For the past eight years, Bob and his wife, Sue, along with their children, have been serving families In the Raleigh area who have been touched by autism.  For all of those years, they have given hours upon hours of their time to share their passion for horses (and countless resources) with children on the Spectrum and their families. The Beltons do it with a smile on their faces and the unashamed declaration that it's all for the glory of God. 

It's my pleasure to share a bit with you about how their ministry was formed and how it has evolved over the years.  Bob and Sue have owned horses for many years and have been involved for a while with riding lessons and other related activities.  Back in 2001, they were approached by a family who was interested in lessons for their child, a child who just happens to have autism.  The family had actually been rejected by several other riding instructors because they didn't understand how or "weren't equipped" to deal with autistic children.  The Beltons' response was quite different.  When approached with this opportunity, they embraced both the chance to work with an exceptional child and the family who had brought this child to their attention.  The connection that many children with autism have with animals in general and with horses specifically is fairly well known, but the Beltons witnessed it first hand. The experience proved so powerful for this autistic child that Bob and Sue decided to develop a volunteer program and open up their stables for 2 hours one Saturday each month for any families touched by autism to come and enjoy free rides.  The offer is open to the entire family, including autistic children and their neurotypical siblings.  The Beltons' organization is called G.R.A.C.E. (Greater Raleigh Autistic Children's Enrichment).  Click here to check out their website.

I can tell you from personal experience that this program has been a tremendous blessing to our family.  All three of our kids really enjoy the riding and the interaction with the great folks who work there.  In all, the program has touched some 500 families in the area.  The Beltons don't stop with just the two hour program, though.  They have also been heavily involved in training children for competition in equestrian events for the Special Olympics over the past several years.  And let me be clear: If you're imagining a group of people who drag their feet in and give an effort equivalent to working for free, you've got the wrong idea.  These folks are a passionate, dedicated group who always give their very best.  There are many teenage volunteers who now work with the program, and I can tell you first hand that Bob keeps an eye on them to make sure they are maintaining the proper standards for safety and that their attitudes reflect the passion of the ministry.

One of the best things about Bob and his family though, is their love for the children and their desire to try to help them and "draw them out of their shells."  Bob treats each and every child as though they were his own and knows just how to handle them.  It's truly an amazing thing to watch.  He frequently quotes scripture as he talks with the parents, often quoting Christ himself as He dealt with children.  "Let the little children come to me" and "anyone who causes one of these little ones to stumble.." are certainly two of his favorites.

Something very special happened this past weekend that inspired me to finish up this post a little more quickly.  It had been a long time since we'd seen Bob.  We hadn't been able to come in several months and he'd been away overseas in Iraq.  For the better part of the past couple of years, Bob had been doing some contract work so that his family could afford to pay the mortgage on the farm.  I was surprised and excited to see him when we came in, but the best surprise of all came when he greeted my oldest daughter Riley (our first rider).  He excitedly called her by name and asked her all about what she'd been up to lately.  He knew that we had been coming out to ride the horses for the better part of 4 or 5 years.  The evidence on his face was enough to know how much he loved the kids and enjoyed seeing them.  Later, as Bob considered Riley's age, he said that she would be a great candidate for the Special Olympics program next year.  I agreed, and before I knew it, Bob was off taking Riley around the arena, teaching her the calls and movements necessary for her to get the horse to start and stop walking.  He was making such a big deal about what she was doing and how well she was doing, and he told her that she was a "cowgirl" now. 

Shaun and his sweet wife Danae are two of the most wonderful and inspirational people I have known in some time. Their commitment to the Lord is both unquestionable and unwavering.  Shaun's commitment is seen in so many ways, but I think what impresses me the most is how he interacts with children and his passion to work with and serve the youth. Shaun is a kid magnet. He just has a personality that children love. They feel immediately comfortable and at ease around him, knowing instinctively that he genuinely loves them very much. I asked him if there was something or someone in particular that had inspired or led him down the path to work with youth. Growing up in a small church in Illinois, the youth group pretty much all lived at his house. He was never able to enjoy the benefits of being part of an active youth group. One of his favorite times of each year was going to church camp which gave him some of the Christian fellowship he longed for to help him through each year. Once off to college, he had several great opportunities to be part of some very strong campus ministry groups—groups that helped encourage him to make his walk with Christ his own. And what Shaun hopes to bring to youth in the church today is a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves and a realization that being a Christian is not one aspect of their lives but instead that it is their life. Making it real for this young generation of Christians is what Shaun strives to do.

