A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Monday, August 6, 2012  Saturday we passed this barn south of Nappanee Indiana and noted the vibrant clinging Trumpet Vine in passing. We turned the van around and went back to take some photos.  Listen to this message on your audio player."Generations" "Generations come and generations go" (Ecclesiastes 1:4). An old barn is representative of passing generations. Take a look at the barn in our photo today. 100 years ago or more a farmer built the barn. In that area especially (northern Indiana) he was more than likely a Christian. Perhaps after the barn was constructed he had an open house and gave thanks for God's provision. Through the years it had lots of activity; storing equipment, housing livestock, and stockpiling hay, maybe hosting harvest festivals. His children, grandchildren and succeeding generations likely played in the barn, especially up in the loft. Now it still stands but just barely!  Today we are at Delavan Lake in southeastern Wisconsin for our annual Steincross reunion, which now consists of my cousins from my mom's side and their descendants. The reunions have been held for many years, although when my grandparents, George Washington and Nellie Mae Steincross were living I don't recall calling them reunions. Every year the aunts and uncles planned a weekend together on the Farm in southwest Missouri where we ate our meals together, adults visited and the children played together. At bedtime pallets of blankets were laid on the floor where the children slept. Just as there is wall to wall carpeting in homes, we were wall to wall cousins. That was my childhood and I continue to cherish those special memories!When my grandparents died in the early seventies my Uncle Gentry, their oldest child and only son, initiated an intentional effort beginning in 1975 for his siblings (6 sisters) to gather annually so the family would stay connected. Now that entire generation is gone and the now aging grandchildren (my generation) are continuing the reunion tradition. In January our oldest cousin passed away. Truly, "Generations come and generations go." Based upon the forty-year generation cycle there have been some 75 generations that have come and gone since King Solomon wrote the words of our daily text. Indeed generations come and go. When you're young you think you'll never get old; when you're middle-aged, as I am now, you know better. You realize just how fast life passes by. Reunions are beneficial for a number of reasons but let's focus on just one today: They're a reminder of how temporary life really is, how fast it goes by, and the need to place a focus on what really matters. Today I encourage you to examine your roots and your destination. Generations come and generations go. You have come and you are most certainly going. We are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (see James 4:14). In Max Lucado's book, "When Christ Comes", he describes a perspective of what happens when the Lord returns. It ends with a grand vision of the Lord's second coming and an emphasis that in light of that glorious coming event everything else pales in comparison. Let us stay faithful today to that which really does matter! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Your mercy endures to all generations. Your truths are timeless and Your provisions are abundant to those who call upon your name. Help us to declare Your faithfulness to our own generation and to the generations that follow. Thank you for our ancestors who proclaimed Your faithfulness to their children who in turn passed on spiritual truths to us. And we now have the blessing and responsibility of proclaiming Your faithfulness to our children. Generation by generation we proclaim the salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen."Brooksyne's note: Over the past 125 years, by God's grace, my family has been a part of a godly generation. I serve the God of my great grandfather Isaac, my grandfather Elbert, and my father Brooklyn Sherrell. And now I have proclaimed the faithfulness of God to our daughter, Ester, so that she will be the fifth generation to call upon the one true God. My ancestors were not rich in material things. In fact they were very poor in material goods. But a man's wealth is not determined by the treasures he holds here on earth. His wealth is determined by the treasures he holds in heaven. Some of our travel photos  From the side of the barn facing the farm house our lead photo looks pretty old but still standing and functional. However see below for the other side!  On Friday afternoon we met with Bruce and Paulette Strine, who have served as company chaplains over the past couple years at a Val-Co plant in Coldwater, Ohio. We've served as chaplains at Val-Co in our area for over five years and had only met the Strines through email and phone. It was nice to finally visit and tour the Ohio plant with them, although it was very hot (a 99 degree day)!  Ken, a friend of ours, suggested we stop by Winona Lake Indiana, a recreational area and home to Billy Sunday, an evangelist who served the Lord about 100 years ago. We drove by his home (now a museum) but it was not open.  Stephen relaxed in this super-size chair, which swallows up his 200 pound+ frame. This is a pop-up chair sized for a Goliath (or maybe just a fun joke on Father's Day for when you have a gathering in the back yard.)  Saturday evening we dined at the Weber Grill (no relation) near Chicago Illinois. We thought about asking to borrow the giant grill that was simply sitting outside not being used. It would have come in handy for a BBQ meal for the nearly 60 relatives we would see the next day. But we figured our name being Weber wouldn't carry enough weight to pursue that question. Don't think it would fit in the van either.  Our server took a photo of the excited Webers as our meal was delivered from the famous Weber Grill restaurant. We met the manager earlier when we were outside waiting for a table. It was nearly an hour later when we were seated. It was kind of fun to have the manager greet us as we walked in, "Hello Mr. Weber" he said with a smile.  Brooksyne and I had the delicious BBQ brisket!  Here's the other side of our Nappanee Indiana barn photo! I think it's had its better days! Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resource Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber Our 36th anniversary photo (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 4/12)  Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider supporting Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 8/2/12: $9,571.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry!SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  Were 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. These messages are 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. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.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!) (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. 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, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2012 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us  Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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