Daily Encouragement (09/27/10) "Turning Downtimes into Uptimes"

Daily Encouragement Net

A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

Trouble reading this message?  Read online or see archives

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, September 27, 2010 Union Mill Acres near Mount Joy, PA Listen to this message on your audio player. "Turning Downtimes Into Uptimes" "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (Philippians 4:11). We were visiting with a friend Saturday night who had a very serious and painful injury at work this last spring. He is recovering slowly and will not return to work for quite some time. This is hard for him as a responsible person with a strong work ethic and it led us into a discussion regarding how he is handling his "downtime". By nature more a doer than a reader he shared how he has been spending more time in the Bible and reading books that are challenging him to grow in his Christian walk. In the providence of God we will all have periodic "downtimes" in life. We are not referring here to emotional ups and downs (which is another topic altogether), but rather those seasons when our busy routine is interrupted and circumstances, beyond our control, slow our pace of life. The Apostle Paul was an active man; vigorously persecuting Christians in the New Testament church prior to his conversion. Luke paints the picture of a ruthless zealot in the following verses: "Saul began ravaging the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison " (Acts 8:3).  "Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord…" (Acts 9:1). Only through a miraculous encounter with God could Saul's venomous, hate-filled messages of death turn into positive, life-giving messages of salvation.  He was no longer motivated by hatred but motivated by love for mankind.  No longer an enemy of the disciples of Christ he became a co-worker in the cause for Christ. As a result of his remarkable conversion Saul became known as Paul. He remained very active, but he was now adding to the church instead of subtracting from it!  He traveled, establishing churches and testified for Christ wherever he found an open door. But then doors closed (seemingly) and because of his stand for Christ he was persecuted and imprisoned. Now on the receiving end of that which he dished out for years he was beaten and dragged into prison. We read of his imprisonments in Acts and at least three of his epistles were written from prison including Philippians. This must have been emotionally, spiritually and physically trying for him apart from the obvious discomforts and entrapments of a prison cell. Before his imprisonment Paul was constantly on the move.  He was an achiever and now his zeal for spreading the gospel message was confined to the four walls of a jail cell. Did he wallow in his despair and bitterly complain about how unfair life was?  Not from the writings do we detect any such attitude. Rather, a variety of Scriptures indicate that which Paul did in his "downtime": Paul along with Silas had been severely beaten, thrown into an inner cell and had their feet fastened in stocks in Philippi in his first imprisonment. After all this and at midnight they prayed and sang hymns to God. (Acts 16:25). They continued to witness for Christ. (Acts 16:31). Immediately following their release they encouraged others! (Acts 16:40). Paul chose contentment over resentment regardless of the circumstances. (Philippians 4:11). Unable to preach, apart from his interface with guards and prison inmates, he wrote letters! And these letters have become his greatest legacy as part of the Holy Scriptures for all generations to follow. Countless millions have found guidance, comfort, energy, forgiveness, wisdom, and spiritual growth through the inspired letters of Paul. A period of confinement may slow down our physical capacity, but it can also accelerate our spiritual capacity if we spend that extra time hearing from God; less time doing, and more time being fashioned into God's image.  These can be defining moments in the lives of sincere believers. Today we want to encourage any of our readers who may be going through a "downtime". God will use this experience in your life to grow you in ways that you would not expect.  Remember, nothing is impossible with God! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we are thankful that You are present in the daily routine of our lives but also in the quiet, seemingly inactive periods when we are forced to slow down, think more, and do less.  Your Spirit is at work in us as we invite You into the throne-rooms of our mind and into the recesses of our heart to shape us into Your likeness.   You take negative circumstances and make them work for our good.  We find great consolation in acknowledging that "all things work together for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose."  May Your intended purpose be achieved in our lives as we fully submit our circumstances to Your divine plan.  In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen. Added note from a news source:  Our message today is interesting in light of a report we just heard on the news concerning a growing problem in prisons. It seems cell phones are being smuggled into prison cells which allows prisoners to oversee criminal operations while still in prison! This is an example of using downtime for evil purposes.  There are untold numbers of prisoners who turn their lives over to God once they are confined and separated from the circumstances or co-conspirators who contributed to their wrong doing. Confinement can bring refinement if we consider it as a blessing rather than a curse. Ron Sipe, a friend of mine, made me a neat sword and placed Hebrews 4:12 on it as reminder.  See here for a larger photo. Union Mill Acres One of our favorite fall decoration spots is Union Mill Acres along Elizabethtown Road. In 2008 I shared several photos from our visit at that time. They have pumpkins and gourds of all colors and sizes. In the background you can see the equipment for making a new bridge over Little Chiques Creek, a project that seems to be taking longer than it took to make the Golden Gate Bridge! This is a small bridge over a small creek but you sure wouldn't know that by seeing the sign with mandatory posted messages for the several employees at the site! I like this view from the drive-through barn. (except for the soda machine) The Scottish Highland cattle enjoy eating the pumpkins deemed unsuitable for sale! 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.) "Praise You In The Storm"  Video  Casting Crowns "Be Glorified"  Video  Ron Kenoly "Godliness With Contentment"  Audio mp3  This is a song written and sung by Mike Book, a friend of ours. "Unshakable Christian Contentment"  An online teaching message For local readers: Union Mill Acres is here (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 9/26/10 $11,183.00 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 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. 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

