Generosity in 2026.

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people, but it is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:10-16

These verses are so full of awesome content!  God is generous to us so that we can in turn be generous to others!  We have the incredible privilege of sharing what God blesses us with and that results in others thanking and worshiping God!  THAT is an incredible gift to US!  Is it not?  When we bless others, give our time and resources to others in ways that are contrary to our culture and society, others can feel the love of God and respond in praise!

As we celebrate the arrival of the indescribable gift of the newborn Savior this Advent season, I just want to pause and reflect on all that God has given to us and all that he is continuing to give to us.  We are broken sinners and we have nothing to offer on our own that is fit for a king.  The song “Little Drummer Boy” plays in my head on repeat.  All we have to offer is our praise and, through our generosity fueled by God’s love, we can offer His love to others that results in others praising God! 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you were willing to send your son to live as one of us in this broken world to restore your relationship with us.  Thank you, Jesus, for taking on our shame and burdens and experiencing death on the cross just for us.  Spirit, please restore in us a fire for only you that we may turn to those around us and share all that we have to spread your love that the whole world may celebrate your precious name.  AMEN

Deidre Brinkmeyer Larson

New Year's Day.

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!  You have set your glory in the heavens.  Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?  You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.  You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8

Please take a long look at the attached photo and what is your first thought on this New Year’s Day?  Man, I got to get a new fishing boat this year.  You should see their nets.  Now, please reread that last verse of Psalm 8.  What are just a couple things you need to accomplish so you can better serve our Majestic Lord?  Have a blessed day.

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

What happened?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

The days on the calendar of this year have come to the last page.  What a year my calendar has been through.  Job and I are celebrating that 2025 is over and turn over everything to the Lord Jesus in 2026.  While Haiti is still facing some huge challenges with violent gangs and vodou, God’s children are still walking closely with our Heavenly Father every day.  Trinity HOPE is now providing meals in 301 Christian schools throughout the country; a huge blessing today and tomorrow.  God’s blessings continue to flow in Haiti, here and everywhere in this fallen world; if you look for them.  I’m closing on this last day of the year with the words from the ‘Blessings’ song by Laura Story.  It was released in 2011.  I chose this song because there have been many blessings in my life this past year and probably quite a few that I missed and put into the basket of pain.  How about you?  Please read the words to the Blessing song and then jot down a few of the blessings you have received this past year.  I hope that something you said or did to another soul along their journey has showed up on their list too.

“We pray for blessings; we pray for peace.  Comfort for family, protection while we sleep.  We pray for healing, for prosperity.  We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering.  All the while, You hear each spoken need, yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.  'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops, what if Your healing comes through tears.  What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near.  What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise.  We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear.  We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near.  We doubt your goodness, we doubt Your love.  As if every promise from Your Word is not enough.  All the while, You hear each desperate plea and long that we'd have faith to believe.  When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win.  We know that pain reminds this heart that this is not our home.  What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy.  What if trials of this life; the rain, the storms, the hardest nights are Your mercies in disguise.  'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops, what if Your healing comes through tears.  What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near.  What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise.”

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 our Lord Jesus abundantly bless, protect and comfort you in this coming new year,

Jay and Job

A life without our Lord.

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

There was a quote in one of my morning, ‘online’ devotions this week that said “May your troubles be less, your blessings more, and may nothing but happiness, come through your door.  Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil; it has no point."  We were brought here to do as His Son Jesus did; accomplish His will.  Sometimes it doesn’t seem like we know what His purpose is for our lives, or what we are expected to accomplish.  Remain faithful, continue to call upon the Lord for direction for your lives and He has promised to be with you and provide direction, comfort and peace.

I close today with the words to the hymn ‘If thou but suffer God to guide thee’ which was written by Georg Neumark in 1640.  It is a long hymn that written a long, long time ago but the words have such great directions for today.

