…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God…. Ruth 1:16

September Newsletter

Trust and perseverance.

Karen and I recently went to see Ruth at Sight and Sound Theater in Strasburg, PA with a friend. What an amazing production. I walked away from the theater awed by God’s faithfulness. Ruth was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite. When her husband and brother-in-law died, she was left with her mother-in-law Naomi (also a widow), and no children, to find a way to survive. Not an easy task in those days. She chose to follow Naomi’s God, instead of her own people’s; and to serve her, instead of returning to her parents, virtually giving up hope of remarriage, of children, and of knowing where her next meal was coming from. Ruth left it all behind in order to love and serve God, knowing that as a foreigner she faced rejection. They traveled back to the Promised Land, where Naomi was from, only to face prejudice and judgment. Ruth faced hardships in going to a land she had never seen before, to a life and people she was foreign to, knowing that as a Moabite, her people’s ways were unacceptable to God. She knew that Naomi and she had no way to support themselves, but she was also growing in faith, learning Who would provide for them. At Naomi’s direction she did what we would consider some very strange things (read it and see J). Yet she trusted God to change her life and make her acceptable to Himself. She trusted and persevered, and was BLESSED! As a result, this woman who was left with no hope and no future became an ancestor of David, and thus an ancestor of Jesus! Wow! What God can do with the hopeless, the rejected, and the outcasts of society! How many of us would do what Ruth did, trust God and persevere in faith? We may not be asked to go to such extremes, but wherever we are in life, whatever struggles we may have – fear, rejection, hurts, sin – we can trust Him. If we persevere we are also blessed by Him. Anyway, if you ever have the opportunity to see any of their shows, take it. You won’t regret it.

As this summer winds down, Karen and I have been thinking about God’s faithfulness in our own lives. We played in many different places this summer, from community Music in the Park events, to church functions, to festivals and Ice-Cream socials. We saw each one of these opportunities as a blessing and a learning experience. At times we could go feeling tired and needing a touch from God in our own lives and He never let us down. More than one time, we were reminded that life is not about us, but rather, it’s about Him. Sometimes we faced opposition to the type of music we played and to the message we shared. Other times we let ourselves get discouraged over life’s difficulties that none of us are immune to. Seeing Ruth, and then reflecting on the places we performed, the family and friends we visited, the places we traveled this summer, the ladies who visited, we stand amazed at God’s faithfulness, his mercy, his provision, and ultimately his love and care for us. I start this new school year with those thoughts and hope and pray that all of you hold fast, persevere in faith, and daily seek to grow in Him.

I also want to share how very grateful we are for the support of those who have come to see Sweet Aroma, of those who have helped us load, unload, pack and unpack, of those who have supported the ministry financially, and of those who have kept us in their prayers. We are amazed that we now have over 200 people that we send these newsletters to each month, and many of you keep in regular touch with us during the month too! We appreciate all of you and are thankful for you.

We have a few more dates left for this year to let you know about:
The Well, McGraw NY Sept 16
Sozo’s Café, Johnson City NY Oct 21
Assembly of God, Athens PA Oct 28
***We will also be planning another Ladies’ Nite Out! Watch for the date! J ***

God Bless,

Marie

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5