{"id":360,"date":"2015-08-12T21:44:58","date_gmt":"2015-08-13T02:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/?p=360"},"modified":"2015-08-12T21:45:14","modified_gmt":"2015-08-13T02:45:14","slug":"a-letter-in-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/canoe.stephencoleman.net\/?p=360","title":{"rendered":"A Letter in August…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Readers,<\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span><\/strong>t\u2019s been awhile since I\u2019ve had the opportunity to write. \u00a02015 has been a very challenging year for my wife\u00a0and I so far.\u00a0 It\u2019s presented serious health issues for me, losses that we\u2019ve grieved\u00a0together, and other struggles within my immediate family.\u00a0 Last Christmas, Denise presented me with the gift of Susan Boyle\u2019s latest CD titled \u201cHope.\u201d\u00a0 If you\u2019re at all\u00a0familiar with Susan, you will know that she\u2019s a Scottish singer who rose from relative obscurity after appearing on \u201cBritain\u2019s Got Talent\u201d back in 2009.\u00a0 Besides being a very humble person, she has a beautiful voice that I personally find quite mesmerizing.\u00a0 In fact, I own all six of her CD\u2019s and often listen to her while driving.\u00a0 Her latest CD (Hope) features inspirational songs that offer encouragement.\u00a0 One of the songs\u00a0featured on the CD is an acapella arrangement of the old hymn \u201cAbide With Me.\u201d\u00a0 This song quickly became one of my favorites on the CD and I\u2019ve listened to it over and over again.\u00a0 The first verse goes like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;<\/span><\/p>\n

The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;<\/span><\/p>\n

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,<\/span><\/p>\n

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Although I grew up singing the old hymns from a young age in church, I\u2019d never heard this song (to my recollection), and I had no memory of ever singing it. \u00a0Something within the words resonated with me, and little did I know that it would\u00a0become the theme song of sorts for me in 2015.\u00a0 Through all the storms in life, we as Christians can cling to the fact that our hope is in the eternal and our God does indeed abide with us!\u00a0 When the comfortable times vanish, others fail us, and the skies of life get dark with storm clouds, our helper and strong deliver will always abide with us.\u00a0 I wish each of you a great rest of 2015.\u00a0 As we approach the fall season and life gets busier and more hectic, don\u2019t forget to carry your candle in the darkness and shine your Christ light as you go and light your world!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

May the Lord of us all bless and keep you always,<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Stephen<\/p>\n