Retro SGM Radio: Reality Check on Rose Gardens

Reality Check: I Beg Your Pardon

There is nothing quite like the soft patter of a gentle summer rain. I looked out of the window and saw that the rain was heavy on the roses, which were bending beneath the strain of droplets filling their petals. As I began to tenderly tie up the heavy, prickly stems, I was reminded of a song: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden…”1 an old song with a simple truth for us today. None of us were ever promised a life without problems.

Giving your heart and life to Jesus does not guarantee you a perfect life, but it does mean that you have an Almighty God Who is watching you and will come close to you if you let Him. I’ve been working my way through the Old Testament and I find that often when God’s heroes were having a rough time – which they invariably did – there is usually a statement that says, ‘And the Lord saw…’ That in itself is comforting, for He sees with discernment. He knew and understood what they were going through and what they were feeling.

I’m so glad the Lord sees when I am going through things that are difficult, when I’m trying to get from Point A to Point B and everything in between seems like such a struggle. For you, this may mean that Point B is a new job, a new spouse, a bigger paycheck, a better relationship, or a healthier body. But between now and then, there are a lot of rose bushes with a whole lot of thorns.

Isn’t it interesting how often we think, ‘If this was God’s will, surely it would be easier?’ Unfortunately, it usually isn’t fun to be on the path of God’s perfect will for your life. Look at the lives of Abraham, Joseph, or King David. Poor David had crazy King Saul chasing him from cave to cave, wanting to kill him. Abraham spent most of his life on the road. Joseph went from being thrown in a pit to being thrown in jail. These men were all following the Lord’s path for them. Yet, through it all, the Lord ‘saw’ them. He was working out His plan for good in their lives.

There is also the argument that if God told us to ask for what we want, surely He will line our paths with good things only, such as roses without thorns? Not so. In Philippians, Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6 and 7). The Lord doesn’t say He will answer an automatic ‘yes’ to whatever we bring before Him, but He does say He will give us peace. What a great promise!

Often the path from where we were to where we want to be takes dips and turns we aren’t expecting. From the beginning of my illness until now, I have seen many specialists and heard many proposed diagnoses and treatments. At first, it appeared that this would be a short-term situation and soon I’d been back to my normal self. After a year and a half, it’s obvious that’s not the case. But again, biblical tales of people just planning on going from here to there, often have twists in the story. Jonah wasn’t planning on meeting a big fish. Daniel wasn’t planning on being tossed to the lions. Sometimes God just wants to remind us that our timing is not His timing. But His timing is always right.

Are you finding it difficult making your way along the path from here to there? Trust that God knows where you are and if you follow Him, He will take you places you could never dream of finding on your own. Get to know the Lord better, read His Word, talk to Him and listen to His voice. It’ll make your path seem much more manageable, thorns and all.

I’m so glad that God gave us the example of simple roses to show us that life is still beautiful even with thorns, no matter where His will takes us. Between Point A and Point B there will be hard times and there will be unexpected turns, but He still sees and cares for us. The Lord is our “Rose of Sharon” bringing beauty and peace to our lives.

Written by Lorraine Walker
Published on SGM Radio website April 2013

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1. From the song “Rose Garden”, written by Joe South, 1969.

Retro SGM Radio: Reality Check - Asking the Hardest Question

Reality Check for April 2008
By Lorraine Walker

A short time ago a lady spoke in our church about how the Lord had blessed her and her family. She spoke of some challenges they had faced with her son who had a birth defect. She related how the trials had been difficult but seemed like small hills which gradually led them to one huge mountain. This situation was so hard that she found herself asking all the “why” questions. Then it struck her that when something good happened, she rarely asked why. So if she took the good things as a part of life, why was she questioning the difficult circumstances?

I don’t believe that God is afraid of any of our hard questions. He created us to be inquisitive and to reason. We can ask Him anything and like a good Father, He will answer. However, sometimes our penchant for asking why keeps us from actually seeing or hearing His answers.

There is one particular situation in my life that seems to be a continual source of challenge. Many nights I have lain awake, asking the Lord, “Why?” I didn’t realize that this was my way of dwelling on the negative areas of the situation instead of seeing anything good.

