Honey Bee Press A newsletter brought to you by the Women on the Wall in loving memory of Annette “Honey” Grant
October—December 2014
Volume 4, Issue 1
The Honey Bee Press would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for supporting us for the last 3 years. When Death Called—by Tamara L. Dean
Inside this issue: Featured Poem: Experiencing the Miraculous
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A Note From Our Founder
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Featured Article: The Breakthrough Featured Article: When You 4 Come to the End of Yourself Honey’s Reading Corner Honey’s Recipe Corner
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Featured Article: Peace Vs. Distraction Encouraging the Singles
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Marital Bliss Honey’s Recipe Corner
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Featured Article: The Sun 8 Appears After a Heartbreak Dr. Lee’s Prescription for a 9 Productive Year Do You Want to Know Him 10
We would love to hear from you. Are you being blessed by the newsletter? Is there a topic you would like addressed?
I was at work when my sister called and said, “Daddy has cancer, and the doctor is giving him only six months to live.” It was June 1996. I left work, jumped in my car, and drove an hour to Lansing, MI, from Detroit screaming and crying all the way there. I refused to believe that my dad had just received a death sentence. Once I arrived to Lansing, my mom, who was the epitome of strength at such a weak time in all of our lives, gave me the run down about the doctor’s plan to start chemotherapy and what we should expect going forward. The next few months were an emotional rollercoaster. With each passing month, my dad’s health spiraled downhill. The hardest part of it was seeing my dad, who was a man on-the-go, stripped of his ability to walk. The cancer had spread to his bones. I watched his now frail body struggle to use a walker to get from the bedroom to the kitchen. I remember walking behind him thinking, “That is NOT my dad! My dad is outgoing; he rides motorcycles, he lifts weight, he is strong, and he tinkers with cars.”
or leading up to it. I replied with one word…, “Ok.” Then I hung up the phone. I sat down on the edge of my bed, very somberly and without any feeling of sincerity I said, “Lord, I love You. I praise You.” I took a deep breath and finished off with, “and I magnify Your name.” Then I cried. The next morning I was rejoicing! Yes, you read it right. Rejoicing! Weeping may have endured for a night, but joy did come in the morning (Psalms 30:5). What happened? How could I praise God in the midst of such a tragic loss? Shouldn’t I have been blaming God, wondering how He could have let this happen? Why didn’t He heal my dad? Why did my dad have to die? Remember Job, in the bible, when all of his kids died a tragic death, his cattle was burned up, his sheep was stolen, his health failed him and yet, in all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly (Job 1:27). As a matter of fact he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him:” (Job 13:15). No matter what you face, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time, no matter how tragic the loss, you must trust God enough to yet praise Him. But, I lost my mother. Praise Him anyway! My child was murdered. Praise Him anyway! I lost my job and now I am about to lose my house. Praise Him anyway! My spouse walked out on me. Praise Him anyway!
On October 26, 1996, after giving my dad a kiss goodbye and telling him that I loved him, I left the hospital and drove back to Detroit. Shortly after I arrived back, the phone rang and it was my sister calling to deliver news I dreaded would come one day. “Tammy, daddy died.” The best way for her Sacrifice is the act of giving up to say it was just to say it. There something you desperately want was no beating around the bush to hold on to. Sacrifices test your
strength, willingness, and loyalty. Are you able to still praise God regardless of the situation? Is He or is He not God at all times in your life? I responded to the news that my dad had returned home to the Lord, by first praising God. As a result, I believe God got right in the middle of me and the pain. His joy became my strength. Did I still hurt? Did I shed tears? Yes, and that’s ok. There is a time to mourn, but there is also a time to move on. You cannot become stuck in regrets, or what could have or should have happened. You still have a life of purpose that must be fulfilled. You must live on. Others are counting on you. When Moses died, the people mourned for 30 days and then it was time to move on. His successor, Joshua, was in place, and God had instructed him to continue the journey over the Jordan, which Moses was leading before he died. Just because Moses was dead didn’t mean God was dead. He is alive and waiting on you to cross your Jordan. He has equipped you to get to the other side of your grief. Here are a few reminders to help you along: 1. Keep praising God! When every strong force seems to be against your mind and emotions, sacrifice and release words of praise to God. Don’t hold on to your perceived right to be bitter or angry. Give it over to Him by praising Him. 2. Be thankful—I was 26 years old when my dad died, but I found the strength to say to God, “Thank you
We would like to stand with you in prayer. There is so much power in agreement and prayer. The enemy tries to make us feel like we are alone in this journey when in fact there are many of us that are going through the same thing. The Women on the Wall believe that “sisters need sisters.” We need each other to survive. In the kingdom, when one of us suffers, we all suffer. We want you feel the weight of the prayer pushing you forth in your calling. Send us your prayer requests and know that we will lift you up. No prayer request is too small or too big. Email us at 1wownews@gmail.com.