"And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love the Lord
and are called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28
The above verse can be seen at the Funeral Home in two places, in a lovely
picture in the family prayer room and on a plaque in the foyer. The picture
and the plaque each has its own meaningful story, one is very new, the
other more than 44 years old, but their main significance is to remind
us of an important truth.
Although I treasure the picture and the plaque and accept the truth, I
must in all honesty confess that I am not at all times able to relate
events to this powerful statement from Romans. When these times come,
I go often for strength to my favorite devotional book, Streams in
the Desert, Vol. I, by Mrs. Charles Cowan. The following meditation
for February 8 from this book has been especially helpful to me so I am
sharing it with you.
"Lo,
I am with you all the appointed days" (Matt. 28:20, Variorum
Version)
Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life in fear. Rather
look at them with full hope that, as they arise, God, whose you are, will
deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto; do you but hold fast
to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all things; and
when you cannot stand, He will bear you in his arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting
Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every
day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing
strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts
and imaginations.
—Frances de Sales
"The
Lord is my shepherd."
Not was, not may be, nor will be. "The Lord is my shepherd,"
is on Sunday, is on Monday and is through ever day of the week; is in
January, is in December, and is every month of the year; is at home, and
is in China; is in peace, and, is in war; is in abundance, and is in penury.
—J. Hudson Taylor
I am struggling now to accept the loss of much of my hearing and increasing
head noises in both ears. Recently I was explaining the extent of my hearing
loss and how it came about to a gentleman. Apparently my explanation was
too lengthy and in too much detail. When I finished, he said, "Why
don’t you just say you are hard of hearing?"
The more I thought about what he had said, the more sensible it seemed.
I had been avoiding saying what was actually the truth. Perhaps the acceptance
and acknowledgment of a handicap are among the first steps to coping with
it.
Compared to many, my handicap is slight and also less obvious. I remember
something my mother said when she was out and about after one of her bad
times during the years she fought cancer. Someone commented, "Dorothy,
you don’t look sick." She replied, "I am not sick in my
face."
I am sharing these thoughts about myself not to ask for your sympathy
but to help me deal with my handicap and to ask your understanding as
we meet at the Funeral Home and elsewhere. Also I share my thoughts with
you with the hope my experience might help you accept and acknowledge
difficulties you might have. I have been forced to accept in my heart
and "know that all that happens to us is working for good if we love
God and are fitting into his plans." Romans 8:28 (The Living Bible)
SINCERELY,
Patsy
SHIRLEY ROBBINS
Shirley Robbins is our featured employee for this edition of Seasons, has done secretarial work and assisted her husband, Terry, manager of the Elliott-Waller Insurance Office, in that Office since February, 1984. Before coming to work for us, Shirley graduated from the Northwest Nursing School and worked as an L.P.N. at the Oxford-Lafayette County Medical Center. She now does some special duty nursing when her office and home schedules permit.
Shirley, who is the daughter of Vernon and Joyce Elmore Cook of the Laws Hill Community in Marshall County, has three children, Lonnie, Johnny, and Jeanie Keel: and she and her family live at Laws Hill. They are members of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Shirley does beautiful cross-stitch work, sews for herself and her family, and helps raise Chinese screwtail pugs. Shirley is able and eager to answer questions concerning your insurance, and she will put you in touch with other members of our staff when you need their services. The office address is 428 North Lamar, (location of former Elliott Funeral Home), and the telephone number is 662-234-6711.
We are pleased to have Shirley as a member of our staff and to feature her in this newsletter.
ADDITIONAL PARKING LOT LIGHTING
In our continuing effort to upgrade our facilities for your comfort and convenience, additional lighting on three new colonial lamp posts has been installed around the perimeter of our parking lot. These lights brighten dark spots which we noticed while checking the lot at night.
Pre-Need Is Here
The popularity of preplanning and prearranging funerals is growing every day all over the nation as more and more people realize how sensible it is to plan ahead. At Waller Funeral Home we are making pre-arrangements for three or four families each week.
We offer many customized plans to fit your needs, even if you are not planning burial in this area. Our payment plans are very flexible with options including payment in full, time-payment, and insurance funded payment.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss plans with you. There is no charge or other obligation for these consultations.
The books listed below have been helpful to me in coping with difficult circumstances of life and death. One of them might be right for you if you are encountering difficulties or you might want to get one for a friend who needs support. The books are available in most bookstores.
Mourning Song by Joyce Landorf (hardback, $10.95)
Living with Dying by Glen Davidson (paperback, $5.50)
When Your Loved One Is Dying by Earl Grollman (hardback, appx. $8)
The God of All Comfort by Hannah Whitall Smith (paperback $2.50)
Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey (paperback, $4.95)
Why Us? When Bad Things Happen to God’s People by Warren W. Wiersbe (hardback. $8.95)
Victory in the Valleys of Life by Charles Allen (paperback. $2.95)
In Times of Illness by Durt Heimbucher (small hardback, $5.95)
Living When a loved One Has Died by Earl Grollman (paperback, $6.95)
Getting Through the Night by Etigenia Price (hardback, $7.95; paperback. $2.50: large-print paperback, $7.95)
You and Your Grief by Edgar N. Jackson (hardback, $3.95)
IN
MEMORIAM
We dedicate this issue of SEA SONS to those who
have died and whose families we have served from November 24, 1986 to
February 23, 1987.
Mrs. Dorothy Jane Crawford Wilkerson 11/24/86
Mr. Quay Dudley Sneed 12/1/86
Mrs. Walda Holladay Lamb 12/3/86
Mrs. Catherine Eskridge Eatman 12/4/86
Mr. Willie M. Foster 12/9/86
Mr. Herschel Riley Turner 12/13/86
Mr. Clayton George Smith 12/17/86
Mrs. Frances Welch Ales 12/10/86
Mrs. Alma Hiatt Odom 12/22/86
Mr. Andrew Sullivan 12/24/86
Mr. Thomas Marvin Varner 12/29/86
Mrs. Clorene Duke Singleton 1/1/87
Mrs. Velma "Top" Doyle Reaves 1/2/87
Mr. Richard Joe Barlow 1/23/87
Mr. James William "Billy" Price 1/27/87
Mrs. LaVerne Waller Romano Pile 1/29/87
Mr. James Edward Fiew 2/2/87
Mr. James Edward Ragon, Sr. 2/2/87
Mrs. Willie Flo Grimes Clark 2/2/87
Mrs. Margaret "Peggy" Walley 2/6/87
Mr. Winfred Sutton Cook, Sr. 2/7/87
Mrs. Mattie Jones Fuller 2/10/87
Mrs. Annie Thompson Belk 2/10/87
Mr. Charles Lynwood Richardson, Sr. 2/13/87
Mrs. Doyle Anderson Livingston 2/19/87
Mr. Oscar Knox Gary 2/19/87
Emergency
Record and Guide Available
We have copies of the booklet Emergency record and Guide available. This
booklet provides a convenient place to record your vital statistics and
historical record, names of relatives and friends to be notified in the
case of your death, information about your will and your estate, funeral
service details, and personal details for obituary purposes. This record
would be very helpful to your next of kin should an emergency arise.
The booklet also contains inspirational messages and attractive artwork.
If you would like a copy for your personal use, you can pick one up when
you are at the funeral home or we will mail one to you upon request.