We were reading the story of Ruth and Naomi during devotions one morning at work when God revealed this truth to my heart. Naomi and Ruth had come to a crossroad and Naomi suggested that Ruth return to her homeland. Ruth’s husband had died and she had nothing. They had grieved for their loss and it was now time to move on. However, Ruth made a decision that would change her life.

Instead of falling to the ground, wailing about the situation and asking God why, she realized what a treasure she had been given in her mother-in-law Naomi. She and Naomi traveled together to Bethlehem, where Ruth eventually met and married Boaz, and was blessed to have Jesus Christ within her line of descendents. Ruth had chosen to leave the ‘whys’ with the past and look instead at what God had given to her in the present. This enabled her to move on and trust God with her future.

The next time I find myself asking God “why”, I hope I remember to ask myself why I’m asking “Why?”. Is it easier to dwell on the negative and want the answers to all our questions because we say we want closure? God isn’t afraid of our questions, but neither does He want us to dwell in the past. We are to leave that behind and face the future, knowing that His blessings in our lives right now are proof that He will continue to be with us whatever we face. “Where Thou goest, I will go!”

For current "Reality Check" blogs by Lorraine Walker, click on to http://www.sgmradio.com/lorraine-walker-reality-check/

Retro Reality Check: Sit Down and Shut Up

[Editor's note: This Reality Check was published in February 2011 by SGM Radio website and was written by Lorraine Walker.]

Here it comes again. Can you feel the change in the wind? Another storm is approaching in your life to upset you and leave you shipwrecked emotionally, spiritually or even physically. You just wish Jesus would walk on water like He did in the Bible and say, “Peace!” to your storm. Well, maybe He is saying “Peace, be still”, but not to your storm. To you.

When Jesus said “Peace” that day in the Sea of Galilee, the word used at that time actually meant, “Silence! Hush! Be quiet!”. “Peace” meant an involuntary stillness, like telling an unruly child to sit down and shut up. It makes me wonder how much of that command was to the Sea, and how much was meant for the wailing disciples. With the amount of moaning and murmuring God must hear from us every time we are put out of our comfort zone, it’s no wonder He wants us to sit down, shut up, and listen to Him.

I’m not saying we don’t have reasons to be upset and angry about things that happen to us. I’m definitely not saying that we cannot question why ‘bad things happen to good people’. But maybe we spend too much time questioning, arguing and debating to hear any answer God may have for us. Jesus may be speaking to me right at the time I’m complaining, but my ears won’t work when my mouth is open.

If a child is acting out because they are hurt, they cannot receive the comfort being offered to them until they submit to the loving arms of the person trying to help. How similar this is to our relationship with our Lord. We keep acting out, from a feeling of pain or helplessness, yet we won’t submit to His arms of love. We know we will find comfort and peace there but we also know we give up whatever control we think we have. Sometimes we’d rather groan and complain and still think we can change the situation on our own. Perhaps one reason we enjoy our pity party is because we are the guest of honour.

It’s a hard thing to realize when a clear view of a bad situation turns inward to a feeling of victimization. It’s difficult because when we see ourselves as a victim, and others do too, again the focus is on us and it is human nature to like the attention. It takes a very strong person to admit their human frailty and run to God for strength and courage. Maybe we just don’t want to ask God for His deliverance because we don’t want to move on into the unknown glorious future. The ‘glorious’ part is lost on us; the ‘unknown’ part scares us to death.

Is your current storm causing you to cry out in fear and discouragement? Hear the words of Jesus: “Peace. Be quiet. Let Me talk to you in your situation and together we will get through it.” Listen to the Lord, sit down and shut up, and learn from the Master. The submission part may be really difficult, but would you rather drown?

Written by Lorraine Walker. First published in February 2011 on SGM Radio website.
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Retro Reality Check: The Faces of Love

Editor's Note: First published in February 2010

Love has many languages and also comes in many disguises. Among the faces of love are people like Mother Teresa, St. Francis of Assisi and Mary Magdalene. I’ve encountered some current faces of love that I wanted to share with you this month.

Stephen is a regular preacher who lives a regular life in a regular town. A few weeks ago, this town had an irregular snowstorm causing a lot of damage and loss of power. Stephen decided to shovel out the drive for the widow next door. He then headed to her neighbor’s house, owned by an 87-year-old lady who was also alone. Stephen shoveled her steps and walk, bringing her the mail that she had been unable to reach for several days. In the post was a check that the widow had been expecting for years, money that was desperately needed. She thanked Stephen and the Lord for giving her a good Christmas. She called him an ‘angel’ but Stephen said, ‘No, just a preacher with a shovel.’

