Author: JEV

This morning as I was about my usual routine, “I Can Only Imagine” was one of the first songs played on Pandora.  How appropriate.  Many times in the last 5 years I have wondered how Eric reacted when he reached heaven.  What did he notice first?  Whom did he see?  What does it sound like?  Are the streets really gold – or something better?  Do angels have wings?  Did he laugh when he realized where he was?  Did he dance?  What was his welcome party like? Has he seen everyone he knows that’s there?  Does Josiah look like him or me?  How old is everyone?  Has he had any time alone with Jesus? Does he miss us?  So many questions!  “I Can Only Imagine” is a true statement.

These first few weeks of 2013, the teachings I have heard have encompassed focusing on what’s important.  The messages have come in different forms, but they have talked about not getting sidetracked on the unimportant.  Whether it’s in a relationship, a career, a goal, a project or just regular daily life, focusing on the unimportant can cause a mess.

Important things don’t necessarily have to be big or consume all your time. Morning hugs and nighttime kisses, laughter that comes from the eyes and not just the voice, someone praying for you everyday, special gifts on special days and surprise gifts on a regular day(!), sharing dreams and desires, quietly sitting on the porch swing – these things may seem inconsequential but they build a wonderful life and are thereby important.

If you need some help deciding what you consider important, ponder these three things (taken from a Centerpoint sermon a few weeks ago):

~How do you spend your time?

~How do you spend your money?

~What do you talk about the most?

Our family and our God should be at the top of the list in our answers to those questions;  they are invaluable.  I may have to wonder what Eric is experiencing now, but I never had to wonder what was important to him while he was here! Hopefully your family doesn’t have to use their imagination when trying to decide where they fit in your list of priorities. Do you make time to actually serve God or does just saying you believe He exists make Him a priority?   I’m so thankful to have had a husband that made sure his family knew they were loved and were on his priority list.  I miss him very, very much and five years without him has been a long time, but he left us with some great memories.  Thank you, Handsome –   we are blessed.

Take time to pour your heart into what’s important – starting now!

 

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I sit at my desk, ready to leave the office I am feeling my heart beat a little faster than normal.  Tomorrow is the last day our office will be open this year.  We close at noon for Christmas holidays and when we open in January, I will not be here. I am excited for this change but am human (and perhaps female) enough to feel some sadness and nostalgia.

Church Triumphant has been a major part of my daily existence for over 30 years.  I have learned so many things here and made so many wonderful friends.  Heck, I have practically grown-up here!  This place and these people (those from the past and present) have loved me, taught me, supported me, strengthened me, stretched me, challenged me and encouraged me.  They have made me laugh and cry!  They have given me reasons to fast and pray and to be diligent in my Christianity.  We have shared triumph and struggle and tragedy and joy.  I am so grateful to have served here.

When other pastor’s were struggling, our congregation was working to find new ways to bless us.  When other churches were having secret meetings to discuss ways to get rid of their pastor, ours was openly rallying around us and supporting the vision God had placed in our heart.  This place never has been normal!  It is above normal in so many ways.   I will miss being here daily.

Working as an administrator and children’s director has been awesome.  While serving in this capacity, Church T has been gracious and patient with me and I never leave a service without dozens and dozens of reasons to smile. When I stumble they laugh and help me get up.  When I try something new, they cheer.  What a family I have had!

The desk I have been using is Eric’s.  I am awed when I think of the many sermons prepared here.  I remember having many conversations with him on one side of this desk and me on the other.  I remember lots of laughter here.  I remember issues being discussed and I remember a man who diligently pursued Jesus.  I even remember a kiss (or several!) where this desk was an observer!

Now it’s time for change.  I am leaving CT but mostly, I’m taking it with me.  My friends are still my friends.  What I have learned is inside and goes with me.  God is guiding and I am following.  I am excited for the privilege of soon allowing my son to be my pastor!  I hope he’s as ready for it as I am!  I anxiously await the connection and direction God has for my new year.  My heart, like that of my pastors – past, present and future – is to serve God to the fullest and make sure others know He loves them madly. I am equipped.  Now I go.

Thank you, Church Triumphant, for so many, many things!

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of being in a room full of people who are servants.  Not the kind that put on black and white and run a household for wealthy folks, but the every-day kind who are your neighbors and co-workers.

