"Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him upon the loud cymbals: praise Him upon the high-sounding cymbals." Psalm 150:3-5
I am beyond grateful to God to announce that two very special friends and I started a band called Mountain Hope! We are an acoustic band that performs Gospel, bluegrass, folk, and old-timey, classic country music, with some humor comedy relief thrown in. This is the music I was raised on. Many a family gathering was spent singing these songs, and they bring back so many precious memories to me. We aren't perfect, nor do we claim to be, but we all love the music so very much and are passionate about what we are doing. For me, Mountain Hope is a dear gift from God—the fulfillment of a lifelong dream that started way back when I started singing tenor on "Amazing Grace" with Mom and Dad in the car at the age of three. I have absolutely loved to sing ever since and to have the opportunity to do music with these two guys is a truly cherished gift for which I am eternally grateful.
Zach started a YouTube channel to keep up with our music, and if you would like to hear us and be notified when Zach uploads new content, please consider subscribing here! And please feel free to share our music with others. We would be most grateful for your support!
To give you a sneak preview of what to expect, here is a video of us performing one of my all-time favorite songs ~ "My Tennessee Mountain Home" written by Dolly Parton. This song has always meant so much to me because even though I was not born in Tennessee, my Daddy was from Tennessee, and his love for the mountains and mountain music is such a huge part of my heritage and who I am and will always be. How I miss him! He would have loved being a part of what God is allowing Mountain Hope to do.
I hope you enjoy our music, and it brings some downhome comfort your way!
Pat, Chuck, and Cheryl
May God richly bless each one of you and meet your every need.
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
I can't recall when or how I was introduced to the author I am interviewing today, but through our mutual blogging journeys, she and I have become friends. We have prayed for one another and supported one another along the way, and it is with a thankful heart that I share her Inner Views with you!
The
of
Martha Jane Orlando
Cheryl: Please tell us about your childhood. What was life like for you growing up?
Martha: When I reflect upon my childhood, the one word that comes to mind is idyllic. My dad and mom had a strong bond that was palpable and made my brother and I feel safe, even in the harrowing times of bomb drills, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. My brother, Bill, and I often played imaginary games with our collection of “Little Animals,” stuffed Steiff gifts given by parents and grandparents. We would create our own fantastical world with these iconic characters, one of whom, of course, was a squirrel. But the leader of this family of animals was Hootie, the wise old owl. He always had the answers when the others had questions. I truly believe to this day that our innocent role-playing led to the eventual creation of all the Old Ones in The Glade.
Cheryl: How has your walk with Jesus evolved over the years? What does He mean to you today?
" Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Psalm 37:4
Hello, everyone!
It feels rather strange to be writing a blog post, as it has been such a long time! I do apologize for my silence over the past few months, and I hope once you read this post, you will understand and pardon my absence. 😊
I come to you tonight with news that humbles me, brings me to tears, and compels me to fall on my knees in gratitude and worship to the dear Lord, as once again, He has made a long-term dream come true. I could never praise Him enough.
When I began this blog nearly ten years ago on October 1, 2011, my real dream was not to blog, but to write a book called Homespun Devotions. Over these years, the Lord has inspired me to write 800+ blog posts, and several months ago, He began to deal with my heart and lead me to pull most of those posts off the blog and start sorting through them to compile them into a series of books.
After many months of sorting, sifting, praying hard, editing, and seeking God's face every step of the way,
"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22,23
I so appreciate all the emails and the prayers you all have been praying for the requests I share here, and I wanted to post updates.
"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry."
Psalm 34:15
Hello, everyone,
I wanted to ask you to please pray for my sister, Sharon's boyfriend, Bruce Sauer, who just found out he has two suspicious spots on his lung. He has to have more extensive testing on 2/19 to get a better image, and a diagnosis will be made at that time. Please pray for good results and for God to bring peace to my sister and Bruce during this time of waiting. I would so appreciate it if you could please share this request with your prayer groups and other prayer warriors. Thank you so very much!
I also wanted to give an update on little three-year old Dallas Wilson.
