today and have a blessed New Year,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Thankful manDaily prayer: Father, we embark upon another year with Your guidance and presence in all that we undertake, all that we endure, and all that we accomplish.  May we be mindful not of ourselves first, but of those who journey with us day after day.  Let us be quick to encourage, ready to reach out, and faithful to pray for our brothers and sisters.  Above all, keep us growing in Your grace and knowledge this year of 2011.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.



For those who may desire to read more about our ministry and here is a revised personal ministry update.



Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Click on the link to open and play.
(In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.)

There are two hymns I enjoy singing at the dawning of a new year; "Another Year Is Dawning" by Frances Ridley Havergal and "God of the Ages"  by Margaret  Clarkson. I was unable to find suitable online versions of either of these songs but did find these two with the same title as the latter song:

"God Of The Ages"  Video  Liberty University Choir

"God Of The Ages"  Video  Jon Owens

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.
2010 Weber family Christmas photo
"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!"

Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/31/10)

DonateEach weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 12/30/10 $19,119.00.

We thank all who support our online ministry. You may contribute online or through mail. Note: In order to receive 2010 giving credit gifts must be received by December 31 so I can account to my chaplaincy credentialling agency by that date.  (They issue the official receipt.)


SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Free email subscriptionWere you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net?  If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.

Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)


Weekly Version:
The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.


Reader Survey:  Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here.

Please feel free to pass these messages on!


Our other blogs:
"A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message!
"A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!)
"Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!)
"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.

Christianbook.comDaily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!

Personal Mission Statement
"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

Four Spiritual Laws

How to become a child of God



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.

© Copyright 2010 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved

Daily Encouragement Net
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552
Contact us

Chaplaincy logo
Endorsed chaplain

"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"

www.dailyencouragement.net

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday.  To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below.  However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!

 

You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com
Add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your email address book to ensure delivery
Forward to a Friend  |  Manage Subscription  |   Subscribe  |   Unsubscribe
Net Atlantic

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Daily Encouragement (12/30/10) "Trust In The Lord"

Daily Encouragement Net -A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
Having trouble reading this message?  Read mobile edition online
RSS feed               Podcast feed
 Daily Encouragement Net Header
The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

<Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Rural Michigan winter scene (photo by Howard Blichfeldt)
A rural winter scene in Michigan.
(Photo by Howard Blichfeldt)

ListenListen to this message on your audio player.

"Trust In The Lord"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

We’ve chosen a proverb for our focus today; one that is often quoted for those who are graduating or about to embark on a new path. It's also a verse that brings assurance to our hearts no matter where we are on life's journey.  

The book of Proverbs is full of wise sayings, easily memorized, that will keep us on the right track as we apply them to our lives. I still recall a Bible College definition of a Proverb being a "short pithy saying." It is listed in the Microsoft Office dictionary system with synonyms such as "terse, to the point, succinct."

In an overall sense this Proverb always speaks to our situation. However there are those acute times when we desperately need the Lord’s specific direction and this verse becomes even more directive and meaningful in our lives. Most all of our readers today are dealing with the inconstancies of life such as a financial crisis, a difficulty at work, an unemployment situation, a troubling family matter or a major health concern that lies heavily on their hearts. In just the last couple days we’ve heard from:
  • A now-single mother trying to avoid eviction from her house after being abandoned by her husband of 18 years for another woman.
  • An unemployed friend who keeps finding one closed door after another.
  • A man in the midst of a very hard marital situation.
  • A woman recovering from a beating from her abusive husband.
  • One who is being pulled back into the ways of the world.
(Of course the list goes on and on, but it helps us to consider these matters fresh in our minds as we prepare this encouragement message.)

This wonderful Proverb has three commands followed by a promise:

1) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Trust requires us to have faith and confident assurance that God is working through a matter. It is not the circumstance or our own heart that we place our trust in, but the object of our trust is "in the Lord." Are we to partially trust God and partially rely on our own abilities or wisdom? Not really! God want us to trust Him with all our heart.

2) “Lean not on your own understanding.” I consider the times when I thought I understood a matter, only to find out later I was wrong. When we lean on our own understanding we often get things wrong. We may start to worry,  become afraid, or grow desperate and then we begin to make huge mistakes, make wrong choices, etc. Our understanding is always limited, often flawed, and cannot give us an accurate view of the future.

3) “In all your ways acknowledge Him.” In our thoughts, our speech, and our actions may others see that God is the central figure of our lives. Let there be no doubt as to Who or what motivates us to do what we do and say what we say. May Christ be preeminent in everything we do.

For me it's not at all hard to comprehend the meaning of these three clauses, but consistent personal application is another matter!
  • Am I really trusting in the Lord with all my heart?
  • (Or) Am I leaning on my own understanding?
  • Am I really acknowledging Him (day by day, moment by moment)?
The promise in the text is "He shall direct your paths."  Our responsibility is to obey His commands. When we do so, we can be absolutely assured that God will direct our paths!

