On Sunday morning, Mark and I received the word of the death of William Bronner Burgess. It was a gut-punch! Mark and I immediately prayed for Rick and Sherri, their children, and the rest of the members of the Rick and Bubba show. We sat in dismay, just trying to absorb the shock. Then we went to church. When we arrived, we received our bulletin and the following was this week's Pastor's letter from Pastor Bill. This was written on Thursday morning but because of Bill's obedience to the Spirit, was a huge help on Sunday morning! I have received his permission to reprint this here and I hope that it will be a help and encouragement and blessing to many others, whether you are mourning Bronner's death, or dealing with some other obstacle in your life.

Dear Grace Family and Friends,
I trust that you "cold weather buffs" enjoyed the snow Wednesday night! I'll confess that it was beautiful even though I'm glad it didn't hang around. When the temperature goes below 40, I just want to hibernate and wait for spring. Doing so, however, steals the potential joy that comes from making each day count for "the cause of Christ". So, like it or not, I bundle up and press on even in the cold. There's a great spiritual lesson to be learned from the weather. Each of us faces similarly unpleasant circumstances at times. It might be related to our family or our finances; it might be the result of our health or our hobbies; it might involve our friends or foes. Most people find "conflict" so entirely distasteful we'll go to any lengths to avoid it. But what about the blessing God intends for us as He shows Himself Mighty in the midst of the struggle. If we truly believe The Scripture, we can't eliminate or overlook Romans 8:28; "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose" We have God's Promise that He is doing something special in our lives, even amid frustrating circumstances. So whether it's an unreasonable boss or an unexpected ice storm; "all things" really means all things! As such, God's Children must learn to face each circumstance in life with an unwavering faith that refuses to be discouraged or defeated. How do we get there from here? By simply doing it! We must determine in advace to see opportunities for God's Glory to be revealed in us rather than obstacles to knock us off track. It's not easy but it's possible by faith in Jesus Christ! The question we answer every single day is whether or not we are willing! Think about that when your storms come. May God Richly Bless You As You Strive To Do His Will! I love you!
Pastor Bill

It is never enough to just "endure"; that is not what God calls us to do. It would usually be easier, but that is not God's desire for His children.