Dealing with loss

One of my very best friends lost a close family member recently.  They are a very private person so I don't want to put their name on here, but please say a prayer for that family.  God knows who they are.  It is always hard when we lose a loved one to death.  We have joy and can take comfort in the fact that they are better off if they have been saved.  Because a person who knows Jesus as their Saviour is with Him as soon as they leave this world.  But we are only human and we miss that person being in our lives.  Praise God that if our loved one has been saved and we have been saved, we will meet them again one day in Paradise.  If you have loved ones that have gone Home to be with the Lord, but you yourself have not accepted Jesus as your personal Saviour, I encourage you to read How To Be Saved by going to http://www.geocities.com/lighthousebaptistchrch/howtobesaved

 

Don't let that family circle be broken!  For those of us that have been redeemed, death is only the beginning!  A better (perfect) world awaits us!  I thank God for His mercy and grace by which I was saved.  I have a grandmother, a grandfather, a great grandmother, several aunts, uncles, and cousins, and many friends that I know are waiting for me in Heaven!  What a great reunion day that will be.  But we must remember to pray for the family and friends left behind where death has entered in.  So please remember my friend's family in prayer.  Thank you, and until next time, be blessed.............

 

Love,
Stephanie

A Song For Mary Magdalene

I just had to make one more post tonight. I was doing some research on Mary Magdalene and came across this poem written by Irish poet Padraic Pearse called "A Song For Mary Magdalene". I hope it blesses you as it did me. I think it is absolutely beautiful. ENJOY!

O woman of the gleaming hair,

(Wild hair that won men's gaze to thee)

Weary thou turnest from the common stare,

For the shuiler Christ is calling thee.

O woman of the snowy side,

Many a lover hath lain with thee,

Yet left thee sad at the morning tide,

But thy lover Christ shall comfort thee.

O woman with the wild thing's heart,

Old sin hath set a snare for thee:

In the forest ways forspent thou art

But the hunter Christ shall pity thee.

O woman spendthrift of thyself,

Spendthrift of all the love in thee,

Sold unto sin for little pelf,

The captain Christ shall ransom thee.

O woman that no lover's kiss
(Tho' many a kiss was given thee)

Could slake thy love, is it not for this

The hero Christ shall die for thee?

Something to share

I received an email tonight from a lady I had never met. She had ran across the church website and emailed me because she said she was encouraged by what she had read. She is in a bad position and has no family or friends around her. It always breaks my heart to hear of someone going through such a bad time. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own lives that we fail to look around and see others that are hurting. It is our job, as servants of Christ, to help those that are lonely and hurting. We must show love to those around us. More often times than not, we are quick to judge and talk about those around us who are in a bad position. I know when I had walked away from God and was living in the world I was miserable. And I know that there were some people who proclaim themselves as Christians who were readily putting me down and judging me instead of praying for me and trying to help me back up. Now, don't get me wrong...there were many that tried to talk to me and encourage me to turn back to the Lord. But I wonder sometimes, just which category do we fall in? Are we like the scribes and Pharisees that were ready to stone the woman that was caught committing adultery. How many of us would have stood, stones in hand, ready to judge and condemn her? And how many of us would have been like Jesus, running to her rescue, ready to help her? All of us at some time or another have been in the position where we were not exactly where God wanted us to be. None of us are perfect. But I think sometimes we get so full of our own selves that we forget that and tend to think that we are better than others. I don't want to ever get to that point. I know there is nothing that I have done that could ever make me deserving or worthy of God's grace and mercy. We need to show that same love and mercy to others to help them along their way. After all, shouldn't we all be working to help each other make it Home? I'm not just talking about ministering to the lost, either. There are many of God's children that are sick and hurting and have fallen back on their journey. Those of us that are standing firm have an obligation to reach out that helping hand. I don't really even know how I got on this subject tonight, but obviously it was meant for me to say it! I would like to leave you with John 8:3-12 and I want you to ask yourself which side you would have been on? Until next time, be blessed (and be a blessing to others!)....

