Jesus wept. We weep. Nancy dances.

Nancy Armstrong went home to be with Jesus today. She will be missed dearly by her family. Her family includes her husband, children, grandchildren, church family at Cornerstone, and at WMUZ. She served as an administrator for over 20 years here; we are gasping for breathe, as it happened so suddenly, but so grateful to the Lord for the hope we have: Nancy is absent from her body, but now present with the Lord.

John 11:35

Jesus wept.

In January of 2000, I began the SVOTW (Scripture Verse of the Week) on The Praise Co. The Lord impressed on me to have this particular feature on my show, to encourage my listeners and me the importance of knowing, reading and memorizing the Word of God. On Fridays, I would hope that we would have memorized it.

Here at the station, Nancy Armstrong and James Kilkenny were generally speaking the only two who consistently did. It was Nancy who said, if you bake cookies for the staff and give them one as a reward, they will more than likely memorize the scripture. She was right! Folks paid $2 if they didn’t know the scripture and it was free if they did know it! It was quite an incentive, I guess. I baked every Friday morning for many years…it was Nancy’s fault.

Early on, the staff teased me and asked that I would choose the shortest verse in the bible and this is it: Jesus wept. So, as a surprise one week, I did. But! In order to get the cookie…they had to answer 3 questions:

1. When Lazarus dies, which of the

2. sisters came out of the house to meet Jesus on the road? 2. Where did the mourners come from?

3. Why did Jesus weep?

The first two questions were objective, obviously, but the third was the "essay" question & there were many answers…but Nancy Armstrong's answer was this:

Jesus wept because He knew what He was taking Lazarus from.

Who are you scared of? Certainly not the devil!

Fear, a very real emotion, but think about this...who are we afraid of when we go to share our faith? Are we intimidated by the unbeliever? If so, then, really, why would we be? Darkness is NOT more powerful than light. If light is burning brightly, darkness walking into the light is devoured by the light, right?! On the other side of the coin, when light walks into darkness, it shines! We have the edge every time!

Share Jesus without fear...right now, I am in the midst of teaching a Sunday School class on this book and watch out! The close to 30 adults who come every Sunday are about to descend on the darkness with BOLDness and LIGHT! Devil, your time is up, shut up!

Middle-aged

How did it happen? Time passed...and again. I see myself in a different light tonight. No, not the light projecting from my computer, as there is no mirror present (grateful). Just really wondering how this time passed. Slowly sometimes, and sometimes with great speed.

Amazing seeing a person in a coffin that I spoke with not that long ago, what? two months. His time on this earth is gone now, his impact remembered dearly by many, especially by his precious family...tears flowing freely, memories so vivid now. Surreal, I know. I think about my own dear Dad and how I wanted the world to stop, because it had stopped as far as I was concerned. Time healed the sharp pain. Now, here I am, with less time than I had 16 years ago. Thank God my life, my time is in His mighty hands. Thank you, Lord for moments and days remembered.

May I live each one yet to come for You and for Your glory. I love You.

The Healing Fest, a controversy?

This week, I have determined that the Praise Co. Revival is the healing place and therefore, we are having The Healing Fest. I actually announced this about 12 days ago. Since then one of my co-worker's father has died and one of my close friend's husband passed away. Life truly is so fragile, a flicker. At one point or other, this life does indeed, end. Where do we go? The decision is made right here. Either we spend eternity with God, or apart from Him.
These 2 men, now gone from this life...so sadly missed by their families, having left such a mark on their respective lives. This blog is written with Joseph Huk Sr. and especially Richard Olson in mind. I knew Richard. He was one of my very first advertising partners. Olson Oldsmobile, what a great place! I have the privilege of speaking at his funeral service this Wednesday morning at Brightmoor Christian Church in Novi.
We live in a fallen world, and as a result ...we get sick, lose jobs, spouses, our minds and sometimes we have antique leafs of oak dining room tables fall out of the closet square on our toes as we reach for the vacuum cleaner. I wanted to get my cleaning done and then bake for Toni and her family. My plans ended abruptly when I opened the closet door.
I stare longingly at the toes to our right and wish/hope/pray that one day, I will have brand new feet. Feet that not only look pretty, but more importantly, feel pretty!!! I cried at urgent care as the pain was through the roof, I felt so lonely, not a stitch of make up on, and at first, the medical care was soooo sub-par that all I could do was pray. And I did. I prayed out loud at one point.
Blood loss, x-rays discovering 3 breaks, numbing and a bunch of stitches later...I am grateful that a real doctor came in and saved my third toe. Turned out, he is a listener. Sweet man. He and his wife will be taking their 4 boys to warmer temperatures fairly soon. Dr. Ryan.
I have a great deal on my plate this week...never expecting a "slow down" Guess you never do...I am grateful it is just a toe...not the whole foot, my leg, my life. Fragile, once again, I hear that ringing in my ears...this life is just that: fragile.
What are you doing with it???
Tonight, my listeners called in by the dozens with prayer requests. I promised I would pray and I will. Every day this week at 6:30PM. I am expecting answers from God. It is called FAITH, and I plan on using it. It would be terrible to ignore one of God's greatest gifts.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

