Some comments from readers . . .

“I couldn’t put this book down . . . I stayed up all night and I was so blessed by this . . .”

“I recently lost my father and this book helped me put things into perspective.”

“Good job! I hope you will publish another edition!”

“Pastor Houston, I’ve been a fan of yours since your San Diego days and to read this book, I could imagine seeing you preach this! I think this book should be at some seminaries to help students learn how to minister to the bereaved with hope.”

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PRESS RELEASE
PASTOR ROBERT EARL HOUSTON
FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY

FRANKFORT, KY - The finishing touches are being added to a new book authored by Pastor Robert Earl Houston which will be released in April 2013.  The book, “See You In The Morning: Messages of Comfort and Hope for the Bereaved,” is a great collection of messages authored by Pastor Houston.

In this book, published under the imprint of hD Christian Publishers, this 100 page read will strengthen your confidence in the Lord’s word and promises, make you laugh, make you cry, and make you not only heal from the passages of time, but encourage you to look to a future with the Lord in eternity.

Please go to http://www.roberthouston.org for updates on the book and we are proud to announce that the book will be carried via Amazon.com and will be on Kindle and iBooks through Apple. A special will be ran on http://www.roberthouston.org for autographed copies.

The foreward writer is Pastor Darron LaMonte Edwards, Sr., pastor of the United Believers Community Church of Kansas City, Missouri.

Pastor Houston is the 17th senior pastor of the First Baptist Church, Frankfort, KY and serves in various denominational venues as President, Kentucky State Convention of the Progressive National Baptist Convention; Chairman of the Publishing Board, General Association of Baptists in Kentucky; Board Member and Webmaster, Progressive National Baptist Convention; and has served congregations in Portland, Oregon, Fresno, California, San Diego, California and Nashville, Tennessee.  He is a member of the Gospel Music Workshop of America and the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.  He is the husband of Jessica G. Houston and they reside in Frankfort, the state capitol.

While this is sad news, I am heartened especially on this weekend.  This scripture explains:

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

This is not the end.  As a matter of fact, it is really only the beginning.  Scripture tells us that our lives here on earth are only a vapor…a misty wisp of air.  Eternity is a long, long time in comparison.  I trusted Christ as my Savior a little over 30 years ago.  My Mom did also, as explained here.  This has nothing to do with being a Baptist or any other denomination.  It has to do with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and trusting in, leaning upon that alone so that I might have a right standing before God.  He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, “the Lord, our righteousness.”  As an ex-nun friend of mine would say, “It is not at all about what we DO, it is all about what has already been DONE.”

Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I have a surety that I will see my Mom again.  There are also precious comforts that I have been thinking about this morning:

1. The first and best is that my Mom, who had macular degeneration and also cataracts,  will see her Savior first of all.  Clearly, up close, and personal.  I am thrilled for her!
2. Every time I would speak to Mom on the phone, she’d ask that we pray that her remaining eyesight would hold out until God called her home.  He did.
3. We all got to talk with her only a few days ago by phone.  She had wonderful chats with the girls.  My son, who is somewhat shy and not big on phone conversations, was actually persuaded to talk with her.  I heard my Mom say, “You know I love you, don’t you?”  What I didn’t know (Michael had walked down the hall with the phone) was that he had quietly whispered, “I love you too.”  Mom told me later, and I could tell how much it meant to her.
4. I am grateful that my brother, with whom Mom has been living since she moved from here a few years ago due to health challenges, is not in unfamiliar territory in making some difficult decisions.  This is very much the same road that he and my other brother were dealing with concerning my Dad (at the time, we were en route).  The choices are very similar.  This time, with no one else right there this moment to help decide things, it is as if he has Dad by his side.
5. Although we have tentatively planned a private memorial service for immediate family in Ohio (Mom wanted to be buried by my Dad in the military cemetery in Cleveland where he is interred), the church family in FL will have a memorial service in support of Tom and his family.  I have had such wonderful support from friends in our church, from family, and from so many literally across the world via the internet.
6. I have some meaningful keepsakes that Mom gave to me before she moved to FL. Her mother’s ring, a favorite tea pot, a string of pearls that Dad had bought her (to be passed down to Erin)…and many other every day articles from her household.  I can literally look around most every room in the house and find reminders of her generous spirit.

God is good.  Good night Mom.  I’ll see you in the morning. Click here to listen to a precious song.

We knew them as our comrades. We shall raise
Heads that are proud with sorrow when men tell
Of brave young souls who stood and fought and fell
And left to us their heritage of days.
We shall remember, on the paths we blaze,
The land, the hopes they loved and guarded well.
We shall be still, touched deeply by the spell
Of gratitude they leave with us always.
The future is not ours to take or squander;
These comrades of our boyhood, it is theirs. Where freedom lives, where poverty is slain,
There shall their spirit dwell, their footsteps wander
Over our hills, and in our thoroughfares Their selfless accents shall be heard again.
by George Haslett Connor

If we stop to think about our promises for our tomorrows given so lightly, we can see that no one can promise tomorrow because “tomorrow is promised to no one.” What gallery will your works of art hang? The gallery of regret or the gallery of honor…What are the precious artifacts that are your treasures?

Tomorrow belongs to no one…Filmed at the Corcoran Callery of Art

Now, I was already all hot and bothered on June 25^th when I heard that one of Charlie’s own had lost her battle with cancer. I was livid that the Farrah news was quickly overshadowed by the death of Michael Jackson. But tonight when I saw that Jackson had been included in the Oscar In Memoriam tribute, after he had only appeared in  one major motion picture (The Wiz(1978)), when Fawcett has starred in more than three (including her independent spirit award-winning performance in The Apostle(1997), as well as  See You in the Morning(1989), Cannonball Run(1981) and the fantastic Man of the House (1995), which she starred in with J.T.T.) I was exasperated; and as I screamed out loud, I had to quickly rewind my tivo to make sure my eyes didn’t miss the goddess of 70s popculture-the Oscars are getting sloppy.

Farrah Fawcett is best known for her blown out 70s trade mark hair sported in both her infamous pin-up poster and on Television as  Jill Munroe from ABC’s Charlie’s Angels.  Fawcett was one of few romantic Hollywood discoveries, ala Lana Turner and Schwab’s Pharmacy, a producer saw her picture in a layout of sorority girls in Crashbox magazine in the early 70s and crafted her into a star.  In 1976, she landed a role as one of three kick ass women detectives in the infamous Charlie’s Angels. She has also acted on Broadway and in various Television films. I would say she was much more of an actor than the so-called King of Pop.

At 50, Farrah became one of the oldest women to appear nude in Playboy.

Farrah, I miss your  tendency to follow the instructions of men you have never met, your tight red bathing suits complimented by your angelic glow, and your unnaturally windblown curls.

Farrah Fawcett, I, for one, miss your face-Shassie

*Bea Arthur’s death was also ignored by the Academy. Some intern is going to get a lot of shit for this.