3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Angels

I just found these anime pictures of angels and thought I would share them. I think they are beautiful. You know the Bible speaks of "entertaining angels unaware". I honestly believe that sometimes God sends angels to earth to live among us and help us and we never know that they are angels. I also think that is one reason we need to be careful how we treat other people. You never know when you may be entertaining angels unaware! Until next time, be blessed...

Love,
Stephanie

Closed Doors

This was sent to me in an email from my friend (and cousin) Angela.  I couldn't have written it better myself.  I thank God for all the doors He has closed in my life.  It all goes to show that it's about PERSPECTIVE.  Sometimes we don't always see things as they really are.  As I have said so many times, God sees "the big picture".  Here is the email.  I hope it blesses you as it has me.

 

Praise Him for Closed Doors

I've learned to praise the Lord as much for a closed door as I do an
open door. The reason God closes doors is because He has not
prepared anything over there for us. If he didn't close the wrong
door we would never find the right door. God directs our paths
through the closing and opening of doors.

One door closes; it forces you to change your course. Another door
closes; it forces you to change your course again. Then finally you
find the open door and you walk into your blessing. The Lord
directs our paths through the opening and closing of doors, but
instead of praising Him for the closed door (which keeps us out of
trouble) we get upset because we "judge by appearances."

You have an ever-present help in the time of need who is always
standing guard. Because He walks ahead of you, He can spot trouble
down the road and set up a roadblock or detour accordingly! But
through our lack of wisdom, we try to tear down the roadblocks or
push aside the detour sign. Then the minute we get into trouble we
start crying "Lord how could You have done this to me?" We have got
to realize that the closed door can be a blessing. Didn't He say
that No good thing will He withhold from them that love Him?

If you get terminated from your job - praise God for the new
opportunities that will manifest themselves - it might be another
job, it might be school. If that man or woman won't return your
call - it might not be them, it might be the Lord setting up a
roadblock (just let it go).

We can sometimes trap ourselves in doubt and discouragement through
judging by appearances. I'm so grateful, my friends, for the many
times Our Father has closed doors to me just to open them in the
most unexpected places. The Lord won't always say in spoken words:
"Go to the left, now to the right" - sometimes! He will just close
the wrong doors.

My past few days...

I am glad to be able to tell you that David's mom, Joanne is doing really well. Please continue to remember that family in prayer. I went to my doctor's visit yesterday and I really feel like we got a lot accomplished. She put me on a fluid pill because of the swelling in my legs and feet. She said it comes from me sitting with my legs bent at the knee all day (like when you sit at a COMPUTER!!!). The pills seem to be helping and I just started them yesterday. She also put me on Paxil to help with my anxiety. So far I can't see any effects of that yet, but she said it takes up to two weeks to really get in your system before you can see any difference. Of course, the pills are a very minor part of that. I happen to be a patient of the Great Physician as well! I know that God has His hand on me. Without that, there aren't any pills or treatments or anything that would do me any good.

Today my kids and I went with my friends Debbie, Robin, Annie Ruth (and her boyfriend, Don), and Terra to Asheboro to sing for the mother of a friend of Debbie's. Her name is Betty and she is dying of cancer. Please pray for her and her family. Betty is saved and on her way Home, but she has many loved ones that are lost and are in need of your prayers. I pray that something that was said or done today will make a difference in someone's life. If just one soul is saved because of our endeavors, then it is worth it all!! We got lost going up there and a trip that should have taken around 45 minutes ended up taking us almost 2 & 1/2 hours!! But that was ok, because we had a lot of fun talking and singing and praising the Lord.

I always get uplifted when I am around them. They have been so good to me and are just like family to me. Debbie is such an inspiration to me. She has been through so much and is such a wonderful witness for the Lord. If you haven't seen her website, http://www.geocities.com/debbiesstory , then you really need to go check it out and read her testimony. I am going to try to talk her into starting a blog like this one so that she can update it more often. A blog is just so much easier to manage than an entire website. Anyway, Debbie is continually a blessing to me and when I feel weak or tested, I usually think of her and it encourages me to go on and try harder.

