CORONATION TIME....

Nadine loved the Lord with all of her heart. She served Him faithfully for most of her 90 years. When she was a young bride, she and her husband accepted a challenge in a newly formed church. They were asked to teach a group of junior boys. The boys loved this young couple. Tragedy struck when her husband took the boys Sunday School class on an outing at a lake and drowned. She continued to serve God faithfully. She would occasionally baby sit for our family. My son Rich loved her. I remember one time him asking me, "Is Sugar Babe" coming to take care of us tonight. I really don't know where he picked that name up but she truly was a sugar babe. She was kindness personified. She never complained or criticized. Her one desire to was bring people to HIM (Jesus).

She never remarried and worked for years in the hospital and brought love and care to hundreds of patients. The last years of her life was spent in a care facility. She had no family but God looked after her and sent a few people to her life that loved her and cared for her. One of those care givers, Betty, was an employee at the home where Nadine resided.

Each week when my sis, Nonie, (pictured with Nadine), Curl Lawler, Elizabeth Smith, Pat Rittenhouse, Sophia Cazres, Barb Leik and I went to the nursing home for a hymn sing-a-long, Nadine would be wheeled up to the front and would sing at the top of her lungs.

Yesterday when we arrived at the home, we were met by Betty, who informed us that Nadine was getting ready to meet the One she had served so faithfully. As we walked into her room, Barb walked up to the bed, reached out and took hold of Nadine's hand. Nadine reached back and took hold of Barb's hand. We sang some hymns and Barb prayed a beautiful prayer. As she prayed and grasped Nadine's hand, it was as though she was placing Nadine's hand into Jesus' waiting hand. It was such a holy moment. We sang Nadine's favorite hymn, "When We All Get To Heaven." Just a few hours later Nadine was in the presence of the Lord, fianally able to be with the two men she had loved all her life, Jesus and Ralph her husband. Talk about a beautiful home-going...no pain, no suffering, simply holding Jesus' Hand as He lifted her into her heavenly home to be united with the two loves of her life.

Second Timothy 4:8 says, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to on that day...and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." I can just picture Nadine, not in a wheel chair, but standing in front of the Lord as He places that beautiful crown of righteous on her head and says, "Well done my child,....welcome home...this is your coronatiion day!"

THIS IS NOT A TELEMARKETER!

It is 5:15 pm...I am sitting at my computer trying to find music for some nursery rhymes that I will be playing for our Bethany Child Care program. My cel phone begins to ring...After fumbling in my purse I pull it out, open it and say "hello." At first there is no answer..."Oh no!" "A telemarketer!" Then to my amazement I hear a voice saying, "hewo hewo." I say to myself, "this is no telemarketer, this is a baby voice."

Then it dawned on me..."It's my 15 month old great grandson, Grant Andrew Baker." But how could this be. There's no way that a 15 month old can dial his great grandmother and begin chatting away. Suddenly I hear his mother Amy in the background. Then I hear her voice saying..."Oh gram... I am driving to the store. Grant is in his car seat in the back and I let him hold my phone. He must have hit your number on the speed dial." So for the next 6 minutes, 15 month old Grant and 77 year old great grandma had a marvelous conversation. Now you may think that I didn't understand a word he said but I had just spent ten days with him. We had ridden four hours on an airplane and I learned his language. It was an exciting time for me. He did eventually close the phone. Then his mom called me and explained what happened.

This incident made me think of the Scripture in John 10:27 that says, "My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I believe that the Lord speaks to us every day, through His Word, through songs, through people, and in a variety of ways. I hope I will have spent time with Him so that I will recognize His voice and be ready to say "hello" and allow Him to communicate with me. THANKS GRANT FOR THAT REMINDER TO BE LISTENING FOR HIS VOICE!

