True happiness.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Things always look better on the outside.  The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  I have visited many of you and may I say that you are richly blessed.  You have a really nice house, well furnished, and I assume that your neighbors are in awe of your life.

Material possessions in North America mean a lot to us; the more stuff that you have the better your life is; the higher up the food chain you have risen.  The children in this photo are not from North America but judging from their smiles they must be doing very well.  They have on clean clothes, go to school and get a daily meal as they attend a school with a Trinity/HOPE feeding program and they know about Advent.  Their outside appearance looks pretty good and it is too bad you cannot visit their home as your opinion might be different if you knew where they lived and what was in their closet, kitchen cupboards and bathroom.  My guess is that few of them have any of these three conveniences in their home.

Satan tells us that we need more of this and that; more money will bring us more happiness.  His lies keep nagging at us and it is good to visit the lives of children in Haiti to bring us back to reality.  True happiness comes from knowing and living for Jesus Christ; that happiness is eternal.  Don’t be blinded by the lies of this world.  Don’t let your ears and mind be numbed by the words of the liar of this world telling you that more is always better.  You want true riches; turn to Jesus.  I close with the words from the song ‘Shout to the Lord’ that I heard Randy Travis sing recently.

“My Jesus, My Savior, Lord, there is none like You; all of my days I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love.  My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength; let every breath, all that I am never cease to worship You.  Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing.  Power and majesty, praise to the King; mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name.  I sing for joy at the work of Your hands, forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand, nothing compares to the promise I have in You.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Advent comfort.

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.  A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.  For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:1-5

What brings you comfort during Advent?  In our culture some may find a fleeting moment of comfort when all their ‘preparations’ for Christmas are finally accomplished.  When that last batch of cookies is baked, that last gift is purchased and that last detail for the family gathering has been completed.

What is truly important is the message that the voice in the desert was calling out, “Prepare the way for the LORD.”  Do you still recall what filled your Holiday plate five years ago?  Do you recall what your favorite gift was ten years ago?  Do you remember who was born two thousand years ago that the Prophet Isaiah was writing about?  That is our focus during this Advent season.

The child that I am holding in my arms in the attached photo is a little girl named Suzette and at that time in 2002 she lived several miles west of Torbeck in Southwest Haiti in a one-room house made of sticks that is standing just behind us.  If she is still alive today, I can tell you with much assurance that she still has the red bear that she is holding.  This simple small gift was sent to her from Lindie Nord’s class of students in Sioux Falls, SD.  Suzette didn’t have a toy box in her house, probably just a space in a drawer where her two outfits were kept, and the red bear; a most precious gift.

Some have called me a ‘nagger’ and accused me dumping a load of Lutheran ‘guilt’ in my devotions but if there is one message that reaches you today it is this; first and foremost, celebrate Christmas for the real reason for which God brought His Son to this earth.  Reinforce that message with your friends and family this year and if you can, help prepare the way for children like Suzette to also go and tell the real reason of Christmas with the people along her pathway.  I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People’ what was written by Johann Olearius, 1671.

“Comfort, comfort, ye My people, speak ye peace, thus saith our God; comfort those who sit in darkness, mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.  Speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them; tell her that her sins I cover and her warfare now is over.  Yea, her sins our God will pardon, blotting out each dark misdeed; all that well deserved His anger He no more will see or heed.  She hath suffered many a day, now her griefs have passed away; God will change her pining sadness into ever-springing gladness.  Hark, the Herald's voice is crying in the desert far and near, bidding all men to repentance since the Kingdom now is here.  Oh, that warning cry obey!  Now prepare for God a way; let the valleys rise to meet Him and the hills bow down to greet Him.  Make ye straight what long was crooked, make the rougher places plain; let your hearts be true and humble, as befits His holy reign.  For the glory of the Lord now o'er earth is shed abroad, and all flesh shall see the token that His Word is never broken.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

The catalogue.

