May/Honeysuckle

I noticed this week the honeysuckle is blooming--what a heavenly, delicious, smell to me:) It reminds me of my childhood, when my brothers and sister and I would try to eat the minute droplets of honey contained in the honeysuckle flowers. What a lot of effort for so little, but time meant nothing then, and we thought the taste was worth it:)

Years later Keith & I annually welcomed a dear, " New England Yankee", Catholic, friend who fell in love with the smell of honeysuckle and the friendliness of the South, and would plan his trips to NC in May. (BTW, he was the last Allen in the line of the famous Nathan Allen)

He loved our area so much he even tried living in Raleigh for a brief time, but he was legally blind and, in the end, Raleigh didn't offer enough mass transit for him to stay:( He died some years ago but I think of him this time of year and feel blessed to have known this good friend, George Allen.

Wonder if there's honeysuckle in Heaven? I know George would be sitting nearby:)

Remembering a friend

Tomorrow, May 9th, is the second anniversary of a friend's death.
Bruce, a tall, soft-spoken, philosopher from Texas, died of brain cancer in 2005. My dear, dear, friend Kathy & her husband Bruce were married for over 25 years. They were one of the first couples we met when we came to Peace church. We all attended a Sunday School class taught by precious folks John & Carolyn Clark.

Dealing with such a devastating disease is exhausting for everyone, but Bruce dealt with his suffering with grace and great faith. He never complained, I mean never. His only worry was for Kathy. His last words to me were "take care of Kathy".

Bless you, Bruce. You endured to the end. We rejoice to think you'll be waiting to greet us in Heaven:)

Mother's Day/Remembering Mama

My sister Christy wrote this recently to honor our mama who is in her 12th year of struggling with Alzheimer's.

I Miss You Mama

When the kids do something I'm so proud of,
and I want to share the joy
and sometimes even sadness with you
I still almost pick up the phone to call and tell you.

I miss you Mama....

Sometimes, I feel so alone
Like an orphan on my own.
I want you to see and to know
each grandchild and great grandchild,
How they look and how they're doing,
and my heart hurts so!

I miss you Mama....

There are others, friends and family
that help to take your place.
but let's face it,
They can really never fill your space.

I miss you Mama....

Your love of family history,
Your written words, each memory,
I treasure each word, each page,
Our Scottish heritage ingrained in me.

I miss you Mama...

You and Daddy worked so hard to teach all of us kids,
morals, values, the love of our land.
You worked hard at the post office and at home.
And gradually I began to understand.

I miss you Mama...

The gardening, raising tobacco, working the land,
We all worked together. It was in God's plan.
You were a great teacher, we learned of God's love,
We learned to always believe and have faith in our father above.

I miss you Mama...

Your sense of humor,
Laughing until you cry!
Even now in these circumstances,
It still doesn't pass you by.

I miss you Mama...

Your writings, drawings, quilts,
the women's circle, Lobelia, the "Blues",
Cypress, Roseland UMC, our homeplace "Sandrock Acres".
These things will always remind me of you.

I miss you Mama...

If I had just one more chance,
to speak to you and you could understand,
I would like to thank you for all the lessons you taught.
For putting up with my faults.
And just for you to "know" who I am again.

I miss you Mama....and I love you!
You'll always be in my heart!

Your daughter, Christy
Mother's Day 2007

Mercy

Notes from Dr. Diane Langberg's speech at the 2007 PCA Mercy Conference:

"Suffering leaves us speechless. Speaking is necessary for healing. Christians need to give the sufferer a voice. It is redemptive.

Christians are the rescue workers of this world.
We are to bind up the broken-hearted. We are called to live & work among the 'tombs'--among 'dead people'. If we work among the 'dead', we must believe in the Resurrection & be on our knees in repentance.

Worship is our strength.

Suffering is swallowed up in God's Glory.
He uses it for His Glory. Work here turns scars into Glory.
God will use the sufferings of others to drive us to Him."

Sorrow

This week we've seen America deep in sorrow & grief over the horrific events which occurred in Blacksburg, Va. Monday, April 16th, on the campus of Va. Tech.
Getting a grip on how tragic this has been to so many family, friends, and loved ones is a difficult thing. We try to put ourselves in their shoes, but all we can do is feel like we've been socked in the stomach & can't catch our breath. Our faith in our fellow Americans is shaken. And how do we help or reach out to those people who are struggling with mental illness or feeling betrayed by society?
I admire many of the students who acted so unselfishly and heroically as they put their lives on the line to save others.
If we look & listen, we usually catch glimpses of mercy & grace in the worst of circumstances.

PCA Mercy Conference

This coming weekend Heather & Don, fellow Peace church family members, & I will attend a bi-annual Mercy Conference in Atlanta. It is a time of sharing ideas, receiving encouragement, and being motivated so we can return to our churches to do the same; to cast a vision to reach out & minister to the church family & throughout the community in Jesus' name through mercy. One of the stipulations which I love is that those who attend are asked go back home and institute/update/change our ministry according to the Lord's leading.

I attended 4 years ago with a group of Peace folks & we came back with the idea of partnering with a church in Southeast Raleigh, reaching cross-culturally to one that needed financial resources as well as volunteers. This has been/is a slow process, but it is a great learning experience for both of our congregations. Lots of potential here!

In 2005 another Peace group attended the Conference. The primary goal for these folks when returning was to begin a Single Mom's Ministry. Interestingly enough, some single moms had already asked our Comfort & Care ministry for a support group. One of the attendees, Cheryl, has single-handed spear-headed this important outreach, and we see that, in time & with more volunteers, it could become a vital ministry to our community.

What will the Lord have in mind this year for Peace from the Mercy Conference?

Peace has a young Senior Pastor, with a young Disciple/College & Career Pastor, & a young Youth Pastor. Peace is looking for a Pastoral Pastor & has many applicants. The church is also looking into building a new sanctuary or starting satellite churches. The times are exciting.

We need to be attuned to look & listen to where the Lord wants us to serve & what He wants us to do, & how.
I'll keep you posted:)

Easter/The Tomb

"Come, see the place where the Lord lay," with joy and gladness. He does not lie there now. Weep, when ye see the tomb of Christ, but rejoice because it is empty. Thy sin slew him, but his divinity raised him up. Thy guilt hath murdered him, but his righteousness hath restored him. Oh! he hath burst the bonds of death, he hath ungirt the cerements of the tomb, and hath come out more than conqueror, crushing death beneath his feet. Rejoice, O Christian, for he is not there—he is risen.

"Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

Come, view the place then, with all hallowed meditation, where the Lord lay. Spend this afternoon, my beloved brethren, in meditating upon it, and very often go to Christ's grave, both to weep and to rejoice. Ye timid ones, do not be afraid to approach, for 'tis no vain thing to remember that timidity buried Christ. Faith would not have given him a funeral at all; faith would have kept him above ground, and would never have let him be buried; for it would have said, it would be useless to bury Christ if he were to rise. Fear buried him. Nicodemus, the night disciple, and Joseph of Arimathea, secretly, for fear of the Jews, went and buried him. Therefore, ye timid ones, ye may go too. Ready-to-halt, poor Fearing, and thou, Mrs. Despondency, and Much-afraid, go often there; let it be your favorite haunt, there build a tabernacle, there abide. And often say to your heart, when you are in distress and sorrow, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Charles Spurgeon