Jesus Can and Will
Mark 9:23-24
“IF you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Maybe over the course of the last couple of days you have become skeptical of the fact that Jesus really can heal hearts and give crowns and take back the world from evil. Maybe you don’t believe the promises of God. Or maybe you believe them for other people or for the saints of the Bible but not for you because following Christ just “isn’t working out for you the way you had hoped.” That’s ok. Everyone doubts what they don’t immediately see. That is why God gave us these precious promises (see 2 Peter 1:4). Remember, yesterday Jesus promised trouble. Today Jesus gives us some evidence that Jesus can do all things, and that, through Him, all things are possible.
I invite you to read this account of the healing of a boy with an evil spirit recorded in Luke 9:14 – 24. It’s one of my favorites. While Jesus and his friends were up on a mountaintop visiting with Moses and Elijah and hearing the voice of God, the rest of his friends were in town performing miracles—casting out demons (yes, they really do exist), healing people from diseases, etc. – you know, the usual. Jesus comes down from the mountain to face a frustrated father whose son is suffering from an evil spirit. The father basically asks Jesus to heal the son if He can. In my mind, when I read Jesus response (our verse today), I hear Jesus saying “If I can? Are you even kidding me! Evil spirits are no match for me!” The point Jesus is making is that His power is available to those who believe, who trust that He can do all things.
And the man responds, “Help me with my unbelief!” OH what an honest response! Help me believe! Sometimes we believe what is right in front of us. But this man is wise enough to know he’s going to need help believing tomorrow, and the next day and the next. What a great model for us all!
So as this tragic time in our lives has unfolded, have you ever thought, “Jesus, heal that family’s hearts IF you can?” Then take heart! Because everything is possible for him who believes. Don’t be afraid to call out, “Jesus!! Help me overcome my unbelief!”
Speaking for Lisa, Gracie and the rest of our family, we believe. We believe Jesus can do all things. We also know it won’t happen over night. From time to time, my guess is we will cry out as I have many times in my life, “Help me overcome my unbelief!” And that’s why we continue to covet your prayers. Please continue to pray for comfort and healing as Lisa makes funeral preparations.
“Lord, Jesus, you drive out demons. You heal the broken hearted. You redeem the hearts of man. You comfort those who mourn. Help us remember these promises! And we ask that your hand would be on Lisa as she makes preparations for the memorial service. We pray that you would be glorified. That through this time of grief, mourning, and healing that You would give us stories, testimonies we can share with others. Stories that demonstrate your power to do all things. We can do all things through YOU who strengthens us. Even overcome evil. Even overcome tragedy and sadness and grief. Help us with our unbelief when we begin to doubt you. Whisper those words in our hearts, “IF I CAN? Are you even kidding me??? IF I can? Of course I can!” We pray in the name of Jesus, who can, and will, amen.”
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
04-30 Devotional for Mike By Gloria Barotta (Aunt Glo)
Promise of Peace
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is a verse that has a lot of meaning for me. Our Community Bible Study Leader’s Council had a Christmas tradition. We drew names and prayed for a verse for Christmas for that person. We wrote the verse, along with any insights God gave us as to why we were led to that verse, in a Christmas card. One year a very dear sister in Christ, Ronna drew my name. This is the verse God gave her for me. I clung to this verse throughout the year as I went through some difficult times with my business as a result of 9/11 and some personal strife. It was a dark time in my life, but looking back, it was also a time of great spiritual growth. I am now thankful for God did in my heart during those few years. I am forever changed (in a good way). Looking back I see that before God could use me as a Bible teacher, He had to break me so I would put myself aside (maybe we’ll talk about broken vessels soon).
So I share this promise today because I really believe it! I’ve experienced this peace in the midst of trouble, so I feel confident in telling you all that Jesus really does give us peace. But we must rest IN HIM! We cannot have peace apart from Jesus. When we focus our mind and hearts on HIM instead of ourselves, we are at peace.
The second promise in this verse is that we WILL have trouble. Not might. Not sorta could. Not maybe. He tells us we WILL have trouble. We are always surprised when bad things happen. But Jesus isn’t. We live in a fallen world. Our world is full of trouble. And when trouble finds us we realize just how badly this world needs redemption. It brings us to our knees crying, “come Lord Jesus! Please don’t tarry!”
