Daily Encouragement (06/14/10) "Remembering Our Roots"

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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us ·· Podcast · Free email <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition Monday, June 14, 2010 Rural scene in central New York Listen to this message on your audio player. "Remembering Our Roots" "Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past" (Deuteronomy 32:7). Late Thursday afternoon I drove our Amish friends to central New York for a visit with their relatives.  Due to Brooksyne's severe reaction to poison ivy she was unable to make the trip.  To get a feel of the area Ester and I went to the Farmer's Museum near Cooperstown, New York.  We experienced a bit of "living history" as I spoke to a blacksmith, pharmacist and others who explained how life was lived in the mid 1800's in a rural village in upstate New York. I enjoy living museums that takes historical documentation and brings it to life both orally and visually in the form of a townspeople who bring a community to life during a different time period. When living in New England we often visited Old Sturbridge Village.  In a sense we also experienced a form of living history as we stayed with the Amish group in a very rural setting over a couple of days. Being accustomed all my life to having electricity it took some mental and physical adjustment to acclimate myself to living as people did in past generations. (A fuller account of our visit follows today's message.) That brings to mind a long sermon Moses preached just prior to his death and just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership.  In fact Bible commentators consider the book of Deuteronomy to be a single message.  In Bible College we were required to read all 34 chapters of the book in one sitting to get the feel of it being a sermon rather than a book divided into chapters. In today's text Moses gives two commands: "Remember the days of old."  Our roots are so important. I believe this verse refers to a recollection of how God has worked in the past as recorded in the Scriptures. In the specific context it likely refers to the history we read of up through that time in the Bible and more recent history for those people such as their long 40 year sojourn in the wilderness.  But it also has an application for our own walk with the Lord and our own "days of old". As we look upon our individual past it is important to consider the milestones in which the Lord has brought us along on our earthly pilgrimage. "Consider the generations long past." The people of God had a powerful oral history with accounts carefully passed down from generation to generation. Since Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) all we have recorded prior to his commissioning was passed down orally or by divine revelation.  We now have the benefit of the Holy Bible and thousands of years of inspired written material.  We need to consider each one of these generations and learn from their example, both good and bad. Each of us has roots. Some memories that co-exist with these roots are pleasant while others are not. But as we look back we see God's faithfulness in His provision, His direction, and His tender care. This gives us a faith lift for the situations we are currently facing and the various uncertainties that may come to us from many different directions. May the Lord help each of us to see the presence of His hand along our earthly journey till we enter the Promised Land. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, as we consider the days of old we see Your faithful hand guiding us along life's pathway, in our own lives and in the generations that precede us.  Deliverance from our sins, provision for our every need and guidance for our every step keeps us firmly anchored like a tree planted by streams of water. Keep us faithful and trusting until we cross over to the Promised Land.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. For those who may be interested these are some photos and reflections of our experience with the Amish this last weekend. I helped the men out in loading the hay loft in the barn with hay. The first summer of our marriage in 1976 I worked for a hay bucking crew in Southwest Missouri and handled thousands of bales like this over several months! That was when I was young, strong, and very healthy! Since the Amish don't drive they rent vans and hire drivers to take them on long trips but I did this as a token of our friendship. We took a full van up with seven adults and seven children. We left Thursday afternoon and got up to the settlement in New York about 11:00 PM. We saw the gas lanterns in the home slowly come on as the family awoke to greet us. They had a guest cabin that Ester and I slept in but it didn't have electricity of course so it was quite an adventure. They did provide us with a gas lantern.  It was rural farmland where many of the farms are abandoned or dilapidated. However it's very good cropland and the Amish are restoring the land in their characteristic diligence.  Lancaster County Amish are moving to new settlements due to overcrowding and high land prices here in Lancaster County. Friday morning we had breakfast with 22 around the table, including the family of eight we stayed with. It was quite a meal and there's just something about being in the country air that seems to make you extra hungry!  After breakfast Ester and I made a special excursion to nearby Cooperstown NY. Some of you can imagine what we went to see! (We'll share more about that tomorrow.) Friday evening they wanted to go see a new family that had just moved up from Lancaster County so we piled 22 people in the van and excitedly drove (slowly and carefully) through the country roads to see them. These folks just love to visit with one another; men with men, children playing energetically outdoors with one another and the ladies together looking at flowers or working in the kitchen. Saturday morning at breakfast they talked excitedly about wanting to go and see what they called the "Nebraska Amish", a group that is more conservative in regard to their lifestyle than the Lancaster Amish, who comparitively are more modern and are probably looked on by the Nebraska Amish as "liberal". I ended up taking the men so the kids could stay home and play. We crossed the Mohawk River and entered into the Nebraska Amish settlements in an area interestingly known as "Stone Arabia" (which they got a kick out of referring to it as Saudi Arabia) Note: I am quite sure there are no Amish in Saudi Arabia. We were not disappointed. Their homes were much plainer than the Amish in Lancaster County and they had what seemed even to my Amish friends some rather peculiar religious and lifestyle customs.  