| Author | Message | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1762 Registered: 3-2004  |
Well, I went to the FAF Bible study, with my sister. First of all, I found out afterward, she heard, in spite of what I said, that this was a support group. When I said I had not said that, she thought about it and acknowledged I had said Bible Study. She was also glad that she had gone, as she told us at Coco's afterward. She was surprised at how the people greeted me and her, especially when I told her I had met you on the internet and that the Bible study was the first time I was meeting you in person. She really knows you love each other, her and me. She told if she had heard Bible study she would not have gone. So, Colleen, Richard, Stan, Steve, Rosalie and the others whose names I do not remember, thank God for each of you. My sister has opened the door to her heart a crack and is willing to open it more. Then on Sunday morning we went to the Crossroads church, Bob's church. It is my sister church here in Henderson. Bob met us there and sat with us. Like Friday evening, my sister tooks notes. I have to tell you some of the things she took away. From Friday evening is "It is not an issue" and for the rest of the weekend, we would remind each other if something was not an issue. The sermon on Sunday was about Peter walking on the water. What my sister took away was it took Peter courage to take that first step into the water. She told me she had taken that first step. She said she took that first step but does not know where to look for God or something like that. My sister really enjoyed meeting everyone at the Bible study and Bob on Sunday. Now about the situation I asked you to pray about, involving another sister, call her GAL. We went to the reunion on Saturday, but did not go to the tables where the reunion was located as that sister was there. We waited until we saw a cousin walk our way. When he got to us he asked us what we were doing there and we told him. Immediately he said that that was like telling his niece, who is adopted that she was not welcome at the reunion because she not not have the right blood. He also said that MLB was raised with these cousins and had every right to be there. I finally walked over and talked to some cousins and one cousin went with me to get MLB, my sister. He stayed by her side until I registered both of us. In the mean time the sister(GAL), who had told MLB that she did not have the right blood, was across the table from me and she did not acknowledge me or MLB. I had said I would take something and when we thought we would only go to see certain cousins, we decided not to take anything. Our cousins said they brought more than enough and we could eat. After I registered, I reached across the table and took GAL's hand, put some money into it and said, that MLB and I had thought we would not come, and decided to so we wanted her to have the money to cover what ever we ate. The cousin who discovered us, talked to GAL about MLB not being invited and she lied to him saying the only reason she was not invited was because on Sunday the hall was only for so many people. She said NOTHING about MLB not having the "right" blood. That is not what she told MLB or me. So she did not acknowledge either of us. I have no idea if she will email me later this week and blast me, but I will leave that to God. So thank each of you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for my sisters, one whose heart is opening to God and one who is closed. God has been, as always, so awesome. He has opened MLB's heart a crack and she and I are happy about that. I could go on and on about what God has done for me and this sister, but I will close for now. Thank you God for Jesus, all folks on FAF, MLB and GAL. Diana | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 625 Registered: 3-2005 |
Hi Diana, It was a pleasure meeting you and your sister last Friday. I will continue to pray for you and your sisters. MLB really seemed open to the gospel, and she obviously was enjoying our late night dinner at Coco's. Those are always fun. Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2386 Registered: 12-2003  |
Diana, it was so good to meet you finally! You are as warm and delightful as you seem on the forum. Your sister really had an amazing evening--it seemed as if she was realizing God is real and worth knowing for the first time in a long time. I will keep praying for her and your other sister as well. Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1764 Registered: 3-2004 |
Colleen, You are correct in saying that MLB is realizing God is real and worth knowing for the first time in a long time. Right now she is not sure where to look for him when she steps out of her boat, but I am sure God will show her. Thanks for all your continued prayers. I am amazed that God has allowed me to be in a place to help my sister get to know Him. She is not quite seeing it like that, yet. She is amazed that she and I can have such a close relationship because I am my Mother's daughter. I thank God every day that I have been put in this place to help my sister. I want to do the same for the other 3 sisters. But God has some one prepared to help them and it may not be me. I can accept that as long as they get to know Jesus Christ. So I keep on praying for them. All of you at the Friday night Bible study are as nice and friendly as you are on the forum. MLB was so surprised at how we greeted each other. She really felt the love in that room and the respect we have for each other. I am so glad she went. So is she. Thank you God for the FAF people I have met. You have put them there for a reason and I pray they will continue to fulfill your purpose. You are awesome. Diana | ||
