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Buck Rambo Passes Away February 21, 2016
Gospel Music legend, Richard Fay “Buck” Rambo, beloved patriarch of the Gospel music family, The Rambos, died, February 21, 2016, at 6:02 PM in Palmetto, FL at the age of 84 surrounded by his loving wife Mae and family members. He was born in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, son of Noah Burton Rambo and Mary Irisilda Rambo. Buck was married to Mae Kutz Rambo on April 1, 1995. Survivors include his wife Mae, daughter Reba Rambo (Dony) McGuire, grandchildren Israel Anthem McGuire, Destiny Rambo McGuire, Dionne (Scott) Dismuke, Dyson Dismuke, sister Hilda Bullock, brothers Donald (Betty) Rambo, Jackie (Shirley) Rambo of Dawson Springs, KY, sister-in-law Anna Jo Rambo of Hopkinsville, KY, and brother-in-law James Ausenbaugh. After The Rambos disbanded in about 1994, Buck continued to travel and minister with his wife, Mae, for the next several years doing concerts in churches and as a missionary in many countries, with his latest trip being to Costa Rica in 1999. In retirement Buck spent his time visiting hospitals, nursing homes and praying for the sick as well as painting beautiful stills. He toured occasionally with Rambo McGuire and was a featured soloist on their projects, Rambo Classics and DoveAward winning Grassroots Rambos. Buck Rambo’s career spanned 60 years and includes many accolades including numerous GRAMMY and Dove Award nominations. He became a Christian in 1949, went into full-time ministry in 1954, and in 1960, he started a Gospel singing group, The Gospel Echoes, which later became The Singing Rambos with daughter Reba and her mother Dottie. He was one of the first Board members for the Gospel Music Association and a founding father of the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame. In the early ‘60s, Buck was a member of the Board of Directors for the National Quartet Convention. In 1964, Buck sang for over a million people at the first Washington For Jesus Rally. He is author of the book, The Legacy of the Rambos, and was on the first Gaither Homecoming video. The Rambos were asked to go to the Strategic Air Command Bases in 1966 and went on a six-week tour of our northern outposts in Greenland, Newfoundland, Labrador, and Iceland entertaining the United States’ troops. In February of 1967, because of the tremendous response to the Arctic Tour, they embarked on a six-
week tour to Vietnam to sing for the US military forces there. This was a lifechanging experience for The Singing Rambos. They also participated in concert tours for the military several times in Europe and ministered in over 16 different countries doing live concerts and television, including a concert with the Holland Symphony where they sang for 350,000 people. In 1968, The Singing Rambos began working in television. They were a huge part of the early beginnings of the 700 Club, PTL Network, TBN Network, and the Gospel Singing Jubilee–a weekly television show featuring popular Gospel singing groups of that era. Because of their television exposure and Gospel radio DJs who played The Rambos’ music, they were catapulted in the record industry. With over 70 releases/ projects, The Rambos became a household name in America, Central America, Bahamas, and Europe. Buck Rambo touched the lives of everyone he met in and out of the music field. His passion and zeal for God and the ministry led him to mentor many artists with his wisdom garnered from the years he spent in every facet of the industry from singing to publishing and everything in between. His wife Mae Rambo stated, “Today the greatest man on earth passed from this life to his Heavenly home to touch the face of God. Buck had the most amazing time walking through this life on earth, but he is now celebrating in the light and presence of our Lord. While he was preparing to leave this world he could indeed say, ‘It is well with my soul’. Buck had a huge heart and when it stopped beating it broke ours. I know with time that my memories will bring a smile more quickly than tears, and I was honored and blessed to be his wife for almost 21 years.” Arrangements are forth coming and being handled by Williamson Memorial Home in Franklin Tennessee. Their website is http://www.williamsonmemorial.com/.
Wilburn and Wilburn Welcome Another New Member Gadsden, AL (February 5, 2016) Award winning Duo Wilburn & Wilburn welcome a new member to the family. Little Brayden Allen Wilburn came into this world at 12:40PM CST weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces, and 21 ½ inches long. Baby Brayden and Mom Lauren are doing fine, but Daddy Jordan, maybe not so much. Nervous Daddy stated, "When I put another car seat in the car headed to the hospital, I almost fainted". Granddaddy Jonathan commented, "Well fans have asked if we will ever do a trio? Yes we will,when these kids get old enough to sing, who knows we may even make it to a quartet.� To learn more about Wilburn and Wilburn go to http://www.wilburn2.com or on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/WilburnandWilburn. To book Wilburn and Wilburn contact Beckie Simmons at the Beckie Simmons Agency at beckie@bsaworld.com or call 615-595-7500 .