A LOVE THAT LASTS FOREVER

Approximately 36 years ago my son Doug came home from school with stars in his eyes. He proceeded to tell me that he had a new music teacher and she certainly qualified to be Miss America. I had to inform him that she would have to be a Mrs. America. Her name was Wynne Marsh. She had moved here with her new husband Dennis. They began attending our church. Within a short time Wynne began playing for our choir which was a great blessing to me as I had had very little if any formal music training. Wynne was a gift from God. She knew exactly how to keep me on track with rhythm and time. We had many wonderful years working together doing children's, youth, and adult musicals. In 1983 our adult choir performed a musical by Don Wyrtzen and Phil and Lynne Brower. The name of it was "The Love Story." As it turned out, this became one of both of our favorites. Her husband Dennis did the narration. I believe we did it twice during the years we worked together.

Recently Wynne began playing the organ and directing the choir in a church in a neighboring town. She decided it would be fun to do a musical with the choir and chose to do "The Love Story."

Last Sunday evening Dennis picked me and Wynne's mom up and we went to see and hear the performance. What a delight it was for me to hear and see "The Love Story" once more. As I sat listening , I realized that although 26 years have gone by the message of those beautiful anointed songs have not change. So much has changed in our society, even in the style of Christian music. How comforting to know that God's love never changes.

Every song in the musical is a powerful expression of how much God loves us. But there was one that was especially meaningful to me. Let me quote the words and see if they don't bless you.

His steady love will hold me; His steady love console me; His steady love will carry me to eternity, And His steady love, His steady love, His steady love is mine.

When the ground beneath me trembles, and my dreams come tumbling down, And I try to call to God for help, but my lips won't make a sound; When I stumble in the darkness and the way I cannot find...Then He wraps me in His arms of love, and He gives me peace of mind.

(And then the chorus above repeats.)

In our world today, people are stumbling in the darkness of foreclosures, lost jobs, and many other uncertainties. Fear is griping their hearts and many just don't know where to turn. If you are in that category, let me encourage you to invite "His (Jesus') Steady (and secure) Love" to come into your heart. And you can be confident that noting in this world can shake or diminish His steady love for you. It will last through all time and eternity.

(Picture above...Wynne and me. (Doug, she still could be a Miss America)

THANK YOU GOD FOR SPRINGTIME AND NONIE

This morning when I woke, I realized that spring had sprung. Even though the temperature registered at 13 degrees, my calendar said "spring had arrived." While fixing my oatmeal, I looked out of the window and saw the beautiful gift of sun rise that God gave to us this morning. Naturally I grabbed my camera and took pictures. While taking the pictures I was reminded of a verse of Scripture in Genesis that says: "For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop." I am sure the word "springtime" would be acceptable in this verse. The seasons are beautiful gifts that God faithfully gives to us year after year.

However I remember one spacial gift that God gave to me 70 years ago today.I was seven years old and woke up in the wee hours of the first day of spring to a baby's cry and discovered that I had a little sister. Mom named her Leona but we all started calling her Nonie. What a perfect and beautiful gift God gave to me and every "first day of spring" I still celebrate that gift. Little did I realize at the time what a special blessing God was giving to me. The gift of her friendship becomes more and more precious as the years go by.

The verse of Scripture that I quoted says that we will have springtime as long as the earth lasts. That's great! But how much more thrilling it is to know that the gift of my sister will go on and on through all eternity.

I thank the Lord for the beautiful seasons He allows us to enjoy. ( Even the cold and snow...) But more than summer, winter, springtime and fall..I thank God each day for family. Families are treasures. Happy Birthday Nonie! I love you!

PS The little girl pictured above is Nonie!

