A couple of days or so ago, I posted on my Facebook page a picture of a group that I have talked about before. The Celebration Music Team (pictured below) was a wonderful time in my life and hope the lives of the congregation that were blessed to hear them leading the music every Sunday morning at the 8:00 Worship service. As I indicted in the most recent posting of the early '90's picture of the CMT, a couple of the folks are singing in Heaven now. Miss Dorothy Cunningham and Mr. Vern Foree (standing together front row, middle and right) were a very important part of our lives. Dorothy's most least liked song was "Unclouded Day". It was a constant "thing" she and I had, because that is one of my most favorite songs and we both kidded each other quite a bit about having to endure it just one more time! She had such an awesome Alto voice and her tone added just the right amount of "stuff" to everything we sang. I miss her sweet voice. Then there was Vern Foree, a gentle singer and enthusiastic member that did what it took to make our sound complete. The biggest thing that was first and foremost with the members of the CMT through the years was the purpose each one had, standing up in worship leading the music, was that we were there for the Glory of God, and not for any personal reasons. I think that was what our "secret" was through the years, and as I have witnessed the couple times since moving away, it has continued to be that way. Singing...sharing...smiling.
When you and I are blessed with a gift from God, we are to use it to praise His Name and share that gift with others whenever and wherever possible. That is the real big FUN part! It's also interesting to realize that sharing, is what is expected, and when you do, you are even more blessed with the sense that something wonderful is taking place. It has happened time and again through my walk through life. I like to think of God's gifts as the gift that keeps on giving. The more you share, the more blessed you and they are!
Life still has its challenges and trials and hurts, but when we can sit back and think about it, the people that have true Faith in God are the ones that continue to live a life that shows us that God is living within us. Most times, most of us make mistakes and/or misjudgments as we travel through, and the best thing is that Jesus Christ has died for us and has redeemed us from sin. It is then our turn to turn ourselves around and move on and live as good an example as we can, showing that Christ is living within us and our love of God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit are living within us. None of us are free from sin are we? We all try, but all fall short. It seems that some of us even redo our failures because we couldn't believe we did did it the FIRST time! So we start over, trying to do better, and before we know it, we are getting closer to the end and we still have so much to do and so many things to get taken care of, to learn, experience, share, and to tell others that our Lord and Savior died for OUR sins because God loves us soooo much, and, as a Christian . . . a believer in Jesus Christ, a FOLLOWER of Jesus Christ . . . not just a fan. Our hope is that at least ONE person has turned from sin because of how we have lived a life of value.
There is still a lot to do on this side. We must continue to pray for our country and all this madness that is rearing it's ugly head. It is our responsibility to live a life of example . . . of service to others . . to be aware of what is happening to our country and to bring it back to how our Founding Fathers envisioned it. A land of the free. Where we are free to to decide our own future, but having the freedom to decide what we are going to do to support ourselves, with what talents, hard work, education, and setting personal goals on how we are going support ourselves and those that CAN'T support themselves. There are so many that have been let down with poor examples of life styles, and with the expectation of letting others pay for their own personal lack of motivation, education, and over stimulus of depending on others to provide them with whatever THEY feel THEY deserve even though they haven't put forth an effort into providing for themselves. As a country, I still feel we are the very BEST in the whole world. But we are dramatically slipping into a cesspool that is getting harder and harder to rise ourselves up and out of if we don't come together and make some changes, it seems like Satan is going to win! But as we all know, in the end . . . God WINS! He doesn't really need our help, but we are not meant to sit on the couch and take from others (through the welfare system) when, in fact, we can do for ourselves instead. So we must pray for this nonsense to end. Lets all join together and get our country back to the Godly Nation we started out to be. Now is the time to begin.
There is so much out there that can be done, to share with others the love of Jesus Christ and the love that God has for us. Start sharing the love of Jesus Christ, it's the best we can do for God. Does that make sense? Start sharing the love of Jesus Christ, it's the best we can do for God! Figure out what "it" is in your life and get on with it. Time is running out. Share . . . love . . . experience life.
Remember: Keep Singing, Keep Smiling, Keep Laughing
Blessings,
Gary
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