The men looked out the van as we slowly drove through the area with the same wide-eyed inquisitiveness as someone from New Jersey driving through their settlements in Lancaster County! One of their most interesting restrictions is that they don't believe in having any refrigeration on the farm whereas the Lancaster Amish run generators to keep their milk cool.  So they only milk about ten cows and place the milk in old-fashioned milk cans and then drive the milk in a horse and buggy to a nearby community tank maintained by the milk co-op. At one point Moses, the most senior member of the group, said, "I would sure like to get out and take a picture of this." I said, "Moses, what I would like is a picture of you taking that picture!"  Moses is one year younger than me but has eight children and 23 grandchildren (all under age 10)!  His wife passed away this last winter so he is going through a major life transition. We sure enjoyed visiting with one another. We had plenty of humorous moments. As we drove through the area we thought we had passed the last house in the settlement when we saw some horse emissions on the road, indicating a horse and buggie was ahead of us. One of the young fellows suggested jumping out of the van and seeing if the emission was still warm! We left about 2:30 on Saturday afternoon for the long drive back to Pennsylvania. The kids were amazingly good travelers and were so excited about stopping at the "Flying J" truck stop, which apparently is their custom. All along the way they kept talking about the "Flying J". with the same degree of excitement as many English kids would about going to Disney World! We actually ate at a McDonalds next to the truck stop after fueling up and the kids feasted. By the time we got them home and then dropped off the rental van and trailer and returned home Saturday evening it was about 11:00. It was sure good to sleep at home even after just two nights on the road! Ester rode an Amish scooter. The Amish use these to get around on rather than bicycles. I like the look of an old red barn and open hay loft! The farmland is beautiful with lush green forests right up to the pasture. With my interest in photography it's hard for me not to take or show photos of the people. But in sensitivity to their customs I will not use any photo in which the face might be recognizable.  However the mothers requested I take a photo of their kids so they could remember what their children looked like when they were little, something I am occasionally requested to do. I took this photo of the children playing on a hay wagon from the hay loft. They played hour after hour, making forts and hiding places with the hay bales, and were as happy as could be. Please take me home! (One of two Australian cattle dog puppies left from a litter of eight) Ester took this charming photo! Chihuahua puppies The kids just loved playing with these puppies! Brooksyne's Note:  If I were to show photos of my three days while Stephen and Ester were in New York it certainly would not be as colorful or interesting.  Poison Ivy doesn't make for pretty pictures. Thanks to all who sent suggestions, well wishes and prayers.  I finally went to the doctor on Friday, 8 days after the rash started.  He told me I had a severe reaction to the Ivy and prescribed prednisone.  It is working for which I am very thankful. 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.)  "When Its All Been Said And Done"  Video  Robin Mark "Faithful One"  Video  Selah The Farmer's Museum Information about the Amish in Stone Arabia, New York. Based on my research I don't think they were actually the Nebraska Amish, but another group. I suspect that my friends used the term Nebraska Amish in a generic sense to describe Amish groups apart from their own. Here's an interesting article. Location in New York state where this Amish settlement is (Google map) Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Each 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 6/13/10 $6,198.00 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. This newsletter is never sent 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 merely the Friday 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. Daily 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." 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 Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

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Daily Encouragement (06/10/10) "In All This"

Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us ·· Podcast · Free email <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition Thursday, June 10, 2010 We passed this colorful carriage in front of a gift shop in Lancaster County, PA Listen to this message on your audio player. "In All This" "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing" (Job 1:22). Brooksyne and I are both currently suffering from a bad reaction to Urushiol oil, better known as the active ingredient in poison ivy.  Last week we were clearing some brush in our backyard and without realizing it came into contact with the poison ivy plant. I have a mild poison ivy rash on my arms. Brooksyne has it much worse with the rash on her arms, face and legs. Any of you who have ever had poison ivy are aware of the intense itching associated with it. In bad cases of ivy poison I identify (to a small extent) with Job's suffering. The Scripture records that in trying to find relief from his skin disease (boils) he "took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes" (Job 2:8). This makes me wonder if Job's affliction included severe itching!  In fact I brought in a shard of broken pottery to Brooksyne; she chuckled, thought about it for a second but didn't use it. I've had poison ivy many times before, beginning as a kid on a Boy Scout campout as I recall.  I sensed when I was weeding I was into some and went in to wash off my arms and face but apparently not soon enough. Brooksyne on the other hand didn't get a poison ivy rash until she was a junior in college. She has a memory from childhood of seeing a patch of poison ivy near the neighborhood pond that her family swam in each summer.  