Friends Are the Best Gifts / Vicky Mutchler

Vicky Mutchler

Pastor's Wife

Grandview Baptist Church

Beavercreek, OR

Friends Are the Best Gifts

If friends are the best gifts. How do I find one?

Window shopping? Do I look around and try to decide which was is the most economical?  Which one matches or fits my style? One of those...” I really need to think this over” before I jump in!                                                               

Silently, we check out potential friends. Is she ____happy enough?

Friendly enough without being annoying with her excessive JOY? Simple enough that I won’t feel out classed?

Classy enough that I don’t feel like I’m out with my crazy aunt?                        

Smart enough that she can carry on a semi-intelligent conversation?           

 Dumb enough that I will not feel stupid and inadequate around her?

Presents? Yes, friends are Present!                                                                      

It’s not about the outer wrapping! We are drawn to the biggest present! 

We are drawn to beautiful wrap.... The best present can be in a brown paper bag!

Five characteristics of a faithful friend.

I. Be there

Have you already been thinking about the best friends you've had? If the faces of your favorite people have already come to mind, you're remembering people who found a way to be with you. Many of them were with you in the routine of life. Maybe you attended class together. Perhaps you grew up in the same home. Maybe it's a co-worker.  If you live long enough, the best friends of your life were also those who found a way to be with you during tough times. How many stories would you have of friends who drove hundreds of miles to be with you, who jumped on an airplane to stand by your side, or those who canceled appointments to join you? The details differ, but one thing is certain about faithful friends; they don't stop with a phone call, letter, or an e-mail. They find a way to be there.

II. Know the power of a gentle touch

Most every culture uses touch in greeting - a handshake, a bear hug, a kiss on the cheek, a kiss on both cheeks! A touch can show sympathy, friendship, trust - sometimes powerful trust. 

A faithful friend knows how to touch someone when they are hurting, how to communicate love with touch, even restore confidence with a special grip. A faithful friend understands the power of a hug, and isn't embarrassed to hold on to the hug a little longer than necessary. Don't underestimate the power of a gentle touch.

III. Speak the right words at the right time

A faithful friend says not simply kind words, but the right words at the right time and of course, sometimes.... JUST LISTENS!!

IV. Don't waver in your support

God works in simple ways. Somewhere, perhaps today, a person near you needs a faithful friend. If you answer God's call to be that friend, it might be you who changes their world.

Mrs. Vicky
Have a super day!

Hands Like My Saviour / Melissa Bingham

Melissa Bingham

Youth Pastor's Wife

Bible Baptist Church of Rendon

Fort Worth, TX

The Bingham's also run a "missions helps" ministry called HOME TEAMS Missions...

Hands Like My Saviour 

Hands are truly amazing features to the human species. The human hand is very unique and special in it’s design. It is the one part of our body that would be almost impossible to imagine living without. The blind use their hands to “see” the world around them. The deaf use their hands to “speak” to the world around them. Hands are used to build up or tear down great structures. They are used to create detailed, intricate designs. Hands are used to convey love, care, and sympathy to others.

Each set of hands tells a very unique story, over the years gathering scars and marks that tell the stories of what those hands have been involved with. You can tell a lot about a person by their hands. A mechanic’s hands might be a little grease stained, and perhaps a little battered and bruised. A pianists’ hands will most likely be soft, and have long graceful fingers. A carpenter’s hands would most likely be rough and calloused from hours of working with the tools of the trade.

Yes, each hand tells the story of the one whom it belongs to, and none more precious than the Hands of our Saviour. His Hands tell an amazing story of sacrifice and love. The Lord gave me this Acrostic to describe just five characteristics of the His hands that each of us would do well to try to emulate with our own hands.

H – Helpful. The Lord’s hands were always being used to help, or uplift those around Him. All through the New Testament we see time after time where He used His hands to help those in need. In Mark 8:23-25 the Bible tells of a blind man that Jesus healed. In this instance, the Lord put spit on his eyes, and then put His hands on him. We know from other miracles that Jesus could have simply spoken the words as He did to Blind Bartimaeus, and the man would have received his sight, but Jesus chose to touch this man. The Lord used His hands to break the bread at the feeding of the five thousand. In any of these situations the Lord could have just spoken the miracles in to existence, but He chose to use His hands to bless those around Him. In Proverbs 31:20 the Bible says, “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” We should be using our hands to help those around us. The poor, our neighbor, a family member, a stranger might all need a helping hand, and we should use our hands like the Hands of the Saviour to help those around us.

