By GARY ANDREWS
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Listening to a sermon from a visiting preacher one Sunday morning really drove a point home to me about family. He asked the question “How many of you have attended a family reunion this year?”
Several raised their hands indicating they had gone to a family reunion this year. I raised my hand because I had attended a reunion for my wife’s family and thoroughly enjoyed it. I only wish that my family would do the same every year.
Family reunions can be a time of rejoicing, renewing kinship of family members you see only once a year, or could be a time of settling disputes with brothers and sisters. Harboring harsh feelings for unkind acts or words of hurt from one to another can only fester and creates ill will for years if amends are not made and settled. Many times these feelings are really unfounded actions or misunderstandings. The holder of the grudge many times will allow these unsettled moments grow into something that is not there at all.
One of the greatest family reunions of all is told to us in Genesis 45. In chapters leading up to this one we are told of how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers because of jealously. We also see that God had a plan for Joseph as He allowed him to become second in command over all of Egypt. He was second to Pharaoh; however Joseph knew who was ultimately in charge. God used Joseph and gave him wisdom through many trials that he faced in Egypt. Through God’s plan and Joseph’s leadership Egypt planned ahead for the times of peril that would come.
Joseph’s brothers and father came to Egypt for help during these times of hunger. Joseph welcomed them and helped them eventually bringing all of them to live in the land of Goshen. He forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery and this family reunion was one of the greatest.
All of us can do the same as Joseph and forgive anyone that has offended us. If we are the one that offended someone else, this could be a time for apologizing and getting rid of the guilt you have been carrying. God wants us to be one big happy family but it seems inevitable that we can’t get along. Problems arise from any type situation. We need to pray that we are confident in what we are doing and what we say and pray that we are in God’s will.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for the wisdom that you allow me to have. Lead me and guide me in the way you want me to go. Lord, if I have offended someone please allow that person and I to make amends before another day comes. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Genesis 45:1-28; Monday – 1 John 4:19-21; Tuesday – 1 Timothy 5:3-8; Wednesday – 2 Samuel 2:26-28; Thursday – Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Friday – 3 John 2-4; Saturday – Joel 1:2-3.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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Looking back over my life and remembering the choices I made, I often wonder did I take the road less traveled. Being a senior citizen and looking back on decisions I made 40-50 years ago, and I am sure many of you do this also, did I make the correct choices to have the best life I could have?
I am not sure anyone could answer this question without some hesitation. As I did, most of us studied Robert Frost’s poem, “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood”, and never thought much about what this poem meant until we reached our later years. Actually the poem’s title is “The Road Not Taken” written around 1920, but I have always remembered it as “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood.”
Years later we are sitting at our kitchen table looking out through the window into the woods thinking, did I do what I was supposed to do or did I take the road most people take and follow instead of taking the road less traveled and become a leader?
Most of us in our youth, just as the youth of today, weren’t sure of what we wanted to do or which direction we wanted to go. Being a Christian and believing that the Lord would lead me where He wanted me to be was what I needed at a time I was in doubt and had much uncertainty of which direction I should go. Many of us were like Moses when the Lord told him to go and speak to the Pharaoh in Egypt and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.
As many of us would do today, we would hesitate and come up with all kind of excuses because we do not believe in our ability or what we can do with the Lord’s help.
The Lord speaks to Moses in Exodus 4:11; The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Even though Moses continued to complain, the Lord made a way for Moses to adhere to the Lord’s instructions.
Now that I am in my retirement years I look back over my life and the career the Lord chose for me, I can only say that I went in a direction that I never thought I would. As I entered college, then went through the military, earned a degree in another field, the Lord knew I would eventually become a journalist and work in this field for 35 years. So many of us today are in the same situation that I am in wondering if the road we took was the one we wanted or the one the Lord provided for us. For me it was definitely the Lord that put me in my career path and I must tell you I have been thoroughly blessed because He controlled where I was going instead of me doing it my way.
Many of you will say that on your career path, “I did it my way”, and maybe you did. Even now we need to look at every incident that happened to us along this journey and say, “Did I really do it on my own or did the Lord lead me and guide me to where I am?”
“Two roads diverge into a yellow wood” and I, unaware at the time, chose to follow the Lord where He wanted me to go. Whether it was the road less traveled or the one most traveled I will always know that He was in the lead and without Him leading me I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for your divine leadership. Thank you for the life you have given me and it is my prayer that I may provide leadership through you for someone else. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Exodus 3:11-15; Monday – Romans 12:3-8; Tuesday – Hosea 10:1-4; Wednesday – Acts 18:24-28; Thursday – Psalm 18:43-50; Friday – Ephesians 4:11-13; Saturday – James 1:2-8.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
Editor and Publisher