William and Eunice have been married 70 years. The sweethearts have known each other all their lives, walking to school together, dating for a year and then marrying at 18 years of age. They pastored together for 50 years, raised a boy and girl, helped those in need and have been a blessing to all who have known them. Their road hasn’t been easy or carefree. Their son passed away twenty years ago. However, the years have been kind to this couple, their faces showing the results of lives well lived. William and Eunice radiate a love for God, for each other, and for those they meet.

I have a wonderful friend with a loving family and the gift of hospitality. In the last few years, she has undergone a battle that came close to taking her life several times. Walking through the wilderness of mental health issues, ‘Grace’ felt she had lost the love and presence of God in her life. Desperate and alone, she renounced the evil that had taken over her mind. Convinced there was no escaping an eternity of hell and separation from the Lord she loved, her days were a nightmare of voices, panic and terror.

Grace shared her story with a pastor and his wife. They spoke truth into her life, truth that was able to break the bonds that had ensnared her mind. Grace embraced this truth and realized that nothing could separate her from the love of God. She found that concentrating on the evil in her mind had kept her from running to the arms of her Savior. Her healing began on that day.

Today, through the love and mercy of a healing God, Grace is finding her way back to health. Her eyes radiate the peace and joy that once filled her life, but she is a changed person. Her thirst for more of God is greater than ever. She wants to know Him, to love Him with every fiber of her being. Grace had a calling on her life before entering the valley but now realizes that she is being refined as gold for the work that God has planned for her. Grace, in her desire to know more of God, exudes a love for Him that is powerful and humbling.

Love comes in many faces. I pray we seek to wear the face of the love of God in everything we do today.


Reality Check by Lorraine Walker first published February 2010 on SGM Radio Website
For current Reality Check features click on to http://www.sgmradio.com/lorraine-walker-reality-check/

Retro SGM Radio: Ladies of Southern Gospel: Women of Substance - Kim Greene Hopper

{Editor's Note: This feature was part of a series on the Ladies of Southern Gospel, run from 2007-2008 on SGM Radio Website, written by Lorraine Walker.]

Last month, we began a series on the awesome women in Southern Gospel Music. Women like Vestal Goodman, Eva Mae LeFevre and Mom Speer in the past to current legends like Connie Hopper, Lou Wills Hildreth and Elaine Wilburn. Women who have raised the bar of talent, faith and substance for those in the next generation.

This “next generation” includes women such as Karen Peck Gooch, Kim Greene Hopper and Susan Whisnant, who are now becoming legends in their own time. These true women of substance have not only developed their own talents, style and sound, they are also known for their Godly walk and their personal standards of morality. This month, SGM Radio had the privilege of talking to Kim Greene Hopper.

Kim Hopper’s story has been told many times, about the little girl with the big voice who sang with her family, who captured America and Dean Hopper with her smile and sweet spirit. The girl who went on to bring the Hoppers sound into the present decade with style, passion and a strong commitment to their Lord and their music.

A beautiful lady with many awards and years of being on the top of her profession, Kim has a gentle nature and professionalism that combine to give her an air of self-confidence without pride. This is a lady who has come to know who she is and Who she belongs to and is living her life to be the best she can be.

Kim Hopper knows that singing Gospel music was her calling. “I was five years old when I started singing. My whole family were singers and I grew up in that. My Dad played piano. When I was five, my two brothers and I stood around Dad and we had three-part harmony instantly. My Dad was kind of blown away! I grew up in it, loved it, and had the talent for it. I knew it was a gift from God and that’s all I ever wanted to do. I knew in my heart by the time I was 10 or 12 that this is what I wanted to do for my life.”

With such a successful career in Southern Gospel, Kim often has young people that want to know how to get started in the industry. Her advice is simple: “Every event you can sing at, do! Sing at every opportunity. There will be someone, somewhere that will hear you. If this is truly the gift God has given you.”

“Now sometimes, honestly, people say, “Oh, God called me to sing!” Well maybe that’s not your calling, maybe you are not quite the vocalist that someone else is and maybe your calling has something else to do with the music. Be clear of what your calling is. Then every opportunity that you have to sing, do so. Some one will be there that at some point will say, ‘Hey, I want to put you on a showcase or I want to do this or do that for you’.

