With men this is impossible, But not with God; for with God all things ... [PDF]

Daily Devotions for

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, But not with God; for with God all things are possible.” - MARK 10:27

The Bible is His Story! The hymn book is filled with songs where we sing to Him or of His great promises and truth. You have heard the simple statement, “Life is not about me. It is all about Him!” Each of us has a story because of Him. The Bible says, “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring.” Acts 17:28 (NKJV) Over the next thirty days you will read stories from our brothers and sisters in Christ. You will read about lessons they have learned, strength they have found, hope for tough times, and love everlasting. As you read these life stories with us, I pray you will be encouraged and blessed. I hope you will be challenged to pray for our church family as we share the journey of life together. I also hope you will write something about your story and share it with me and our church family. God has us on Mission! Thank you for helping live out His story through us here at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church. Pastor Mike

...holding Him up to the Light

The first call came: “Brad’s been in an accident and is going by ambulance to Baptist Hospital to get checked out.” A second call: “Mr. Smithey, are you in route? You son will be going into surgery.” While waiting, we were told that his injuries and surgery would be somewhat routine, and he would have maybe a one week stay in the hospital. Hours into the surgery, a doctor came out: “I’m very, very sorry. The internal injuries are much worse than we thought. You son is gravely ill. We are trying…” Later we were led into a conference room and met with the lead trauma surgeon: “This is now between Brad and God. His blood pressure and temperature continues to drop. We are trying everything, but I want to prepare you for the possibility that we may bring him into a room so that you can spend a few moments with him before we disconnect.” My young son...he had been such a challenge growing up; but he was maturing and learning to make his way in life. But now he was my little boy again; the hyper, skinny, giggly little 8 year old...my little boy! Brad survived the night, but his struggle for life lasted for many weeks. The severity of the injury, complications, pneumonia, the impact of life support machines on his defenseless body…all contributed to the daily summary: “Critical and unstable.” We knew our son was getting the best medical care he possibly could and there was another Physician at work. The accident happened on a Saturday night. By Sunday morning, thousands were praying as congregations gathered to worship. Hospital staff would tell us that they and their churches were praying. Operating room technicians told us that they would ask to be on the team when Brad had procedures...they prayed the whole time. So many came by to pray. Two old friends came by my side and so willfully displayed their spiritual gifts of their time, resources, and support. I was crying on the phone one Sunday night while explaining the gravity of the situation to my “coach” and pastor. Later, I learned that after the call ended, he went out and stopped choir practice to pray. So many of God’s people doing what they know and have been taught to do!! Prayer. Support. Comfort. Assistance. And that’s why I still can’t hold back tears when I think of the words of one of my co-workers who is Quaker. He simply said: “I told the meeting about your son. We are holding him up to the Light!” Quite a picture isn’t it? But that’s what we do. And the Creator who orchestrates all things on this earth hears our prayers. We are weak, but He is strong! Doctors say Brad is a miracle; we rejoice! But if the outcome had been different, He would still have been the Provider. Feel the supernatural strength of prayer! James 5:16, Acts 6:4 Danny Smithey

Ephesians 4:17-32 & Matthew 5:44 People called bullies hurt a lot of people. We hear a lot about bullies with children but bullies can be teenagers and even grown-ups. Bullies use words, attitudes and actions to hurt others. This creates a chain reaction. Usually bullies bully other people because of their own problems. I will show you how this happens. Take a piece of paper that represents you. Fold the paper into fourths. Use a hole puncher, representing a person that is mean or a problem in your life, to punch holes into the paper. When you open the paper up, the other parts or people have holes in them too. When your problems or those mean people in your life hurt you, you will sometimes reflect your hurt or angry feelings onto other people. This has happened to me. However, instead of reflecting my hurt onto others, I tried to do things God’s way and was a friend to the bully. God wants us to love our enemies and to be a friend to those who bully us. He also wants us to use his Word and trust Him to help with our problems. In Matthew Chapter 5, verse 44 Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 23 it says “let the spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes”; and in verse 32 it says “be compassionate to one another”. We need to use our Bible as proof to the world that Jesus is real and show how He can help resolve all of our problems. We need to let people know that God can settle hard times and that He is always with us. And that His way is always the right way. Garrison Smith, 10 years old – 5th grader Son of Scott and Lisa Smith

Life can change in an instant leaving us with many questions as to why. Then, we literally watch, listen, and see what God’s people praying in unison can do. God answering our prayers, shows us that He is faithful and heals in many ways, whether it be physical, spiritual, or personal needs. James 5:15-16: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We see and hear about so many sick and hurting these days. Whether it be at church, work, family, or friends. We many times never really understand the pain and suffering someone is going through, but He does. He allows us to have the freedom of prayer, our way to rely on Him for answers and results. How we use it is up to us. We can pray and lift our burdens to Him any time, in our quite time, getting ready for bed, riding down the road, or at the altar. Prayer affects us in different ways but we all have the same expectations, praying for His will to be done. Timing may not be to our liking but we have to pray with an open mind understanding that it’s His timing, not ours. Matthew 18:20: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Prayer is our freedom to ask for His help in all things. For some it may be provision, or the need for physical strength, and for many, spiritual guidance. Life is fragile and when it becomes personal, it may be hard to comprehend. Then we must be steadfast and honor Him by trusting Him and His Word to get us through the valleys of life. Only then we look back at where we have been, thankful for the journey, and hoping in some way, others have been touched through His answered prayers. It may seem like only yesterday but before we know it, days, weeks, months, and years have passed us by, leaving us wondering if we have truly honored and trusted Him at His Word. We must always give Him the praise and glory for the great things He has done and will do. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. This verse is another promise that can be useful and effective in reaching others through His Word. With Him all things are possible because we need strength from above daily to achieve our goals and be an example to others. Letting Christ show through us, will always help and make a difference in someone’s life. “Pray for one another but always remember to pray for yourself. I used to consider it selfish but God knows our hearts. It’s up to us to pray to Him for everything.” Thankful for prayer and a praying people. Brad Reid

PRAYER changes things Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Our eldest son went through a difficult time with his first marriage that after 18 years ended in divorce. When he remarried this caused a division in our family. This division caused our son to cut off communication with the rest of the family. Words were said that were not meant to be said and as a result since Sept 17, 2011 we did not know how to contact him. I am in the “Leave the Light On” prayer group at PGBC where we join together to pray for our adult children. This helped me through the journey. During the Church Renewal Prayer Weekend Testimony Service I shared from a broken heart and asked for you to pray for the healing of our family and other families. As the church was praying, Pastor Mike came over to us and prayed for our son and us. A year later this past November, our son called and talked to us for 45 minutes. He has called several times since and always ends with “I love you.” We now have his address and phone number and are beginning to get updates on him and his wife and their children. We have learned that he and his wife are attending a church and working in both Sunday School and a special ministry for broken spirited people. I am thankful He is in the process of healing our broken hearts. To God be the glory!

