God’s Blessing

Going with God

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

After 16 years of Sundays this was our last at New Covenant Fellowship. Serving as assistant pastors with our Brazilian brothers and sisters has forever changed and marked our hearts and lives. We have learned so much more than just Portuguese and how to enjoy a good plate of Vaca Atolada ( cow stuck in the mud), we have been adopted into a family. Just as in any family we’ve had our share of struggles and tears but in the end our hearts have been forever knit together by the love of Jesus Christ. We entered in to the church with hope and last night as they prayed for us a blessing we were given the verse from Isaiah 55: ” you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace…”

In Portuguese there is a farewell exchange : ” Vai com Deus” “Go with God” to which you reply “Fica com Deus” , “Stay with God”. That is what our hope and prayer has been. It has been a great honor to have served and as we go out with their blessings our prayer is that God’s blessings will remain in the hearts the hands and families of our church.

Where ever God is leading you today may you also experience His blessings as you go out with joy and His peace leads and directs your path!

F

or you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.55.12.NKJV

Thankful for the Years

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“ Lord , make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Psalms 39:4 NKJV

For 23 years it has been my great privilege to lead the chapel services at Allied. What began as a visit to a friend blossomed into meetings in three different wards every week. Each group was unique in its needs, pace and personality. The Alzheimer’s day room was usually packed, lively and yes unpredictable! But they loved music and often sang along, tapped their feet or at least smiled. Today they each made farewell cards I will treasure always. The respiratory ward was just a small meeting yet it was like meeting with family and I often shared my most personal feelings there. The general population was the place where God taught me how to share His word honestly and simply in 12 minutes! I have measured those years in my mind 1000 times and I wouldn’t want to have missed a single day. I have learned that 1 day in God’s house is more valuable than 1000 anywhere else on earth!