I applaud and respect that so much. It would be easy for Shaun to do nothing since he wasn’t given many of these opportunities growing up. That’s what most people in his situation would do. The thing is, though, that true servants of Christ are not most people. They are ordinary people who serve an extraordinary God and desire to show His love and mercy with all they come in contact with.

Shaun attributes much of his inspiration to his Grandma and Grandpa “Pat” (short for Patrick). He speaks with great honor, love, and respect for both of them as spiritual warriors who have been committed to the cause of Christ for many, many years. Grandpa Pat went to be with the Lord some 17 years ago in 1992. Shaun was one of the last people to get to speak with and spend time with him. He was with him for breakfast on that day and later in the morning his Grandfather had died at work of a heart attack. It’s a vivid memory that is still difficult for him to discuss, but the good news is that Grandpa Pat lived each day to the fullest for the Lord and is now enjoying an eternity with Him. Shaun never understood the extent to which his Grandfather exemplified his faith in his life, but he continues to hear of the wonderful things he had done over the years in the name of Christ. Grandma Pat is retired but continues to serve in all the ways she can. She sends cards of encouragement to many people every week including her children and grandchildren who live out of state, continuing to work towards leaving a wonderful spiritual legacy for them. Shaun, I know that your Grandpa Pat would be proud of you today. He left a wonderful legacy for you and I can see that his servant heart continues in you to this day.

Shaun shared with me several scriptures that have been especially inspiring to him over the years:

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 

Eph 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ps 143:8 "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

Rom 12:1-5 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.  Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Thank you Shaun for the inspiration and example that you are to me and so many others.  I know that God will continue to bless you and use you in powerful ways as you serve in the Kingdom.

I was at the gym a couple weeks back really getting into it on the stationary spinning bike while jamming along to my tunes when I noticed a magazine lying in the floor a few feet in front of me. This was certainly not an unusual situation, but it was the title of the magazine that caught my interest. It was called “SELF” (all of the letters were capitalized).  I’ll be honest with you in that I don’t know anything about the magazine or the lady who was reading a different issue of the same titled magazine at the time, but the title struck a chord in me. I don’t know why, but occasionally I’m a little shocked with the unashamed approach we as people have to worshipping and serving ourselves.  Have you ever seen someone wearing one of those tee-shirts that says "It's All About Me"?

We all struggle with feeling and acting like this to some degree, but most of us would stop short of proudly declaring our self-absorption.  At the times when I see these things, I do my best to stop short of judging anyone but to instead take a step back and consider my own attitude and motivations.  They may be wearing the shirt, but what's in my heart?  It almost always turns out to be a blessing because it helps me to pause, take a breath, and honestly evaluate how I’m doing in the selfishness department.

Consider these words from Colossians chapter 3:1-17 (New Century Version):

Since you were raised from the dead with Christ, aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth. Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. Christ is your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.

So put all evil things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil, letting evil thoughts control you, wanting things that are evil, and greed.  This is really serving a false god.  These things make God angry. In your past, evil life you also did these things.

But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk.  Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God. In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or people who are foreigners, or Scythians. There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is in all believers, and Christ is all that is important. 

God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.  Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

I don't know about you , but that's a daily reminder and challenge that I need.  As much as I'd like it to be all about me from time to time, the reality is that it's all about Him.  Whether I want to acknowledge it or not, we were created by God for the purpose of serving Him and Him alone.  Life tends to work a lot better when we just live out His design.  As believers, we have each shared with Christ in His death by dying to ourselves and have been raised to new life through His resurrection.  Praise God!  We no longer have to be slaves of sin and self.  To close out, I'll leave you with the song "So Long Self" from MercyMe. It's a clever song that hits straight to the point and often helps me to remember how I need to be.