“If thou but suffer God to guide thee and hope in Him through all thy ways, He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee, and bear thee through the evil days.  Who trusts in God's unchanging love builds on the Rock that naught can move.  What can these anxious cares avail thee, these never-ceasing moans and sighs?  What can it help if thou bewail thee o'er each dark moment as it flies?  Our cross and trials do but press the heavier for our bitterness.  Be patient and await His leisure in cheerful hope, with heart content to take whate'er thy Father's pleasure and His discerning love hath sent, nor doubt our inmost wants are known to Him who chose us for His own.  God knows full well when times of gladness shall be the needful thing for thee.  When He has tried thy soul with sadness and from all guile has found thee free, He comes to thee all unaware and makes thee own His loving care.  Nor think amid the fiery trial that God hath cast thee off unheard, that he whose hopes meet no denial must surely be of God preferred.  Time passes and much change doth bring and sets a bound to everything.  All are alike before the Highest; tis easy to our God, we know, to raise thee up, though low thou liest, to make the rich man poor and low.  True wonders still by Him are wrought who setteth up and brings to naught.  Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, perform thy duties faithfully, and trust His Word, though undeserving, thou yet shalt find it true for thee.  God never yet forsook in need the soul that trusted Him indeed.” 

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 measure of life.

“Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” Ephesians 6:24
While reading the ‘Nearing Home’ book by Dr. Billy Graham the following quote attributed to Carrie Ten Bloom was shared; “the measure of life is not by the duration but by the donation.”  It struck me like that frozen snowball that hit me in the face so many decades ago and gave me a black eye; it still has my attention.

It really doesn’t matter how many years you are blessed with but rather how much you have been a blessing throughout the span of your life.  It seems that is an accurate description of Trinity HOPE.  In a span of a little over two and a half decades faithful donors have grown from feeding 46 kids in Tarrasse to just over 65,000 in January.  What a blessing that cloud of young missionaries will be to the country of Haiti.  The vodou priests will cringe when they see them coming from their schools but will be thankful when their closed ears hear the truth of the risen Christ and express joy when they realize that their sins are forgiven.  I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Take my life and let it be’ which was written by Frances R. Havergal in 1874.

“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

Are you being deprived?

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

Have you ever known any people who were disappointed because the neighbors across the street went on a cruise over the Christmas vacation, or got a new Hummer, or diamonds or a pony or some other gift that screamed ‘WOW’ to the neighbors?  Not fair!!!

One of the world's great ironies is that the lost in this world often view Christians as being deprived of the so-called ‘good life’ not realizing that believers are the only ones with life; they seldom are able to grasp the fact that true joy, peace, contentment, and the ongoing enjoyment of life are possessed by the children of God alone.  They are the ones who come up to you when you are seemingly walking through the valley of the shadow of death and despair and ask ‘how can you possibly get through this?’

We have a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  These children living in Haiti have this same Savior.  Before we look at ourselves with pride because we have this Savior, remember that we are chosen by God through no works of our own; we are covered by God’s grace.  Our Savior has given us the direction of sharing this message of the way to salvation with the lost souls of this world; no matter who they are or what they happened to have bought themselves for Christmas.  I close with the words to the hymn ‘Send Thou O Lord to every place’ which was written by Mary Gates in 1888.

“Send Thou, O Lord, to every place swift messengers before Thy face, the heralds of Thy wondrous grace, where Thou Thyself wilt come.  Send men whose eyes have seen the King, men in whose ears His sweet words ring; send such Thy lost ones home to bring; send them where Thou wilt come to bring good news to souls in sin, the bruised and broken hearts to win; in ev'ry place to bring them in where Thou Thyself wilt come.  Thou who hast died, Thy vict'ry claim; assert, O Christ, Thy glory's name and far to lands of pagan shame send men where Thou wilt come.  Gird each one with the Spirit's Sword, the sword of Thine own deathless Word, and make them conquerors, conquering Lord, where Thou Thyself wilt come.  Raise up, O Lord the Holy Ghost, from this broad land a mighty host; their war cry, "We will seek the lost where Thou, O Christ, wilt come."

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

Your ticket is punched.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2

For the past few years, I’ve been re-reading the book ‘Nearing Home’ by Billy Graham partly because I wanted to read it again and see how it impacted me since I am a year older than I was when I last read it and also because I found that it was a wonderful book to read as your journey, like my journey, will come to a close one day.  And of course, I forgot how it ended.  In the book, there was a story from Dr. Graham in which he shared a memory about Albert Einstein with his publicist in 2000 and I would like to share that with you today.