Daywind Music Publishing Signs Songwriting Agreement With Lee Black Daywind Music Publishing is proud to announce the addition of Lee Black to its growing family of songwriters. With cuts by groups such as Brian Free & Assurance, the Talleys, the Freemans, Wilburn & Wilburn, among others, and numerous Dove, Singing News and BMI Awards and nominations, Lee Black consistently produces top-notch music and has become a widely recognized name in Southern Gospel music today. Lee Black shares, “To say I am excited to begin writing for Daywind Music Publishing is an understatement. Rick Shelton, Chad Green, Joe Dan Cornett, and this staff of writers are the best in the business; and I am grateful for the opportunity to join their team. Most folks probably don’t remember that I wrote for DMP back in the late ‘90s. So in a way, this feels like coming back home. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the Daywind family again and looking forward to the days ahead!” “Lee Black and Daywind Publishing have enjoyed an informal relationship for many years that has produced really wonderful results,” adds Rick Shelton, VP of Daywind Publishing. “His songwriting ability is renowned amoung his peers, esteemed by the artists and appreciated by the fans. We are honored to deepen our commitment to support Lee’s talent and we could not be more thrilled that he has chosen to officially join the Daywind family.” Daywind Music Publishing services an impressive roster of acclaimed songwriters including Jason Cox, Gerald Crabb, Chris Cron, Michael Fordinal, Ricky Free, Marty Funderburk, Joseph Habedank, Scott Inman, Justin Kintzel, Aaron Rice, Kyla Rowland, John Darin Rowsey, Belinda Smith, Brandon Sharp, Sue Smith, Sam Tinnesz, Aaron Wilburn and Dianne Wilkinson. For more information, visit facebook.com/daywindpublishing or info@daywindpublishing.com.
The Alabaster Box Someone once asked me why my column was called the Alabaster Box. So I thought I'd take a moment and tell you a story about an Alabaster Box. There once was a woman named Mary who was a sinner. One night she came to a home where Jesus was having dinner. With her she carried an alabaster box. Now this box was filled with a precious ointment. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair and kissed them. She then broke her alabaster box and anointed Jesus' feet with the ointment. The disciple's began to talk about what she had done. For you see the perfume inside that box was very expensive and the disciples thought she was foolish for doing such a thing. Jesus, however, told the disciples to “Leave her alone; she's preparing me for my burial.� Now Mary's Alabaster box didn't just hold the ointment that she anointed Jesus' feet with, it carried even more. In order to find out just what her Alabaster box held we need to take a closer look at Mary's actions. We see the first thing she did was come to Jesus. She came knowing that she was a sinner. The second thing she did was give and in doing so she gave Jesus her all. Many of us come to Jesus but we refuse to given Him everything. We want to hold on to certain things and by doing so we miss all the fullness Christ has to offer us. The third thing Mary did was to break open that Alabaster box. She knew that until she broke the box what was on the inside was totally useless. The last thing she did was to pour the ointment on Jesus' feet. Mary gave her all, she held nothing back. She was willing to pour her very being out before Jesus. Like Mary, we must give all our self to God, holding nothing back. We must be willing to break anything in ourselves that could hinder our walk with Him. Mary was broken because of her sins, but Jesus forgave her and I'm sure there was no way she could express the gratitude she felt. What can we do to show our love and faith to Jesus? Have we, like Mary, put aside pride and embarrassment to show our love and faith in Jesus. Just how far have we been willing to go in order to show our love for Him. You may be wondering just how can we do that. We do it by fellowshipping with Jesus in worship, spending time with Him in prayer and reading His word.