In considering what to say about these two, I asked Jerry and Charlotte to recount some of their favorite stories about them. It didn’t take long to realize that this simple blog entry could easily become a book without too much effort. These two are servants in the purest sense of the word. We all know good hearted people who desire to help others in times of need, but every once in a while we are blessed to know others who don’t have to ask how they can help; instead, they instinctively know what to do and just do it. They do it quietly, without calling attention to themselves, and they even do it anonymously when possible. They do things this way because they realize that it’s not about them. They’re happy to do what needs to be done and give all the glory to God. That’s what Uncle Mac and Aunt Agnes are like. They exemplify the words of Titus 2:14, when Paul, speaking of Christ and his disciples, writes that “He gave himself for us so he might pay the price to free us from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to him—people who are always wanting to do good deeds.” (New Century Version) That is Uncle Mac and Aunt Agnes. Knowing where they’ve come from, knowing who they are, and in thanksgiving, having hearts that always desire to do good works.

Uncle Mac is 82 years young (believe me when I say young) and began his walk with Christ 50 years ago in 1959 on the island of Guam where he was stationed for 4 years while in the Navy. While many of his fellow servicemen struggled on this tiny island with alcoholism and marital infidelity, he began his Christian walk with the same heart for service that he still possesses today. While part of a church there on the island, he took on a responsibility to meet and encourage fellow believers as they came to the island to try to influence them to be part of the church and grow in their faith while serving there instead of falling into the same pitfalls of many others. Most of the enlisted men wanted out of there as fast as possible, but to Uncle Mac it was a blessing because he was able to stay on land and didn't have to go out to sea apart from his family. Most people thought him crazy because he ended up extending his tour there two times before their next move.

Jerry and Charlotte moved to Charleston as a young married couple with no children at the time and very little money. Mac and Agnes immediately took them under their wings and did all they could to help and teach them about life and Christian service. In the first year they knew each other, Uncle Mac helped them when they needed to purchase a car. He worked with them and helped them to find a reliable car that they could afford. On numerous other occasions, he helped them with cash or food or whatever as the need existed. Once when pregnant with their second child Tommy, they were having problems with their air conditioner at the house. The summer was very hot and on one Friday afternoon when he came over to have coffee with Charlotte, he put down a $50 bill on the table as he left and said “Tell Jerry to get the air conditioner fixed”. On another occasion, when Jerry was out of town and with 3 small children in the house, Charlotte was awoken at night with a frightened feeling. She looked out the window and noticed a strange man walking up and down the street. She had already received troubling phone calls several times before when he had been out of town so she didn’t hesitate to phone Mac and Agnes at midnight with her concern. Without hesitation, they immediately drove over to their house to spend the night with them. The children awoke the next day delighted to find their surprise nighttime visitors. Of their friendship, Agnes says “We’re 2 AM friends”. That’s special friendship you don’t encounter every day. Convinced that God has more for them to do, Charlotte has faithfully prayed through the years that God would continue to give them time on this earth and strength to continue to do His work.

Agnes spent countless years teaching the 3 and 4 year olds at church. Talk about a labor of love. It takes special people to be able to teach that age group. Having people who do it well and have a passion to do it is such a blessing. She taught it for so many years that she taught all of the Killen children and then later taught Elysa how to teach. Elysa attributes much of her desire and skill for teach to Aunt Agnes. You never know what impact you may have on influencing the next generation by taking the time and devoting the energy to doing these kinds of things. Elysa has grown into an amazing teacher that God has used to bless many others (but more on her in a future post :-)) as well.

Since retirement from work many years ago, neither of them has slowed down much. Uncle Mac continues to play 18 holes of speed golf every Tuesday and Thursday morning, several years after he had to be outfitted with a pacemaker to keep his heart going. For the first few years he had great difficulty because the pacemaker could not keep up with his active lifestyle. It was only a couple of years ago that the technology enabled him to have one that can keep pace with him. A slow round of 18 has him finishing in about an hour and 45 minutes. Yes, you did read that correctly. I tried running the course with him a few years ago. Although he’s nearly 50 years my senior, he ran circles around me.

Both of them continue to serve in quiet yet consistent ways. Uncle Mac continues to coordinate the worship activities at church every week and the two of them prepare the communion for church together each week. They both do many things to take care of some of the "older people" in their church and neighborhood. Uncle Mac mows lawns and they work together to watch over some of these folks, take them to doctor appointments, visit people in the hospital, provide others with fresh produce from their garden, and really do whatever is necessary to help out and serve as they are needed. They have always struck me as two people who would do everything they could to help someone they know who is truly in need. It's so encouraging seeing this Christian living—acting on the belief that they share to bless the lives of others in so many ways. They both have a wonderful sense of humor and serve with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts. One of the scriptures that has been most meaningful to them over the years is Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Concerning the importance of this verse in their lives, Aunt Agnes smiled and said, "You need a lot of strength being married to a sailor."

