Cherish the Children Time Is Now

As summer starts, I was thinking of the words I put to poetry last year and thought, with summer coming on I want to remind us all to spend the time with our children before the children grow old. (Wish I could do more) We cannot replace that time and so, we lose the time we do not invest with our little ones. The song writer said it well, "Early let us seek Thy favor ... Early let us do Thy will. "Early in life" seems to be the key. Love them and bring them to Jesus. This picture of andrew was one of many I could use to help the words come to life. It is wonderful to see the love that Andrew and Sarah pour into Alec.

Andrea with Alec at the Lighthouse

Andrea was able to visit with Andrew and Sarah this spring in Maine. Of course, Alec, their son, was a big plus for the visit. We are glad to share our family with the world, but looking at the Lighthouse reminds us we are to be bringing the gospel to the lives of others. We are to be lights that show forth the Father's work of Grace in our lives because of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world. So we also share Jesus with the world. "And I thank God for the Lighthouse, I owe my life to Him... Jesus is the Lighthouse ... and if it wasn't for the Lighthouse ... My ship would sail no more." (Ronny Hinson) John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain...Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
When the fruit has matured, the farmer can use it however he desires...What kind of fruit are we showing. The fruit of the Hoy Spirit, the fruit of a harvest of souls. May we be fruit bearing plants for the Savior.

The Laughter in a Child's Eyes - Of course our grandson, Alec Brunner

The eyes sparkle with a story of a little fellow’s joy
When he’s smiling at his mother or just playing with a toy
Yes, Jesus said to let the children come and be with me
Then He’d sit and tell them stories of what heaven’s “goin’ to be”

Oh, the smile shows the laughter and the face lights up so grand
As he listens to the Savior and walks with Him hand in hand
Yes, we’d like to see what heaven’s like with Jesus in that place
As reflected in the children who’ve seen God’s Amazing Grace

Let the children come to Jesus and rejoice to hear His Word
Showing in their eyes and faces all the wonders they have heard
For with Jesus in our very presence we can know the Joy
That’s reflected in the laughter of His [Jesus’] special girl or boy.


By the way, he'll be a year old on December 22, 2011.

Who Sits at Your table

June 2011 They sat at our table ...
These folks from our ministry were eating at our table as we often do on Sundays with those who can stay. I'm also reminded of a man that was hitchhiking through our town recently (Vincent) - who also in a figurative sense sat at our table ... because I took him some food. I also shared the gospel with him in tract form. Who sits at your table so to speak? With whom did Jesus sit at times? What about the time before He would give His life as ransom for the world .. and for them?

"Who is at your table?"

Who is at your table?
When the day is new
When the sunshine rises
When the day is through
Who stops in to share with you
When you’re feeling down
Who is there when you look up
And see those who are gathered ‘round

Jesus, who was there with you?
When the day was through
Sat and ate and listened
When your Passover was new
I would have listened Savior
When you broke bread with those few
I would have listened as you prayed
And shared the wine at the table too

You shared your table
With some men that day
Men who did not know why
Men who face their greatest trials
Men who would watch you die
One would betray you,
Another who would deny
Some would run away
When you left the upper room
Some would never fully see
Until the empty tomb

Jesus, you sat at the table
Knowing who was there
Aware of every circumstance
Of the stillness in the air
You knew that when you left the room
And the men would run away
That you would die for all of them
By the end of the next day

Who sits at my table?
When the thoughts go flashing by
When we do not know the hearts of men
And our own would question why
Jesus you brought to my table
People who would share
And maybe listen to my heart
As I breathe their names in prayer

Keep my table and my heart
Open for all to see
The heart that beats along with yours
Does not belong to me
For you sit at the head of the table
Give my heart an open view
So when others think they see the likes of me
May they really be seeing you.
David Brunner

Vacation Bible School 2011

Okay Kids ... Get in Line
The experience of Vacation Bible School this year in southeast Idaho was about what God has done and is doing in our world. The material used explained how God created everything, man sinned, and in God's time, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of the world. The "Amazon Expedition" was held by a group from Limerick Chapel from Limerick, PA. Will ten young people and adults make an impact for us in southeast Idaho? Well, we shared the team with the The First Baptist Church in Soda Springs, ID, and we had the chance, with pastor David Zimmerman and his church family to see and hear the gospel presented to children in Montpelier and Soda Springs. Pastor David and I also had the chance to share the gospel with a young man that came to a Friday evening teen event called the "Wonka Wars." The gospel was presented later to the whole group. We are sure God has touched the lives of many throughout the week.

