Nursing Home Ministry

In Times Like These

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The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 40:8 ESV

Whether we are looking at the news on television or hearing the news about one of our friends or family members on the telephone, it is sometimes hard to believe these things are really happening. “In Times Like These” was written in the midst of World War II. With reports of thousands dying every day on battle fields and in naval battles around the world and the outcome of the war far from certain, Ruth Caye was inspired to write, “In times like these, we need a Savior, in times like these, we need an anchor” The war that was being fought then is long over, but after eighty years, our need for a Savior, and the Bible, is greater than ever! I pray you will be encouraged and blessed by this week’s song from our Sunday service at Watermark Assisted Living. There is still no one like Jesus who alone promises to carry us through whatever war that we face in our lives today. God bless you all. Seek the Savior, hold on to His word and trust Him with your life and He will carry you through to the very end!

Joy Unspeakable (And full of glory!)

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Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 1 Peter 1:8 KJV

This is one of my favorite forgotten hymns, and the story that lies behind it, starts on the day that Thomas didn’t come to church. When Jesus first showed Himself to His disciples after the resurrection Thomas was missing. So don’t miss church this Sunday because you never know when Jesus just might show up! But the next time the disciples met for prayer, Thomas made sure he was there, and Bingo! – Jesus comes. First, He shows Himself to Thomas and tells Him that He is blessed. But then Jesus adds an amazing promise for those of us who have never seen Him. He says that we can be even more blessed than the Apostles! Imagine that! How can that be? Peter gives us the answer many years later in his letter, when he writes that our unseeing faith, will open the door for our heart to be filled with a joy that is unspeakable and full of God’s glory. There are some days I could sure use that joy. Things aren’t always looking bright in our family, but the sunrise of God’s glory is just breaking over the horizon, if I can simply believe without seeing and trust Him for all that He has in store.

Sunlight at Sunshine

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…I am the light of the world. If any man will follow me, he will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of light.” John 8:12 ESV

On Saturday we had a wonderful meeting at Sunshine Christian Village. The folks who came were a mix of residents in the assisted living building as well as others from the independent living apartments. What is unique about Sunshine is the extent of responsibility that the residents take in spiritual matters. Whether it is their weekly chapel meetings on Sunday afternoon or the monthly prayer and praise meetings which I help out with, the people themselves set the agenda. No matter health issues, or small doctrinal differences, they are commited to serving Jesus and others. How I wish I could see that in other places. The song which I opened with this week was “Sunlight -Sunlight” and it has been a favorite of mine for years. “No matter how dark the world may be there’s sunlight in my soul!” I hope that this far less than professionally recorded hymn will shine a ray of sunlight on your path today!