What brings me to this quote is when I became Bishop. One of the other men that had a Bible to open was Elmer. I thought Elmer would be the one the Lord would chose, for sure. Elmer is a much better speaker than I am. He has a better understanding of people than I. He often can see the good side of something others of us see bad. He always seems to know just the right thing to say. So, I thought for sure, the Lord would chose him as Bishop.
Was I shocked when I opened my Bible and found that the Lord had chosen me. Elmer and I were sitting next to each other. I softly said to Elmer, God must have made some mistake. Elmer being Elmer patted me on the back and told me that God had chosen the right one. At home, that evening I said, I thought maybe God had made a mistake. That's one of the times my mom said God don't make no mistakes.
In our lives, we don't understand why certain things happen to us. I still don't know why the Lord chose me over Elmer, but he had a reason. We don't understand why things happen to us. But, sometimes, it is not for us to understand.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "There is a right for everything; A time to be born, a time to die, A time to plant, A time to harvest; A time to kill, A time to heal, A time to destroy, A time to rebuild, A time to cry, A time to laugh, A time to grieve, A time to dance, A time for scattering stones, A time for gathering stones, A time to hug, A time not to hug, A time to find, A time to lose, A time for keeping, A time for throwing away, A time to tear, A time to repair, A time to be quiet, A time to speak up, A time for loving, A time for hating, A time for war, A time for peace." If my memory serves me right, I think this was in a song by Peter, Paul and Mary. Yes, I do know something about the Englisher music.
These are the way of our lives. These are things that happen to us. We were all born - we will all die. If you are into gardening or farming you know there is a time to plant and a time to harvest. Amish do not believe in killing people - but many of us, myself included have gone hunting. Our life goes on and on like these bible verses. Yet, much of the reasons, we do not understand why this happens to us.
Lord has a way, a pattern for us through life. Sometimes we make mistakes a long the way and mess up - myself included. Times, I have done what I thought was right and found out that wasn't what the Lord wanted me to do at all. Then, the Lord has always led to me the way where I should be. None of us is perfect in this life. We all make mistakes. We all have done things the Lord didn't want us to do.
Sometimes I think of life as the war in the above verses. Things are just not going right. I don't have peace with the Lord inside that I should. I want the time for peace. I want the peace with the Lord, I should have. I think we have all been in that spot a certain times in our lives.
Prayer, reading the Bible, and attending church are the way to the Lord. Remember to thank the Lord for all He has done, even when you don't understand. Reading the Bible helps you to understand the Lord and maybe the way of your life better. Attending church, I am not telling you to join the Amish or Old Order Mennonite, but a Bible teaching church. You are with others who have the same understanding, problems, good times, and fellowship.
The Lord does not want you to start the year with problems, heavy weights and hard time on our hearts. Maybe in life, we do, but not in our hearts. He wants us to have His love, His joy and understanding. He does not want this New Year's to be a time of war, but a time of peace.
Pray in thanking the Lord and if you don't have it already, ask for the time of peace in this coming New Year.
Happy New Year,
Bishop Eli and Emma
THERE WILL BE A POST ON TOMORROW.
19 comments:
Good morning, Marilyn. Please tell Bishop Eli thank you. A very timely message for me.
Good Morning Angela,
I will see that Bishop Eli gets your message.
Happy New Year,
Marilyn
Wishing a Wonder-full New Year to all.
Good Morning Tom,
Wish the same back to you.
Happy New Year,
Marilyn
Hi Folks,
In Amish News, which is on the right of this - there it tells about an Amish house fire a couple of towns from where I live. The house is a total loss, but everyone got out.
Marilyn
This message right here is a fine example of why Eli is Bishop.
Thank you Bishop Eli!
Good Morning Vickie,
You are right. I will see that Bishop Eli gets your message.
Hugs to Mable, Henry and Murphy,
Marilyn and Pierre
Once again, another good post.
Good Morning Lily,
Thank you for the compliment. Will see that Bishop Eli gets your message.
Happy New Year,
Marilyn
Good morning Marilyn,
Catching up this week and I loved your beautiful sky photos, the photo review of 2015, especially Pierre and his friends. Bishop Eli has great wisdom and I loved his post today as we look to the New Year. I wish Bishop Eli and Emma, Bishop Joseph and Martha, Elmer and Anna, David and Jean, and all their families, you and Pierre, and all the readers here, a blessed and Happy New Year.
Thank you, Bishop Eli, for your most inciteful post. And you are so very right! Many blessings to you and Emma as we all move on into a new year to worship, praise and serve our Lord.
Hi Marilyn, Feel free to use the sunset pic I sent to you if you would like to do so. I sure thought it was pretty. Thanks for the card, too! It's so cute! Blessings, Carol
Many thanks and blessings, Bishop Eli, for your comforting and
profound thoughts...A year filled with good health, well being,
and peace to all....
many blessings to you, Marilyn, and to all that post here on your blog! Bishop Eli's post was very poignant and a wonderful message to read when the new year is upon us!
and i hope this isn't blasphemous but i think that the reason that The Lord chose Bishop Eli to be Bishop is because Elmer is waaaaay toooo funny and service with Elmer would have everyone laughing their heads off! Elmer IS very intuitive and provides great advice and is very understanding...i am sure that his services would be very profound. but they would also be funny as all get go. he wouldn't be able to help himself!
when you pass on this message to Bishop Eli and Elmer - i hope they understand what i mean. i mean it in the nicest of ways. (c'mon...everyone has got to admit that Elmer is funny!)
sending much love to all of you who post here, and to you, Marilyn. and blessings to all in 2016.
your friend,
kymber
To Bishop Eli - Great advice for the New Year. Thank you. Question: Are you reading a Bible that is not the King James version? Or not the Geneva version? I've been very reluctant, in fact, unable to open any but the King James version. Good and great religious men suffered greatly to bring us the KJ Bible. I can't think that the efforts of "modern" minds to make the Bible "easier" to understand could be considered inspired when the new Bibles take us further and further from the original languages of the scriptures....which, today, are indecipherable except to rare, trained translators. We have "callings" in our church, too. I was called to lead the music in the women's meetings and also in the general assemblage when I couldn't even read music. Did God choose the wrong person? No, those He calls, he qualifies. I love to read your posts, Bishop. Thank you so much. Kathie, in Odessa, WA.
Hi Folks,
I will see that Bishop Eli and everyone else gets your messages. I do know that Bishop Eli, Elmer and Bishop Joseph all use the King James version of the Bible when putting posts on here. Also, I know they have a German Bible that Bishop Eli and Elmer use in their church. Bishop Joseph uses King James.
Happy New Year,
Marilyn
Hi Folks,
IF YOU DRIVE, DON'T DRINK.
IF YOU DRINK, DON'T DRIVE
I want you all back here.
Marilyn
What a great way for all of us to end 2015 and start 2016 with the messages from Bishop Eli and Elmer. Many thanks to both of them, and to you Marilyn. Also, once again many thanks to everyone who has taken time to from their busy lives to give you posts for this blog. I agree, Elmer does have a great sense of humor. It may have helped him through some difficult times throughout his life. Would Elmer ever want to tell us about some of the things in his everyday life he has had to adapt, change, modify, etc to be able to live his active life?
A Happy and Healthy New Year to all the "family".
Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for your compliments. I will see that everyone gets them. Elmer does have a sense of humor. Will give him your message and request. Knowing Elmer, he will tell about some of the things he had to adapt or change.
A Happy and Healthy New Year To you and yours,
Marilyn
Thanks for sharing, nice post! Post really provice useful information!
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