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN

I just received a phone call from
sister and those of you that know her know she is never off the wall spiritually. She is steady, stable, and trusts the Lord for everything. Two weeks ago she developed another plugged salivary gland. This one was on the opposite side of her mouth from the one she had last year. She got into the hospital quickly and then was transferred to a hospital in Winter Haven, Fla. She had developed a staff infection which became very serious. She has been diagnosed with Sorgens disease and so these episodes are a little more serious. As she lay in the hospital room things were getting out of control. The lady in the bed next to her was very ill and nurses and doctors kept coming in and out of the room. The lady would have coughing attacks that were very bad and never let up. The TV;s were blaring and the noises were so distracting that Nonie felt like she was going crazy. She told me that at that moment when she knew she could stand it no longer, she looked up and said, "Dear Lord, I need you to come to me and bring peace to me." (of course keep in mind that Nonie's body was weak and full of infection.) Nonie said that all of a sudden she heard the most beautify music. She couldn't tell where it was coming from but she said that it was like CD's playing beautiful calming hymns and choruses. She said that she could still hear the noise of the room in the back ground but the music playing overrode the other distraction. She settled down and went to sleep. She said when she woke up the next morning, the music was still playing. When her nurse came into the room Nonie asked her who had put the music on. The nurse looked puzzled and said, "There is no music playing." The nurse was a born again, spirit filled lady. Nonie said to her..."But I can hear those beautiful hymns playing." The nurse responded, "No my dear, no one is playing music...it must be the angels of the Lord singing you their songs." Nonie was discharged that day and told me that it was not until they had been on the road for 20 minutes that the music stopped.

WHAT A GREAT AND MARVELOUS GOD WE SERVE! To think that He looked down and saw Nonie's stressful situation and sent angels to sing God's music and drown out all the racket and commotion that was going on in Nonie's room.

Psalm 119:72 says "The music of thy promises be on my tongue." I believe when Nonie was at her wit's end and reached out to the Lord that the windows of heaven opened and the Lord fulfilled His promise to her to never leave her or forsake her by sending angels to be the music of His promises.

I don't know what you may be going through at this time but I know this...God will honor His Word. You may be walking through the fire or through the floods but "The music of His Promises will sustain you and you will not be burned or drown."
The top picture is Nonie hugging one of the dear ladies from the nursing home that we do a service in every week.

A TRIBUTE TO MY TWO HUSBANDS

Fifty eight years ago last September 16th, I married for the first time. God had brought a wonderful young man into my life. We had grown up in the same church. I had had my eye on him for a long time before he noticed me. But finally the day came when he did look my way. After he graduated from Central Bible College and had accepted the pastorate in Dundee, Michigan we were married. Those were fun filled days of loving and caring for our small but growing congregation. We needed to work to supplement our income. He got a job at the Ford factory and I worked as a telephone operator for a neighboring factory. We lived in an upstairs apartment but had to walk through the landlord's living room to get to the stairway that led up to our apartment. The kitchen was very small In fact when we were both in the kitchen, one of us had to sit at the small table. It didn't really matter too much...we were in love and loved small spaces and besides I didn't know how to cook. But this tribute is to honor the 21 years that we were together. He gave me three beautiful children. He was kind, gentle, loving, tender and on top of all of this, he was my pastor. His sermons thrilled me, challenged me and encouraged me. I never was bored or became tired of listening to him. I laughed at his funny stories no matter how many times I heard them.
THEN on a snowy cold morning, exactly 37years ago today, he was "promoted on the job." His promotion took him immediately into the presence of the One He served so faithfully.
Following his entrance into heaven...another one became my husband. He took over all the responsibilities. He became a perfect father for my children ages 18, 14, and 9. He never left my side..even while I was so lonely and missing my first husband, He stood by me and held me in His arms and comforted me. He never once let go of my hand. His words to me have always been kind and gentle. I have been able to pour out my hurts to Him. Even when I am out of sorts and not honoring Him as I should He keeps right on loving me.
This morning as I was having some fellowship time with my second Husband, He spoke to me these words from Isaiah "In the shadow of My Hand I have held you...." So I want to pay tribute to my second husband for the Word of God tells me He, the Lord, becomes a husband to the widow. Thank you my dear second Husband for 37 years of your faithful, loving, watchful care over me.

I also want to say "thank you", to my sweet daughter Debbie, and my dear granddaughter Amy for remembering this day with me, and sharing such beautiful comforting words.

PS Some have asked me why I have not remarried...simple..."when I can find a husband who can measure up to the one I presently have, I might consider it.

NO WINTER BLUES

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