"Heavenly Father, thank you for mothers. They remind us of who You are. Their tears are Your tears. Their unconditional love mirrors Your unconditional love for Your children. Thank You, in Jesus precious name. Amen." NEED PRAYERS? Contact lena@dailysoulfoodforyou.com |
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| Daily Soulfood For You |
| TRIBUTE TO MY BELOVED MOM, LOTTIE JOSEPH [MARCH 18, 1923 TO APRIL 15, 2011] |
Oh, how we appreciate Our growing-up days with Mom as our role-model; Although she had seven to raise She always found time for everything; Love for us wavered not, even when we were unlovable! Mom was our Hairdresser for combing out knots; An Interior Decorator for fixing the house; A Nurse for patching scraped knees; A Doctor to administer medicines and enemas; An Economist for making ends meet! A Teacher and a Playmate, too, she was; And a Lawyer when things needed sorting An Electrician when the iron wouldn’t work; And a Seamstress when we needed new clothing; She was also a Knitter, Crocheter, and avid Card Player! A Dentist when a shaky tooth needed extracting; Chief Cook and Head Waitress, too; An accomplished Pianist at home and Organist at church; She held the position of Radio Announcer At the Blairmont Estate Broadcasting Company! She was the Creator and Choir-Mistress of the Community Angel Voices! Mom was clever at decorating wedding cakes! At Christmastime she was Dad’s Assistant House Painter! She was an Actor, Producer, and Director of several stage plays; Some of her productions were staged at the Theatre Guild in Georgetown! But the title we love best of all is Mom, our Mom! In her eighties she slowed down a little But proudly answered to several new titles Like Chief Gardener, Landscaper, and Dad’s Caregiver; Plus Granny and Great Grandma to many! There is one more thing that we must tell! Mom demonstrated her prowess at the modern gaming technology By bowling 288 on the Wii and X-box! In many ways, Mom can be compared to the Proverbs 31 woman! Now God has called her home because There is a vacancy only she can fill! Thank you, Mom, for being our role-model And for teaching us how to be good; Lots of love to you; God Bless! Thank you, Heavenly Father For lending Mom to us! She was a woman with a heart of gold; Generous and gentle to a fault; Her warm welcoming smile melted the hearts Of all who crossed her path! Still, the title we love best is Mom! Our Mom! We will always love you, Mom, always! “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” (Proverbs 31:27, 28) |
| Lottie's Life Story |
| Lottie was born on March 18, 1923 to Mary Armstrong and Peter D’Andrade. She was the foster child of Sis Dee Archer. Lottie attended Ursuline Convent and Modern High School in Georgetown, Guyana. She matured into a beautiful and elegant young lady. On June 21st, 1941 she married her first and only love, the late Ivan Wickliff Joseph; they were inseparable! Lottie, also known as Tiny to many, was “tiny” in stature but “ginormous” in nature! She was always accommodating. Nothing was too difficult or problematic for her to handle. She readily gave to the poor and needy, no questions asked. She was a remarkable woman of diverse talents. The best way for us to honor and describe Mom’s life story is in prose, for she was creative and enjoyed the arts! |
Click purple button below for link to Tribute to Dad. |
| WE SERVE AN AWESOME, CARING, LOVING TRIUNE GOD! At our lowest ebb, He’s there to pull us up! I learned so much from my mom's passing: I really believed that God was going to restore her just to show those doubting doctors His power and that He was in control of life, not them. Each day I arrived at the hospital expecting to see her sitting up, speaking, and able to see us. This never happened. I was a bit angry...thankfully, my friend, Rhonda, pointed out that it was not "anger" I felt, but disappointment. She was absolutely right. The thing that struck me afterwards was that God IS in TOTAL control ALL THE TIME, for He knows the beginning from the end. Had Mom survived the stroke, she would not have been the same active person she was used to being. This would have frustrated her. I have also learned that if our prayer is not "according to God's will," He will not answer. So now my focus when praying for others is to humbly ask God to conform their will to His. This morning as part of my devotions, as I was reading from a little book called The Joy of the Journey, a thought came to mind, and I stopped for a moment to write the following on a piece of paper: "When you pray, ask God to conform your will to His, as John says in 1 John 5:14." Then I resumed reading from where I left off in the little book. My eyes popped open and my heart raced, for this is what I read in the next paragraph: "Prayer is not for the purpose of changing things but of changing us. It is not to make the Infinite conform to our will but to help us understand and conform to the will of the Infinite..." Well, that sealed it for me. It was confirmation that my purpose and drive to convince my readers and everyone I come into contact with that they need to conform their will to God's, was the path for me to follow with diligence. Quite a task! I hope I've got it right! I pray that God will give me wisdom, patience, and boldness if this task is truly According to His will. April 15, for me and my siblings, will always be a memorable day on many levels. Add to this, the date Dad passed: September 11! Another uplifting thing I read this morning from that little book was the need to always feel and act: alive, alert, awake, joyous, and enthusiastic about life. Then there was a blessing at the end, which I thought quite appropriate: as if Billie Freeman, the writer, was speaking directly to me. Child of God, I Bless You By Billie Freeman Child of God, you walk in love; your pathway is clear. Child of God, you speak with faith; your word brings cheer. Child of God, you see the good; your vision is bright. Child of God, you hear the Truth; you are attuned to right. Child of God, you serve in joy; your service is a blessing. Child of God, you live in beauty, and through you beauty is expressing. Child of God, you are not alone; in our Father's love you are at home. Child of God, friends and strangers, too, behold the Christ that dwells in you. Each day, I'm growing stronger as God continues to fill me with courage and comfort. Draw close to God ... and He will draw close to you! [Penned May 24, 2011] |