The children were warned about the poison ivy, but still some of the family members would get it and then be pampered or their work load on the farm was lightened due to their irritable rash.  Foolishly Brooksyne sat in the patch on a number of occasions when no one was around thinking if she got the rash she too would get out of work.  But interestingly she never did get it. (She certainly has a different perspective about "the rash" now and would quickly say,  work is much more appealing than itching.) However, we are aware that this present affliction, however uncomfortable, will soon pass and that in several days we both expect to be back to normal. We wonder how we would feel if we had no idea if and when we might get relief from this affliction. Consider God's servant Job. Of course his suffering was much, much greater than ours.  He lost his wealth, his children, his health, his important position in Uz.  As if that weren't enough he also endured a nagging wife throughout his horrible ordeal! Throughout the book he had no idea how long he would suffer or if he would ever get relief.  Yet he continued to place his faith in God and of course was eventually vindicated. What a powerful perspective of steadfast faith is expressed in the daily text, "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." Some of you are facing situations where you just don't see the way out. Whether it's a health matter, marital conflict, loneliness or any other seemingly hopeless situation, the book of Job teaches us that there is divine activity taking place that we don't always see and that God will in His time make a way. He will do the same for you.  Keep trusting God today even in the midst of your affliction. "In all this" (whatever the "this" is) God will prove Himself dependable and will work things out "for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Lord, I realize today that many of my brothers and sisters are going through some very hard times. Some of them are in what seems like a dark tunnel of despair and they do not see any light at the end. That sure was a way Job might have felt. Renew our assurance today of your steadfast love and care even in the midst of our trial. Send means of hope and encouragement today to uplift us in our faith. May we, by faith, see that glorious light that is always at the end of the tunnel. Amen. Poison Ivy remedy/preventive:  The other day we were discussing Brooksyne's serious outbreak of poison ivy with some friends. One shared a story when he was child and his mother repeatedly got poison ivy from milking the cows. (The cows had apparently walked through a patch and gotten the oil on their udders. Two summers ago Brooksyne caught ivy from our dog Roxie who had run through a patch and afterward jumped up on her.) Anyway my friend told us that his mother made a sandwich and put poison ivy leaves in the middle in an apparent attempt to overcome the allergy should she come across it again.  Whether this was the reason or not only God knows, but she never had poison ivy again!  Note: Please consult professional advice before eating a poison ivy sandwich!  We've also been told there are side affects, so beware. A note from a reader: Yesterday we shared about the experience a non-Mennonite had in an older order Mennonite church service. A reader who is a member of one of these churches sent the following note with additional clarification (interesting to read her perspective) and gave me her permission to share it: I am a member of a 'Horning' Mennonite Church, and I read with interest the note from a reader in your message. I wanted to clarify a few things (from my perspective) about what was written. It was interesting to hear what a visitor's perceptions might be. It has been the custom for the young boys to come into the church house after the singing has already begun in a Sunday morning service. But they are encouraged to enter before the singing starts and that has been the norm at a lot of the congregations nowadays. The elder that was referred to as walking back and forth and glaring, was probably an usher making sure everyone had a place to sit, as the sanctuary is usually pretty well filled by that time. Also, texting during services is highly discouraged. (Note from Stephen: As it should be in all church services!) You might be aware of this, but another clarification. The official name of the Horning group is Weaverland Conference Mennonites, and the Old Order Horse and Buggy Mennonites official name is Groffdale Conference. Both groups are considered Old Order though, and the Weaverland Conference group has been commonly referred to as Hornings in years past. The Groffdale Conference group are often called Wengers or Horse and Buggy Mennonites. The Black Bumper name has all but disappeared, because while the cars are still required to be painted black, the bumpers are not, except for those members who are ordained to the ministry. I don't know if you will want to publish this, or not, but I thought maybe it would help to bring clarity to a few of the things that were written. Although as I mentioned, everyone views life and it's experiences differently.  I enjoy your messages, and usually read them every day. Our dog Roxie sure enjoys making trips with us and seems to be smiling in this photo! 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.)  "God Will Make A Way"  Video  Don Moen "Blessed Be Your Name"  Video  This song, which many of us have sung is based at least in part on Job's experience. "It Will Be Worth It All"  Video  This is not the version I was looking for but is a powerful expression of faith. "It Will Be Worth It All"  Video  Another version I have never heard before with beautiful acapella singing!  This is followed by the version I am familiar with. "It Will Be Worth It All"  Video  An instrumental version of the song I was initially searching for.  And finally I found a vocal version!  Video "It's Gonna Be Worth It"  Video   "Trust His Heart"  Video   Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Each 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 6/9/10 $6,138.00 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. This newsletter is never sent 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 merely the Friday 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. Daily 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." 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 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!