After nearly 40 years of walking with the Lord I am still trying to fully apply this verse. Frankly, I expect to do so until I receive the upward call. But I can testify to the veracity of God’s promise. He directs my paths and I have an assurance that He always will as I trust Him wholeheartedly. Today I encourage each reader to accept this truth in regard to your own situation and rejoice with me in His steadfast love and care.


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Thankful man
Daily prayer: Father, when I lean on my own understanding I fall prey to thinking in the natural and limit the work of the supernatural. But when I trust You with all my heart I leave no room for second guessing. Today I want to acknowledge Your presence in every area of my life…family, work, relationships, health, intellect and every other area of my life. You will bring to pass the plans You have for me as I wholeheartedly trust You for all that concerns me. Amen.



Naomi Wolgemuth (12/29/10)
Yesterday we went over to Messiah Village to visit Naomi, an elderly lady from our church. Brooksyne led a hymn sing with the residents in her nursing home.

Christ Preeminent
Yesterday we also drove by Messiah College in Grantham, PA.
For many years I have been blessed by this two word phrase on their sign,
"Christ Preeminent"


Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Click on the link to open and play.
(In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.)

"Trust In The Lord"  Video  Don Moen

"Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus"  Video  Casting Crowns

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.
2010 Weber family Christmas photo
"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!"

Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 10/21/10)

DonateEach weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 12/29/10 $18,834.00.

We thank all who support our online ministry. You may contribute online or through mail. Note: In order to receive 2010 giving credit gifts must be received by December 31 so I can account to my chaplaincy credentialling agency by that date.  (They issue the official receipt.)


SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Free email subscriptionWere you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net?  If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.

Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)


Weekly Version:
The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.


Reader Survey:  Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here.

Please feel free to pass these messages on!


Our other blogs:
"A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message!
"A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!)
"Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't doneFather, unlike typical birth announcements that announce to others the birth of a child to its mother and father, the glorious pronouncement heralded by the angels was that the Christ Child was born to all   people for all generations. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” We have been given the gift of salvation through the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior. Thank You for the free will given to us that allows us to reject or receive this "Jesus, who is called Christ." When given the choice we like Peter respond, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." We go to the Rock of our salvation, our hope for all eternity. Amen. much with it!)
"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.

Christianbook.comDaily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!

Personal Mission Statement
"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

Four Spiritual Laws

How to become a child of God



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.

© Copyright 2010 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved

Daily Encouragement Net
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552
Contact us

Chaplaincy logo
Endorsed chaplain

"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"

www.dailyencouragement.net

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday.  To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below.  However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!

 

You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com
Add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your email address book to ensure delivery
Forward to a Friend  |  Manage Subscription  |   Subscribe  |   Unsubscribe
Net Atlantic

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Daily Encouragement (12/29/10) "The Blessing Of Friendship"

Daily Encouragement Net -A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
Having trouble reading this message?  Read mobile edition online
RSS feed               Podcast feed
 Daily Encouragement Net Header
The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

<Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Friends relaxing at Raystown Lake
Two friends enjoying a quiet morning on Raystown Lake

ListenListen to this message on your audio player.

"The Blessing Of Friendship"

"Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven'" (Luke 5:18-20).

Bear hug between two friendsToday we would like to consider the theme of friendship. We both continue to make friends and some will become lasting friends, added to our collection. Others have been friends for a long time, the longest being Dave Simpson, Stephen's neighbor from first grade, whom he has stayed close to for over 50 years now.

The brief account recorded in our daily Scripture reading is such a vivid description of caring friends; the kind of friends we would like and indeed we do have.  It's also a colorful depiction of the kind of friend we want to be!

1) They had a friend with a need – These men were determined to do something about it. He was a paralytic and, although the degree of his paralysis is not specified, he was immobile so he had to be carried from place to place.  Will you consider today your friends that may be in need of some type. How can you help them?

2) They had a goal - They wanted to get their friend to Jesus.  Word was spreading concerning Jesus' ability to heal the sick.  These men had a goal to get their friend to Jesus where they believed he would receive healing. That should be our goal as well, to get people to Jesus.

3) They had obstacles – The healing service was likely in the daytime since they didn't travel in vehicles and nighttime would be very difficult,  They likely sacrificed some pay for taking off time from their day job.  They met up with a big crowd and a house with limited access. In one way or another it seems there are always obstacles of some sort. Genuine, lasting friendships are characterized by overcoming obstacles, one by one.

Jesus with the paralytic man being lowered through roof
4) They had innovative determination – In spite of the obstacles they made a way. I can just see these daring fellows (Mark's account specifies there were four, each presumably holding a corner of the mat). Surely they were throwing out wild ideas as to how they could get their friend through the mass so that he could be within the touch of the Master's hand. Perhaps one threw out the idea just for a joke, "Let's just cut a hole through the roof!"  Of course we don't know the circumstance but we do know that's just what they did. They lowered their friend down in the middle of the crowd right smack in front of Jesus. I wonder what the other people thought who had arrived earlier.  Did they feel like we do when a person crowds in front of us in a grocery line!

