"GOD on the Mountain"

"O LORD, when YOU favored me, YOU made my mountain stand firm; but when YOU hid your face, I was dismayed....YOU turned my wailing into dancing, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my GOD, I will give you thanks forever." Psalm 30:7,11,12


Dear Praying Friends,
Please continue to remember in prayer this week my friend Ann and her family. Ann probably won't be with us much longer on earth...thank you for your prayers for her. Also, a 10 year old girl named Kennedy (http://www.caringbridge.org:80/visit/kennedypepper) from our town has recently been diagnosed with cancer and has begun treatments at St. Jude hospital in Memphis. ... please remember her and her family. I'll be spending the weekend at Desoto St. Park this weekend with around 75 other ladies at a ladies retreat and sure would covet your prayers for what GOD is going to do there, and ask you to remember our families at home who will be having a great time I'm sure:). Please pray that GOD will be lifted up and magnified in all that is said and done during this time and the days following. Thank you so much for your diligent prayers.

Earlier this week, Hannah Beth and I had the privilege to sing and play with our dulcimer group at the First Baptist Church in Athens, "Keenager" gathering...we were their entertainment that day:). Several weeks ago, Addie Ming had called and asked Jerry Todd if our group could come to their meeting. Several of the regulars, the "Varsity" as Coach Todd (he coached the Athens High Boys Basketball team for years) calls them were out of town at a dulcimer festival this week, so the LORD worked it out where Hannah Beth and I ( the junior varsity) could be there, along with Pam, our new "angel" friend. We joined Jerry, Louise, Roger and Charlie , (who are on the Varsity team) and Shirley who has only been playing a few weeks, We were so blessed to have Ed McCracken join us on fiddle that day. Ed and his wife, Martha are members of First Baptist, and Ed was the very first "Fiddle" king of the "Old Time Fiddler's Convention"( http://www.athens.edu/fiddlers/). In fact, his Dad started it many years ago at their home. Now folks come from all over the United States, including our dear friends from California, the Ferguson's, to the Fiddler's Convention held in our town each year the first weekend of October on the campus of Athens State University.
Jerry and Louise were out of town the previous days leading up to playing at First Baptist, so like most of the playings the dulcimer group does, we hadn't rehearsed much together ahead of time, and were pretty much winging it...this was the first time that this particular group had played together. I had asked Louise earlier about maybe singing "GOD on the Mountain," and she said, they'd be practicing it and to just play it by ear, so that's what we did. Somewhere along the way, after playing several fiddle tunes, and then playing while the "Keenagers" sang along with us several hymns , like "Old Country Church", "Farther Along," and "Jesus Loves Me," we got the nod to sing "GOD on the Mountain." Well, I don't know if you remember reading my past history with "GOD on the Mountain," but the last time i sang it in front of folks was at the assisted living home, by myself, and it was awful. I'm not kidding, or trying to put myself down and show false modesty...i started off on the wrong key, and kept it there, and i have only sang it once in public since then. I had put that song away because i lost confidence in being able to sing it, but Louise every once in a while would say, "I want to work on "GOD on the Mountain," and I'd think about it again. GOD brought Pam along, as i have shared with you, and she is able to sing harmony, and HE has used her to bring great comfort and confidence to me to help me sing and not be afraid. Hannah Beth suggested I ditch trying to play and concentrate on singing, and she, along with the others played and sang beautifully with GOD's grace. Our friends at First Baptist, that knew it, sang along with us and seemed to be so blessed by the words...the words are really powerful and everyone who hears them who's lived through any trials can relate to them.
This time at First Baptist was really special to me, because these people have loved Johnny and my family through the "mountain" top times and the times in the "valley" in many seasons of our lives. First Baptist is our home church and the church we joined when we were married. My husband grew up in this church and when we were newlyweds and young CHRISTians, GOD used these dear folks to love on us and nurture us and help us mature in the LORD. They were there for us, when we felt GOD calling us to be foreign missionaries and Johnny was ordained by them as a pastor. When we returned several years later, with my health broken, and we were in the restaurant business instead of being foreign missionaries, they loved us and supported us. They were there for us when i was trying to find out what was wrong with me after going to many doctors. One morning, back in November of 1998, as i was walking, the LORD put this thought in my mind, "Mitzi, you just need to humble yourself and put yourself on the church prayer list." I did after that and a few months later, after searching for years, GOD led me to the Environmental Health Clinic (www.ehcd) in Dallas, Texas, where HE began to bring healing to my body. I know that GOD answered the prayers of HIS children for me. Our church family loved us through that time when i was away from my husband and two young children for 6 1/2 weeks. They were so faithful to pray for us, cook for us, call, and sent me many, many cards while I was away in Texas. The LORD kept us there at First Baptist for the next six years, and when HE called us away it really was very difficult to leave these dear folks. We continue to remain friends with them and what a blessing it has been for me to be able to worship at First Baptist the past few weeks while they are painting at New Life Baptist where we now attend.
