Dear FCC Family & Friends,
I’ve got some mega-important, earth-shattering inquiries for you. Ready?
Which team are you pulling for this ‘Super’ Sunday? Where are you watching the game? Have you planned your menu? In front of what sized television will you and your nachos be parked? And finally, are you looking forward to the myriad of multimillion dollar commercials ahead?
Although I’m a frustrated jock at heart and anticipate the big game first, I admittedly look forward to the laughs and creativity shown through these spots annually – turning a typical 3-hour game into a global marathon event. Some commercials make me howl. Some make me cringe. Some leave me saying, “Wow”. Others leave me with a blank-faced “Huh?” But somehow, despite my personal ratings, this process is all good – one I eagerly look forward to.
Did you know that your life is a commercial? An anticipated one at that!
Before the creation of this garden planet, the one true sovereign God in His perfect forethought creatively planned and orchestrated that you would be His living-breathing commercial in 2008 A.D. With unparalleled genius, our Father anticipated that our brief public lives would appear and make indelible and attractive connections between the people in our community and His epic redemptive love story. Like the commercials we’ll all see this weekend, all of our life commercials are designed with great purpose for great purpose; to make an impact, and in some small way, drawing attention to something grander and higher than ourselves– for something every human soul thirsts and craves – love, belonging and meaning – found only through Jesus Christ.
In the game of life where many are watching and seeking, let your unique life commercial run!
In the Fight,
Steve
Friday, February 1, 2008
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Pastor's Perspective - A Baby's Hug
Dear FCC Family & Friends,
In the hustle and bustle of another tinseled Christmas season, are you struggling to get into the proper spirit? Maybe this story sent my way by my dear friend and former secretary Gena Mitchell will help you as it helped me. By the way, you’ll need about three minutes and about that many tissues. Merry Christmas ~
A Baby's Hug
We were the only family with children in the restaurant.. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking.
Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment..
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists.
"Hi there, baby; Hi there, big boy. I see! ya, buster," the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?"
Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi" .
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man ..
The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence - all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skidrow bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door.
My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.
The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed.
As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship... Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard
labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back.
No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby."
Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.
With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me."
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not.
I felt it was God asking, "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."
Live Simply & Contently.
Love Generously.
Care Deeply.
Speak Kindly.
And leave the Rest to God.
In the Fight To Be An Erik,
Steve Kiefer
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Pastor's Perspective - A True Know-It-All!
Dear FCC Family & Friends,
Recently I have been reading and re-reading a classical work titled ‘The Knowledge of the Holy’ by A.W. Tozer – a thin and affordable book I highly recommend for anyone eager to acquaint themselves with the true majesty of God.
In his text Tozer reminds us that the Lord is omniscient. In other words, He possesses perfect knowledge. He knows all that can be known. He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn!
Does that truth about God trouble you or soothe you?
Every one of us has a strong desire – no exceptions. You and I want to be fully known, and, to be loved unconditionally by the one who fully knows us – the building blocks of truest intimacy. Yet, many of us live in fear of disclosure of weaknesses and ghosts and injuries from our pasts. Therefore, it is the satisfaction of every yearning soul to read that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Friends, only Jesus knows you fully with perfect knowledge and loves you unconditionally – and tells us not to be afraid – because He has already taken our punishment!
In closing listen to Tozer’s encapsulation of the knowledge, love and acceptance God offers every member of the human family – “…how utterly sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us completely. No talebearer can inform on us, no enemy can make an accusation stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to abash us and expose our past; no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us.”
Anybody else smile after reading that?
Now THAT’S a Redeemer worth loving, worshiping and serving!
In the Fight,
Steve Kiefer
Recently I have been reading and re-reading a classical work titled ‘The Knowledge of the Holy’ by A.W. Tozer – a thin and affordable book I highly recommend for anyone eager to acquaint themselves with the true majesty of God.
In his text Tozer reminds us that the Lord is omniscient. In other words, He possesses perfect knowledge. He knows all that can be known. He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn!