Each year our Pastor and his wife take time around the holidays to say thank you to everyone who plays a part in making sure things run smoothly at Church Triumphant and that our vision and purpose are fulfilled to the greatest degree possible.  You may be the leader in charge of a ministry, the person who makes the coffee, the lead guitarist, the faithful nursery volunteer, someone who has attended CT for years or someone who has recently decided to join us; everyone who serves is invited to a special dinner.  Why?  Because everything we do for the purpose of serving others makes a difference.

Servant hood is a lost art.  We are too busy, isolated, worn out or afraid of being taken advantage of.  It is so easy to buy into the “me first” philosophy without even realizing we have done it.  Even when we do serve, it’s not unusual to be thinking about ourselves more than the need we are helping meet.

At the risk of being a bit political, I think we have abdicated our opportunity to be our brother’s keeper to the government.  Instead of taking care of each other we figure Uncle Sam ‘has a program for that’ so our involvement isn’t necessary.  What fulfillment and blessings we miss out on when we choose not to do what we can to help each other.  When neighborhoods are filled with people who truly want to be neighbors instead of simply share a street address, the climate of the neighborhood changes.  When church-folk decide their purpose is to put into action the things Jesus taught rather than merely meet a weekly obligation to fill a pew, the effectiveness of the church increases.  When communities have people who realize they are the best source of help for others, that community becomes a wonderful place to live.

Christmas is a time when it’s easy to give a little extra to help those in need.  Usually it’s done in such a way that we might not even know whom we are helping.  We give to a ‘fund’ or drop a toy in a box for someone else to deliver, and those are fine things.  But don’t let the season go by without finding out if there are those right around you who could use your help.  Get involved.  Involve others.  The need doesn’t have to be large or costly before help is appreciated. And don’t stop looking for ways to serve others when the holidays are over.  Make serving a lifestyle.  Make it a family event or even a neighborhood project. You may be helping someone else but what you receive will amaze you!

 

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;

only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses,

but serve each other through love.

All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement:

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Galatians 5:13-14

 

The summer has come and gone, although on occasion a summer-type day tries to slip into the autumn schedule.  This is the time of year where the fall colors begin to creep into the trees and the displays around us make our jaw drop in awe; here in southern Ohio we definitely get to experience some gorgeous beauty on our rolling hillsides.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that it was May and I was with my youngest grandkids as Aubri finished her first year of preschool.  Kristyn and I were with the kids and they were praying as they started their day.  Kristyn asked Owen what he wanted to pray and he said, “Thank You.” That was it. He just had a couple of things he wanted to thank Jesus for.  Aubri’s prayer followed suit and consisted of several ‘thank you’ sentences.  I was reminded of how simple a prayer can be and how powerful those two words are.  I wonder if God gets as much joy out of hearing my ‘thank-you’ prayers as I got hearing Aubri and Owen’s.

In the middle of the summer we were blessed with another grandson; a healthy Levi Paul Franklin VanBuskirk who is named after two of his great-grandfathers!  I thought I’d simply burst with joy as he made his entrance into this world and immediately brought a smile to every face in the room.  Another ‘thank you’ prayer was said.

My parents have remained healthy through the summer and that’s a big ‘thank you’.  On the hottest day of the summer my family showed up to help me do some things around the house I couldn’t do on my own.  They stained, planted, cleaned, sprayed, chopped, repaired and renovated.  I said ‘thank you’ prayers for days!   One of my grandsons started kindergarten, a granddaughter started high school and a nephew started college.  My children are all well and blessed. I’ve spent time enjoying my family.  Kids Camp was good, our intercessory prayer trip to Washington, D.C. was great and I’ve had plenty of reasons to smile all summer long.  Those things all translate ‘thank-you’ in my book.

Today I said some very special thank you prayers.  I spent some time thanking God for Eric on this, his 61^st birthday. I am grateful for the privilege of being his wife and sharing life with him.  I’m grateful to have had him as my pastor, being able to learn much from him.  I’m thankful for all the laughter and teasing we shared, for the children we were blessed with, for the times we said ‘thank-you’ prayers together.  I’m glad he taught me how to be strong when times were tough.  I’m appreciative for the way he believed in me and encouraged me to reach further, to have faith.

Saying ‘thank you’ has not always been easy the past four+ years.  However, thanks to a husband who believed the Word, I know the right thing to do is give thanks in everything (I Thessalonians 5:18) so I have done my best to look at the things I have to be thankful for.  I have been challenged in many ways but there have always been reasons to be thankful.  Even though the leaves are dying they are beautiful and bring us joy in the process.  God does work everything to our good (Romans 8:28).