A Simple Conversation with GOD

I found myself on the kitchen floor, at first to retrieve the pill Polly neatly left after finishing her dinner. I stayed there. It seemed a great place to begin my conversation with the Lord. I have been praying and thinking about my speaking engagement tomorrow, but had concerns for people I know and love....so I lifted them up to the Father. He was listening. It was a sweet time and ended in a song He once gave me to sing to Him...and all I want to do is kiss your nail-pierced hands and all I want to do is gaze into your beautiful eyes, waltz across the water with You, I know you'll hold me tight...quietly, Polly nudged me as if she knew I was finished with my time.

Ah! A walk would be perfect, though a little late, I am up for it. Can I just say how perfect it was? Perfect. But! before we traipsed out into the balmy, cloudy, soft-breezed evening, the thought occurred to me: whoa, there are varmints out there, having been reminded by one of my many co-walking neighbors recently. So,I prayed a simple prayer:

Lord, please do not let us come across a skunk or raccoon or anything that creeps me out, okay?

Though she (Polly) nearly pulled my arm out of its socket a couple of times, we were more than unscathed...we got a walk in that can be beat! I feel so energized and grateful. I love life. I love the scent of Spring in the gentle breeze. I love the kindness of a simple prayer answered. (so swiftly, I might add!) I love that Jesus walked with us. I love.

Answered Prayer~in progress!

When I was in Yokohama for an unusually long-distanced speaking engagement, the Costache Family made arrangements for me to meet the couple I prayed for to have a child.

Here is the deal: they did not believe in God. Though, rather taken by the ongoing witness in Christian Costache, he shared their secret desire to have a child....who knows? perhaps this guy and his wife, due to their commitment to their God will help our longing to have a child. the doctors say, "No." Maybe "God" will say, "Yes?!"

I received a call from Chris and Aurora and they asked that we would agree in prayer (Matthew 18:18 & 19) for this couple. As we prayed, I sensed that the Lord wanted to give them a time-table...before Christmas, you will be pregnant, I heard it loudly and clearly (this was at the end of October/beginning of November in 2007). They found out they were expecting before Christmas break!

Back to the luncheon....see the picture of the family? Mom and Dad are filled with joy! Their son is a treasure to them and a darling little one, healthy as can be! I spoke with him rather candidly about the answer to prayer and God's demonstration of power in that. I will tell you this: Though he is not yet a believer, he is far more close to realizing that there is a God due to the prayer of agreement and the display of God's love in his arms. This is called "supernatural soulwinning," I believe! To God be the glory!

Before you know it, their hands will be raised in praise to the One who answered that prayer!

Get wisdom, or be dumb!

Hey there...so sorry that it has been a long time since I communicated with you on the blog. Forgive me. The SVOTW (aka The Scripture Verse of the Week) is from Proverbs 12, verse 1. Here we go: Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

Imagine! Stupid. What a word! It's a nasty word, a descriptive word, an "in your face" word. I most certainly would not want to be labeled as such...stupid, you kidding me? But I am. No, I am not putting myself down here, I am being honest-to-goodness truthful instead. I resist correction much of the time. Know why? Because I don't want anything to be my fault! I don't want to mess up...and I don't want to take the blame. Although, I am taking the blame right here and right now. He wants me to and whatever God wants, I want.

I am guilty...of so much it makes me want to just sit here and cry. In fact, there are water deposits sitting on the keys right now. (I've been told my eyes tell it all.) They, along with my typing fingers are speaking the truth. I am guilty!!! But I know where to go, Who to talk to, & how to rid myself of my sinful nature: I go to Jesus.

Run, don't walk, to the cross. Let's confess right now and tell Him how sorry we are for our sins/how grateful we are for His amazing gesture of the cross/His faithfulness in washing away the guilt/ how awesome that he throws the horror of our actions and sickening thoughts in a forgetful place. Teach me, oh God!!! Give me the correction, the sooner the better!

I love instruction, I will gain knowledge. I love correction and I am not stupid!