Does that truth about God trouble you or soothe you?
Every one of us has a strong desire – no exceptions. You and I want to be fully known, and, to be loved unconditionally by the one who fully knows us – the building blocks of truest intimacy. Yet, many of us live in fear of disclosure of weaknesses and ghosts and injuries from our pasts. Therefore, it is the satisfaction of every yearning soul to read that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). Friends, only Jesus knows you fully with perfect knowledge and loves you unconditionally – and tells us not to be afraid – because He has already taken our punishment!
In closing listen to Tozer’s encapsulation of the knowledge, love and acceptance God offers every member of the human family – “…how utterly sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us completely. No talebearer can inform on us, no enemy can make an accusation stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to abash us and expose our past; no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us.”
Anybody else smile after reading that?
Now THAT’S a Redeemer worth loving, worshiping and serving!
In the Fight,
Steve Kiefer
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Pastor's Perspective - Who Are You Wearing?
Dear FCC Family & Friends,
So, what are you wearing tonight?
If your young ones are anything like mine, they woke up this morning excited about donning their costumes and knocking on doors as soon as possible. Emma, 9, is going as Princess Lea. Sam, 7, is a policeman. Abi, 7, is a hippy. And, Lily, 6, is Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz this year. Adorable!
Some of you are in businesses that require that you dress up today. While I was in the banking biz I dreaded this day. One year I came to work as a cowboy and felt crunchy all day long. It’s hard to talk to Mr. Smith about his investments when he keeps glancing up at your Stetson!
Did you hear about the drunk Halloween reveler in Germany who got mistaken for a corpse? Apparently a 24-year-old dressed very realistically as a zombie passed out on a train trying to get home and was unresponsive. Fellow passengers thought he had been murdered! The police were called in and quickly put two and two together. He was ordered to wipe off his make-up and continue his journey.
So, what are you wearing tonight? Paul told the Roman believers in 13:14 to “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The apostle was not challenging his ancient and modern readers to put on a Jesus costume, or just act like Jesus. Instead, he was challenging them to let the authentic life-changes that Jesus makes on the inside outside!
So, more importantly than ‘WHAT are you wearing’ is the question – WHO are you wearing tonight? Let’s humbly remove all doubt of who we belong to and what He is doing in our lives. Despite changing fads and trends – wearing Jesus is always fashionable. He’s the Designer of designers!
In the Fight,
Steve
Monday, October 1, 2007
Pastor's Perspective - Walking By Faith
Dear FCC Family & Friends,
Today the Lord showed me through a child the simplicity of what life and responding to challenges is all about. I couldn’t wait to share it with you.
Each Monday morning I take our six-year-old Lily to an appointment in Fairfield, while Michelle stays home to teach the other three. It’s always a kick just to spend that daddy and Lily time together. Sometimes we sing silly songs. Sometimes we talk about life and friends. Sometimes she pretends she’s asleep, knowing I’ll wake her with a good tickle at the next stop light. One thing is quite predictable. She always turns her seat warmer up to the maximum resulting in a playful phenomenon we affectionately call “hot bootie”! Guess you gotta be there.
Another thing is predictable. As we walk through the parking lot Lily always reaches up and holds my hand. This morning as were walking I looked down to see that Lily had her eyes closed as we walked, something she had never done before.
“Lily, your eyes are closed. Are they really shut?”
“Uh-hum”
“Why are they closed?”
“I trust you.”
“Aren’t you afraid of the moving cars around us?”
“No.”
“What if I walked you right into a curb?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Why Lil?”
“Because Daddy, you’ve never done that before.”
“Okay then. Do you trust me to lead you through the door up ahead?”
“Uh-hum”
“Sure your eyes are shut?”
“Uh-hum”
When we walked into the building I looked down at her sweet blonde head and said, “Lily, open your eyes!” As she did an angelic smile swept across her face as she jumped up and down . “See Daddy, I knew I could trust you! You never let go.”