Have you been broken? Has life disappointed you? Has your plans fallen through? Has things happen in our life that make you feel there is no way out? Have people made promises but those promises have failed? Do you feel there is nothing left to do? There is one thing that you can do and that is open your heart to the love of God. He passionately loves you. You, we, are the reason he went to the cross. He loves us so much he went to a cross to bear our sins. Have you allowed God's love to touch your heart? It's a love that can't be measured. We need to let God's incredible love bring us to our knees. We need to pour out from the very depths of our heart the love and gratitude to the only One who was willing to give everything for us. At the feet of Jesus we discover that we can experience the blessings of being broken in the sight of God. Mary had paid a great price in her life by the way she had lived. But Jesus say a vessel of clay that He could mold into a beautiful vase. He saw her love and her willingness to give all she had. Mary was a broken person but when she broke that box she showed Jesus every broken part of herself. That vessel was her own broken life. A life filled with hurt, sorrow, jealousy, hatred and disappointments she had experienced. Mary was a broken person but Jesus touched her and gave her a new life. Mary's story is one of endearing love and forgiveness. Like Mary we must all acknowledge and accept that we are all sinners. My question today is have you broken the Alabaster box of your life? Have you poured out yourself to God? Is your Alabaster box so full that you are pulling a wagon filled with all the troubles and disappointments in your life. We need to surrender everything we have, everything we are and everything we hope to be to God. We need to assume the place of servants before Him. We need to stop and listen and respond when He speaks to us. Are you ready to break the Alabaster Box of your life. Right now open your Alabaster Box to Jesus for He's waiting to heal you. I guess my answer to the question as to why my column is called the Alabaster Box is because it's a place where, like Mary, we break open the boxes of our life and find ways to bring healing to our lives. We are each made to be a vessel of honor and we need to come to Jesus with the same attitude as Mary. We must be willing to give ourselves to the Lord and break anything in our lives that would hinder our walk with Jesus. Before I leave you I want to wish you all a Happy Easter and let us remember what Easter is all about. It's not the new outfits or the Easter bunny but Christ's willingness to take that walk to Calvary where he died on a cruel cross for our sins. My last question to you is how can we not give Jesus our all after he willing gave so much for us. As always I send you prayers and God's blessings Debbie
The Sky Family use their God granted gifts to bring together the best elements of Celtic music with River Dance drive and passion to create a sound unlike one that you’ve heard before. This family’s love of the Lord is reflected in every Irish fiddle bow stroke and every strum of the guitar as each voice is raised to Heaven on high. Please take the time to listen to their sound of praise and glory and if your heart has been touched by their music as they have touched ours, then may we ask that you share their light and sound with your readers? We pray that you may. DOWNLOAD EPK (Audio Tracks Included): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/43csyo6i5b75m5z/AAAh57CRXYn94RD8QqSC1Ndja? dl=1 STREAM THE ALBUM (listen to without downloading): https://soundcloud.com/celtic_revival/sets/celtic-revival/ Please feel free to contact us for more information and updates about The Sky Family. They’re currently on tour and making appearances in various cities across the U.S. and Canada. If you’d like to be included on the industry guest list for a performance in your area (Tour Itinerary) then please reach out to us. May you have a blessed day, Stevie B Mia Mind Music Tel(201)656-5458 www.miamindmusic.com
aywind Music Group is pleased to announce five winners of the Daywind Quartet Talent Contest, held in anticipation of the Daywind Quartet Festival at the Greenbrier. In January, Daywind offered the opportunity for quartets to submit a brief video of a performance of a public domain song. Entries came in from not only across the country, but also as far away as Chile, for a chance to open at the Daywind Quartet Festival at the Greenbrier in April. Fans were then given the opportunity to vote for each video by ‘liking’ it on Facebook. Cumulatively, the videos received over 21,000 votes by the end of the contest! The top five groups, as determined by Facebook likes, were The Kings Seven from Kentucky, Justified Quartet from Michigan, the Convention Quartet from Indiana, Redeemed Quartet from Indiana and Evidence of Grace from North Carolina. All five of these groups will be performing on Monday, April 4th at the Daywind Quartet Festival, where they will have the chance to win a 10-song soundtrack recording package from Daywind Studios. The Daywind Quartet Festival at the Greenbrier will be held on April 4-6, 2016, in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Held at the world-famous Greenbrier resort, the event 3day event features Brian Free & Assurance, Legacy Five, Tribute, Triumphant, Blackwood Brothers, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Ball Brothers, Kingsmen, Inspirations, and the Guardians, as well as a presentation of the Quartet Night Across America production with the Gospel Greats’ Paul Heil, scrap iron quartets and Q&A sessions with the artists. For more information on the Daywind Quartet Festival at the Greenbrier or to order tickets, visit www.dmgconcerts.com or call 1-800-635-9581.