“And then: Promotion! Start buying ads in magazines and promoting yourself. Get a great, quality CD or do demos and pass them along to artists and say, “If you ever need someone to open up for you, or if you are looking for a tenor singer, here’s my demo.” Just pass those out and get your name out there as much as you can.”

Kim commented on the number of talented up-and-coming groups in Southern Gospel right now. “There is a great new group that we brought to the National Quartet Convention from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. They are The Hunters and they are five brothers with their Mom and Dad. The Hunters are very new and they don’t even have a CD out yet but they are working on one. The boys range in age from 14 to 27, and they are all professional hockey players.”

“I call them the ‘Backstreet Boys of Southern Gospel Music’”, says Kim. “ They dance a little bit and they are incredible. The older people and the younger people are accepting them, they all seem to love them.”

Many of the young singers today look up to Kim Hopper as the epitome of female Southern Gospel Singers. Kim herself had those that she looked up to when she was learning the ropes. Reba Rambo, Joy McGuire, and Debbie Talley were among her favourites.

“Debbie made a real impression on my life, not just as a spiritual lady but vocally as well. When I first started singing, I didn’t have a real high voice. When my brothers’ voices changed and I had to go to the real high part, I didn’t know how to do that. I tried and I was killing myself. Every night I was getting more hoarse. So I would sit and listen when Debbie was singing with the Hoppers… I would listen to their records and cassettes for hours and hours. I’d think, ‘She talks in my range but she sings really high, how does she do that?’”

“I would sit and mimic her tone placement every night and figure out how she was doing that. That was the only vocal coaching I ever had, just Debbie’s records and cassettes. So she made the most difference in my life, vocally, of anyone.”

Just as Kim had people like Reba Rambo and Debra Talley as role models, Kim comments on those of her generation who would be “legends” to the next generation.
“Karen Peck Gooch, Debra Talley and Sheri Easter, all these ladies that have been devoted to this and have done this so long. They are here all these years because of their integrity and their walk with the Lord. I think as each of them ages, there will be a lot of people that say, ‘I remember when I saw them when I was little’, and now they’ve grown to respect them as spiritual leaders and forces in our industry.”

The idea that Southern Gospel is a more challenging industry to thrive in for women than it is for men has been bandied about for some time. Kim disagrees with this notion. “ I think a lot of people love and admire the men, but when a woman walks on stage, it’s like sudden respect. Boys have grown up listening to their mommas teach them to respect women. And women respect other women.”

“I think there is a lot of grace when a woman walks onstage. People think, ‘You know what, she’s up there as a woman, doing what she is doing in front of all these crowds of people, and I want to hear what she has to say’.”

Kim Hopper has some specific advice for the young female artists coming up in the industry. “Don’t ever do anything that would offend anyone. For some people, it’s all about ‘You can’t wear pants to church, you can’t do this, you can’t do that’. What I’ve found out is that some things may not convict me, such as to wear pants onstage, but that is me personally. However, I grew up where we never wore pants to church. My Mother and Dad always said, ‘Why don’t you just play the safe side in every situation’. That would include the way you dressed, because if you do offend one person, then you will never reach them for Christ.”

“So I’ve always tried to dress modestly and I like to be fashionable and I work at that. But I always try to be fully covered and I always sing in a dress. I just think that to be a lady is the biggest thing.”

Kim Greene Hopper is involved in many aspects of Southern Gospel, as she has been doing some promotion as well as her traveling, singing and studio work. This busy wife, mother, sister, and Gospel icon has a full life. She has heard the Lord speaking to her lately about this very thing. “I’m a Mom and I have to devote so much time to Southern Gospel, and so much time to my children, and a lot of times I’m really torn. For me, the Lord is saying, ‘Slow Down! Slow down and listen to Me and know that I am God. Rest in what I have for you.’”

“I hope that my schedule can slow down a little that I can be more of a Mom. I feel like when I’m on the road, I’m neglecting my children, and when I’m home, I’m neglecting what I need to do out here to minister to people. So the Lord is speaking to me about finding the balance and finding rest in Him.”