"I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.  Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger.  When he came to Einstein, he reached in his vest pocket.  He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets.  It wasn't there.  He looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it.  Then he looked in the seat beside him.  He still couldn't find it.  The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are.  We all know who you are.  I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.'  Einstein nodded appreciatively.  The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets.  As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.  The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are; no problem.  You don't need a ticket.  I'm sure you bought one.'  Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am.  What I don't know is where I'm going.''

The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran School at Bois Marchand; their tickets have been punched and thankfully they know where they are going and are reminded every day they are in school and in prayer.  They live in a place where many of their neighbors follow the drums of the vodou priest and recruit souls for satan.  Too many in our world aren’t sure where they are going.  Thank you for sharing the message through your prayers and gifts.  I close today with the words to the hymn ‘May God bestow on us His Grace’ that was written by Martin Luther in 1524.

“May God bestow on us His grace, with blessings rich provide us, and may the brightness of His face to life eternal guide us that we His saving health may know, His gracious will and pleasure, and also to the heathen show Christ's riches without measure and unto God convert them.  Thine over all shall be the praise and thanks of every nation, and all the world with joy shall raise the voice of exultation; for Thou shalt judge the earth, O Lord, nor suffer sin to flourish; Thy people's pasture is Thy Word their souls to feed and nourish, in righteous paths to keep them.  Oh, let the people praise Thy worth, in all good works increasing; the land shall plenteous fruit bring forth, Thy Word is rich in blessing.  May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit bless us!  Let all the world praise Him alone, let solemn awe possess us.”

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

Christmas Day.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.  The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.  He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn; shout for joy before the Lord, the King.  Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” Psalm 98

Have a very Merry Christmas.

Jay

Christmas Eve.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

Who was this baby born in Bethlehem?  Was this really the promised Messiah?  How would this small baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem save the world?  The Angels told the world that this was indeed the Savior of the World.  The world had trouble accepting this truth at that time and still wrestles with this truth today.  In Matthew 19:26 Jesus tells the disciples “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Once again, it is not about us, it is about what He did for us on that still, silent night so long ago in a manger in Bethlehem.

His Gospel light shines brightly in this dark world.  His truth is above reproach.  Our Heavenly Father loves all the children in Haiti and around the world, loves you and loves me.  That truth remains in each of us and at this time of year we need to share it with those who have not heard or are helplessly focused on the things of this world instead of the Savior of this world.  I close with the words to the song ‘Oh Holy Night’ what was written by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure in 1877.

“Oh holy night!  The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior's birth!  Long lay the world in sin and error pining till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.  A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!  Fall on your knees; Oh hear the angel voices.  Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born.  Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming with glowing hearts by His cradle we stand so led by light of a star sweetly gleaming.  Here come the wise men from Orient land; the King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger in all our trials born to be our friend.  Truly He taught us to love one another.  His law is love and His gospel is peace.  Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother and in His name all oppression shall cease.  Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, let all within us praise His holy name.  Fall on your knees; Oh hear the angel voices.  Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born.”

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

Multitudes and goosebumps.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:13-14 (KJV)

Have you ever had goose bumps go up and down your spine when a thousand voices joyfully sang a hymn that tugged at your heart?  I can only imagine that the shepherds must have been shaking in their sandals while a multitude of voices were praising God out in the fields that still, silent night two thousand years ago.

There were a number of occasions when I sat and listened to the congregation at Bon Berger in Caredeux joyfully sing praises to God in a Creole hymn that went on and on and they had no sheet music to follow…just their hearts, minds and voices singing praises to their Heavenly Father, our Heavenly Father.  What will heaven be like?  One day all of the believers from every tribe and race will be joining together singing praises to our Heavenly Father in one common tongue.  While we wait for that moment, let’s close by reading the words to the hymn ‘Hark the Herald Angels sing’ which was written by Charles Wesley in 1739.

“Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King; peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"  Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic host proclaim.  "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"  Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"  Christ, by highest heaven adored.  Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold Him come, offspring of a virgin's womb.  Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity!  Pleased as Man with man to dwell; Jesus, our Immanuel!  Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"

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