Singing His Praise!

Saturday we had the precious privilege of going to Fort Wayne, IN. to celebrate the life and home going of my Aunt Wilma.

At the memorial service her Pastor told about a piece of notebook paper that Aunt Wilma had shared with him.  It was a list of Scripture verses that my grandmother ( a single mom from the time my daddy was nine) made up for him and his little sister, Wilma, to memorize while doing the dishes.

PRAISE THE LORD FOR THE HERITAGE WE HAVE.

My paternal grandmother was a precious Christian woman named, Grace, who loved the Lord and raised her two children faithfully for her Savior.  She worked at The Clark Equipment Company in Buchanan, MI. until her retirement.

When I was a teenager grandma bought a twelve base accordion and seeing my love for music and musical instruments she selflessly loaned it to me to use as long as I needed it. When I got married I returned it to her and she used it at Sunday school class parties and picnics.

Aunt Wilma was my mentor and faithful Christian example from the time I was a young girl, though we were never close geographically. I always looked forward to seeing her at Christmas, Thanksgiving and other special occasions and through correspondence.

Aunt Wilma served faithfully with Uncle Leland in the ministry for over forty years. They had two children Jerry and Kay.

Kay was diagnosed with lung cancer and within the year went to be with the Lord when she was in her mid-thirties leaving her husband and four children. She gave a precious testimony with her memorial service that she had prepared herself, including honorary pallbearers made up of the church youth group led by her and her husband.

Jerry became a pastor, ministered in several churches and later served as the President of Great Lakes Christian College from 1994-99. you might like to follow this link to listen to a message he preached at a 2008 commencement service.

http://www.glcc.edu/main/jerrypaulcommencement.mp3

Aunt Wilma was a choir leader, pianist, teacher, and loved her Heavenly Father and served Him faithfully.

One time not too many years ago while visiting Aunt Wilma and Uncle Leland at Golden Years Homestead in Fort Wayne they shared with my husband and me that the preacher had married them from his sick bed. One would think that from such an unorthodox beginning it might not last, but it lasted over seventy years.  Obviously the preparation and wedding is not near as important as the quality of the marriage.

When we arrived that day to visit them we went to there apartment to find Uncle Leland alone and he said she is out for a walk.  Sure enough when we got the the entrance door of the lobby, there she came, strolling along the sidewalk, elegantly dressed in a hot pink pant suit like Miss American on the runway.

At the funeral her pastor hit the nail on the head when he stated that Aunt Wilma was a “classy lady”.

Father, Thank you so much for the legacy you have given us.

Help me Father to follow the Savior in such a way to bring glory and honor to Your Name.

In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen

Please read this portion in the Word of God

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” KJV

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. NIV

This is a verse that I have kept over my sewing machine or work place for many years to remind myself of the importance of doing my very best in whatever I do. Whether it be a job or making a gift for a friend or family, in my work place, as a wife and mother, a pastor’s wife or teacher.

A dear niece noticed my typed note to myself several years ago and sweetly cross-stitched a beautiful plague for me in lavender with a pretty blue flower and lavender ruffle.

Whenever I went to a new job or moved I would take that little plague and put it up over my work area.

When I make a mistake in my crocheting that perhaps only I would even know isn’t right, I feel compelled to pull out my work and make it right.

I crocheted a beautiful apricot tablecloth with a pineapple design and several years after I made it I was sitting at the table and I noticed a place where I had skipped a cluster stitch. No, I did not take it apart and fix it, it is still a beautiful table cloth and it is still very useful, but it has been twelve years or more since I made it and it still pops out at me.

I think of the time when I was making a bride’s maid’s dress and the iron spit water on the peau de soie (a lovely matte satin fabric which Is very unforgiving). Needless to say I had to go shopping to replace the section that was damaged.

One day while decorating for a Christmas program I was carrying some boxes and I entered the building in the dark (the light switches were at the other end of the sanctuary) and someone had moved the platform furniture into the area where I usually walked freely and holding the boxes high, I suddenly crashed into the pulpit. Now though the hand is healed, I have a scar to remind me of that occasion.

I often think back over my life as a Christian and think of things which I wish I had done differently, or that I had been a better servant of Christ, a better wife, parent, or friend.

This reminds me of the “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” and the blessed fact, that as born again Christians who have put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, we are assured of His forgiveness.

I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Read this precious portion for the Word of God…..

Well, moving can be stressful.

First you begin right away changing your address so that things will go smoothly, call all utilities and have them stopped and started on the best days for all concerned, tell all your friends to get out their erasers, and then get on the computer and try to edit your personal data (which is no small task).

Then you dutifully go to the secretary of state to get a new drivers license….

