Psalm 84:10a says, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”

This Psalm was written by the Sons of Korah who were responsible for the worship at the temple of God for the people of Israel in Old Testament times. The psalmists focus on the beauty of dwelling in the presence of God and the reality of pilgrimage for God’s people.

Recently I was reflecting on this portion of Scripture and verse 10 stirred my heart. Here the psalmists are comparing the importance of time and how it is spent—one day better than a thousand. Why? It is spent in “your courts,” in the presence of God.

Time is a treasure and how, where, why, and with whom we “spend” it is very significant.

Here are a few of the many truths about time in Scripture:

1. Time is a gift (Psalm 139:13–16)
2. Time is limited (Psalm 90:10)
3. Time is fleeting (James 4:14)
4. Time is important (Psalm 90:12)

Of all the things that could be said about time and its expenditure, I want to emphasize the importance of a life spent walking in the presence of God. We are now God’s temple. His Spirit resides in us. As we walk with Him we experience His presence, His power, and His purposes. What a beautiful and sacred privilege to live this way.

I recently googled, “How many times does a person’s heart beat in a day?” The answer was approximately 100,000 times in 24 hours. That is almost 4,200 times an hour!

Do I make this happen? No. Every beat of my heart is from God! It is a gift to be treasured and spent in wisdom and love. And not just in the big and visible significant moments, but faithfully walking in the Lord’s presence in the small, unseen, and quiet moments as well.

One of our mentors, the late Dr. Pam Reeve, in her book Faith Is, said it this way: “Faith is realizing that God is the God of now, carrying on His purposes in every tedious, dull, stupid, boring, empty minute of my life.”

I’ve got plenty of those moments—how about you?

I pray you know God’s precious presence in all the heartbeats of your life. And may I remind you that your financial investment in Cadence allows our staff to spend their cherished time in loving military people and their families all around the world.

Your contributions create the gift of time, and it is being well spent!

Gratefully,

David Schroeder
President

America just celebrated its 247th birthday on the Fourth of July. Joyce and I hosted over sixty Cadence-connected people at our house for dinner and fireworks. Our home affords a wonderful view of our city’s firework show, and this gathering has been an annual tradition for most of the past twenty years.

The celebration in our home mirrored those hosted by many Cadence hospitality houses around the globe, where they offered food, connection, and fellowship to service members and their families—an extension of what they provide weekly throughout the year.

One of Cadence’s nine summer interns, who is working with Darrow and Vicki Frazier and the Marines at Hansen Christian Center in Okinawa, Japan, described his experience of their ministry in this way:

“The ministry that the Fraziers have created here is the most fruitful and well-run young adult ministry I have ever seen. HCC provides a way for the Christians on base to connect with each other and offers recreational opportunities every weekend as an alternative to the rampant drinking and partying that the base offers. As a result, many Marines choose to stay the entire weekend. The community they have created, where authentic affection and service are at the center, is nothing short of awe-inspiring.”

The Fourth of July reminds us that the United States is our home, and that despite its flaws and difficulties it remains a home worth securing and defending. This is a holiday where Americans are appreciative of the U.S. military personnel and their families who sacrifice and serve in defense of our country and Constitution.

Cadence is honored to provide places of belonging and love for these patriots in homes and ministries across the U.S. and around the world, where “authentic affection and service are at the center.” For many military people and their families, Cadence ministries are a home away from home. And for some, it is their first experience of a loving home.

Your partnership with Cadence is so significant and appreciated. Because of you, we can faithfully and fruitfully “share the gospel and our lives with the military community” throughout the year.

Thank you, and may God bless you for your investment in His kingdom work through Cadence.

David Schroeder
President

“I’m here to feel the scars of Jesus.”

I spoke those words as a young man in 1987 during a devotional on “doubting Thomas” from John 20:24–29. Joyce and I had joined the K-Town and Baumholder hospitality houses on an amazing trip to the Holy Land of Israel.

In those days, we were on our first full-time Cadence ministry assignment as newlyweds leading the Youth of the Chapel in the military community of Baumholder, Germany. We loved those years of ministry together, yet in my heart I was wrestling with a fresh wave of questions and doubts about my faith. Something was stirring, and I felt unsettled and challenged in trusting God.

The leaders of the trip asked me to share from the Word the first morning in Israel.

I took them right to Thomas and his doubts. He didn’t believe until the resurrected Jesus appeared to Him and said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas did as told, and he immediately believed.

I shared with those military people that I was in the Holy Land to walk where Jesus walked and to “feel the scars” in a yearning to believe and love Him deeper. And that’s exactly what happened. A few weeks after the trip I told Joyce with tears, “I believe!” Those unexpected, unsettling doubts had dissipated right into the grace-filled hands of my Jesus.