The best part is He is prepared for our troubles! As we flounder in a sea of uncertainty, He says, “take heart! I have overcome the world.” Notice how our troubles are in the future and how He has already overcome the world. His work on the cross redeemed humanity AND the world.
Pray with me that, in the midst of trouble, Lisa and her family can cling to this promise—that in Jesus we will have peace—and, best of all, that Jesus has overcome the world. His victory over death means victory over the evil in our world and in the hearts of man.
“Jesus, just reading this verse brings back memories of trials and trouble. But it also reminds me of the peace you give us. That blessed assurance that, even when all seems lost and out of balance, that you have overcome all that is evil. We look forward to the day when you rule and reign over the earth. When all that is evil is cast into a pit. When we will live 10,000 years bright shining as the sun. Until then, we pray that we will cling to the promises of your word, that we would not be discouraged. That we would know that you are with us wherever we go until the end of the age. Amen.
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is a verse that has a lot of meaning for me. Our Community Bible Study Leader’s Council had a Christmas tradition. We drew names and prayed for a verse for Christmas for that person. We wrote the verse, along with any insights God gave us as to why we were led to that verse, in a Christmas card. One year a very dear sister in Christ, Ronna drew my name. This is the verse God gave her for me. I clung to this verse throughout the year as I went through some difficult times with my business as a result of 9/11 and some personal strife. It was a dark time in my life, but looking back, it was also a time of great spiritual growth. I am now thankful for God did in my heart during those few years. I am forever changed (in a good way). Looking back I see that before God could use me as a Bible teacher, He had to break me so I would put myself aside (maybe we’ll talk about broken vessels soon).
So I share this promise today because I really believe it! I’ve experienced this peace in the midst of trouble, so I feel confident in telling you all that Jesus really does give us peace. But we must rest IN HIM! We cannot have peace apart from Jesus. When we focus our mind and hearts on HIM instead of ourselves, we are at peace.
The second promise in this verse is that we WILL have trouble. Not might. Not sorta could. Not maybe. He tells us we WILL have trouble. We are always surprised when bad things happen. But Jesus isn’t. We live in a fallen world. Our world is full of trouble. And when trouble finds us we realize just how badly this world needs redemption. It brings us to our knees crying, “come Lord Jesus! Please don’t tarry!”
The best part is He is prepared for our troubles! As we flounder in a sea of uncertainty, He says, “take heart! I have overcome the world.” Notice how our troubles are in the future and how He has already overcome the world. His work on the cross redeemed humanity AND the world.
Pray with me that, in the midst of trouble, Lisa and her family can cling to this promise—that in Jesus we will have peace—and, best of all, that Jesus has overcome the world. His victory over death means victory over the evil in our world and in the hearts of man.
“Jesus, just reading this verse brings back memories of trials and trouble. But it also reminds me of the peace you give us. That blessed assurance that, even when all seems lost and out of balance, that you have overcome all that is evil. We look forward to the day when you rule and reign over the earth. When all that is evil is cast into a pit. When we will live 10,000 years bright shining as the sun. Until then, we pray that we will cling to the promises of your word, that we would not be discouraged. That we would know that you are with us wherever we go until the end of the age. Amen.
04-29 Devotional/Prayer for Mike By Gloria Barotta (Aunt Glo)
The Promises of God – Part One
Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Part one???? What’s up with that? And what’s with the Bible verses that go on for a paragraph?
Clinging to the promises of God is the best way to find our way back to “normal” life. There’s an old hymn, maybe you know it. Standing On the Promises of God. At times like this, the promises of God are the only firm footing we have. So I’d like to take a couple of days and meditate on these promises beginning with an Old Testament prophesy of Jesus. God’s best promise was the promise of Jesus. Through Christ our Lord, God delivers the most precious promise—Salvation and a life with Him—not just in heaven, but here on earth where life pretty much stinks at least some of the time. Through the prophet Isaiah, God tells us that not only will Jesus ransom our souls from Hell’s fire, but He will also rescue us from the junk we live through in this fallen world. Do you believe that? Before you nod, think about it. Do you REALLY believe it, not just intellectually, but are you willing to place your trust in this promise?