Robin has been my friend for a long time and she has always been a blessing to me. She loves the Lord so much and I firmly believe she really tries to put Him first in her life. I know that she has been an inspiration to so many people. She has a couple of websites too, that if you haven't seen them you need to! Her websites are http://www.geocities.com/mrsrobinbunting and http://www.iwantustobetogeatherinheaven.com . She also has some of her songs on there that you really need to hear. Robin and I used to sing in a gospel group called Redeemed and those are some wonderful memories I will cherish always.

Annie Ruth has been such a good friend to me and she is like a grandmother to me. She is always there to listen if I need someone to talk to and she has the most positive outlook of anyone I have ever known. You never hear her say anything bad about anyone. She is always loving and kind and I know she has blessed so many people. She and Don just recently started dating. I am so happy for them. I pray that things work out wonderfully for them. I have prayed for a long time that God would send her a companion. She lost her husband 3 years ago and he is waiting for her on the other side. But I am glad to see her have some happiness while she is still here on earth. Annie Ruth if you are reading this...I love you, and YOU GO GIRL!!! ;-)

Terra always makes me smile. She is always one to cut up and laugh. You just can't feel bad when you are around her. She has such a wonderful voice too. And she has been a blessing to me even though I don't always tell her. She has been through a lot recently but she didn't let the devil hold her down. She got back up on her feet and kept pressing forward. I respect her for that. And I know God will honor it as long as she keeps going on for Him.

I hope that between all of us someone got a blessing today. But even if no one else there got a blessing, I did. And the funny thing is that these are the same people that never fail to tell me what a blessing I am to them. I hope they know that THEY are the blessing. They are just a few of the wonderful people God has put in my life. You know, He always knows what we stand in need of. So He knows I need encouraging and uplifting (and funny!) people in my life to help keep me strong. That's why I have friends like Debbie, Robin, Annie Ruth, and Terra.

Please continue to pray for all the prayer requests and until next time, be blessed........

Love,
Stephanie

Hang On

My friend Robin, sent me this link.  I needed this right now.  (Thank you, Robin!!)  Maybe it will be a blessing to you too!

 

http://inspirations.crossdaily.com/hangon/

 

Until next time, be blessed......

 

Love,

Stephanie

Satan's Meeting

My friend, Annette sent this to me and I thought it was worth sharing (very true, too!):

 

 

SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if you're busy)


Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.



In his opening address he said,

"We can't keep Christians from going to church."

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour."

"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too! "

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."

"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"

"It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.

Having little time for their God or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.


I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?


You be the judge!!!!!

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Joanne

I just wanted to let you all know that I just talked to David and he said that Joanne is doing much better.  She had her surgery Monday and she is home now and doing well.  The only problem with her heart was a small artery was clogged but there was nothing they could do with it.  So thank you all for your prayers for Joanne.  Continue to pray that she would recover fast and fully!!  Thanks again!  Isn't God AWESOME?????

Another prayer request

Sometimes it seems there is so much sickness going around and so many people in need of healing.  But we can never pray too much!  Even if someone is about to go out to meet the Lord, we still need to pray for their families.  And God can work through sickness and death just like He can through anything.  So with that being said, please remember my friend JW and his family.  His grandmother is not doing well at all.  She has a lot of medical problems and is in the hospital right now.  Also continue to remember my friend David and his mother Joanne as well as the rest of their family.  I haven't heard from David in a few days so I am not sure how Joanne is doing, but I will let you all know as soon as I know.  And if you don't have anything else to pray for, pray for me.  I will be going to the doctor this Friday to find out why my feet and legs are swelling so badly and also to find out why I keep having panic attacks.  Sometimes they are so bad I feel like I am having a heart attack.  Of course, I know it is really a SATAN attack!!  Satan is the perpetrator of sickness and sorrow.  Therefore I rebuke him in the name of the Lord.  Jesus said that by HIS stripes, we are healed and I truly believe that.  So with your prayers and God's intervention I feel confident that I will get a good report from the doctor Friday. 

