A Very Special Day
Today is a very special day! We are celebrating the birthday of the man, the myth, the legend … Gregory C. Johnson! He handles all of the technical aspects of this site and is THE computer guru! Mr. Johnson is a talented writer, and I encourage him to write as often as I can! He has also been a valued friend of the family for 17 years.
I think we should make this Gregory C. Johnson day!
Greg, we hope you have a wonderful birthday.
Lots of love and blessings from everyone here at Light Love Hope!
I’ll Be By Your Side
A few years ago the interpretive ministries group that I was a part of at church performed sign art (American Sign Language) to a popular song by Tenth Avenue North. I’ll never forget the concert benefit that we were ministering at. It was a benefit for my daughter’s friend that was diagnosed with cancer.
The year was 2009, and my daughter came home from school in the Sixth Grade to tell me that her friend was just diagnosed with cancer. She had a desire to help her friend, and so we approached our pastor asking just how we, as the church, could help. That is when he said that he would support our efforts in whatever fundraisers that we would like to put on for her family. With his stamp of approval on our ideas, we started working on several fundraisers. Several people joined in on our efforts, including Gregory C. Johnson, your co-host for Light Love Hope. He came all the way from Illinois to the South for a car wash fundraiser he helped organize with tee-shirts he purchased for this event that had a red heart on the front with two outstretched hands cupped together in front of the heart with the words “Help Sidney” across the bottom. And Help Sidney we did!
The concert benefit was part of the Help Sidney efforts, and at this concert benefit, my daughter and I stood at the edge of the stage with the rest of our interpretive movement team behind us as we signed …
I’ll be by your side
Whereever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
Please don’t fight
These Hands that are holding you
We signed with all of our might that night at the concert benefit. When it came to this next part, we especially put our heart and soul into it …
Cause I
I love you
I want you
To know
I …
I love you
I’ll never
Let
You
Go
No, no
And He won’t. No matter what you are facing, God will never let you go! He loves you with a love so powerful, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. And He always will. There is nothing you can do that will make God love you any less.
Just as God was by Sidney’s side throughout her cancer treatments when she was struggling so, I’m pleased to report that she made a full recovery and is in remission! Just as God was right there beside Sidney, He is right there beside you every step of the way, too! He will never leave your side. He will catch you when you fall, wherever you fall … in the dead of night, cry out to Him, and He will be there when you call upon Him … PLEASE don’t fight God’s Great and Mighty Hands. Allow Him to wrap His loving arms around you and hold you.
Take His hand, sweet child. You won’t regret it!
Gather
Excitement welled up inside of me when I learned that the Five Minute Friday writers are having a retreat! Yes, that’s right! When we usually gather together on Fridays where we write for five whole minutes without worrying about getting it just right, NOW we will have the opportunity to meet in person!
The Five Minute Friday community has grown so much, and it is an exciting time as we think of finally meeting up! Taking it from the internet, from our blogs, from our Twitter parties, Facebook, and now live and in person! Wow!
I know I’m not the only one that is checking their schedules, looking at the location and seeing just how far it really is from where they live. Wondering if this is really happening and something that is do-able.
The location, we’ve learned, is just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. The weekend is August 7-9, 2015 with more details to come from Kate. It would be amazing to gather all of the Five Minute Friday writers together for one weekend! I imagine there will be lots of laughter that weekend as well as writing since that is something we all love to do.
Imagine the possibilities of getting all of the writers together. As we gather together, we could share ideas and bounce things off of each other.
With one daughter going into Fifth grade and the other into college in August, I’m not completely sure at this point that I can attend. But, I’ll certainly try! AND I encourage you all to attend as well. If you’ve ever written or been interested in Five Minute Fridays from when Lisa-Jo Baker hosted it and now since Kate has taken over, I encourage you to think of gathering with all of the writers. You will not be disappointed!
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This post was most definitely inspired by the prompt word of Gather for this edition of Five Minute Friday at Kate’s virtual house.
