another prayer request

My friend passed away Sunday around 11:00 am. Please remember her family in your prayers as they are mourning the death of two loved ones. Also, please pray that the truck driver will come forward and acknowledge his crime.

a prayer request...

A friend of mine was in a very serious car accident Thursday night around 10:00. She is in LSU and not expected to live. She lost one of her ears, has a broken neck and may have brain damage. From what I was told, they weren't going to do any surgery yet because she probably wouldn't make it through the surgery. Her 7-year-old granddaughter was killed. Both of them had been thrown from the car. Her daughter was driving the car and said that the truck driver who caused the accident kept driving.

Please keep Tammy and her family in your prayers.

Count your blessings...

on laying it down

Why is it so hard to lay it down and let God have it?

I find myself standing during the invitation, the tears are flowing, and wanting to run and fall down at the altar and pour it out. I'm holding on and I don't know why. The invitation stops and there I am, still standing...

on studying the bible

Many of us who study our bibles are not seminary students, English students, or are currently enrolled in a college or university. We read the scripture, look up the words in the back of our bible, use a dictionary, or use some sort of lexical aid. We strive to better understand what the scriptures are saying to us. Yet if our intellectual capabilities limit us, then we are left to ask others whom we trust to know.

I have recently been studying a particular scripture. I looked up the words, studied, and thought I understood what it was saying. I really felt that the Lord had opened my eyes to something. Even while I was laying in the bed trying to go to sleep, it ran through my mind, over and over again, keeping me awake. I was thoroughly convinced that I was right, because the Lord had led me to understand something that others and myself hadn't before.

I was told that I was wrong. I was let down. I didn't want to hear that, of course. I wanted to be right. Not because of my studies only, but because I felt that the Lord had revealed something to me through my studies.

I said all that to say this. I understand why people don't study their bible. I understand why they buy bibles written in layman's terms. We criticize them for it but they may not have the brain that students, preachers, teachers, and others do. I mean, take myself for an example, I studied and studied on this particular scripture and I'm wrong? I looked up the words, I read it over and over again. I read other scriptures with the same subject matter, and it all made sense to me, it all fit.

Now I'm discouraged. I don't want to study. Why should I? I might be wrong and I don't want to be disappointed again. I'll just start taking the preacher's word for it.

on who yo baby daddy??

I was just thinking about how many of the men in the Old Testament had more than one wife or concubines, etc... I mean Jacob had Leah and Rachel and the two handmaids. Four mothers bore his children. Look at Solomon, I don't know how many kids he had, but it must have been quite a few with all those women.

So, I wonder if this question "who yo baby daddy," was ever asked back then? Did they have to worry about child support? Was it common for a man to father children from many different women? It looks like it was.

on easter

Easter Sunday was a wonderful blessed day for me. My family drove down to Minden to Whispering Pines that morning, I sang a special "I Will Rise", heard an awesome sermon by the "Big Buck", went to my mom's house and spent the day with my parents, sisters, nephews and brother-in-law, had a great meal, ate way too much, went back to church that evening and heard another great sermon from Bro. Buck. This was also my 41st birthday. After church, we headed over to Big Buck's dwelling place because that's just what we do every time we visit. Sorry for them, it's just become a routine. My daughter goes over to see the young spikes and we follow behind and end up always staying longer than we should. Mrs. Doe is the sweetest person you'll ever meet, besides me, she endures through our ramblings. Big Buck is a big talker, many of you know that already, but I am also just as stubborn and strong headed as he is. My husband is a little more reserved, yet he does enjoy good conversation. We were discussing several things, which I won't post on here. I just wanted ya'll to know that Big Buck said I was right about something, which I already knew, and wrong about something else that I am determined to prove him wrong. Like I said, I'm stubborn and this doe won't go down without a fight. During these conversations, Mrs. Buck is falling asleep beside me on the sofa. I believe she was about to muzzle Big Buck! Anyway, we finally called it quits because we had a long drive home.

I always dread leaving. I know what comes next; depression. The next day I was so depressed I cried on my way to work, cried at work, thought about how much I hate it here, thought about how much I hate not being able to go to the church I want to go to, thought about how much I resent Joe for doing this to me, thought about how much I miss my family. And I think about why am I so depressed if I am a child of God and I am supposed to be so full of joy when all I'm full of is sadness most of the time. Good grief, I'm crying right now. I'm just waiting for the one day that I don't think about any of this. So far, it hasn't happened. Pray for me.

on more scriptures in relationship to the "healing of the nations"

Just following up on my study of the "healing of the nations" and the significance of the tree of life. It all corresponds to "service."

Notice the following scriptures:
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Proverbs 12:12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Jeremiah 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

There you have it. Scripture after scripture stating how our faithfulness in serving God is depicted as a tree bearing leaves and yielding fruit unceasingly.

Need I say more?

....on being belittled by the brethren

As a woman, I am offended by how belittled we are sometimes in our association. I know we are not to be preachers, pastors, or bishops -whichever title you may call it. I know we are not to "usurp authority" over the men. I know we should not teach a Sunday school class of men, which by the way, it probably would help some of the men if one did. I have also been told numerous times to follow my husband when it came to joining this church. I got pretty sick of hearing this since every time we've moved somewhere it's mostly been for Joe's school or job.

I have been a member of an ABA church since I was twelve years old. I have been attending one since I was about six years old. I know more about our work, church authority, the bible, and how to conduct our services than most of the men at my church. Yet when I ask a question or make a statement about something I am frowned upon? but I have to listen to the male hick in the back row talk about his financial problems? I don't think so.

I do stand for what I believe. I do open my mouth and let it out sometimes, too.

So are we supposed to sit back and not say anything if the men of the church are not taking the lead in our church and conducting business the way it should be done?

I don't think so.