 

You know sickness comes in all forms, though.  Satan attacks not just our physical health, but our mental health as well.  And there are many people I know that are suffering from depression and other mental illnesses.  Pray for these people too.  There is this song that my friend, Robin sings called "We've Got The Power".  It says "though satan rages, we cannot be defeated".  I love that.  We have already won through the power of Jesus.  He gives us victory over sickness, sadness, poverty, loneliness, fear, addiction, and so many other plagues of satan.  If we will just stay prayed up and in God's will, we can overcome!!  God loves it when we pray for one another and He listens and answers our prayers according to His will.

 

One more thing before I go:  My friend Annette belongs to a motorcycle club that is very active in various community activities.  This past Saturday they had a hot dog supper to feed the homeless and needy.  She was telling me about a 21 year old woman that came to eat.  The woman was homeless....she had nothing....didn't even have shoes on her feet.  She said she had 2 children that were taken away from her when she became homeless and that the homeless shelter wouldn't even take her in because she didn't have any form of ID.  She had been living in the woods.  The girls gave her some shoes and clothes and fixed her a bag with snacks and drinks.  That will get her through for a little while.  But that woman (and so many like her) are in desperate need of your prayers.  Because although people can offer short-term help, God is The Problem Solver.  He can fix any situation.  And He can turn her whole life around.  A lot of people think that everyone that is homeless is an alcoholic or drug addict or that they "choose" to live that way.  That may be true of a percentage of people.  But there are a lot that are just like you and me.  They have run into hard times and ended up without a home or anywhere to go.  Without a permanent address it is hard for them to get a job and pull themselves out of their situation.  Don't ever think you are above being in that situation yourself!  Most Americans are only 2-3 paychecks away from being homeless!  I know myself that there were times that if it weren't for God's mercy and grace and the help of my family and friends, I could have very easily ended up homeless myself.  With the economy the way it is and jobs being lost right and left, there will be more and more people ending up on the streets.  We need to agree together in prayer for God to help these people and their situations.  And that He would get glory from whatever happens.  The Bible says that you know you are saved because you love the brethren.  Well, these people are our brothers and sisters too.  And they need our prayers. 

 

Well, I guess that is all for now, because it is already 11:30 and I have to get in bed (YAWN!!!).  Until next time, be blessed......

 

Love,

Stephanie

Today

We went to eat at a local restaurant tonight after church and as we were leaving there was a lot of smoke in the air and you could smell something was burning.  We looked across the road and noticed a lot of light coming from behind the shopping plaza that is across from the restaurant.  Wanting to know if anyone was aware of the fire, we rode over to see where it was coming from.  There were firetrucks and EMT vehicles everywhere.  Someone's house was completely ablaze.  We didn't want to be in the way of the emergency vehicles so we turned around and left.  Please remember this family, whoever they are.  I pray that no one was hurt or killed.  But even if everyone escaped alive and unharmed, that is still a terrible tragedy for anyone to lose their home.  Please pray for them.  We may not know who they are, but God does.

 

Also, I haven't heard anything new about David's mom, Joanne.  Please keep praying.  I will let you all know anything I find out as soon as I hear.  Thanks for praying!

 

Until next time, be blessed......

 

Love,

Stephanie

Prayer request

Please join me in prayer for my friend David's mother, Joanne. She is in the hospital right now and they think she may have had a heart attack. Please pray for God's healing of her body and strength and encouragement for her and her family.

Love,
Stephanie

More Memories...

It has been a couple of days so I thought I better put some more of my memories on here. There will still be more to come......

My friend, Michelle - My best memory of my friend Michelle is when she planned a surprise birthday party for my 24th birthday at Pizza Corner where we would go sing karaoke every weekend. She had balloons, cake and she had got most of my friends and family to be there and I was totally surprised! The marquise out front even said "Happy Birthday Stephanie" and I was so touched that she went to all that trouble for my birthday.

