GOD TOOK NOTE OF MY PRAYER


Many times in our lives we feel that what we say to God is not important or that he is not aware of our desires or needs.   Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light"  Matthew 11:28-30.  I was pregnant with my first child, and being an only child I didn't know a lot about life but I knew there was a God.  One night I began to pray to God and tell him that I needed him and that I didn't know how to bring up my child.  I didn't know what to do.  I always felt that I could go to God to help me in whatever situation I was in and that is what I did.  I wanted a bible name for my baby and I began to look up bible names.  I decided to call the baby if it was a boy, Baruch Immanuel and if it was a girl, Serena Simone.  God blessed us with a boy and we
named him Baruch Immanuel which means Blessed the Lord is with us.

Baruch was born August 21, 1975.  Later on that night a young lady came into my room to see me to visit.  I did not know her,  she worked at the hospital with my husband.  Her name was Diane walls.  She began to talk about the Church of Christ and that God had only one Church.  He had only one body.  I got very upset because I felt that God had been with me in delivering my baby and I knew God.   She continued to tell  me that God only built one church.  I was very upset and wished that she would leave.  She stood on God's word.  When I came home from the hospital she visited me and became my friend. She invited us to visit the church and we did.  The church was very friendly and very honest.  My husband and I searched our bibles over and over to see the truth of God's word and to prove them wrong.  The more we searched, the more we realized that we were wrong.  Ephesians 5:19 is the scripture that really touched my heart and I couldn't reject, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." It means one.

The night of October 17, 1975, my husband and I obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Lord added us to His Church.  That night God fulfilled the name of our son in our lives. Baruch Immanuel,  Blessed the Lord is with us.  Thank you God and thank you for sending Diane to share the good news!
Have a Great Day!!!!!!!           Keep Shining!!!!!!!!!!

    THE POWER OF A FAITHFUL LIFE

" And they lifted up their voices and wept again;  and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clung unto her.  Then she said, " Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.  But Ruth said," Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.  Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.  Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."  Ruth 1: 14, 15, and 16.

We see that love is the tie that binds Naomi and Ruth, and their faith in God.  Naomi demonstrated her faith because when she heard that God had visited his people with bread , she made the decision to leave Moab and return to Bethlehem-Judah and to God.  It was a godly decision that made a difference.  Ruth demonstrated her faith by making a godly decision to leave Moab and chose the God of Israel and His people.  Naomi's example and faith changed the course of their lives.  Embracing the story of Naomi and Ruth our faith in God is nourished and deepens our trust in God.  God provided food and protection for Naomi and Ruth.  God further provided for Ruth by giving her a husband, a home and a family.  God provided for Naomi through a redeemer, Obed in her old age. When we demonstrate faith in God in our life it brings honor and glory to Him.  Praise God for His Faithfulness !!!! 

Have a Great Day!!!        Keep Shining!!!!!!!!!!

A Tribute To My Mother

Mrs.  Bernice Coleman

     I would like to tribute this blog to my dear mother.   It was in the last three years of her life that she gave the most to me.  My mom learned in 2005 that she had lung cancer and she requested me to help her.  I made a promise to her that I would be there all the way to the end.  I didn't know at the time that God was using me as an instrument to bring someone I love to His fold.  My mom was seventy-three years old at the time.  I went to chemotheraphy with her three times a week and radiation twice a week or a year.  I would take my bible with me and in the difficult moments I would pray to God on her

behalf.

     As time drew near, I told her that there were some things she needed to know about God that she didn't know.  She expressed with tears that if there was something she needed to know she wanted to know, because she did not want to be lost.  I set up a bible study with her right then and there.  When she was released from the hospital we began our study, in two weeks she obeyed the gospel of Christ.   Praise the Lord!  Never, Never Give Up!  Trust God all the way,for when you think it is bad, it is God at work to shew forth his wonderful works. 

     When she found out that she had lung cancer, she said God was going to use it to glorify himself. I did not understand it at the time,  but God did.  My last night with my mom, I was walking around her bed and she said, "Jean, it's worse than you think", I brushed it off lightly.  She asked, "How do I look?"  She didn't have any hair and I said "You look fine".  She began to give me the details of how she wanted her funeral arranged, where to find everything, and that she wanted it to be held at Lake Harbour Drive Church of Christ.  Through Christ all of her wishes were carried out and God was magnified!  Many that came to the funeral had never heard of the Church of Christ or had never been in the building of a Church of Christ.

     I thank my mother for her courage to look at the truth of God's word and change from error to the truth.  I came to her hospital room right after she obeyed the gospel and she was reading her bible and she said, "What an awesome God!"  I thank my mom for having the courage to face death and I thank God for the  joy that was in her at the end.  They have been gifts to me that I have cherished greatly these past few years.  Thank you Dear Motherdear!  Thank God!

