Last night Jared was our guest speaker at our church.

If you would like to listen to the audio of Jared’s message, you can here.

I was very encouraged and impressed by the way Jared carried himself and spoke with a calm confidence.

Northwestern University is going to be very pleased with this young man and student-athlete!

With his right hand leaning on his walking cane and his left hand holding his wife’s hand, he turned to me with tears in his eyes and said with a shaky voice – “would it be ok to bend over and kiss her?”

I answered, “Absolutely!”

Forty-two years ago this gentleman had stood before his wife, a minister, and a small crowd of people and verbally spoke a vow to love his wife “for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for better or worse.”

Loving your wife is what the Bible says Husbands are supposed to do (Ephesians 5:25).

Today I was the minister at her funeral. This was a funeral I was called to do without knowing the family. For the record, I did not know a single person in the entire chapel. But that did not at all keep God from blessing me so greatly.

The dear lady that passed away was 65 years old and had been married to her husband for 42 years. He got choked up speaking with me about his wife prior to the service. I could sense then that he really loved her.

We live in a day when deeply loving your wife and expressing it is rare. So when I get a chance to observe it, I really watch and learn. I have only been married 7 years. But I love Valeria, and I often tell her that I cannot wait until we are 70 together. I love her so much now and can hardly imagine how deep our love will be then after 45 years together.

But today as the funeral service concluded and the congregation filed out, I was eager to see how this faithful & simple husband would handle saying his “final words” to his wife before the casket was closed.

I was so impacted.

He slowly walked to the casket all by himself. With his right hand he was gripping his walking cane and with his left hand he reached down and grabbed his deceased wife’s hand (like he had done that countless times before). It was then with tears in his eyes, he turned to me and asked “Would it be ok to bend over and kiss her?” My eyes immediately teared up. I quickly responded “Absolutely.”

The gentleman bent over, kissed his bride, and then wept as he slowly exited the chapel.

He loved her! He loved his wife. That is what he was supposed to do. That is what he had vowed to do 42 years ago. And that is what he did. Even as she lay there in the casket with a few people standing around, as a farewell, he wanted to kiss her. awesome!

That moment blessed me so very much today.

As I got in my car to drive to the cemetery, I sent this text to my wife Valeria:

“mi amor, Vale,  I love you so very much. Im yours forever. I mean it. Im never letting go. You are so so so special to me.”

Yesterday C’eira Ricketts was drafted 12th in the 2nd Round (24th overall) by the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.

Ricketts played her college ball in the SEC for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

C’eira played her High School basketball right here in Fairdale at Fairdale High School where she graduated from in 2008.

Ricketts was an absolute star in high school. I recall watching many of her games and being amazed at how much better she was than every other girl on the court. She also had great success at Arkansas. This article here reviews her college career.

Not only do I remember C’eira being a fantastic ball player, but I also remember her being a great person. Our church often fed the Boys & Girls Basketball teams pre-game meals, so C’eira has been in our church many times. And I recall eating and talking with her. She was a blessing to be around.

As a Fairdale citizen and supporter of Fairdale athletics, I am very proud to see Ricketts fulfilling her dream of playing basketball professionally.

Last week I was blessed to be able to attend the 2012 Together for the Gospel Conference.

This is a biennial Pastor’s conference that meets in downtown Louisville, KY at the KFC Yum Center.

I was so encouraged by going. Here are a few reasons why:

• I am thankful to my church for sending me to this conference and for seeing it as important for me to continue becoming a better pastor.
• I am thankful to my wife Valeria for allowing me to be gone all day long for three straight days.
• At T4G I ran into so many old friends. I was in seminary fro 2003-2006. Many of my seminary friends I have not seen in years, but at this conference I ran into so many of them who are spread out all over the world doing ministry.
• I was able to take a friend in the ministry who had never attended T4G before. He was so blessed to be a part of the conference.
• The Preaching was outstanding. I do not recall ever being a part of something where I heard so many outstanding Biblical sermons. My soul was challenged, convicted and stirred.
• Pastors with years of experience are such a blessing. God gifts many men to preach well. Young guys with little experience can preach great sermons, but there is something extra poweful and mighty about an older man who has served the Lord and His Church for many years who is able to speak with maturity and confidence.

The Conference theme this year was “Together for the Underestimated Gospel.” There were 9 sessions. We heard 9 different preachers preach. I was there for every session except the Wednesday night session when David Platt preached. I will have to watch that sermon online someday this week.

Here are a few quotes from each of the sermons. I hope they bless you as they did me:

C.J. Mahaney-  -“We are not innovators; we are proclaimers.”
-“Paul never got over the mercy he received.”
–“When you cannot see God’s hand, you must learn to trust His heart.” -Charles Spurgeon

Albert Mohler- -“St. Francis of Assisi most likely did not say the quote that he is often known for. ‘Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.’”
–“Our responsibility is to get the Gospel to their ears, and God will get it from their ears to their hearts.” -Martin Luther
–“Romans 10 is the whole machinery of salvation.” -Charles Spurgeon

Mark Dever- –“If you are not willing to wake up an hour early to go and pick up a 90 year old man and give him a ride to church, then I seriously have to              wonder if you are saved.”
-“False conversions can be the suicide of the church.”
-“Pastors should always be evangelizing steadily and well.”

Thabiti Anyabwile- -“The biggest hindrance in the Middle East is Christians lack of confidence in the Gospel.”
-“Be careful with new converts. Most are not like Paul.”
-“Preach the Gospel every sermon. Remember God only has one sermon. Genesis to Revelation God has the same message.” (This was my favorite quote from the entire week.)

Kevin Deyoung- -“The Spirit’s work is to being glory to Christ. (John 16:14)”
-“If you have an anger problem or a bitterness problem, you can be sure what you really have is Gratitude problem.”

David Platt- -(I have not heard this sermon yet, but here are 2 great quotes I’ve heard from it.)
-“There are more believers in some of your Sunday School classes than there are in the whole country of Yemen.”
-“God is not calling you to be involved in His work among the nations because He needs you, but instead because He loves you.”

Ligon Duncan- -“David Platt’s sermon at this year’s T4G is the best sermon I have ever heard on missions.”
-“When the bottom falls out & disappointments come, you will learn what you believe, what you love and what you treasure.”
-“When you start hearing or thinking you can get what you want or you deserve this, then you better believe that voice always comes with a hiss.”

Matt Chandler-

John Piper- -“I am utterly amazed that after all these years, I am still a Christian.”
-“If God called you, you will be kept.”
-“You should be absolutely stunned that you are still a Christian. It takes all of that (Jude 24-25).”
-“Jude is a book about being kept by God’s power.”