My friend, Crystal - Wow, this memory comes from way back. I remember when I was about 19 we used to go to a different church than where we go now. And the women's group drew names one year for "secret sisters" where you give little gifts to the person whose name you drew for the whole year and then at Christmas you reveal whose name you had. Crystal had my name and she had stumped me the whole year. I had no idea she was my secret sister. I still have a plaque that she gave me with the "Footprints" poem on it.

My ex-boyfriend, JW - He used to work for this company which required him to take business trips out of town. One time he took me with him to Rocky Mount, Virginia. We were in this hotel that was right smack in the middle of a valley. You could look around you and see mountains on all sides. He had to work most of the time we were down there but just being able to get away with him like that was a great treat and we had such a good time. I think I enjoyed the ride down there and back the best because we talked and sang and cut up the whole time.

My friend, Jennifer - My best memory of my friend Jennifer was when we went to White Lake last year with the other women from the church. Everyone else left Wednesday night after church but Jenn and I waited until Thursday morning and drove down together. She spent the night at my house and we left about 7:30 that morning. We had such a great time and talked so much. (Of course if you know me, then you know TALK is the key word there!!)

My sister-in-law, Kristi - One night Kristi and I went to Target in Greensboro and just spent the whole evening shopping and talking and then we went to Steak and Shake and had supper. It was one of the first times I had ever got to spend time with Kristi without my brother (her husband). I don't even remember why we went now, but we had such a good time.

My "sister", Sandi - I call Sandi my sister even though she isn't (at least by blood), because she has just always seemed like a sister to me. I remember one night when I was about 21 and she was 18 and we just drove around for a few hours talking. We were on our way to a lock-in at the church we used to go to and we were late getting there because we had been driving around. It was nice to be able to just have that kind of "bonding time", I guess you would say.

Well that's all for now. Like I said, I still have other memories to come. Until next time, be blessed....

Love,
Stephanie

I'm still here ;-)

I haven't written in a long time. I know it seems like every time I say that, I follow it with "there has been so much going on", but it is really the truth. We have been doing various fundraisers for the church and having a ball doing them. I absolutely loved the auction and cakewalk. I just love doing something for the Lord, and I love being around my church family. So between that and my family and my job, sometimes I don't have time to get on the computer anymore. My friend Crystal is learning alot about websites so I will probably enlist her to help me with the church website some if she wants to. Just so it will always be up to date. She has a blog at http://crystalstutts28.blogspot.com/ that I enjoy reading so much. And she had a post on there tonight about some of her favorite memories. So it gave me the idea to do something like that on my blog. God has been so good to me and blessed me with so many people that I love dearly. So of course I will not be able to list everything all at once, but maybe I can put a few on here at a time. So if you read this and don't see your name, don't be upset!!!! Because these are in no particular order LOL. So here are some of MY favorite memories...

My Mom, Geraldine - I remember one time when I was about 14 we lived on South Main St. in Graham and Mama had went out to feed the dog and she dipped the scoop in this huge bag of dog food we kept on the back steps. She pulled out a scoop of dog food and the bag started MOVING!!! All of a sudden a huge wharf rat came running out of the bag. Mama screamed so loud I bet people blocks away heard it!! It is funny now, looking back on it, but at the time it kind of surprised me because my Mama has always seemed so strong, I believe that is the first time I had ever seen her really scared of anything.

My brother, Brian - Brian is my baby brother and although he is only 18, he is so very talented. And everyone is always in awe of his musical talent because he can play any instrument he puts his hands on. But one of my favorite memories of Brian is a pretty recent one. It was the first night I did the show at the Majestic Theater and afterward all the cast had to stand outside and shake hands with the people as they came out. And Brian came up to me and he just had this big smile on his face because he was so proud of me. You could just see it all over him. He hugged me, and then he stepped back and shook his head and then he grabbed me and hugged me again! LOL! He couldn't even say anything! It was funny. But you know, that meant more to me than all the applause and cheers because you could just see that he was so proud of me. And I am used to it being the other way around, because I am so very proud of him!

