My Daddy's Testimony

 My precious Daddy, Eston F. Willis

My Daddy's Testimony

My Daddy's Testimony, continued

My Daddy's Favorite Scripture Verse

Sweet memories of unconditional love and wide open arms of love from my childhood. My sweet Daddy, Eston Willis, went home to be with Jesus in 1989. He was such a powerful influence in my life, he loved Jesus, his family, and sharing his faith with others. He led me to a saving faith in Jesus, I watched him prepare for his Sunday School lesson all week, and learned so much from his teaching. He wrote his testimony on note cards (pictured above) and he wrote his favorite Scripture on a pad of paper he had on his desk at the car dealership where he worked (pictured above).

.

When our son, Jason, was born in 1991, two years after Daddy went home to be with Jesus, I longed for my children to know him like I knew him. One night in 1992, I had a dream, so real, so vivid, I can remember every detail. Daddy was walking toward me, smiling his big, warm smile, but younger than I ever knew him. No glasses, no wrinkles, so alive. Then, we were sitting in a living room, he was holding Jason and rocking him in a rocking chair, and then my dream ended. 

.

But when I woke up, I was inspired. I wanted to capture memories of Daddy for my children to read. I mailed letters to everyone I could find in our friends and family network. I asked them just to write what they remembered about Daddy. I collected all those letters in a book we still have today. One letter was from Marci Clements, a friend from our church in Sebring. She commented on how much Daddy loved to sing the old gospel song, “Without Him,” as his confession of faith…”Without Him I could do nothing. Without Him I'd surely fail; Without Him, I would be drifting. Like a ship without a sail. Jesus, Oh Jesus, do you know him today? You can't turn him away, oh Jesus, oh Jesus. Without him, How lost I would be. Without Him I would be dying. Without Him I'd be enslaved;  Without Him life would be hopeless. But with Jesus, thank God, I'm saved. Jesus, Oh Jesus, do you know Him today? You can't turn him away, oh Jesus, oh Jesus. Without him, How lost I would be.”

.

Oh Lord Jesus, how I thank You for my heritage of faith, for my Daddy who loved You with his whole heart, and led me to Your Cross where I received Your gift of salvation. Thank You for the encouraging Truth that Daddy taught me from Your Word, that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Thank You for the free gift of salvation, that we are justified on the basis of Your finished work on the Cross. Thank You that, right now, we are under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Because we have placed our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed by Your precious blood. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. Knowing that God’s love for us and approval of us will never be determined by our performance is the most encouraging promise to which we cling. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

.

Look Up—meditate on Romans 8:1-3 … pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

.

Look In—as you meditate on Romans 8:1-3 … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

.

Look Out—as you meditate on Romans 8:1-3 …pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

My Utmost for His Highest

December 31st Devotional from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers: 

You shall not go out with haste.for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.—Isaiah 52:12 

Security from Yesterday.
"God requires an account of what is past" (Ecc. 3:15). 

At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God's grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present. 

Security for Tomorrow.
"the Lord will go before you" 

This is a gracious revelation--that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our "rear guard." And God's hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience. 

Security for Today.
"You shall not go out with haste" 

As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness. But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ. Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.

Reflection Question
How can you see God’s hand in your past experiences, and how have they shaped your spiritual growth? 

Prayer
Lord, help me to see my past through Your eyes. Transform my regrets into lessons and my mistakes into opportunities for growth. Thank You for being the God of my yesterdays. Amen.

Reflection Question
What anxieties about the future are you holding onto, and how can you trust God to guard you against repeating past mistakes? 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of Your protection. Help me to release my anxieties about the future and trust that You will guard me against repeating past mistakes. Amen. 

Reflection Question
How can you live more thoughtfully and purposefully in the present, trusting in God's plan and presence? 

Prayer
 Lord, help me to live thoughtfully and purposefully today. Remind me of Your grace and presence in my life, and guide me to make wise decisions. Amen. 

Reflection Question
 What past regrets are you holding onto, and how can you allow God to transform your anxiety into thoughtfulness for the future? 

Prayer
 Father, I give You my past regrets and anxieties. Transform them into thoughtfulness and guide me as I step into the future with You. Amen. 

Reflection Question
How can you embrace the future with patience and confidence, trusting that God is guiding your steps? 

