In Gratitude

This portion of the HWL site is to thank those people who have played a significant part in the launching of this ministry into cyberspace. To each of you, I am forever heart-grateful.

I first thank You, heavenly Father, the One to whom I am most grateful, for planting the first seed needed in my husband for Hydrated With Love™ to go on line. I thank You for then motivating him to approach our daughter, Beth, with Your plan, and for planting in her the desire to say "yes," then the diligence and giftings to bring it to fruition. I thank You, Lord, for calling me to this ministry, for teaching me to write, then for pouring inspired writings into me faithfully when needed. I thank You for motivating me to never lose heart and for being the Banner of Love that is my most essential covering to go forward with Your master plan. I believe You have guided me to wait then flow at Godspeed, not my own rate, during the nearly nine years of preparation for this new season. My faith has increased through all of this time because of Your faithfulness, for You are author and finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2).

I thank you, George, my dear husband, who listened to that inner prompting from God then followed through to share with our daughter. I thank you for being my in-house tech person for many years, enabling me to re-produce God's inspiration from our home. Your computer expertise and endless patience with a wife so lacking understanding of technical things, has been essential to this ministry. Just know how much I needed you and always will, and not only for those mentioned abilities. I love you.

Thank you, Beth, our English/computer major for taking the ball your dad handed to you and never dropping it. Did you ever think your mom would become a client? I thank you for your love, patience, diligence and creative excellence which I believe God planted partly to glorify Him. Just know He is pleased with you. Only God could have devised such a plan, to enlist my family in such a unique way. He knew this would be a treasured blessing beyond words. Your tireless devotion to this project has astounded and blessed me beyond words. I cannot possibly thank you enough for the time you have invested in my calling. I love you, Beth, mother of one of our grandchildren.

Thank you, Anne, our first-born, and mother of three of our precious grandchildren. You have lovingly supported my writing from its feeble beginnings, accepting then displaying some of my first imperfect framed pieces, and I am grateful. I treasure your prayers, value your wisdom, and know we will also work together on future projects, in God's timing.  I am so blessed by  the inspired  photo journal albums you have made time to create for me, and especially cherish both God's love and your own, revealed through these lasting keepsakes. Your tireless devotion to your family, and strong faith, are an inspiration to me. I love you, Anne.

I thank you, Donna, my dear sister, for believing in my writing and for sharing when you are especially blessed by particularly personal pieces.  Your encouragement and confidence in this calling are invaluable to me, for you know I hold you in high spiritual esteem.  How blessed I am to have my only sibling be wise in the ways of the Lord, and open to the Spirit to guide you.  I thank God for you, knowing He was the One who brought us truly together, as only He can.

I thank other members of my family, like Aunt Erma (faithful seed planter), my cousins Phyllis (always there for me) and Shirley (encourager), and my stepmother, Earscel (a diligent gardener for God).  I also thank the Holloways and the Deems family for never giving up on me, and for their diligent prayers of faith. Each have shown me over time, by word and example, how to walk in the light and be children of the light, and I love each of you.

I also thank the following precious friends and partners, in Jesus, who have been faithful in prayer for my writing ministry and for me and my family, always encouraging  with words of love and belief in what I am doing, then affirming that my writings touch their Spirit-filled hearts in confirmation. Though most of these women have been a part of my garden for twelve years or less, they have impacted my life positively in countless meaningful ways, while watering my soul. These prayer warriors, friends, and sisters in Christ, in addition to those already shared previously as part of  "In Gratitude," are Darlene, Eva, Susan, Suzanne, Phyllis S., Chris, Karen, all my life Linda's, Sharron, Marsha, Mary Ann, Gwen, Celine, Gina, Alma, Nan, Jacquie, Dolores, Ferne, Jodi, Gloria, Bobbi, Gail, Terri, and Doris. Of course there are others, and it is impossible to list all who have touched my heart, but these named have been unfailing in prayer-caring for many years, in ways that directly affect this ministry.  

Finally, I thank my former pastor, Craig McLaughlin, of Mt. Zion Methodist Church, in Churchville, Md., www.mzprays.org, and Gina and Bob Burk, www.isaiah61ministries.net.   my sisters in Aglow, www.aglow.org, as well as Gail Kunkel, who sold my work at the former Olive Branch Christian store in Bel Air, MD, and Linda Eckman, publisher of The Spiritual Voice newspaper, out of Kennett Square, PA,  the Robert Garretts, Sylvia Adams, Maria Whyte, Jeff Kumar, and Jane Rogowski who have used my work in the mission field or in a variety of outreach venues for a number of years. May God bless each of you, then enrich, grow, and strengthen your individual ministries and callings.