Blog

Our Christmas tree claims over 1200 lights along with various ornaments made by the kids or bought from vacation spots. I’m wondering why we light up our corners of the world with bright colorful lights around this time of year, getting ready for Christmas in “the bleak mid-winter.” That’s part of the answer. We do not like the dark and gloomy winter so we add lights to ward off our feelings of gloom and shadowy dimness of mind.

Weeks before Christmas, as soon after Thanksgiving as allowed, we get out the boxes of decorations and start changing our settings. At our house we take away the usual decor on table tops and replace them with delightful, stored-away Christmas-themed decorations. Our daughter and her husband have found a good way to make the exchange. We place the usual items in the empty boxes until after Epiphany and exchange them when we store away the Christmas decorations.

Becky and Paul start with putting lights on the Christmas tree. This year they started with all white lights and I thought they had finished. No. Then they hung strings of colored lights. Next Becky got into the carefully stored ornaments and finished decorating the tree while Paul went outside to spruce up the setting for those who drive by. He strung red and white lights around the two columns like peppermint sticks. Then he added various colored lights on bushes, hung a star in a tall tree, and brought out his favorite, a small Christmas tree he had bought for very little a couple of years ago. His lights on the tree and bushes and columns are all on a timed switch to turn on and off. Oh yes, last year we bought a stand-up plastic board Nativity scene and Paul places a spotlight on that. 

Everything is well lit―the outdoors, the Christmas trees, outside and inside, the mangers and village on the sofa table against the wall, along with lit décor in other places. Lights! And have we exhausted the reasons? No. For behind all these lighted decorations, we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. Consider the Son of God as the Light of the world who came to bring life to all. He is the eternal Light who shines in our dark world.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, ESV). Light up your rooms and your heart and bring that Light into the world. Merry Christmas.

A page from “Pumpkin & Spice” coloring book. Coloring makes me a better writer.

With Thanksgiving Day around the corner (11 days from today), it would be a personal blessing to count blessings we encounter every day. I’ll list and comment on some of mine and you can take time to count yours. I’d like you to send me your list, at least part of it, for we can’t count them all. God’s blessings are numerous and almost minute by moment.

Leaving the house one day in our Volvo, I thought of items for which I’m thankful. I’m grateful that Bill no longer resists buckling his seat belt. Our Volvo is a first-rate blessing, for our son John picked it out for us and we bought it two years ago on Memorial Day. The kids advised it was time for a trade-in. Grateful for their input.

As I drove by the front lawn, I’m not the only one who notices how Paul keeps up the yard work. People stop to tell him almost weekly how nice it looks. Next I started listing our many conveniences I too often take for granted: pure water and ice. a good set of washer and dryer for my Friday laundry day, and enough room in our apartment to feel comfortable and do my work at the computer. That is another luxury I depend upon when technology works well for my projects, such as getting Bill’s messages published and connecting with family and friends.

Yes, our family is a huge blessing. “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord.” And “The Lord has done great things for us” (Psalm 127:3; 126:3, NASB). Along with the gift of children are their spouses, our parents, siblings, cousins, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Have I missed anyone? I love connecting with them via tech devices.

Speaking of technology, I’m grateful for the publishing world and the expert staff who have helped me with Bill’s four books. Then there’s Bill’s blogpost, and that would not have started without Becky’s encouragement, saying people would love to hear her dad preach again (even if those sermons are from the past). Our team who make this possible are top-notch: Erik who does the scheduling and programming, Michael who mixes the components for each episode, and Dan who reads the intros and outros. What a big blessing! Listen to Words of Endearment with Bill Coker.

At the top of the list are spiritual and personal blessings from God my Father, Jesus my Savior, and the Holy Spirit who dwells within me. The Word of God is my foundation for growth and prayer is my connection, knowing that God hears and answers.