Virginia H. Phelps

ACCEPTING A GIFT FOR GOD Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 1 Chronicles 16:29 (KJV) We pulled up to the front door of Pastor Miquel’s house in Ticapompa, Peru, a small village at 11,000 ft up in the Andes Mountains. With me was Humberta, the Peruvian interpreter, and Carlos, the cab driver who played classical music in his taxi. We were there to inform Pastor Miguel that a team was coming from my church in a few days and we wanted to come worship with his small congregation of about 15 or so folks. He liked for us to come and we counted it a blessing to conduct services with and for him. The church had some problems and we were trying to help work them out and get the church back on track and working for the Lord. After a few minutes, we needed to go and Pastor Miquel needed to get to work in the mines where he is forced to work to survive. This family is extremely poor. As we were saying goodbyes, he said, “Wait a minute” in Spanish. He advised he had something to give me. He disappeared back into his house and in a few moments, he came back carrying and dragging a young lamb. The lamb stretched out, was longer than the Pastor was tall, so the rear legs were dragging along. Pastor Miguel sat the lamb down and said something like this: “My wife and I have been raising this lamb to give it to the Lord and we want to give it to you.” When Humberta translated that for me, it astounded me. I was so overwhelmed I started to tear up and had to turn my face away from them. I couldn’t accept something like that. I am just a sinner, a saved sinner, but a sinner nonetheless. I wasn’t worthy to accept a gift given to God, even as a representative of God. As I pulled myself together, I tried to think of excuses to tell them as to why I couldn’t accept the gift. None of them worked and they insisted I accept the lamb as a gift and offering to God. Reluctantly, I finally agreed to accept it, which made Pastor Miguel and his wife very happy. We took the lamb outside where Carlos had a piece of rope. He tied the four legs together and put the lamb in the back of the taxi and off we drove with the lamb. I ended up trading the lamb with Humberta for a smaller lamb she planned to sell. She and I decided that she would have her sons harvest the lamb she gave me, and she would prepare a roasted lamb Peruvian meal for the team when they arrived in a couple of days. She prepared a wonderful meal for us. It was with great difficulty that I explained to the team they were being blessed with a meal of roasted lamb that was a literal offering given to the Lord, and that the Pastor and his wife had given the best they had. We all agreed that none of us were worthy to eat the meal and that we were unworthy of the other lamb, the Lamb of God that was sacrificed for us. Father, forgive my sins and cleanse me so that I am a clean vessel You can use. Accept my offerings as being given with a joyful and thankful heart. Amen. Brion Emerson

Trusting the Unseen Psalm 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. It is a tough journey when you have a child turn away from the Lord and everything you have taught them. You pray and cry out and wonder if your prayers are being heard. I am part of a prayer group that meets regularly to pray for the prodigals in our families. God has worked mightily in some families but many of us are still waiting and wondering when (and if) our time will come to celebrate. One Sunday morning I went down to kneel at the altar and pray during the invitation. I went there to pray for my prodigal son as I often do. While praying I felt the firm press of a hand on my shoulder. It was reassuring to know that someone had joined me in support of my prayer need. As the music ended the hand lifted and I stood up and turned to thank my prayer partner, but there was no one there. There was no one on the front pew or even in the aisle, no one close enough to have possibly laid their hand on me. The hand had not been my imagination as it was a very heavy and constant pressure on my shoulder, but no one was there. I then realized that it was God reassuring me that He was there and He knew my prayer. I was humbled and thankful to realize that the God who created the universe would touch my shoulder, not because of who I am, but because of who He is. He is the God of love and He cares deeply for each of His children and their request. I wish I could tell you that the prayer request has been fulfilled but it has not been fulfilled yet, and I realize that it may not happen during my lifetime. But God has reminded me that He knows my prayer and cares for my request. And I know that even when I die my prayers will not; they last forever. And I trust that the God who laid His hand on me will keep working on my request to bring it to fulfillment. Prayer: Father I thank You that You hear our prayers and that You care for each request and for each one that calls out to You. I thank You for what You are going to do knowing “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to Your purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Danny Halsey

Encouragement For The Day Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. None of us can long survive, let alone prosper without the sincere prayers of others offered on our behalf. God has designed the Christian life as a community event, not a sole endeavor. I KNOW, without a single doubt, prayers can cause miracles to happen. After seven years of struggling to eat and breathe, God sent a miracle my way through brain surgery. This was a critical surgery and the doctors could not even guarantee positive results. Christians all over the world started praying for me. Within a three day period after the surgery, God restored the nerve damage and I was eating and breathing perfectly. Folks, there is power in prayer. TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE. I am convinced that God knows when our hearts are sincere and trusting Him completely. As a community of Christian people, we can pray for anything and if we believe it, we will receive it. In Mark 11:24 Jesus tells us this very thing. Our hearts have to be right with God and we cannot have unconfessed sin in our lives. It is my prayer today that you will sincerely pray for our Church and what God’s will is for you as a part of this fellowship. Remember that prayer can cause miracles to happen. A prayer answered on behalf of Faye Mundy. Thank You Lord.

Jack is my second grandchild. He was named with the generational suffix of IV, John Matthew Trudewind, IV. We had no idea he would come into this world needing an IV in his tiny little veins to survive. We were back home from a weekend visit with my son, Matt, his expectant wife, Tiffany, and family. Strange, I thought, “Jack wasn’t moving much this time.” Throughout the preceding months he was very active. “Something was different this time, maybe he’s coming soon,” I thought to myself. Then I received the phone call from my daughter-in-law, Tiffany. She told me that they were going to do some tests, and there was nothing to worry about at this point. That was the beginning of our journey. We drove straight to the hospital in Charlotte. A lot happened since that first phone call. Jack’s birth was over; an emergency C-section had taken him quickly. When we walked into the hospital room, he was already in ICU. Matt and I were the first ones to go in to see him. He was the biggest newborn in ICU, weighing 8lbs 4oz. He was also in the most trouble. I learned new medical terms very quickly: Apgar scale, he was a one, he was in distress, the cord around his neck choked off necessary oxygen, not responding well...the list went on. We watched as a whole team worked on him. He laid there, limp, not moving, with cords and IV’s everywhere. Looking at Matt I said, “I need to leave.” I knew I needed to get alone with God and pray. This was not a routine prayer, but a prayer of desperation...a prayer for a miracle. Earlier that day I called Linda Horney, part of my church family. How blessed we are to have a wonderful church family who loves each other and actually stops to pray when a crisis comes. I called her back because we were losing him. Within a couple of hours, his vitals had deteriorated enough to put him on oxygen and plans made to move him to an acute care hospital. Back at Matt’s house, I sought solitude with God. I had seen this kind of prayer lived out in front of me many times from my mom, Grace White. Now, I was the one walking back and forth, repeatedly petitioning God in prayer. I kept reminding God of His Word, that I believed Him, and that I believed He had heard me. I just kept asking. God answered yes that day, by performing a miracle. Jack suddenly got better and now as we celebrate his birthday every year on April 13th, we have made a tradition of thanking God and remembering His faithfulness in answer to prayer on that day. Many scriptures came to mind, but the one scripture that held my hope before God as I petitioned Him was 1 John 5:15, “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”

