1. SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER - Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care....The joys I feel, the bliss I share...Thy wings shall my petition bear...May I thy consolation share...
- I love this hymn and next week want to share more about it's words and it's author...
- More importantly than the words of the hymn and it's author is just PRAYER itself...I fall more in love with prayer everyday...all day...a walking talking relationship with my JESUS...I fall more in love with Him everyday... GLORY!
- John says it beautifully in 1 John 1:3-4 "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete."
- Please join God's people in praying for our nation...for 40 days...
2. SWEET FELLOWSHIP - I smile deeply within my soul when I think of the sweet fellowship, in the Spirit, that we have as christians. No matter where we go on this earth, we have a spiritual family...
- for those who were not raised in christian homes, having a big fellowship of believers as family is especially meaningful...
- for those who live far from home, even in a distant land, having a big fellowship of believers as family is especially meaningful...
- Ahhh, John uses inspired words again in 1 John 1:5-7 "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: GOD is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of JESUS, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
3. SWEET SISTERHOOD - Last night as I lay in bed, I smiled as I recounted my sweet sisterhood. Sisters in different cities, different states, different countries and continents. Some of you are staying connected with me by reading this... Thank you! My mind thinks about my sisterhood since becoming a mom: our B-Town Wednesday mom/kids times, CCCH moms, Anson prayer walkers, Ten Thousand Angels extended family, Yorkie Special Educators, Hoosier Hysteria moms, my extended Klein and Sikes family, and I smile when I think that within the past year I have been richly blessed by the addition of:
- a large close sisterhood in New Jersey...women who drive miles and miles to be together. Last night we did just that at our annual "tea". What a fellowship we had especially thanks to Dottie and Alana.
- our blog world sisterhood of Transformed Moms. I had no idea, when we started this in June of how many women would use this blog. What a sisterhood! Thank you, JESUS!
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Today is a very important day for one of our sisters here in New Jersey - Mandy. Mandy lost her mother one year ago today to cancer. Her mother was far away in Arkansas...Mandy is a young mother... now working through her grief...believing that GOD gives GRACE for today and bright HOPE for tomorrow.
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Wednesday night a bunch of us signed a card for Mandy. You know, one of those musical cards that sings WE ARE FAMILY! Here is Mandy's thank you response:
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"Sistas...There aren't words to say how I felt when I opened and read the card you all gave me the other night. What a rich blessing to be surrounded, lifted up, included, loved, guarded, and just generally thought about by such a Godly crowd of women. "Can someone say, 'hallelujah'?". (I guess I found some words, huh?) The spiritual wagons circled around my heart, a warmth came over my spirit, and a smile came to my face. Maggie and I even did a little dance to the music. My mom smiled in Heaven knowing I am part of the Pitman sisterhood. She always said that it made it easier for me to be so far away to know I was part of a good church family. She was especially proud to hear, before she died, how wonderful things are for us at Pitman. This week I have such a mix of sadness and joy in my heart. To describe it would take.....well, you know how long I could go on, having known me for more than five minutes. :) So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for blessing me, Lord. And thank you to all the Pitman ladies who love me. I love you, too."
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WE ARE FAMILY! That's actually the only 3 words of that song that I have ever known. I googled the lyrics and have put the words below. Since I thought the song to be not totally appropriate, I have put a few words in parenthesis that might be better substitutions. You can click on the playlist and follow along below if you want to hear what Mandy is listening to. Be encouraged, sister! This next week our theme will be SWEET FELLOWSHIP!
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SONG LYRICS: WE ARE FAMILY!
CHORUS:We are family!
I got all my sisters with me !
We are family!
Get up everybody and sing!
We are family! I got all my sisters with me!
We are family! Get up everybody and sing!
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Everyone can see we're together -
as we walk on by.
And we fly just like birds of a feather -
I'm not telling (a) lie.
All of the people around us to say,
Can we be that close?
Just let me state for the record -
We're giving love in a family dose, yeah!
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CHORUS
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Living life is fun and we've just begun
To get our share of the world's (KINGDOM'S) delights
High hopes we have for the future
And our goal's in sight
No we don't get depressed
Here's what we call our golden rule
Have faith in You (JESUS) and the things You do
You won't go wrong, oh no
This is our family JEWEL, yeah
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CHORUS
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1 comment:
Patti, this is Mandy.
I decided to make today about Maggie. Nothing too formal. We shopped for some fall dresses and knee socks. Lunch with you was a blessing. Barnes & Noble had only one Steve Green CD, the exact one you had loaned us. :) Now Maggie can hear her "pretty song" any time. While at the bookstore, I got her a big Bible story book and a "real big-girl Bible". "This is Where it All Begins" as the Chapmans sing. Maggie and I ended the day with a Bible story and a prayer for my dad, sister, and aunt in AR.
One of my prayers is that Leda Marie (Henson) Collier is never forgotten, especially the good work she did for children as a teacher,librarian, and Girl Scout leader. She could sing alto like an angel, and she was praising her God with that rich voice and good ear for harmony. She could can vegetables as fast as my dad could pick them. She was 6feet 1inch tall with a corny sense of humor, unique to say the least.
She was tougher than I knew. The last year of her life she lived with a broken bone from the cancer. In spite of surgery and treatment it could not heal. Her pain was great. She lived to the young age of 61. She and Dad were married 41 years. We miss her terribly here on earth. BUT, joy cometh. She is whole, she is singing, and my tears turn to laughter and rejoicing at her victory. Jesus paid it all. Glory and honor to our LORD.
Thanks for reading the long commment.
Mandy
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