So, yes, the time with the our dear older friends at First Baptist last Monday was very special to me. Many of them sang along on "GOD on the Mountain," as we sang, and I knew that they too, knew what it was like to walk on the "mountain" with GOD, and then to walk through the "valley" with HIM. All of them in the room had had their own share of trials and struggles. There was Ed McCracken, the fiddle player, sitting beside me in a wheelchair. Just last May he had a malignant tumor removed from his lung, and had a blood clot. As a result of the blood clot, his left leg had to be amputated to save Ed's life...yes, Ed and his wife know the "GOD on the Mountain is still "GOD in the Valley." There was Addie Ming, so faithful to write me when i was in Texas for several weeks who had her own bought with cancer since then, and then Mr. Balch, who had developed some medical problems and had to stay in the nursing home for awhile...he was there with his wife doing so much better, they too know that "the GOD on the Mountain is still GOD in the Valley." The prayer requests at the beginning of our time together were evident of the "valleys", as GOD promises each of us in HIS word that we will have trials here on earth, "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Job 5:7. What a blessing to be among our dear friends who had shared our "mountain" and "valley" experiences with us, and we have shared many with them...
After we ate an absolutely wonderful meal the ladies had prepared...black eyed peas, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, pear salad, broccoli salad, tons of desserts and other wonderful food i wanted to share with this group how much they had meant to our family. Larry Hicks, the minister to the adults, quietened everyone down, and the LORD gave me the courage to get up and tell those dear people how very much they had meant to us through the years and they continue to. I am so glad the LORD gave me the desire to do that, cause I wanted them to know their love, CHRIST loving us through them. has been so dear to us and helped us through the "valley" times and "mountain" times in our lives.
There is a verse i have thought about many times recently from 1 Thessalonians 3:10 that says "May the LORD give you the same increasing and overflowing love for each other and towards all men as we have towards you." My heart was certainly overflowing with love for our brothers and sisters in CHRIST at First Baptist remembering the love of CHRIST they have shown us through the years, and continue to. I have such admiration for this group of believer's knowing that a church family is like our own family, which has disagreements and ups and downs, but their love for CHRIST keeps them together, forgiving one another and loving each other and others like us. Even though we aren't currently members there, their love for us continues, and I am so grateful for GOD loving us through them. I am reminded of a verse in Philippians 1:9 when i think of these dear people..."That your love may abound yet more and more." Their sharing the " mountain" experiences of life and the "valley" experiences of life, and seeing GOD's faithfulness in each other lives has served to strengthen their faith and mine in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
I do give GOD thanks for who HE is... and indeed HE is "the GOD on the mountain," and the "GOD in the valley." JESUS promised us in John 16:33, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." GOD is so gracious to give us the "mountain top" experiences, as well as the "valley" experiences to mature us in our faith, and help us to learn how very much HE loves us...and use us to be a blessing to others. HE used our church family at First Baptist to show us HIS love and grace during the "mountain" experiences of our lives, and the "valley" times and for that we are so thankful. I am thankful that HE has turned my "wailing into dancing" and that HE has given me strength and health and love in my heart for HIM to be able to play and sing for HIM and that is a tremendous blessing to me... though I'm not sure how much to others:). I give HIM thanks for the trials which HE has used to deepen my faith in HIM, to deepen my love for HIM and others, and a song in my heart to sing for HIM..."For the GOD on the mountain, is still GOD in the valley, when things go wrong, HE'll make them right...and the GOD of the good times, is still GOD in the bad times, the GOD of the day, is still GOD in the night."


With all my love,
mitzi

God On The Mountain

Life is easy when you're up on the mountain
And you've got peace of mind like you've never known.
But then things change and you're down in the valley.
Don't lose faith for you're never alone.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He'll make it right.
And the God of the good times
is still God in the bad times.
The God of the day is still God in the night.

You talk of faith when you're up on the mountain.
Oh but the talk comes easy when life's at its best.
But it's down in the valley of trials and temptation
That's when faith is really put to the test.

For the God on the mountain is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He'll make it right.
And the God of the good times
is still God in the bad times.
The God of the day is still God in the night.

For an extra special blessing you can watch Lynda Randall, who wrote "GOD on the Mountain" sing it by clicking on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xipq208iNHg&feature=related