Once upon a midnight, dearies, As I pondered, not weak, nor weary Insomnia reigned...
But, alas there came...no ravens Tap-tapping at the door or the pane, Or tap dancing across my chamber floor For that matter!
No ravens for sleeplessness' cure Just good ole rain that The heavens are gonna pour... That's right, folks, Rain, Rain, Rain, Good ole steady rain for sure!
I struggled for years as a preacher with the
problem of depression.
One day God gave me those words,
the garment of
praise
in place of the spirit of heaviness.
He showed me that
my problem
was a spirit,
an evil spirit,
the spirit of heaviness.
He showed me how
to be delivered from it
and I was delivered.
And then He showed me how
to keep free,
to put on the garment of praise.
When you wear
the garment
of praise,
the spirit of heaviness
finds someone else to bother
because
you bother him
more than he bothers you."
-Derek Prince
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His Sanctuary;
praise Him in
the heavens of His power!
Psalm 150:1
"Lord You are My hiding place Come now and cover me You are my safety when storms are raging Surrounding me with songs of deliverance Come and surround me now." -Tommy Walker
"Be well balanced be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring in fierce hunger seeking someone to seize upon and devour." 1 Peter 5:8
The key phrase in the above passage is that the enemy, roams "like a lion." The devil's fangs and claws were pulled out forever when Christ triumphed over him and all his works at Calvary. The enemy has no authority whatsoever over the lives of blood-purchased believers in Messiah! So stand firm in your faith. Resist the devil and he will flee from you!
"For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.” Song of Solomon 2:1
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom within my heart;
Beauties of Thy truth and holiness impart,
That where’er I go my life may shed abroad
Fragrance of the knowledge of the love of God.
Refrain
Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Rose of Sharon,
Bloom in radiance
And in love within my heart.
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, sweeter far to see
Than the fairest flow’rs of earth could ever be,
Fill my life completely, adding more each day
Of Thy grace divine and purity, I pray.
Refrain
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, balm for ev’ry ill,
May Thy tender mercy’s healing power distil
For afflicted souls of weary burdened men,
Giving needy mortals health and hope again.
Refrain
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom forevermore;
Be Thy glory seen on earth from shore to shore,
Till the nations own Thy sov’reignty complete,
Lay their honors down and worship at Thy feet.
Refrain
Lyrics By Ida A. Guirney (1922) Music By Charles H. Gabriel
From humble origins to worldwide fame, Tammy's songs often reflect the
good times as well as the
disappointments,the loneliness,
and heartbreak experienced by
men and women
from all walks of life.
Born Virginia Wynette Pugh near Tremont, Mississippi,
she was the only child of William Hollice and Mildred Pugh.
Her father, a farmer and a musician, died of a brain tumor when Virginia was only nine months old.
During World War II, young Virginia was sent to
live with her maternal grandparents while
her mother worked in a defense plant in Memphis.
At 17, and barely out of high school,
Virginia married Euple Bryd,
a construction worker.
It seems her husband had trouble holding down
a job, which often left Virginia to be the
family's sole breadwinner.
She worked as a
waitress and a bar maid, and was once
employed in a shoe factory.
Although the couple moved several times
during their marriage,
Virginia managed to attend the
American Beauty College
in Birmingham, Alabama
where she studied to be a hairdresser.
Even after becoming
a successful singer years later, Virginia renewed her
cosmetology license every year for the rest of her life ,
"just in case" she had to go back to working a daily job.
Virginia dreamed of being a country-western singer.
Although she often sang in local night clubs,
her husband would not support her dreams.
When she took their three daughters and
left him, Byrd's parting shot to
his wife was, "Dream on baby."
Years later, he showed up backstage
at one of her sold out concerts
where she obligingly signed an autograph for him,
"Dream on baby."
Virginia's first break into show business came
in 1965, when she sang on a local
television program,
the "Country Boy Eddie Show"
on WBRC-TV in Birmingham.
This later led to a singing appearance
with country crooner Porter Wagoner.
In 1966, she and her three daughters
moved to Nashville where Virginia worked
as a hairdresser. And, where she also hoped
to break into the recording industry.
After much frustration and disappointments,
Virginia landed an audition with famous
Nashville producer, Billy Sherrill.