Friends, I don’t know what reason you might have to join Joyce and me on a trip to the Holy Land, but I want to invite you! Cadence Alumni Director Angie Sprague and her husband Duncan, Alumni Pastor, are hosting an Alumni and Friends journey with Jesus in Israel, January 4–13, 2024. Joyce and I will be teaching, along with our guide Omer Eshel, at many of the significant biblical landmarks in the Holy Land such as the Mount of Olives, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Temple Mount, Pool of Siloam, and more.

We will be learning and growing together during this special journey. Find out more or register today at Cadence.org/Israel2024. We would love to have you join us!

No matter how each person attending might begin this upcoming trip, our prayer will be that by the end the Bible will be alive in fresh ways and we will all proclaim anew as Thomas did, “My Lord and my God!”

Whether you are able to join us or not, may the nail-scarred hands of our Savior remind you today of God’s extravagant and powerful love for you.

David Schroeder
President

“. . . but some doubted.”

Three simple words tucked away in the grand narrative of Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and commissioning.

The disciples had likely just experienced a full range of emotions as they journeyed with Jesus through Passion Week. Matthew records their reactions to the resurrection of our Savior in chapter 28 verse 9, “Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.” Awe and adoration were the only possible responses to the risen Christ!

Yet, perhaps only a few days later as they gathered with Jesus for His commissioning of them to their ministry, Matthew 28:17 says, “When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.”

The addition of doubt. Three simple words.

But—have you noticed how quickly our spirits can move from worship to worry? Life has a way of disrupting and interrupting our experience of His presence and peace. Doubt is an intrusive invader lurking at our heart’s door. It was for the disciples, and it can often be for us as well.

Some—not all, and not always. We know the disciples were more completely convinced when the Holy Spirit came upon them and others at Pentecost. From then on they were marked by boldness, not reservation.

Doubted—I feel compassion for the disciples. Jesus completely upended their expectations of the Messiah. One moment He was dead and buried, along with their hopes and dreams, and then the next . . . He was very much risen and alive! Whew, what a ride! No wonder some of them were uncertain and confused.

Honestly, I take great comfort from these three words. We forget that “but some doubted” is part of the prelude to the Great Commission. We don’t have to be doubt-free to be called, set apart, and given authority by Jesus for our mission. Uncertainty is only a short blip in the narrative. It is not the primary story, nor its ending.

Doubt is a part of this pilgrimage with God. It intrudes into all our lives at times. This has been true at some point in my life in every season. Often triggered by hardship, doubt is actually a window that opens our souls to the potential for deeper faith and belief. Ultimately, Jesus’ presence and power overcomes our doubts as we journey with Him.

Friends, I pray that whatever you are currently facing in your lives right now will be used by God to forge a more resilient faith in Him. Whether you are living in the “but some doubted” stage or in a season of peaceful trust in God, may our Risen Savior meet you wherever you are in this pilgrimage.

This is His promise: “And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b

Blessings and love to each of you, our dear partners in ministry.

David Schroeder
President

Fort Polk is located in the Vernon Parish of Louisiana. The fort is under the command of the Joint Readiness Training Center of the 4th Brigade and is the only training center in the Army which both trains and deploys units for combat missions. Approximately 9,000 active-duty military call Fort Polk their home.

This past year Cadence staff Brian and Cathy Hutchens established the Fort Polk Hospitality House which ministers to this unique and somewhat isolated military community. God began to form a vision for this ministry many years ago in Brian’s heart when he trained there for a deployment to Iraq.

Joyce and I recently had the privilege of participating in the dedication for this new ministry. We were joined by one of Cadence’s founders CP Tarkington, his daughter Jo, and son-in-law Todd. Brian and Cathy were mentored and discipled by this family for many years.

What a joy to be with approximately 50 military people and their families, including four U.S. Army Chaplains, to celebrate and dedicate this ministry, the people, and the hospitality house to the Lord. Brian beautifully wove the theme of worship throughout the evening—a community who gathers in prayer, in fellowship, in God’s Word, and in worship.

Fort Polk can sometimes be a challenging assignment for Soldiers and their families. The hospitality house offers a place of connection and joy in the middle of potential isolation and loneliness. One Soldier’s wife spoke of how she had been looking forward to retiring and leaving Polk, but is now sad to be moving because they have finally found community.

This is the heart of Cadence—offering life-changing communities where single and married military people and their families can discover a place of connection, growth, and life in Jesus.

I think Chaplain Jameson William’s prayer of dedication at the end of the night sums it up well:

“Father God, who fashioned the first sounds from silence, who thought up every star we can see and not see. The same God who knows words before they are voiced and numbers of days before they are lived. May you fill these walls with worship. Let every heart and tongue that enters this house lift praises to your mighty name. Let every moment in this place be lifted to you as an offering of true worship. Let it not be noisy clamor but loving harmony. Let it not be dissonant selves but united expressions of your body, the church—not just singing, but hearts alive in your Spirit.”

As this prayer is answered in the coming years at Fort Polk and military installations around the world, may you take joy in knowing your prayers and financial gifts are a significant support to an ever-growing worshipping community of believers.