| RSS feed xml Podcast feed  A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.  Listen to these messages · Easy read/printMonday, January 1, 2007  Puckett Cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Virginia. "Ever Trustworthy" "And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years" (Genesis 1:14). Joyous Greetings this first day of January in the New Year, 2007. May each of you have a wonderful New Year! In our area (perhaps others, including your own) communities imitate the dropping of the ball in New York City and personalize it with an item that reflects their own town. A dill pickle is dropped in nearby Dillsburg, a huge roll of Lebanon bologna is dropped in Lebanon north of us. They make Mars candy in Elizabethtown (one town over) and last night, as we drove through E-town, we saw a crowd gathered around a large candy bar ready to drop from the extension ladder of a fire truck! In this first daily encouragement message of 2007 I want to reflect upon the faithfulness of God in the cosmic realm as we embark upon another year of seeking to fulfill God's purpose for our lives. I desire that this bring rich assurance that can be both immediately applied and also placed in reserve for the inevitable challenges ahead. To better understand and appreciate God's blessings one must endure the unavoidable difficulties that are certain to come. From our perspective there are particular uncertainties ahead, whether it be in our own life or family or on a broader scale such as national and international. I want to encourage readers by examining an aspect of God's incredible steadfastness and unwavering faithfulness so fitting to ponder today. From the very beginning of creation God ordained the year as a time unit. Along with days and seasons these are the three time units ordained by God at creation. All three are related to the creative work of God on the fourth day. The annual unit represents the precise time it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun a single time. This time unit, along with the earth's rotation marking days and movement on its axis marking the seasons, has been absolutely fixed since the fourth day of Creation. What an incredible statement to express God's faithfulness! Indeed, "Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love." As the new year of 2007 begins there are those of you reading this who are dealing with vacillating circumstances. This should remind us of our fundamental need to place our trust in God because He who has fixed the "sun, moon and stars in their courses above" also loves and cares deeply for us today. Though all may change Jesus never will, for He is ever trustworthy! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Yesterday, today, and forever You are the faithful, changeless One, Father. Your works in the past declare Your majesty, power, and provision for our lives. Your presence today steadies our walk as You lead us in the paths of righteousness. Your future blessings are waiting to be unfolded in our lives as we faithfully yield to You our heart, soul, and mind. We look to You for everything we need for life and godliness in this present age as we await Your soon return. Even so come, Lord Jesus! Amen. Note from Brooksyne: Sometimes it can sound redundant and very much like a cliché to say "Have a wonderful new year" but it comes from our hearts this first day of the year. This common greeting at the beginning of a new year does not necessarily mean that we're expecting each of you to have a problem-free year. Not at all! The marvel of following Christ and the rich blessing of walking with Him is knowing that He will grow and stretch us in our faith and develop desirable character traits as we encounter various trials, losses, changes, and disappointments. We first posted a link to this the Friday before Christmas and many of you have already opened it but since some have been off schedule we will post this note through this week as well. Here's our annual family Christmas letter. It's probably longer than it should be and we also included some of our favorite photos from the year. (It will take awhile to open if you have a dial-up connection) Read pdf or Listen to Brooksyne read it (audio mp3)  Ken is a very colorful man in our local church with a wholesome sense of humor and a real heart to serve others. It's the custom in our smaller country church to make announcements publicly before the worship service begins and yesterday Ken stood up with his toolbox as a prop. I supposed he was going to announce a men's workday as he was taking inventory out loud of several tools he had in his toolbox. But he sure surprised the congregation when he said, "Come July my wife told me I'll need to begin using these tools" as he pulled out a disposable diaper and baby bottle. It was the official announcement of him and Nila expecting their first baby.   As we prepared today's message Brooksyne recalled a hymn we both enjoy titled, "Yesterday, Today, Forever", which many of you old-timers will recall. In my search for the song to share I came across this wonderful locally written song with the same title. Audio mp3 Song lyrics and background. |
| ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION  Each weekday Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all around the world. Would you please help us continue this encouragement ministry? As an expression of appreciation for your support we are offering our "Encouragement" screensaver, a selection of photos with accompanying Scriptures, along with our desktop collection with each offering (available either as download or CD.) See here for details.Personal Ministry Update Join: To receive this free "Daily Encouragement" e-mail devotional use our form. New subscribers receive a link to free computer desktop background photos with Scriptures! Here's the welcome letter that comes with new subscriptions. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link at the very bottom. (To change addresses cancel old address and then join again using new address.) Contact us Please feel free to pass this message on!  The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" (Click on photo to enlarge) 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." 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552  |
