A funeral service to prepare for brother Sam.

A quiet, soft voice wept in the phone, "Pastor Bruce, this is Kessiah, my father Sam died yesterday and I have been trying to reach you. I have never met you but my father spoke so highly of you." As I paused to let her relay the story of his passing, my inner voice called out to the Lord. "God, you know how I loved Sam and I felt such an affinity with him as if we were brothers. He was black. I was white. He was tall. I am short. He was elderly in the waning years of life. I was a young man in the prime of life. He could sing. I really do not have a singing voice. Most inspiring was his courageous faith. Sam was physically blind but I could see. Yet we had such a bond in our love for Christ. He had an uncanny 20/20 spiritual vision and could see with the eyes of his heart.

We loved the Lord. He had been a pastor for many years. Lord, he fought his cancer so bravely for so long. The doctors had declared him near death's door over and over. He prayed and believed and lived victoriously praising the Lord and never missing church. Being blind, he needed a ride to church every Sunday and my wife would go and pick him up because I wasn't physically able to assist him along and into the vehicle. He played his guitar and sang every Sunday morning during the morning worship. He even went to the local hospital with us on Sunday afternoon to encourage the residents. He enjoyed the presence of the Lord and coming together with other Christians. I have missed Sam very much since his health failed and he was admitted into the Veteran's Hospital. Just before he was admitted to the Veteran's, one Sunday afternoon after church service on a ride back to Sam's place, we vowed to see each other in heaven. How edifying to hear Sam sing Amazing Grace, "I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind but now I see."

2 Corinthians 5:7-9 (King James Version)For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

Sam, look's like you made it. There's no pain. You can sing with the heavenly choir and be re-united with family and friends as you share words of praise and love to God from glory to glory.

Courage for Christ

A Sudanese Christian boy has his knees and feet nailed to a board and he is left to die. When rescued he says he forgives the man who did this because Jesus was also nailed and forgave him.

A Vietnamese pastor is sentenced to two years in prison. When he is offered an early release, he declines stating that he has a group of new Believers in the prison he has to disciple.

A Colombian missionary is kidnapped and told she only has two hours to live. She tells her captors that if she only has two hours to live, she wants to spend it telling them about Jesus.

Courageous Walkers

Looking back, I've been privileged to meet some exceedingly extraordinary people who have immeasurably influenced the course of my own life and ministry. Most of them have not stood in the bright white lights of popularity and fame. In fact, most have names you've probably never heard. But they have been a special encouragement to me, nonetheless.

Interestingly, in my situation, those most heroic influencers, encouragers and purveyors of inspiration and resolve have been within the circle of my own family primarily. From my father, Harvey Braswell, now in heaven claimed by an unsolved homicide, and my mother, Iva Pearl who has nurtured me through times of great suffering, to my sister Carolyn Greene, possessor of a sceptor of righteousness, who has guided and encouraged my giftedness, my brother Gary Braswell, business entrepreneur par excellence of Braswell Galleries, who has backed me up through falls, physical and financial, and my younger sister Sandra Carlson, teacher who cares and dares to teach those with the greatest challenge to learning, she has been a rallying support for my wife and I in diverse ways. Carolyn, Gary and Sandra have been there for me at special times, critical points of interpersonal relational dynamic needs and seasons of gladness and sadness -- together with my devoted lovely wife Maureen of 20 years and sons Paul and Peter both sons who stand taller than I yet who walk courageously with me from day to day -- all in all-- there is something quite extraordinary within each of them that is a story deserving of full disclosure and telling-- a story of a family each of whom contain all those special qualities that comprise the extraordinary as celebrated out in the life of one somewhat insignificant person - a suffering child- Bruce ravaged by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis from age 2 who has matured into a little man- one who is small but mighty, small in stature, standing 4 feet tall yet mighty if spirit and faith and courage, thanks to God's extraordinary family saints.