Family Life

December 3 2016

A Finished Race – Carol Martin 7/24/60 – 12/3/16

When I awakened this morning, the consciousness of my wonderful Lord’s presence is so comforting. I have found that He is indeed every bit as faithful as He’s promised to be.

Here is the “Streams in the Desert” devotion for the day. It’s so appropriate. It helped me this date 2 years ago when my dear wife, Carol, passed into the presence of Jesus, and still sustains me.

Strong in Suffering

Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. – 2 Kgs 4:26 KJV

“Be strong, my soul!
Thy loved ones go
Within the veil. God’s thine, e’en so;
Be strong.

“Be strong, my soul!
Death looms in view.
Lo, here thy God! He’ll bear thee through;
Be strong.”

For sixty-two years and five months I had a beloved wife, and now, in my ninety-second year I am left alone. But I turn to the ever present Jesus, as I walk up and down in my room, and say, “Lord Jesus, I am alone, and yet not alone—Thou art with me, Thou art my Friend. Now, Lord, comfort me, strengthen me, give to Thy poor servant everything Thou seest he needs.” And we should not be satisfied till we are brought to this, that we know the Lord Jesus Christ experimentally, habitually to be our Friend: at all times, and under all circumstances, ready to prove Himself to be our Friend. —George Mueller

Afflictions cannot injure when blended with submission.

Ice breaks many a branch, and so I see a great many persons bowed down and crushed by their afflictions. But now and then I meet one that sings in affliction, and then I thank God for my own sake as well as his. There is no such sweet singing as a song in the night. You recollect the story of the woman who, when her only child died, in rapture looking up, as with the face of an angel, said, “I give you joy, my darling.” That single sentence has gone with me years and years down through my life, quickening and comforting me. —Henry Ward Beecher

“E’en for the dead I will not bind my soul to grief;
Death cannot long divide.
For is it not as though the rose that climbed my garden wall
Has blossomed on the other side?
Death doth hide,
But not divide;
Thou art but on Christ’s other side!
Thou art with Christ, and Christ with me;
In Christ united still are we.”

I send this with special appreciation for the outpourings of love that my family and friends have lavished upon us. Thank you again for loving us, and proving it so profusely!

Rev. James Martin

November 22 2016

Martin Family Update

Joanna Rich Family Life, Ministry News 0

We had a very blessed week. Bro. Martin and the four children were able to get some much needed projects done around the house there in Texas as well as spend time with some of the family. On Saturday around noon, we had a Martin side family reunion/Christmas gathering. It was good to be with some of the family that we rarely get to see except for special occasions such as this.

Bro. Martin ministered at Chelsea, OK on Sunday morning and in Bristow, OK in the evening service. It was a treat to have the family stay with Derek and I and we were privileged to be with them in service on Sunday night. The Presence of God was so real as Bro. Martin shared many of the stories we have communicated here on the website in our weekly updates. We praise the Lord for the tremendous response in the altars.

Bro. Martin received a text message on Sunday evening from the minister that has taken care of Hope Church for the past two Sundays. He said, “Hello Pastor James, We had another good meeting today – 50+ folks. Praise and worship led by Will*. A team led by Ben* fed the meal again today. I believe we’re keeping the fire of the Holy Spirit burning until you return. Look forward to talking to you this week.” We are so thankful to hear how the Lord is working in these precious hearts. We know one thing for sure – Jesus loves them!

We trust you have a wonderful week leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Happy Thanksgiving!

*Name changed to protect privacy

September 3 2016

How Character Effects Actions

Joanna Rich Family Life 0

Do you desire your “doing” to be different? Whether it’s organization and consistency in your daily schedule, reactions to unpleasant circumstances, training children, ways to use your time, or a slew of other things: we find ourselves desiring to do differently than we actually achieve.

Just as the success of the crop rests upon the health of the soil, so the outer expressions of our lives are dependent on who we are on the inside. We see this truth addressed in the words of Jesus in Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth for the that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of this heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

In “Habits of a Healthy Home”, author Bill Carmichael gives the analogy of our homes being the soil where children, like seeds, are planted. He said, “Healthy homes that produce good ground are the result not so much of how we parent but of who we are as parents, as families.”

