Beverly Joy Roberts

We have all lost someone we've loved to the cruelty of the grave.  When this happens--we are sure to experience grief.  Death equals separation and sadness, there's just no way around it.  Whether you are a Believer or an unbeliever, mourning is part of our DNA.   It's the way God made us. When my mother died in 1975, I grieved.  And after all these years, I still become emotional when I think about the wonderful person she was, and how much I miss her gentleness in my life.   The scripture in I Thessalonians 4:13 (NET) says this,  Now we do not want you to be uninformed,  brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep,  so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope . This scripture gives me an insurmountable peace of mind.  I don't have to grieve like those who have no hope.   That phrase in Thessalonians gives me both permission to grieve and instruction in how to grieve.  I may grieve, but I don't have to grieve as a person withou

I've heard my husband use this phrase in sermons many times.  "We often remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember."  As I get older, I can honestly say, I've got that  forget  part down to perfection.  It's the  remembering  part I struggle with of late.   Yet, there is one thing I hope I never forget.  It's the power I have to forgive.   Through Jesus, I have an amazing example of forgiveness  given  and through my salvation I  received  that forgiveness, yet I often forget what Christ did for me when it's my turn to extend forgiveness to another.   I forget, there was nothing in me, that He should even care for my wreathed life, yet He did. I am thankful today for forgiveness given and forgiveness received.  There is much power, truth and liberation in these two words  given and received .   Today, you may be carrying the pain of unforgiveness.  Not fun!  Let it go.  Forgive as you have been forgiven.

There is no pride in my tone when I say that I'm a repeat offender.  It's true.  I rarely learn my lessons the first time around.   When I look back at my life-education, and by 'life-education' I'm not talking about book learning.  I'm taking about--the school of LIFE.   At this institution of higher learning, I am a scholar.  Some of the painful lessons I've learned could also be called mistakes .  And we all know that past mistakes have a way of pressing in on a person to the point of physical agony.        I know that sounds painful, and it is.  Remember, I'm a scholar when it comes to mistakes .   The one good thing to say about past mistakes is that during these agonizing times,  we often learn our best lessons--over time of course--never right away.   When I read the Bible, I discover that I'm in excellent company when it comes to people who have made mistakes and didn't give-up.  In some of these Bible stories you c

November is officially the month of thankfulness.  More than any other time of the year, right now, we hear this question, what are you thankful for? Soooo,  What am I thankful for?  What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear that question? Of course, we are all thankful for the Lord and His great sacrifice, but what comes next?  What get's the #2 spot?  Family?  Good health?  Church?  Job?  Friends?  Godly upbringing?  Shelter? I decided over the next few weeks to pick things that aren't usually in the top ten of most people's thankful list--yet--they are things to be thankful for, so here goes. I'm thankful for the opportunity to give back .  Over the course of my life, I've had my fair share of both receiving and giving.  The career path my husband and I chose for our lives has given us ample opportunities to give back over the years. There are many ways to  give back, such as,   giving back with our finances, our time, ou