My brother, Matt - My brother Matt is the middle child and he has always been such a cut up and a clown. He always keeps everyone laughing. I remember he went to New York with his class when he was about 14 or 15 and we were videoing him at the house that morning and then at the airport before he got on the plane. Well, Matt starts doing impressions and he is imitating the Klump family from The Nutty Professor. It was just hilarious. Then we were kind of filming the airport and honest to goodness, this man walks by that looks exactly like Sherman Klump. It was just so funny. Matt hasn't changed any either. He is 24 now and a police officer with UNC and I am very proud of all he has accomplished too. But he will always be our family comedian!!

My Dad, William - When I was in high school my Dad used to take us to school in the mornings. One morning we were going to school and somebody had put some stuff out at the road for a yard sale or something and Daddy saw it and was looking at it. Well he evidently got so interested in it that he had turned his head all the way around and the car just ran right off the side of the road. I was yelling "Daddy!!" and he turned back around and jerked the wheel and got the car back on the road and he just said "I've got it!" and kept on driving. He was just as calm even though he had scared the sense out of me and my brother Matt!! It's funny now though!

My Stepdad, Matt - My mom just got remarried on September 24, 2004 (yes she has a son named Matt, and now a husband named Matt too!! LOL). My stepdad is very quiet and doesn't say much even to us. He is just a quiet shy person. So he doesn't show a lot of emotion. But on my birthday this year he and my mom went to WalMart to pick up my birthday cake and the lady at the register said "Oh, someone is having a birthday!" and my stepdad said "Yes, it's my daughter's birthday." That just meant so much to me because he didn't have to say that. He could have said his stepdaughter, but obviously he feels like I am his real daughter. He doesn't even know that my mom told me. But that meant the world to me.

Well, that is my immediate family except for my kids and I would have to write a page a piece for them because they have given me so many wonderful memories. They are my life. But I also have grandparents, a sister-in-law, a nephew, and my many, many wonderful friends, so there will be more to come. But until next time, be blessed.......

Love,
Stephanie

WOW!!!

Lighthouse Baptist Church's hamburger steak dinner, cake walk, and auction were a huge success!! Thanks to all of you who helped out! We raised $2,179 last night!! God is definitely making a way towards our new church building. I am anxious to see how God blesses us next! Thanks again to all of you who helped us to achieve this goal. We still have a way to go, but we have a wonderful start and there are lots more activities to come. For a list of upcoming events, make sure you check out the calendar page of our church website at http://www.geocities.com/lighthousebaptistchrch

God bless you all!!

Love,
Stephanie

JOIN US!!

PLEASE COME JOIN US!!

Lighthouse Baptist Church will be having a Hamburger Steak Dinner this Saturday, June 4, 2005 from 5:00pm until 8:00pm. Plates come with a hamburger steak and two side items and are $6.00 per plate. Drinks and desserts will be available for 50 cents each. You can eat there or take your plates "to-go".

Then, starting around 6:00pm, we will be having an auction. Several items and services have been donated by area businesses and will be auctioned off including oil changes, gym memberships, tanning packages, hair cuts, car washes, golf course greens fees, restaurant gift certificates, and much, much more. Ear Candy has even donated a remote automobile starter valued at $300 that will be auctioned off. In addition to these great items, we also have furniture, antiques and more that will auctioned off as well.

If the auction doesn't interest you, we will also be having a cake walk where you can win homemade cakes, pies, brownies, or cookies. That will start around 6:00pm also.

And finally we will be having a 50/50 raffle and the winner will be announced at the end of the night. Tickets are $1 and you do not have to be present to win.

All proceeds from this event will go toward our building fund at Lighthouse Baptist and will be used to help build our new church building.

Please come join us for great food and a great time. All of this will take place at the church at 120 Hazel Drive in Burlington (off of Hwy 62 North past Triton Water Company). If you have questions or need directions, please email us at lighthousebaptistchrch@yahoo.com, or visit our website at http://www.geocities.com/lighthousebaptistchrch. You can also call the church at 336-570-3560. I hope to see you all there!

