Celebrating Service in Honor of Joan Helm

Joan M. Helm

August 24, 1935 - June 12, 2010
Open in Prayer
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
II Cor 4:16-18
How Great Thou Art
Grammy’s Testimony
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Proverbs 3:5-6
Make Me A Blessing
Message - Isaiah 40:31 Open Forum - A Time to Share Close In Prayer
To God Be The Glory

Grammy’s Testimony
(Written while in the Philippines)
I am only here because of Jesus and what He has done for me throughout all of my years. I love Jesus. I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. I am thankful for His presence in my life and for His daily walk with me. I am here also because I said “YES” to my husband, Lolo Harvey, that I would go with him to the Philippines. It was a very big step for me, as I had to leave my five children and ten “wonderful” grandchildren, sell our house, give away or sell most of our household items. But the Lord has blessed our lives by taking this step of faith in believing that the Lord wanted us here in the Philippines. It is such a miracle of how God worked to provide for our needs in order for us to be here. We can only say “Thank you, Jesus” and pray that we will be an honor and blessing to our Lord while we are here. We count it a privilege to be here. I cannot say that there have not been disappointments and struggles as there has been, but God is faithful in helping us to just trust Him.

I am a product of a Christian home. I accepted Christ as a very young child. Since I do not know the date I have rededicated my life several times. One day I got down on my knees and I poured out my heart to Jesus, telling Him I loved Him and that I knew He was my Savior. You know Satan thrives on wanting us to doubt that we really accepted Christ and that was where Satan was working in my life. My father was a minister and my mother, a schoolteacher. I am one of seven children, next to the youngest, and the youngest daughter. I was Daddy’s little girl until he had a relationship with the organist in our church. He had to leave the ministry. After that I was never close to my father. My little brother and my sister begged my mother to divorce my Dad but our Mom was faithful and loyal to my Dad to the end. I have been through many struggles and disappointments during my life but through them all I have grown to trust God better.

The best thing that happened to me was meeting my husband, Lolo Harvey. We have been blessed with a wonderful marriage, five children and ten “GREAT” grandchildren. I am so thankful for Harvey’s steadfast love for Christ, for his Christ-like example before our children and grandchildren. All five of our children are professing Christians.

Do you realize what a heritage that is? I thank the Lord for that but I have to give the credit to Harvey, for his faithful walk with Christ and his example before our children. It is very difficult emotionally for me to be here away from our children but each day I have to recommit our children to the Lord. They are His and He is able to take good care of them. My favorite Bible verse is: “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Messages from Grammy . . .
“To my dear children, I want you to know that life here on this earth is unpredictable. We have to be prepared to meet our Maker at all times. God is so good. I am so thankful of how HE HAS BLESSED MY LIFE. Just think, He gave me five beautiful children. I love you all. Mom”

“To all my precious children, I do not know about tomorrow or my next breath. I have no guarantee about either. I cannot fall to sleep so I was thinking about Christ's return for His Children. I just want to make sure each of my children, their spouses and my grandchildren realize how important it is that they know without a doubt that they are born again and have a growing relationship with Christ. This is more important than playing sports, getting good grades, having friends, earning a living and planning for a future here on this earth. We need to plan for our future with Christ, first of all, by knowing without a doubt you are a child of God; secondly, by living a life pleasing to God; thirdly, studying God's word; and fourthly, living our life in such a matter that others will see Christ through us. I love you. I want to spend eternity with each of you. Love, your Mom”

“To my dear daughters and daughter-in-law, I just finished reading a book by Elizabeth Elliot, "Let Me Be a Woman." I think it was great . . . I wish I had read it 45 years ago. I think it is a book that could be used for woman's Bible study, one chapter at a time. I think it is a must read for every Christian woman and for my granddaughters before and after they get married. I want to be a godly Christian woman and wife. I have failed in so many ways but praise the Lord I am still in God's grace and I have a loving and forgiving husband. Love to you all, Mom”

