For such a time as this...

Yesterday my family lost a dear friend. Yet, we have The Hope of Eternity, and that makes his sudden and shocking departure, not hopeless. You see, He knew, and loved Jesus. He placed His faith in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:5

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

(Above is a photo from the teaching series Breaking Camp, all rights belong to Fresh Life Church.)

Earlier this year, I came across a church, through the pastor's wife's instagram. The pastor, was just beginning a teaching series on Death. But, what stood out about this Pastor and his wife, was that their precious little girl died suddenly from an asthma attack, just a few day's before Christmas last year, at the tender age of five.

I have to be honest. He was teaching this series in March. Just Month's after their precious Lenya died. My first thought was "How could anyone, much less a parent, go on, in the midst of such grief? Much less, preach?" 

While I could not imagine loosing a child, I did come very close to being in their shoes last year. That event in our family, made death a very real reality. This series on Death helped me explain it better to my children, and helped me work through my anxiety and gave me so much hope.

Through this teaching, I saw first hand, how this man, who was still grieving the loss of his daughter, wasn't just clinging, but living out and confidently so, 2nd Corinthians 5. 

 This series is powerful, and life changing. 

Click the link above to Fresh Life Churches website

He covers the above Scriptures. Talking about our bodies being a tent on this earth. Instead of being canvas and poles, we have flesh and bones. And unlike camping, where we take it all down put out the fire and it's over. Our tent is taken down, but our journey doesn't end when we leave this tent. It was never the end of the story. I really encourage you to listen to this teaching series. It might help you and encourage you.

For those of you who maybe on our blog for the first time, or for the regulars. Yes, you lurking. I am thankful for you, your life has a purpose, and you are loved.

 Call your Mom or Dad today, or someone who has been like one to you, hug your babies, family and friends. Tell them it makes you so happy to be their Mom or Dad or Aunt or Uncle or Grandma or Grandpa or Neighbor or Friend. We belong to each other, and most importantly we all belong to God. Love well today, and I ask you do it in Memory of a really wonderful man named Allen, who loved others so very well.

To the Troyer Family, we are praying for peace and comfort for you. 

May you feel the loving presence of our Lord at this time.  We love you, dearly.