Not so fast, wait, “do you have the list?” They ask.

Yes, that is right there is a list of things that you need to get a new drivers license.

To get a new mi. Drivers license I had to send for a certified copy of my birth certificate with a raised seal because mine was a photo copy (which I have used for I don’t know how many years, with no questions asked).

So I sent a photo copy of my copy of my birth certificate to Cassopolis County Clerk with a check for $13 and less than a week later I received my real birth certificate and they say and I quote, “please note” that the date on my birth certificate on file is august 28…..

I think someone must have been asleep when they recorded it because I have celebrated my birthday for sixty-nine years on august the 26th according to the copy my parents gave me.

I wonder who made the mistake.. My parents, the Dr., The clerk…. Oh dear…. This is pretty serious.
Now when should I celebrate my birthday….???

When I go to pick up a prescription am I going to have to give the 28th for my birthday….Will my drivers license expire on the 28th. Do I celebrate both days…. Ha ha!

I have always celebrated my spiritual birthday on the 28th as I remember being saved two days after my birthday. Which now makes my birthday and salvation on the same date.

What a trauma for an old lady. Then again why should I complain if I am two days younger.

“Praise the Lord, He Never Changes”

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Today is the Lord’s day we spent it in the most normal way for us since our move here on the 17th.

Our furniture is fairly well placed, thanks to our children and grand-children and their commitment to help us with their youth and strong backs. We still have somethings in storage which we are struggling to fit in or part with. This is probably the most difficult thing right now.

We are praying for the Lord to direct us to a place to worship and serve Him. Though we are retired we still have a great desire to be faithful in His service as He gives us strength

We had the privilege of visiting the First Baptist Church of Litchfield, MI which is right in the center of our little city and we were truly blessed in the services.

We were blessed today by the ministry of a missionary who was home on furlough. Eric Schrock, who was raised in the church, with his wife Lily (a native Romanian) and their little girl, presented their slide presentation of their ministry in the Sunday School hour and preached a strong message on “Counterfeit Christianity” in the evening service.

We are praying for God’s direction and wisdom in the future days.

We claim the promise “….All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Isn’t God good.

I close tonight with a hymn we sang in the service today.

“I’d Rather Have Jesus”

In the last year my dear husband and I had the trauma and adventure of moving and scaling down our belongings from an eight room to a five room house.

Yes, when we were young and first started out in the ministry I loved the “Adventures in Moving” including the U-Haul truck or trailer, seeing how the Lord provided little things for us like reaching into the curtain boxes and finding just the right type and color of curtains for the right number of windows in each room. The joy of meeting new friends in Christ and new avenues of ministry. Yet, missing the ministry and friend of the previous work

This Sunday with tears we shared with our people here that we believe it has come time for us to retire and move to a small retirement village in Michigan, not to far from our previous ministry at Jonesville, where we believe the Lord has opened up a place.
The people were so sweet and understanding and encouraging.

Ken will be a key person on the night shift in exchange for our housing in a very nice small apartment. It has recently been completely redecorated with all new appliances. It is just across the street from one of our sweet ladies that Ken and I have called on, who attended the Jonesville church until she became house bound. She is the person who referred us to the job there at the Friendship Village in Litchfield, MI.

At this stage in our life now, this is definitely not what we would call “Adventures in Moving” even though we are still using the tried and true biggest white truck they have.
I just pray that we can get all of our saved treasures tucked into our little place.

Now we are at it again and this time it is a different step in our lives. Scaling down again and parting with dear treasures gained in fifty years of ministry. The treasures consist of four file cabinets of sermon materials, pamphlets and articles in his “Memory-O-Matic” file system (before the computer age). for Ken and two files of music, teaching materials, flannel-graph materials and a five drawer “Simplicity” file of crafts and cassette accompaniment tapes and two three drawer “McCall’s files of yarn and sewing supplies (used in my sewing business) complete with an upholstered board on top for a cutting table, and five sewing machines. Between the two of us Ken and I have seven bookcases with approximately 1,500 books.

I donated my two commercial sewing machine prior to our last move to the Wycliffe Bible translators in Florida where Ken’s brother Bill and his wife, Billie ministered for the past few years)

Today both of us went through our closets and tried to be realistic and parted with a lot of clothes which in the past we felt we could not do with out.

Several times I would take an item and put in in the trash, take it out, put it in the pile for a charitable organization, take it out again. One such item was a sweet little plaque that the pastor’s grandson had given me at the Christian school where we taught, with eight adorable baby kittens in decoupage on a little piece of wood. That little boy grew to be a teenager and was struck and killed by a truck while mowing the lawn. I have treasured that little plague for years and of course there are many more things just like that, so hard to let go.

