Friday, October 23, 2015

For Bryan



"For Bryan"

Quick to laugh,
Or to share a kind word,
With hands always helpful,
And ears never rushed.

A wit that was quick,
And a heart that was large;
You gave of yourself,
Without thought of the cost.

You loved your Lord Jesus,
And sought to obey,
His will for your life,
With some bumps on the way.

Your faith never faltered,
Though tested and tried.
You pushed past doubt and fear,
Inspiring all with your life.

You are gone now, my brother,
But we will meet again.
Run free and breathe easy,
With our Savior and Lord.

©®2015  Kevin E. Ness

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

My Beloved Son



My dear Elijah,

Today you pass through a significant doorway on your journey to becoming a True Man, who loves Jesus with all of his heart, and soul, and strength.  Today is your 13th Birthday.  It has been, and always will be, a privilege to love, raise, watch over, teach, correct, nurture and provide for you, first as your Daddy, and now as your Dad. 

Your Mom and I have been richly blessed to watch you grow up and mature from a little child, to child, to big boy.  And now today, June 17, 2015, you officially enter the stage of being a young man.  I am pleased with the man you are becoming, and I look forward to continuing to guide you on this journey. 

Elijah, my son, it is a perilous journey at times, fraught with many obstacles, temptations, dangers, traps and snares.  Satan, who has been given temporary power as ruler of this world, and those who listen to his lies, will do everything they can to discourage, distract, tempt, shame and threaten you into thinking that it isn’t worth all the hassle to read and meditate on His Word, or spend time in prayer, or follow God’s will, plan and direction for your life.  But my son, the rewards for staying on the straight and narrow path that the Lord has laid out for your life are so far beyond anything that this world could ever offer, that it is impossible to measure the difference.

My beloved son, know that you do not walk this path alone.  The Lord will always be your shield and hedge, and I will always have your back, through prayer and my presence.  Your Mom and many other brothers and sisters in Christ are in this battle with us.  We will walk shoulder to shoulder as we enter into this battle to live our lives for the glory of God, and to wage war against the enemy of the souls of all mankind, by boldly proclaiming that every captive can be set free through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and His death, burial and resurrection.

I don’t know exactly how this will all play out, as far as choices along the way.  But I know that the Lord does, and as you earnestly seek His face, and His will, and counsel from godly men and women, He will guide you.  And when we make mistakes, as we will, know that Jesus always stands ready to forgive when we ask, because He already paid for it on the cross.

I love you, Elijah, and I like you, and I am blessed beyond measure to call you my son.

Love,
Dad