Each one of you who receives these blog posts and reads them is a blessing beyond compare. Thank you. Have a Happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. I send love and prayers, Ann

Thinking over 65 years of marriage, I have to be grateful, actually I’m amazed about that number. Wow! is all I’ve heard when I tell people how long we’ve been married. Let’s look at that number more closely: 65 is a big number in itself and then I add years alongside it. It means I multiply 365 days times 65 and I have a total of 23,725. That’s a bigger number, but there are 24 hours in each day and I have to add 60 minutes within each hour. I’m not even going to run those numbers through my little calculator. Within each minute is a moment and it’s those moments that count. Living in the moment has special meaning. “We have this moment.”

How did Bill and I get through all those moments, hours, years together. It’s basic. The answer is our covenant relationship. A covenant is an agreed promise between parties, and often referred to as a signed contract. We sealed that covenant during our wedding ceremony on August 24, 1957 and knew not all we were getting into. But the covenant stuck and is still responsible for our commitment of love and loyalty.

What made me think more about these 65 years is our more recent years together. In 2010 Bill contracted Legionnaire’s disease. It’s a rare form of pneumonia, a lung disease. I learned then that oxygen feeds every cell in your body. So that means if you lack oxygen, every part of your body is affected. Among other things, the lack of oxygen affected Bill’s brain, and that accelerated a progression of dementia. Legionnaire’s disease did not cause Bill’s dementia disease, now diagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease, but it sped the process. Dementia is a disease and not everyone gets it as they age. Many of us go through the process of forgetfulness as we age, but that is not the disease of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is a type. During Bill’s dementia, I’ve learned a lot about the disease and much about myself. That’s why I’m writing a memoir – to recite what I’ve learned about myself during Bill’s journey through dementia.

Now back to that number of 65. In the last twelve years we have experienced (endured) significant changes, but our love, while it’s been affected by those changes, is still strong because of the foundation of the covenant we made back in 1957. Our covenant is binding and with no intention or thought of breaking it. While Bill’s memory decreases almost daily, while I adjust to changes in routine, and while I miss being able to carry on a conversation that interacts with his intellect and logic, our love is evident. I can count on him to pucker his lips for a kiss and say, I love you. And that’s not all. Praise Jesus!

I like to journal, and it’s more like reflections about what I’m reading. So browsing in Red Dog Bookstore in Indy, I found a journal that intrigued me. On each page is a quote from someone famous and a question or imperative to answer. I decided to try it. I bought the journal in March of last year and I’m about two weeks away from finishing. I write one page a day, and some questions are not easy. This blog post is an experiment combining two books: the Be Inspired journal and How to Write Short by Roy Peter Clark. I’ve picked three pages from the journal on the same topic: Bill’s podcast. I’ll apply Clark’s techniques. What you see below is the final product of learning from Clark how to write short. Posting the originals from the journals would make this blog post too long. (I cut 56 words out of three journal pages.)

Q. Write about a new door open to you. Why was it important? Who or what motivates you?

A new door recently opened and I felt unqualified to pursue it―a podcast for Bill’s sermons. Becky was the instigator and moving force. She knew it could happen and would be appreciated by people who love her dad’s preaching. The first person on board was my grandson Michael in California who could convert tapes into digital format and mix ingredients for episodes. He also created art for the app. Asking others to join the team didn’t prove a problem. Erik lives here in Indy and has great tech skills and equipment; he’s also a super organizer. He agreed to handle connections with Michael and Buzzsprout for the downloads. In addition, Erik records Dan reading the intros and outros. Dan’s voice drew us to select him as host, excited to be part of the project. I choose the sermons and help write the scripts. Becky continues to be our encourager.

In an early phone chat with Erik, I saw this as a bigger project than first imagined. It’s more than getting people involved who understand the technology and agree to help. It involves schedules, planning, and questions to answer—when to post the first episode, which sermon, and on what day. I now look at longtime commitment and those involved, their time and expense, even a legal aspect. All this adds to the true motivation: to get Bill’s messages out for people to hear. A podcast, a good idea with good reason, but also work.