Jesus is the good news. Binding broken hearts. Proclaiming freedom from being captive to the sin that entangles us. Being free from the prison of this dark world controlled by the father of lies and darkness. We are freed from an eternity of darkness, and free to live with the Lord’s favor.
“But,” you say, “there is still pain!” For a time (but not eternity!!!), because we experience the fallen nature of our world. And that brings physical death, pain, suffering.
But God.
God promises to comfort those who mourn and provide for those who grieve. In Biblical times, people covered their heads with ashes when they mourned. Check this out—God promises a crown to replace the ashes! People back then also tore their clothes when they mourned. God promises a garment of praise.
And even better than a crown, better than gladness, better than a garment of praise, we will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting to display HIS splendor!
Nothing is more solidly grounded than an oak tree. Do you believe God will bring Lisa and Gracie and this entire family through this stronger than ever? I hope so! He will for the best reason ever . . . . to display HIS splendor!
If we are in Christ. If we trust Him, we reflect the Glory of God—the weightiness of God (that’s what glory means—weighty—that’s why I’m weighty—it’s a name thing). The splendor of a King displayed through our lives! God takes our pain and heals our hearts. He comforts us so that we might reflect His goodness, His glory, His splendor.
Will you pray that, over time, God will replace ashes with a crown, torn robes with a garment of praise, and that everyone in this situation will stand firm like an oak tree?
“Lord, in the midst of suffering, we feel pain in our hearts. We cling to the promise that you will comfort us. We stand on the promise that You will deliver us from darkness and replace the ashes of grief with a crown of beauty, that our faces would glisten with the oil of your anointing, that we would be clothed in praises to your Name. We know this takes time. But we know, that if we cling to YOU, we will stand as a forest of oak trees and we will reflect the splendor of the King. In the meantime, as Lisa and Gracie and all our family and friends try to “move on,” help us to see this comfort and healing a bit each day. We thank you for the promise of eternity with you through our Lord and Savior, Jesus, to Him be the glory forever, amen.
Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Part one???? What’s up with that? And what’s with the Bible verses that go on for a paragraph?
Clinging to the promises of God is the best way to find our way back to “normal” life. There’s an old hymn, maybe you know it. Standing On the Promises of God. At times like this, the promises of God are the only firm footing we have. So I’d like to take a couple of days and meditate on these promises beginning with an Old Testament prophesy of Jesus. God’s best promise was the promise of Jesus. Through Christ our Lord, God delivers the most precious promise—Salvation and a life with Him—not just in heaven, but here on earth where life pretty much stinks at least some of the time. Through the prophet Isaiah, God tells us that not only will Jesus ransom our souls from Hell’s fire, but He will also rescue us from the junk we live through in this fallen world. Do you believe that? Before you nod, think about it. Do you REALLY believe it, not just intellectually, but are you willing to place your trust in this promise?
Jesus is the good news. Binding broken hearts. Proclaiming freedom from being captive to the sin that entangles us. Being free from the prison of this dark world controlled by the father of lies and darkness. We are freed from an eternity of darkness, and free to live with the Lord’s favor.
“But,” you say, “there is still pain!” For a time (but not eternity!!!), because we experience the fallen nature of our world. And that brings physical death, pain, suffering.
But God.
God promises to comfort those who mourn and provide for those who grieve. In Biblical times, people covered their heads with ashes when they mourned. Check this out—God promises a crown to replace the ashes! People back then also tore their clothes when they mourned. God promises a garment of praise.
And even better than a crown, better than gladness, better than a garment of praise, we will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting to display HIS splendor!
Nothing is more solidly grounded than an oak tree. Do you believe God will bring Lisa and Gracie and this entire family through this stronger than ever? I hope so! He will for the best reason ever . . . . to display HIS splendor!
If we are in Christ. If we trust Him, we reflect the Glory of God—the weightiness of God (that’s what glory means—weighty—that’s why I’m weighty—it’s a name thing). The splendor of a King displayed through our lives! God takes our pain and heals our hearts. He comforts us so that we might reflect His goodness, His glory, His splendor.
