The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Lamentations 3:22-24, “The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.

24 ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’”

There’s an old spiritual that says,

Sometimes I’m up; sometimes I’m down;

Oh, yes, Lord.

Sometimes I’m almost to the ground;

Oh, yes, Lord.

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen;

Nobody knows but Jesus.

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen;

Glory, Hallelujah!

The author of our Lamentation verses had alread reached the “Glory, Hallelujah”

portion of that song. To be sure, he had experienced the “ups and downs” of life;

but he didn’t stop there. He knew the compassions of the LORD never failed. He

knew the LORD’s mercies were new every morning, and he cried, “Great is Thy

faithfulness.”

“The LORD is my portion,” the author says within his soul. “Therefore, I have hope

In Him.” Is your hope in the LORD? Some men trust in themselves, but the Bible

enjoins us to trust in Him! We are not God! We are but His creation. We are a

fallen creation, and without true help. If we were able to deliver ourselves from the

world’s troubles, why were we not able to have avoided trouble altogether?

Don’t be fooled! Say and believe with the Scriptural writer: “I have hope in Him.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

P. S. I am so very greatful for the multiple sympathy cards, emails, and phone calls from

you who knew and loved my sweet Rose Marie. I trust that you will understand that

I am swamped with responsibilities that keep me from responding to you. I assure

you, however, that I read and cherish every, single one. God bless you for your

love and encouragement!

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 Chronicles 21:20, “He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”

Sadness is an attitude brought on by negative mental preoccupation. If we dwell too long on troublesome things, we become sad. Accidents that occasion physical difficulties are occasions for sadness. Deaths, too, produce sadness in the lives of loved ones, sometimes even if the knowledge of the decedent is that he or she is in Heaven with her LORD Jesus Christ. Maybe that’s why the LORD wants us to focus on Him!

Consider Jehoahaz: He became king at age 32 and reigned only eight years. At age 40, he died. What is worse is that he died “with no one’s regret.” Solomon bemoans the fact that someone could die and “not even have a proper burial” (Eccl. 6:3). For whatever reason, Jehoahaz was not buried in the tombs of the kings. He just didn’t matter.

Would anyone be sad if you died? I’m sure they would, just as you would be sad if someone you loved died. The reality is that loved ones of our do die, producing sadness. If however, the decedent knows the LORD, we can focus on the happiness and joy the one is encountering in Heaven in the presence of the LORD. This will be totally advantageous, and sadness will lessen over time.

So, FOCUS on the LORD! Let everything, every thought of every moment be to His glory!

I will if you will.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 37:39-40, “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble.

40 And the LORD helps them, and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.”

There are 150 psalms in the Old Testament, and they are loaded with comfort for difficult times. The English word “strength” and its equivalents, strengthened, stronger, stronghold,

and the like, are mentioned some 535 times throughout the entire Bible.

There are several Hebrew and Greek words that translate as “strength” in our English Bibles. Could all of this be because mankind has need of strength? I believe that’s so. We have need of physical strength, as almost everything we do manually requires it. We have need of mental strength, as it enables us to do things we often deny we could possibly achieve. We also need moral strength. That strength enables us to say “No!” to endeavors in which our companions encourage us to participate. Above all we need spiritual strength, strength from the LORD. Living in accordance with the LORD’s will is not easy. We need His strength to achieve it.

The LORD’s strength is our safety. He protects us. He rescues us. He is our salvation. Too often we tell ourselves that “we’re doing just fine, we’re okay.” Then comes a tragedy we cannot overcome, and we’re thrown either back on Him or into the abyss of ultimate loss.

Never forget that true refuge is in the LORD. He will help you; He will deliver you if you call on His Name.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Ephesians 3:13-16, “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in Heaven and on Earth derives its name,

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with

power through His Spirit in the inner man…”

I went to the Walmart pharmacy today with two specifics in mind: one was to make a purchase, but the primary was to inform an employee of Rose Marie’s death and ascension into Heaven. This dear lady always greeted us by name, and she had become such a good and faithful friend that I wanted her to hear the news directly from me. She came from behind the counter and hugged me, while tears flowed from her eyes. She is not a Christian, but she emanates the warmth and love of a Christian. She said several times to me, “She is in a better place.” And that lady is like a member of our family.

