A Big Decision

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

When my husband and I lived in Birmingham, Alabama, we had the honor and privilege of singing in one of the best church choirs around. You’ve read about it if you’ve followed my blog for a while. Independent Presbyterian Church has always had an extraordinary music program. It does to this day.

Peace and Grace

One of the anthems we sang at Christmas was E’en So, Lord Jesus. The words are paraphrased, taken from scripture. They implore Jesus to come quickly, as they pray for peace and grace to all mankind.

  

I’ve thought about this anthem a lot in the past couple of days in light of my beliefs. I will not compromise my religious beliefs for anything. I am a follower of Jesus. I try to live my life as I feel He wants me to live it . . . as one who shows His love in all that I say and do.

A Day Late, A Dollar Short, and Two Hours Behind

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

If you’re like me, you’re still trying to play catch-up from Christmas, maybe even Thanksgiving. I have to wonder where the time went. Here we are, already smack-dab in the middle of January. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m just now feeling ready for Thanksgiving.

Christmas got here so quickly this year that I missed almost all of the Hallmark movies. Bummer. Christmas came and went without much in the way of decorations or even a lot of thought put into gift-giving.

I’m not sure what that says about me. Never have I felt so much like the proverbial little hamster in a wheel. Were it not for my Soul Care group, I don’t know what I’d do. We have downloadable coloring pages to do every week which help to remind us to rest, take care of ourselves, and spend time with God. Should you need such a group, check out Soulful Ink on Facebook. I know you will be blessed by it. But confession—I’m still trying to get my coloring pages done from back in November. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Soulful.Ink 

Words of Comfort, Help of the Helpless

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

So many of my family members, friends, and acquaintances are going through some health issues as I write this. I don’t know if illness is more prevalent or if it only seems so because of social media and how quickly word travels.

Three years ago, when my only sibling, my older sister Bobbie was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, I spent hours pouring over my Bible seeking words of comfort and hope. One of my favorite books has always been the Psalms. The words still fill us with peace and comfort.

My Prayer

As I read through the book of Psalms at that time, I made notes in the margins and highlighted favorite passages. There are many pages with these words, the prayer I repeated over and over, were written—Father God, please heal my sister.

Happy New Year--2019

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Here it is, yet another new year. It seems we are surprised that they come so quickly—yet, they arrive at the same rate every year—unless it’s a leap year.

Many of my friends are writers, but many are not. Most of my writer-friends choose a word for the coming year. I generally have one that keeps repeating during the year, but I rarely, if ever, post it. I’m going to do that this year.

My Word

This year, my word is hope. I think this could actually be a lifetime word, not just my word for the year. It seems I’m always praying and hoping for one thing or another.

Merriam-Webster defines hope as an intransitive verb: to cherish a desire with anticipation, to want something to be true. Or, as a transitive verb: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment. I think my hope lies in the transitive category. Although, I’m sure that some of my hopes fall into the intransitive category as well.

Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

As we countdown to the end of the year and head into a new year, let us all pause to remember that He who came that we might be saved is the Alpha and the Omega, the source and the ending of all that we are, that we have, all that we hope for. 

May the blessings of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be with you in all that you do in the coming days and in the new year. Amen.

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A Great Light

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

I pray that each of you has a blessed and peaceful Christmas. I'll return with new blog posts after the first of the year. In the meantime, I hope the scriptures, this week and next, will touch your hearts.
Merry Christmas.
Debbie

Remembering Mama--

By Debra DuPree Williams  @DDuPreeWilliams

I’ve written a couple of blog posts that featured my daddy. But, obviously, I also had a mother. Now you may say that your mother is or was one-of-a-kind, but my mother, Dot, wasn’t. She had an identical twin, my Aunt Doris. But even though she had someone on earth who looked exactly like her, Mama was definitely her own person.

Mama was one of those people who just naturally excelled at anything she did. Except cooking. She hated to cook. But she loved to entertain and make party foods.

I don’t remember her ever putting a roast in the oven for a week night or Sunday dinner. But could she ever make party food. We had more parties at our home in one year than most of my friends’ moms had in ten years. Mama just loved entertaining, getting out her good dishes, and putting on the dog, as we say in the south.