My bed became a living thing, enveloping me into its cozyness, fitting like a glove. Quite a change from the dorm room sleeping thingy, with poster board taped to the window, obliterating the security lights outside.
My carpeted floor was soothing to tired, swollen feet, and I delighted in the feel and texture.
The trip home had overflowed with thoughts of love, of friendship, of laughter, of the sheer joy of being with God's people. My heart was filled up with God's spirit, rejuvenated with the passion and wisdom that only comes from His Word. Thank you, Lord, for these servants of yours who take time to share with us, to teach us, these servants who care for others' souls.
Because soul loss is real, reaching from distant corners and steadily eroding the vitality and joy coming from the God knowledge, the God love. Life is so busy, we are hardly aware of the change...the going away. But we heed the call of God's Spirit, and we look for opportunities to revive our hearts, our souls.
Remedies abound in the community of believers, and we learn to grasp at the touch, sound and intimacy of love flowing from our Christian brothers and sisters.
So we schedule, we prepare, and we anticipate the gatherings. We gather in the spirit of oneness, with devoted intent and concentration on things that are not of this world. And we are blessed, we learn, we mature, and we take with us what we can pass on to others. We worship, we sing with abandon and envision the beauty of a singing heaven. And it is well with my soul.
After 40 plus years, the last meeting of Christian Training Series at Freed Hardeman University is over, the event not to be held again. But the benefits will endure because the love upon what it was established is our God's love. The friendships will remain, the memories special, and the lessons we've heard will be shared again and again.
I am grateful that God's people care enough to nourish others, to spend their time and effort to help grow our souls into the likeness of Christ. I am especially thankful to Sam and Phyllis Hester for loving us, working for us, loving God and his church.
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)
My carpeted floor was soothing to tired, swollen feet, and I delighted in the feel and texture.
The trip home had overflowed with thoughts of love, of friendship, of laughter, of the sheer joy of being with God's people. My heart was filled up with God's spirit, rejuvenated with the passion and wisdom that only comes from His Word. Thank you, Lord, for these servants of yours who take time to share with us, to teach us, these servants who care for others' souls.
Because soul loss is real, reaching from distant corners and steadily eroding the vitality and joy coming from the God knowledge, the God love. Life is so busy, we are hardly aware of the change...the going away. But we heed the call of God's Spirit, and we look for opportunities to revive our hearts, our souls.
Remedies abound in the community of believers, and we learn to grasp at the touch, sound and intimacy of love flowing from our Christian brothers and sisters.
So we schedule, we prepare, and we anticipate the gatherings. We gather in the spirit of oneness, with devoted intent and concentration on things that are not of this world. And we are blessed, we learn, we mature, and we take with us what we can pass on to others. We worship, we sing with abandon and envision the beauty of a singing heaven. And it is well with my soul.
After 40 plus years, the last meeting of Christian Training Series at Freed Hardeman University is over, the event not to be held again. But the benefits will endure because the love upon what it was established is our God's love. The friendships will remain, the memories special, and the lessons we've heard will be shared again and again.
I am grateful that God's people care enough to nourish others, to spend their time and effort to help grow our souls into the likeness of Christ. I am especially thankful to Sam and Phyllis Hester for loving us, working for us, loving God and his church.
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)