| Taybie Registered user Username: Taybie Post Number: 42 Registered: 4-2005 |
Diana, I am SO excited for both you and your sister!!! God is SO powerful!!! Praise God! Shontay | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1797 Registered: 3-2004 |
I want to share something with you about the sister, MLB. This happened this morning as I was talking to her. God has put me in a place to help this sister process many things that happened to her as a child. She is constantly saying how amazing it is that she and I can talk to each other about many family things that happened, that are very painful and I am my Mom's daughter. My Mom was her step Mom and did not like her step children. She did many things to hurt them all their lives. Up until my Mom died she did not love/like her step children. This morning as we were talking MLB said something about all the hurtful things that happened to her growing up. I told her that Colleen, whom she has met, uses a phrase that I like and that is, God redeems everything in our past. Well, MLB, does not want to believe in God at this time, so she told me she looks to me as God. I reminded her, kindly, that I was not God. After I hung up the phone I was thinking about this and I realized that what MLB is seeing is GOD IN ME. HIS LOVE, CARING, COMPASSION IS BEING SEEN THROUGH ME. IT IS NOT ME. I knew God was using me when we started going over our child hood, but I never once thought that she would see GOD in me. WOW!! That is very humbling. I am very thankful that God has used me like this. I am awestruck by this. She sees God in me, little, old, sinful me. Our God is surely AWESOME. Diana | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 673 Registered: 3-2005 |
Yes Diana, God is using you to work in your sister's life. I will continue to pray for you and her as I believe God will open her eyes. I believe that because I had a chance to meet both of you 2 weeks ago, and it seemed that God was starting a work in her that night. Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2432 Registered: 12-2003 |
Diana, what a wonderful insight. You're right; she sees God in you. Isn't He awesome?! Praise God for making us His! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1808 Registered: 3-2004 |
In the sermon this morning the pastor said that there may be one person in our life that will see us and see God. That is what is happening to MLB and me. I find that hard and humbling. Hard, because I am a sinner, a senior citizen, and I have not studied the Bible for that long and cannot quote all kinds of verses. Humbling, for the same reasons. God is using me with my sister and she is seeing God, unbeknowst to her. One day she will find God. In the meantime her children and grandchildren are watching our relationship grow. Her youngest daughter was not sure of me, seeing as I am my mother's daughter(guilt by association) and because of how another sister has treated MLB. So I pray that they will all see God in me and turn to Him. Thanks to all of you for your prayers for my sisters. God is awesome in how He works. Diana | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1861 Registered: 3-2004 |
Please pray for me as I go on a cruise to Mexico, the Mexican Riviera, with my sister, MLB. We are leaving Sept 25 and returning Oct 2. We will have 24/7 together and we are both looking forward to it. MLB tells me it feels so good to have a sister to whom she can relate and bond and I feel the same way. Pray that God shines through me in all I do and that MLB will want to know Him better. Thanks for all your prayers for her and GAL. Our God is such an AWESOME GOD. Diana | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 268 Registered: 8-2004 |
Praying Diana! Have a wonderful trip! Mary | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 803 Registered: 3-2005 |
Diana, Have a great trip. The Mexican Riviera is the best for great shrimp! Their lobster is good also. Be careful about the water, so it may be better to drink the Cerveza! (That would be my paraphrase of 1 Timothy 5:23). All kidding, or half-kidding aside, I will be praying that the Lord open the spiritual eyes of your sister, that she may come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Tell her hello for me, as it was a pleasure meeting you both last month. Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2561 Registered: 12-2003 |
Diana, praying for you and MLB! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1875 Registered: 3-2004 |