Big News For Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Big News For Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library It’s a big day for children in Washington, D.C., today Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launches district wide. Dolly Parton said, “I’m so happy to be working with you all to take what we started in Tennessee and bring it all the way to the nation’s capital.” Mayor Bowser Charles Allen DC Public Library The Council of the District of Columbia It's a big day for children in Washington, D.C., today Dolly Parton's Imagination Library launches district wide. Dolly Parton said, "I'm so happy to be working with you all to take what we started in Tennessee and bring it all the way to the nation's capital." Mayor Bowser Charles Allen DC Public Library The Council of the District of Columbia
Welcome to the Porch, Grab a nice cold glass of sweet tea or a nice warm cup of coffee and let’s chat. First, let’s say a short prayer asking God to open our ears and our hearts. Father, we come to you now asking that you will use these words in such a way that hearts will be blessed and open to you. Father, all we do we do for you. Each of us humbled, by your love and mercies every day. Amen Letting Go So Jesus Can Work Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I am sure that everyone reading this has at one time or another been hurt or offended by someone, a boss, co-worker, friend, family member or even worse a brother or sister in Jesus. But that is not the story here. It is what you do with that “hurt” that defines you and your walk with Jesus. What we need to do is DROP IT & LET IT GO. We walk around carrying all this baggage that weighs us down. The best thing we can do is drop it and let it go. It doesn’t matter if it was 20 minutes ago or 20 years. Holding onto it will eat your soul alive. This will keep us from reaching the goal that Jesus has for us. There is a reason why it is called the PAST… IT IS OVER. No matter what was done to you it is not worth tearing up you heart or life. You can say Oh well they did this or that and as long as you carry it around in your heart they will always be doing this or that to you. When you do this you are letting them win but what’s even worse you are letting the devil win. The word tells us in John 10:10 The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Jesus has so many things that he wants to give us. Picture if you will a jar that if full of marbles. This will metaphorically be you soul. There are some beautiful marble blues, golds, purples and then are some that are not so beautiful dull blacks and shades of brown. These represent the things in your life, the good, the bad, the loss of a loved one, a dream that just didn’t come true. Your jar is so full that it is just about to run over. Jesus wants to give you good thing but He can’t you jar is full. We hold onto hate and bitterness until it destroys us. Holding onto these things keeps our jar full. Leaving no room for the blessings that Jesus wants us to have. We can’t do anything about yesterday. But yesterday can help you grow. Not only the hurts in our life’s but the things that we perceive that we’ve done to ourselves. Maybe we
failed at our marriage or didn’t raise our children right. These are things that will fill your jar. You can be pitiful or you can be powerful but you cannot be both. Pitiful is where satan (I never capitalize his name to me this puts him on the same level with Jesus, sorry for the side trip but it was free…LOL) wants to keep you, robbing you of your joy; Jesus wants you to be powerful. But to be powerful we must have room in our jar for the power. My P&W leader Ms Laura said, It is like grabbing onto something and holding your hand tight around it taking it everywhere you go. Well, Jesus wants you to open your hand. Actually this article was inspired but what Ms Laura said. It hit home with me. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. All of the junk that fills our jar will make us heavy laden. If we spend all our time thinking about what was, we have no room for what is and is to come. There are new beginnings for us. But we must start empting the jar. It is time to DROP IT & LET IT GO. Now Jesus can work. Jesus tells us to cast our every care on Him. It don’t matter what it is He has very broad shoulders and He can carry that load. Jesus knew our beginning from our end. He knew every hurt, setback, mistake that we would encounter in our lives. So for each hurt, failure or setback that we encountered Jesus had already arranged comeback. He wants to fill our jar, if we will let Him. It is time to put your foot down. Step out of the was and jump into the IS. This is where Jesus can help you clean out your jar. Open your hand set that hurt free, let it soar into the heaven where Jesus can dispose of it. Reach into your jar, pull out that black marble place it the palm of Jesus’ hand where he will wrap His hand around it and carry it with Him everywhere He goes so it won’t hurt you anymore. Stop holding onto your marbles, give your marble to Jesus. Make a new empty spot in your soul that Jesus can fill with His love, His dream for you, His Mercy. We will never understand why things happen in our lives but we have to be mature enough to say Jesus, I don’t understand but I trust YOU. In Ecclesiastes 7; it says “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning” What this tells me is I may have had a rough start my life, may have hurts, setbacks and failures but with