But, our greatest treasures we do not have to let go. The wonderful memories of our ministry and the dear friends we have from Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana to Michigan.

In all of our years of ministry there has never been a time when we have been without.

Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Our precious Lord has met our every need and many of our wants. There is not enough ink to write all the wonderful joys and heartaches of the ministry, the strength that the Lord gives through hardship and trials, the wonderful joy of leading someone to the saving knowledge of Christ as Savior and seeing the Saints grow in grace and knowledge of their faith.

My prayer today is, as we are trying to accept our limitations of increasing age and decreasing health that we will have a sweet spirit of love for one another and those to whom the Lord allows us to minister in our everyday lives. That we will not use that weakness as an excuse to become bitter or lax in our total commitment to You and that we will honor You in all that we do.

Amen

Our eldest son, Ken, let us borrow his four beautiful daughters and his sweet wife this week-end.

My, what a blessing it was. I am sure that Lois will have some nice pictures of our services this past week.

THE PIERPONT SINGERS started out their tour to Kentucky here at our little church in Portersville.

We and all the folk here were truly blessed by their singing and sweet testimonies.

Thank you, girls.

I even had the honor of singing with them on “WITHOUT HIM”.

We are praying for you gals as you travel and minister.

In the morning service I was truly overwhelmed with the joy of seeing oaur dear grand=daughters giving such a sweet witness for their Saviour. Each one gave a testimony of her salvation and how much the love Jesus.

• TO KNOW THE JOY OF HAVING ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN TRUST CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOUR AT AN EARLY AGE.

MELONY JANE (PIERPONT) EVANS SALVATION 8-29-60 WHILE HEARING ME WITNESS TO A NEIGHBOR BAPTIZED WAYLAND FIRST BAPTIST, WAYLAND, MI 1-26-1964

KENNETH LEE PIERPONT SALVATION 5-31-1963, DURING FAMILY DEVOTIONS WITH DAD WHILE MOM WAS AT WORK BAPTIZED 12-25-66, HI WAY BY-WAY BAPTIST CHURCH, NEAR MIDLAND, MI.

KEVIN ALAN PIERPONT SALVATION DURING DEVOTIONS WITH MOM, 4-25-1970 BAPTISZED 3-17-1974 BY BLESSED HOPE BAPTIST, DAYTON , OH

NATHAN SHIPLEY PIERPONT SALVATION 7-28-1972 DURING DEVOTIONS WITH MOM BAPTIZED BY HIS BROTHER WHILE PASTORING PLEASANT RIDGE CHURCH OHIO 6-5-1977

• TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE FAITHFULLY SERVING THE LORD IN THEIR VARIOUS MINISTRIES AND DESIROUS OF RAISING THEIR CHILDREN TO HONOR THE LORD WITH THERE LIVES.MELONY AND HUSBAND JIM (PASTOR)- GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH, OTT0WA, IL
  KENNETH (SR. PASTOR) AND WIFE LOIS(HATTON) PIERPONT- EVANGEL
  BAPTIST, TAYLOR, MIKEVIN (PASTOR) AND WIFE CAROLYN (WORTH) PIERPONT - HIGGINS LAKE
  BAPTIST, ROSCOMMON, MI

  NATHAN (MINISTER OF MUSIC) AND WIFE JENNIFER (GIEHL) PIERPONT,
  NORTHEASTERN BAPTIST, KALAMAZOO, MI

  TO BE SO BLESSED WITH THIRTY-ONE GRANDCHILDREN PLUS ONE ON THE WAY IN DEC. AND NINE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. WHO CALL US ON THE PHONE TO LET US KNOW THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOUR. TWO OF THEM ARE YOUTH PASTORS AND TWO IN TRAINING FOR MISSIONS WORK, ONE SERVING FAITHFULLY WITH HER HUSBAND IN THEIR LOCAL CHURCH AND THREE BEGINNING A MINISTRY OF SINGING GOD’S PRAISE, AND MANY YOUNG ONES WHO LOVE YOU AND SERVE YOU IN THEIR YOUTH.

  TO ME THIS IS THE GREATEST MOTHER’S DAY GIFT ANY OTHER COULD EVER ASK FOR. IT IS MY GREATEST DESIRE THAT ALL OF MY DESCENDANTS COME TO KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY, HAVE A GREAT DESIRE TO HONOR THE LORD WITH THEIR LIVES AND LIVE FAITHFULLY FOR HIM (NOT NECESSARILY AS PASTOR OR MISSIONARY) BUT WHERE EVER AND WHATEVER THE LORD WANTS FOR THEM WHICH OF COURSE WOULD MEAN FAITHFULNESS TO HIM IN EVERY AREA OF THEIR LIVES.

