Hey Everybody,
Here’s an interview you do not want to miss! Deborah Gardner is a pastor’s wife and the owner of a lovely boutique in Columbus, Mississippi. Her passion is addictive, her story inspirational. Enjoy!!
Hey Everybody,
Leaving for Texas tomorrow. Hoping it is cooler there than here. 99 degrees in North Carolina today.
The concert at INSP was just wonderful. People/ survivors came from Florida, Virginia, Texas to participate in our Survivor segment. We had an incredible choir (renamed ‘Janet’s Choir’) and backup singers, with Milton Smith on the piano and my sister, Kay, making a special appearance. We’ve uploaded pictures on our Facebook page – JanetPaschalAndFriends.
It was an honor to share the stage with the folks who have confronted a cancer diagnosis head-on and walked away from it. Made me so proud. I don’t think anyone wanted the evening to end. It simply passed too quickly!!
Hope you all have a fantastic July. We’ll be in touch!
Love,
Janet
PS… Our new radio segment features the fabulous Karen Peck. You don’t want to miss it!
Hey Everybody,
It’s June, and we are working on a great event. Again.
We are looking for cancer survivors for a live concert taping for the Inspiration Network. It will take place on Thursday, July 1, in Indian Land, SC (Charlotte area) and we’d love to have YOU join us. The network is providing special seating and dedicating a special portion of the program to you. You may feel a little spoiled, and rightly so.
If you live in the area (or if you can get here), have a pink outfit (or if you can borrow one), enjoy gospel concerts (or think you might), let us know. Simply send an email to us: janetandfriends@gmail.com and we will send you the concert details and help secure your spot. The program also features the fabulous Bowling Family, the Crist Family and the Dove Brothers. You do not want to miss it. By the way, did I mention that it is free? I told you they’d spoil you!!
Have a great June. We love hearing from you.
Love,
Janet
Ravi Zacharias spoke Saturday morning. It was just wonderful.
Check out the new Photo Album, FAMILY FEST 2010 on Janet’s Facebook Page:
JANET PASCHAL AND FRIENDS
A member of the famous Lewis Family, Janis’ simple, matter-of-fact storytelling will touch you and you’ll want to hear more. That’s a promise!
Tina is coordinating Duke Medical Center’s Cancer Survivor Day, May 23, 2010. This is great information for that very special day.
Enjoy!
Janet
There is no one more beloved in gospel music than this lady, Connie Hopper. Here is her story.
Blessings,
Janet
This is what Sheri does best – sharing with the rest of us. Her story is one of my favorites.
Laura was the manager of the chemotherapy treatment room at Duke Medical for several years. Her insight is wonderful. Her story, too!
Hey Everybody,
Here’s our WALKING THE GOOD ROAD interview with Dee Sapp. Dee and husband, Gary, have been ministering to people in Louisiana for decades – literally! Her story will inspire you – it is amazing!
Hey Everybody,
Okay, I’ve thought about it and I’m ready to come clean. I admit it. I’m a bookaholic.
I love to own them, to hold them. I love the way they feel, the way they smell. I read some of them multiple times, finding a new sense of the story with each hearing. I’ve been told there is probably a book that would help me with this obsession, but I’m not interested. I don’t want to be cured.
That said, I recently re-read Corrie Ten Boom’s classic, The Hiding Place. The absorbing account of her family’s encounter with mankind’s barbaric breach is just as I remembered – bitterly wonderful.
During this particular reading, one sentence in her narrative stood out. Toward the end of her story she returns home alone, her father having died shortly after their arrest and her beloved sister shortly before their release. She wrote that her first thoughts were, “What if Betsie had lived a few days more? What if they’d released us a little sooner? What if ‘Papa had come back when he had the chance? What if….” Then she made a great statement. She said there really are no ‘what ifs’ in God’s kingdom. None.
Have you ever played that deceptive little game? What if I’d been born sooner, or later, or prettier, or wiser? What if I’d known the right people, said the right things, changed my major, or taken a risk? What if I’d married sooner, or later, or married someone else? What if I’d trusted my instinct or chased my dream or shunned convention?
I love the story of Paul, the apostle. He was a natural leader, brilliant, fluent in multiple languages. He rose quickly through the ranks until, well, you know the Damascus Road experience. When he began to follow Christ he found himself beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned. He responded to various charges made against him in such a way that the rulers found it difficult to justify his arrest. He was so intelligent and so well-spoken that he confounded his accusers and confused the chief priests. During one especially long imprisonment he was brought before King Agrippa, the son of Herod, who had come to Caesarea to pay respects to Festus, the new ruler. You must picture this: Agrippa arrives with all the pomp and circumstance a nation can muster. He is accompanied by Bernice, with whom he shares an incestuous relationship. Into all their finery and luxury steps Paul, straight from his prison cell; probably unshaven,unclean, and unkempt. He has been held without justification and now must stand before yet another ruler. When Agrippa granted him permission to speak, do you remember what his very first words were? One translation says, “King Agrippa, I’m a happy man.”
Paul’s heart was content when his world was completely out of order. He didn’t waste time scouting for greener pastures or trying to make sense of his prison cell. He possessed an acute understanding, a satisfying resolve that his life was held by bigger hands.
His hand leads us and His right hand holds us. Period. End of discussion. No ‘what ifs?’, ‘why nots?’ or second guessing. He leads us. He strategically orders our steps. He guides our encounters. In joy and sorrow, gain and loss, on Mondays as well as Fridays, He keeps careful watch over his beloved creation.
So the next time you’re in a bookstore, take your time and browse. Run your fingers over a book binding and open it slowly. Go to your favorite author’s section, pick up their latest offering, and ponder some of these what ifs… What if I make this purchase? What if I add it to my birthday list? What if I read it and pass it along to someone else?
I think even Corrie would approve.
We love you!
Janet
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JANET PASCHAL AND FRIENDS