Thank you both for your example, service, and willingness to be used by God to do His work.

While out golfing one afternoon, Charlie noticed that he had lost all feeling in his right leg below the knee. A doctor visit and some scans revealed that he had blockage in one of his arteries and would need a bypass. While these operations are complicated, they also tend to be fairly routine these days. Not so for Charlie. During the operation, he suffered a serious spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. The root cause of the problem was never officially determined, despite a considerable amount of finger pointing among physicians involved with his case. Charlie was rushed to intensive care, where he spent the next month. In the long run, he would spend a total of 7 months in the hospital. In addition to various other complications, Charlie experienced terrible infections that required skin grafts. He also became an insulin-dependent diabetic. Talk about your world crashing in upon you. I can hardly imagine how difficult this experience was and continues to be for him.

That said, Charlie hasn't changed. His body is challenged, but his spirit and zest for life are still alive and well. What a blessing it was for me to get to spend some time with him! Charlie has so much to teach about what truly matters in life. First, he shared stories with me about the family pictures displayed on his office walls, commenting that our families give us such great memories to share with others. Without our families, it would be so much harder to deal with the difficult times in life. Right then I knew that I wanted to capture his portrait in the midst of some of his special family keepsakes.

As we continued to talk, I discovered that whatever was taken from Charlie physically in no way altered his mind or his sense of humor. His recollection not only of his memories but also of specific times and dates was amazing. "When did you retire?" I asked. "August 11th, 1995 at 11 o'clock. It took me two hours to get used to it," he said, with the special grin that is uniquely Charlie's.

Next month he and Anna will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary together. He fondly remembered their wedding date , "April 30, 1959, at 7:30 in the evening," no less.:) Over and over during our discussion, Charlie praised Anna's faithfulness and strength as she has continued to stand with him through these difficult times. Every day during his time in the hospital, she was there late into the night and was at times forced to make tough decisions on his behalf, decisions he was unaware of until years later. "I couldn't have done it without her," he said. He thinks it's unfortunate that most people don't enter into marriage these days with that level of commitment and seem only in it while it's convenient. I agree. It's in the tough times that the bond is tested and made even more beautiful.

Charlie shared with me about several people who are inspirational to him, including I.M. Caldwell and Jack Harris, both of whom spent a great deal of time by his side while facing his struggles in the hospital. In fact, he said, "I.M. will beat you to the hospital and Jack will be right behind him." In 2006, Charlie was rushed to the emergency room. Fortunately, things didn't turn out to be serious, but I.M. was driving right behind the ambulance and insisted on going in to the exam room to be with his friend. Charlie chuckled as he recalled seeing I.M. (and later Jack) dressed in their hospital issued anti-germ suits, looking like creatures from another planet . Talk about great friends and brothers in Christ. "Only your church family would do that for you," he commented. During his extended stay in the hospital, Freeda Henne organized a group of ladies to make sure that Anna had meals each and every day. Freeda would make frequent trips over to their house to put meals in the freezer while Anna spent long days with Charlie. No doubt Charlie loves his church family at North Raleigh. He enjoys worship each week and any opportunity to spend time with his Christian family.

Long time friend and brother Bill Warren told him, "The Lord is not finished with you yet." Amen. I am so inspired by Charlie's presence and attitude. I truly love and appreciate this brother. God continues to use His servant. I am so touched and encouraged during worship when the time comes for a reading or a prayer and I hear the sounds of Charlie's motorized wheelchair approaching the front of the auditorium. In the midst of plenty of teary-eyed brothers and sisters, Charlie leads the congregation. We are all blessed for it. His favorite scripture has always been Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Little did he know the depth to which these words would ring true in his life, but his faithfulness and the truth of the scripture continue to make these words relevant to all who are blessed to know this servant of Christ.

Finally, I'd like to share a song that often makes me think of Charlie.  The song is entitled "Bring the Rain" and performed by the group MercyMe.

I'll start things off with a tribute to my mom. Many of you know that we laid her to rest earlier this year after her long battle with Parkinson's disease ended on October 9, 2008. My brother Brian and I each had the privilege of offering a eulogy for her during her funeral. I'd like to share an excerpt from the words I tearfully spoke that morning.

