Be Still My Soul

We had the sad privilege of sharing with the family of our dear friend as he and his family honored the memory of their brother/son/father and friend. I was privileged to share song and scripture with them and reminded them of the scripture in Ecclesiastes, Chapter three which says:

1 To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born, And a time to die;

A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 A time to kill, And a time to heal;

A time to break down, And a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to gain, And a time to lose;

A time to keep, And a time to throw away;

7 A time to tear, And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;

8 A time to love, And a time to hate;

A time of war, And a time of peace.

For my dear friend and his family, theirs was a time to weep and a time to mourn and for his dear brother, it was his time to die. My friend, his family and the friends shed tears that I wished I could dry and have pain in their hearts that words alone cannot heal. But I reminded them that life does go on even if in the midst of grief we are hanging on to the love of our friends and those who would encourage and shore us up and for those of us who are anchored to the rock of Jesus, there is still hope. I implored my friends and those gathered to be still in the love of Jesus and allow Him to be there anchor as I shared with them a medley of songs as sung by the group Selah, entitled Be Still My Soul/What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Read on and if you are struggling in your life right now, be still and know that the waves and winds that blow in our lives recognize His voice and must still respond to the calming voice of Jesus.

Be Still My Soul / What a Friend We have

Be still, my soul: The Lord is on your side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain

Be still, my soul: Thy best, Thy heavenly friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know (still know)

His voice who ruled them While He dwelt below

What a Friend we have in Jesus

All Our Sins and Griefs to Bear

What a Privilege to Carry

Everything to God in Prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer.

Be still my soul

Regardless of where you are today, I pray that you know that God knows your pain and will bring healing to your hearts. Loving you, with His Love - Andrea

Happy New (okay, a little late) Year!

Here it is, 2009 - where DOES the time go? Nothing much new (except a new, fantastic hair cut and a renewed resolve to fitness). I am, however, hopeful that this will be the year that we have the opportunity to reach out more and be more of the hands and feet of Christ. We know, in our little circle alone the needs are great and many. Feel free to e-mail me at austingibson@cox.net
for prayer or call me. I just prayed with a friend in a grocery store this past weekend because she asked me to and we were on the phone. I don't know what the folks walking by thought - don't think I care but I can tell you I was thrilled to be asked. It is the desire of our hearts to make a difference. Let us know how we're doing. I got a new camera (not just user-friendly but AA friendly) for Christmas from my darling hubby so I will get to clicking and this year will add pix to our posts. We look forward to expanding our interaction - so blog us back or drop us an e-mail. You're loved beyond measure!! Read on and be encouraged!

A GREAT RECIPE {for a healthy mind and body}

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile - It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today. I am thankful for ______________'.
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king {or queen}, lunch like a prince {or princess}and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card!!
9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch !!!
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it. (When I count my blessings, I get to include EACH of you! - HUGS!! AA)