Hymns

I’d Rather Have Jesus at Sunshine

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment 
 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT

Just as Paul had almost finished His race, many of my friends in memory care have almost finished theirs. This morning it was such an awesome time with our song session at Sunshine Home. There were a few more than our normal crowd and almost half of the sweet ladies were singing quite animatedly. It felt so much like church that as we closed in prayer and said amen, one of the nurses shouted, “Hallelujah!” Now I am pretty sure she was being lighthearted, but it did go to show that God showed up today and we could all feel His presence as we worshipped. I hope you will enjoy my own rendition of this song along with the West Wing Singers. Have a blessed week everybody!

Singing in Memory Care

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

Some folks probably wonder why I bother to write two separate blogs. The reason is that, Walking With Lambs is devoted specifically for people whose lives have been touched by long-term-care, whether you are on staff, have a family member or friend in a facility or are a volunteer, these posts are meant to be an encouragement as well as a forum to add your own experiences. Today’s post is a reminder that, while those in the memory care wing of one community I visit are the least visited, they do still have a capacity to worship and praise Jesus. In fact, if you listen carefully, you will hear many happy voices praising God as we sing. I think that God loves to hear those folks more than any worship team of earth. They are the little ones who our Father is pleased to spend His time with. Why shouldn’t we do the same!

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40 NLT

pastorpete51's avatarWalking With Lambs

If you have ever wondered if it is worth it to visit memory care, then this is a perfect video for you to watch. If you listen just a bit, you will hear many happy voices singing along with me. They may not recall where they used to live, or the name of family members, but they remember these songs and the name of Jesus. What a delight it is to sing with them and in my humble opinion, I think Jesus likes the sound of their voices better than any recording artist on earth! Today’s song session includes: Isn’t the Love of Jesus Something Wonderful, Oh How I love Jesus and He Keeps Me Singing. I pray that He will keep you singing as well and that you will live for Him every day!

View original post

Jesus Friend of Sinners

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments 
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.” Matthew 11:18-19 NKJV

We had a beautiful time yesterday, worshipping together at Watermark Assisted Living. With many new people coming recently for our Sunday afternoon sessions, it is almost hard to remember a few years ago when only one or two would show up. “Jesus What a Friend for Sinners”, written by John Chapman and published in 1910, is an older hymn that not all of my friends were familiar with, but I have grown to love singing it both because of its honest message and its hauntingly beautiful melody. The song reminds me of what John Newton is reported to have said in his old age, ““Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”