Will you pray that, over time, God will replace ashes with a crown, torn robes with a garment of praise, and that everyone in this situation will stand firm like an oak tree?
“Lord, in the midst of suffering, we feel pain in our hearts. We cling to the promise that you will comfort us. We stand on the promise that You will deliver us from darkness and replace the ashes of grief with a crown of beauty, that our faces would glisten with the oil of your anointing, that we would be clothed in praises to your Name. We know this takes time. But we know, that if we cling to YOU, we will stand as a forest of oak trees and we will reflect the splendor of the King. In the meantime, as Lisa and Gracie and all our family and friends try to “move on,” help us to see this comfort and healing a bit each day. We thank you for the promise of eternity with you through our Lord and Savior, Jesus, to Him be the glory forever, amen.
Monday, April 28, 2008
04-28 Devotional/Prayer for Mike By Gloria Barotta (Aunt Glo)
He Heals the Brokenhearted
Psalm 147:3-5
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
We tend to focus on the physical healing power of Jesus. Many of our prayer requests are for physical healing. It has always seemed strange to me that we concentrate so much on bodies that are destined to break down and so little time taking care of each other’s hearts and souls. Our hearts are eternal. Our bodies are not. Think about it. Scripture has a lot to say about our hearts—the wellspring of life.
Jesus tells us we can turn to him and he will heal our broken hearts. Lest you doubt His power to accomplish such a huge task, I have included evidence. Our Lord is so detail-oriented that he intentionally determines and names each of the stars in the heavens. We forget how many stars there are because we can rarely see them in cities. The heavenly skies look much different at my cousin’s ranch in Roswell. We all know my attention to detail is lacking. I cannot fathom taking time and effort to name every star. But our Lord does. I have no idea why. Maybe just to let us know every detail of the universe and our lives is important to Him.
Combine that attention to detail with POWER, and we begin to understand that Jesus really can do the impossible—even heal a broken heart.
But it takes more than power and might and attention to detail. To heal someone’s heart, my guess is you need to have some understanding of what they are feeling. Look at the last part of the passage—his understanding has no limit. Do you ever feel like no one understands what you are feeling? Maybe no human does. Maybe that is frustrating for you. My friends can testify that I’ve been frustrated by that many times! But there is ONE who understands. And He just happens to be the ONE who has the power and interest in healing you!!! We matter to God. (that sounds like a slogan for a building campaign)
Today will you pray for healing for Lisa and Gracie’s hearts?
“Father, we cannot understand with our pea brains the depth of your love for us. You try to show us your character, your power, your might, your attention to detail through the marvel of creation. But we miss it! Help us to know in our hearts how much we matter to you! Please use your power and compassion to heal Lisa and Gracie’s hearts. We know healing takes time. And we know Lisa knows that from her work as a nurse. Give them patience and perseverance to work through the pain in their hearts. Surround them with people who can meet their physical, emotional and mental needs. Thank you for Jesus who experienced the pain and joy of humanity and knows first hand how devastating the loss of a loved one can be. In His mighty name we pray, amen.”
Psalm 147:3-5
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
We tend to focus on the physical healing power of Jesus. Many of our prayer requests are for physical healing. It has always seemed strange to me that we concentrate so much on bodies that are destined to break down and so little time taking care of each other’s hearts and souls. Our hearts are eternal. Our bodies are not. Think about it. Scripture has a lot to say about our hearts—the wellspring of life.
Jesus tells us we can turn to him and he will heal our broken hearts. Lest you doubt His power to accomplish such a huge task, I have included evidence. Our Lord is so detail-oriented that he intentionally determines and names each of the stars in the heavens. We forget how many stars there are because we can rarely see them in cities. The heavenly skies look much different at my cousin’s ranch in Roswell. We all know my attention to detail is lacking. I cannot fathom taking time and effort to name every star. But our Lord does. I have no idea why. Maybe just to let us know every detail of the universe and our lives is important to Him.
Combine that attention to detail with POWER, and we begin to understand that Jesus really can do the impossible—even heal a broken heart.