Jesus In Me

Did you ever notice, it was the closest followers of the Lord that asked, "It is I?" A soul-searching question, isn't it? I used our cat for the picture here, but each one of us could be and should be at times letting ourselves be under the magnifying glass and asking, "Lord, is it I?" "Lord, can they see you when they look at me?"

“Jesus In Me”

Lord, “is it I?”
Do I make you look bad
By the things I have done
By the thoughts I have had

Lord, do you know
Could it really be me
I am trying so hard
To please you, Lord, not me

Jesus in me
Jesus in me
A living example
Of what I should be

Jesus in me
Jesus in me
That’s what I really
Want others to see

David Brunner Jr., July, 2010

What does a minister do?

This past week, I was asked, What does a minister do ... Is he like a Bishop...?
I was asked this question while I was cleaning the restrooms and vaccuuming hallways at the local elementary one day. People can see missionaries, pastor-missionaries, and evangelists, etc., in the everyday activites, but not see what we do. Another person, the same day, was pleased that I spoke to him while we working together. As his wife told me about this sharing, she told how she said that I was a minister and that was why I acted as I had. I am glad that I was able to establish a friendship that day that may not have ever taken place. But then again, as a believer, what do you do? What do I do on a regular basis. Whether working, going to church, or out sharing the gospel, are we regularly making an impact in the world around us. Here, we were sharing in our local nursing home. We were sharing the story of Easter using flannel graph.

Andrew's Graduation of 2011

Andrew brunner has graduated from Appalachian Bible College in WV, and we are excited to see what the Lord has for him in ministry. Of course, we had the blessing of seeing our grandson, Alec, again and see how the Lord has been blessing this family. We look forward to God using Andrew, Sarah, and their family for His service for many years to come.

He came Early...

Alec Philip Brunner came earlier than expected. Someone once said, "As a rule, first babies don't come early." Maybe those are not the exact words, but Alec did not even know the rule. He came in the early morning hours of December 22, 2010. He was due in the middle of January. He was an early Christmas present and we rejoice with Andrew and Sarah with their firstborn, and our first grandchild.

Christmas Time at the Nursing home

We had a wonderful time with the folks at the nursing home here in town at Thanksgiving and they gave us an opportunity to do something for Christmas. We had some light Christmas music as the people were brought in and then at 4PM we started singing Christmas hymns. We shared the Christmas story as we had done it years ago by having Dave read from Luke 2 and Matthew 2 with Andrea putting up flannel graph scenes for the part that was being read. The people enjoyed an heard the gospel with pictures. Ron Manchester, with our church group, shared the closing thoughts on Christmas and what God really did for us that day 2000 years ago. The people are now looking for us to do something more regular there. What a thrill. Thank the Lord for the privilege of sharing His Word in so many ways in predominantly LDS (Mormon) areas. After the Thanksgiving sharing, one lady said to Andrea as she was taking her back to her room, "He's not LDS, is he?" Well, no he's not. He loves the Lord and shares the gospel of Grace from the Bible alone.

"Live … In victory"
I Cannot always tell what God is doing
I Cannot always see the point of what is fair
But I trust my loving Father in His wisdom, love, and mercy
In the silence of my Savior – He’s still there.

I cannot ever see beyond the moment
When my hopes and dreams all fade into thin air
But I’ve learned the wondrous lesson of God’s goodness
So I cast upon my Savior every care.

When I think my troubles all will overwhelm me
And the heartaches seem to come from everywhere
Take my hand and bring me to our Heavenly Father
There we’ll meet together at His throne in prayer

I now offer up my soul in full submission
And I thank Him that my cares are off of me
For I placed them at the foot of my dear Savior – Master – Friend
And I’ll live this life in Him – in victory.

David Brunner Jr.
Summer 2010

May this be a blessing to you all.
(This can roughly fit the tune of "No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus")
Picture of the sunrise in Park City