Day 45: Friday, April 14, 2017                  John 19:38-42 (NIV)

“38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. [a] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the   garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”

More often than should be, a homeless veteran or an unaccompanied veteran will be laid to rest at the Central Texas Veterans Cemetery. No family, no close friends; instead, volunteer veterans and members of various veterans’ support groups gather together to give the veteran an appropriate burial of honor. For Christ, it wasn’t His close disciples, friends or even family that arranged or performed his burial. Instead, two members of the Sanhedrin, wealthy men, secret disciples, who had nothing to gain and everything to lose, stepped forward and arranged the burial. It is believed that Joseph even gave his tomb.  It was a new tomb, one that had never been used. Joseph and Nicodemus, secret followers of Christ, showed the respect they had for Christ and His doctrine, and that it was not lessened by the reproach of the cross.  They may have also believed that through their actions others would see the strength of their love and follow Christ’s message. So it is for those veterans providing an honorable burial for homeless or unaccompanied veterans. The service to fellow vets is not lessened by the criticism of their homeless unaccompanied status but strengthened to show honor. Unlike Joseph and Nicodemus, we are called to confess Christ to others and show His love to all.

Prayer:  Father give us the strength and courage to profess Your love for all and not be discouraged by the unbelief or criticism of others. Amen.

Contributed by Colleen Smith-Fey

Day 43: Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Philippians 2:3-5 (ESV)

 “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help us to do Thy will with only the motivation to please You and not seek constant accolades and awards.  We should be satisfied just doing Your will and living the life You choose for us.  Amen.

Contributed by Gretchen Franck

Day 41: Monday, April 10, 2017            John 1:1

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

My daughter teaches a grade two class, and she called the other night a little distraught. It seems what was to have been a beautiful day didn't go quite so beautifully.

A second grade teacher explained that the class had been "growing" butterflies. The day of release had arrived, but some of the sugar water used to attract them outside had spilled on the floor, attracting two of the beautiful butterflies to its sticky sweet spot.

As they stuck, they struggled, and when she tried to help, one died right away, and the other's wing tore off and it fluttered to its death. She also felt badly about a cocoon she had discarded, sure that the caterpillar inside was dead because another one, which she had almost discarded, emerged later than all the rest. She knows full well that this is all part of life, but still it is a bit of a tough lesson when you're teaching little people full of anticipation at the thought of setting free the beautiful butterflies they've grown.

Our lives are like the butterflies' lives, both physically and spiritually. Some of us emerge with no trouble at all. Some are always struggling. Some of us take a little or a lot longer than others to emerge and need a little coaxing and/or a lot of support. Some never come out of the "cocoon,” either through spiritual birth, or through the cocoons we have built for ourselves. And still others, having emerged beautifully, are taken, seemingly just when the taste of life is so sweet.

It is a tough lesson to learn, but God is the teacher and He knows everyone's life plan. It must be hard for Him to see us struggle, to lose our way, or to stay within our cocoons. Surely the hardest lesson for Him to teach us was through the death of His own son,  Jesus. But He knows this is all part of His Master Plan and, just like the butterfly, He has given us every stage of life to learn.

Prayer: All knowing Father, be with us in our struggles, support us in our journeys, love us as we learn the lessons You have set out to teach us, and rejoice with us in our accomplishments. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Contributed by Carol Dugger

Day 39: Saturday, April 8, 2017     Matthew 17:20  KJV

 “He replied, “Because you have so little faith.  Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”

2000, a new year, the cusp of a new century, exciting times! The first years of the new century were happy for my family except for the death of my father.  My husband and I were blessed with three beautiful grandchildren and a wonderful dream house in the country. Then those carefree days began to crumble. Jim started having health problems.  First a brain blockage, then his heart problems started. I had double knee replacement, which I can’t call a tragedy. In fact, it was wonderful to be able to walk again. Then came the diagnosis of breast cancer. A biopsy and two more surgeries; four surgeries in six months, and I was ready for chemo. After chemo was over, our beautiful baby girl was born and seven weeks later died of SIDS. After a brief reprieve from our trouble, Jim’s heart worsened. In and out of the emergency rooms and the hospital was taking a toll on us. Next a quick trip to Kentucky, for me, to bury my sister-in-law. Then my world fell apart. Jim spent a week in the hospital in a coma and died on our daughter’s birthday. I began to wonder if every fall was going to bring our family sadness.