But it takes more than power and might and attention to detail. To heal someone’s heart, my guess is you need to have some understanding of what they are feeling. Look at the last part of the passage—his understanding has no limit. Do you ever feel like no one understands what you are feeling? Maybe no human does. Maybe that is frustrating for you. My friends can testify that I’ve been frustrated by that many times! But there is ONE who understands. And He just happens to be the ONE who has the power and interest in healing you!!! We matter to God. (that sounds like a slogan for a building campaign)
Today will you pray for healing for Lisa and Gracie’s hearts?
“Father, we cannot understand with our pea brains the depth of your love for us. You try to show us your character, your power, your might, your attention to detail through the marvel of creation. But we miss it! Help us to know in our hearts how much we matter to you! Please use your power and compassion to heal Lisa and Gracie’s hearts. We know healing takes time. And we know Lisa knows that from her work as a nurse. Give them patience and perseverance to work through the pain in their hearts. Surround them with people who can meet their physical, emotional and mental needs. Thank you for Jesus who experienced the pain and joy of humanity and knows first hand how devastating the loss of a loved one can be. In His mighty name we pray, amen.”
4-27 Prayer for Mike By Gloria Barotta (Aunt Glo)
The Sabbath Rest
Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all the work.
I can always tell when my spirit needs rest. Thoughts swirl around in my head, I stop thinking clearly, I lack perspective, I whine. My mind is open to the lies of the evil one. After years of allowing the evil one to gain a toehold during these vulnerable times, I’ve learned to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (see 2 Cor. 10:5) and to take time to rest. Yesterday I took a rest. Actually, that’s not entirely true. The truth is, God forced me to rest, refresh, recharge, regroup. When I sat down to write to you yesterday, I had nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. So I rested and reached out to others to minister to me. I stopped searching for answers, I stopped problem solving, I just entered a time of “be-ing” instead of “do-ing.” I’ve always been better at “be-ing” than “do-ing.” I’m a Mary. Over the years I’ve taken on more “Martha-like” qualities to balance my “Mary” side. Balance. That’s the key.
I need a lot of rest. For me, like Mary, rest means sitting at the feet of Jesus. So after a day of rest, I’m back. Today in our passage, we see the model for rest. God created the heavens, the earth and all things on the earth. Then He rested. Whether you believe in the literal interpretation of “a day is a 24 hr period of time,” or whether you have bought into the metaphorical interpretation of “some period of time,” I think we can agree that creating all that God created was a lot of work whether it spanned 6 days or 6 millennia! (I happen to believe in the literal interpretation. Otherwise, I am left with too many opportunities to treat the commands of Scripture as “gentle suggestions.”)
Look at what happens after God’s rest. Verse 7 tells us that God created Adam from dust and Eve from Adam. (yes, I also believe that God literally created Adam from dust.) And man was the crown of creation! After His rest, God came back to work and created His masterpiece! That balance of be-ing and do-ing was modeled by the One who created all things. And please do not miss what happened after a good rest! A masterpiece! I believe we are at our best when we are well rested!!
Right now our family needs rest. After almost two weeks of do-ing, it’s time to balance that with be-ing. Will you pray that Lisa and Gracie and our entire family will enter into a time of rest and refreshment? There’s still so much to do. But right now, I sense we need a time of rest.
“Father God, You created the heavens and the earth with your hands. And you hold us in the palm of this same hand. Today we ask for a Sabbath’s rest. Maybe it’s a day, or two or a week. Give each person the wisdom to know how much time they need, and how they need to recharge. For some it is time with You in the Word. For others it is a time of fasting and prayer. For some it is solitude, for others it’s being with people. Only You know. Thank you for the friends and family who have brought food and flowers to minister to the physical needs of these family members. Much healing and fellowship have taken place over plates of food. Thank you for your love and protection. Amen.”
Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all the work.