Friends, as we walk through the short breadth of this thing called life, many challenges abound. Sometimes unexpectedly like a car quickly backing up across our path comes the report of loss, diagnosis, devastation. Sometimes like hard jagged curbs come hardships, challenge, disillusionment, memories, heartache and personal pain. Yet through it all, our Father never releases our hand, but instead encourages us to walk by faith, to trust Him in the darkness. Although His track record of hand-holding is impeccable, we sometimes stumble in our assessment of His ability to lead us through. Yet, He continues to prove His unconditional father’s love for us daily.
Someday in every future of every person reading this who has put their trust in Jesus Christ, a time will come when suddenly the things of earth will fade away. All of its toils and snares will be a fast-fading memory. Ripped away forever will be our blindness in a place brilliant with the illumination of a Savior’s face. You’ll realize in a second that He not only made this place available to you, He personally held your hand and led you every step of the way until you were safely inside. Can’t you just hear His voice now? – “Open your eyes.” And throughout all eternity, you and I will celebrate an everlasting and unfading song of truth with the Redeemed – “Daddy, we knew we could trust you! You never let go.”
In the Fight,
Steve
Friday, September 14, 2007
Pastor's Perspective - Love Without Limits
Dear FCC Family & Friends,
The following is a high-impact story that Nicky Peterson sent my way. Though a bit lengthy, it’s well worth the read. This true account of grace in-action was found in the July 2007 issue of ‘In Touch Magazine’ and was written by Shannon Ethridge and Gary Jarstfer, two people whose lives intersected and changed forever through a devastating accident. My prayer is that it will move you deeply, and closer to the heart of our Father – a love without limits.
Shannon’s Story
It was early Wednesday morning, August 29, 1984. I kissed my mom goodbye and tossed my books and pompoms into the backseat of my little brown Plymouth Champ. It was the third day of my junior year at Greenville High School, but I never made it to school that morning. After driving a few miles down the country highway that led to the interstate, I reached for my lipstick and adjusted the rearview mirror for a quick application. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of something moving, then felt my car jolt suddenly. Maybe it’s a farm animal out of its pasture, I thought. But I had a sinking feeling it was something much worse.
I got out of the car and ran to the back to see what I’d hit. The body of a curly haired woman was lying face down in the grass next to a mangled bicycle.
I began to tremble. I was about to turn her over to see if I could help her somehow, but I knew I had to call an ambulance immediately and couldn’t waste precious time.
Still in shock, I raced to a nearby house and begged to use the phone. I made two calls: first 911, and then my mom. “Just drive down the road until you see my car,” I told her. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else.
As my mother and I waited with the unconscious woman for what seemed like eternity, despairing thoughts ran through my head. She’s probably someone’s mother . . . someone’s daughter . . . someone’s wife . . . how will I ever face her family after what I’ve done?
Forty-five minutes later, the ambulance finally arrived. “We’ll have to call a funeral home ambulance,” the paramedic said coldly. “She was probably killed on impact. There’s nothing I can do.”
As we left the surreal scene, I realized I still didn’t know the name of the woman whose life I’d just taken. But then a few hours later, I got a call from a man who introduced himself as Jerry Speight. “I live next door to Marjorie Jarstfer and her family,” he told me. “When I found out what happened, my pastor and I drove over together to tell Gary, Marjorie’s husband.” My heart sank. Marjorie’s family now knew what I’d done. They probably want me dead too. I’d already thought about killing myself anyway.
But Jerry went on. “I want you to know that the first thing Gary said was, ‘How is the girl? Was she hurt? Does she know it’s not her fault?’”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could his first response be concern for me, the one responsible for his loss?
“Gary wants you to come to his home tomorrow evening,” said Jerry. “He wants your families to meet one another.” How could I say no? But I dreaded the thought of such a meeting.