Kim Greene Hopper struggles with the same issues that many working wives and mothers deal with, and it is her ability to face challenges with grace while in the spotlight of the stage that has brought her the admiration of so many. Truly a woman of substance, Kim Greene Hopper will be another of the lovely women whose name will be listed as a legend of Southern Gospel.

For more information on Kim and all the Hoppers, please log onto http://www.thehoppers.com/

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Retro Reality Check: Finding a Piece of Peace

By Lorraine Walker

There is something about the start of a new year that brings a feeling of restlessness. Maybe it’s the whole resolution thing, maybe it’s the advertisements that tell me I need to get organized, or maybe it’s the knowledge that I can no longer hide the clutter in my house under Christmas decorations. January means that it’s back to routine, time to start on those promises you made to yourself and time to catch up on whatever you put off during the holidays.

In the middle of all this energetic, back-to-reality, stressful living, I often find myself longing for the peaceful moments of watching lights twinkle on a tree or gazing at the face of a sleeping baby in a manger. And I wonder why this seems to elude me for much of the year.

It’s true that often we blame what is happening around us for the lack of peace in our lives when in reality it is the other way around. If we can’t find the peace in our lives, we have to look within for what is causing the disquiet. This is not an easy concept to grasp if you feel like things are spinning out of control and there is nothing for you to hold on to.

It amazes me when God has to smack me in the face with a truth that I’ve learned but have to keep relearning, over and over: I do indeed have control over my emotions, and I am also told to have control over my thoughts. I may have to tell my soul to rejoice, and often it is also an act of my will to experience God’s peace. Paul told us to LET the peace of God rule in our hearts. This tells me that if I am not experiencing God’s peace in my life it is because, for whatever reason, I am not letting His peace rule.

Last month I mentioned that Hope came to earth in a manger. Peace dwells in the same Person as Hope, and these two gifts from God dwell within us the same way. The apostle Paul also said, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

My New Year’s resolution this year? To let peace rule. Before there can be peace on earth, it must first be in me.

First published by SGM Radio website in January 2008. http://www.sgmradio.com/
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Retro SGM Radio: 2010 Reality Check - New Year, New Day

By Lorraine Walker

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet, or are you one of many who simply refuse? Are you working on a resolution that you’ve been trying to keep since 1995? The start of a new, shiny, unused year seems to twig something inside us, making us want to be shiny and new as well.

Jeff and Sheri Easter used to sing a catchy tune called: Every Day Is a New Day. A sweet, simple song but a great reminder that not only is every year new, but every day is new too. We can have a fresh start every morning. We can look at the day as a new chance to be a better person or to do something worthwhile, no matter where we are in life.

I’m so glad that God ‘makes His mercies new every morning’, and that His well of grace never runs dry, no matter how often I need to come to Him for forgiveness and for the strength to get back up and walk again after I’ve fallen. I’m glad that each day is another chance to follow Him more closely.

I used to think the verse that talks about ‘denying’ ourselves and ‘taking up the Cross’ meant being willing to be identified with Christ while taking on His burden. And it does, but it also means to deny myself: to be willing to put aside the ‘me’ that always wants to be in charge. I need to be willing to put aside my wants, desires, hopes and dreams and to allow Jesus to place His dreams in my heart.

A friend of mine recently commented that she was wondering if she was wrong in wanting to follow her dreams and what she wanted in life. She commented that she thought she was perhaps being too much like Satan who wanted his own way and who dwelt on the pride that made him put himself on the throne got him kicked out of Heaven.

The Lord gave me words at the time that I’ve thought about often in the days following, as the message was to me as much as it was to my friend.

My response was that as we grow closer to the Lord, He replaces our desires with His. He has already given us talents and skills for specific reasons and I believe He has a special purpose for each of us. As we follow Him and deny ourselves, He places His hopes and dreams inside our hearts, and they become ours. As we place Him on the throne of our lives, we begin to live an abundant life, following the dreams of the God of the Universe. Rather incredible, isn’t it?

The secret to following, I believe, is knowing that every day is fresh chance to draw closer to God. It is a chance to allow Him to see everything that is in our hearts, good and bad. Each day is a chance to let Him to shine His light on the things in our lives that aren’t what they should be, and to draw us to repentance.

Oswald Chambers talks about ‘conscious repentance’ and ‘unconscious holiness’. The more we allow God to be on the throne of our life, the more He will show us what things need to be tossed out of our lives through repentance. That brings us closer to Him and allows Him to shine through us. The closer we follow, the more others don’t see us but see the One we are following. That is true holiness. And every day is another day closer to that goal.