I joined the church in 1985 after attending off and on since I came to Killeen. I would attend for a while and then stop. While God was always part of my life, I made the choice to live how I wanted to live. I was not vocal about my belief. One of my coworkers could see my needs and opened a door for me.  Now I always say to her she has kept me on the straight and narrow path. When cancer took over my world, I knew I had to put God back in my life. I started going to the chapel for early services, but kept my illness between God and me, along with my family and a few close friends.

Jim and I went to visit the oncologist.  The doctor wore a tie with the nativity scene on it. I knew at that point he was a special doctor. With God, the medical resources, along with the help of nurse Jim, we were going to get me through this trial. 

Good news! A long-awaited rainbow baby was coming into our confused world! God was giving to us our fourth grandbaby.  Chemo was over.  Things were looking up.

Jim made his annual pilgrimage to Kentucky. The past three times he had gone, he ended up in the hospital there for an overnight visit. This time, he came home, and the next morning I took him to the Emergency Room. I thought he had pneumonia.

A week later Jim died. During that week he was in a coma, it was hard to verbalize a prayer, so I kept repeating the Apostles Creed, The Lord’s Prayer and two of my favorite benedictions. It was hard at that point to think beyond my immediate emotions; my memory pulled up those prayers that are special to me. They gave me hope.

Six months after his death God presented our beautiful baby boy.  What a joy he is to our family! Full of life, humor and love, he has pulled our world back together. While not having Jim here to spoil him, the baby carries his name. 

I could not have survived the tumultuous beginning of the new century without God by my side. While He was always in my life, now I keep Him much closer in my heart. I still try to make my own decisions, but I have guardian angels trying to nudge me in the right direction. I might not listen, but I am better than I was. I thank God for being with me even with my human weaknesses. 

Thank you, my church family, for taking me under your wings. I value the friendship given so freely.

 “For I truly say to you, if you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move hence to yonder place,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible.”

Prayer: May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. 

Contributed by Kathy Smallwood 

Day 37: Thursday, April 6, 2017             Mark 12:31 NIV

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment  greater than these.”

This passage from Matthew’s gospel may be one of the more familiar sayings of Jesus. We know that God wants us to love others as we love ourselves. Whether from Sunday School as a child, sermons from Sunday morning, or personal Bible study, this command seems to be ingrained into many of us. And let’s be honest, this is extremely important: we are to love others! Often, though, I think we forget the second half of this command. We are to “love your neighbor AS YOURSELF!” I think, especially in Lent, when we practice so much self-denial, we have forgotten that what it means to “love your neighbor” is tied up with loving yourself! It is important to love and serve others; indeed, God commands us to do so, but we must not neglect ourselves in doing so.  Loving yourself is a crucial part of the greatest commandment given by God.

When I was in my final semester of graduate school, I was too busy focusing on things other than myself to actually follow this commandment. I was serving my fellow students as vice-president, making sure I was the student my professors wanted, and making sure I was the employee my boss wanted. I focused so much on pleasing others and doing what others needed that it broke me. I wasn’t paying enough attention to myself, and my life began to fall apart. You know the adage, “Before you can love someone you must love yourself?” I did not love myself. It is hard to love yourself. Loving yourself is not selfishness, either. To truly love yourself, you have to listen to your body, you have to rest, and you have to come to terms with who you are as a Child of God. And this is extremely rewarding! When you focus on what you need, you open yourself up to be rejuvenated by Christ, living how Christ commanded you to live.

This week, take some time to focus on loving yourself and doing what you need. You can’t serve others unless you serve yourself first. There is a reason they tell you on the airplane to put your oxygen mask on before assisting others with their mask. If you don’t give yourself the love and support you need, you cannot successfully give others the love and support they need. Make sure that in loving your neighbor as yourself  you are actually loving yourself so that God may work in you.

Prayer: Holy God, I pray that, while I am working towards loving others as myself, I am working towards loving myself. Help me to listen to my body and support myself in what I need and feel. You showed the greatest love of all by giving Your life for me. Help me to love myself more like You love me. Amen.

Contributed by Corrie Hermans