Subscribe: To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see here.
To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.

Cancel:  To unsubscribe from this weekly version send a blank email from the subscribed address to this address.
(To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
717-492-9743
Daily Encouragement Net
http://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

Daily Encouragement (09/24/10) "We're Not Home Yet!"

Daily Encouragement Net

A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

Trouble reading this message?  Read online or see archives

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 Friday, September 24, 2010 Which is more like your earthly home? This mansion in Lancaster County, PA Or These homes in a flooded shanty town. Listen to this message on your audio player. "We're Not Home Yet!" "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). "But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). Today, let us begin with a moving story that took place about 100 years ago that makes us pause and consider where our home really is. An old missionary couple who had been working in Africa for many years returned to New York City to retire.  With no pension and broken in health, they were discouraged and somewhat fearful of the future. They happened to be booked on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt who was returning from a big-game hunting expedition.  They watched the passengers trying to glimpse the great man, the crew fussing over him, photographers flashing their oversized cameras… Back at the dock in New York locals squeezed into every available space, the band with their instruments positioned to break into celebratory music as the president departed the ship.  Yet the missionary couple who had given their all to reach the African people for Christ slipped off the ship completely unnoticed. That night, in a cheap flat they rented on the East Side, the man's spirit finally broke.  He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly."  His wife, no longer able to cope with his agitated spirit, suggested he go into the bedroom and speak to the Lord about that which he was feeling. A short time later he walked out of the bedroom with a brighter countenance.  His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?" "The Lord settled it with me," he said.  "I told him how bitter I was that the president should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one was present to meet us as we returned home.  And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'But you're not home yet!'" I ask you, "Are you home yet?"  Many of us live in a very nice home here on earth. Of course our houses vary greatly; some small and some large; some featuring the latest modern conveniences while others have no electricity or running water; houses ornate in their decor and those with flooring made from the solid brown earth. Given the variety of readers we have not just in America but throughout the world with access to the internet or those who receive these messages translated and in print I believe we have readers who live in all the above described home settings. We have little evidence or emphasis on the type of home Jesus lived in while on earth. Certainly His humble place of birth was a far cry from the birthing rooms/suites in hospitals today where comforts include fancy birthing beds, multi-media entertainment, and a steak dinner served to the couple celebrating the big event. During Jesus' childhood and early adult years He likely lived in a simple structure that would be far below the poverty level expectations, at least here in the US. During His ministry he made this statement, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20). We also don’t know what Paul's house looked like. Perhaps, prior to his conversion, he had an established home setting. But when he began serving Christ he traveled a lot and there's no Scripture that gives any indication of where he lived apart from the prison epistles! I would be hard-pressed to call a prison cell a home.  