A Great Sunday & Old Friends

Today was a really good Sunday. The weather was beautiful- 80's. A tad bit too warm, but hey - I will take it over rain or snow.

We had a really good service. A young couple, Jenny & Steven Troyer, sang a really good song, "Draw Nearer". I tend to recognize a lot of songs, who recorded it, etc, but had no luck with that one - turned out she wrote it. I wish I had the lyrics. Talked about the storms of life and we need to draw nearer to Jesus. Very moving and meaningful song.

Our pastor then preached on a subject I have said I can't remember hearing preached much in my life - God's love. It was a great message, and he said a lot of things I needed to hear. At the end of the sermon, he asked Jenny & Steven to come back up and sing their song again. He then opened the altar up for anyone to come up and pray, no matter what their need, or if they just wanted to draw closer to God. Half of the church went up - seemed like it at least :-) - several people knelt at their seat - myself included, but I have become "altar shy" - and I have good reasons. After we all prayed for a while, we were dismissed. Great service to be in.

Ken & Melinda Hosey, the parents of the young lady who wrote and sang the song were visiting her from PA today - we have known them for years - well since like 1980 - Melinda taught my sister and also had me for music or something when I was in 6th grade. We went to the same church for several years, and they have been great friends of our family over the years - so it was great to see them. It seems funny to us that Melinda taught my sister Vicki, and now her daughter is teaching two of Vicki's kids.

Jenny & Steven asked us over after the evening service so we could visit more with her mom - her dad had to leave early for PA. The food was great - meatball sandwiches and some other good stuff, and we all had a great time reminiscing and laughing - man did we laugh. It is great to get with people you have known for years and who haven't changed at all- they are the same.

As I rode home afterwards, a song the Gaithers wrote came to my mind. Old Friends. It is one of those songs that has good lyrics, but could have used a different tune. :-) Anyway, here are the lyrics:

Old Friends (Gaithers & Miller)

Old friends, after all these years
Just old friends, through the laughter and tears
Old friends, what a find,
What a priceless treasure
Old friends, like a rare piece of gold
My old friends, make it great to grow old
Old friends, through it all
I will hold to old friends

Now God must have known
That some days on our
We would lose the will to go on
That's why He sent friends like you along

Old friends, you've always been there
My old friends, we've had more than our share
Old friends, I'm a rich millionaire in old friends

A phone call, a letter, a pat on the back
Or a "heym I just dropped by to say"
A hand when we're down
Or a loan when we just couldn't pay
A song or a story, a rose from the florist
A little note that you just happened to send
out of the blue to tell us that you're still our friend

Old friends, you've always been there
My old friends, we've had more than our share
Old friends, we are all millionaires
In old friends