So, as we spend another special day without Eric and as we approach the holiday season without his smile and surprises, we will focus on the reasons we have to be thankful and spend time saying as many ‘thank you’ prayers as we can.  The biggest ‘thank you’ of all is for God’s never-ending love and His offer to spend eternity with Him.  I wonder what kind of birthday parties they have in heaven.  Enjoy it, Handsome; you are still much loved!

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

Yesterday our family said goodbye to my aunt Nonie. She is definitely one whose smile and kind words will be missed but she was ready for heaven and the freedom it would bring her.  No more cancer.  No more limitations.  Vibrancy and strength are hers once again.

As we sat in the church together I remembered the other funerals we have had there and the weddings as well.  My Aunt Linda remembered sitting in those pews as a child with her parents, my grandparents.  I looked around at my cousins, aunts and uncles and had thankfulness in my heart for my family, my heritage.

I remembered Fourth of July family reunions in Yoctangee Park. We drank Yahoo, played together all day long and went to the carnival compliments of grandpa who gave each of us some money to spend as we wished.  There were the weeks in the summer when my sister and I stayed with our cousins and got to ride horses, learn to play the piano, drive down the lane with just us four kids in the car (!), get thrown into the swimming pool, run away from the haunted house and walk the streets of Frankfort together.

I have memories of visiting an aunt and uncle on their farm and seeing baby pigs and big farm equipment up close.  I remember watching older cousins; they seemed bigger than life to me.  I was in awe that I had an uncle who would ride bulls and aunts who gardened and canned the goods.  My grandpa’s flowers and grandma’s stacks of The Upper Room are things I remember.

Now, years later, I still love giving and receiving hugs from those precious people who are entwined with my life.  I enjoy seeing their smiles and hearing them laugh and tell stories – even if they do include skiing incidents I’d rather forget!  It’s fun to see my dad with his sisters and be reminded of how God has blessed them.

Seeing pictures of my aunt Nonie and uncle Leon together made me feel so good inside.  She hasn’t seen him in almost 20 years.  Then I realized she hasn’t seen her mom and dad in over 30 years!  I can’t imagine what it would be like not to see my parents for 30 years and then, in the blink of an eye, be right where they are!  There are others – brothers, friends, a grandchild – who at this moment are enjoying with her what we here will be missing.  What my aunt must feel!  What she must be experiencing!  It should make us all jealous and anxious for the adventure with Jesus that awaits us after this life.

Pouring yourself into the lives of others is never a waste of time.  Sharing smiles, laughter and time binds us together.  Though it ends here on earth, Jesus has made a way for it to continue forever and I am definitely going to enjoy the reunion that is promised in heaven! Save a place at the table for me Handsome; no doubt you’ve seen my aunt by now and we’ll all have some catching up to do.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.

All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:4 NLT

But as for me,

I know that my Redeemer lives,

I will see him for myself.

Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.

I am overwhelmed at the thought.

Job 19:25, 27

Eric VanBuskrik  September 28, 1951 – February 19, 2008

 

I remember this evening four years ago.  I remember how hopeful I was and certain that the fight against cancer would end the way we wanted, the way we prayed it would.  It didn’t.

I remember after that how I hated Tuesdays and 6:30 AM.  Irrational, I know, but I did.  Thursdays (our day off) were empty and I hated going to church without him. It was hard doing everything without him. Sometimes, even breathing was hard. I truly felt as though I was walking through the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ and thought I was going to live there forever.

This night, though sad and full of memories, is not as hard as it has been the past few years.  By that I mean I’m not spending the evening crying – or trying not to!  Several times this week I have relived my last hours with Eric and there is a pit in my stomach and a catch in my throat and tears, definitely tears, but I’m not in the ‘valley’. God has been faithful just as He said He would and I am oh, so thankful.

I miss Eric and I wonder what things would be like for our family if he was still here.  We have grandkids that have never known him and kids that could use his advice from time-to-time.  I’ve bought a new couch, painted a few walls, drive a different car and have made friends he never met.  I can’t help but wonder what things would be like with his input.

But we have his legacy; his life of faithfulness to God, love of prayer and joy in seeing others receive the salvation Jesus offers all of us.  I know he would be more focused on our spiritual walk than what color the living room is!  He taught us well and I hope he is pleased with all of us.

So, we embark on year number 5.  Sigh.  Thank you all for loving us and holding us close in your heart.  I wish to remind you of a scripture which was the heartbeat of Eric’s life, a message he would want you all to remember:

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Goodnight, Handsome. Can’t wait to have you tell me all about what you are experiencing!