We also read of his stays with those of his co-workers such as Priscilla and Aquilla. He also spent a great deal of time aboard ships. We often hear or repeat the phrase, "Home is where your heart is", but Paul set his sights on an eternal setting not crafted with mortal hands.  He made the case for his citizenship in heaven being far more important than his Roman citizenship here on earth. (See Philippians 3:20). Our daily text has an interesting expression regarding Paul's thoughts about home, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).  Paul considered his real home to be with the Lord. Today we want to encourage our readers with this truth: "You're not home yet!"  Apply that wonderful truth to your present circumstance and I guarantee you will experience victory, no matter the challenge you face. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we too easily misplace our affections on that which lasts only a season, instead of that which is for eternity.  We thank you for our temporal dwellings; for the comforts they provide, for the joys we experience under our own roof.  And yet we look forward to a new day when we leave behind our perishable body here on earth and are promoted to our home with the Lord Jesus, where we will fully realize the worth of our heavenly citizenship.  We so look forward to a new heaven and earth where we will live among the righteous for all eternity.  And it's all because of Jesus, for which we give thanks!  Amen. A Slice Of Our Life Yesterday Yesterday afternoon following our chaplain visits we went to the Ephrata Fair, which closes off the Main Street going through town. At the fair we ate at the "The Lord's Fair Share" diner, a ministry of the Hinkletown Mennonite Church. Members of the church prepared and served the meals with all proceeds going to missions. We stopped and visited with Joe and Beulah Snavely, some new friends near Manheim, PA and took a tour of their farm. These horses had a special mask on to keep flies out of their eyes. They can see through the mesh but it makes for an interesting sight! I sure enjoy old barns, especially with the light filtering through the cracks in the roof! I am sure we have passed this church in Manheim, PA many times but yesterday this Scripture over the door especially blessed me. See Psalm 122:1 Brooksyne's Note:  I sat outside on the front porch this morning just getting ready to close my eyes in prayer, when all of a sudden, there was a loud whoosh in the density of the flowers in front of the porch.  Turns out a stray cat was hiding in the greens and, upon appearance of Roxie, it scrambled up the oak tree to safety.  Roxie got  excited thinking the cat was ready to play "Hide and Go Seek".  Of course the cat didn't understand that Roxie wanted to play, not fight. A close-up of the cat watching carefully so that she could make her great escape after Roxie leaves.  I put Roxie in the house and next thing I knew the cat was gone!   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.) "It Will Be Worth It All"  Video  This is not the version I was looking for but 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   The Ephrata Fair 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 9/23/10 $11,183.00 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 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. 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!

 

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

Daily Encouragement (09/23/10) "A Harvest Of Righteousness And Peace"