Please read my first post here that started this thread. I mention another sister, GAL. I wrote her an answer to her emails and she finally answered me. It is a real nasty gram. Please pray for her that she will find God. In the meantime, I am all packed to leave tomorrow for California and Sunday we go to Long Beach to leave on our cruise. MLB and I are very excited and what excites me most is how she is letting God into her life and does not realize it is God. Thank you God for Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You are truly AWESOME. Diana | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1884 Registered: 3-2004 |
I'M back!!! And what a wonderful cruise we had. MLB still is down on God, religion, church, but she has started calling our weekend together in March 2004 (when she told me all about her and her brother's growing up with my Mom) her BURNING BUSH EXPERIENCE!! She does not, yet, want to acknowledge that God was in charge and leading and that is fine with me. I know God was and is in charge. We spent one week together and found we have so much in common and two major differences. MLB says and I agree that these two differences are major ones and those are religion and politics. We just accept and love and respect each other in spite of our differences. God has worked so wonderfully in both of our lives. God has used me to help my sister and I am so GLAD FOR THAT. MLB does not know, yet, that God's hand was in our getting re acquainted. So I just say Thank you God for bringing us together and using me to help my sister heal her life. You are awesome and I love you so much. Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2655 Registered: 12-2003 |
Diana, what a wonderful reality. God is at work, and He's pulling MLB to Him and also nourishing your heart with a sister's true love. He is wonderful, isn't He?! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1886 Registered: 3-2004 |
Colleen, I truly agree with you that God is using MLB to nourish my heart with a sister's true love. We really, truly love each other. Her children and grand children accept me now. They were not sure at first because of the experience with the other sister. Saturday, before we left on the cruise, MLB, her youngest daughter and I went to lunch with cousins I had not seen for 40 years. They are our Dad's relatives and Mom did not like him or his relatives, so she kept us from them. When we got in the youngest daughter's car she handed me a bag with hair care products, the ones she uses for her curly hair. She bought them for me. I immediately thought, she accepts me and knows I will not hurt her Mom. When we got on the boat I said this to MLB and she told me that I was correct. When our youngest sister picked me up at the airport last night and brought me home, I called MLB and told her I was home safe and sound. This morning I called her about something else and she told me her grand daughter called her last night to ask her if she had called me to find out if I was home safe and sound. MLB told her that she had received a call from me and I was home. So I know her grand children love and accept me also. So I have another branch of the family that is now a part of my family. I told MLB that the one thing I liked the most was getting to know my sister as I was never able to get to know her. I found her to be sincere, accepting, loving, kind, generous and she speaks Spanish like a native. This last item I did not know. When her mother died, our grandmother lived with our Dad and his children for 6 years. They spoke spanish at home and english outside the home. MLB has told me more about our DAD and his family, things I never knew. I forgot to tell you about the Friday night in August, when MLB went to the FAF Bible study with me. We got home after midnight. As we pulled into the drive way, her 21 years old grandson was standing in the driveway. As we got out, we felt like we were the teenagers and he was the father because he asked us what we were doing out so late and why didn't we call. When we got in the house her grand daughter said the same things. I laughingly said to MLB "Here I come, a stranger to them and keep there grandmother out past midnight." But I was impressed with their love and caring for their grandmother. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of all that happened in the intervening years. But God does redeem our past. Praise God and Hallelujah for Jesus Christ. God is awesome. Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2664 Registered: 12-2003 |
Wow, Diana--thank you for sharing all that. What grace God is giving you! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1897 Registered: 3-2004 |
An update on MLB. I was talking to her this morning and she was telling me how good she feels and how free she is of her past. She does not realize, yet, who freed her. She thanks me, and I tell God, thank you for using me. She is no longer a victim of any one and I tell God thank you for doing that for my sister. I was just the vessel He used to help her. So, please, everyone, continue to pray for my sister, that she will find Christ and give thanks to Him. He has been and will continue to be so awesome. Diana |