A – Agile. The Lord’s hands were extremely skilled. He was trained as a carpenter by His earthly father and I have no doubt was very skilled in that trade. The Bible tells us in John 14:1-2 that He is preparing a place for us. He did not say that He was watching the angels prepare a place, or that He was speaking a place into existence for us – He said that He was preparing a place for us. Imagine, the Lord Himself working diligently on OUR Heavenly home! What a masterpiece each one of those must be! The world is full of God’s handiwork, and of His amazing versatility and skillful work. We have each been given talents from the Lord and we should use our hands to perform those skills so that we can bless those around us. Maybe it would be sewing, or carpentry, or writing, or simply holding another’s hand while they are going through a difficult time.

N – Nurturing. The Lord used His hands to nurture those around Him. In Matthew 19:13 & 14 parents were bringing their little children to the Lord, and the disciples were turning them away, but Jesus rebuked them, and welcomed the little ones openly and willingly. He sat them on His lap and blessed them. Jesus was also faithfully nurturing His disciples along while He was with them here on earth, consistently and patiently teaching them what each parable meant. He wanted them to have a solid understanding of what He was teaching them. My favorite example of Jesus’ nurturing with His hands is found in Revelation 21:4 a , “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; …” One day the Lord will wipe away our tears and take away all sorrow and suffering from us. Are we nurturing others with our hands? Are we tenderly and lovingly discipling those around us, teaching them and training them so that they are prepared to do those things alone? There are many people around us that are suffering from heart aches or from sin. Many more who are just unlearned of some of the things that we know. We should use our hands to extend love and mercy to them as the Saviour extended those blessings to us.

D – Dear. The Hands of our Saviour are Dear. They are precious and they carry the scars of the greatest sacrifice of all time. Our Saviour’s hands were pierced for our transgressions as He gave His life on the cross of Calvary for me, the chiefest of all sinners. Luke 24:38 shows us a picture of the disciples hunkered down in a room, terrified of what might come, when the Lord comes to them. How does He try to convince them that it is indeed Him, the One who died for them? “Behold my hands, and my feet, that it is I myself:…“ We may get to Heaven one day and not be able to tell the difference between Mary and Martha, or John and James, but we will know without a doubt which hands belong to the One that died for our souls. Now, we cannot be crucified for those around use today – there is no need for that, but we can be dear with our hands and show others the love of the One who did die for them. We can use our hands to sacrifice for others, and to give of ourselves completely.

S – Safe. There is no safer place in all of this world than to be in My Saviour’s Hands. John 10:28-29 says, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s Hand.” That is pretty safe and secure! I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to pry something from someone’s hand, but it is pretty hard to do! This makes me know that my soul, my life, everything that I have or that I am is safe in Jesus’ Hands. Those closest to us should feel safe in our hands. Not just with their lives, but with their needs, burdens, and sometimes their secrets. Proverbs 31:11-12 tells us, “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Her husband trusted her completely to care for all that he had entrusted to her hands and she did not let him down. We should strive to make those nearest us feel safe in our hands.

I believe the hand is one of the most amazing tools that the Lord gave us, and I believe that we will give an account of how we use those tools. Proverbs 31:31 says, “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” I want to hear well done for all that I use my hands for. I pray that we can use all use our hands as those of the Saviours.

He is ALWAYS There / Laura Faulk

Laura Faulk

Pastor's Wife

First Baptist Church

Groton, MA

He is ALWAYS There

Recently I was listening to the song “He is There.” I love this song and when a song speaks to me, I tend to play it over and over. As I listened, (over and over), it got me thinking about God always being with us. I began to think of a few times in my Christian walk when I didn’t think God was near me. I couldn’t feel His presence. That can be a sad and confusing time but as I look back on those times, I am amazed all over again at how good our God is! I am not proud of the times when I doubted God’s presence, but I do love the fact that I can look back on those days and see the mighty hand of God working!