  I PRAY THAT I WILL BE THE KIND OF EXAMPLE AND WHEN I FAIL THAT THEY WILL KNOW THAT MY GREATEST DESIRE IS TO HONOR MY SAVIOUR WHO HAS BEEN MY HELP AND STRENGTH.

“THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE”

Yesterday, as we were doing our weekly Monday morning grocery shopping we decided to look for a little yard decor, that would fit into our budget, for our little parsonage in the country of southern OHIO.

Ken picked up a couple of small fur trees that promise to grow to about 7 foot maximum.

As we were heading for the check out, a beautiful, familiar, lavender flower caught my eye and, (to quote my dear daughter-in-law, Lois who has a wonderful eye for floral beauty) “I just fell in love with it.”

Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks ago I made the comment in the class that God wanted Solomon’s complete surrender and obedience and willingness to obey HIM and follow HIS instructions with a right heart attitude. (II Chronicles 28:9 ….serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind.”

Vs. 20 “and David said to Solomon his son, be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou has finished all the work for the service of the louse of the Lord.”

Isn’t that what He wants from each of us as His children

Last night while I was talking with one of my grand-daughters on a chat over the internet, we began to discuss something that could be done in fun on the internet and I mentioned to her that possibility that though it was funny and fun to do, that I felt it might be something that could be used in a wrong way and be deceptive.

What came next was a joy to me

She responded that she appreciated the fact that I had pointed it out to her and she thanked me for helping her to do right. When I mentioned that the Lord would bless her for her sweet spirit in her response, she said that I had been an encouragement to her

To me the reverse was true. She had been an encouragement to me in her response of respect and honor, to my suggestion, even if she might have felt differently than I, she listened with respect and thanked me for my opinion.

Earlier that day I had chatted with another grand-daughter and she had shared with me how very much she wants the “perfect will” of God in her life with relation to her life’s choice for a husband.

Moms, isn’t this exciting to you. What a joy this is to me. What a Godly spirit. What a joy to know that there are some young people who want to do right and are willing to listen to advise with respect, from their parents and even yheir grandparents .

This attitude is what God wants, not just in young people making small and big decisions in their lives, but He wants this for each of us too.

Have you totally surrendered your will to Christ. God wants of us as He asked of Solomon. Here are my instructions Follow them in obedience, with a right heart attitude. You will be blessed.

1. Here are my instructions
2. Follow them in obedience, with a right heart attitude.
3. You will be blessed.

Since January and our resignation from the ministry here at Jonesville I have been packing 2-3 boxes each evening after work, except prayer meeting night and weekends. We had promised the folk we would do our best to be out of the parsonage by April.

Finally, we are pretty well packed, but until August 5th in the afternoon (when the Zion Church called us to the ministry in the little village of Portersville), we did not know where we would be moving nor when.

The people here at Jonesville and Cambria were precious and patient with us letting us stay in the parsonage and not making us feel we were an imposition. Yet we felt we needed to move on an allow the work to press on for Christ sake.

Zion is a beautiful community and I am excited about being there and serving the Savior with these dear people we have already come to love.

The people there have already shown us such sweet thoughtfulness in opening up the parsonage which has been the fellowship hall for several years. They are redecorating it and returning it to its original state and making some additional improvements.

The Lord willing we will begin our ministry at Zion Christian Union Church on the first Sunday in Oct.

Pray with us and for us as we move and settle in, that we will be able to make a difference for our Saviour.

Ken took a load today to Zion and encountered some obstacles with the floods in the Finlay, OH area. I was concerned when I got home from work and I called the family across from the house and asked if they had seen him. They had been away and she assured me that she would go over and see if it appeared that he had been there and left any additional items. Soon she called and told me he was there and would be heading home around 6:30PM.

This is the reason I am taking time to write this article while I wait and pray for his safety and strength.

Ken has such a great heart to preach the WORD and nourish  God’s children in the faith.

Though many folk would retire at his age he forges on.

He really doesn’t have hobbies unless you can say studying and reading is a hobby. Lately he has been working very hard at memorizing many Scriptures. He carries flash cards with him and practices them, as he did today while he waited at the hospital for me to have laser done on my left eye.

Then leaving me at work he hit the road with the little red trailer full of my pattern file cabinets, metal shelves and many boxes of books wrapped in black garbage bags to keep them dry in the rain.

I love this man and praise the Lord for what HE has done in Ken’s life over the years and for the faithful father, husband, grandfather and pastor he has become.

He has been memorizing I Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13.

31. But eagerly desire^[e] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.

1 Corinthians 13

Love

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[g] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I have seen him truly applying these truths to his own life as he has worked to not only memorize them but to incorporate them into his daily conduct.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.