Prayer
Lord, as I step into the future, help me to do so with patience and confidence. Guide my steps and guard my path, knowing that You are with me. Amen.

Remembering my dear Daddy

 Remembering my dear Daddy, Eston Willis, who served in WWII. He went home to be with Jesus in 1989, he was born in 1919 and would have been 106 this year. He was injured in the Battle of Anzio in 1944. He always had a great love for the Italian people, he lived with them as he recovered from his injuries and he said they were so kind to him after he was injured, fighting for our freedom. Daddy received a letter from the Italian family he lived with while he was recovering from his wounds at Anzio. He took the letter to the owner of Vito’s restaurant in Lakeland. Vito translated it for him and helped him write a letter in response to the Italian family who had been so kind to him.

Sweet memories of unconditional love and wide open arms of love from my childhood. My sweet Daddy, Eston Willis, went home to be with Jesus in 1989. He was such a powerful influence in my life, he loved Jesus, his family, and sharing his faith with others. He led me to a saving faith in Jesus, I watched him prepare for his Sunday School lesson all week, and learned so much from his teaching. 

.

When our son, Jason, was born in 1991, two years after Daddy went home to be with Jesus, I longed for my children to know him like I knew him. One night in 1992, I had a dream, so real, so vivid, I can remember every detail. Daddy was walking toward me, smiling his big, warm smile, but younger than I ever knew him. No glasses, no wrinkles, so alive. Then, we were sitting in a living room, he was holding Jason and rocking him in a rocking chair, and then my dream ended. But when I woke up, I was inspired. I wanted to capture memories of Daddy for my children to read. I mailed letters to everyone I could find in our friends and family network. I asked them just to write what they remembered about Daddy. I collected all those letters in a book we still have today. One letter was from Marci Clements, a friend from our church in Sebring. She commented on how much Daddy loved to sing the old gospel song, “Without Him,” as his confession of faith…”Without Him I could do nothing. Without Him I'd surely fail; Without Him, I would be drifting. Like a ship without a sail. Jesus, Oh Jesus, do you know him today? You can't turn him away, oh Jesus, oh Jesus. Without him, How lost I would be. Without Him I would be dying. Without Him I'd be enslaved;  Without Him life would be hopeless. But with Jesus, thank God, I'm saved. Jesus, Oh Jesus, do you know Him today? You can't turn him away, oh Jesus, oh Jesus. Without him, How lost I would be.”

.

Oh Lord Jesus, how I thank You for my heritage of faith, for my Daddy who loved You with his whole heart, and led me to Your Cross where I received Your gift of salvation. Thank You for the encouraging Truth that Daddy taught me from Your Word, that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Thank You for the free gift of salvation, that we are justified on the basis of Your finished work on the Cross. Thank You that, right now, we are under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Because we have placed our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed by Your precious blood. The threat of failure, judgment, and condemnation has been removed. Knowing that God’s love for us and approval of us will never be determined by our performance is the most encouraging promise to which we cling. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

.

Look Up—meditate on Romans 8:1-3 … pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

.

Look In—as you meditate on Romans 8:1-3 … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

.

Look Out—as you meditate on Romans 8:1-3 …pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

Sunrise at the Sea of Galilee

 It is 5:30am, still dark as I settle down on the rocks beside the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias, Israel, on a cool Monday morning in March, 2000. I turn on my video camera and set it down on the rock beside me to record the sunrise and then I steady my 35mm camera for this first still shot of the pink glow beginning to peak over the eastern hills. 

Then it hits me...He was here, He walked here, He may have sat on this very same rock on that early morning after His resurrection as He prepared a breakfast of fish and bread on a fire for His disciples. Right here where I am sitting right now. I am in awe. His Spirit Feet shod with flesh left footprints in this sand.

.

He is here now, with me. Emmanuel, God with us. His Spirit dwells in the innermost part of me, taking authority over my soul, the seat of my emotions, and my body, my fleshly desires and appetites. El Shaddai, my all-sufficient Heavenly Father, my Abba Daddy, speaking to me through His Word from Jeremiah 1:5, “Beth, before you were born, I knew you.”

.

The video camera on the rock beside me hums, and I begin to sing, "My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine, for Thee all the follies of sin I resign, My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou"... and then suddenly, at the exact moment when the first golden round edge of the sun peeks over the distant hills, my voice can be faintly heard on the video recording singing the closing words of the hymn..."If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now."