At first I was not sure the podcast could be done, but when people came alongside that had the needed skills and willingness, it’s no surprise we are now in the 22^st week with episodes being  downloaded every Wednesday. Bill and I listen together and it’s a joy to see his face and hear him say, “I liked that.” He usually refers to when he preached that message. And we receive comments of affirmation from folks about how they appreciate hearing Bill preach.

by Ann and Bill Coker

Many a Christmas card has a picture of a church

“Suppose the apostle Paul had been asked, ‘What is central to your life?’ Paul would definitely have answered this question with a person: Jesus Christ. In fact, he began his first letter to the Corinthians with an emphasis on Christ being central in the church, before getting to his reasons for writing. You’ll notice the early church exhibited a great deal of difficulty, for he wrote of divisions, mentioning the quarreling among them. Before addressing these difficulties, Paul emphasized Christ being central.”

This is the first paragraph in the first chapter of Bill’s upcoming book: Let The Church Be The Church. As you can tell, the church is important to Bill and me – and to most Christians. And the central focus of the church is Jesus Christ. The church is (or should be) the place where we learn about Christ and how to follow and serve Him.

So what does the church mean to you? How important a place is it in your life? What impact has it played in your Christian growth and what people in the local church have influenced you for good? I recall a Sunday school teacher for junior high youth. Several times a year she gave an invitation for anyone to stay behind at the end of her class. Her purpose was to instruct us about a commitment to follow Jesus, to receive salvation. What also stands out in my memory is that her son did not join the church (with the usual group) until after he had made a commitment to Jesus. That impressed me, for I joined the church and then later I accepted Christ as my Savior.

I remember only one Sunday as a kid when I didn’t want to go to church. Don’t recall the reason, but I played sick while the rest of my family attended church. I was miserable; it was no fun missing Sunday school and worship service. Of course, you know that church has been vital to our family and ministry.

Bill’s new book – to be released at the end of this year – speaks to the church about the church. This is not a series, preached consecutive Sundays, but a collection of eleven messages over several years, all  delivered at World Gospel Church, but some repeated elsewhere. Bill examines the components of a dynamic church and the body of Christ taking shape. He ends with a building plan for the church, one without walls, heat, or air conditioning.

Book Review by Ann L. Coker

Two Companion Books on the Ten Words

Psalm One gives us the reason for studying the Ten Words (Commandments). “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (verse 2, ESV). God’s law was given for our delight. With this perspective, we move from thinking about the law as commands from a dictator to the delight of understanding who God is and that He loves us.

Jen Wilkin, a skilled Bible teacher and author, put in the research required to present such a study for her book Ten Words To Live By. She connects the Old and New Testaments, our Father God and Jesus Christ His Son. Her aim is not only obedience but Christlikeness. Wilkin gives proof to back her claim about the law being a standard for a good relationship between God and His people and enlarging that relationship between humans.

Wilkin’s writing style is personal and exalts God’s Word. The format of the book lends itself to individual and group study, for she includes in each chapter verses for meditation and questions for reflection. Space is available to write answers in the book. One unique aspect is her direction for the reader to write a prayer related to the study of that chapter’s Word.

My husband, Bill, published a book on the same subject: Words of Endearment: the Ten Commandments as a Revelation of God’s Love. Because of this connection, I read Ten Words To Live By to discover any similarities and differences. I was pleasantly surprised to find how well the two books connected, but also that Wilkin’s book gave fresh insights. Thus, I highly recommend both books for someone who wants to learn more about the Ten Words and relate them to knowing God and His love for us.

Blog Readers

It’s satisfying to know that you read my Blog posts on a somewhat regular basis. You post comments on Facebook, and some of you “like” or add a comment on the actual Blog. Thanks.

Below is a brief survey that I hope you welcome. In my Blog I want to address what interests you, so answers here will help me. Writing is a joy only as I serve you. That’s my intent.

1) What would you like to know about me and Bill? I’ve noticed that personal Blog posts get more attention than teaching pieces. 

   a) Do you want to know more about Bill’s past, his family or ministries? Or do you prefer to receive updates on what’s happening with him now? Or both?

   b) What would you like to know about me — my history or present day?