Kensington Woods Church of Christ Ladies' Day





The beautiful quilt on the table was made by several of the Kensington Woods Church of Christ ladies.  The individual patches are hearts with each ladies' name who was present at last year's Ladies' Day on May 1, 2010.

 




Dixie Richey, the wonderful Ladies' Day coordinator is pictured in the middle.  Morgan Lewis (left) and Mattie Coy (right) are actively involved in the youth group at Kensington Woods.

 


One of  several quilts made with paper, markers, scissors, and tape by one of the groups during the Ice Breaker. 

 

     The Kensington Woods Church of Christ Ladies were so blessed to have Virginia Hamblin as our speaker for our 2011 Ladies' Day at Paul B. Johnson State Park in Hattiesburg, MS.  The theme this year was, "Piecing our lives together in unity one stitch at a time." Below is the introduction that I read to introduce Virginia and share with others the wonderful blessing and influence she has been in my life.  

~Breanne Sullivan  

               

Introduction of Virginia Hamblin

By: Breanne Sullivan      

I'm so thankful to be able to introduce to you our speaker for today and a very dear and sweet friend of mine, Mrs. Virginia Hamblin.  She makes her home as a homemaker in Canton, MS and is married to Ollie Hamblin, a math teacher at Velma Jackson High School. They have four sons, two adopted sons, and five grandchildren.  She enjoys gardening, flower arranging, reading, sewing, and cake decorating.  She is a member of the Lake Harbour Drive Church of Christ in Ridgeland, MS where she serves as a Ladies' Bible Class Teacher and served as the Women's Ministry Leader in 2010.  She has spoken at various Ladies Days in Mississippi and Arkansas.

     On a personal note, I had the blessing and privilege of meeting Virginia during Seth’s first ministry position at the Lake Harbour Drive congregation.  In August of 2007, she offered to study the Bible with me on Monday evenings in our home while Seth was in college at MBC.  As a young minister’s wife and fairly new Christian, I gained so much encouragement, a greater knowledge of God’s Word, and the Lord richly blessed us with a relationship like that of David and Jonathan as recorded in 1 Samuel 18:1 which states, “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”

     Every year In the Spring Issue of Christian Women’s magazine published by Gospel Advocate, readers are asked to submit a write-up with a picture of a special women whose example and friendship has blessed them in a special way.  In May of 2010’ I had the privilege of writing about Virginia stating, “Virginia is to be admired because her life is a reflection of TRUE Christian living.  She recognizes the value of every human soul and seeks opportunity to win the lost to Jesus. She has a servant’s heart and loves the Lord.  She continues to teach, to win souls and build up the body of Christ.”  By the way Virginia converted her mother, her niece, a lady who came to Lake Harbour for benevolent help, studied the Bible with her daughter-in-law after she obeyed the gospel, and studied the Bible with me. 

Recently Virginia asked me to help her create a blog site on the web to aid in helping women obey God and transform into the likeness of His son, Jesus Christ as stated in Eph. 4:13.  My skills in creating a blog were limited in comparison to those who really know what they’re doing; so I consulted with Cindy Colley and she directed me to whom she calls her “blog mistress”, Jennifer Benavides.  I emailed Jennifer explaining that we wanted her to create the blog and assist along the way as needed.  The title of Virginia’s blog is “Fragrance of Life”.  She will post devotionals, lessons, pictures, etc… The blog address is located on the bottom of your lesson hand-out located inside the folders.

Thank you Mrs. Virginia for being my special friend, a wonderful example, a sister in Christ, and an influential Christian mother in my life.  Thank you so much for being here with us today to share God’s Word and how we can better be unified in the Lord’s Church.  I love you and May God Bless you always!

Kensington Woods Church of Christ Ladies' Day

Paul B. Johnson State Park

May 14, 2011





 

Sharing the Gift

     I would like to thank everyone for looking at my blog.  It has been sometime since I've written anything on it.   I would like to say I appreciate your patience with me.  God has blessed my life with a gift of understanding that I need not be slothful in sharing it with you.  I realize that God also has His time in our lives to do His will.  I realize that I am truly blessed to have this blog.  To begin today I would like to share a poem that was written by a dear sister in Christ Ollye Rush.  She has been such an encouragement to me.

                  Fragrance of Life

               We are spreading God's Word all over the world,

                It's a fragrance of the Lord that's sweet;

                A soothing tongue is a tree of life,

                For every soul we meet!

                Our fragrance was planned by God,

                Everything He made was good!

                Nothing on earth could master His Word,

                Only God knew He could!

                He's the incense of the way we see and move,

                And also the sounds we hear;

                His aroma is sweet to our smell,

                And joyful music to our ears!

                The lips of the wise spread the Word of God,

                 From sincerity we speak in Christ;

                 We have confidence in Him toward God,

                  Jesus is the fragrance of life!

Essence:  Psalms 34:8: "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." 

                                                                                                      by Ollye Rush

     Have a Great Day in Christ.   Keep Shining!!!