Do You Have Beautiful Feet?

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach 
the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Romans 10:15 KJV

In March of 2020, all of the nursing homes, not only in Florida, but around the nation, closed their doors to visitors. For the next fourteen months those doors remained closed. No one but staff were permitted entry. In order to keep alive some form of communication with residents whom I had ministered to I began a small weekly devotional that I emailed to the activity department of three facilities. By 2021, I found that Rob Keller who I had met at our men’s group, was a graphic artist and was willing to do the layout and artwork to create a more finished publication. Somehow, word of what we were doing spread to Pastor Janice Burnett, who serves the nursing home community in Western New York and so with the Lord’s help and direction, the Sunshine Newsletter was born. While hardly an international sensation, this little newsletter, without funding or advertising is now being shared weekly in 10-11 different facilities in New York, Ohio and Florida. I am also thankful for Barbara Hegreberg of My Life in Our Father’s World and Patty Moore who writes He Said What? for their contributions. All of us according to the verse in Romans now have beautiful feet (though I won’t be posting a photo of mine). As we are now about to enter our third year of publication, I invite you to have beautiful feet too! Our goal is to share the message of the hope and true love that we have found in Jesus Christ. He is brighter than the sunshine of our best days and still shines in our hearts even when it is midnight in our soul. So, if you or someone you know would like to volunteer with writing, distribution, or technical assistance, please let me know in the comments section of today’s post. I will be delighted to send you guidelines and contact information for you to get in touch with us. Have a blessed week everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Good News!

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation. Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7 NKJV

This Tuesday, I stopped to see my friend Don and his wife Lorna, who recently been admitted to a nursing home in our area. This facility was new to me, and I have never held any services there, so I brought along copies of our weekly newsletter. ,,, Go to Walking With Lambs to read the rest of the story.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Third Shift Shepherds

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Luke 2:8 KJV

When I briefly worked from 11pm till 6 am, I found myself suddenly a part of an exclusive group of people who only see the world from mid-night till dawn. On the night that Jesus was born, just above Bethlehem were shepherds who were the third shift workers of their day. The more important shepherds got the first shift jobs. But in the darkness of that night, those unnamed and seemingly unimportant third shift shepherds were about to become the first people on earth to hear the good news of Jesus Christ! That message was that God had remembered His people, He remembered Bethlehem and He even remembered shepherds whom everyone else had forgotten.

Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com

Did you ever stop to think that God also remembers you? He is not satisfied to visit only the better homes in the better neighborhoods with the biggest churches with their beautiful appearances. Just as the shepherds were watching their flocks at night so God watches over us when we are going through the darkest moments of our lives. He knows right where we are. He hears us and He still sends angels with His message of good news. There is no better place than right where you are to hear the news; that Jesus Christ came to bring hope and salvation to us all: even to third shift shepherds out in their fields at night!