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

Dear North America; please, no more Christmas catalogues in my mailbox or ads in my Inbox.  I began the count after Labor Day and have stopped as number fifteen arrived today.  I wonder how long it took the Magi to decide on bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts for the King?  Do you suppose that they did their shopping before they left or did it along the way?

The attached photo is of a class that attends the Lutheran School in Saltedere which is in the Central Plateau of Haiti.  I doubt that they get many Christmas catalogues there.  While I lived in Haiti not one ‘wish book’ appeared at my address; life was good and it was not hard to focus on the true meaning of Advent and consider what the Christ child meant for me and for these children and for this world.

Not sure what you are shopping for this year, but if you, your family or your Bible study group would be interested in sponsoring the school in Saltedere it would cost roughly $3,500 to feed their school for a whole year.  The children attending this school will be sharing the real meaning of Christmas with their neighborhood and the generations to come in their lives as their bright lights will shine brightly in a country that still has much darkness from vodou.  I close todays devotion closes with the words to the hymn ‘Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning’ which was written by Reginald Heber in 1811.

“Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid; Star of the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.  Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining; low lies His head with the beasts of the stall.  Angels adore Him in slumber reclining, Maker and Monarch and Savior of all.  Shall we not yield Him, In costly devotion odors of Edom and offerings divine, gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine?  Vainly we offer each ample oblation, vainly with gifts would His favor secure.  Richer by far is the heart's adoration; dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.  Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid; Star of the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

A mystery.

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” 1Timothy 3:16

Dear North America; the season of Advent is so much more than Black Friday; colored strings of lights on houses and trees, snow, presents, catalogues, fruitcakes, boxes of fruit and mistletoe hung in doorways.  The Apostle Paul writes that godliness is a mystery and it is because we mortal North Americans can seldom comprehend just how awesome it truly is; only our Heavenly Father and Creator can do that.

The minds of our sinful world cannot begin to wrap their knowledge around the truth of our Savior being born to a virgin in Bethlehem; doesn’t make any sense to us how this could possibly happen.  This ‘mystery’ is the answer to the problems in this world.  This ‘mystery’ is what is truly important to this world Charley Brown.

The importance of feeding these children who attend the Lutheran School in Dondon is also a ‘mystery’ to many living in North America.  Seeking and saving the lost was the message and direction our Savior, the Christ child, left with us.  As you go about your family tradition during Advent amid this pandemic, please consider sharing of your blessings to bring a meal of hope to these children that are being prepared to be His missionaries in Haiti.  They will be taking the true message of our Savior to the lost, still living in fear of the vodou priest in Haiti.  I close today with the hymn ‘A Great and Mighty Wonder’ that was attributed to have been written by St. Germanus in 1734.

“A great and mighty wonder.  A full and holy cure: the Virgin bears the Infant with virgin honor pure.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!  The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high, and cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!  While thus they sing your Monarch, those bright angelic bands, rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans, clap your hands.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!  Since all He comes to ransom.  By all be He adored, the Infant born in Bethl'em, the Savior and the Lord.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men.  And idol forms shall perish, and error shall decay, and Christ shall wield His scepter, our Lord and God for aye.  Repeat the hymn again: to God on high be glory and peace on earth to men!"

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Living together.

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6

What is wrong with this image?  Carnivores and herbivore’s living together and being led by a child; the image is out of order, out of control.  The lions, leopards, wolves, goats and cattle are being led by a child, not a strong shepherd with a whip, chair and sidearm; but being led by a child.

Take a moment to think about this verse; why would our Heavenly Father choose a child to lead this chaos?  It just doesn’t make much sense to worldly wisdom.  Can you imagine what the young child in attached photo who attends the Messif School in Ouanaminthe could do to keep the peace with these animals?  I recall that when my daughters were young, their lives, like this child, were filled with innocence; their lives were not stained with the lies of this world.  They got excited in the simplest of things and had a peace about them that you and I can only recall as a cloudy moment in time.  They placed all of their trust in their parents and as we get older, we learn that we place all of our trust in our Triune God.

