Been wrestling with this daily devotion from My Utmost For His Highest over the past week. It's been challenging and stretching my faith:
"If you become a necessity to someone else’s life, you are out of God’s will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been used in the right direction. And when you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don’t try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to be amateur providences in someone’s life. We are indeed amateurs, coming in and actually preventing God’s will and saying, “This person should not have to experience this difficulty.” Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, our sympathy gets in the way. One day that person will say to us, “You are a thief; you stole my desire to follow Jesus, and because of you I lost sight of Him.”
Beware of rejoicing with someone over the wrong thing, but always look to rejoice over the right thing. “. . . the friend of the bridegroom . . . rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30). This was spoken with joy, not with sadness-at last they were to see the Bridegroom! And John said this was his joy. It represents a stepping aside, an absolute removal of the servant, never to be thought of again.
Listen intently with your entire being until you hear the Bridegroom’s voice in the life of another person. And never give any thought to what devastation, difficulties, or sickness it will bring. Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard. You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it (see Matthew 10:34)." Oswald Chambers
March 16, 2011
When you ask yourself "What?"
When you ask yourself "When?"
When you ask yourself "Who?"
When you begin to feel overtaken with anxiety.
When you thought you had everything figured out, but quickly realize you don't.
When you see a path, and quickly find yourself in a blizzard.
When you come to grips that life is passing you by.
When you've poured out, and need to be filled.
...The answer is Christ, and Christ alone.
When you ask yourself "When?"
When you ask yourself "Who?"
When you begin to feel overtaken with anxiety.
When you thought you had everything figured out, but quickly realize you don't.
When you see a path, and quickly find yourself in a blizzard.
When you come to grips that life is passing you by.
When you've poured out, and need to be filled.
...The answer is Christ, and Christ alone.
March 12, 2011
I'm writing from camp -
Rob, Tim, Jon, Pam, Winston, Mary, KatieMac, Jack, and Justin are all at camp getting ready to have a fruitful time discussing how to make Sonlight that much better! Nothing like talking camp at the round table for (10) hours. Pray for wisdom, grace, discernment, and that God continues to lead Sonlight forward in the direction He sees fit. This is God's ministry, we are His vessels.
Rob, Tim, Jon, Pam, Winston, Mary, KatieMac, Jack, and Justin are all at camp getting ready to have a fruitful time discussing how to make Sonlight that much better! Nothing like talking camp at the round table for (10) hours. Pray for wisdom, grace, discernment, and that God continues to lead Sonlight forward in the direction He sees fit. This is God's ministry, we are His vessels.
March 08, 2011
March 03, 2011
I am putting my grandpa's obituary on my blog not to seek sympathy or self pity, but to honor a legacy, and remind us all that each day we have an opportunity to shape our own legacy. I am proud of where I come from:
James O. Rogers Jr., beloved husband and father, was born in Billings on Jan. 22, 1930, and passed away surrounded by his family in the early hours of Feb. 12, 2011, less than a month after his 81st birthday. Jim was born to James O. Rogers Sr. and Theresa "Rose" Rogers (Rambold) and was the youngest of four children, having three older sisters. Jim was raised on the south side of Billings and attended Garfield Primary and Billings Senior High School.
One of the loves of Dad's life was the game of baseball. He started his baseball journey at the age of 14 when he began pitching for the American Legion Post 4 baseball team. His Legion baseball career culminated by being drafted in 1948 by the Brooklyn Dodgers and becoming Coach Eddie Bayne's first "bonus" baby. During his professional baseball career (1948 to ‘50), Jim was around many famous baseball players, including Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reece, Chuck Connors and several others. In 1950, due to the Korean War, Dad enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was very successful pitching for the Hickam Field team, playing against many other major leaguers on other armed forces teams. Upon his honorable discharge, Jim returned to Billings and ended his playing days as a semi-pro player in Montana. Jim's love for the game continued through the years with involvement as a coach and volunteer for Mustang Jr. and Lissa Little Leagues and President of Pony Colt Baseball. Dad's greatest legacy was passing on his passion for the game of baseball to his two sons and supporting their journeys through the game.
Jim met his lovely wife Angela in 1950 at St. Vincent's hospital in Billings. They were married in Hawaii in 1952 while Dad was serving in the Air Force. Their daughter Roxanne was born in 1953 in Hawaii, and the family returned to Billings in 1954. Jim started his career with Mountain Bell (Qwest) in 1955. Dad worked for Mountain Bell for 30 years and ended his career as an outside planning engineer. Jim was proud of his work at Mountain Bell and had many good friends in the telephone company.