Mary Deldgie

Peace which passes all understanding.. The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11 For He Himself is our peace. Ephesians 2:14 Ten and a half years ago when my grandson needed surgery at 10 days old, I learned what it is to be at peace while waiting on the Lord. At his first pediatrician appointment he was sent to UVA for surgery. His parents did not know what was wrong and were told to go straight to UVA, which was more than two hours away. After putting my 2 year old granddaughter to bed that night, I went to my knees with my Bible and was led to Psalm 30. I knew that I could do nothing to make this go away or fix this. I didn’t even know what was wrong or if the surgery had taken place. I had to completely trust in God and His Plan. Psalm 30 is still the passage I go to when Caden has a need and it still brings me comfort and peace. God’s Peace! He still gives peace to our family each time there has been an issue with Caden’s health, and decisions have to be made, and for all the unknowns that we face daily His peace is always available. On November 22nd I was faced with another time of not being able to fix anything and not knowing the outcome. My 84 year old mom had fallen at her doctor’s office getting off of his examining table. On her 3rd night in ICU I was exhausted as I returned to her home and the more I thought about what she was going through, the more upset I became. Mom was in ICU because of a brain bleed and in a great deal of pain from her other injuries. I had not spoken with or talked with a doctor since arriving and did not know why they were not available to speak to me. The nurses could not tell me anything definite about her injuries. As I cried out to the Lord, He reminded me of the friend I had seen at church that morning and through my tears and fears, I phoned this friend who was the former administrator of the hospital, and he was able to advise me on what to do. Sometimes He has given me a person to help and sometimes He has said wait I am at work. It has been a blessing to wait on the Lord for His leading and His guidance and peace. Father God, It is my prayer that Your PEACE WHICH PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD my HEART AND MIND THROUGH JESUS and that when trials come and decisions need to be made that I will call on You for Your wisdom and direction and that I will be at peace as I wait on You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Ellen Day

Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. I have always considered myself a Christian, but it wasn’t until the Lord put me and my family in a specific situation that totally broke me down and completely brought me to Him. I had finally hit rock bottom for the first time in my life when I couldn’t control the situation. This is what the Lord used to bring me to become a true follower of Christ. I still sometimes find myself following the world and only committing myself halfway to the Lord. The verse above is very special to me because it reminds me that we do good deeds and serve not to look good among our peers, have someone pat us on the back, or for a gold sticker, but because it is our calling. We are servants of the Lord and it’s our duty to do good deeds for our reward is unconditional love, glory and eternity in heaven. We often turn shy from helping others or taking that extra step thinking we are going to be inconvenienced in some way. NEWS FLASH: Jesus Christ was inconvenienced when He was nailed to the cross, suffered and died. This inconvenience was done for us, to forgive us of our sins. God deserves all of us, not just half or a piece of us on Sunday morning. The walk is hard with the world all around us. With that being said, how can we expect to get to heaven without facing tribulations as Jesus Christ did while on earth? We are often guilty of the saying “out of sight, out of mind” when it comes to serving. This is why every morning when I pray, my prayer is to be emptied of self so God can fill me up with that day’s mission. I pray for sight that breaks the Lord’s heart and for it to break mine as well. This way I don’t overlook the people around me that are in need. Even just a simple hello, good morning, or how are you, can mean so much to a hurting soul. I pray to remember to pray for these individuals as we are ALL God’s children. The people around us are not placed there by accident. The Lord has made it our responsibility to share and spread His word. I have found that serving is one of the simplest things we can do as His children to show love to others. This allows us to open doors that might not have been opened before. It’s so important to remember no matter what the world is calling us to do, we are never too busy to serve our God.

Christina Leggett

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:18 I was blessed with a very good Christian mother. She always told me the Lord loves you so trust in Him and He will provide your every need. I was getting ready to go on my second mission trip to Recuay, Peru in 2007. Gas prices were high and our trip was going to cost around $1,500. I did not have that just lying around. I mentioned it to a friend of mine just telling him how much the trip would cost. The next week I found out that friend had given the $1,500 on my behalf to go to Peru. As you can imagine, I was thrilled. As God continued to work in this situation, the trip did not cost but $1,200. We had $300 extra to use for other ministries...and earlier we had been trying to think of a way we could do this for the youth of Recuay, Peru. They love music and seem to be able to just pick up an instrument and play it. We were able to buy four handmade guitars and if you could have seen the look on their faces! They picked them up and immediately started playing them. You would have thought we had just handed them a million dollars!! You cannot out give God, HE will supply your every need above and beyond what you ask. “Lord, help me to fix my eyes on You today and every day. YOU are all I need and You will provide just what I need for that day. Thank You for your mercy and grace which are new each day.” Judy Fuqua

God will always provide you with what you need to fulfil His plans for you.