Jesus tells us in Matthew that in order for us to enter the kingdom, we need to be like a child.  A small child is innocent, humble and trusting and can lead in ways that we cannot.  Thank you for continuing to support Trinity/HOPE feeding programs in Haiti that help to prepare these children to lead their neighbors away from the vodou priests that prey on the innocent of Haiti.  I close today with the words from the hymn ‘Let us ever walk with Jesus’ written by Sigismund von Birken in 1653.

“Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow His example pure, flee the world, which would deceive us and to sin our souls allure.  Ever in His footsteps treading, body here, yet soul above, full of faith and hope and love, let us do the Father's bidding.  Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.  Let us suffer here with Jesus, to His image, e'er conform; Heaven's glory soon will please us, sunshine follow on the storm.  Though we sow in tears of sorrow, we shall reap with heavenly joy; and the fears that now annoy shall be laughter on the morrow.  Christ, I suffer here with Thee; there, oh, share Thy joy with me!  Let us also die with Jesus.  His death from the second death, from our soul's destruction, frees us, quickens us with life's glad breath.  Let us mortify, while living, flesh and blood and die to sin; and the grave that shuts us in shall but prove the gate to heaven.  Jesus, here I die to Thee there to live eternally.  Let us gladly live with Jesus; since He's risen from the dead, death and grave must soon release us.  Jesus, Thou art now our Head, we are truly Thine own members; where Thou livest, there live we.  Take and own us constantly, faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.  Jesus, here I live to Thee, also there eternally.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

On level ground.

“My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD.” Psalm 26:12

Level ground is certainly something to be thankful for as we wander through the hills and valleys of this pandemic.  When a surveyor is staking out a highway their ‘chain’ must be plumb and not follow the lay of the land or the measurement will be inaccurate.  When a parent is sharing a lesson of life, they admonish their children to stay on the straight and narrow path and not venture off onto paths that are steep and dangerous.  When we grow old and our feet, ankles, knees and hips begin to show the great number accumulated steps taken along our life’s journey, they cry out when we leave the level ground and have to walk down a simple incline.

Our lives are filled with many hills and valleys and when we reach the level ground it is time to give thanks to God for bringing us to this place; a time to be thankful when we leave behind the darkness of this world. 

The child in the attached photo lives in Cap Haitian and attends the Lutheran school there; she has seen her share of hills and valleys in her young life; today she is on level ground.  She is very thankful that you have been an answer to her daily prayer as your blessings have provided a meal for her at school.  She gives thanks to our Triune God for you while living in a land without much hope.  Today I have chosen Hymn No. 568 from my 1964 Confirmation Hymnal.  The hymn ‘We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator’ and was found in 1624 without the name of the author; what a great way to serve our Heavenly Father, blessing others with your work and not needing to receive any credit.  Kind of like feeding children in Haiti; share your blessings with them is what is really important, doesn’t matter if they know you but more importantly they know Him.

“We praise Thee, O God, our Redeemer, Creator, in grateful devotion our tribute we bring; we lay it before Thee, we kneel and adore Thee, we bless Thy holy name, glad praises we sing.  We worship Thee, God of our fathers, we bless Thee; through life's storm and tempest our Guide hast Thou been; when perils o'ertake us, escape Thou wilt make us, and with Thy help, O Lord, our battles we win.  With voices united our praises we offer, to Thee, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.  Thy strong arm will guide us, Our God is beside us, to Thee, our great Redeemer, fore'er be praise.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

$4.33

Somewhile back, I read a devotion that examined what was the value of a human life.  A Korean woman’s brother had been killed in the Korean War which took place during 1950-1953 and her family had received a financial compensation for the sacrifice that he made which amounted to $4.33 in U.S. currency.

