Cason, Age 13    Andrew, Age 11    Michael, Age 9   Matthew, Age 6    Miriam, Age 5

          Dear Friends,

It has been a great year for our family. The children are "growing like weeds". Since we all live together in the same home, everyone has a hand in that growing process. Most importantly, we pray that they grow in grace and their love for the lord. 

I made a promise to keep this little letter little. The promises we make are not always honored, but those God makes are always kept. Our friend, John Knox, from Hamilton, GA, writes that there are more than 7,000 promises to God's people in scripture. That's 100 promises a year over 70 years, two brand new promises per week. Do you receive them, or have you missed a few? Take God's promise in Acts 1:8. You know, the one where Jesus promises that we will receive the Holy Spirit so that we will be able to be His witnesses. Most believers think of this as a command and react with fear and anxiety. Visions of angry people rejecting both you and your God make you shudder. So you try to avoid the subject, but you still feel guilty for not obeying. Stop and look at Acts 1:8 again. The opportunity to tell others about Jesus is His promise to us, not our duty. He also promises not to lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on us. When you are in God's company, you learn to live freely and lightly. But, when we try to perform a promise of God that only He can perform through us, we just mess up and burn out. The power for you to be effective comes when He reveals the Holy Spirit, first to you and then through you. With each day, as you receive the fullness of joy (another one of God's promises!) the joy of the Lord will flow through you to shine forth (without fear or anxiety) to a dark and restless world. The peace that passes understanding will bring peace to others. Then you will share with others. That is His promise! The way we live our lives speaks volumes. By loving God with everything we have and loving others as we would have them love us, we are following his commandment that says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and will all your soul and with all  your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it - 'you should love your neighbor as yourself'. On these two commandments hang all the laws and the profits". Matthew 22: 37-40. 

In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words." The words that we use to share Christ with others are words from the Bible. Romans 3:23 tells us that Jesus stands at the door knocking. We are separated from God by sin. "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." Salvation means 'deliverance' or 'rescue'. God shows His own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God's gift of salvation promises us Eternal Life. Romans 6:23 "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus, our Lord." Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Ask, and you will receive. Ask Him to be your Savior right now. 

Pray, Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me Eternal Life. Take control of my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be." Amen.

Blessing to All. 

Love,  

Anne and the Whole Hoegger Family

Joey, Amanda, Joe Hoegger
and (Little Ed)