Daily Encouragement Net

A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

Trouble reading this message?  Read online or see archives

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, September 23, 2010 The view from inside a combine during corn harvest. Listen to this message on your audio player. "A Harvest Of Righteousness And Peace" "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:10,11). My neighbor Leon called and told me they were harvesting corn and then asked, "Would like to ride along on the combine?"  Leon knows how much I enjoy observing the harvest. I walked down to a field where the action was taking place. He had been at work all day and was weary but still had several hours before he would finish.  It's a blessing to witness a harvest and be reminded of the various Scripture portions that draw a parallel between this and the spiritual harvest. Among the clearest of Biblical mandates for a father is the discipline of his children. In fact the daily text presumes that readers had a knowledge and experience of a father's discipline. What a sign of our decadent times that so many children have never experienced this; way too many have never even met their father! Our heavenly Father also disciplines His children and we know at times His discipline (not to be confused with punishment) may certainly be unpleasant and may even be painful. The daily verse expresses a simple truth common to all of us.  Even a young child can attest to it: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful." The context draws a parallel between the discipline of a loving earthly father and that of our loving heavenly Father. The previous verse has a tremendous truth that we do well to settle deep in our hearts: "God disciplines us for our good."  There is an intentional purpose in God's design to bring about good results from His discipline.  This purposeful good result is "that we may share in His holiness."  But during the discipline it can sure be hard! "Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."  Especially note the two words "later on". "Later on" is unspecific as to the timing and this is what makes it so very hard. Many are waiting for that "later on" to come to pass but they don't know when.  In the Book of Galatians Paul shares this truth as well, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). But God's Word is sure and His promises are steadfast. "God disciplines us for our good."  Some of you are in the very midst of a discipline that is by no means pleasant. In fact you may be sensing the pain even as you read this message.  Perhaps you feel let down and are experiencing great disappointment.  You just can't figure out what God is up to in your life. You may even feel forsaken.  At this time you don't have any idea how your situation will ever work out.  (I've experienced all the above). Consider those words "later on" and the wonderful promise of God that follows.  Let it minister to your heart. Let it renew your hope and let it further encourage you to diligently wait for the "later on" to come to pass.  The promise is this: Our heavenly Father's discipline "produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we live in a world where "waiting" seems almost inconceivable for everyday needs. Because of marvelous technological breakthroughs we get instant mail, same day deliveries, immediate test results, meals in two minutes, and the list goes on and on.  But, Lord, You work in our lives day after day, year after year and season upon season.  We are promised eternal life if we place our trust in You, but the process of walking in obedience day after day doesn't always yield instant gratification.  Lord, You are developing fruit in our lives as we are in the waiting process.  We've seen faithfulness, self-control, endurance, patience and other fruit develop and mature in our spiritual walk as we're being disciplined.  We find ourselves anticipating Scripture reading and prayer time with You.  And we find ourselves thinking more and more about future events when we will be home with You in heaven.  When we hear You say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant", the disciplines of this life will bring unsurpassed righteousness and peace." Amen. Today's text Harvest Time Last week I shared some photos of the harvest by our Amish neighbors here in Lancaster County. Today I will share some photos from my neighborhood Combine ride with Leon. Brooksyne's Note:  As I reviewed Stephen's photos and captions I got to thinking that some readers may think the harvest taking place below is for corn that is consumed by humans.  When you see Stephen standing in it that sure would take away from any desire to eat the corn!  But, in fact, this is field corn used for animal feed. This Combine has a 6 row head meaning it could harvest six rows at a time. I understand they make them a lot larger. The head splits between the rows, cuts off the corn stalk at the ground, then removes and shucks the ear before sending it inside the combine.  Then a process removes the grain from the cob. The grain is loaded into the hopper while the cobs are discarded out the back. A guage in the cab measured the yield which was 180 bushels to the acre at the time, not a bumper crop according to Leon, but a good one! Here we see the combine offloading the corn into a truck. When they harvest corn for the grain the farmer desires a certain degree of dryness, 15% moisture content as I recall. This corn was at 18% and would require a bit more drying after the harvest but Leon felt it was best to get it in lest a storm come along and blow the stalks over making it much harder to harvest. I don't suppose very many of our readers have had the privilege of standing knee deep in a pile of freshly harvested corn without shoes! Harvest is an exciting time for the children and in this case a number of cousins had gathered to watch as the corn is offloaded from the Combine to the truck. Then they had a fun time playing in it, sort of like a sandbox I suppose. Leon's young son took my photo. This International truck was put into service in 1972, a year before I graduated from high school, and has been loaded down with lots of harvests! An old-fashioned truck interior.  A lot of our readers will remember when trucks interiors were made of the bare essentials such as this cab. 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.) "Field Of Souls"  Video   Actually it seems to me that today's text is primarily referring to the "the harvest of righteousness and peace" in regard to our personal spiritual life.  But of course the harvest is also used in Scripture to describe the ingathering of souls into God's Kngdom (Luke 10:2).  This song is based on that usage. 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 9/22/10 $11,183.00 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 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. 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!

 

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