I confess that I'm not much of a storyteller. I've always admired those who were good at recounting memories through specific stories, but for some reason my brain doesn't seem to be wired that way. I can't even properly retell a joke two minutes after I hear it, let alone tell stories from years ago. It is interesting to think back and identify the moments in life that will forever remain etched in my memory. Mom loved music, especially hymns and other praise music. Several years ago, we all met in Akron, OH for a visit with family. At the time, I hadn't yet heard the MercyMe song "I Can Only Imagine." Brian and Michelle had just introduced her to the song. I remember how excited she was as she asked me if I'd heard it. She encouraged Brian to play it for us and commented that she wanted that song played at her funeral when she died. It's a conversation I will never forget.

More than anything else, she always wanted to make sure that we felt loved. She did a great job not just telling us, but showing us as well. Each time I came home from college (or in more recent days for a visit), she'd get so excited and ask what special meals or desserts she could prepare. My reply was always something like, "Oh, you know what I like, Mom." While I'm certain she would've liked a more specific answer, she did always know just what to prepare to make the visit extra special. If I close my eyes, I can still remember the way her delicious fried chicken smelled as I walked into the house. Yeah Mom, you knew just what I liked. As her health continued to fail, she seemed more upset about no longer being able to serve us than she was about the pain the illness brought to her body.

I loved the times we were all together. I always loved to make her smile and laugh. Like a good Mom, she took delight in all the things I said whether they were funny or not. Most of the time my jokes probably weren't really all that funny, but she never let me know that.

Mom taught us many things by example. She was always willing to serve others and always took great care of her family. I can't tell you how many trips she made to Akron to visit and care first for my grandmother, then for my grandfather, and later for my aunt as each one battled illnesses and passed into Glory. There's nothing she was unwilling to do when needed. Even so, perhaps the greatest lesson she ever taught came in the way she handled her life these last few years. In the face of horrible circumstances, she held onto Jesus with everything she had. As everything else was stripped away, she never let go of her faith. If anything, her faith strengthened in the last years of her life. It was my privilege to sit with her in her final days as she listened to some music we had brought for her. I had made her a CD full of praise and worship music for her birthday, and most of the songs were new to her. The entire time the music played, Mom hummed along, enjoying it as though she had known the songs for years. It looked as though her spirit longed to break free of that diseased body. Libby Bucy, a family friend and sister in Christ, recently remarked that Mom's body "didn't deserve her." I agree completely, Libby. That weary, diseased body didn't deserve her, and now Mom is in Glory praising God, no longer bound by physical limitations.

I'll leave you with this: Last night, my youngest daughter, Zoe, said in her night time prayer, "God, help Oma to have fun in heaven, and help her to have a great time at her party."

The title for this entry comes from a song written and recently released by Chris Tomlin. It's a wonderful song that was written as a modern day "It is Well With My Soul", meant to minister to believers dealing with physical affliction that is so hard to understand on this side of Eternity. Few songs speak so clearly and eloquently the thoughts of my heart as I write. If you have a few moments, I encourage you to watch the video here so you can hear the song and be blessed by it. 

Finally, I put together a slideshow that was used during the calling hours and prior to the funeral that was a photographic tribute to Mom. The songs used in this video are both from the group MercyMe. The first one has been especially meaningful to me over the past several months as I have considered her struggle, and the second is the song she specifically wanted for her funeral. 

I never got a chance to do a portrait of her specifically for this project, but the one I included was taken about two and a half years ago and is one of my favorites. The photograph demonstrates her beautiful spirit and loving heart. Among her favorite scriptures was Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." In recent days (for obvious reasons), she found comfort in the story of Job as well, asking her best friend Sheri to read to her from that book.

She's not here to ask, but I know that among others, Mom would identify Sheri as one of the people that had the most impact on her life and service. Although the two were different in many ways, they were best friends for the past 30 years or so. Sheri is such a special person and a wonderful servant of Christ. Sheri's life exemplifies sacrificial service through true friendship. I'm already thinking about the composition of her portrait, which I would like to photograph the next time we are able to visit with her in West Virginia.

Thank you for your example, Mom. We love and miss you.

