In her book Silver Boxes, Florence Littauer tells a story about her mother-in-law, Marita Littauer.  After knowing her for many years and being a little intimidated by her, Florence one day asked her what she would have been if she could have been anything she wanted.  Without hesitation, Marita answered, “On opera singer!”  She continued, “I wanted to study music, but my parents felt that it was a waste of time, that I’d make more money in the millinery business.  But I was in one show in college, and I had the lead.”

The memory of that dream never left Marita Littauer, even though her own mother had shot it down.  In her last days, her mind faded and she could no longer carry on an intelligent conversation.  But some evenings she would stand proudly by her chair and sing opera to her nurse.  Even in her final days, the desire never left her.  Florence concluded, “Mother had a talent that was never developed, a music box that was never allowed to play, a career that was never begun.  Mother died with the music still in her.”

Has God given you a dream?  Has He put an unquenchable desire in your heart to do some special thing?  With the passing of the old year and the dawn of the new, we are reminded that time is quickly moving along.  Don’t die with the music still inside of you.  Lay hold of that which God has set before you and go after it until the dream becomes a reality.

Pastor Todd Weston

There are many interesting characters of Christmas.  One of them is Joseph.  Today we would call him Joseph Davidson because he was the son or descendant of David (Matthew 1:20).  He was a simple carpenter and was engaged to a young Jewish girl named Mary.

The Bible doesn’t tell how Joseph learned that his young wife-to-be was going to have a baby.  Knowing that he wasn’t the father, Joseph undoubtedly ran the gamut of emotions.  But then the angel appeared in a dream and explained everything.  Awaking from the dream, Joseph accepted the assignment and embraced his role in the Christmas story. 

Bible teacher, Haddon Robinson, made this observation about Joseph, “Joseph was an ordinary man that sometimes believed his doubts and doubted his beliefs, yet he had enough faith to do what God wanted him to do.”

Though a common man, Joseph rises out of the ranks of the ordinary because he believed and obeyed God.  Think about it.  Joseph was one of the first persons to believe in the virgin birth.  That’s no small thing!  He fully embraced the doctrine of the incarnation – that God became a man.  He looked into the face of Jesus and believed in his heart that this truly was the Son of the living God.

While the neighbors gossiped, while friends and family smirked, and while suspicion and rumors filled the streets of Nazareth, Joseph believed.  His profession may have been humble, but his faith was profound.  So it was that God entrusted the care of His Son not to a king, but to a simple man of faith.

The challenge then is to follow the example of this ordinary man named Joseph.  In the face of opposition and unbelief, believe what God tells you to believe and do what God calls you to do.  Believe and obey.  I think that is how you spell greatness in the kingdom of God.

Pastor Todd Weston

I love the following article taken from Word for Today, December 24, 2003.  It’s based on 1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.”  As we prepare for this weekend’s presentation of the Estero Christmas Celebration, think about this article that reminds us of the true story of Christmas.

“He was born in abject poverty, yet a choir of angels filled the heavens with songs of His greatness.  A star that astronomers still cannot explain to this day became the compass that brought world leaders to worship at His crib. 

His birth defied the laws of biology and His death defied the laws of mortality.  No miracle is greater than His life and teaching.  He owned no cornfields or fisheries, yet He spread a table for five-thousand and had bread and fish left over.  He never walked on expensive carpeting, yet when He walked on water it supported Him; when He spoke the wind and the seas obeyed Him. 

His crucifixion was the crime of all crimes, yet in God’s eyes no less a price could have made your redemption possible.  When He died, few mourned, yet God hung black crepe over the sun. Those who crucified Him never once trembled at what they had done, yet the earth shook beneath them.  Sin could not touch Him.  Decay could not claim His body.  The soil that was reddened with His blood could not claim His dust. 



For over three years He preached the gospel, yet He wrote no books, built no cathedrals, and seemingly had no great financial resources.  Yet two-thousand years later, He is still the central character of human history, the perpetual theme of Christian preaching, the pivot around which the ages revolve – and the only Redeemer of the human race! 




For every other job, God sent a man. But in order to rescue and recycle you, God became a man. Aren’t you glad?”




Pastor Todd Weston

I just had a conversation with a friend who is experiencing unprecedented growth and blessing in his business.  He made the comment that not only was he in the right place at the right time, but he was ready.  Years of diligence prepared him for this moment.  There are those who find themselves in the right place at the right time, but the opportunity is squandered because they failed to prepare.  Faithfulness in the day-to-day will position you for success when the door of opportunity opens.

But there is more to it than that.  My friend is experiencing the blessing of God because of the timeless principle of Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  This principle is true of the good as it is of the bad.  We all know that when we sow acts of disobedience we reap undesirable consequences.  But the reverse is true as well.  When we sow good seed we reap the blessings of God.

So what if you have sown good seed and are still waiting for the harvest of blessing to come?  What do you do then?

In the Disney movie, Finding Nemo, Marlin the clownfish was getting discouraged in his long quest to find his son, Nemo.  So his friend Dory, the Blue Tang fish, encouraged him with these words, “When life gets you down, just keep swimming.”

When life gets you down and your faith grows weak, when you’ve obeyed and prayed and the promise seems to be nowhere in sight, just keep sowing.  Did you hear that?  Just keep sowing! Whatever you do, don’t stop.  It’s like Paul went on to say in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

So keep on doing the right thing.  It will pay off.  It’s an unchanging spiritual principle.  It’s like the points of a compass that never change.  North is still north and south is still south.  The multiplication table has not changed, and two times two still equals four.  The principle set forth in God’s Word is timeless and true.  They that sow shall reap.

Pastor Todd Weston