Stones of Remembrance

Raquel Reyes Major

Description

An inspirational memoir shares stories of God’s blessings and dealings as well as life lessons from a retired pastor’s wife that gently reminds believers to savor His goodness.

Raquel Reyes Major has been walking with God for over eight decades, taking His word to heart, committing her life to Him, and trusting that He was always there, even when it seemed like He wasn’t.



In an inspirational retelling of her life journey, Major begins by sharing insight into how she first came to know God through Jesus Christ at an early age, and then chronicles her experiences as a young missionary teacher in a Muslim area in the Southern Philippines, her emigration to the United States, her leadership as a pastor’s wife and missionary who served God in Indonesia and Germany, and then her work in government and with politicians in the San Francisco City Hall. Throughout her stones of remembrance, Major relays beautiful stories and life lessons that candidly reveal how she met the challenges of her varied experiences by drawing strength, direction, and wisdom from her faith in God.



“… A beautiful tapestry of one life unveiled, revealed. Through the author’s simple, powerful, picturesque words, we see glimpses of her keen eye, understanding heart, thoughtful musings, and an unswerving faith and love for the living and personal God.”

—Lina Luz Castaneda, MD

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Psalm 121

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 14 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798385000081
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

STONES of REMEMBRANCE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RAQUEL REYES MAJOR
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Raquel Reyes Major.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 979-8-3850-0007-4 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-3850-0008-1 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023910279
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 06/08/2023
 
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
 
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
 
Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
REVIEWS
Rainbow. “When white sunlight hits a collection of raindrops at a fairly low angle, you can see the component colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet—a rainbow.” (Wikipedia) This collection of stories is so many raindrops that paint the rainbow colors of joy and beauty and, yes, the mystery of the often-hidden work of God’s ever-present providential love and care in the seemingly uneventful situations and events of daily life. When you see the rainbow, you don’t see the sun, but you never doubt the sun is there. Even so, back of these stories, the author is telling us (not in a pushy way) that God is the Source, Guide, and Goal of everything in her life. A truly inspiring read.
—Pastor Bien A. Llobrera
Retired Southern Baptist pastor
Author of the New Life DiscipleshipSeries
I loved this book, from page to page, story to story, journeying with her to various events and places. What a joy to read and be part of each story! I am praying for this book to be used for Christ and His kingdom’s glory.
—Angie Bessenbacher
MOPS program mentor
IVCF Phil. Advisory Board
My mind was flooded with fond memories as I read through the pages you now hold in your hand. In 1976, my wife, Lynn, and I lived in Batu, East Java, for one year when Don and Raquel joined our loosely knit mission team in Indonesia. Soon they moved to Batu to continue their study of language and culture.
I remember sitting for hours, often in the house called “Pondok Palem , ” around a table surrounded by windows overlooking a small orchard of dwarf apple trees. There, Don, Raquel, Lynn, and I would talk about faith, life, and our desire to see God’s kingdom advance in Indonesia.
These pages reveal what we knew then: Raquel and Don loved the Lord, loved people, and longed to grow in their commitment to and service to their Savior. We talked about life experiences. From our southern US roots grew a history different from theirs in California and the Philippines, but we spoke of the Word and the Savior that bound us closer than shared culture ever could.
As I read the stories Raquel shares here, I often recalled the back story with great appreciation for my friends who desire, above all else, to know and make known the Author of lives worth living. I am grateful for learning of experiences in their adventures with the Lord previously unknown to me.
I would love for my friends to know my friends. This book provides an excellent opportunity for some to meet Raquel and Don and learn how God is faithfully present in all life activities as we walk with Raquel through life in far-flung places. Her faith shines through, displayed in her awareness of God’s loving presence and strength.
—Dennis Free
Missionary to Indonesia 1976 to present
Church of Christ/Christian Churches
Stones of Remembrance is a delightful invite, an easy read, and a treat. It’s a book of stories worthy to be written and worthy of being read. It is a beautiful tapestry of one life unveiled, revealed. Through the author’s simple, powerful, picturesque words, we see glimpses of her keen eye, understanding heart, thoughtful musings, and unswerving faith and love for the living and personal God.
Behind all the stories, we see the Master Artist at work, intricately and skillfully weaving the colorful, varied, textured strands of life. They intertwined with other lives creating the unique and excellent design of one beloved daughter’s life.
Get ready to enjoy a reflection of the goodness, faithfulness, and greatness of her God, the Master Artist, Father, and Friend.
—Lina Luz Castañeda, MD
Retired psychiatrist
I read the musings, pondering, and unique experiences in the first sitting to understand the story. The second time, I looked carefully at the crafting and mistakenly thought of suggesting changing a voice or using an active instead of passive mode. But instead, the charm of the passage made me blush with embarrassment ever to entertain such a thought! In the third reading, I was there with the author in every happening, living it with her, weeping, laughing, and hurting. I’m so proud of Don and Raquel for their loving and sincere submission to the Lord of the harvest even as they “took the spoiling of their goods” cheerfully in times of great trial and walked by faith in Christ’s leadership.
These readings have blessed my soul! I’m sure God has a ministry to many others for strengthening and encouragement, to be not just fans of Jesus but faithful followers. On a personal note, the memories on page 93 have caught the real desires and goals of the ministry God has given to the Philippine Evangelical Enterprises Inc. here in Southern Mindanao. Thank you.
—Marilee Barker
Missionary to the Philippines (1952–2022)
 
A Love Note
(May 2022)
Marilee Barker goes home to Jesus: “You should know better than grieve over my going home to Jesus, Rocks.” I can almost hear her upbraiding me. Ten days ago, Marilee Barker left, and with her departure, I lost my last spiritual umbrella. My usual loquacious self finds it difficult to write about her and all she has meant to me.
In 1962, God put this nineteen-year-old, very wet-behind-the-ears, idealistic, and too often unrealistic fresh college graduate in her hands. Marilee educated her on what a God-committed life ought to be, modeling moments of strength and weakness, allowing God’s work on her life through joy and pain. She taught me things such as “don’t stir your pancake batter too much; otherwise, your pancakes will be tough.” I asked, “What do you do when people you love and serve hurt you?” She replied without batting an eyelash, “You love them just the same.” Her “I have cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven and freshly brewed coffee” was an invitation to open my heart to her with what pained me at the moment. My rides in the cab of the blue Chevrolet PEEI truck, as I sat between her and her husband Jared, were three-person conferences on the state of the schools, the mission, or the church.
Marilee and Jared were forever doing for others under the radar of public applause. Rey Halili, the publisher of my book on their missionary endeavors, hardly knew the Barkers, but after learning about their sixty-year ministry in Mindanao and its impact, he felt they should be publicly recognized. He invited Marilee and Jared to come to Manila for an award ceremony. The Barkers told me they could not understand it and turned it down. Marilee and Jared did what they did with their lives exclusively for the audience of ONE.
Rest well, Mom Barker, and bask in the glory of God’s presence. I will miss your FB notes but will cherish your memory etched in our conversations, your counsel and corrections (Rocks, it’s “coddle