The writer went on to discuss the value of life and my mind immediately thought about how many children in Haiti could be fed for $4.33 and Trinity/HOPE could probably provide a meal for seventeen children.  This class who are attending the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe could receive a meal for $4.33 on the day this photo was taken.

Looking closer into their eyes, what price would you imagine could be placed on their lives?  Would you consider the value of their life to be the same as that of your child, grandchild or even your life?  Consider that the value of their lives was so precious that our Heavenly Father gave the life of His only Son for their lives and for you and me.  The $4.33 compensation is this world’s value for a life and there is no price that can be placed on the life of Jesus Christ who gave His life for us.  Without Him, these children in Ouanaminthe and all of His children would be destined for eternity in Hell for our sinfulness.  Christ is a priceless treasure to us and likewise we are to Him as we daily go about our lives to serve Him.  Johann Franck wrote the words to the hymn ‘Jesus, Priceless Treasure’ in 1655 and they seemed like an appropriate way to close this devotion.

“Jesus, priceless Treasure, fount of purest pleasure, truest Friend to me.  Ah, how long in anguish shall my spirit languish, yearning, Lord, for Thee?  Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!  I will suffer naught to hide Thee, naught I ask beside Thee.  In Thine arms I rest me; foes who would molest me cannot reach me here.  Though the earth be shaking, every heart be quaking, Jesus calms my fear.  Lightnings flash and thunders crash; yet, though sin and hell assail me, Jesus will not fail me.  Satan, I defy thee; death, I now decry thee; fear, I bid thee cease.  World, thou shalt not harm me nor thy threats alarm me while I sing of peace.  God's great power Guards every hour; earth and all its depths adore Him, silent bow before Him.  Hence, all earthly treasure!  Jesus is my pleasure, Jesus is my choice.  Hence, all empty glory!  Naught to me thy story told with tempting voice.  Pain or loss, or shame or cross, shall not from my Savior move me since He deigns to love me.  Evil world, I leave thee; thou canst not deceive me, Thine appeal is vain.  Sin that once did blind me, get thee far behind me, come not forth again.  Past thy hour, O pride and power; sinful life, thy bonds I sever, leave thee now forever.  Hence, all fear and sadness!  For the Lord of gladness, Jesus, enters in. those who love the Father, though the storms may gather, still have peace within.  Yea, whate'er I here must bear, Thou art still my purest pleasure, Jesus, priceless Treasure!”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Thanksgiving

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

I never in my wildest dreams, ever thought that our governor would tell us to limit the number of people in our families coming together to celebrate Thanksgiving and also encouraged to bring your own food!  Bah humbug!!!

Back in the day when I was a young child, the focus of Thanksgiving was pilgrims, Indians, turkey and giving thanks for our blessings.  That was six decades ago before the pandemic and now the focus of thanksgiving seems to be fading as our world hunkers down to avoid COVID-19.  You can be sure, that once we are through this, our culture well once again be preparing us for Christmas and hopefully make up for the lost 2020 revenue. 

When I lived in Haiti this North American holiday was not celebrated.  The office staff knew this and asked if I would prepare a thanksgiving meal for them with mashed potatoes and gravy; something that they had never experienced.  We fried a Haitian chicken and I made mashed potatoes and homemade gravy like my mother and grandmother used to make with lumps of the goody left in the frying pan; recalling thanksgiving in Nebraska while living in Haiti brought me memories of the reasons for which I was thankful.

Our Heavenly Father has ordained many traditions and specific rituals to teach His people proper responses to His love and mercy.  Our Lord Jesus fulfilled the law of the Old Testament, and because of His ultimate sacrifice, we no longer must practice the laws that were in place to teach us of our shortcomings.  But Christ clearly promoted special times of giving thanks, and the teachings of Paul include turning our attitudes constantly towards gratitude.  The girls in the attached photo attend the Lutheran School in Ouanaminthe and they are giving thanks for their loving Savior, their school, their teachers, their meal and for you.