Last week I was happily reading a very abbreviated version of “The Littlest Angel” by Charles Tazwell to Aubri and Owen when a very adult truth from the pages of this child’s story grabbed my heart.

This tale is of an angel who is exactly four years, six months, five days, seven hours and forty-two minutes of age and who is not quite as ‘angelic’ as all the other angels in heaven.  His halo won’t stay on, he can’t sit still, he’s always late and what’s even worse is he doesn’t really look like an angel.  You ever feel like that?  You know, nothing about you is quite right?  You don’t exactly fit anywhere?

The heart of the story is that God’s son is to be born on earth and all the angels are preparing gifts for Him.  That is, all but the littlest angel.  He can’t think of anything to give.  He wanted to compose a beautiful song and sing it to Jesus.  He dreamed of writing a prayer that people would remember forever.  However, he usually sang off-key and had no skill at writing prayers.  Suddenly he thought of the perfect gift.

Earlier the “Understanding Angel” had allowed the box of treasures from under the Littlest Angel’s bed at home to be brought to him and now he wanted to give it to the Christ Child.  He placed the box before the Throne of God and was immediately ashamed of his gift and wished he could get it back.  It was a plain and ugly box surrounded by beautiful, wonderful ones. What had made him think this was an appropriate gift?  Why had he thought this idea such a good one?

Let me ask you again: have you ever felt like that?  Have you ever had an idea that seemed wonderful until you tried to execute it?  Have you ever considered something a treasure only to take a second look and realize it was plain and ugly?  Have you ever laid something before God’s throne and then been embarrassed at your gift?  Have you had a similar experience to the Littlest Angel?

It can be a mistake if we do nothing while waiting to write a beautiful song or prayer.  It we only want to do something we would consider great and worthy, we are probably letting lots of gifts pass us by.  Christmas is called the ‘season of giving’ and it’s a wonderful time to give our treasures away. They may not look like much, or be costly or seem important to anyone but us but it’s amazing what God will do with them.  What a privilege to lay our treasure box at The Throne for the Christ Child.

What treasure do you have in a box under you bed that needs to be taken out and shared?  What will happen when you become brave enough to share your gift…your treasure?  What happened to the plain, ugly box of the Littlest Angel? Well, you’ll have to read the book and find out for yourself and when you do, remember your gift is God’s treasure as well as yours!

Merry Christmas.  May you enjoy the receiving and the giving in a more personal way than ever this year.  And, Merry Christmas, Handsome.  Your gifts were given away well while you had the opportunity.  We’ll miss celebrating with you this Christmas.

“Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’

  Matthew 25:40

While enjoying the crisp night air and taking in the beauty of the cloudless sky decorated with so many sparkling stars, I was thinking back to that same night 32 year ago.  A smile came to my face as well as to my heart.

Eric was so nervous about getting married.  He knew from experience that it takes work and being in love doesn’t erase the challenges of growing together.  He fasted the three days prior to our wedding day! Truly, he was completely nervous.

But get married we did; thirty-two years ago today.  Our immediate family, the preacher, the couple who stood with us, and a stow-away couple who crashed the wedding (!) witnessed the beginning of a life full of joy.  A nervous groom and an ecstatic bride said “I do” and they did.  Truly a match made in heaven.  It didn’t last long enough but it was wonderful.

If you are married, lavish some extra attention on your spouse today, just because you can.  If you are single, hold out for the one you know God has chosen for you – it’s well worth the wait.  If, like me, you no longer have the opportunity to snuggle with the love of your life, spend some time with Jesus and share your heart with Him; He’s a good listener.  And if you happen to be in a relationship that is breaking your heart because it’s not all you want it to be, share that with Jesus too; He really does care.

Today is my anniversary.  I will rejoice and be glad for what I was given.  I will celebrate love!

….Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.

And the best of the three is love.

                                                                                                                                                     I Corinthians 13:13 (MSG

The day has awakened calm and beautiful.  It’s a slightly crisp September morning with the sun glistening off the dewy grass, a few birds chirping and trees that are in the midst of changing for the autumn season.  It is a perfect day for a celebration; a 60^th birthday celebration.

There won’t be a typical celebration today – whatever that is in this family! A birthday is a time to show gladness that someone you know is a part of your life.  It’s a time to say how grateful you are for their love and friendship and to reminisce about their life.  I can still do that.  Granted, it would be a lot more fun if Eric were here because there would be funny cards, lots of laughter, pumpkin pie and time together.  There would be hugs and kisses and teasing glances and probably a special meal with presents to top it off.  Maybe if it got warm enough, there would even be a motorcycle ride!