I can always tell when my spirit needs rest. Thoughts swirl around in my head, I stop thinking clearly, I lack perspective, I whine. My mind is open to the lies of the evil one. After years of allowing the evil one to gain a toehold during these vulnerable times, I’ve learned to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (see 2 Cor. 10:5) and to take time to rest. Yesterday I took a rest. Actually, that’s not entirely true. The truth is, God forced me to rest, refresh, recharge, regroup. When I sat down to write to you yesterday, I had nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. So I rested and reached out to others to minister to me. I stopped searching for answers, I stopped problem solving, I just entered a time of “be-ing” instead of “do-ing.” I’ve always been better at “be-ing” than “do-ing.” I’m a Mary. Over the years I’ve taken on more “Martha-like” qualities to balance my “Mary” side. Balance. That’s the key.
I need a lot of rest. For me, like Mary, rest means sitting at the feet of Jesus. So after a day of rest, I’m back. Today in our passage, we see the model for rest. God created the heavens, the earth and all things on the earth. Then He rested. Whether you believe in the literal interpretation of “a day is a 24 hr period of time,” or whether you have bought into the metaphorical interpretation of “some period of time,” I think we can agree that creating all that God created was a lot of work whether it spanned 6 days or 6 millennia! (I happen to believe in the literal interpretation. Otherwise, I am left with too many opportunities to treat the commands of Scripture as “gentle suggestions.”)
Look at what happens after God’s rest. Verse 7 tells us that God created Adam from dust and Eve from Adam. (yes, I also believe that God literally created Adam from dust.) And man was the crown of creation! After His rest, God came back to work and created His masterpiece! That balance of be-ing and do-ing was modeled by the One who created all things. And please do not miss what happened after a good rest! A masterpiece! I believe we are at our best when we are well rested!!
Right now our family needs rest. After almost two weeks of do-ing, it’s time to balance that with be-ing. Will you pray that Lisa and Gracie and our entire family will enter into a time of rest and refreshment? There’s still so much to do. But right now, I sense we need a time of rest.
“Father God, You created the heavens and the earth with your hands. And you hold us in the palm of this same hand. Today we ask for a Sabbath’s rest. Maybe it’s a day, or two or a week. Give each person the wisdom to know how much time they need, and how they need to recharge. For some it is time with You in the Word. For others it is a time of fasting and prayer. For some it is solitude, for others it’s being with people. Only You know. Thank you for the friends and family who have brought food and flowers to minister to the physical needs of these family members. Much healing and fellowship have taken place over plates of food. Thank you for your love and protection. Amen.”
Friday, April 25, 2008
Missing McKinney man found in Arizona
Missing McKinney man found in Arizona
07:54 PM CDT on Friday, April 25, 2008
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The body of a traveling nurse who was reported missing after leaving a California desert town nearly two weeks ago has been found in a remote area of northern Arizona, authorities said Friday.
The body of Michael Edwards was found near a Forest Service road north of the Grand Canyon on Thursday afternoon, said Lt. Rex Gilliland of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.
Gilliland said Edwards, of McKinney, Texas, was found wearing only his underwear. His clothes were found scattered in the area, and his vehicle and camping spot were found about two miles away.
"We believe we have a natural death," Gilliland said. "He may have died from hypothermia. Obviously we'll know more after the autopsy and we still want to know why he was in northern Arizona."
Victims of hypothermia can become delusional and begin to think they are warm when they are in fact cold, Gilliland said. There was no sign of foul play.
Edwards, 44, was working as a traveling registered nurse in Ridgecrest, Calif., and called his family in Texas on April 13 to tell them he was headed to Sacramento to get a nursing certificate.
His family reported him missing to the Kern County Sheriff's Department two days later.
Devotional/Prayer for Mike 4/25 By Gloria Barotta (Aunt Glo)
God Never Wastes Pain
2 Corinthians 1:3 – 5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Last night we received the call. Mike’s body has been found. We have no details, no answers to our many questions. The pain in our hearts is crushing—almost overwhelming. Maybe you have experienced such pain. Maybe experiencing that pain has helped you become more compassionate toward others. Or maybe it has made you bitter (I hope not!).