This is the 2/11/2021 from family member, Katie:
"Dallas is now out of the PICU and in a room! He is no longer on a ventilator, and they have placed a PEG tube (a feeding tube with a port on your side). He had one in his nose but he kept trying to pull it out. He hasn't really talked yet but he can do things upon request and his eyes are open a lot and he can look at things. He has found the sutures on the back of his head and he touches them and his face and his nose. They thought he even laughed and smirked at one point! He can swallow and give a thumbs up, and he is awake, praise God! The next step is discharging him to a rehabilitation center to begin the process of walking and talking again. The neurosurgeon is pleased. He did however notice one more blood-clot at the base of the brain, but after consulting 5 other neurosurgeons they will leave it alone unless it presents a problem because Dallas is improving so much! It has now been two weeks since they have been at the children's hospital.
His momma and daddy say they can feel all the prayers and it means the world to them! I miss them and just keep praying for his complete recovery!"
Praise God for all He is doing for little Dallas. I can't imagine how confused the little guy must feel, nor how exhausted his parents must be. Please do keep all of them in your continued prayers. Your prayers and concern are so appreciated!
Here are some wonderful quotes on prayer and waiting on God.
“Prayer has obtained things that seemed impossible and out of reach. It has won victories over fire, air, earth, and water. Prayer opened the Red Sea. Prayer brought water from the rock and bread from Heaven. Prayer made the sun stand still. Prayer brought fire from the sky on Elijah’s sacrifice. Prayer overthrew the army of Sennacherib. Prayer has healed the sick. Prayer has raised the dead. Prayer has procured the conversion of countless souls.” JC Ryle
“Whenever God is preparing to do something great in the earth, He first sets His people a-praying!” Matthew Henry
“Apostasy begins in the closet. No man ever backslid from the life and power of Christianity who continued constant and fervent in private prayer. He who prays without ceasing is likely to rejoice evermore.” Adam Clarke
“In these days there is not time to pray; but without time, and a lot of it, we shall never learn to pray. It ought to be possible to give God one hour out of twenty-four all to Himself.” Samuel Chadwick
"Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given." G. Campbell Morgan
I am also often reminded of these words about prayer from our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Luke 18:1
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matthew 26:41
May the Lord help us to stay prayerful in these troubled times, and may He bless each one of you and supply your every need today!
"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Psalm 103:1-3
I wanted to thank everyone who is praying for little 3-year old Dallas Wilson. Praise God, He is surely hearing your prayers, as you will read below.
These are the latest updates from family member, Katie:
2/2/2021
"Today they are going to take him off the ventilator and try to wake him up. They took out his cath yesterday and a few other things. I am hoping it all goes well today. Waking him up will give them an idea of where to go next. They also did PT and OT with him yesterday! We serve a mighty God!"
2/4/2021
"In the last couple of days they have been weaning him off the meds and sedatives. They call it a "sedation" holiday. They do this for short periods of time to start the process of waking him up! So far he is moving his arms and legs more, and he even swallowed while they were moving his feeding tube! His momma says he is showing his fiery additude more and more every day which is good! At home he loves to brush his teeth, and they have to hide the toothpaste from him. At the hospital the nurses brush his teeth twice a day and he has let it be known that he doesn't like it. He even tries to turn his head away from them! So he is able to move a little bit each day, and they are still doing PT and OT with him. It is going to be such a long road, but he is a fighter and he is showing us that too! We are just praying for a complete recovery and for the good news to keep coming!"
As Katie said, there is a long road ahead for this little guy and his recovery, and he is still in much need of continued prayer. Please also continue to pray for his daddy, Darren, and his mama, Ami. Anyone who has spent endless days and nights by the hospital bedside of a loved one knows how tiring, draining, and terrifying it can be. May God wrap His arms around this dear family and fill their hearts with peace and sustaining grace and strength.
If anyone would like to contribute to the family's gofundme fundraiser, please click HERE.
May the Lord bless each one of you dear faithful readers and meet any needs you have today. We are surely living in troubled, perilous times, and I believe Jesus' coming is very near. He said, "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Matthew 24:33
If something is "near, even at the doors," we know it cannot be very far off. Prophecies of what we will see in the last days are being fulfilled right in front of our eyes, and even unbelievers seem to sense that the strange happenings of 2020 and so far of 2021 are indicative of what will happen right before Jesus' second coming. It is a sobering time, but it is also an exciting time for those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. To think that WE just might be the generation who are "alive and remain" at the time of Jesus' return fills my heart with much hope and anticipation.