Have you ever experienced a time in your Christian life that you didn’t feel God’s presence? Did you think something was wrong? Did you think God had left you?

I remember 3 distinct times when I didn’t feel God’s presence. The first time was when my father was about to leave this earth and make his entrance into his new heavenly home. I had 3 siblings at the time but none of them could handle the situation, so I was left alone to remain strong for my father and my siblings. I remember sitting by my father’s hospital bed thinking, “I can’t even pray, why can’t I pray? I don’t even know what to say; I have no words. Where are you God?”

Whenever one of my friends from our church came to the hospital I would burst into tears as soon as they walked in the hospital room door.” What in the world is wrong with me,” I thought to myself each time? I had to be strong, and I certainly didn’t want my friends seeing me falling apart! Later, after the storm had calmed down and I thought back on those days I could see exactly that God was right there with me the entire time! I realized that God had sent those “angels” to me so that I could release some of my grief and sorrow so that I could remain strong for my family. Not only was God always with me during that time but He sent me His hugs and embraces in physical form. Even though I couldn’t utter a prayer, God knew exactly what I needed and how to help me! He never left me and was always at my side holding my right hand! “For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13

You would have thought that I would have learned my lesson from that, but Satan does an excellent job of fooling our minds into making us believe we are useless and not important to God. My second experience involved a huge ministry crisis, or what I thought at the time was “a crisis.” I honestly had no idea how I would make it through this trial, and it was even worse for my husband. Neither one of us could encourage the other. At one point, my husband had to pull our car over to the side of the road as he sobbed uncontrollably. I had never ever seen my husband so much as shed a tear and yet here he was sobbing. I felt helpless, useless, and alone. Again, where was our God during this time? I had no idea how to pray let alone what to say. Our lives had just been crushed and how did we even begin to pick up the pieces and move on? God seemed so quiet to me during those days; however, He knew exactly what was going on and never left us alone!! He was always right where He said He would be – at our side and holding our right hands (Isaiah 41:13)!! Once again, after the storm calmed down, I was able to look back and see how God was with us every step of that journey and in the end brought us great victory!

My 3rd “huge” trial happened almost 5 years ago when my daughter was diagnosed with a terminal illness. It took many grueling months before getting the proper diagnosis and finding out that the only hope of a cure was a bone marrow transplant. None of our other children were 100% matches so we had to rely on the donor bank. In the meantime, she was getting worse and sometimes in the ER several times a week. This time, I tried again to pray, and I even tried to cry but couldn’t do either. Again, I was trying to remain strong for my daughter, her husband, and her two small children. I felt the weight was on me alone and I couldn’t see God or talk to God. I was afraid to voice my feelings to God (is that silly or what?). My husband and I even had a hard

time talking about it together. It was a trial we certainly didn’t want to face! My husband called a few local preachers and we all got together to have a prayer meeting for our daughter and claim God’s healing on her body. I felt all alone, as I sat on that pew that night crying through her favorite song “In Christ Alone” and the many prayers offered up in her behalf. God did not heal her in the way we wanted but a few weeks later we found out that He did have a donor ready who was an absolute perfect match in every possible way and in just a few short weeks, the process would begin. This time God had sent little “angels” to me in the form of my 4 and 2-year-old grandchildren! They stayed with us for a month while Shannon was in the hospital going through chemo, radiation, and the transplant. As I loved on those grandies, how could I not see the love that God was giving me through them? As I think back on those days, I see very clearly that God was hugging and loving me once again in physical form through those beautiful “angels.” Even though I didn’t understand it or felt like I deserved it, God had finally given me such a peace that even though I struggled at times to remain strong and even though my voice struggled with finding the words to pray, I KNEW that God was in control and that somehow (no matter the outcome of the transplant) everything would be okay! I felt totally helpless because this was one time in my child’s life that I couldn’t fix a problem for her. But I didn’t have to feel helpless because God would take care of her and all of us. God would be with us every step of the way! Even though I struggled with the words to pray, I knew that my God knew my heart and what I would pray if I could!! As I think back on those days, I realize that God had given me a peace and calm during that time that even today I am amazed. To make a longer story short, this May will mark 5 years since that transplant day and God did heal our daughter!!