.

My video camera on the rock beside me hums, and I begin to sing, My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine, for Thee all the follies of sin I resign, My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou... and then suddenly, at the exact moment when the first golden round edge of the sun peeks over the distant hills, my voice can be faintly heard on the video recording singing the closing words of the hymn...If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

.

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now

.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now

.

In mansions of glory and endless delight

I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now

.

John 21:1-6…Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there--Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was. He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.

.

Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your peace today. You are our Peace. I ask you to help me to do these things: to lean on you, to meditate on your character and attributes, and to trust you with all my heart. Thank You for Your promise that Your perfect peace will guard my heart and mind. In Christ, I am relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments, and perplexities of this life, because I trust in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

.

Look Up—meditate on John 21:1-6 pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

.

Look In—as you meditate on John 21:1-6  pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

.

Look Out—as you meditate on John 21:1-6   pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.

Living this day in the light of That Day

 It was almost 9:30pm on Saturday, December 22, 2007, when our family first stepped into the beautiful Grand Central Terminal in New York City and snapped these photos of the famous four-faced clock over the Information Booth, which dates from the original opening of the building in 1913. Little did we know, but we were about to be amazed and in awe as the eight-minute Grand Central Kaleidoscope of Lights Show began to unfold its fantastic musical sights and sounds to the delight of everyone in the building that night. 

Looking up at the vision of lights on the massive ceiling and walls was so inspiring. Watching the famous four-faced clock ticking off the minutes of “this day” and the heavenly vision of lights and sounds lifting my heart to “that Day,” I was reminded of this quote:

.

“There are two days in my calendar: this day and that Day.”—Martin Luther

.

We all have “that Day” ahead of us…that Day when our hearts will stop beating…that Day when our families and friends get the news that we are gone…that Day when we see our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ face-to-Face. 

.

Our blessed assurance of the certainty of “that Day” dramatically affects the way we live “this day”…in the light of eternity. 

.

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.—Psalm 139:16 

.

If an instant of time be conceived, which cannot be divided into the smallest particles of moments, that alone is it, which may be called present. Which yet flies with such speed from future to past, as not to be lengthened out with the least stay. For if it be, it is divided into past and future. The present hath no space.—The Confessions of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Book XI, Chapter XV, There Is Only A Moment of Present Time

.

When we step out of time and into eternity everything will be one big panorama. We will see the past; we will see the present; we will see the future—perfectly unfolded and it will all work together for good to those who love God—and it will make sense.—Pastor Ray C. Stedman

.

How prone we all are to keep our troubles pent up in our hearts until we’re driven to despair. We show much anxiety and ingenuity in seeking to escape our troubles without God. But in so doing, he says, we only get ourselves into “a labyrinth of difficulties.” 

.

The answer is to pour out our hearts before Him, taking refuge in Him, because He cares for us. In the Psalms, David has shown us that we can be composed or at peace if God alone is our salvation and refuge. He has reaffirmed it, showing that it is usually a battle to get to this place and remain there in the face of difficult trials.

.

The main reason that we should “fight” for God’s peace in threatening times is not so that we will be at peace, but so that God will be glorified and others will be drawn to Him through us. God’s peace comes to us in life’s threatening times when He alone is our salvation and refuge.

.

Heavenly Father, I praise you for your amazing sovereignty. You wove me together in my mother’s womb, saw me before I was born, and have already recorded every day of my life. You charted the path ahead of me and laid out every moment before a single day had passed. I don’t have to fear because you are with me, before me, behind me, surrounding me. Help me to live this day in the light of eternity, amen.

.

In what ways do we seek to live each day in the light of eternity? The Casting Crowns lyrics: “When I’m lost in the mystery, to You my future is a memory,” from the song, “You’re Already There,” gives me a wide-angle view of my life, a little glimpse of what it will be like when we step out of time and into eternity and see the panorama of the past, the present, and the future all-at-once...He's already there...

.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.—I Corinthians 13:12

.

"When I’m lost in the mystery...to You my future is a memory,"

.

Look Up—meditate on I Corinthians 13:12... pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.

.

Look In—as you meditate on I Corinthians 13:12 ... pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."

.

Look Out—as you meditate on I Corinthians 13:12 ... pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.