MISSION: To know HIM and To make HIM known Oftentimes we don’t make the effort to really speak into people’s lives. We tend to pass judgment, dismissing the way someone behaves as though they’re not worth our time. Even the most caring people can do this without realizing, and as Christians, we are supposed to avoid this behavior. There was a new student at my Christian school this year. A bright boy who had been in public school for a considerable amount of time, and though he had grown up in a Christian home, he firmly believed that if there was a God, He paid little to no attention to him. This boy had been bullied for years, was quite depressed, and I now know he came to my school after an attempted suicide. Only 16 and he had determined his life was not worth it. I befriended him, and attempted to speak into his life. He came with me to youth one time and seemed rather disheartened. I know I would be too if I didn’t have Jesus and came to a place where many people did. I purchased a Bible for him with some money my uncle gave me at random. I wasn’t bound and determined to “win him to Christ,” I just felt led to make God’s words more tangible for him since he felt as though God wasn’t listening. For whatever reason, I waited about a month before I decided to give it to him, praying over the Bible occasionally. The day before I brought it to him at school, we had a Wednesday night service with our youth. I asked Sean if we could just have all the youth pray over this Bible, and let it speak into this person’s life. Christian Sadler prayed over the Bible, with all our youth huddled around it. The next day I gave this boy the Bible, and he wasn’t suddenly running down the halls praising Jesus, but I saw him take it home with him every day for another three months or so. Slowly, his input in Bible class became more neutral. He played devils advocate less and less. Finally, he decided to go to an awakening service with my school. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, but he texted me later that weekend. He told me he accepted Christ. He told me how he had been given joy he had never experienced before. I am not going to tell you the sole reason he came to Christ was because of our youth; that would be foolish. However, I would like to assure you that our youth IS sowing into people’s lives, with tangible results. Ps 13 Monda Deldgie

Let’s Be Desperate! des·per·ate -feeling, showing, or involving a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.Riding down a long dirt road in the back of a pickup truck in the outskirts of Honduras, we stopped at a little shack made of sticks, metal, and scraps of wood. As we drew closer, four little boys popped their heads out. Their mother, with a frightened look upon her tired and weak face, peeked around the corner. She had a baby on her hip and a toddler at her feet, and probably wondered why these strange looking people were at her house. As our group began to give out the bags of food and necessities, the little toddler, Rosita began to scream and cry. I wanted to pick her up so badly! Despite my worries that she was upset and afraid of the white American faces, she put her arms up to me to hold her, so I picked her up. Suddenly she stopped crying! She had a cup of coffee that was black from dirt and a molded cookie in her hand. I noticed how filthy she was so I began to wipe her down with baby wipes along side a team mate. Shockingly she just set there staring back at us as if in relief that we were cleaning her up. As I continued to hold her and walk around the trash and rubble, I noticed a piece of cardboard where the mother slept. Inside the shack, on a dirt floor was where her children would lay their heads down to sleep at night. I began to question God why this precious little girl…..and not me. I would take her place Lord! This isn't fair! It was time to leave, and as I put her down, her big brown eyes filled with tears looking back at me. Her arms stretched out for me so I ran back and hugged her. Needless to say I left, riding in the back of that truck broken-hearted and in tears! Then the Lord spoke to me. He told me that once I get desperate enough to reach up for Him, and He will take me in His arms, wipe my sins and dirt away, and comfort me! The Lord simply reminded me that no matter how far we drift from God; whatever terrible circumstances we’re under; all we have to do is reach up for Him. He's always there waiting for us to surrender and say, “Lord I need You,” and He will take us in His arms and dust us off! Looking into the desperation in that family’s eyes reminded me how desperate I need to be for my Savior each and every day! Psalm 116. I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. Taylor Fields

I think one of the most beneficial prayers I’ve ever prayed (after asking Jesus into my heart) was the day I asked the Holy Spirit to help me understand God’s Word. I accepted Christ as my Savior at a young age, but never really understood the Bible. I found the Bible boring and difficult to comprehend. I remember as a young mom, feeling desperate for God to help me; desperate to know His will and plan for my life. One day, while I was studying my Bible (that I didn’t understand), I got down on my knees and told God if He would help me understand, then I would spend time reading His Word. I am so thankful to Him, because He answered that prayer immediately. I’m not sure why I had never thought of it before. Why it had never occurred to me to ASK Him to help me understand...but better late than never, right? Since that day, whenever I read scripture I always try to remember to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to me and He is faithful. There are three ways my relationship with God has grown over the years; prayer, reading His Word and serving Him. Prayer is my communication with God. I’m so thankful I can tell God everything! I can tell Him my needs, my wants and my feelings (good or bad). He listens and I know He cares. You know how I know He cares? Because He continually speaks to me, about the very things I’ve brought before Him in prayer. The other day I was feeling weary in a work He has called me to do. As I was getting ready that morning, I was talking to God, confessing the “weariness” I felt and asking Him to stir my heart and to change my attitude from dreading it, to an attitude that was anticipating the work He was going to do. In my quiet time that very day, God spoke to me as I read Matthew 11:2830. Reading the Bible is God’s communication with me. Just like the example above, where God used His Word to speak to me about my prayer. That is how it works; the two go hand in hand. Now that the Holy Spirit helps me understand The Bible, I love to read it! As I read it, God answers my prayers, gives me direction, and shows me who He is. What a sweet blessing! Lastly, through my communication via prayer, and God’s communication via the scriptures, He equips me to do His work. Nothing is better than knowing what God has called you to do and then doing it. Is it easy? Not always, but the joy He fills us with far outweighs any sacrifice on our part. And of course, as I do the work He has called me to do, I’m forced back into the cycle of prayer, because I’m reminded of how helpless and desperate I am without Him!

Susan Marshall

Song written by Brian Beasley “I know your world is crashing down again. I know you’ve hit that great big wall again. The next big thing turned into one more waste of time. You search for something to bring some meaning But like a failure you don’t know where to turn But how can you start over when you feel so far behind? I know I’ve been right there for you again. I know I’ve come each time you’ve called again, But now it seems that I’ve been holding out on you. You know the secret that I’ve been keeping was what you needed but I was too afraid So the help that I was giving wasn’t that much help at all. But I know, I know the answer. I know, I know, I know the One who will wash the slate clean Start a new scene, forget your tragic past. I know, I know, I know the answer. I know I know, I know the one who will give it all to you Life that’s brand new, joy that’s meant to last. He’s what you’re searching for, and He’s waiting at the door. I know. I’m gonna tell you about a Savior who is the reason that I’m satisfied. He is the purpose and the meaning and Jesus is His name. But I know, I know the answer. I know, I know, I know the One who will wash the slate clean Start a new scene, forget your tragic past. I know, I know, I know the answer. I know I know, I know the One who will give it all to you Life that’s brand new, joy that’s meant to last. He’s what you’re searching for, and He’s waiting at the door. I know.” My dad’s song has made me think a lot about the people around me that need to know Jesus’ love. As a teenager about to graduate high school and set foot on the battleground that college has become, I am constantly bombarded with fear and anxiety. We live in a world that is rapidly losing hope and have turned their back from the one thing that gives us hope. We are surrounded by people who are hurting and in need...people who are desperately searching for hope and peace in worldly things, but finding no satisfaction. We were made to bring glory to God, and apart from that, we can never be fully satisfied. People long for transcendence, but they cannot find it apart from God. God gave us a longing that we cannot fill apart from Him. Apart from God, we can have no peace. In Romans it says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” God will fill us with joy and peace if we trust him. We are called to go into the world and spread the hope of Jesus Christ to the hopeless. All men seek happiness, but only God can fulfill it. Efforts by nonbelievers to fill the void will end in futility and should provoke compassion in us. Energy extended to reach people should be used to teach them how to fill their longing.