However, there will still be the thankfulness for Eric’s life.  I will tell God how grateful I am to have had 28 years with that man and for all the things he taught me that still influence me today.  My life is so much richer because of his love for me.  We truly were a ‘match made in heaven’!

Today the scripture in my devotional was from Revelation – which made me smile because Eric loved to study end-time prophecy.  When I read it, I cried while I smiled:

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes,

there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

Someday there will be no more death.  Someday there will be no more war, nor injustice or hatred.  There will be no more birth defects or drug addictions or disease.  Someday, God will make all things new (Rev. 21:5) and He says, “Come!”, if you thirst for that, “Come!” (Revelation 22:17)  We need to make sure everyone knows they are invited to have Christ as their Savior, that He loves us all and is ready to wipe away every tear from our eyes.  His grace is amazing!  I guess that was Eric’s message in a nutshell:  God’s grace is amazing and all are welcome to live in it.

So, Happy Birthday, Handsome.  I wish you could hear those grandbabies you have never met sing happy birthday to you and see how the others have grown!  I wish I could kiss your face!   I wish I could hear you laugh!  You are loved.  You are missed.  And the best thing is, in eternity 60 means you are still really young!  Love you.

It’s happened again; time has gone by so quickly I feel as though I was standing still and it just whipped right by me!  The moon now greets me when I awaken and just a few short weeks ago it was the sun.  Some mornings are wet with dew and there has even been some light fog in the early hours of the day.  The sun says goodbye too soon in the evening and it’s obvious that autumn days are right around the corner.  I love the changing of the seasons, it just seems they follow very closely to each other these days!

A little over a year ago I believe God impressed something upon me to share with a group of people and I was disobedient.  The appropriate time didn’t present itself, I wasn’t sure I really heard Him right, what if I don’t say it correctly…..you know, I used all the excuses you have used before!  Then this summer I attended the Deeper Still conference in Louisville, Kentucky and Priscilla Shirer spoke on the same thing God had said to me.  And that wasn’t the end of it.  Just a few weeks later my Pastor shared the same thought with several of us.  Guess my excuse of not hearing was blown out of the water because I wasn’t the only one being told!

The thought was about the Sabbath.  Not in the legalistic form when it has to be a certain day or time period spent in a particular way.  It was that we really don’t take one anymore – and we need to.  I don’t intend to debate the details of an Old Testament Sabbath or what is the true Sabbath day or what makes a Sabbath day holy, I just want to remind us that we need to take one.

It seems as though we feel guilty if we rest.  If we aren’t doing something we must be lazy and therefore unproductive and therefore non-contributing and therefore unnecessary.  We have fooled ourselves into thinking busier is better. If we don’t take advantage of every opportunity coming down the pike we’ll miss out on something that might make us smarter, richer, more capable, more popular or more important.  We seem to have a phobia about slowing down.

For some reason we feel we are better parents when we’re ‘on-the-go’ and our kids are involved in…. well, stuff. If the only time you play as a family is when it’s an organized sports event, you’re missing a tremendous aspect of enjoying each other.  A family ballgame in the backyard can be just as valuable to your kids as 3 months on a team elsewhere. We need to model relaxation to our children because if we don’t we’re going to create a generation that’s even more stressed than this one and I don’t think that’s a legacy we want to leave.

I’m not advocating sitting on the porch all day once a week and watching the grass grow!  I’m not sure I can tell you what to do with your Sabbath day because your daily schedule is different than mine. Our society is no longer structured so that we all do the same thing on the same day and businesses all stay closed on Sunday so our Sabbath rest will be different from each other.  I just believe we need to give ourselves permission to have a day, preferably once a week, where we are not on-the-go from morning till night.  We may need to adjust and change how we do our chores or grocery shopping and routine tasks.  What is enjoyable and relaxing to you may be just the opposite for me.  What God requires of you may be different than what He wants from me.  However, one thing is true, if it’s to be a real Sabbath, a little extra quiet time with The Savior will make it complete.

If Sunday is a workday for you, choose another day of the week to relax. For years our family has enjoyed having one day a week where we didn’t work at our vocation.  We may have worked around the house, or spent the day away from home doing any number of things.  We turned tasks into outings and gave ourselves permission not to ‘do’ ministry just one day of the week.  We often enjoyed a family breakfast or a slower paced day.  I have been so grateful Eric and I saw the need for this type of day in our lives and made it a habit.

Ask God how He would have you enjoy this gift of the Sabbath He’s given you then follow through – instead of making excuses!

They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you.   Exodus 16:29