Our passage today tells us that suffering is part of life. We live in a fallen world. But for those of us who walk with Christ, suffering refines us and shapes us like clay into the likeness of Christ. When we suffer, God comforts us. And we comfort others as Christ comforts us. In Matthew 5:4 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Many of you who have walked with our family during this time have experienced great loss and have received compassion and comfort from God. And because you have received this comfort and compassion, you have freely given comfort and compassion to Mike’s family. That is a gift from God to us. God has used the pain you have felt in your life to minister to our family. Many of you have shared your stories of losing parents and close family members at a young age and how you reacted to that loss. Your pain wasn’t in vain.
It is hard for us to see it now, but the pain Lisa and Gracie and all of us are feeling now will not be in vain, either. As the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. And we will comfort others. God never wastes pain. He uses it for our good and His Glory. It never seems like it at the time, and we may never see the good that came from this pain this side of heaven. “And we know all things work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:38)
Before we pray, I want to thank you for standing with us. Life is messy. Our sinful selfish nature is to run from other people’s messy lives. But that’s not what God calls us to do. He calls us to get into the muck with the each other. Life is bound to get messier for our family. Will you continue to pray for Lisa and Gracie and all of us in the coming weeks as we try to put our lives back together?
“Father, I first want to praise and thank you for being a God of compassion and comfort. You weep when we weep, you mourn when we mourn. Help us to be people of compassion. Help us to comfort others. Guard our hearts from bitterness and resentment. Help us to see this situation through your eyes. Protect our hearts from the evil one. Give Lisa and Gracie the strength and courage they need to face the new reality of their lives. I thank you for your people who have stood with us in prayer. I pray your blessings on them. Father, in the coming weeks we will be so dependent on your grace. Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord. We thank you for Jesus. We pray that Mike’s trust was in Him and that Mike lives with Jesus in heaven. We look forward to the day when you will welcome us into your Kingdom and we will be united with our family and friends who have gone before us! And until then, give us the grace to live the abundant life you promise us in your Word through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.”
2 Corinthians 1:3 – 5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
Last night we received the call. Mike’s body has been found. We have no details, no answers to our many questions. The pain in our hearts is crushing—almost overwhelming. Maybe you have experienced such pain. Maybe experiencing that pain has helped you become more compassionate toward others. Or maybe it has made you bitter (I hope not!).
Our passage today tells us that suffering is part of life. We live in a fallen world. But for those of us who walk with Christ, suffering refines us and shapes us like clay into the likeness of Christ. When we suffer, God comforts us. And we comfort others as Christ comforts us. In Matthew 5:4 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Many of you who have walked with our family during this time have experienced great loss and have received compassion and comfort from God. And because you have received this comfort and compassion, you have freely given comfort and compassion to Mike’s family. That is a gift from God to us. God has used the pain you have felt in your life to minister to our family. Many of you have shared your stories of losing parents and close family members at a young age and how you reacted to that loss. Your pain wasn’t in vain.
It is hard for us to see it now, but the pain Lisa and Gracie and all of us are feeling now will not be in vain, either. As the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. And we will comfort others. God never wastes pain. He uses it for our good and His Glory. It never seems like it at the time, and we may never see the good that came from this pain this side of heaven. “And we know all things work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:38)
Before we pray, I want to thank you for standing with us. Life is messy. Our sinful selfish nature is to run from other people’s messy lives. But that’s not what God calls us to do. He calls us to get into the muck with the each other. Life is bound to get messier for our family. Will you continue to pray for Lisa and Gracie and all of us in the coming weeks as we try to put our lives back together?
“Father, I first want to praise and thank you for being a God of compassion and comfort. You weep when we weep, you mourn when we mourn. Help us to be people of compassion. Help us to comfort others. Guard our hearts from bitterness and resentment. Help us to see this situation through your eyes. Protect our hearts from the evil one. Give Lisa and Gracie the strength and courage they need to face the new reality of their lives. I thank you for your people who have stood with us in prayer. I pray your blessings on them. Father, in the coming weeks we will be so dependent on your grace. Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord. We thank you for Jesus. We pray that Mike’s trust was in Him and that Mike lives with Jesus in heaven. We look forward to the day when you will welcome us into your Kingdom and we will be united with our family and friends who have gone before us! And until then, give us the grace to live the abundant life you promise us in your Word through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.”
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