Christina Beasley

James 1:2 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.”

I love to sing! Singing has always been a part of my life: part of who I am. I have grown up singing in church choirs since high school, and have sung in the PGBC quartet, Restoration, since its beginning some 8 or so years ago. But for over a year now, I have slowly been losing my singing voice. Normally a soprano, I have dropped below the altos and am presently singing tenor and bass. And even then, it is not always a “pretty” sound, especially when my voice becomes raspy, weak, painful and flat. This trial is a new journey for me, but I thank the Lord, because through it He is speaking to me and growing me. One Sunday morning before Restoration was to sing, I was in tears because my voice sounded so horrible. I cried and said, “I can not sing!” Immediately God reminded me of what Pastor Michael had recently said: “Saying ‘I can’t’ really means, ‘I won’t let God do this through me.’” So I said, “OK Lord, I’ll get up there and hold the microphone and open my mouth, but You’ll have to do the rest.” The Lord then reminded me of the word “STRENGTH” He had given me from 2 Corinthians 12:9. (“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you [Robin]: for My STRENGTH is made perfect in [your]weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”) He also reminded me of James 1:2 that He had given me that same day. Before getting on stage that morning, He whispered one more verse to me: Psalm 100:1 “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…” This was a test. Was I going to trust Him and be obedient or was I going to quit? I knew then that no matter what I sounded like, God wanted to hear my heart. He was in control of my voice, so I just needed to get up there and make a joyful noise. So that is where I now stand—or sing. Am I happy that I sound terrible when I sing? Definitely NOT. But, because of this trial, I have heard God SPEAK! He has given me scripture after scripture, confirmation after confirmation. I wouldn’t trade THAT for all the beautiful music in the world!! And while you may see me in choir, you probably won’t hear me. But please know I am worshipping my God and making my joyful noise for HIM, because He is not concerned with the music that comes out of my mouth; He is only concerned with the music that comes out of my heart! Father, I thank you that you use trials to grow us and mold us into the persons you have planned for us to be. Help us to trust You and to rejoice in Your love for us.

Robin Halsey

Make a Joyful noise Unto the Lord!

Have Faith “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:18-21 NLT

The definition of faith is a strong belief or trust in someone or something. I personally believe that having faith is not only knowing that God can, but it’s knowing that God will. Faith is demonstrated in this passage by Joseph. This was way back then it was majorly frowned upon to be pregnant before marriage, which is why Joseph wanted to end the engagement as soon as he found out about Mary’s pregnancy. But God had another plan. He sent one of His angels to Joseph in a dream; telling him that it would all be okay and that her baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph could’ve chosen not to have faith by just leaving Mary and not listening to God. But instead, he showed great faith because he chose to trust in the Lord and put his faith in God Almighty, even though his reputation would be placed on the line. He stuck by Mary’s side when no one else would because he knew God’s plan was so much better than his own. Now that’s great faith! Prayer: Father God, I pray that we would all have great faith just as Joseph’s did. Lord, help us not to just have faith with the little things but also to have faith during the life-changing moments too. I pray that when we find ourselves lacking faith that we would turn to You, our God. Thank You for this wonderful lesson and example You have given us through Joseph. In Your Holy name we pray, Amen.

Joe Fulp, Junior at Southeast High School.

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me [El Roi],’ for she said ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13 Wake up Struggle into reality, another day going to my mortality. Put a smile on my face out the front door! it's not a race. Go to school, get it done. first Class is gym, gotta run. Civics pulls me back in time, far enough to make me rhyme. I wish for nothing, but to sleep, in my warm bed. Now I will sit here and weep with that thought in my head. What comes to mind when you read the poem above? Hopelessness?

Weariness? Sadness?

This poem was written by an unknown local high school student. She (I think of the author as a she) is unknown to me, but she is not unknown to God. He saw her. He prompted a high school boy to do a rare thing for some high school boys—pick up a balled-up sheet of paper off the dirty school floor. He also read it. The boy who read the poem gave it to his mother, who, as the Lord would have it, is the Guilford County Coordinator for Moms in Prayer International (www.momsinprayer.org). The Coordinator read it to a group of mothers who pray for their children and their children’s schools. Now you can pray for her and the countless like her that she represents. We can pray that she sees the One who sees her. And we can do more than pray. We can share the hope that we have! This poet that God sees may be your babysitter, your next door neighbor, a student in your classroom, or the waitress at your favorite restaurant. We need to shine our light, to guide the next generation to that abundant life that is available to all! “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Romans 10:14-15 Father God, thank You for seeing this hurting child and allowing us to see her pain. Please bless her and the many like her. Please help them see El Roi, the One who sees them. Please guide us in our walk to share the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Thank You for this blessed hope and abundant life that is available through Jesus Christ our Lord! Sheila Lewis

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Have you ever just sat outside, looked around, and thought: WOW, I have a great big awesome God? It's amazing just to stop and look at creation and how it all fits together perfectly. Each part of creation, in some way, points to His awesomeness. So many times though, we can find ourselves being "to busy" to even notice the big things, much less the small. We get so used to everything that we take things for granted many times. We never give God all the praise, glory, or time that He deserves. When things are going great, sometimes we forget about God. It's like a best friend: when you don't talk with each other, sure they're still there, but your relationship isn't as strong as it could or should be. It's the same way with God. He is the perfect best friend! But, when we go day to day not talking to Him, our relationship never grows in Him. Remember: He's not your get out of jail free card. He died for you; so what's your excuse not to live fully for Him? Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You so much for all the big and little things You do in my life. Thank You that I can rely on You every moment of everyday. Help me grow more and more in You. Use me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Libbie Coley, Junior at Southeast High School