Jesus it (I) will finish better. So, I ask you now, are you ready to empty your jar of all the junk that satan has you holding onto? There is someone waiting to help but you must give it to Him, give Him the permission to take that black ugly marble out of your jar and replace it with a beautiful purple one. Jesus wants us fill us with joy and abundant life. Remember when we give the dark marbles to Jesus it is the funeral of that hurt, setback or failure. It is buried and gone. So many people will go to an altar of prayer lay down their marbles and ask Jesus to take them away only to pick them right back up as they leave. Do you want a jar full of good, beautiful marbles or those black and off colored brown one? It is up to you to empty your jar. Till next time Thanks for joining me on the porch Brian PS: please feel free to stop by my web site www.brianmaceministries and look around or leave me a note on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brianmacemusic/
Perhaps you’ve heard this old gospel song. It talks about the Bible stories of Moses, David, and Jesus, times when it looked as though all was lost. Then at the last possible moment God comes through with a miracle. The Red Sea parts. David kills Goliath with a single slingshot. Jesus is raised from the dead. And the chorus goes: I’ve got a feeling everything’s gonna be alright, I’ve got a feeling everything’s gonna be alright, I’ve got a feeling everything’s gonna be alright Be alright, Be alright, Be alright. Don’t you wish you were that certain? And yet there are many times when everything is not at all alright! I’ve been there too. Perhaps you’re in that place right now, like the woman who wrote to me just days ago, worn out from living in a marriage without any affection or intimacy for more than ten years. Or the friend who had to drastically cut back on her ministry work and find her own secular job after her husband was unexpectedly laid off from his. Or the missionary who lost his wife after a long battle with cancer. If you’re not in that place right now it’s easy to look at someone struggling and say, “Just trust God. He’ll take care of it. Think positively. It will all work out for the best.” But what happens when your mentally ill son does take his own life? Or your house gets repossessed? Or your marriage ends? Or your church is split by scandal?
What does it mean to trust God when everything is not alright? I’ve been in meetings where the worship just makes my heart sing. I’ve read the Bible through many times, and still read it daily. I believe with my whole being that God is real, and that He is good and powerful and loving and trustworthy and strong and faithful and everything else the Bible says about Him. I’m confident that He’s not just there for people in general, but for me. He sees me. He knows me. He loves me. And yet today everything is not alright in my world. I’m sure there will be a story out of this eventually. But for today, I’m having to live out exactly what I’m talking about here. I’m having to trust God in the midst of the darkness and just keep walking. So I’m writing to myself as much as I am to you. Making bullet points or lists for a topic like this is dangerous. It runs the risk of minimizing your pain and mine, and of giving the impression that there are simple solutions. Biblically, yes, God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites. But hundreds and thousands of them were also killed in their battles to possess the Land of Canaan.
thousands of them were also killed in their battles to possess the Land of Canaan. Elijah called down fire from heaven and then rode to heaven in a fiery chariot, but Isaiah was sawn in two while stuffed inside a hollow tree. John the Baptist was beheaded while Jesus was here on Earth and only a few miles away. Sometimes it’s not alright. And we’re called to trust God anyway. So with the hesitation I mentioned above, I offer these thoughts on how to trust God even when things aren’t OK. Stay closely connected to Him. Keep on listening to Him. That means Bible reading, worship, being with others who know Him, worshiping Him even when it hurts. I don’t have to know the answer to know the Answer. He’s the only One big enough to go to, and Who is always there. Keep on praying – from the Psalms, from your heart, with your tears or cries or shouts if need be. Don’t do anything that would lead to regrets. Don’t steal or cheat if the money is tight. Don’t lash out in anger because someone hurt you. Don’t neglect to be there in a loved one’s illness. Do the next right thing – the thing you will want to look back on a year or ten years from now and know it was the very best thing you could do, the thing you would tell someone you loved to do in the same situation, the thing that will leave you without regrets. Remember eternity. And that’s a very very long time. This life is too short to make sense. We were created to live forever. We’re playing a part in a very big drama, and only in heaven will it all completely make sense. God knows that better than we do. Trusting Him means being confident that we will look back on our lives and know that we would not want God to have done anything different than what He did. So let us together determine that we will trust Him even when it’s not alright. “I know my God can! But even if He doesn’t, I will still trust, obey, and worship Him.” (See Daniel 3:16-18) One day, you and I will share our stories. And we will be able to say with great assurance, “Everything’s gonna be alright!”
