Hankies and Hollerin’

I know that I am aging myself, but I am glad I was around when worship services were laced with hankies and hollerin’.  Saints of old felt free to speak out as the Spirit lead them.  Not that I am suggesting that for nowadays, but for me that was a rich time in our church’s history.  Now some may even be wondering what in the world “hankies and hollerin’” has to do with worship, maybe you haven’t been in a service where the ladies waved their hankies and the blessed hollered praises to God sometimes interrupting the service. More often than not the Holy Spirit took over in those services where there was no need for preaching.  I’ll have to admit there were times when I hoped the hollerers would be quiet when I had an unsuspecting visitor with me, knowing that some might be taken back.  I have seen many jump out of their skin with the wind up of sisters and brothers praising the Lord.  I remember the first time that Larry my new groom attended such a service.  I was afraid he might have been put off by the preacher raising his voice to make a point but he found it to be more meaningful with the show of emotion as well as the freedom in worship. The older I got the more I appreciated these saints that expressed their worship in these lovely outbursts.  I’m sure in churches today such freedom would not be tolerated and maybe rightfully so in some cases but my life is richer for having experienced the beautiful display of hankies and hollerin’!  I’m a definite throwback from this era minus the hankies and hollerin’.  I still like to raise my hand when I am blessed by the Lord and on occasion stand and share a testimony of what the Lord has done for me.  Holy Spirit come to us as we worship however pleases you.  

The Dwelling Place

Dwell! Despair!  These two words have been stirring in me for weeks. Through my studies, I had decided to choose the word “dwell” for my focus word in the days to come and have researched the word I would hold up as a guide for my life in the coming year.  I love to dig for “hidden treasures” in the bible and I found plenty.  Not only did I find verses with the word dwell in them I found a boundless number of verses that indicated a dwelling place in His love, His care, and His presence. 

Dwell, according to the dictionary means to live in or at a specified place.  I loved the synonyms for it which included abide, lodge, stay, hangout, or hang one’s hat on. 

The definition gave me food for thought as I meandered over these meanings to my “focus word”.  The first word I looked at was “abide” which was many times interchangeable with dwell in scripture.  Reside, live and lodge fit the bill also when it came to dwelling in Christ Jesus for my well being and hope.  I was particularly amused by hanging out and hanging my hat on the things of God. 

While praying, I now often use the word dwell, as in, “Help me to dwell in your wisdom today, Lord”.  “Take away the fear, I sometimes feel, help me to dwell in the shelter of the Most High.”

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 
Psalm 90:1

My heart was gloriously gladdened by the many verses that included “My Word”!

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Psalms 84:1 NLT

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
Psalms 90:1 NIV

But then came another word into my mind and heart that caught me off guard.  The word is “despair” or hopelessness.  As I find myself looking at the world around me, I am amazed at the evil that besets us.  Where once there was respect there is none, where there was beauty it is being destroyed and where there were signs of God, those signs have been torn down by the face of Satan.  As I lamented and pined over the deterioration of my country the feeling of despair invaded my heart and very soul.  I found myself no longer “hanging my hat” on His love, My dwelling place was in despair.  How could this be?  How could the enemy transform my thinking so drastically? As I ponder this dilemma, the Lord reminds me of who I am, not who the enemy says I am.  The Creator says I am the daughter of the King!  As I cry out to Him He reminds me that He is my dwelling place and I am to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and seek Him in the temple.  Psalm 27:4, Psalm 84:1-2 reminds me that my dwelling place is lovely.  My soul yearns even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.


You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Psalms 63:1 NIV

I still seek earnestly the Living Water even in this parched land.  I will dwell in the refuge of His faithfulness! 

DWELL is still a great word for this season of my life, I must be careful where my heart dwells in these trying times.

Life Is Worth The Living

It’s comical what people say when you have a big family.  Inevitably when I was pregnant someone would say, “You do know what causes that, don’t you” or “is this your last one?’ or the one that sticks out the most, is a person who told us it was wrong to bring kids into this crazy world.  Unfortunately at that time, God was being taken out of schools, drug abuse was rampant and racial tensions were escalating.  In those years, a gospel song came out written by Bill and Gloria Gaither entitled, “Because He Lives”.  Gloria Gaither, having just given birth to her third child, testified that her heart was troubled for her newborn and the world that he came into. According to her recounting this period in her life, she said peace came into her heart one evening as she pondered the times, and replaced the fear as the God-given phrase came to her mind “because I live you can face tomorrow”.  From this encounter with God, came the song.  Peace replaces turmoil and fear as this song penetrates the hearts of believers all over the world.  Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

After getting a full dose of the daily depravity of this world on social media, seemingly even worse than in the past, I came across this song once again.  The words rang true in my soul, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow because He lives all fear is gone.  Just as the promise of God’s love and care found in this hymn of the church encouraged us back then raising our family, now in our “golden years” His truths are still giving us hope as we watch these unsure days unfold.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalms 23:4 NLT

