Hi First name / friend,

 

 

Those were the words a 91-year-old woman said to me after I finished interviewing her. She lives in an assisted living facility here in Hilton Head and indicated that she doesn’t have many people in her life who want to hear what she has to say.

 

I’ve always maintained that part of the heart behind Eternal Echoes is to gift older men and women with something that has become increasingly rare: a listening ear.

 

And in that moment, I was reminded just how meaningful that gift can be.

 

Hooray! I’ve finally started publishing clips from some of the interviews I've been doing with men and women in local assisted living facilities. Below are three I've released so far:

Roselind Meyer, 85, grew up in the war, a daughter of missionary parents. From a young age, traumatized from going in and out of air raid shelters and never knowing if she or her family would survive, she developed a fear of being abandoned. BUT God…

👉🏻 Watch on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube

Wanda Eastham, 85, recalls the moment she encountered the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit during a lecture at an international Catholic charismatic conference at Notre Dame University…

👉🏻 Watch on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube

Mary Jane Cheeseman, 91, reflects on how God delights in His children showing love, kindness and patience to people – and even animals…

 

 

I'm thrilled to share that I'll be joining other speakers and ministry leaders at an upcoming event that’s making a big impact in churches of all sizes and settings: Generations Together: A One-Day Online Conference on October 22nd.

 

Hosted by ReFocus Ministry, “Generations Together” is designed to help churches break down age barriers and build up lasting intergenerational discipleship. 

 

I was a breakout speaker last year and am excited to be returning! You can learn more about the conference and register here.

I recently had coffee with a dear older friend – someone the Lord strategically placed in my life shortly after I launched Eternal Echoes. She radiates the pure love and joy of Christ and is a well of wisdom.

 

We were talking about how difficult life can be and how important it is to maintain the right perspective. She shared something that has stuck with me. Drawing from the old game show Press Your Luck, where contestants would declare, “I’m going to press my luck!” she said that each morning, she wakes up and declares, “I’m going to count my blessings!”

 

Her words made me think of Psalm 118:24: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Notice that the psalmist doesn’t say, “We feel like rejoicing.” He says, “We will.”

 

Joy isn’t always a feeling. Sometimes, it’s a choice. And sometimes, one of the greatest acts of faith is choosing to rejoice – even when joy feels far away.

 

So today, I invite you to join me in taking my friend’s advice to choose joy and count your blessings. Because even in the midst of life's trials, there is always something worth thanking God for.

Welcome back to the “Articles of Interest” section, otherwise known as “Texts from Mom” (see above), where I share articles my mom (read: unpaid research assistant) sends me that connect with the mission of Eternal Echoes.

 

Here are a few articles worth reading:

 

 

 

 

When was the last time you paid attention to what you were thinking about? Took an inventory of your thoughts?

 

My latest piece for Until All Flourish explores the importance of recognizing the subtle lies that shape our thinking – and replacing them with God’s truth.

Blessings,

Thank you to our donors who make this ministry possible. If you'd like to partner with Eternal Echoes, you can do so by hitting the button below. Thank you and God bless you!