Announcement: Sorrow and Hope The Death of my Husband Al Tanksley Dr Carol and AlThere's no easy way to write about something so personal and painful. Yesterday morning, February 21, 2016, my husband Al passed away. We had been married over 7 years - the happiest years of my life. Funeral services are scheduled in the next few days. Details can be found here, and will be updated as they become available. I will be taking a couple weeks off from blogging. I'm sure you can understand why. But while my heart is pained beyond words, my spirit is also full of hope - not hope for here, but for eternity. This much I know for sure; this earthly life is too short. We were not created for here; God created us for eternity! Right now I go back to this Scripture frequently: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I Corinthians 15:55 If you are feeling sorrow today, I pray God's comfort fill your very being. If you wish to do something in memory of my husband Al, you can make a donation to Dr Carol Ministries. He would want to be sure this ministry continues, and I am committed to doing just that. You can donate right here. And I look forward to telling more of the story in a couple weeks. Until then, may God bless you!
“Life Is Fragile” I have been sitting here working on my photography book that I am self publishing and doing a lot of thinking about life and how fragile it is. I have loss a few close friends and relatives over the past few months and it makes you seriously think about how short life really is. In an instant the one that you thought would be here forever is gone, and then your filled with emotion, tears start flowing and the regret that you could have spent more time with them set in. It happens to all of us, we all take for granted that our loved ones will always be around, so we put off spending time with them. We tell ourselves, “I will spend time with them tomorrow, I'm to busy today.” Well tomorrow comes and goes, and so on and so forth. Then one day you wake up to realize that the person is no longer there, and you regret not spending more time with them. Each day is a gift from God and should not be taken for granted or taken lightly. We must live each day as if it was our last, each day as if it was our loved ones last day on earth. I love my family and friends and I regret not spending more time with them. One instance took place Easter 2015 when my best friend had a massive heart attack. I cried out to God and asked Him to spare his life so I could spend more time with him and so I could be a better friend. God answered my prayer and my friend lived, and I spend as much time with him as I can. Not all of us will be that fortunate and have that second chance that we all long to have with our loved ones. Spend time with them now while they are here and living now, and this way there will be no regrets when their time has come to meet their Lord. God never promised us tomorrow, each day is precious and is fragile. Just like a breeze of wind is here one moment and gone the next, so are our lives. We must live in the moment that we are giving and live life to the fullest. As a photographer I enjoy catching those special moments in life through my lens. Over the past few years God has showed me many amazing things. Once in a lifetime moments in peoples lives, once in a lifetime moments in wildlife, weather and much more. I photograph these special moments that God shows me and a lot of folks tell me how blessed they are when they look at my photos, they tell me that my photos make their whole day. I thank God for the opportunity that He has given me
in my photography to be able to show God's creation through my lens. Each moment is special and once in a lifetime experience and those moments will never happen again. No two photos are ever the same, just like life and that no two moments you share with your loved ones are never the same. Each moment in time is unique and special. Cherish and hold onto those moments and make a lot of memories with your loved ones, because when they are gone, those memories are what will make you smile when you think of that person. Just like the photo below, this is a memory that we all shared with our dear friend Omar who we called Grandpa. This was his 102nd birthday last year, this was also his last birthday. Omar went home to be with the Lord this past October, he will forever be missed and we loved him dearly. Every time I look at this photo I took of him a tear flows and then a huge smile. Memories like this last a lifetime.
You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14)
March 1, 2016 International Christian recording artist, Vanessa Feltner, invited by Ohio State Trump director Robert L. Scott, sang the National Anthem at the Columbus Ohio Presidential Candidate Donald J Trump rally. Vanessa invited the 5,000 plus audience to join her in singing, “The National Anthem”. She sang leading the crowd with huge applause as she jumped an octive vocally on Land of the free”. Vanessa met Donald J Trump and his son, Eric. She presented Mr. Trump with the song she wrote for him, “I’m Ready To Make America Great Again”. Vanessa was also blessed meeting Pastor Mark Burns from South Carolina who actively speaks at the majority of Mr. Trump’s rallies. Vanessa said, “It was an incredible honor and thrill to sing for Donald J Trump and my country, to hear thousands of voices ringing out singing the National Anthem with me. With all my heart, I believe Donald Trump is an answer to the prayer of millions of Americans asking God to save America”. She went on to say, “I believe God is using Donald Trump as he did with many men in the Bible. I believe in Donald J. Trump. I endorse Donald J Trump”. Many congratulation posts flooding Facebook, including founder of Citizen’s for Trump, Tim Selaty Sr. stating, “Our good friend and avid Trump supporter, Vanessa Feltner eloquently sang the Star Spangled Banner at the Trump rally in Ohio today. You were marvelous, Vanessa!”