1 John3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The Lord loves you. The God of the Universe doesn’t just love you a little bit, but He lavishes His love on you. God pours His love on you, and because of this great love, you are His child. As a child of God, He promises throughout Scripture that He will provide. He does not provide for you out of obligation, but out of love. You are not an inconvenience to God. He cherishes you and He longs for you to trust Him. When Jesus was on earth He told His disciples that when He was gone they would do even greater things than He did because they would receive the Holy Spirit. That same promise is true for you if you are a child of God. Therefore, since God longs to pour out His love by providing for you and you have the power of the Holy Spirit you should ask God for big things. When I was in Nepal I met a mute woman in a leprosy colony. As I looked at her, God told me to pray for her. After a few minutes, she began to whisper. Then she began speaking. The people around were amazed because God had healed her. That day I saw the power of God because I asked. I asked for something that I had never seen. I asked because I knew the love God has for His creation and I knew that the Holy Spirit inside of me has the power to do more than I could imagine. That day, in the middle of Nepal and in the midst of outcasts, God showed His love by letting us see His power and encounter Him like we never had before. God longs to pour out His love on you by answering your prayers and providing for you, but if you only ask for things you can do on your own, you will never see this great power. I challenge you to rest in the promise of His love and His power today, and to ask Him to do things you cannot do on your own. Prayer: Daddy, thank You for the love that You pour out on us. Thank You for the power of Your Holy Spirit and Your promise to provide for us. Thank You that You long for us to know You and You long for us to see You. Open our eyes to see ways we can trust You and pray bold prayers today. Thank You that You are bigger than anything we face. Thank You that You have the power to provide for us financially, to heal broken relationships, to heal broken hearts, and to break the chains of addictions. You are good. Let us really believe that and let us rest in Your love. Amen.

Ashley Smith

Called to be on MISSION with God!

When I was asked to write a devotion, I thought this would be easy. NOT!! Although my journey to find peace in my daily life through Christ has been more than blessed, it took good friends and prayer to find the right words. I am a new Christian. I knew of the Lord but never knew the power of the Lord when you confess that you are a sinner, commit yourself to the Lord, are baptized, become a part of God’s family and live by His Word, coming to know His amazing love for us through faith in Christ. Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… I am a believer. I believe without finding our Savior, I would have nothing and be nothing. I would still be running from my troubles or running back to what got me there. Psalm 5:8: Lead me, O Lord in Your righteousness because of my enemies--make Your way straight before me. I found the Lord when I hit rock bottom. His power can pull us through even the darkest, loneliest road. He became my shield the day I put all my faith and troubles in His hands. The Lord has worked miracles beyond words in my life just by His power. Psalm 28:7: The Lord is my strength and my shield. In Him my heart trusts and I am helped. I believe the Lord placed me here in Pleasant Garden. Without my knowledge of His power, He guided me straight to His open arms and all of His shepherds and sheep that are here. Numbers 28:16-17: May the Lord God who gave breath to all living things appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without shepherds. I am 27 years old, a single mother of three kids, and without the community and leaders of Pleasant Garden Baptist Church and the power of Christ, the outcome of our lives would not be what it is today. To understand what was happening to me and my family when I started finding my way, I looked up the meaning of “pleasant,” “garden,” and “church.” This is what I found: pleasant – giving a sense of happiness garden- a piece of ground often used for growing flowers church – a building of Christian worship Pleasant Garden Baptist Church is a steady foundation of growing in my Christian life, and with the guidance of the Lord and all His helpers, I have found happiness when all hope was fading. Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Thank You, Lord for all You have done for me and my family. Darlene Harrelson

Relationship or Religion My whole life I have attended church. When I was a child, my mother would dress us up real pretty, then take us to church where we would sit on the front pew so she could watch us from the choir. Then, I started a family of my own. I would dress my child up, and take him to church where I also taught Sunday School. This all sounds and looks pretty good, but the truth is, I was attending church and doing good works— that’s where it stopped. I was going through the motions, sitting on the pew, shaking people’s hands, then going home and living my way until the next Sunday morning. I had head knowledge, but my heart was not changed. Over the years, and after several tragedies in my life, I began slipping more and more into a deep pit. What seemed to be yet another tragic ending was the most beautiful beginning. I cried out to the LORD JESUS and He heard me because HE was right there where HE had always been...waiting! He started revealing to me how I had been living, giving me scripture that sometimes I didn’t want to hear. He was reaching inside of me and turning me inside out. HE was compassionate, loving, gentle, honest, peaceful, and always there no matter what time of night or day I needed to talk. Through HIS grace and mercy I finally met the LORD JESUS CHRIST. I am now on a journey through daily devotions, scripture and listening and talking to the LORD as HE reveals His plan for my life. Thank You GOD for opening my eyes and letting me experience the abundant joy and Your plan for my life. Ephesians 2:13 NIV But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Galatians 5:4 You who are tried to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Terri Taylor

Are we leading young people to become true followers of Christ?

In society today most young people have a desire to want everything, now! Paul was a shepherd for Timothy—a young believer and servant, humbling himself to be used by God. In 1 Timothy 4:12, the Apostle Paul was giving instructions to Timothy to not be afraid of the call to serve, but a reminder of what his character should look like. Character is a reflection of your actions when you don’t know people are watching you. Paul simply tells Timothy to be an example in his speech, the way he acts, in how he loves, in his faith and purity. How often are young believers taught and reminded of their responsibility of being a witness of God’s goodness, grace, and mercy in their lives? All too often the world (society) creates an atmosphere of selfishness, greed, envy, jealousy, and desire to ‘have it now’; not a spirit of love, humility, and service. Young believers like Timothy must embrace a spirit of patience, love and endurance to stay the course of living out God’s purpose for their lives. Remaining faithful to the scriptures of living a godly life—following Christ; they will be persecuted, they will face obstacles and multiple challenges of life. However, we are taught to pray and trust God through those ‘tests’ and doing so is what strengthens our faith giving us a ‘testimony’. Holding true to scripture will shape their attitude and actions when life happens. God uses life’s challenges to prepare us to do His work. Paul commissioned Timothy to continue his work, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. How often do spiritual leaders in the spirit of encouragement, portray a relationship with Christ as a life of happiness? Though we know the fruits of the spirit as the character of Christ, often new believers seeking to be like Christ don’t fully embrace their role of studying God’s Word to understand His desire to have an intimate relationship with us. They don’t see what His love for us looks like and how it is demonstrated in our daily walk. God’s Word teaches us to die to ourselves, to pick up our cross to follow Him, and to allow Him to be number one in their lives. Paul’s letters in 1st and 2nd Timothy are perfect examples of how God can/will use young people with a true heart for serving Him, to lead, to love, and to be faithful to His written Word. It is natural for older people to question young believers’ ability to have a Christian walk. But contrary to belief, God is still in the business of using young people to do His work. References: 1 Timothy 4:12 and 2 Timothy 3:10-17