 

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Daily Encouragement (06/09/10) "Genuine Faith"

Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us ·· Podcast · Free email <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition Wednesday, June 9, 2010 Harvest View Yesterday we passed a number of beautiful farm scenes and I liked the various color contrasts in this scene due to the barley harvest (yellow field in center), although the photo really doesn't do it justice! Listen to this message on your audio player. "Genuine Faith" "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:6,7). Last night we went to a minister's picnic near Carlisle, Pennsylvania and enjoyed the pulled pork from a freshly roasted pig in addition to all the other side dishes and desserts that were brought! We visited with Harold Crosby, a longtime friend and mentor, in our ministry. I first met Harold shortly after moving to Pennsylvania when Brooksyne and I planted a church in 1977. He is a zealous servant of Christ and at nearly 94 he's slowed down a bit but still demonstrates the qualities of earnest faith. He excitedly told us that he just read through the Bible (again) within the past seven months. My most poignant memory of Harold took place shortly after I met him. I sat right behind him in a council meeting shortly after his first wife died and he was so emotionally distraught that he freely expressed his feelings of loss to the ministers present. But he went on, living by faith, and God sent him another wonderful mate in due time. Now over thirty years later his wife, Liz, is in a nursing home and he goes every morning to visit with her. They share devotions and pray together during his morning visits. He still lives in the very home he has lived in for nearly fifty years. Although he has his family and many friends nearby it's a hard phase in his bonus years. His faith is being proved genuine as he continues to trust God to watch over him and Liz and their daily needs in addition to the unexpected challenges they will inevitably face. Brooksyne has been memorizing the daily text (actually 1 Peter 1:3-9) and in the process I hear her repeating the verses aloud as she goes about her work or as we travel in the car. We are also sharing it in the course of our pastoral and chaplain care duties and it's a portion I seem to be learning by osmosis! This morning I awoke with the phrase, "your faith – of greater worth than gold" which kept going over and over in my mind. Indeed what a blessing it is to have faith which is far greater than any material possession we might own, including gold that has great value in part due to its extensive and extreme purifying process! The apostle Peter writes to all believers through the sacred Scriptures in the daily text: "For a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." I am sure there are common types of trials that we share today that are similar to the early recipients of this letter. They also endured trials specifically related to their time period of which we cannot relate. Trials do not appear to be distributed equally. Some sure seem to deal with trials more than others. I just got off the phone with Joe, a longtime friend, whose wife will have a lung transplant today. Joe is keeping his faith and believing God will see his wife through this very critical surgery. But I am gripped with the phrase in the daily text, "these have come" referring to "all kinds of trials." The Apostle Peter goes on to explain their purpose, "so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." The trials that come our way have a purpose and we can be assured that all we endure through trial is under God's control. Today I know some of you are going through an extensive trial and at times you are very discouraged. A sermon Charles Spurgeon once preached reminds us of the value of trials: "Expect trial, also, because trial is the very element of faith. One cannot be sure that faith is true faith until it is tried faith. It is not worth having till it has been fitly tested and brought to the touchstone of trial." This testing of our faith is difficult but necessary. May the Lord fill our hearts today with assurance of His steadfast love and care, so that we may indeed "greatly rejoice" even in the midst of our trial. Remember, above all and through all, God is proving the sincerity of our faith. Let us not resent the refining process as we prove the genuineness and depth of our faith. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, in our trials we can greatly rejoice when we remember that you are giving us opportunity to prove the sincerity of our faith.  We have living hope that is not diminished by trial but grows with anticipation as we contemplate our eternal inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for us as it is shielded by Your power.  As our faith is proven genuine we bring praise, glory, and honor to Jesus and we learn to exercise and grow the fruit of endurance in our lives.  Be glorified in and through us.