I recently heard a story of an older gentleman that was moving to a room in a nursing home. His wife of 70 plus years had gone home to be with the Lord and he was of an age that he needed someone around him most of the time.
Upon checking into the home the young employee started explaining how his room would be and the color of the curtains and about the future.
The wise older man told him, “It is already decided in my mind that I like my room.”
The employee answered, “But sir, you haven’t seen your room yet.”
“Happiness is something I choose in advance,” remarked the older gentleman. “Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or on the decor, rather it depends on how I decide to see it.”
When each one of us rise up from sleeping in the morning we have a choice of whether we are going to be happy that day or not. The Lord blesses us each time that we can face another day. It is up to us how we choose to spend it.
The new resident at the nursing home told the young employee, “I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that I still have in working order.”
In today’s society all of us are running here and there and accomplishing about one half of what needs to be done. We sometimes don’t think ahead and plan for the future and only look at what’s important, or seems important, at the moment.
God gives us everyday. We don’t do anything to earn it and there is no way we can ever say that we gained a new day for what we have done. This is one reason that we shouldn’t ever put off doing something tomorrow that can be done today, such as visiting a long lost friend, calling your family members and telling them you love them, or maybe, even going to see someone that you may not be getting along with and clear up any differences.
There are some simple guidelines that will help all of us if we will adhere to them. 1. Free your heart from hate. 2. Free your mind from worry. 3. Live simple. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less.
Prayer: Father, You are so good to me and I praise You for everyday of life that You give me. Thank You for Your many blessings and for all of the friends and family that You have allowed me to have. Amen.
Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday - Matthew 5:43-45; Monday - Proverbs 20:22; Tuesday - Luke 6:35-38; Wednesday - 1 Peter 1:3-5; Thursday - Psalm 31:24; Friday - Mark 9:41; Saturday - Acts 20:35.
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com

By GARY ANDREWS
Editor and Publisher

Have you ever stopped to think about how Abraham felt when the Lord directed him to leave his homeland, leave his people, and his father’s household and travel to another land unknown to him?
This story is found in Genesis, chapter 12:1-14.
I’m sure that Abraham had many uncertainties about this sudden change, but his trust and love for the Lord was more important than anything he had on earth.
In April of 2010 my wife and I traveled to Charleston, S.C. on a senior adult trip. Being the one in charge, I had planned this trip and all of the itinerary. We stopped in Douglasville, Ga. on our way home to have lunch. It seemed as though cell phones started ringing in unison with people from Yazoo City calling and checking on their loved ones.
A major F4 tornado had just ravaged Yazoo City and many people were worried about the ones on the bus with us. These calls were coming from people concerned about thier loved ones who wanted to hear their voices to ensure that they were OK.
There was much concern. For me it was even a greater concern because I didn’t know what I was bringing these lovely people back to. Would they have a place to stay that night? Would there homes and belongings still be there?
Many questions raced through my mind as we headed home, but we didn’t move the bus from where we were without going to the Lord in prayer first. As we traveled toward home cell phone batteries began to run down and communication was limited to myself and the other driver. We were the only ones who had plug-ins for our phones and our entire group were depending on us for news.
Just as Abraham traveled and didn’t know what he was going into, he praised the Lord for leading him in His direction. This group of senior adults are very resilient people and they also praised the Lord for what they would have whenever we arrived at our hometown. Fortunately, very few of them had damage and the Lord blessed our trip with safety.
The lesson in all of this is that the Lord is leading us. All of us need to stop and listen to Him and seek His guidance in where He wants us to go instead of going in the direction we want to go. If we will get on our knees and talk to God then the message will come across loud and clear. We just have to get ourselves and our selfish interest out of the way. God loves all of us, and we are His children. Just as you lead and direct the lives of your children, God will not lead you into something that will hurt you or damage you.
Prayer: Father, thank you for your love and your guidance. I pray that I will listen to you each and everyday. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday - Proverbs 12:13-19; Monday - James 1:19-25; Tuesday - 1 Samuel 3:8-10; Wednesday -John 10:22-30 ; Thursday - Mark 9:7; Friday - Ecclesiastes 5:1-7; Saturday - Acts 3:22-23.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.comd