Love in Christ,

Kevin

Some stories are just too good not to tell. Elysa and I are blessed to have been members of the North Raleigh Church of Christ for more than 11 years. During those years, we've seen God work in amazing ways in so many situations, but in none more amazing than in the lives of Richard and Martha Moore. Their lives crossed for the first time over 50 years ago in Nashville, TN. Richard was just a boy when he learned (with much disappointment) that the field he habitually ran through on his journeys to and fro had been purchased. His path would soon be blocked by the construction of a house that would add precious time to his travels. Little did he know, one day the daughter of the man responsible for this act would become his bride of 42 years, a wonderful lady who would literally give part of herself to save his life.

About 10 years ago, Richard found out that kidney disease had affected both of his kidneys, and that this condition would eventually lead to complete kidney failure. He was blessed to continue to be fairly healthy over the next several years, and then this past year, things started to deteriorate. It never got to the point where Richard needed dialysis, but they were certainly on the lookout for a potential donor. Martha has a universal blood type and had asked the doctors time and again to check her as a potential match, but the doctors refused due to the virtual impossibility of finding success. As time passed and no suitable donor was found, Martha grew more persistent. Finally, Richard’s doctors agreed to have her tested. The odds were stacked against them, but what would it hurt to at least check?

There were several tests that had to be run. God’s fantastically enigmatic flair for planning the impossible became immediately obvious. Richard and Martha were a perfect match in nearly every category. In fact, if they had possessed just one additional matching factor, the doctors would've been asking other questions :-). Without hesitation, Martha agreed to give one of her kidneys to her husband. Now, several months after the procedure, all is going wonderfully for both of them, though the time just following was certainly quite difficult.

Due to the nature of the procedure, Richard’s doctors essentially had to destroy his immune system. Richard was unable to be around others for many weeks, and for two months, Martha was not even permitted to touch him for fear that Richard would contract an illness in his weakened state. It was a tremendously tough time for two that are so close (Richard especially enjoyed the photo session as I encouraged them to move closer and closer to each other.:)). In the time that I’ve known them, it has been obvious to me that Richard and Martha share a deep love for one another, and that's what I most wanted to convey in their portrait. They are both very delightful people who always have a smile on their faces and an encouraging word to share. They handled the difficult post-surgery transition with grace, and now they’re praising God together for the victory.

The following scripture is one of several that Richard shared with me. He and Martha use this passage to sustain them daily, and they find it inspiring because it indicates that God is our protector and exemplifies His trust, faith, and love.

"The Lord watches over you--the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121: 5-8.

Thank you both for sharing your story and being such an inspiration. What a wonderful example of trust and faith!

Because He Lives,

KH

When I think about Freeda's heart, I am reminded of Christ washing his disciple's feet in John 13, and that is what I wanted to convey in her portrait.  

When I asked Freeda about some scripture, sayings, or people who have been influential in her life, she said that her personal philosophy could be summed up in a quote by John Wesley.  "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."  She'll tell you that this is a challenge she does not always achieve, but I'll tell you that the quote very accurately describes her attitude. 

One of her favorite scriptures comes from Psalm 8:4, "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"  In her words, "Because He is mindful of me, He does care for me and He blesses me over and over again.  My response has to be to do what I can, when I can, where I can, for as long as I can. My prayer is that He will make me a blessing to someone else."  He is answering your prayer in powerful ways, Freeda!

She says of people who inspire her, "A list of people who encourage me and inspire me would go on and on.  That list would have to include Ken.  Even though he may sometimes think I've stepped off into deep water, he doesn't tell me not to do something I feel is important.  Those times when I have gotten in over my head, he's been there with a helping hand."  It inspires me to hear Freeda describe her husband in this way.  To me, this reflects a great marriage relationship full of mutual respect, support, and encouragement.  As men, it may not seem that many of us have the day to day opportunities to serve to the extent that we would like due to job responsibilities and the like.  I'm reminded here, though, that we are one in marriage and we do have the opportunity to support, enable, and encourage our wives in this during the times that we are committed to providing for our families.

In addition to countless other people who have encouraged and inspired her over the years, Freeda mentioned my wonderful wife Elysa and Ms. Verna Jacoby, commenting that "She (Verna) is such a fascinating, fun woman with a pure love for God."  Watch out Ms. Verna, I'll be coming to see you soon :-).

I hope this has helped to encourage you in your walk with Christ.

In Christ,

Kevin