5) They had faith - But onto a more important and essential detail here: "When Jesus saw their faith."  Note the plural pronoun, "their faith".  These men had faith that their friend would receive help from Jesus and he did!  We are so thankful for friends who have instructed and encouraged us in our journey of faith.

6) They had a caring Savior - A wonderful verse states, "Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). What a powerful assurance that we always have a caring Savior in Jesus!

We hope you have lots of friends like these.  We are sure thankful for each of our friends. There are times when we simply do not have enough faith that God will intervene in a matter.  We are so grateful that we can enlist others to pray for us when we're in the midst of the "blues" of a difficult circumstance.  Their faith is a source of encouragement to us and it strengthens us when we are weak, whether emotionally, physically or spiritually or sometimes all of the above!

In the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" I'm always touched at the end when George Bailey receives the note from Clarence reminding him, "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."  That's so true. What a blessing to have friends!


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Thankful manDaily prayer: Father, we are grateful that Jesus is the High Priest who hears our prayers, knows of our troubles and intercedes on our behalf.  But there are times when we are in need of the compassion of a caring friend; one who will pray, listen, lend support, and interject thoughts or experiences that help us to bear our troublesome burdens.  They do not sit in judgment, but instead they respond to our need, whether it's emotional, spiritual or physical.  Thank you for caring friends who bear with us, lift us up out of despair, and help us discover solutions that we, by ourselves, cannot find.  Help me to be that kind of friend, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Personal note: As our internet ministry has grown through the years the majority of our readers of this encouragement series is not personally known to us. Most have signed up on the web page or perhaps after a forwarded message they received.  Others know about us due to our 1 minute weekly radio broadcast or after reading about our web ministry in a news article.  However there are so many of you that we have personally met and know. You are part of churches we served, business associates, relatives, chaplaincy contacts, fellow pastors and missionaries.  You're all our friends and we thank you for being that.  It's amazing how many people you meet through life's journey and each one has something to offer.  If you think about it it's the same for you!




Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Click on the link to open and play.
(In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.)

"Old Friends"  Video  Bill Gaither and his many friends (more than a few who are now with the Lord!)

"The Cares Chorus"  Video  Kelly Willard  A great song reminding us of God's care for us.

"I Must Tell Jesus"  Video  Candi Staton  This song always blesses me and I suppose I recalled the line, "He is a kind, compassionate Friend."

"Friends"  Video  Michael W. Smith  
Each church we served had this song sung during our farewell (in 1993 when we moved on from northern PA and again in 2001 when we left New England to move to Lancaster County). Thankfully we have many friends from each of these churches to this day and have collected many more along the way!

"Old Friends"  Video  
Growing up in the sixties in the Kansas City area, I enjoyed listening to Roger Miller songs along with my dad when we were in his work truck. He had a 65 Blue Chevy truck with "E.C. Weber and Sons" on each side even though my two older brothers had left home by then and I wasn't old enough to drive! This is not a spiritual song but has an interesting sentiment. I can still recall the old men sitting out on the benches visiting with one another in front of city hall in Belton Missouri, the little town I grew up in.

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.
2010 Weber family Christmas photo
"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!"

Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 10/21/10)

DonateEach weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 12/28/10 $18,734.00.

We thank all who support our online ministry. You may contribute online or through mail. Note: In order to receive 2010 giving credit gifts must be received by December 31 so I can account to my chaplaincy credentialling agency by that date.  (They issue the official receipt.)


SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Free email subscriptionWere you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net?  If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.

Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)


Weekly Version:
The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.


Reader Survey:  Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here.

Please feel free to pass these messages on!


Our other blogs:
"A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message!
"A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!)
"Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't doneFather, unlike typical birth announcements that announce to others the birth of a child to its mother and father, the glorious pronouncement heralded by the angels was that the Christ Child was born to all   people for all generations. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” We have been given the gift of salvation through the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior. Thank You for the free will given to us that allows us to reject or receive this "Jesus, who is called Christ." When given the choice we like Peter respond, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." We go to the Rock of our salvation, our hope for all eternity. Amen. much with it!)
"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.

Christianbook.comDaily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!

Personal Mission Statement
"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

Four Spiritual Laws

How to become a child of God



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.

© Copyright 2010 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved

Daily Encouragement Net
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552
Contact us

Chaplaincy logo
Endorsed chaplain

"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"

www.dailyencouragement.net

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday.  To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below.  However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!

 

You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com
Add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your email address book to ensure delivery
Forward to a Friend  |  Manage Subscription  |   Subscribe  |   Unsubscribe
Net Atlantic