Dad not only loved the game of baseball, but enjoyed fishing and hunting in his beloved Montana. Jim created many wonderful memories with his two sons, taking them fishing on the Stillwater and hunting with his wife's family in the Grass Range area. Also, Dad developed a special bond with his daughter during their annual summer visits to the Shriner's Hospital in Spokane, Wash. One of Dad's greatest highlights was meeting Babe Ruth in Billings in 1947. Dad was a "Billings Boy" through and through.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, James O. Rogers Sr. and Theresa Rose Rogers (Rambold); his sisters, Frances (Bob) Hein, Dorothy (Al) Kober and Nadine (Dan) Popp. Jim is survived by his wife, Angela; his children, Roxanne (John) Eixenberger of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, James O. Rogers III of Billings and Wesley (Shelley) Rogers of Oregon City, Ore.; his grandchildren, Theron (Brynn) Eixenberger of Kansas City, Mo., Emily Eixenberger of Moscow, Idaho, Brett (Katelyn) Rogers of Castle Rock, Colo., and Stephanie Rogers of Radovljica, Slovenia; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Dad's special friends were Bernie Boehm and Joel Hawkins, both of Billings.
The family would like to thank Rocky Mountain Hospice and their caregivers during Dad's struggle with lung cancer. Thank you, Robin, Laurie, Sandra, Naomi and Kellie. Memorial donations are suggested to Boys and Girls Club of Billings, 505 Orchard Lane, Billings, MT 59101 or Rocky Mountain Hospice.
James O. Rogers Jr., beloved husband and father, was born in Billings on Jan. 22, 1930, and passed away surrounded by his family in the early hours of Feb. 12, 2011, less than a month after his 81st birthday. Jim was born to James O. Rogers Sr. and Theresa "Rose" Rogers (Rambold) and was the youngest of four children, having three older sisters. Jim was raised on the south side of Billings and attended Garfield Primary and Billings Senior High School.
One of the loves of Dad's life was the game of baseball. He started his baseball journey at the age of 14 when he began pitching for the American Legion Post 4 baseball team. His Legion baseball career culminated by being drafted in 1948 by the Brooklyn Dodgers and becoming Coach Eddie Bayne's first "bonus" baby. During his professional baseball career (1948 to ‘50), Jim was around many famous baseball players, including Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reece, Chuck Connors and several others. In 1950, due to the Korean War, Dad enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was very successful pitching for the Hickam Field team, playing against many other major leaguers on other armed forces teams. Upon his honorable discharge, Jim returned to Billings and ended his playing days as a semi-pro player in Montana. Jim's love for the game continued through the years with involvement as a coach and volunteer for Mustang Jr. and Lissa Little Leagues and President of Pony Colt Baseball. Dad's greatest legacy was passing on his passion for the game of baseball to his two sons and supporting their journeys through the game.
Jim met his lovely wife Angela in 1950 at St. Vincent's hospital in Billings. They were married in Hawaii in 1952 while Dad was serving in the Air Force. Their daughter Roxanne was born in 1953 in Hawaii, and the family returned to Billings in 1954. Jim started his career with Mountain Bell (Qwest) in 1955. Dad worked for Mountain Bell for 30 years and ended his career as an outside planning engineer. Jim was proud of his work at Mountain Bell and had many good friends in the telephone company.
Dad not only loved the game of baseball, but enjoyed fishing and hunting in his beloved Montana. Jim created many wonderful memories with his two sons, taking them fishing on the Stillwater and hunting with his wife's family in the Grass Range area. Also, Dad developed a special bond with his daughter during their annual summer visits to the Shriner's Hospital in Spokane, Wash. One of Dad's greatest highlights was meeting Babe Ruth in Billings in 1947. Dad was a "Billings Boy" through and through.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, James O. Rogers Sr. and Theresa Rose Rogers (Rambold); his sisters, Frances (Bob) Hein, Dorothy (Al) Kober and Nadine (Dan) Popp. Jim is survived by his wife, Angela; his children, Roxanne (John) Eixenberger of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, James O. Rogers III of Billings and Wesley (Shelley) Rogers of Oregon City, Ore.; his grandchildren, Theron (Brynn) Eixenberger of Kansas City, Mo., Emily Eixenberger of Moscow, Idaho, Brett (Katelyn) Rogers of Castle Rock, Colo., and Stephanie Rogers of Radovljica, Slovenia; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Dad's special friends were Bernie Boehm and Joel Hawkins, both of Billings.
The family would like to thank Rocky Mountain Hospice and their caregivers during Dad's struggle with lung cancer. Thank you, Robin, Laurie, Sandra, Naomi and Kellie. Memorial donations are suggested to Boys and Girls Club of Billings, 505 Orchard Lane, Billings, MT 59101 or Rocky Mountain Hospice.
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