Yes, I needed the love that she had to give. And love flowed from others around the world in emails that fill my in-box almost to overflowing. Paul said that we should not lose heart at the tribulations of another because tribulations are glorious. How can that be? In my case, I have been drawn closer to the LORD through my tribulation. The LORD is what it’s all about. It’s not about us. It’s about Him! And all trouble, great or small, draws us closer to Him in prayer.

Paul’s prayer adorns the prayers of all believers, when he says, “…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power – dunamis, dynamite power– through His Spirit in the inner man.” A lady Chaplain in the hospital said to me, “I don’t know how those without faith can make it.” I don’t either; but I know how those with faith can! It’s all in the power and strength of the LORD.

So when you encounter trouble, difficulties, tribulations, just turn to the LORD Jesus Christ. In the late 1800s, Cyrus Nusbaum wrote:

His pow’r can make you what you ought to be;
His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free;
His love can fill your soul, and you will see
’Twas best for Him to have His way with thee.

I don’t understand all of the LORD’s ways, but the longer I live and trust Him, the more I’m convinced of His love, His strength, and His power. Give Him an opportunity with your life.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene ( Dado III )

P. S. Let me say a sincere “Thank You” to all of you have responded to our family in the Heavenly

Home-Going of our sweet wife, mother, and grandmother, Rose Marie. She is gone from us,

but she is with her LORD and Savior, just as she wanted to be. Farewell, sweet Rose! we’ll see

you soon!

P. S. S. If you receive this particular email more than once, please let me know and correct it. It is

never my intention to “load” your inbox or to send something you don’t want to receive.

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; furthermore, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

The body in which my beloved Rose Marie lived her 85¼ years, was laid to rest today in a private ceremony in the Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

It is impossible to believe that the words of the Apostle Paul, although originally written to the younger Timothy, lacked in any manner the description of the life of Rose Marie Jeffries. Indeed, she “fought the good fight.” Her life on a downward pathway commenced in 2007 with heart surgery. Twice she had bi-lateral pneumonia and colon surgery. Over the last year, she received 65 blood transfusions. She was simply in a no-win situation.

Despite all of the above (and some things not mentioned), she forged ownward, ever and always sharing her faith in our LORD Jesus Christ, trusting Him to lead her doctors in the discovery of an antedote to her complicated health situation.

Once she said to me, “We may not get out of this situation.” I replied, “Don’t say that! We’re trusting the LORD. You know that!” But, she responded that it just might not be the LORD’s will for her to survive. I knew she was in trouble. I talked to some of her doctors outside of her hearing. Still, I prayed fervently and talked positively in conversatioins with her.

Rose Marie was a clever girl. Her mind remained sharp and she was well aware of her situation. One day, she asked our daughter, Teri, to call Alicia, a close family firend. She would not say why. When Alicia arrived, Rose Marie told her she wanted to transfer to the Circle of Life Hospice, where Alicia’s husband was the chief pharmacist. It was facilitated.

On Thursday, 25 April, at 19:50 (07:50 CDT), she breathed her last on Earth and entered

into the presence of our Beloved Savior and LORD, Jesus Christ. Her witness for Him was

exceptional. And in her death, her wish was fulfilled that we share her faith with attendees at her Celebration of Life. With our LORD’s strength, I shared Christ with all who attended, and gave an invitation for those without Him to receive Him as their LORD, as well.

She had “fought the good fight”; she had “finished (her) course”; she had “kept the faith.”

May we all allow the strength of the LORD to increase our witnessing of His death, burial, and resurrection, until our course is complete and we are called Home.

I love each of you and pray for you daily,

Dado III

( Gene )

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”