Ed Zimmerman

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (NKJV) I got saved in September of 1998 at the age of 19. I loved the Lord very much, and I watched Him do wonderful things in my life. I married my wife, Heather, in August 2001, and we began our lives together. We made it a point to attend church as a family, and tried to instill in our kids the importance of being involved and serving in a local church. Like most Christians, life became a routine, and we struggled with the everyday monotony of life. I still felt like a good Christian, and all seemed normal compared to other families. In 2012 we found ourselves in a position of searching for a new church. We visited Pleasant Garden Baptist Church on March 25, 2012. Pastor Michael preached about living water. On the drive home, my wife asked me what I thought about the church. I told her that I felt like Peter when he said to Jesus “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” – John 6:68. Pastor Michael spoke the truth every Sunday we visited, and I felt like my ears and eyes were opened in a new way! We connected to the Family Style Sunday School Class, and met Pastor Jeff. I began to examine my life, and saw that I had been investing everything I had into this world. I realized that I was building a castle made of sand instead of being aware of the eternal impact I could be having. I feel that in the last 2 years of my life I have seen the Holy Spirit move me in ways that I never thought were possible. Doors have been opened which have allowed me to connect with other believers, and share the gospel with the lost. I have witnessed spiritual growth both personally, as well as in my family. I have seen God’s word come to life, and we as a family diligently have tried to practice what the word says. My son is involved in the youth group, and my daughter is a part of the children’s program. I am so thankful to be able to watch my kids grow and learn at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church. My wife and I have been very impressed with the commitment of the leadership at PGBC. There is a definite focus on reaching young people, and planting seeds that will grow and hopefully bear fruit. I am thankful that God is still working in and through us to complete His work, until the day of Jesus Christ! (Phil 1:6) Mike Griffin

Has anyone ever said, "just pray,” when you had a desperate need? Sometimes, that is easier said than done. Three years ago I had an opportunity to go on a mission trip to Honduras. Since I had been on a couple of mission trips I didn’t really think to pray about it, I just went. A friend of mine was also interested in missions, so she decided to go too. God really worked in my life on that trip, and gave me a love for the people. After we returned, we both had a burning desire to go back. There was a deep pain that accompanied this longing to return to Honduras. We got together a couple of times to pray. We asked God for an opportunity to go back. Three months later we were on a plane headed back. But when we returned home, the pain was worse than before. Somewhere deep inside, I felt like God was saying, “I don’t want you here.” I tried to remind myself that I hadn’t graduated from college yet, and surely God would want me to finish. I would make up all kinds of excuses of how I must be wrong, and the pain would ease for a short time, but it always returned. Over the next three years we realized God was doing something greater than we imagined. Most people we talked with didn’t understand. But those who did just encouraged us to continue praying. During this time we were able to make two trips a year to Honduras, all the while God was stirring our hearts for what He was calling us to do. Because we felt such a desperate call we would meet at least once a week and pray. We felt like for three years our prayers weren’t making much of a difference, but then things started changing. We didn’t really know how we were going to do it but we began to make a plan. I was graduating in 2013, so the timing seemed right. We made plans for everything and then we prayed for courage to present our plan to the board of Mercy and Grace Ministries. Mercy and Grace was very supportive and finally after 3 years of praying, we could see the plan that God gave us coming together. This past summer we spent 3 months in Honduras; teaching English in the schools, doing women’s Bible studies, implementing a feeding program, and ministering to the people of Honduras. God taught me many lessons through that journey of prayer. He grew my faith and showed me that He doesn’t work on my time table. His timing is perfect. Three years felt like a long time to pray, but now I know He was growing me, molding me and equipping me for His work. I learned even though it is difficult, when we pray, we need to wait patiently for His timing. Psalm 37:7 - Be still in the presence of the Lord, wait patiently for Him to act. Kaytie Marshall

Jesus is my

Each one of us has a story. I want to tell you slogans that help me each day with different trials in my life, that make up my story. Let Go & Let God Why me? Why NOT me? One Day at a Time Serenity Prayer—God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. I Can’t, But God CAN, so Let Him Satan can’t take away my joy, strength, hope These help me to get through when I can’t get to my Bible or call on a friend to pray, or stop everything I’m doing and pray myself. I remember one of these, and just repeat it until God gives me a peace that I know only comes from God! For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25

Renee Fields

As I think back through my life I can certainly see dark moments that litter the past. Times of struggle, difficulty, and pain seem to easily come to mind if I dwell in the dark for a moment. Some people see me as a constant optimist, but in reality I have seen such bright moments around me that the dark moments quickly fade. God is taking each of us on a journey. I tell our students all the time that, “you wouldn’t be who you are if you were not there when it happened.” It sounds cliché I know, but God is constantly shaping and refining us for who He needs us to be. In my own journey my father was not what a father was supposed to be and my family was often a mess. Although it took me a while to realize, it affected the way I viewed God and the church. In my mind if God was like MY father, and the church like MY family, then I wanted little to do with either. At the age of nine I came to Christ and my outlook on God and the church began to change, but I still could not grasp what it meant to have a heavenly Father or a church family. As a young boy my family joined a local church and we were welcomed with open arms. The people there began to love us and pour into our lives. When I entered into my teen years the student ministry became a beacon for my calling and direction in life. The Lord used youth ministry and the people that served His church to influence my life to call me to the ministry. Through the lives of other church members I began to see the “family” of God. In 2008, my wife and I welcomed our son, Aiden, into this world. I had been told time and time again that this event would change my life. Little did I know how much this single event would reshape my heart forever. As I watched my son grow, God enabled me to see and understand for the first time what it truly meant to have a Father in heaven. When my son, and one day when my daughter, says “daddy” I am immediately drawn to the understanding of God as my Father. From a broken home filled with broken people, God rescued and redeemed me to see Him as Father and the church as my family. Through Christ I can now declare, Romans 8:15 “ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

Sean Maxwell

How deep the Father’s love for us

Psalm 139:17-18 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

From the moment I was asked to write a devotion my mind was flooded with thoughts, thoughts of all the great memories here at Pleasant Garden. Having been born and raised here gives perspective of where we are as a church today and where we have come from. Thoughts from my early years include flannel graph Bible stories, pinecone bird feeders and water color paintings that seemed would Never dry. I can’t help but smile as I think of helping to build the “Singing Christmas Tree”, packing white paper bags with goodies for Christmas, ringing the bell on Sunday mornings, camp outs at Hagan Stone Park and mission projects with RA’s. What great memories! I am quickly reminded that all these memories have one thing in common. “People” People that have invested time, energy and resources into my life. People that were mindful that we were the future church and strived to impact us with the love of God and the truth of His Word. These people were a living example of what the Church and its function looked like. Even though I wasn’t immediately aware of the work that was being invested, and probably ungrateful at best, many of you here continued to persevere in being the Lord’s hands and feet to my generation. It’s funny how your perspective changes as you get older. I now understand that it was out of the overflow of the heart, the love of our Savior, that you gave and loved me. When I wasn’t mindful of your work, God was! What I am trying to say is now I understand and Thank You! My life was forever impacted by you and your obedience to the Lord. As we look at today and to our future here at Pleasant Garden I find great comfort in how often we are on the mind of God. God’s perspective is never blurred by time, age or maturity. He is a perfect and all-knowing God! How can we not be overwhelmed by the fact the creator of all things is mindful of us! David proclaimed that God’s thoughts of you and I are more than the sand. As I played on the beach one afternoon with my family the meaning of this truth came to life. His thoughts of us are infinite! From eternity past to eternity future we have always and forever will be on His mind. What great comfort there is in knowing the one true God loves and thinks of us. As God continues to reveal the future of Pleasant Garden Baptist Church I feel honored to serve alongside of you as we grow together in our love for Him and invest in His children.