I know that many of you have gone through much worse trials and scenarios than my examples. And perhaps you never felt alone and always had the words to pray. But God had to teach me about His omnipresence the hard way. I know that I will still encounter many times ahead where I find my walk with God rough and demanding and my faith tested to the breaking point. At times it might seem as though the doors of hope will slam shut and the odds will be against me. Perhaps there will be times in my life again when I don’t feel the presence of God, but I know He is still there! Praise the Lord that in each of these scenarios I saw that God will allow me to go through trials but He will never leave me alone!!

Some people falsely conclude that when they don’t feel God, He is gone. He has disappeared. Remember, He is there, even when you don’t feel Him. The Bible tells us in Hebrews, “… for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (13:5). It is during these times that we must walk by faith, not by feeling, because God has promised in His Word that He will be with us.

No matter how lonely or abandoned we feel, Jesus is always by our side. In Matthew 28:20 he said, “. . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

I could list many examples in the Bible of people who felt alone in their trials, but they never truly were. God was always with them as He promised! In those days when we feel utterly alone, downcast, and like nobody cares, remind yourself of God’s words and promises to us. Yes, often it’s easier said than done but He Is There! Remind yourself to walk by faith in God’s Word and not by sight and trust in God’s promise never to leave you or forsake you! Highlight these verses in your Bible and post them where you will see them often.

He Is There

When the trials you face turn into your darkest night,

And you're hoping in some way, the darkness will turn to light,

And you feel all alone and no one is there with you,

Never fear, my God is holding you.

He is there to comfort you,

When you feel your world is shifting.

He is there to hold you,

When everything is changing.

My Lord's still there.

Somedays I was so lost,

I just couldn't see him.

There were moments

I felt my heart would just give in,

But when you're through trying

And there's nothing left to do,

Never fear, my God is holding you.

He is there to comfort you,

When you feel your world is shifting.

He is there to hold you,

When everything is changing.

My Lord's still there.

Be A Pineapple / Katelyn Rauhaus

Katelyn Rauhaus (soon to be Tyler)

Bus Ministry / Choir

Marion Avenue Baptist Church

Washington, IA

Be a Pineapple 

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am completely obsessed with pineapples. They really are the happiest fruit, but that is just my personal opinion. One of my favorite quotes is " Be a Pineapple, Stand Tall, Wear a Crown, and Be Sweet on the Inside."  Not only is it about one of my favorite things but it also has a spiritual aspect to it. 

The first part of this quote says to "Stand Tall" and in Deuteronomy 31: 6 it says "Be strong and of good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  Stand tall ultimately means to be strong, this verse is not talking about our physical strength but our spiritual strength, also known as our faith. God tells us in this verse that he will not fail us or forsake us. Sometimes things in life will test our faith, in these times remember this verse and Stand Tall. 

The second part of this quote says to " Wear a Crown". Do you realize that we are all daughters of the King of Kings? If you have personally excepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and asked him to take you to Heaven when you die, you are a daughter of the King! John 1:12-13  says " But as many as receive him, but to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."   Being a daughter of the King that means that you are a princess and princesses wear crowns. Remember this next time you get discouraged or life beats you down, remember that you are a princess and wear your crown proudly!

The last part of this quote says "To Be Sweet on the Inside". Life is going to throw some really hard things at you and you will think to yourself “this is not fair, I didn't do anything to deserve this”. Truth is you probably didn't do anything to deserve it but God works in mysterious ways and we may never fully understand why bad things will happen to us, and if we aren't careful we will allow these things to make us bitter and steal our sweet spirit. Ephesians 4:31 says " Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Bitterness is something that can destroy you if you allow it which is exactly what the devil wants us to do. Remember Philippians 4:13 says " I can do all things through Christ, which strengthen me." Personally this verse has helped me through so many trials, It has helped me stay sweet on the inside. I do not know what you are going through right now but remember that God will never give you more than you can handle.

Pineapples bring me a lot of joy, and my prayer is that now they will bring you a lot joy too! My prayer is that next time you see a pineapple, God will remind you of these 3 things!