WALKING IN GRACE

Sometimes God has to dig us up and move us to another garden so that we can find a new place to grow. I am a prime example of a flower that has been transplanted in a new garden.  I had lived in my little country home  for 34 years.  I thought that I would always grow in that little garden...but God had other plans for my future.  I had to face many bitter cold days out on my own.  I had to withstand many storms, and learned how to grow stronger in the midst of fierce rains.  God planted me in a garden I never would have chosen for myself,  but it was here that I went back to my roots.

  After my first marriage ended I thought my life was over.  God knows just who to place in our lives,  and when.  I know that God is on time,  all the time, because special people came into my life when I needed them most.  One day I met my new  neighbors,  and discovered that he was a preacher.    For the first time since I had left my country home I felt like I'd be ok here beside these wonderful people. This preacher would soon become the one who would  officiate my second marriage. 

 I thought I had found true love.  It wasn't long until I found out I was wrong. I was married...but I spent so much time alone,  and I was very lonely. I  needed something in my life,  because my husband was drifting away. 

 I knew God in my youth,  but soon came to feel as if I didn't need him anymore.  I made decisions in my life that he would NOT have made for me.  But everyday I felt a stirring in my heart to feel what I had then.  As my marriage fell apart I had no one to turn to except the one man who had NEVER let me down.  The one man who LOVED me unconditionally since my youth.  The one man who gave  his ALL for me and asked NOTHING in return.  I had to take a trip BACK to my roots.  Back to the days when I knew GOD.

In a little country church I found my need for GOD again.  My marriage ended...BUT my life for GOD started new.  That preacher gave a sermon one day that said "God Allows U-Turns."  I turned around and found that I really had missed that walk I had with that MAN who promised to be there for me forever.  God never changes.  We will change,  life will change, the world will change...but know this ...GOD NEVER WILL. 

 I had to be  placed down in a garden of Despair,  for only in my heartache would I take the time for prayer. The winds had to shake my petals,  and the rains drench my soul...For God to get me BACK to my roots,  and take full control. Now I'm blooming in a garden where the sun shines warm and bright,  FOR NOW I KNOW that in the storms of life...EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT.

I grew up on Southern Gospel music.  I started singing in church when I was 5 years old.  My daddy would play his old 78's and he'd stop that old player so that I could learn the words and tune.  My first real song was at the tender age of 5 when Daddy taught me how to sing  an old song that I have not heard since those days in that little country home.  It was called ( I THINK )  " DUST ON THE BIBLE ".  I only remember these words:   Dust on the Bible, dust on the holy word...you'd better get that dust off the bible and redeem your poor soul. " 

 In my early years I grew up with greats like Vestuil Goodman,  the Happy Goodman Family,  the Florida Boys, The Cahthedral Quartet, and of course no Southern Gospel  music would be complete without the lady I sang so many songs from ,  MS. Dottie Rambo.  I  now love to watch the GAITHER HOMECOMING HOUR...because they play all the old hits.  So many of the old-timers have since gone home to be with the LORD,  and now Heaven is full of gospel singers who loved God and music.  When God planted me in my garden of despair  he made sure that someone would be there to nurture my soul.  I found GOD once again, in a little country church in Summerfield FL. called THE LIGHTHOUSE.  Pastor Garms always had gospel sings and they took me back to my roots...because they were good ole Southern Gospel Groups.  I moved away and discovered that a friend that I knew from the Light House Church,  was attending another church.  At the time I did not have a car,  but God saw to it that I found this friend (Ms. Nancy)again,  so that I would be able to attend church.  One invitation to church lead to  me becoming a part of a new church family at New Covenant Worship Center in Ocala Fl.  The pastor, (Ted Pressley) and his wife and the entire church made me feel welcome...and now they are my church family (imagine that...I went from being an oprhan to having so many church families) .One day I discovered that a singer at my new church was actually singing with someone from the lighthouse.  They are called SOUNDS OF JOY and they consist of Bob Paxton ( who has written some of the songs you will find on this site ) Gary Bennett  an awesome bass guitar player, Linda Riley ( who's voice would make Vestuil Goodman proud ) and Larry Hill ( who reminds me so much of the singers I was blessed to hear in my youth).  It is through thier willinness to share thier love for GOD that they agreed to lend me thier music for background on this site.  My roots for Southern Gospel  reminds me that God is the same YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW.  Bob wrote this song and it says it all.   " He's Still The Great I AM."

If you are like a flower being blown in the wind...stop, take a moment, Turn around and Go Back to your roots.  Build your life...on SOLID GROUND.

Song: He's Still The Great I Am

Written by Bob Paxton

CD: The Sounds Of Joy:  From Our Heart To Yours

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Remember... Don't forget to come back here to click on my link to be taken to my webpage

 BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE  because there's GREAT NEWS  for everyone there.

http://mymemoryplace.pnn.com

http://www.gospelgreeting.com

For more on the music heard here check out Southern Harmony's website at

www.southernharmony.org