May the Lord bless you in this New Year and may each new day draw you closer to Him.

Reality Check first published by SGM Radio website January 2010. http://www.sgmradio.com/

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Reality Check: Blue Christmas

I need to confess from the outset that I am usually a very traditional decorator at Christmas. Usually it’s just red and green, silver and gold; heavy on the tinsel and icicles, light on the more modern baubles, and definitely no blue or purple. This year I have an urge to decorate in blue and it really doesn’t have anything to do with Elvis. It is not totally a reflection of my mood either, although Christmas will be a little blue this year with one empty chair at the family Christmas table.

For some, this blue feeling at Christmas is a little deeper than missing someone or feeling stressed because of the season. For those that are suffering from an overwhelming inescapable sadness, I urge you to talk to your medical doctor and your pastor. Chronic depression is not something you should try to fight alone, but look at holistically: spirit, soul and body. There are professionals who can bring you relief and peace. Please, seek them out. If you know of someone who may need your support to reach out for this type of assistance, please lend them that support.

If you are wanting to reach out to someone you know who is having a blue Christmas this year because of circumstances including loss, can I offer a few suggestions? Don’t expect them to call you. Call them with a few thoughts of how to guide them into conversation but don’t try to analyze or pepper them with questions. Drop by with some homemade goodies but don’t infringe on their time, unless they are alone and want to chat. Most of all, be open and sensitive to how they are feeling; don’t come with your own agenda or pre-supposed ideas of what you think they are feeling.

If this Christmas has you feeling blue or wondering what God has in store for your life, remember the eternal Hope that entered the world on that first Christmas. Jesus brought Hope to the world and this becomes a personal Hope when He is born within us.

If your trust is wavering because things have happened in the past year that have hurt you, that is a reason to draw closer to Him, not farther away. I’m so thankful we don’t serve a Santa Claus God who only exists to give us what we want. When He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we believe He should, it shouldn’t cause our Hope in Him to waver. We need to pray that He will strengthen our faith in that Hope.

Whatever colour your Christmas is this year, I trust that you draw closer to the Hope that was born in Bethlehem and that His light will shine on your heart and turn your life all the colours of the rainbow. He wants you to overflow with Hope and abundant life.

From my heart to yours, Merry Christmas!

First published Christmas 2010. By Lorraine Walker. For more Reality Check blogs, go to http://www.sgmradio.com/

Give Thanks Today!

Fall in Southern Ontario: watch the sun light up the reds and golds of the leaves in the trees; smell the tangy sent of burning leaves; feel the nip in the air as frost touches the land. Though it portends a cold, desolate winter, the season itself is bright and beautiful as nature splashes her paintbrush once more before slipping it under a blanket of snow.

I let the loveliness of the season wash over me and it helps to break the cycle of the rush of work, the duties of the day, and the cares of life. If you are like me, you need the special season of Thanksgiving as a reminder to stop and be thankful. In everything, we are to give thanks. As I hear the squeal of my brakes, I thank the Lord that car bills mean I have transportation to work. The sound of the rain on the rafters reminds me that I have a roof over my head and means to pay for that roof. I may have paperwork piled up on my desk at work, but I have a meaningful job that gives me a reason to step out of my door every morning.

So often in the Old Testament, we are told to give thanks to God, for ‘His love endures forever’. Enduring Love: Another great thing to be thankful for in this day of short attention spans and diluted commitments of love.

In the New Testament, the writers of the letters to the Church body often say that they give thanks to God ‘for you all’. We need to be reminded to be thankful for our fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus. They are the Body of Christ, our spiritual family, and God has given us a great opportunity to develop relationships with other believers. It is up to us to develop those relationships and to thank God for them.

There are more simple things that come to mind that we often overlook, things we forget to thank the Lord for as we bring to Him our latest laundry list of wants and needs. Family, health, skill and talent, spiritual gifts are all good and perfect blessings from a Father who loves us.

May we all take a moment this Fall to stop and thank our Heavenly Father for what He has given to us. Let us thank Him for what He has done through the gift of His Son. Let us thank Him most of all for Who He is. For His love endures forever.

Reality Check Blog by Lorraine Walker
Also appears on www.sgmradio.com