Pastor Roger

Psalm 121:1 –Psalm 121:8 (New American Standard Bible) Jehovah, The Faithful Keeper, I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. It was a good day, one that started with less energy but with more excitement because our 22 month old grandson was spending the day with us. He always brings that excitable energy in my life and the desire to spend that time in fun and laughter. After an early morning routine of playing in the floor, reading books, and a morning nap, we packed up to make our way to a children’s bounce place. He and I both love the bounce and slide inflatables and we made the most of our 90 minutes there. Oh, the joy of carrying him up the slides and hearing his laughter as we flew down the slide! Playtime was over way too soon. It was lunchtime for all of us, then off to run some errands and then get our grandson home for his afternoon nap. After a quick lunch, we made our way to a “big box” store close by. Seeking to keep him from the cold, I hurriedly carried him from the car to the store only to find I was having difficulty catching my breath. Once inside I found myself handing him over to my wife and telling her I needed to sit down. “Should I call 911?” she asked. “No, I just need to catch my breath. Go ahead and get the things we need and I will sit here.” Hesitantly she did and I rested. She returned a short while later and I was feeling a little better and finished up gathering a few more items. We checked out and headed out the door. Fifteen yards out the door, the shortness of breath returned and a pressure to my chest began. “I am calling 911 now” my wife stated. “Do not call 911. I will be okay,” I responded, “I just need to stop for a minute.” “I am going to call 911” she said again. “Let’s just get the items in the car and you can drive me to the hospital and drop me off to get checked out,” was my reply. As she watched my actions, and more importantly my facial expressions she called 911 without saying another word. In less than 3 minutes an ambulance was in front of me and I walked in. In a matter of moments, questions were asked, an EKG was hooked up and the words “we are going to the hospital, you are having a heart attack” was stated to me. It was on that ride that the pain of chest pressure began and I knew this was serious. It was a quick ride filled with lots of prayer, mostly for my family and an ensuing peace that encompassed me. While the peace was present, it did not take away the intensity of the pressure on my chest. Arriving at the hospital there was a quick exodus from the ambulance, a brisk walk through a hallway that was being cleared by hospital staff and an entrance into a room filled with a surgery team waiting on me. Before I knew it, all clothing was off and a procedure began with continuous information to me and about me.

“100 percent occlusion to number 1” was some of that conversation that I heard that captured my attention. Having been in and around hospitals and with families for the last 30 years, I knew what that meant. The main artery (widow maker) was totally blocked. Yet the peace continued even though the chest pressure grew stronger. Prayers for God to be glorified, spiritual healing for a family member and favor for the doctors somehow came from my lips as though someone else was praying them. And, “help me Jesus” was uttered quite frequently. My wife would tell her own story of not knowing of my having a heart attack, thinking I was going to the hospital just to be checked out. She would tell of the phone calls to family and to our pastor and later hear news that I was having a heart attack and the doctors are doing everything they can. A call goes out to a caring church family and their prayers join those of the family and me. The family and our pastor were able to arrive quickly and were there when the doctor came out. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor confirmed, “Your husband had a heart attack caused by 100% blockage in the main artery that feeds the heart. Timing was everything. If you had been delayed by 10 minutes, our outcome would have been different. We opened the blockage and put in a stent and we see no damage to the heart.” Other medical information was shared, questions were asked, and details were given. One bit of information that was continually stressed that day and on a follow-up visit to the doctors one week later, “timing was everything; you were in the right place and in the right time; you made the right call.” Trust, peace and hope have been running themes in our life for some time now. The promise of trust, peace and hope that flows from God the Father as He showed His faithfulness of “keepinxg” me and my family in His care on that day. Listening to the information from a medical team with incredible gifts and abilities reminded me that God holds all things in his hand. That day He had me at the right place, at the right time with the right people and a loving wife who knew not to listen to anything I said. For that day “timing was everything” and God keeps all of time in His hand. He is the God of Trust, the God of Peace and the God of Hope. I pray you experience His Peace and Hope today as you place complete trust in Him.

Marty Tobin

hope

May the God of fill you with all

joy & peace

as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with

hope

by the power of the

Holy Spirit

Romans 15:13

“I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door, which no one can shut, because you have little strength, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:8 Have you ever told God “No”? Have you ever told God, “I cannot do that”? I have. There was an announcement in our church newsletter wanting team members for a mission trip to Jamaica to work with Teen Challenge. Every time I thought of it my heart raced. It consumed my thoughts and I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me to go. I prayed continuously about it. I told the Lord there were issues….. Lack of money, lack of time, I couldn’t miss church or Sunday school; I could not leave my family for a week, my father was sick. All credible excuses in my mind, but the Holy Spirit had a different plan for me; my name was added to the list. It turned out that three of our pastors were going on this trip. I thought, “Wow, this will really be special.” In our first preparation meeting for the trip, two of the pastors were talking about who would preach; I jokingly said “I will” never giving thought that I really would present a message. The next three nights I couldn’t sleep; all I could think was “What are you going to speak on?” I sat up in bed on the third night at 3:00 am and said, “Okay Lord You have my attention but, what am I going to speak on?” The next day I shared my heart with a very good friend and Christian brother. He turned his Bible to I Corinthians 2:1-5….. “And I brethren, when I came to you, I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” There it was, black and white, straight from the Bible, God’s truth. But still I doubted myself. I cried out to God, “Lord, I am going with three ministers, why do you want me to do this?” I prayed until I had no more words...“Lord, I know so little, but I surrender.” Human wisdom tells us to get as much as we can, believe only what we can see, enjoy pleasure, and avoid pain. God’s wisdom tells us to give all, believe what we can’t see, enjoy service, and expect persecution. Trust makes all the difference. On that trip I led Kerwayne and Christopher to Christ. Do you know what an honor to God it is to be His witness and example? God is good! Danny Woody