HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PASTOR BILL !!!
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
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Ruth Raws is the wife of Pastor Bill Raws who went home to be with the Lord in July of 2008. Ruth has served faithfully alongside of her husband for 55+ years at America's KESWICK. We covet your prayers for Ruth as she has been diagnosed with cancer. Your prayers and encouragement will be much appreciated. We want to encourage you to write on Ruth's blog as often as you can. Thank you.
Ruth J. Raws
Wife of Pastor Bill Raws
Pastor Bill Raws
Pastor Bill Raws
Pastor Raws has been a part of the ministry of America's KESWICK for over 50 years. His life and ministry has impacted thousands of people through the Colony of Mercy (America's oldest residential addiction recovery ministry for men) and the conference ministry. To send a note of encouragement to Pastor Bill, respond to any blog post. For more information about America's KESWICK, visit our website @ http://www.americaskeswick.org/.
Blog Archive
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2008
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July
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- Happy Birthday, Pastor Bill
- Video of Memorial Service at America's KESWICK
- MEMORIAL SERVICE
- Sunday Evening Update
- Saturday night Update
- Friday Morning Update
- Wednesday Evening Update
- Wednesday Afternoon Update
- Tuesday Night
- Tuesday Afternoon Update
- Tuesday Morning Update
- Monday Morning Update
- Saturday Afternoon Update
- Friday Afternoon Update
- Thursday Afternoon
- Wednesday Evening Update
- Wednesday Update
- Tuesday morning update
- Monday evening update
- Sunday Evening Update
- Sunday Afternoon Update
- Saturday morning update
- Friday Afternoon Update
- Thursday Afternoon Update
- Wednesday noon update
- Tuesday Morning Update
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July
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16 comments:
That's a great picture of Pastor Bill-- looks like it's here on the grounds at Keswick. Wishing him a happy birthday (his first) in heaven. Praying for Ruth & all the family today as I'm sure it's a bittersweet day. We have much to celebrate as we think of his life and that we were each blessed to have him IN our lives.
Thank you Lord for Pastor Bill & his many years of serving you here on this earth! We pray today for his family that you would continue to flood them with your presence and peace!
Love,
The Bitlers
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BILL....
Forgive us, for we took you so for granted...
Bill was going to be there for the Sunday service at the Keswick Chapel
Bill was going to be there to pray or share about Keswick at the Hymn Sing and/or Keswick Conference, or in the Dining Room...
Bill was going to be there when we needed him for spiritual counsel and he was never too busy...
Bill was going to be there to joke with and tease - did you ever see his bony legs in short pants...
Bill was going to be there at the 8:45am Sunday service at Whiting Church...(I went to the 11:15am service so I could sleep later !!)
But God had other plans and now we don't have you around, to pray with, share with, tease, joke with, and love...but we will, probably sooner than we expect, for some of us, anyway..
Love Ya Billum....Paulie
The only one I've ever known that was greater than Pastor Bill in terms of devotion to, respect of, and the desire to please God; is Jesus himself.
They're together now in a way that just wasn't possible before. Good news for them. Sad news for us.
Or is it? I know that the love in us will weep. But the freedom fighter in us can somehow smell a battle that we're all to eager to be in. Can you see the baton in his hands? As he tires and needs to pass it on, doesn't everything within you want to grab it?
Thanks Bill. Hope you could sense a thousand hands, and mine one of them, grabbing it with joy; and going into some new gear that God alone can give us.
You're the Best!
Ruth. Family. Hold your heads up high. A mighty man of God has left us, but we are his love. We are his offspring.
Chris Thompson.
Child of God.
Forever indebted to Pastor Bill.
Dear Ruth,
Pastor Bill was such an inspiration
and you were always by his side.
May you be blessed on this
special day.
Glenn Ritter
Keswick Prayer Corporation
Freedom Fighter
Pastor Bill Today is your birthday and you are with Jesus now so your dear wife Ruth knows you are in heaven and seeing Jesus face, should make all of us happy that you worked so hard to gain entrance into heaven..Kevin Blumenstock
Pastor Bill-Happy Birthday in Paradise.You ran the race toward perfection and now you arein Glory
with the Savior,Someday we will be together again with glorified bodies.I know the Lord has a special reward for you.Happy Birthday again!---Alfred Barrett
Ruth and Family,
This morning I was reading Psalm 145 and the verses seemed to me to be a tribute to Pastor Bill.
"I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You. And I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised. And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another. And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splender of Your magesty, and on your wonderous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, ane I will declare your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. All your works shall praise You, O LORD, And your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious magesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who cal upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear the cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him. But the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever" Psalm 145 NKJ
As I read those verses, they seemed to be the sum and substance of the messages Pastor Bill gave, and the life he lived.
On this, the anniversary of his earthly birth, I send you my love, thoughts and prayers.