Our Heavenly Father is not the God of hustle and bustle and stressful preparations that we North Americans have come to know.  He taught that we should quiet down and sit before Him. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."  Perhaps the best way for us to experience thanksgiving season is to make a special time for Thanksgiving prayers and heartfelt meditation.  We close today with the words from the hymn ‘Christ, by Heavenly Hosts Adored’ which was written by Henry Harbaugh in 1860.

“Christ, by heavenly host adored, gracious, mighty, sovereign Lord God of nations, King of kings, Head of all created things, by the Church with Joy confest, God o'er all forever blest, pleading at Thy throne we stand, save Thy people, bless our land.  On our fields of grass and grain send, 0 Lord, the kindly rain; o'er our wide and goodly land crown the labors of each hand.  Let Thy kind protection be o'er our commerce on the sea. open, Lord, Thy bounteous hand; bless Thy people, bless our land.  Let our rulers ever be men that love and honor Thee; let the powers by Thee ordained be in righteousness maintained.  In the people's hearts increase love of piety and peace.  Thus united, we shall stand one wide, free, and happy land.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Living in Christ.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7

Living your life in Christ; doing things for Him because you desire to out of love and not because you have to.  Paul encourages us to not live for Jesus for an hour on the Sabbath but throughout the day, every day until our days are no more.

The congregation members in this photo taken at Bon Berger in Caredeux generally spend three to four hours in the Sanctuary on the Sabbath; Bible study starts at 8, worship at 9 and fellowship time at 11:30.  I never saw any members glancing at their watches or a clock on the wall wondering to themselves “how much longer will this service last?”  Too often the evil foe squeezes our patience glands when enjoying time with our Triune God and entices us to get back into the world, his world and start living again.

I close today with the hymn ‘Let us ever walk with Jesus’ that was written by Sigismund von Birken in 1653.  May these words of wisdom bring your life of service encouragement.

“Let us ever walk with Jesus, follow His example pure, flee the world, which would deceive us and to sin our souls allure.  Ever in His footsteps treading, body here, yet soul above, full of faith and hope and love, let us do the Father's bidding.  Faithful Lord, abide with me; Savior, lead, I follow Thee.  Let us suffer here with Jesus, to His image, e'er conform; Heaven's glory soon will please us, sunshine follow on the storm.  Though we sow in tears of sorrow, we shall reap with heavenly joy; and the fears that now annoy shall be laughter on the morrow.  Christ, I suffer here with Thee; there, oh, share Thy joy with me!  Let us also die with Jesus. His death from the second death, from our soul's destruction, frees us, quickens us with life's glad breath.  Let us mortify, while living, flesh and blood and die to sin; and the grave that shuts us in shall but prove the gate to heaven.  Jesus, here I die to Thee there to live eternally.  Let us gladly live with Jesus; since He's risen from the dead, death and grave must soon release us.  Jesus, Thou art now our Head, we are truly Thine own members; where Thou livest, there live we.  Take and own us constantly, faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.  Jesus, here I live to Thee, also there eternally.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Encourage others.

“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.  Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” 2 Timothy 3:10-12

I read once that the second book of Timothy has been referred to as “Paul's last will and testament" and this is certainly fitting as it was probably the last letter Paul wrote before his earthly journey came to an end.

It is thought that Paul had most likely been killed by Roman soldiers before this letter of encouragement actually reached Timothy.  His words of encouragement still hold true for you, me and these children attending the Lutheran school in Pont Sonde in Haiti.  We can daily learn so much from Paul through his words as we identify with his challenges and blessings each and every day.  In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul writes “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” and encourages each of us to do the same as we serve our Heavenly Father with our lives, our talents, our time and our treasures.  The hymn ‘Take my life and let it be’ was written by Frances Havergal in 1874 and it seemed like a good match for Paul’s letter and also a reminder for each of us today.

“Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.  Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love; take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.  Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King; take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.  Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.  Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine; take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.  Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure-store; take myself, and I will be ever, only, all, for Thee.”

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay