Newsletter November 2007
Are you ready for winter?
God is a God of timing, rhythm and seasons. He is the one who
set those things in order and sure enough, every year at about
this time the skies cloud up and in conjunction with a dip in
the temperature, the snow starts flying. The first few flurries
generally melt and disappear but along about the end of October,
the snow comes to stay for about six months or so. To some, it
is a most welcome sight because they “live” to ski,
snowboard or ride snowmobiles. To others, it is a signal that
life can justifiably slow down a bit from the hectic pace of spring,
summer and fall. Yet, for some, it signals the official season
of decreasing sunlight as the long dark nights of winter descend
along with their mood.
The other day I was in a coffee shop and overheard a conversation
that began with the question, “Well, are you ready for winter?”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” the other person
replied. “I still don’t have my winter tires on and
my lawn watering hoses are out there in the yard someplace under
the snow.” While history and the nightly weather reports
keep reminding us that “snow is just around the corner,”
many people put off making the needed preparations just one day
too long. The lines at the tire store and cars careening into
the ditches testify that, “oops, I put that chore off too
long.”
I received an email this morning from an old friend of ours who
lives on Maui (Hawaii) in which she shared an update on her brother
who had been in a serious auto crash and had been on a respirator
and was unconscious. There had been serious prayer being made
on his behalf by friends and family as it was not looking good
in the natural. I will paste some of her “good news”
email below. She writes:
Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for your love and prayers. Here's a report
on my brother Darryll. He is awake and is no longer on a respirator.
He now has an oxygen tube in his nose (it's the removable one)
and is doing fairly well.
He says hi and on command he squeezed my hand. He said thank you
to the nurse for assisting him when his teeth was brushed. He
can move his head back and forth and even tries to get up a bit
from his chest up. He smiles and can laugh...I've always loved
his smile and laughter. He remembers his wife, his oldest child
and my dad. So that's good. He even talked about his cell phone
and emails too.
But he at times doesn't make any sense. Earlier this morning he
remembered the code for his cell phone and had his wife work on
it for a while.
Now that he is awake it looks like they will be moving him to
a ward, so that's good news.
Oh, I forgot the other good news. While I was with him he kept
saying, w/raised hands, "God forgive me of my sins. or forgiveness
of sins." repeatedly and so I asked him if he was worried
about not going to heaven and he nodded. So I prayed aloud w/him
repeating the sinner's prayer and at 7.20pm he accepted Christ!
It was so awesome bc I could feel God's power and glory on me
so that was a great and neat experience.
We are rejoicing with Aiko because NOW her brother has now made
preparations for the MOST IMPORTANT transition there is. While
the accident he experienced caught him unprepared to meet the
Lord, by the mercy and grace of God, he was able to accept the
forgiveness of sins offered to him by believing in Jesus and he
is now READY to meet the Lord.
There is an old hymn that we used to sing when I was a youngster
called “The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago.” The
chorus and first verse went something like this:
Long ago (down on my knees)
Long ago (I settled it all)
Yes, the old account was settled long ago; (Hallelujah!)
And the record's clear today,
For He washed my sins away,
When the old account was settled long ago.
There was a time on earth,
When in the book of Heav'n
An old account was standing
For sins yet unforgiv'n;
My name was at the top,
And many things below,
I went unto the keeper,
And settled long ago.
I hope that this month’s Newsletter finds you prepared
for winter…but, more importantly, prepared for eternity!
Pastor Wayne