As I walked through the front door of the Jarstfer home the following day, I felt as if I was about to face a firing squad. But the next moment, I was stopped dead in my tracks. A big, burly middle-aged man was coming toward me—with his arms wide open.
There wasn’t even a trace of animosity in his eyes. Immediately I began bawling, and Gary gathered me into his arms, holding me tightly as my tears soaked his flannel shirt. “I am so sorry!” I kept repeating over and over. “I am so sorry!”
Gary ushered me into the living room and sat me down in a bay window as I continued to cry. “Shannon,” he said tenderly. “I want to tell you about Marjorie’s life. Together, we served many years with Wycliffe Bible translators. There was no limit to how much Marjorie loved God. She had such a close, intimate walk with the Lord. She actually has been telling me for a while that she was sensing that He would be calling her home soon. In fact, Marjorie even took out additional life insurance recently. And when she shared her testimony at church, she told everyone that she was ready to leave this earth and be with the Lord any day.”
How could a human being be close enough to God that she’d know when her time on earth was about to be up? I was completely amazed.
“Shannon, this accident may have taken us all by surprise, but it was no surprise to God. He was ready for Marjorie to join Him in heaven.” Gary couldn’t have told me anything more surprising, I thought, but then he did: he said he believed God had actually chosen me to be part of the final page of Marjorie’s life on earth. “He chose you because He knew you would be strong enough to handle this, and that is your responsibility. As a matter of fact, I’m passing Marjorie’s legacy of being a godly woman on to you. I want you to love Jesus without limits, just as Marjorie did. I want you to let Him use you for His glory, Shannon.”
In my 16-year-old mind, I couldn’t imagine what those words really meant. But I’ve spent the past 23 years contemplating them and trying to live up to them. As a Christian author, speaker, and lay counselor, I’m trying to carry that mantle of being a woman who loves Jesus beyond measure, just as Marjorie Jarstfer did.
Even though I grew up attending church and singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know,” I don’t think I ever really understood the depth of God’s mercy, compassion, and unconditional love until I met Gary Jarstfer. His response toward me, the very person who caused him indescribable pain and loss, has served as a vivid reminder that Jesus Christ endured all of that physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering on the cross—and yet His first concern is always for us, those who nailed Him there.
While neither Gary nor I would have chosen for the accident to take place, we both wholeheartedly testify to the truth of Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose” (kjv). God didn’t say only the good things work together for our good. He said all things—the good, the bad, and the ugly—work together for our good. And He’s proven the reality of this scripture to me over and over again.
Gary’s Story
I recall the day of the accident as clearly as Shannon does. Although August 29, 1984, marks the day of Marjorie’s death, God also birthed something special in our hearts that day—a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), a deeper trust in His sovereignty, and an unexpected friendship that would glorify God in a magnificent way for many years.
I well remember the 45-minute drive home after learning of Marjorie’s death. I contemplated one thing: How would Marjorie respond if the tables were turned? If I had been the one killed? I wanted whatever words I spoke to Shannon to be in accordance with God’s will for her life. I knew I bore a weight of enormous responsibility—if I said the wrong thing, it could be absolutely devastating. So I saw this opportunity to speak to Shannon as a chance to bless her, not blame her.
I had no idea what God would wind up doing in and through Shannon’s life. I’m absolutely overwhelmed, and so grateful for what the Lord has done. I never dreamed that she’d become a youth pastor, or abstinence educator, or an author who would touch so many lives in so many countries with her writing. It’s all so beyond anything I could have ever imagined at the time of the accident.
Marjorie was a teacher and an aspiring writer as well, and I know she would have been so pleased to see the kind of topics Shannon is tackling, encouraging women to live with integrity and to love Jesus without limits. Those are certainly messages that would have resonated with Marjorie’s heart.
