Sis. Barbara Minger

Sis. Barbara Ann Minger went to be with the Lord Saturday May 23. Sadly she left this world with no living relatives, but left a church family in mourning. As I thought of her passing I was reminded of the scripture in James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." How quickly our lives have come and gone, from the time of our birth to the time of our death. The sad thing about all of us is that we are so busy with life that we forget the true meaning of life. Your life on earth was not given from God for us to get so busy we forget and neglect God. When a minister stands before a congregation at a funeral or memorial service, they cannot preach your funeral because your life has already preached your funeral. Sadly people will forget the date of your birth and most will forget the date of your death. But there is a poem that is simply titled "The Dash" and it refers to the dash mark on a tombstone between your date of birth and your date of death. This dash reflects your entire life and what was accomplished and how you lived your life. Many people somehow have the idea that the preacher at the funeral can make their life acceptable to the community and also to God, but a minister can only console a family during this time they cannot change your past. Then there are funerals when you can stand before a congregation and know that the person being memorialized closed their eyes in this world and awaken in the joys of heaven. The point of this is that your final destination is up to you, not the preacher of your funeral. None of us has a guarentee of how long we will be on this earth, but we have already been informed of our time after death, ETERNITY! The choice is your, heaven or hell? You will be the one making the reservation for your destination, as Moses stood before the people in Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" Please choose Jesus the giver of Life.. Pastor Stuart