Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The Lord has asked me to sacrifice all my wants and desires in the name of love.

In this I know I am not alone. Many of my friends have done the same thing. Some are still doing it as their call to sacrifice is not over. I know most of them because of prayer chains and personal communications. In this I am not alone. My service is not over and I have no idea just how long this will continue.

What I do know is that this instance is not my first time to be faithful and experience has shown me that God will carry me through this season of my life just as He did the first time. Dear friends continue to pray for me and I appreciate that. 

I just want the others that are going through their season of personal sacrifice for love to know that they are not alone. I know how you feel. Being faithful is worth it, no matter the outcome.

Eohsesians 5:2 says we do this for God because He called us to do what no one else can do. Being called is a privilege not a burden. No one else can do what you are doing because God placed His trust in you and you alone.

God loves the one you love. I know this because you have been called and you have answered.

Be of good heart. We are not alone.

May the God of all salvation strengthen you. AMEN

I am a witness to God’s grace.

Luke 4:18-19 English Standard Version

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

For me the year of the Lord’s favor occurred immediately after my first wife’s death.

That year began with a prayer on my part. “Show me your will for my life.”

Then signs and wonders began painting a picture of a woman. If I were to share all those signs it would detract from the results of God’s will that showed itself at the end of that year.

Her prayer was “Show me your will for my life.” That prayer came after the sudden death of her fiancé. We prayed the same prayer and the Lord answered our prayers by joining us together. Our first date began with the Lord showing me “She is the one.” That date lasted twelve hours. Best date ever for both of us.

I lived in Del Valley and worked in Austin. She lived in San Marcos and worked in San Antonio. After we got married I sold my house and moved in with her in San Marcos. That is when we searched for a local church for worship and how I came to find God’s gracious gift of fellowship.

How we ended up together in a new home church was a matter of God moving the pieces around the board until all the pieces fit to serve His will for us, together. It has been eighteen years and six months of being in God’s will and serving Him to His glory, not mine.

Returning again to the issue of grace, it was in this church that I have grown more in grace than any other church. Being surrounded in grace healed me of things I was not even aware of in the life I lived seeking knowledge.

It was there that I discovered how to apply the gift given.

Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Knowing what gift is given does not tell you how to use it. Grace does.