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Welcome
to the Nehemiah Ministries
Website . . .
And thank you for visiting! I began this site in 1997, as my effort to bring
encouragement and counsel to Christians online -- especially regarding relationships and realizing their personal potential. I've
posted a “Nehemiah
Notes” article twice each month since then, and all
are archived here. While I’ve reissued some, over 100
individual articles are available. You’ll also find information on all my books,
with sample chapters, and links to online sellers
where they are available. And there’s also a history of
this ministry, and I've posted some photos (updated
June 2017), in case you're interested. I hope an article or book featured on
this site will provide the help you need, and God’s best to you as you browse! - Blaine Smith |
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* * Memorial
Photo Tribute to Evie * * *
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Evie
Kirkland Smith November
14, 1951 -
March 8, 2017 |
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On March 8, 2017 my wife Evie
died at Casey House Hospice in Rockville,
Maryland, from ALS. She
was diagnosed with the disease in November, 2015,
but, looking back, she had probably suffered from
it for close to three years. It is a brutal,
degenerative disease, and this vibrant woman
ultimately lost the use of both legs and feet, her
left arm and (primary) hand, and some right arm
function as well. Then in her last weeks she
suffered serious respiratory decline. As is so
common with ALS patients, this is what finally
took her life.
By
the time she was hospitalized on February 21, she
had reached the point where she wanted to be freed
from her sufferings and be with the Lord. Her
longing for Heaven, and her confidence that Christ
had a place there for her, was so strong that it
stunned some who worked with her at Casey House,
the hospice to which she was transferred on March
1. She went peacefully, with joyful expectation of
a much better life to come. While I am heartbroken
over losing her, I am so glad she is relieved of
her suffering and is now in the presence of
Christ.
Evie
taught elementary school music in Montgomery
Country,
Maryland
public schools for 25 years, and was highly
successful at the task. She was loved by a
great many people, and will be dearly missed by so
many. Most of all, she was the most amazing
possible wife and mother of our two sons, Ben and
Nate.
The
photo above is of Evie and Ben dancing at his
wedding reception, July 28, 2008. I've posted a photo
tribute to Evie on YouTube, including about
100 pics from throughout her life. Even if you
didn't know her, you may still enjoy watching this
display, for she was highly photogenic, and her
constant smile was an inspiration.
Your prayers for me and for my family are much
appreciated during this time, and I'm so grateful
for the condolences that many on my Nehemiah
Notes list have sent to us. - Blaine
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Nehemiah
Notes, September 15, 2017 |
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When God Does the Unexpected
Four Miracles That Help Us Realize Our Potential
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In The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck writes of his fascination with
“serendipities.” These are special but inexplicable experiences of
blessing. Events occur in our lives, he notes, which bring us great benefit
yet defy logical explanation. Peck does not hesitate to term such
incidents miracles.
Peck marvels, for
instance, at how sometimes in a dreadful traffic accident an individual
will emerge from a mangled vehicle unharmed. This seems to point to the
miraculous protection of God . . .
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God is fully capable of “bending the rules” when providing for us
and coming to our aid. I look at this deeply inspiring truth in
this article.
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Nehemiah
Notes, September 1, 2017 |
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The
Triumph of Hope
When Should We Continue to Fight?
When Should We Accept Defeat?
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In
the preface to his last book, George Burns wrote that he no longer
expected to live an active public life. “I'm still an optimist. But
I'm not stupid. That nurse isn't watching me all day to see if my
toupee is on straight.”
Burns had decided to
accept the fact that his life was declining rather than fight it. A
mature step in choosing to live with reality, we might say.
Yet Burns was 100
years old when he wrote these words . . .
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Deeply-felt hope
is the attitude that best opens us to God's provision for
our needs. It is also far more achievable than
"mountain-moving faith." I explain in this article.
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Nehemiah
Notes, August 15, 2017 |
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The Challenge of Optimism
Not Caving in to Your Personal Capacity for Despair
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When the stock
market crashed in October 1987, Jake feared it meant the end of life
as he knew it. He had pinned his financial hopes for retirement upon
years of careful investing in securities.
Within a day, chest pains
landed him in the hospital. The diagnosis: a heart attack. His body
had caved in to the bad news along with his emotions . . .
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The slide into despair happens so easily, yet it's
always a tragic overreaction. In this article
I look at how to avoid it, and stay hopeful in the face
of setbacks.
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How
It Radically Affects Your Happiness, Health, Success and Effectiveness
for Christ