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thessalonians 4:13-18
I have already shared with those of you who are in the prayer coalition that a short time ago as I stood in our kitchen doing dishes, the precious Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "You will be SO glad you were faithful to Me." It was a powerful, jaw-dropping moment that stopped me in my tracks.
Oh, may we all be found faithful to Him! Can you imagine standing in His holy, awesome presence and hearing the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord."
Just hearing His dear voice utter those words and knowing they are meant for you will make all the toils of this life seem as nothing. So, keep encouraged. Keep pressing on. Keep earnestly contending for the faith. No one said this was going to be easy, but it will be oh, so worth it when you see Jesus' face!
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
James 5:16
I come to you today with an urgent prayer request for a precious little 3-year old named Dallas Wilson.
On January 27, he accidentally pulled a coat rack down on his head and ended up with a fractured skull and two brain bleeds. He was transported to a hospital out of state where they were able to perform surgery and get the brain bleeding stopped.
This morning, 2/1, I was sent this update from family member, Katie:
"His MRI shows damage to his brainstem, where both lobes connect, and a few other small areas of damage. They are most concerned about his brainstem. It is what controls your eyes, coughing, gagging, and a few other things. But God has already shown us that full recovery is possible because Dallas can cough, gag, and move his eyes a bit and his eyebrows. He has also been moving his legs and arms upon request. He even squeezed their hands! He has been in and out of it, and they have had him sedated most of the time. Today his momma, Ami, said it was a big day. They will be doing other tests with him to see more about his recovery. He is such a fiery little thing, and I know he is so strong. He has been fighting hard to recover, and we can all see it and are proud of him. He is just the most precious thing.
God has worked so many miracles with this child already. It's insane all that He can do with such an injury as his. They did brain surgery the first night he was there and his skull is fractured from ear to ear. The doctors thought it was a miracle that he is alive. He is God's miracle and he continues to show us all how amazing he is and how amazing God is.
His momma and daddy, Darren and Ami, are just heart-broken as you can imagine. But they are tough, and they are hanging in there."
Little Dallas will be four years old in April. You can just imagine how you would feel if this were your own child, grandchild, or family member. I can only imagine what Darren, Ami, and the rest of the family are going through. Please pray!
If anyone would like to help with this family's expenses during this difficult time, please visit their gofundme site HERE, where you can donate and check for updates.
PLEASE SHARE THIS PRAYER REQUEST WITH YOUR PRAYER GROUPS.
May God lay His healing hand on little Dallas and do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think in his healing process and restore him completely to perfect physical and mental health, in Jesus' name.
Thank you all for praying and sharing this request with other prayer warriors!
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17
I was blessed to receive the book ahead of publishing and thoroughly enjoyed its message. Like Kalen's first book, "Intentional Children" is packed full of wisdom, encouragement, sound advice, and Godly instruction.
This is the endorsement I wrote for Kalen's book:
"As a parent of a young adult who has walked with my husband and me through debt recovery, I can validate the wisdom in these words from Kalen's book, 'Any time the opportunity presents itself to show your child how you did something smart with money, or made a financial mistake, use it to teach. Your kids will see what you do before they'll hear what you say. Since we can't turn back time, we can do the next best thing: teach our children the things we wish we had learned at a young age.' Intentional Children was written to instruct parents on how to train their children about money, but any reader of any age or season of life can greatly benefit from its wisdom. Though Kalen lays out very specific steps to follow to successfully prepare children for the real world and how to handle finances, his advice applies to so many other areas of life. I love that he writes from a Christian, Biblical perspective and that he gently incorporates his faith throughout the book. Kalen says, 'I've done the majority of the leg work for you,' and the sharing of what he has gleaned from doing that leg work is an invaluable gift for those who will read this book."
Kalen is generously giving away a copy of his new book to one blessed reader!
Here are the rules:
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave us a comment below.
The giveaway will be open until one week from today! Sometime on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, Zach will use wheel decide to choose the winner's name.
Giveaway is open to ALL, including those who live outside of the US!
Anonymous commenters will not be entered into giveaway since we have no way of identifying you or making contact. If you are an anonymous commenter and would like to enter the giveaway, you will need to leave your name and contact information in your comment, please.Otherwise, you will not be entered or have a chance to win.