2) Are you interested more in Bill’s published books or what’s being planned for the future? The process of writing and publishing? The response we receive?

   a) Teaser: the next book may be about the Church, a collection of Bill’s messages, even how to build a church. What questions would you like to ask?

   b) Podcast: Are you listening to Words of Endearment with Bill Coker? We’ve planned messages throughout the year. But what topics would you like to hear in the future?

3) Some teaching: family, church ministry, writing, pro-life, Christian experience?

What I learn from reading the Bible and other resources? What influences me to have a stronger Christian walk? Example: the term “walk” in the book of Ephesians. What are my struggles and how I overcome them?

That ought to keep you busy. That’s enough for now. I do appreciate your taking the time to answer so I can best serve you with my Blog and Bill’s books and Podcast.

May God bless you real good ~ Ann and Bill Coker

Bill preaching at Acadia Camp Meeting, Louisiana

In that blank journal in which I’m answering their printed questions, a unique one appeared today. “How do you encourage yourself? Describe things that keep you uplifted.” The journal quoted Theodore Roosevelt: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” This is how I answered their question.

Being self-encouraged is not at the top of the list, but others do encourage me. That’s why I count the “likes” and read all comments on Facebook. A friend said it’s not wise to read comments, but I do. Most are good. Our family and friends, who read Bill’s books and are now listening to his podcast, post comments that help me know the effort is worth it.

Yesterday, the day following the posting of the fifth episode of Bill’s podcast, he and I listened to his sermon while eating lunch. Topic: “Keep the Sabbath Day Holy.” Every now and then I’d show Bill the photo app and his face brightened. I’d say, “That’s who is preaching, and he’s good.” Bill preached this message in the fall of 1999, but now people are hearing him preach again. That’s encouraging. “Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16, NASB).

Bill taught biblical truth, put in the research, and unashamedly added his comments, also giving personal application. As I listened, I was filled again with respect and admiration for my husband/preacher. And that encourages me to continue the effort, along with the tech team who do good magic behind the scene.

So what I’m emphasizing here is that it’s you, our audience (readers and listeners) who are the real encouragers and promoters for my dream job. We are grateful. Keep up the good work, and we’ll keep producing quality for you.

Some are simple; some a bit complex. Some come with associations; others are personal with inner thoughts not expressed openly. A child’s smile is one. I can see them at church, at a store, or at home. At church, it’s Mia as she blows me a kiss with her hand to her lips. In a store a young boy catches my eye and as I acknowledge him, he smiles big. At home, the smiles were worn by our own children, and now it’s great-grandkids who come to visit.

Second (and these are in no particular order, only as I think of them), I get excited when I receive “likes” or comments on Facebook posts, and related to that now is when I see the number of downloads for Bill’s podcast. Today it’s up to 311 in three weeks. These responses connect me with family and friends over the miles that separate us geographically but not relationally. Getting Bill’s messages out is on one end, but getting reactions shows people are reading and listening. It’s greatly satisfying, a reward more valued than the sales recorded on a spreadsheet.

Does that “second” count for more that one? Next I get excited when Bill responds properly to something I say, showing he’s not confused. But often my excitement can be a negative response when Bill does something out of the ordinary, like wearing my red rain jacket (as he did yesterday). Or my negative excitement may be inward, not verbal. It’s when I see again and again that Bill has misplaced towels or his hearing aids. But I also smile when I notice Bill has straightened objects around the house. I place them at an angle and wait to see when he moves them straight, like framed photos on his desk or the wooden cross on our coffee table. Am I playing games with him, or only awaiting his and my reactions?

I think I’m up to four. When I receive positive feedback about something I’ve written, I get excited. It’s acceptable, a pleasant feeling. Even a reject letter often has encouraging words. Nice. Also I like a completed assignment (a devotion or chapter), or even finishing a picture in a coloring book. I hold it up to admire and ask Bill or Becky to look at it. The colors in some are imaginary, not true to the object (such as a sea or land creature).