..Diane Nichols
Remembering the gentle giant, Pastor Bill, today on his birthday.
And remembering Ruth and the family... praying that God would continue to provide strength, comfort, and peace today and always.
Victory in Jesus.
Blessings, we love you,
Nick and Kaye
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PASTOR BILL!!!
Just celebrated your birthday by viewing the Memorial Service and celebrated your life in service to God!!
I feel like I've been at a parade and turned my back and missed something very special. How I enjoyed seeing you as a husband, father and grandpa. You truly have left a wonderful legacy.
Ruth and family, I so appreciated all the personal and precious and funny things that were shared. Please know that I will continue to pray for you all. God has used you to bless me.
The ministry at Keswick and Bill W will continue to be held up in prayer. This is God's ministry and I know He will continue to bless it!
Love in Christ,
Miriam
Happy Birthday, Pastor Bill!
84 years ago today a little guy named William Raws entered the world. I wonder if his parents had any idea at that time that their newborn son would impact so many lives over the course of his lifetime.
I've thought often of Pastor Bill over these last weeks. Some years ago, I learned a song at a ladies retreat. (I'd like to think it was a retreat here at AK, but I don't think it was.)
I tried to Google the words I remember, but didn't come up with anything. Here are a few lines that have gone through my head several times since Pastor Bill's homegoing:
A gentle, quiet spirit,
A pure and loving heart,
Hands that do thy will
And lips that tell how great thou art.
As I've thought about those words, I don't think there could be a more accurate description of Pastor Bill. He was truly a giant among men and is greatly missed.
I'm thankful for having known of Pastor Bill for all of my life and more thankful for the opportunity I've had to get to know him over the 12 years that I've been at Keswick.
Ruth, Jan, Judee, Cherri, Karen, Grace...I'm praying for all of you. May the God of all comfort be near to you and give you peace and strength for each and every day.
With much love,
Susan M.
I remember having a conversation with pastor Bill while I was at the colony just a few months ago. It had just rained and the water was running in the ditches. I mentioned to him about making tin foil boats and catching frogs his face lite up just like in this picture. we reminised for about 30 minutes. you could tell he went back into time. I suggested we go to the pond at some point to catch frogs before my graduation. He liked the idea but wasn't sure how would feel if he came home all mud. I enjoyed that day. Blessings to you Ruth. Keith Varga
Dear Ruth and Family,
You haven't been far from my thoughts and prayers these last few weeks. Like many others I prayed for Bill's healing, but in God's soverignity He called Bill home. My focus now is on you...prayingfor the Lord's peace to flood your souls and His strength to enabe you to carry on...especially as you adjust to life without Bill...your husband, your dad, and your granddad. I know...I've been there.
Bill, like Caleb, aerved the Lord wholeheartedly...he believed God would help him...He maintained his enthusiasm for swerving the Lord...he kept his appetite for the challenges...into his eighties.
Bill will be missed at Keswick, but his testimony will live on. At my age it is hard to imagine Keswick without Bill.
My love and a hug for each one of you. Mary Ella
P.S. I'm sorry I wasn't able to greet each one of you on Friday. I was in pain and Betty Jean thought it was wise for me to get it elevated.
Dear Ruth,
I was sorry to arrive back from recent travels to hear of your loss in Bill's passing. I know that the remembrance of him shared by hundreds at his service was truly wonderful; I wish I could have been there.
Who can express the impact that this one very good, very faithful man had on so many lives?
I so much appreciated his gracious and endearing way in those number of times I had the privilege of sitting and talking with him.
As I witnessed his life and impact I knew I was witnessing the grace of God. I also remember back in 1999 when our family stayed at AK for a few winter weeks, looking out my window to see Bill cross country skiing.
I thought then--as a 39 year old--as I saw this man with such energy and grace: "That's what I want to be when I grow up."
I would say it even more so when I think of the entirety of his life and legacy. May I grow up to be something akin to Bill Raws.
Ruth, may God's peace and sweet grace be yours in amazing measures and super-abounding comfort and joy.
In the love of Christ,
Tim Shorey
Dear Ruth....I can't go to Whiting Bible Church without thinking of Pastor Bill...I pray your days are filled with comfort and peace and sweet memories of this kind and gentle man....may God continue to bless...Melanie Vara
Dear Ruth, you are amazing, Pastor Bill would be so proud of you, so proud to see you continue to minister even as you allowed others to offer comfort during Victory Weeks.
Your showed a God given ability to make people feel comfortable as you testified to God's faithfulness.
May the Good Lord continue to bless your ministry as you walk with Him. LVS
FROM A FORMER KESWICK SUMMER STAFFER 2004 FROM SUMTER, SC:
I remember serving your table while on summer staff and refreshed when homesick to have briefly met Mrs. Richardson, who was married to a pastor from Sumter. I want to say you are in my prayers. May God be with you and hold you close to his heart as you grieve (Is. 40:11)
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