Since the time of the accident, God has knit the hearts of our two families even closer together. Years later, when I moved to North Carolina and got engaged to my second wife, Betty Ann (a long-time
family friend whose husband was also killed in a car accident just six weeks after Marjorie’s death), Shannon was on our list of people to call as soon as possible about the good news. Through letters and e-mails, we’ve been delighted to support one another in our ministry and missionary endeavors. In fact, we consider Shannon one of our own daughters, and some of our granddaughters affectionately tell their friends about how “Aunt Shannon” was adopted into their family as a result of the accident.
I can be at peace with Marjorie’s absence on earth and presence in heaven because I know that God is working through her memory to bring glory to Himself - simply because we have chosen to live as Christ lived. We have chosen to bless rather than blame. We have turned tragedy into triumph. We have embraced God’s sovereignty, and declared that regardless of the pain that this life brings, we will forever remain completely His.
The following is a high-impact story that Nicky Peterson sent my way. Though a bit lengthy, it’s well worth the read. This true account of grace in-action was found in the July 2007 issue of ‘In Touch Magazine’ and was written by Shannon Ethridge and Gary Jarstfer, two people whose lives intersected and changed forever through a devastating accident. My prayer is that it will move you deeply, and closer to the heart of our Father – a love without limits.
Shannon’s Story
It was early Wednesday morning, August 29, 1984. I kissed my mom goodbye and tossed my books and pompoms into the backseat of my little brown Plymouth Champ. It was the third day of my junior year at Greenville High School, but I never made it to school that morning. After driving a few miles down the country highway that led to the interstate, I reached for my lipstick and adjusted the rearview mirror for a quick application. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of something moving, then felt my car jolt suddenly. Maybe it’s a farm animal out of its pasture, I thought. But I had a sinking feeling it was something much worse.
I got out of the car and ran to the back to see what I’d hit. The body of a curly haired woman was lying face down in the grass next to a mangled bicycle.
I began to tremble. I was about to turn her over to see if I could help her somehow, but I knew I had to call an ambulance immediately and couldn’t waste precious time.
Still in shock, I raced to a nearby house and begged to use the phone. I made two calls: first 911, and then my mom. “Just drive down the road until you see my car,” I told her. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything else.
As my mother and I waited with the unconscious woman for what seemed like eternity, despairing thoughts ran through my head. She’s probably someone’s mother . . . someone’s daughter . . . someone’s wife . . . how will I ever face her family after what I’ve done?
Forty-five minutes later, the ambulance finally arrived. “We’ll have to call a funeral home ambulance,” the paramedic said coldly. “She was probably killed on impact. There’s nothing I can do.”
As we left the surreal scene, I realized I still didn’t know the name of the woman whose life I’d just taken. But then a few hours later, I got a call from a man who introduced himself as Jerry Speight. “I live next door to Marjorie Jarstfer and her family,” he told me. “When I found out what happened, my pastor and I drove over together to tell Gary, Marjorie’s husband.” My heart sank. Marjorie’s family now knew what I’d done. They probably want me dead too. I’d already thought about killing myself anyway.
But Jerry went on. “I want you to know that the first thing Gary said was, ‘How is the girl? Was she hurt? Does she know it’s not her fault?’”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could his first response be concern for me, the one responsible for his loss?
“Gary wants you to come to his home tomorrow evening,” said Jerry. “He wants your families to meet one another.” How could I say no? But I dreaded the thought of such a meeting.
As I walked through the front door of the Jarstfer home the following day, I felt as if I was about to face a firing squad. But the next moment, I was stopped dead in my tracks. A big, burly middle-aged man was coming toward me—with his arms wide open.
There wasn’t even a trace of animosity in his eyes. Immediately I began bawling, and Gary gathered me into his arms, holding me tightly as my tears soaked his flannel shirt. “I am so sorry!” I kept repeating over and over. “I am so sorry!”
Gary ushered me into the living room and sat me down in a bay window as I continued to cry. “Shannon,” he said tenderly. “I want to tell you about Marjorie’s life. Together, we served many years with Wycliffe Bible translators. There was no limit to how much Marjorie loved God. She had such a close, intimate walk with the Lord. She actually has been telling me for a while that she was sensing that He would be calling her home soon. In fact, Marjorie even took out additional life insurance recently. And when she shared her testimony at church, she told everyone that she was ready to leave this earth and be with the Lord any day.”
