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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, October 15, 2018 |
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Fooled by Fleecing
When We Try Too Hard To Know God's Will
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I
doubt there are many of us who at some time in our
Christian experience haven’t sought to know God’s will
through “putting out a fleece.” Putting out a
fleece--or “fleecing,” as it’s often
called--involves seeking God’s will through a
predetermined sign. Usually the sign is unrelated to the
circumstances of the decision we are facing . . .
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In this article I look at why our
attempts to find God's will through “fleecing” often backfire, and
sometimes lead to humbling experiences.
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Nehemiah
Notes, October 1, 2018 |
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Pearls of Too Great a Price?
Does It Work Against Us to Desire
Something Too Much?
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Ever since
reading John Steinbeck’s The Pearl in high school, I’ve been
haunted by a reflection of Juana early in the novel. After her
husband, Kino, hauls a basket into their boat containing a bloated
oyster with a mammoth pearl, Juana senses his excitement. Yet she
pretends to look away. “It is not good to want a thing too much,” she
muses. “It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just
enough, and you must be very tactful with God or the gods” . . .
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In this article, I
consider how our
desires can aid our success or hinder it.
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Nehemiah
Notes, September 15, 2018 |
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Serving
Christ for the (Highest) Benefits
The Hope for Reward Is Essential to Faith
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Is it right to
follow Christ for the sake of personal advantages that result? Or is
this a vain and selfish motive? Is it better to live for him without
any expectation of reward? Which motive is the higher one?
For most Christians
the push-button response is that our commitment to Christ shouldn't be
based on any hope of personal benefit. Yet
this comes dangerously close to missing the essence of the biblical
idea of faith . . .
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The hope that I'll benefit in certain ways is both a healthy and necessary motive for following
Christ. I explain in the article.
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How
It Radically Affects Your Happiness, Health, Success and Effectiveness
for Christ