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Psalms 27:1 NLT

Sat, Jul 18, 2020 9:18 am

Larry Nihiser (jnihiserj@aol.com)To:you Details

It’s comical what people say when you have a big family.  Inevitably when I was pregnant someone would say, “You do know what causes that, don’t you” or “is this your last one?’ or the one that sticks out the most, is a person who told us it was wrong to bring kids into this crazy world.  Unfortunately at that time, God was being taken out of schools, drug abuse was rampant and racial tensions were escalating.  In those years, a gospel song came out written by Bill and Gloria Gaither entitled, “Because He Lives”.  Gloria Gaither, having just given birth to her third child, testified that her heart was troubled for her newborn and the world that he came into. According to her recounting this period in her life, she said peace came into her heart one evening as she pondered the times, and replaced the fear as the God-given phrase came to her mind “because I live you can face tomorrow”.  From this encounter with God, came the song.  Peace replaces turmoil and fear as this song penetrates the hearts of believers all over the world.  Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

After getting a full dose of the daily depravity of this world on social media, seemingly even worse than in the past, I came across this song once again.  The words rang true in my soul, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow because He lives all fear is gone.  Just as the promise of God’s love and care found in this hymn of the church encouraged us back then raising our family, now in our “golden years” His truths are still giving us hope as we watch these unsure days unfold.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalms 23:4 NLT

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Psalms 27:1 NLT

Life Is Worth The Living

It’s comical what people say when you have a big family.  Inevitably when I was pregnant someone would say, “You do know what causes that, don’t you” or “is this your last one?’ or the one that sticks out the most, is a person who told us it was wrong to bring kids into this crazy world.  Unfortunately at that time, God was being taken out of schools, drug abuse was rampant and racial tensions were escalating.  In those years, a gospel song came out written by Bill and Gloria Gaither entitled, “Because He Lives”.  Gloria Gaither, having just given birth to her third child, testified that her heart was troubled for her newborn and the world that he came into. According to her recounting this period in her life. She said peace came into her heart one evening as she pondered the times, and replaced the fear as the God-given phrase came to her mind “because I live you can face tomorrow”.  From this encounter with God, came the song.  Peace replaces turmoil and fear as this song penetrates the hearts of believers all over the world.  Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

After getting a full dose of the daily depravity of this world on social media, seemingly even worse than in the past, I came across this song once again.  The words rang true in my soul, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow because He lives all fear is gone.  Just as the promise of God’s love and care found in this hymn of the church encouraged us back then raising our family, now in our “golden years” His truths are still giving us hope as we watch these unsure days unfold.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalms 23:4 NLT

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Psalms 27:1 NLT

Life Is Worth The Living

It’s comical what people say when you have a big family.  Inevitably when I was pregnant someone would say, “You do know what causes that, don’t you” or “is this your last one?’ or the one that sticks out the most, is a person who told us it was wrong to bring kids into this crazy world.  Unfortunately at that time, God was being taken out of schools, drug abuse was rampant and racial tensions were escalating.  In those years, a gospel song came out written by Bill and Gloria Gaither entitled, “Because He Lives”.  Gloria Gaither, having just given birth to her third child, testified that her heart was troubled for her newborn and the world that he came into. According to her recounting this period in her life. She said peace came into her heart one evening as she pondered the times, and replaced the fear as the God-given phrase came to her mind “because I live you can face tomorrow”.  From this encounter with God, came the song.  Peace replaces turmoil and fear as this song penetrates the hearts of believers all over the world.  Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

After getting a full dose of the daily depravity of this world on social media, seemingly even worse than in the past, I came across this song once again.  The words rang true in my soul, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow because He lives all fear is gone.  Just as the promise of God’s love and care found in this hymn of the church encouraged us back then raising our family, now in our “golden years” His truths are still giving us hope as we watch these unsure days unfold.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalms 23:4 NLT

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Psalms 27:1 NLT

It’s comical what people say when you have a big family.  Inevitably when I was pregnant someone would say, “You do know what causes that, don’t you” or “is this your last one?’ or the one that sticks out the most, is a person who told us it was wrong to bring kids into this crazy world.  Unfortunately at that time, God was being taken out of schools, drug abuse was rampant and racial tensions were escalating.  In those years, a gospel song came out written by Bill and Gloria Gaither entitled, “Because He Lives”.  Gloria Gaither, having just given birth to her third child, testified that her heart was troubled for her newborn and the world that he came into. According to her recounting this period in her life, she said peace came into her heart one evening as she pondered the times, and replaced the fear as the God-given phrase came to her mind “because I live you can face tomorrow”.  From this encounter with God, came the song.  Peace replaces turmoil and fear as this song penetrates the hearts of believers all over the world.  Because He lives I can face tomorrow.

After getting a full dose of the daily depravity of this world on social media, seemingly even worse than in the past, I came across this song once again.  The words rang true in my soul, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow because He lives all fear is gone.  Just as the promise of God’s love and care found in this hymn of the church encouraged us back then raising our family, now in our “golden years” His truths are still giving us hope as we watch these unsure days unfold.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalms 23:4 NLT

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

Psalms 27:1 NLT