How could a human being be close enough to God that she’d know when her time on earth was about to be up? I was completely amazed.
“Shannon, this accident may have taken us all by surprise, but it was no surprise to God. He was ready for Marjorie to join Him in heaven.” Gary couldn’t have told me anything more surprising, I thought, but then he did: he said he believed God had actually chosen me to be part of the final page of Marjorie’s life on earth. “He chose you because He knew you would be strong enough to handle this, and that is your responsibility. As a matter of fact, I’m passing Marjorie’s legacy of being a godly woman on to you. I want you to love Jesus without limits, just as Marjorie did. I want you to let Him use you for His glory, Shannon.”
In my 16-year-old mind, I couldn’t imagine what those words really meant. But I’ve spent the past 23 years contemplating them and trying to live up to them. As a Christian author, speaker, and lay counselor, I’m trying to carry that mantle of being a woman who loves Jesus beyond measure, just as Marjorie Jarstfer did.
Even though I grew up attending church and singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know,” I don’t think I ever really understood the depth of God’s mercy, compassion, and unconditional love until I met Gary Jarstfer. His response toward me, the very person who caused him indescribable pain and loss, has served as a vivid reminder that Jesus Christ endured all of that physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering on the cross—and yet His first concern is always for us, those who nailed Him there.
While neither Gary nor I would have chosen for the accident to take place, we both wholeheartedly testify to the truth of Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose” (kjv). God didn’t say only the good things work together for our good. He said all things—the good, the bad, and the ugly—work together for our good. And He’s proven the reality of this scripture to me over and over again.
Gary’s Story
I recall the day of the accident as clearly as Shannon does. Although August 29, 1984, marks the day of Marjorie’s death, God also birthed something special in our hearts that day—a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), a deeper trust in His sovereignty, and an unexpected friendship that would glorify God in a magnificent way for many years.
I well remember the 45-minute drive home after learning of Marjorie’s death. I contemplated one thing: How would Marjorie respond if the tables were turned? If I had been the one killed? I wanted whatever words I spoke to Shannon to be in accordance with God’s will for her life. I knew I bore a weight of enormous responsibility—if I said the wrong thing, it could be absolutely devastating. So I saw this opportunity to speak to Shannon as a chance to bless her, not blame her.
I had no idea what God would wind up doing in and through Shannon’s life. I’m absolutely overwhelmed, and so grateful for what the Lord has done. I never dreamed that she’d become a youth pastor, or abstinence educator, or an author who would touch so many lives in so many countries with her writing. It’s all so beyond anything I could have ever imagined at the time of the accident.
Marjorie was a teacher and an aspiring writer as well, and I know she would have been so pleased to see the kind of topics Shannon is tackling, encouraging women to live with integrity and to love Jesus without limits. Those are certainly messages that would have resonated with Marjorie’s heart.
Since the time of the accident, God has knit the hearts of our two families even closer together. Years later, when I moved to North Carolina and got engaged to my second wife, Betty Ann (a long-time
family friend whose husband was also killed in a car accident just six weeks after Marjorie’s death), Shannon was on our list of people to call as soon as possible about the good news. Through letters and e-mails, we’ve been delighted to support one another in our ministry and missionary endeavors. In fact, we consider Shannon one of our own daughters, and some of our granddaughters affectionately tell their friends about how “Aunt Shannon” was adopted into their family as a result of the accident.
I can be at peace with Marjorie’s absence on earth and presence in heaven because I know that God is working through her memory to bring glory to Himself - simply because we have chosen to live as Christ lived. We have chosen to bless rather than blame. We have turned tragedy into triumph. We have embraced God’s sovereignty, and declared that regardless of the pain that this life brings, we will forever remain completely His.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Pastor's Perspective - A Snake is a Snake
Dear FCC Family & Friends,
“It still gives me the creeps to think that son-of-a-gun could do that.” These are the words of Danny Anderson, 53, of Prosser, Washington, who recently learned a painful lesson – beheaded rattlesnakes can be dangerous!
