I had planned on writing something else today. But I feel that what I will share today instead, was by God, and far more eternally important than an update on me.
Many of you are faithfully praying for me and my family and have written to me asking for updates on how I'm doing. I cannot fully express how much your prayers mean to me and how much I see God answering your prayers on my behalf. You've given me such a great gift. I thank God for all of you with my whole heart. ♥
Because I can't write to all of you personally, I had planned on writing today about my latest struggles and how God continues to deliver me from them all; at least spiritually (being the most important), emotionally and mentally.
I also wanted to thank both my sisters Heidi and Hope who awarded me with The True Heart blog award.
But as the LORD woke me up very early this morning to have a six hour praise and quiet time with Him, He also brought me news that broke my heart. Today, I found out at our sister Pat's blog site, our sister Rachel Barkey was called Home, last Thursday, June 2, 2009 at age 37 after five very challenging years of battling cancer.
For those of you who missed my last post introducing you to our dear sister, Rachel Barkey, you can read the post HERE. And if you also missed her last public exhortation on why we are here, then please be sure not to miss this Christ-exalting video again. It is 55 minutes long, but I assure you, if you watch it, you'll know that these 55 minutes will be the best minutes you'll probably spend today. So come with me now and worship our Lord Jesus Christ, as we hear our Lord speak through our sister Rachel who is now Home with our Father God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son.
In this video, Rachel shares what defines her: only her relationship with Jesus. She also shares the four principles (in detail) that have helped shape her, they are:
Many of you are faithfully praying for me and my family and have written to me asking for updates on how I'm doing. I cannot fully express how much your prayers mean to me and how much I see God answering your prayers on my behalf. You've given me such a great gift. I thank God for all of you with my whole heart. ♥
Because I can't write to all of you personally, I had planned on writing today about my latest struggles and how God continues to deliver me from them all; at least spiritually (being the most important), emotionally and mentally.
I also wanted to thank both my sisters Heidi and Hope who awarded me with The True Heart blog award.
But as the LORD woke me up very early this morning to have a six hour praise and quiet time with Him, He also brought me news that broke my heart. Today, I found out at our sister Pat's blog site, our sister Rachel Barkey was called Home, last Thursday, June 2, 2009 at age 37 after five very challenging years of battling cancer.
For those of you who missed my last post introducing you to our dear sister, Rachel Barkey, you can read the post HERE. And if you also missed her last public exhortation on why we are here, then please be sure not to miss this Christ-exalting video again. It is 55 minutes long, but I assure you, if you watch it, you'll know that these 55 minutes will be the best minutes you'll probably spend today. So come with me now and worship our Lord Jesus Christ, as we hear our Lord speak through our sister Rachel who is now Home with our Father God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son.
In this video, Rachel shares what defines her: only her relationship with Jesus. She also shares the four principles (in detail) that have helped shape her, they are:
Know God
Know Yourself
Know the Gospel
Know Your Purpose
Know Yourself
Know the Gospel
Know Your Purpose
Rachel once wrote in one of her letters, that Dying Is Hard, especially because no one has died and come back to leave us instructions on how to do it. While this is true, I believe God has used our sister Rachel to teach us this very thing; as she invited the world to travel with her as she wrote letters and spoke in the video you just watched; all done, while she was dying or rather more accurately for children of God, falling asleep [1 Thessalonians 4:13-14].
I thank God for Rachel, a woman I've never met. A sister I've never hugged. But just the same, have prayed for and loved and am looking forward to seeing when the Lord calls me Home.
I believe the Lord fulfilled in her, the same spirit He fulfilled in the Apostle Paul who wrote:
I thank God for Rachel, a woman I've never met. A sister I've never hugged. But just the same, have prayed for and loved and am looking forward to seeing when the Lord calls me Home.
I believe the Lord fulfilled in her, the same spirit He fulfilled in the Apostle Paul who wrote:
Therefore, brothers [and sisters], be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities [2 Peter 1:5-7] you will never fail. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you are. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
~ 2 Peter 1:10-15
Yes, there are no instructions on how to die per se, but I believe the Lord gave us those instructions both in the above Scripture passage, as well as in our sister Rachel Barkey, who not only lived well in Christ Jesus our Lord, but also died well in the same Savior with Whom she is now in the presence of, and completely delivered from all her trials and tribulations here on earth.
Please pray for her family, especially her husband Neil, and her young children Quinn (7) and Kate (5).
For more encouragement on how to live and die with your eyes fixed solely on Christ Jesus, visit her site and read her letters.
Rachel Barkey: Death Is Not Dying - A Faith That Saves
God bless you all. I love you dearly.
For more encouragement on how to live and die with your eyes fixed solely on Christ Jesus, visit her site and read her letters.
Rachel Barkey: Death Is Not Dying - A Faith That Saves
God bless you all. I love you dearly.
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