The Michigan Scarf Sisters Reunion

For all of the those who did not get to attend the reunion in Michigan, I have copied Donna's picture and have added a caption to let you know who is who.  I know I speak for all who attended when I say we hope to have even more present at the 2012 reunion and a larger group picture to share!  I love each of you, my sisters of the heart!



STANDING, (L-R):  Margie, Diane (holding the mini-me of Connie!), Cheryl, Terry, Cathy (Mrs. Mac), Donna
SITTING, (L-R):  Trish, Julie, Deborah, Pat

We had a blessed and wonderful time together.  Perhaps this will help you put names to faces.

The Holy Bible

Of any book ever written, the Bible is my most cherished.....It has brought me great joy to read through all the favorite scriptures of the other sisters, but the day has come for me to pass the Scarf Sister Bible on to another...

 My mind is always geared towards writing another story, sharing another experience, encouraging another with hope. I am blessed to be a part of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf and was honored to have been able to share the adventures of the Scarf Sister Reunion with you. The memories that were created in those three/four days will remain with me forever....

But tonight all I have are thoughts about love and honor and the many steps God has walked me through, patiently drawing me into deeper more meaningful relationships with others by first drawing me closer to Him.  

Other than where God instructed in Exodus 20 through the Ten Commandments  to love the Lord your God above all others and to honor your mother and father, I’ve always felt somewhat inept in my  ability to love and honor..  I make that statement based on my very early beginnings in the church believing  God reigned higher than any other only to realize later in life that I lacked the understanding of how to live that truth, truthfully in my heart.  Or what it truly meant to love and honor God. For many many years I wondered if God truly loved me….. and I wasn’t certain I truly loved Him. There is an amazing  difference between playing by the rules you are taught versus understanding and  living the truth. 

I didn’t read the Bible in it’s entirety until I was 46 years old. I basically followed whatever rules or teachings were laid before me, but never ventured out on my own to explore what the written word said. The first time I read it  I was amazed at how many times the word honor and love appeared .  From what I have been able to research, 

the word honor appears 145 times

 the word honourable - appears 30 times,

the word - honoured - appears 9 times,

the word - honourest - appears once,

the word - honoureth - appears 9 times

and the word - honours - appears once.

the word - love - appears 314 times
the word - love's - appears once
the word - loved - appears 98 times
the word - lovedst - appears twice
the word - lovely - appears 4 times
the word - lover - appears 4 times
the word - lovers - appears 23 times
the word - loves - appears twice
the word - lovest - appears 12 times
the word - loveth - appears 65 times
the word - loving - appears 3 times
the word - lovingkindness - appears 26 times
the word - lovingkindnesses - appears 4 times

I am not one who has ever been able to memorize scripture.  I can, however, still remember my old high school basketball cheers and chant them verbatim. And I can quite often sing entire songs or quote poetry without missing one single word. But when it comes to the Bible, I can’t quote scripture verbatim. 

BUT HERE IS WHAT I CAN DO…I can  READ the verses and be filled to overflowing with  love and honor…it spills out, all over the pages, throughout the book, often times with no mention of either word.  I can feel God’s love and that love creates in me a desire to honor Him…that desire rises within me. When I read the written Word, I gain a deeper understanding of Him and my purpose on this earth. He Reigns and He lives in my heart…He’s no longer just an image in a church building, He is Alive in my heart.

For instance, read these and see for yourself if you are not overwhelmed by the love that pours out of these verses…..

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7       

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ..." Ephesians 2:8   

 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20

And what about these….don’t you just find it awesome to read these few verses and your heart is filled with  a sweet desire to  glorify and honor the  Lord. 

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy." Psalm 61: 1-3

"I am not ashamed of the gospel because its the power of God for the salvation everyone." Romans 1:16

For all that I have misunderstood, for all those whom I have come against and offended, for all those whom I have criticized and condemned, God in His mercy and grace lovingly silenced me, reprimanded me. He brought me back to His word, back to HIM. He’s never once left me.  

Helping, caring, understanding,

love appears in many forms……

those words written on a bell that Mom Golden gave me. I have strong convictions about love and honor and family, children and marriage, friendships.  Life does not have to  leave us wandering, wondering, questioning if we loved well,  loved enough, loved right or wrong, loved satisfactory or inadequately. If you have faith in Christ, you have love and in that you also have life and hope; love to extend to others....and that I have learned.....is sufficient. 