According to msnbc.com, Anderson cut the head off of a 5-foot rattler and left it under his pickup. According to Anderson, “When I reached down to pick up the head, it raised around and did a backflip almost, and bit my finger. I had to shake my hand real hard to get it to let loose.”
The venom caused immediate swelling of the tongue as it circulated throughout his body. Fortunately Anderson received quick and efficient medical treatment and will make a full recovery. According to Mike Livingstone, a wildlife biologist, he has never heard of anyone being bit by a decapitated snake before.
This nasty, yet news-worthy incident reminded me of the time a young Judean shepherd cut the head off a giant in the Elah Valley. Not only did faithful David utterly defeat his foe with God’s mighty power, he took that necessary unpleasant step to ensure Goliath never got up and fought again.
I believe that these stories are good reminders that the enemy doesn’t give up easily. Though the devil was crushed (Genesis 3:15) and humiliated at Calvary and the tomb, he is still striking with fatal resolve. Sadly, once we taste victory in Christ, we either fail to aggressively cut his head off in our lives; or sometimes just as deadly, fall into the trap of foolishly thinking that he has just given up and won’t strike again.
To live the abundant life Christ died to give us, we must take the necessary steps to safeguard our new redeemed lives. Though crushed, the devil is still striking. Though fatally wounded, he is luring the world into thinking he is benign. Though his eternal fate is documented, there’s still a lot of fight in him.
Friends, let me remind you that greater is He that is in you (Holy Spirit) than he that is in the world (devil). But let me also remind you, a snake is a snake! Be careful out there.
This Sunday I will be sharing a message entitled ‘Get Up!’ from John 5. Come worship the living Lord with us during an unforgettable morning!
In the Fight,
Steve
“It still gives me the creeps to think that son-of-a-gun could do that.” These are the words of Danny Anderson, 53, of Prosser, Washington, who recently learned a painful lesson – beheaded rattlesnakes can be dangerous!
According to msnbc.com, Anderson cut the head off of a 5-foot rattler and left it under his pickup. According to Anderson, “When I reached down to pick up the head, it raised around and did a backflip almost, and bit my finger. I had to shake my hand real hard to get it to let loose.”
The venom caused immediate swelling of the tongue as it circulated throughout his body. Fortunately Anderson received quick and efficient medical treatment and will make a full recovery. According to Mike Livingstone, a wildlife biologist, he has never heard of anyone being bit by a decapitated snake before.
This nasty, yet news-worthy incident reminded me of the time a young Judean shepherd cut the head off a giant in the Elah Valley. Not only did faithful David utterly defeat his foe with God’s mighty power, he took that necessary unpleasant step to ensure Goliath never got up and fought again.
I believe that these stories are good reminders that the enemy doesn’t give up easily. Though the devil was crushed (Genesis 3:15) and humiliated at Calvary and the tomb, he is still striking with fatal resolve. Sadly, once we taste victory in Christ, we either fail to aggressively cut his head off in our lives; or sometimes just as deadly, fall into the trap of foolishly thinking that he has just given up and won’t strike again.
To live the abundant life Christ died to give us, we must take the necessary steps to safeguard our new redeemed lives. Though crushed, the devil is still striking. Though fatally wounded, he is luring the world into thinking he is benign. Though his eternal fate is documented, there’s still a lot of fight in him.
Friends, let me remind you that greater is He that is in you (Holy Spirit) than he that is in the world (devil). But let me also remind you, a snake is a snake! Be careful out there.
This Sunday I will be sharing a message entitled ‘Get Up!’ from John 5. Come worship the living Lord with us during an unforgettable morning!
In the Fight,
Steve
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