Although initially reluctant, after hearing
Virginia sing the song,"Apartment #9"
Sherrill offered her a contract with Epic Records.
He also suggested that Virginia
change her name.
The pretty young woman who
wore her long blonde hair in a ponytail
reminded him of Hollywood actress,
Debbie Reynolds in the movie,
"Tammy and the Bachelor".
And so, they decided to change her name to
Tammy Wynette.
And the rest is history!
The song, "Apartment #9" just missed making the Top Forty on the country charts,
coming in at a close #44.
However, Tammy's second hit, and one of my personal favorites
"Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad".
was a smashing success! Released in 1967, it made it to #3 on the Country Singles chart.
That same year,
Tammy also recorded the song,
"My Elusive Dream"with David Houston.
The song was a number #1 hit
record on the country charts in the summer of 1967.
This success was followed by
a string of other hit songs for Tammy, including,
"I Don't Want To Play House""Take Me To Your World"
"D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and, perhaps her
most famous and recognizable
signature song,
"Stand By Your Man"
released in 1968.
When Tammy met George...
"We're Gonna Hold On" George Jones and Tammy Wynette Not only did Tammy and legendary country artist, George Jones
make beautiful music together, but I believe he was the great
love of Tammy's life. They were married in 1969. Unfortunately, Jones' violent mood swings, often fueled by his battle with alcoholism, eventually brought their stormy six year marriage to an end.
Fortunately, Tammy and George were able to remain on friendly terms and would once again team up to do an album together in 1995.
Meanwhile... Tammy's Most Recognizable Song Was Not Without Controversy...
"But if you love him, you'll forgive him Even though he's hard to understand And if you love him, oh be proud of him 'Cause after all he's just a man." -Tammy Wynette
Stand By Your Man
In her infamous "60 Minutes" interview in 1992, soon-to-be First Lady and leading feminist icon, Hillary Clinton used, or rather misused, Tammy's song in her response to the interviewer's pointed question about her husband's alleged infidelity.
In a huff of self-righteous indignation, Clinton countered defensively, "You know, I'm not sitting here like some little woman, standing by my man, like Tammy Wynette."
Her thoughtless response was said to have infuriated Tammy,
who was watching the interview at the time.
"With all that is in me I resent your caustic remark,"
Tammy shot back later in a letter to Hillary, I, with no apologies, am as angry as I can be with your statement."
Personally, I never understood why Mrs. Clinton made reference to Tammy's song in the first place. I think if she wanted to make a real impact, she should have offered up this song instead:
Tammy's Standing Tall
Furthermore, if "standing by your man" is foolish, so was Hillary by deliberately evading the question asked, when, thanks to the intense media coverage of the subject matter, everyone watching already knew the answer. The only fool that night was Hillary. But so much for trying to understand the intricate subterfuge of national politics... and personal ambition...
Now back to the beautiful young woman from Mississippi...
"Till I Can Make It
On My Own" ...who rose from poverty with the determination to "to make it on her own", and who dared to "dream on" to become a country music legend...
Bedtime Story ...and who, despite the
criticism from feminists for,
"Stand By Your Man" made it big time back in the day when country music was an essentially male-dominated industry in the 1960's and early 1970's.
Tammy's life is a classic American rags-to-riches success story, and a great inspiration to dreamers everywhere, to never give in, and never give up!
Although she has gone home to be with the Lord, Tammy's legacy as one of greatest queens of classic country music will live on forever in the hearts of those who love her and her songs about love, and loss... and life.
In honor of Tammy's birthday, here's a sweet and delicious dessert I first learned to make during a trip to meet my relatives in Australia in 1987
Cherry Trifle
2 pints heavy whipping cream 2 16-ounce jars of cherry pie filling 1 cup sugar 2 packages ladyfinger sponge cookies cherry kirsch (optional)
Line a large round dessert bowl with a layer of ladyfingers enough to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Drizzle cookies evenly with about 2 T cherry kirsch. Set aside. Beat heavy cream until thick peaks form. Carefully fold in sugar. Spread alternate layers of cream and cherry pie filling on top of ladyfingers, finishing with the whipped cream. Garnish with remaining cherries if desired. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight if possible.
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