Fifth but not least is when we’re in church and singing worship songs. The words often remind me of experiences when God answered some prayer or performed a wonder, a personal connection with His goodness. During worship – at church or during quiet time at home – my excitement is directed to the Lord and His character revealed to His people.

Get all excited! “It is good to give thanks to the Lord…to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night” (Psalm 92:1-2, NASB).

Guest Blog from my writer/friend Linda Sammaritan

https://lindasammaritan.com/

Every Christian knows the story of Christ’s Resurrection. We celebrate His victory over death and how His resurrection guarantees ours. Easter has got to be the most joyous holiday of all religions on earth.

But do we forget…

• That the Lenten season (between Ash Wednesday and Easter) was intended for us to remember Christ’s sacrifice?
• That our celebration of Christmas foreshadows that sacrifice?

I don’t like to dwell on the torture of crucifixion. Meditating on God’s blessings is far more comfortable, and besides, thoughts of man’s inhumanity to man (and Son of Man) don’t fit in with the Apostle Paul’s admonition to think on things that are pure and uplifting (Philippians 4:8).

I don’t want to think about how the baby Jesus might have felt finding Himself in a cold world, sensing its imperfection from the first moment of His conception. Better for me to picture the standard Nativity scene or imagine Him as a Child who was blissfully serene as He grew up in a small village in Palestine.

And I most definitely don’t want to consider the spiritual ramifications of His time spent on the cross. Let it remain a mystery to me, but the Bible hints at the agony when, for the first time in all of eternity, Jesus felt a separation from His Father. (Matthew 27:46)

When I was a very new Christian, I didn’t follow that last advice about letting things remain a mystery. I dared to ask God to show me what Jesus experienced on the cross in the spiritual realm. Since thousands had died by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans, what made this crucifixion different?

God answered that ignorant prayer!

For less than a nanosecond, He flashed the vision of the cross on the screen of my consciousness. I was devastated, I was humbled–by the magnitude of His love. There are no words to accurately describe what I saw.

This is as close as I can get:

As Jesus hung there in physical pain, the sins of every person who ever lived and whoever would live in the future slithered all over Him. He was buried under, swarmed over, smothered with sin’s vermin. If you’ve ever read 1984 and the torture described, Jesus suffered a million times more, no, an infinite number of times more.

I immediately cried for God to take the vision away! Not in words. No time for words, but a desperate plea from my spirit.

 In spite of the horror, I’m grateful God answered my prayer. It has kept me cognizant of what Resurrection cost the Son of God. I will never be able to offer a sacrifice to Him that compares to such all-encompassing love.

So what can I do?

• I can maintain a grateful heart. That’s the least I can do. May I never forget His sacrifice!

• I can listen for the whispers of the Holy Spirit and be quick to turn in any direction He sends me.

• I can tell others who are not Christians what I know of His love and sacrifice. Like I’m doing right now. Who knows what person may come across this post who needs to hear the message of hope? To get an inkling of understanding about the God Who loves them?

All three of these bullet points have the potential for sacrifice on my part. The world is ugly and dangerous. I don’t know what difficult situation God may allow me to pass through. If I speak out for Christ in a world hostile toward Him, I could pay with my fortune or my life. The Holy Spirit has been known to ask the seemingly impossible. But if He asks, then He will empower me to do it.

Next week the Church commemorates what is known as The Passion. It starts with Palm Sunday when the crowds adored Jesus and hailed Him as their king. Within a week, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper for His disciples, pleaded with His Father in prayer as He knew He would face an unimaginable horror, and was brought to trial by the Sanhedrin. They slapped and spit upon Him–their own Messiah! Then the powers of Rome tortured and mocked Him with thorns and whips and forced Him to carry the cross to Calvary where they would nail Him to the wood and allow Him to hang there, suffocating, until He died. All of what I’ve described is the observable sacrifice.

But remember the invisible sacrifice. While His body writhed in agony, His Spirit endured worse, as He became filthy with every sin that every person has committed and will commit in the future.

 That, my friends, was the ultimate sacrifice for all time.

Visit Linda’s website for more good reads:  https://lindasammaritan.com/