THY WORD... BROUGHT TO LIFE... GRACE AND TRUTH...

As I thought about our theme for the week "Thy Word", three women came to mind very quickly: my mother, my grandmother "Granny", and my mother-in-love. My mother taught me and trained me via God's word from infanthood. She modeled His patient and consistent love in all she did. As the military moved our family all over the globe, she kept us connected to THE ANCHOR of our souls.

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My Granny, who lived in the same two block area her whole life, raised three children in the LORD without the cooperation of my grandfather. Yet, she was LIGHT and SALT to him and to her neighborhood as she ministered to those who were sick both physically and spiritually. When I was in elementary school, after several decades of being married to my Granny, my Grandfather chose Jesus as His LORD and SAVIOR.

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Both Mom and Granny gave me the solid foundation that I needed in God's word as they brought THE WORD to LIFE. Here is a picture of my sister-Pam, me, Granny, Mom, and my daughter Crystal not too many months before Granny went to her eternal home at the age of 95. This coming Sunday it will be 7 years.
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When Granny first entered the nursing home (where she is pictured above), a woman in the lobby said, "I know you! You're the 'chicken soup lady'! When I was a little girl and our whole family was sick, you came to help and brought chicken soup." This is one of many stories! What was incredible about Granny was that she truly bloomed where she was planted (in a two block area).

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Several years ago, while visiting a church in another state, one of their elders spoke to Steve and me and said, "the one person who has impacted me the most on how to be an elder is not another elder, but Viola Carron" ... Viola Carron was my Granny! Who says you can't stay in the same town and have an impact worldwide???

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As I reflect once again, this week, on Granny's life, I think about our memory verses for this month and specifically verses 4, 5, and 14...

• 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
• 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. . .
• 14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
• We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Inside of Granny was the Spirit of Christ and that LIFE was the LIGHT of men. The LIGHT shone in a dark world and some understood it and others did not as CHRIST made His dwelling among them through her. She was a woman known for telling it how it was. She did not like to mince words... she spoke the TRUTH. I watched her over the years become more like JESUS as she learned how to become a wonderful balance of GRACE and TRUTH...
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