God Bless!

Love,
Stephanie

P.S.....Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested. The more the merrier!!

Uncluttered Faith

UNCLUTTERED FAITH ------- by Max Lucado

Bedtime is a bad time for kids. No child understands the logic of going to bed while there is energy left in the body or hours left in the day. My children were no exception. One night years ago, after many objections and countless groans, the girls were finally in their gowns, in their beds, and on their pillows. I slipped into the room to give them a final kiss. Andrea, the five-year-old was still awake, just barely, but awake. After I kissed her, she lifted her eyelids one final time and said, “I can't wait until I wake up.” Oh, for the attitude of a five-year-old! That simple uncluttered passion for living that can't wait for tomorrow. A philosophy of life that reads, “Play hard, laugh hard, and leave the worries to your father.” A bottomless well of optimism flooded by a perpetual spring of faith. Is it any wonder Jesus said we must have the heart of a child before we can enter the kingdom of heaven? I like the way J. B. Phillips renders Jesus' call to childlikeness: “Jesus called a little child to his side and set him on his feet in the middle of them all. 'Believe me,' he said, 'unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.' (Matthew 18:2-3)_________________________________ From "And the Angels Were Silent"

Thank you!!

Thank you all so much for your prayers for Annie Ruth! She is doing much better and came home from the hospital today. She was even at church tonight, which was a blessing to everyone. She is still recovering, so please continue to remember her and her family in your prayers.

Isn't it just amazing what God can do???

Prayers Needed

Dear friends,

I need your help in praying for a dear friend of mine. Annie Ruth Perry, our church mother, had a heart attack late Saturday night and was hospitalized at Alamance Regional Medical Center in the Critical Care Unit. They discovered two blockages in her arteries. One was in her main artery and was 85-90% blocked. They went in today to put in two stints and later realized they had nicked a major artery while inserting the stints and now she is bleeding internally. Annie Ruth needs your prayers. Annie Ruth's son, DL, who is my pastor, often says we spend more time praying to keep people out of heaven than praying to get lost people into heaven. That is true, and I pray that God's will be done in this situation. But I am claiming healing for Annie Ruth because she is a blessing to me and to so many others. I also pray that God would use this situation to touch the lives of others. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -Rom 8:28

Please join me in lifting up Annie Ruth and her family in prayer. Thank you.

Until next time,
Be blessed.....

Love,
Stephanie

It's me again...

I am terribly sorry that it has taken me so long to post. I have been incredibly busy with so many things that it just hasn't left much time for the computer. I do apologize though and I hope that you all have been leading blessed and happy lives. That being said, let's do some catching up:

First of all, I am pleased to announce that my church, Lighthouse Baptist Church, is raising money to build a new church. We are currently renting the church building that we are in and the Lord has led us to start working on building a church that we can call our own. Please remember us in prayer that God would continue to use us to minister to lost and hurting souls. If you would care to make a donation toward our building fund, please make your check or money order payable to Lighthouse Baptist Church and mail to 120 Hazel Drive, Burlington, NC, 27217. Any charitable donation is tax deductible and I know that God will bless you. You can also read more about this wonderful project by visiting our church website at http://www.geocities.com/lighthousebaptistchrch and clicking the link that says "special church announcement".