“To my dear children that I love very much, please be diligent in your relationship with your Heavenly Father, stay close to the Lord! In all your ways acknowledge Him and let Him direct your path. This here world is in a very precarious situation right now. If I do not get to see you in this life, I want to be able to see you in Heaven. Your right relationship with the Lord is the most important thing. Pray and study God's word. Let your light so shine that others may see God living in and through you. Trust and obey God. Love, Mom”

“Thank you, Jesus, for the opportunity of being right here where we are. Last night I was so blessed to be loved by a group of boys from the time I arrived and until I left. Pray for these dear precious boys. Pray for the Philippine people as a whole. It is such a needy country. What they need most is Jesus in their hearts. But also many need the opportunity to be able to earn a living so they can provide for their families. Thank you for the opportunity of being able to be right here where we are. We love you and pray for you. This is mom writing this. I had to get up out of bed because I woke up rejoicing because of where God has placed us. I count it all JOY!”

On Another's Sorrow by William Blake

Can I see another’s woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another’s grief,
And not seek for kind relief?

Can I see a falling tear,
And not feel my sorrow’s share?
Can a father see his child
Weep, nor be with sorrow fill'd?

Can a mother sit and hear
An infant groan, an infant fear?
No, no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!

And can He who smiles on all
Hear the wren with sorrows small,
Hear the small bird’s grief and care,
Hear the woes that infants bear,

And not sit beside the nest,
Pouring pity in their breast;
And not sit the cradle near,
Weeping tear on infant’s tear;

And not sit both night and day,
Wiping all our tears away?
O, no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!

He doth give His joy to all;
He becomes an infant small;
He becomes a man of woe;
He doth feel the sorrow too.

Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,
And thy Maker is not by:
Think not thou canst weep a tear,
And thy Maker is not near.

O! He gives to us His joy
That our grief he may destroy;
Till our grief is fled & gone
He doth sit by us and moan.

Single and Trusting...

For those who have known and prayed that I would one day be vulnerable enough to share - here it is. It has taken me almost two years... If it encourages just one person to follow hard after the Lord, then I am willing to share.

The letter will speak for itself. The person this letter was written to will always have a place in my heart. However, no matter how hard this chapter in my life was - I haven't looked back and I have no regrets in the decision I made.

... I do desire to be loved, I do desire to be married and to have a partner in this life but I have also learned over the years that I don’t need marriage or a partner to be loved and to have purpose in this world. I have and hope to continue to learn to let God be my true bridegroom and allow Him to love and meet my needs like no one else can. I have decided to look to the only one who can truly meet my deepest needs and desires. If I eventually do get married – I believe this way of thinking will free up my husband from a need to be more than he was created to be.

With that in mind, I am half way through life but I am aware that my life could be taken tomorrow. So what do I want to do with my remaining days? I want the remaining days of my life to honor God. I know it sounds simple but that is it in a nutshell. I want to walk close to Him, be obedient to Him and even though I am a weak, feeble sinner - I want my life to be pleasing to Him. I want the same from a life partner. I don’t want someone that is perfect and I don’t’ expect him to have a clean past… but I do want someone that is currently living for the Lord and I do expect him to continue to grow in the Lord until God calls us home.

As Phil 3 says, I am running a race – the goal line is set before me. I do not want to be entangled by the things of this world – what I need and want is someone that wants to run along side me, someone to encourage and be encouraged by. I do not want nor need someone that will slow me. This life is the only life I have to offer the Lord and I don’t want to mess it up.

It is also important to be active in church, be in a bible study and to have spiritual mentors in life. If I am to marry – these are the things I want. You don’t marry someone you can live with – you marry someone you can’t live without. You marry someone when you find that their happiness in life is more important than your own...

...All I can say is that I have prayed about this since your e-mail and I have no clear direction in moving forward with this...

Where am I now? I am still single – still trusting God with the details of my life...