08/30/2026
A VIEW FROM THE PEW AUGUST 30.2026
MY STORY, YOUR, STORY OUR STORY PASTOR CRYSTAL
Psalm 107:1-9 ESV Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, when he has redeemed from trouble, 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, grom the north and from the south 4Soem wander4ed in desert wasted, finding no way to a city to dwell in.,5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He let them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in 8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love for his wonderous works to the children of man 9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
We all sometimes wander from God, but we need God in our life to show us his path
Verses 1-3 Look around you, look north and south, look east and west. God has gathered his people not just here at Blessed Hope, but all churched around the earth. All kinds of people he is drawing them together to live in his community.
Scholars have not decided who actually wrote Psalm 1078. They believe is is written similar to Ezra and Nehemian. The Israelites were leaving their captivity from Babylon to return back to the promised land once again.
Look in your bibles, above Psalm 107 is listed Book 5 or Book V. This is for Psalms 107 to 150. These Psalms are filled with praises to and testimonies of God.
When God redeems your trouble, you need to tell everyone and give the credit to God. Deliverance needs to be spoken our loud and give all praise and glory to God. The Lord has redeemed me. Redeemed – to grab it and pull it our to make a way
As a child (Crystal) going to the grocery store, before the great stores of Meijers and Costco. With every purchase you were given stamps. You collected these stamps in little books, and when you had enough you could redeem something with them , usually household goods. They were redeemed. They were given to get something back.
We give our sins to God, he redeems us and makes us whole. God does not rescue you to remain silent. He wants you to brag to the world about what He has done for you!
Everyone’s story is different, but each shows the gratitude and hopefulness of what God has given us. So you have a story to tell.
We have not pulled ourselves up by ourselves. With God, he has places people around you at the right time and place. They have opened doors to get you where you are.
The beginning of Blessed Hope
Blessed Hope started with 3 people- Dan Thurber, Gary Schippling and Crystal Schippling. In a store front in Lincoln Park that a city did not want. The building needed massive renovation and 2 of the 3 people still worked full-time. Their friends thought they were foolish. Family thought they were insane. The whole concept did not make sense. Creating a plan for people who had nothing. But God will provide
And he did, God made it work. It was not easy 12-15 hour days. It was lonely, physically exhausting and fear of failing. It took 3-5 years to get the Certificate of Occupancy. But God. He provided people to help just asking for food to eat. Even exhausted people received God’s love and joy. And were saved.
In the 24 years Blessed Hope since we have opened our doors, there have been 1000’s of people saved. In remembering the journey God wants us to work with him. God’s love was shown and still is over and over again. It was a different setting and backdrop then from now still people were saved.
Verses 4-7 The Israelites were lost, wandering in the wilderness. Emotionally fading. A wilderness of wasted land with nothing to show direction. They cried out to the Lord in the time of trouble. Not a whisper but a yell – WHY, WHAT, HOW God starts where you are and you self-reliance ends. God responded to their cries, not from a distance. God was tight there with them. He was never far away. He did not have to travel far
Your actions can lead to straying from God. Follow God even if the path is straight or wandering. Life may not make sense. 3 steps forward and 27 steps back. We do not like suffering and life does not compute. Still we get upright and with God we start again.
In 1990 Crystal started a business, consultant for start up business. One of her clients was a large hotel. They did an event for them and 2 days later the hotel went bankrupt, she did not get paid. At this time her family consisted of 2 adults and 6 children. Another client was mid-sized and while they were working with them they closed their doors and moved south, again did not get paid.
Crystal had to close the company and declare personal bankruptcy,. Gary understood business and was her rock. She still had worry and fears, How to pay bills and feed the family. This destroyed her confidence and filled her with anger and doubt, fear of self-blame and depression. It was dark and hard time. Crystal finally cried out to the Lord. “ I cannot survive this”. But God. He heard her cries. It was a long slow process to recover . God led all the way. She had family encouragement and was lifted in prayer. She was redeemed. Yet God still had other plans for her. We should have been done but God
Verse 8-9 Watch any live TV, the one with commercials. The world is offering 1000’s of temporary fixes for eternal happiness that will make your life better. Only God can provide deep soul satisfaction. Satisfaction where we need it most, because He can read out hearts. Nothing is secret. He sees all of our needs, wants, fears and successes. God does not just give back, but fills us and satisfies us to overflowing.
God calls us to thanksgiving. Our circumstances may change but he does not. Our deepest needs are met. We have enough to get through. Focus on your needs a dn not your wants. God will hear . Praise God. Shout thanksgiving to him. Have something to be grateful for
Amazing things happen at Blessed Hope all the time. One example at Christmas we had nothing in the pantry to do a Christmas dinner for the people. But God. As Crystal was trying to prepare a meal with what they had. Gary got a call at 9:30 at night from WDIV. They had an employee dinner that day, but the weather was snow and ice, many did not attend. If you can meet us at the church we can bring the food to you. Gary met them at 11:00 pm. They brought 14 trays of food – prime rib, salmon, many sides and cheesecake. If it is God’s will it is God’s bill. God provided for his children even when they did not see it. This was amazing. This type of thing happens all the time at Blessed Hope even today. When times are rough. God provides anointing and hope. We receive it and many are saved.
I (Crystal) have shared more than a little about the last 5 years of Gary’s life. Gary used to say “ You can’t always get what you want”. I couldn’t get to keep Gary. But God shows up daily. He has become my husband, provider, security and helper. Didn’t really know what God meant when he said to be the husband to the widow.
Psalm 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows. Is God in his holy habitation.
We serve a God who keeps his promises. He meets our needs and promises for living. When we seek him whether a simple pray or cry out. He will hear and be found. He is alive to comfort and help you.
What are you using to fill that hunger in you?
How are you looking not to be thirsty?
Are you lost and still thirsty?
There are a billion choices we can make in this world, but only one choice that truly works. You do not have to change your external location. Or your community. You receive without having to work for it, God’s internal provision. His mercy meets us in the wilderness and leads us home. Wherever God is, is my home. Wherever Gary was, is my home. We shared a home with the Lord. We are still both home.
He is the way. Ultimately Jesus is the fulfillment of this Psalm. Way out in the wilderness. He is the bread of life that satisfies our hunger. He is the living water that quenches our thirst.
I do not know what you are facing today. Or dealing with. All of us are good at saying “I’m fine” when we are not
Stop wandering
Cry out to the deliverer
Let the Redeemer Lord say so