How "R E A L" can Imaginary Be?

Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended;   

but one thing I do, 

forgetting those things which are behind 

and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. 

I press toward the goal for the prize 

of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ. 

Philippians 3:13, 14

The verse spoke volumes to me when one of the ladies at the reunion was sharing it, but even more-so once I  returned home and had quiet nights to reflect.  I have a comfort zone that I don’t like to stray too far from.  (Guess that’s why it’s called a comfort zone).  I am finding, however,  holding on to  certain things,  hang-ups, bad memories, excess  baggage, junk, poor choices, wrong choices, can keep me from receiving the full blessings God intends . There is an abundance of joy I know I am missing  while I sit like a happy fat cat in my comfort zone. I could come up with a zillion cutesy quotes right now for emphasis , but all one needs to do is read further to witness the awesome power of God as He does His work. 

One area of comfort is with friendships or rather……lack of them. Other than my two younger sisters, I have had acquaintances most of my life, but never close friends, especially not girl friends. My ability to confide in and trust other women was painfully scarred many many years ago. The few times I have reached out and thought I could take the first step forward,  the reminder of one unfortunate incident would  rear its ugly head and UP  my guard went.  

When I began to write again, back in 2004, I joined a Christian writing group and from there I began to blog. The internet became a powerful tool for me to interact with other Christians in a safe and non-confrontational environment.   My sister often told me that I needed to surround myself with real people and real relationships, the ones where you could talk face to face, hear  someone’s voice, hug them, pray with them face to face. She and my daughters thought I was too consumed with people that might not really exist for me or be there for me when I needed. I reassured her, I was careful with my on line associations and trusted God to walk me through each relationship .  At one point it became a joke whenever she would call and  told her I was emailing or asking for prayer from one of my  imaginary friends. 

When the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf began its adventure, I couldn’t wait to tell my sister and to share all of you with my daughters.  When I think back on all that I could have missed out on, it makes my heart truly sing knowing  I took that step of faith, moved out of my comfort zone,  let go of those things behind me and trusted God  to bring me into the relationships that He knew would bless me beyond my wildest imagination.   

There is a lot I haven’t over-come  in my life and I am prayerfully waiting for God to walk me though those obstacles.  I used to feel  sad whenever  others talk about their church family and their involvements and the excellent programs and such, knowing I had tried to extend myself but could never feel God in much of it. It is my own personal walk with God, my own struggle and  I  asked Him to show  me.  I have waited and prayed, looked to my Savior, immersed myself in the Bible, grown in my intimacy with Him and recently found myself  filled to overflowing with the joy of the  One True and Living Christ more than ever before. 

To everything there is a season….. A time for every purpose under heaven.

As I prayed , hoped for, prepared for and experienced the Scarf Sisters Reunion, I found delight. Delight in knowing that my  God is Good, He is Faithful, He is Loving, He is Merciful, He is full of Grace and He is R E A L ….

He made His presence known in a quaint cottage in the woods of Michigan where angel voices praised and worshipped Him, where hearts were touched and tended to, where loving hands prepared meals,  where “I’ve got grapes” meant communion was about to be served, where silliness and creativity meshed,  where tears and laughter, heartache and hope intertwined and wove together hearts of women; all of us different, all of us unique, all of us with one common bond, Jesus Christ.

 Cheryl reading her "Happy Anniversary" Card

 Cathy reading the Scarf Sister Bible

 Pat reading her "get well" card 

for the surgery she hasn't had yet

 Communion

Julie setting the timer on the camera and

making a mad dash to get in the picture

A Recap of the events of the Sister's Reunion

Gathering at Pat's house....
the first day...all of us were together

Diane with "mini me Connie"

Visiting the gravesite of our sister, Arlene....

 Lunch at Frankenmuth

 

 A night of silliness, creativity  and fun...with our Fascinators

A glimpse of all the food Margie prepared for us....

alll the food was good, but the lasagna was exceptionally
D. E. L. I. C. I. O. U. S

Love offering for Margie

Accepting...

saying goodbye to Margie

Dinner in Lewiston, Our last night together

Saying our goodbyes at the motel.....

I will never ever have to ask God again for the friendship of women. For all the years of waiting, I cannot begin to thank Him enough for allowing me what has become an almost unspeakable joy... 

He made REAL my imaginary friends....AND I LOVE MY SISTERS !!!