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen. Yesterday we stopped by Messiah Village, a nursing home near Harrisburg, and visited for awhile with Naomi Wolgemuth. Naomi is always pleased to see us and introduces us to her many friends, over and over stating, "This is my pastor and his wife." Naomi had a very interesting ministry for many years that we will hope to write about in a coming daily encouragement message. For fifty years she planted flowers in front of her home on a bank along a well-travelled road that had an inspirational message! That reminds me of an appeal I meant to make yesterday to my fellow pastors who read this material. Visit your shut-ins.  Although we serve as chaplains in a nursing home and find it is a rewarding form of ministry we do not replace the connection the residents desire to have with their pastor and friends from their home church. Yet I regularly hear from these people that they do not receive visits from their pastors and they feel feel forgotten by their church friends. However, let me recall and honor, Bob Malick, a pastor in my community I would regularly see sitting and patiently visiting with a member of his church even though the man was in a state of dementia.  That man has since passed on. See Hebrews 6:10 On the way to our picnic we stopped by to visit Joe and Jesse Carroll, who now live in Carlisle, PA. They were in an interim church we served several years ago near Harrisburg. For many years Joe served with faithfulness and integrity as the treasurer of the church.  They are a gracious couple with a deep love for each other and the Lord.  It's a blessing that we can still stay connected through daily encouragement net! We received this note from a reader in response to yesterday's message on an Amish Youth Hymn Sing: I have friends in Pennsylvania who are Old Order Mennonite and recently the father built a large structure on their farm for the specific reason of holding these youth singings.  (He has 9 daughters and two sons!) I was there in April and although my friends are Old Order, one of them, a local teacher, accompanied me to a Horning Mennonite Church. The Horning group, as you probably know, are also called Black Bumper Mennonites as they drive cars that are black only. I also have a white van, so I know what it feels like to pull up in such a contrasting color! (Although it is better than red, I suppose). Anyhow, the Hornings share a church building with the Old Orders and also wear plain clothing. What was interesting, but a little odd, was that at the end of the first hymn all the young men came literally trooping in making a lot of noise as they made their way to their seats. An elder, got up and paced in front of the area where the young men sit and gave them glaring looks. I suppose this is a regular occurrence that the church has not put a stop to yet. What I did notice was that during the service, one or two plain dressing boys were text messaging their friends!!! It was such an unusual sight. Anyhow, the sermon was in English which was good since my German is rusty. Oh, and I also forgot to turn off my cell phone and had to do it quietly less the ring interrupt the service. That would not have been good! Stephen's note: We have also attended Horning Mennonite church services on several occasions and that is the faith of our neighbors. This summer we will be attending their daughter's wedding and will probably have the only white van in the parking lot (again)!  I also have a friend who is a Horning Mennonite minister who demonstrates an earnest faith in Christ. Also, I regularly visit with Elvin, a man who is in the Mennonite group that still uses horse and buggies, and have a standing invitation to attend his church. He told me the services were normally in German but that if I came the preacher would speak in English. Here's a photo I took one Sunday morning as I passed the meeting house. 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.)  "Living By Faith"  Video  This old hymn came to mind as I prepared today's message. "Wrap Me In Your Arms"  Video  Last night at the picnic I visited with Kristian Walker, a local Christian musician, we have appreciated for a number of years.  He sings an outstanding song I have never heard apart from his version titled "God Is In Control" that would have fit so well with today's message but I was unable to find an online version. "Our God Is In Control"  Video  I did come across this very thoughtful song by Steven Curtis Chapman, who has kept faith through the very mysterious death of his young daughter.  This song was written from his heart following that event.   "Revelation Song"  Video  Another song sung by the Kristian Walker Band. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Each 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 6/8/10 $6,138.00 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. This newsletter is never sent 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 merely the Friday 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. Daily 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." 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 Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

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