Feeling Frantic? February 3, 2016 5 Comments Do you ever feel frantic? I know I do, and I’ve learned it is a sure sign that rather than trusting God, I am seeking control. Basically, it boils down to idolatry. Idols are the things we run to for comfort so that we can keep things from getting out of hand. Yet, from time to time, in spite of all we do, things do spin out of our control. As people of God, those times are wake up calls to help us realize only he is sovereign over everything, and our efforts are feeble. They are an illusion, because in reality, we have control over very little. The One who holds everything together could allow it to fall apart at any time, but because of his grace, he sustains us. He is good, so he can be trusted. And trusting him leads to joy (being blessed), while trusting in flesh (self and other shallow substitutes) leads to misery or being cursed. The choice is clear. This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jer. 17:5-10 Jeremiah’s task as a young prophet was to proclaim God’s coming judgment against his people, because they had forsaken him and turned to idols. Yet, even in judgment, he was offering hope to those who would chose to trust him. It’s interesting to me that while much of Jeremiah’s warnings against the people are related to sins of commission and omission, this passage seems to get to the heart behind those sins. It’s all a matter of trust. The blatant sins were idolatry and failing to honor the Sabbath, but at the root of those sins was a lack of trust in God. As God’s people we are supposed to be different. The tendency of human flesh is to trust in self or others that we can see and touch. It it not in our nature to trust an unseen God. We want to be in control. We can control flesh, but we cannot control the unseen. It seems unnatural for flesh to trust in supernatural, but that is what God calls us to do, and if we
don’t, there are consequences. To be cursed means to be miserable, as opposed to being blessed or happy. Trusting him results in something else that is unseen—our roots are firmly established. They develop deep and tap into the fountains of living water. Being tapped into those streams of living water is the key to blessing. This is not based on activity, but trust. Trust stands still and waits. It does not feel the need for control, and it is never frantic. When we realize we have no control, and that the One who does have it is good, and wants the best for us, we can choose the blessing of trusting him. Oh Lord, help us to trust you rather than frantically strive for control. We know you are good, and you can be trusted, but sometimes we are afraid anyway. Help us to be still and know you are God and that your love for us is everlasting. We can trust in One who loves us that much. So even though circumstances and things in this seen world try to move us, we will not be moved. We will be like trees planted by streams of living waters and have no need to fear. We choose to believe you. Amen
My wife has been asleep for days now and her body is shutting down quickly. The hospice nurse came again this morning and said Joey will most-likely only be with us for a few more days… at the most. A few more days… In the 40 short years that Joey has lived, my bride has accomplished many great things… she’s lived a very full life. But even more than that, she has loved those around her greatly and been loved greatly in return. I can honestly say that Joey’s isn’t just a life well-lived, it’s a life well-loved. God only gives each of us a certain amount of time to be on this earth and every day when we wake up, we get to decide how we are going to spend those precious minutes and hours. There are no do-overs, no second-chances, no next-time-around’s to get it right. Joey knew this and she has made each and every day count. One of the last things Joey said before she drifted into the deep sleep she’s been in for a few days now is, “I have no regrets… I can honestly say, that I have done everything I wanted to do and lived the life I always wanted to live”. I went through some pictures on my computer last night and let them take me back. Back to when we met… oh, how young and beautiful she looked. And I let them carry me through the years, to where we are now. Lying here beside me, she is still so beautiful to me. We recorded a song a few years ago by Shawn Camp and Dennis Morgan for the same album that we recorded “When I’m Gone” on, but it didn’t make the record. I think maybe it was on some special bonus version somewhere, but for the most part nobody’s ever heard it. I came across it the other day and put some of Joey’s photos with it… I could barely listen or watch at first. But then, as I listened and watched more… I smiled more and I cried less. It’s called “In The Time That You Gave Me”
In the time that God gave her… I believe Joey’s given all she could give. She’s loved all she could love and lived all she could live. And her faith… yes, it’s strong enough to save her. I know she’s done Him and all of us proud… in the time that He gave her.
From the Isaacs: ( Facebook) In the studio with Terry Bradshaw. Recording a song to be released on our new soon to be released CD! Great News!