Country Church




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" June 5, 2003 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com ----------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart" You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription or a friend generously forwarded their copy to you. To subscribe send a blank e-mail to subscribe@write2theheart.com. ------------------------------------------------------------ She was only nine years old when her church announced a Scripture memorization contest. Betty Jo longed to win the prize. With determination and perseverance she began hiding God's word in her heart. Could she memorize more than the adults in the church? ------------------------------------------------------------ My Little Country Church By Betty Jo Mings ------------------------------------------------------------ I was born during the Depression years, and my Mother was left to raise six children alone. We lived in a small town in Texas, and my Mother worked several jobs at a time to keep us clothed and fed, but she always made sure we were in church for worship on Sunday mornings and evenings, for Wednesday night prayer meetings, and for the occasional Revival Meetings at our church. Actually, our church met in a basement that was supposed to be the start of a new church building, but because of the Depression the building was never finished. The floors were concrete, and the seats were unpainted backless wooden benches. It was at that church that I went forward one night when I was nine years old, and with tears streaming down my face, I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and to come into my heart and be my Savior. I learned to love him with all my heart, and I wanted to share His love with all my friends. Soon after I became a Christian, our church announced a contest open to all church members who would memorize Scripture verses, with the prize of a new Bible to be given to the one who memorized the most verses in a certain amount of time. Because we were so poor, I could never have hoped to have a Bible of my own, so I was determined that I would learn the most verses and be able to have my very own Bible. I studied night and day, and even though I was too young to understand all the words I was memorizing, when the time came for the contest to end, I was overjoyed to find I was the winner of the Bible! What a treasure it was for me! And how I loved that special Book. I could never have foreseen the impact those verses I memorized as a child would have on my life. They were hidden down deep in my heart, but when I needed comfort, or strength, or help, or wisdom, they were there to fulfill my deepest needs. How thankful I am for a Mother who loved the Lord and taught me to love Him too, for a Pastor who taught the message of salvation, and for a little country church that rewarded me with a Bible for hiding God's Word in my heart. Betty Jo Mings bmings@netzero.net You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story, just remember to remove the space before and after the @ symbol. The space is placed in the address to protect our writers from viruses and email harvesting programs. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Betty Jo lives in Garden Grove, California, with Rowland, her husband of over 50 years. She has three children and six grandchildren who all love the Lord. She started writing poems as a child, about the same time she received God's gift of eternal life. She has had countless poems and articles published in books, newspapers, magazines, periodicals, and anthologies. Her writings are also available on her personal Website at http://www.bettyjomings.truepath.com A book of her poems titled "Poems For The Common Man" has just been released. To order call toll-free 1-888-280-7715 or visit www.1stbooks.com, www.amazon.com, or www.barnesandnoble.com. If you would like an autographed copy please contact Betty Jo Mings at bmings@netzero.net -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- Letters From Our Readers -------------------------------------------------------------- I enjoyed Mary-Ellen's account of her aunt. She has a way of bringing those things of the past to light. Most of us have had someone like her aunt in our family; they color our history and make our memories worth the delight of traveling back. What a delightful and imaginable game your grandson and husband invented on what could have been a scary night! Those kids can roll up bundles of memories to smooth us as the years accumulate in our own life, can't they?! Betty King www.betty.newsmoose.com What a special tribute to a sweet woman. Oh, if we didn't get caught up in the rituals of feeling the need to keep a tidy house, etc. It sounds like an experience to visit such a vibrant person! When my hubby was doing some pulpit supply work we were often asked to someone's home for dinner. One meal turned out to be quite entertaining, it was in a small country and rural area. At the table along with the dishes that were passed, were cats, dogs, and chickens that roamed freely. Chickens even walked on the table. Since the people were so caring and kind, it was all I could do to take a small helping and continue to twirl my food around and wonder how my husband could stuff down so much knowing the chickens were walking on the table before we set down! Diane Dean White --------------------------------------------------------------- Military Prayer Reminder --------------------------------------------------------------- As you read over this list of names, please take that moment to pray for these young people and their families: Chris Speir Tim Speir Alan Thaddeaus Howard Todd Holland Graham William Julie Sagel Jessie Marshal Thompson Jason Eric Hernandez Kristin Danielson Ken Prieur Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder. --------------------------------------------------------------- Chocolate Alert! I know that got your attention! I am working on a chocolate cookbook to be given away on Write 2 the Heart's web site. This work in progress is tentatively called "Write 2 the Heart of the Chocolate Lover." Anyone who would like to join in the delicious fun, send a chocolate recipe with a brief bio to be included after each recipe. Send as many as you wish. --------------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl's Corner When I pick up my grandsons from Vacation Bible School, I get there while the eleven-year-old boys are practicing their song and dance routine. They stand on the platform and give it their all while singing and doing all the dance moves. Can someone tell me how they get those boys to move? Usually boys just stand still like a wooden fence post with a terrified look on their face, refusing to move. What is the secret? God Bless, Cheryl ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 2003 Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.