One thing that has kept me busy lately is the Piedmont Carolina Jamboree. The Majestic Theater opened in Burlington the first week of March, but we have been practicing for a couple of months for the show called the Piedmont Carolina Jamboree which is performed monthly at the theater. I do some singing and (very little) dancing in the show. It is a revue of gospel and classic country music the way they do in Branson, MO and Myrtle Beach, SC. It has been a blessing to me to be in the show (we had our opening night performance Saturday, March 19). Singing is something I love to do and this was an opportunity to do something I had never done before. I was very pleased with our performance on the 19th and look forward to our next show on April 23. But it has definitely been a lot of work. Sometimes staying over there until after 11:00 at night some nights. But I have made several new friends and got what I like to call "my fifteen minutes". I kind of feel like a small town superstar!! But I still give all credit, honor and glory to God. Without God, nothing would be possible and I know that any amount of talent I have came from Him, and Him only. But this has been an awesome opportunity to do something I love and it has led to God opening the door for me to witness to several people and plant a seed in their heart. Who knows? Maybe one day that could factor in to their deciding to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. God said His Word would not return void. So I feel this was a way God blessed me and used me at the same time. The show is supposed to run until December and I hope that I will be able to stay in it for the duration of the show. However, if at any time it starts to interfere with my work for the Lord, I will have to step aside and let someone else have the opportunity. No matter what happens, it is definitely an experience that I will remember all my life!!

Another thing that has kept me running are our Friday night Bible Studies and rest home visits. We alternate Fridays: one week we have Bible Study and the next week we visit the rest home to sing and minister to the shut-ins. I have learned so much from our Bible Study and I always get a blessing from the rest home visits. I would like to make sure I say a special thank you to our Brother Ricky Lee for heading up the Bible Study AND the rest home ministry. Brother Ricky is truly a blessing and I pray that God would continue to use him and bless him. There were a couple of Friday nights I have missed due to having the flu a few weeks back but I always look forward to Friday nights because I always get a blessing no matter which week it is!!

Speaking of the flu...there has been so much sickness going around, let's not forget to pray for each other that God would heal those among us who are sick and afflicted. We have not because we ask not, so I don't care if it's only a sniffle....I still say take it to God!!

Amidst the many blessings of the past few months, I have to say the devil is really fighting. You know he can't stand to see us blessed and happy. There have been many things that have happened in my life (some as recently as today!) that discourage me and get me down. But I take comfort in the fact that my God has the power to work it all out. He sees the big picture. We can only see one small frame at a time. So even though I may not understand why things happen as they do, God knows what's best and as long as I am serving Him to the best of my ability I can rest assured that whatever happens is what's best for ME as well. I am thankful that I serve such a loving and forgiving God. So much so that even in my times of doubt and unbelief (yes, I have those times too!) He still holds my hand and gently leads me on. He never leaves me. Even though I am so unworthy of even being loved by someone as wonderful and awesome as the one and only God Almighty. It is an overwhelming thing to think about sometimes. Especially when I stop and think back about all the times I have failed Him and been unpleasing to Him, He still loved me anyway. And He is always fighting for me and making a way when there seems to be no way.

I turned 30 years old this past Saturday (March 26) and I know some people get really hung up on turning 30 or 40 or whatever. All of those "milestone birthdays". But to me, it wasn't just another year for me to get older. There are several ways I looked at it. For one thing, God has let me live 30 years. THIRTY YEARS!! That's a pretty long time. I still consider myself young, but I can look around and see where God has called people out to meet Him that were not even half my age. I think 30 years on this earth is a blessing. On the flip side, I am one year older. But that also means I am one year closer to meeting my Maker. One year closer to leaving the pains and sorrows of this world and moving to my mansion that He has prepared specifically for me (because He LOVES me!!). Now don't get me wrong....I am not in any hurry to die. I want to see my children grow up and have a family of their own. I have loved ones I want to see saved. And there are many things I still hope to accomplish. But look at it this way: remember how when you were a child and it was the first of December and you would start counting down the days until it was Christmas. Every day you were a day closer to getting to open your presents and see what Santa had left for you. Well, that is the way I want to look at my birthdays. I have already been given the greatest gift ever given. God has given me eternal life. But every birthday is another year closer to me getting to meet the Giver of that gift. And another year closer to me being able to thank Him for all eternity. Kinda makes you wish we had birthdays more than once a year, doesn't it???

I have so many more things I would love to talk about, but I know this has gotten long enough. I hope you enjoyed reading and catching up with me and I hope to post again really soon. Please keep me in your prayers, and keep looking up. Until next time, be blessed....

Love,
Stephanie