On a personal level: much of what molded my mindset and character was the consistent daily example my precious Momma & Daddy lived before me. Yes, I received discipline and lengthy lectures, but their lifestyle was the primary teaching tool in my life. They taught me to pray by their prayer life; they taught me to work by their work ethic; they taught me to be faithful by their faithfulness, and the list could go on and on. I know my parents would be the first ones to tell you that they weren’t perfect, but I can say that the character my parents allowed God to build in them made their training efforts effective.

Are you living the life you want others to follow? Let’s all ask God to cleanse the inside of our lives that the outside would be clean as well (Matt. 23:26).

August 16 2016

Martin/Rich Wedding

Joanna Rich Family Life 2

June 24, 2016 – The day that Derek & I, along with many others, have prepared for is HERE! Oh, what excitement filled our hearts as we got ready for this blessed occasion! I was blessed to have my 5 sisters and 1 sister-by-love (Native from Oregon) as my bridesmaids. Derek had his 1 brother along with 2 of my brothers and 3 friends, as his groomsmen. My other 4 brothers were ushers and my 7 nieces and nephews all had part in the wedding as well. It was quite an exciting wedding party!

In planning for this special day, Derek & I chose to customize each aspect of the wedding to be specially unique to us. Our primary desire was to bring Glory to God. He is the One that put us together, and it will always be His love that keeps our love and commitment to each other strong. One very unique thing we did was that we quoted the passage of 1 Corinthians 13 together. As many of you know, my parents made memorization a daily part of our lives growing up. It was amazing when Derek and I met to find out that he had given himself to memorization throughout his school years and beyond as well. We both have a passion for the truth of God’s Word, therefore we felt it most fitting to include that in our wedding ceremony.

We both sang to each other: Derek sang, “…Only God could love you more for he gave me this love that I have for you. What a blessing to know He’s your Lord, for only God could love you more than I do…” I sang a song my sister, Joy, had written for me on the day Derek & I were engaged – “…You are my wish come true, You’re all I’ve ever prayed for, God only knew that I needed you to make me complete. You’re the best, the best thing that’s happened to me…” It was a precious time of communicating our love through song.

Both of our dads along with Pastor Gerald Hood performed the ceremony. They performed their various parts with a depth of meaning and challenge. Instead of the customary Unity Candle, we decided to do the Unity Cross symbolizing the strength of the man united with the beauty and intricate design of the woman which is held together with 3 pegs symbolizing the Unity of Father, Son & Holy Ghost. It a special piece that sits on our dresser reminding us of the unity that should be in our marriage. After we exchanged our vows, our 3 Grandfather ministers joined our dads and Bro Hood to pray over us. It was a very special time in God’s presence.

Derek and I chose to compose our own vows to read/quote to each other. It was our desire to have vows concise enough to memorize and keep before us on a daily basis. We cherish the words with which we committed our life, love, and loyalty to each other and seek to make those words a reality each day.

The ending of the ceremony was with much significance. After we were pronounced husband and wife, Derek and I shared our first kiss. We had chose from the beginning of our relationship to save this special act of love for our wedding day. With God’s help, our commitment remained strong even during times of deep emotion. We have been so thankful that we waited.

There was right around 350 that attended our wedding. We were thrilled for all the family and friends who put forth the effort to come and share in our joy.

Thank you for your interest in this milestone in mine and Derek’s lives. Psalms 18:30 says, “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” There is peace trusting God’s perfect will for your life.

Blessings, Joanna Rich

August 11 2016

June 24, 2016

Joanna Rich Family Life 2

Dear Friends,

I have a correction to make to the previous post concerning the first Sunday at Hope Church. I had added a parentheses with June 24 instead of July 24. The first Sunday at Hope Church was July 24, 2016. By this mistake, You may can guess what date I’ve had on the brain… June 24, 2016 was the day that my life was forever changed for the better as I committed my life, love and loyalty to a Godly man, Derek Rich. I am posting on this subject by request of one of our faithful communicators on the website. I haven’t wanted to share all about me here, but I believe it is more about God than me. When I step back and look at what HE has done, It is truly amazing.

God brought our paths together in the early part of 2015 while I was attending Ozark Bible Institute. Yet, it wasn’t until the summer of 2015 that we began to have further interest for each other. Our conversations from the beginning consisted of our burden, insight, and involvement in various aspects of ministry. It was amazing how much of a connection I felt as we shared with each other. I was drawn to Derek’s dedication to the Lord above all. The physical attraction definitely came, but it wasn’t what drew me to him in the first place. I never met an individual that I felt more at ease sharing with.

After my family and I returned from Alaska in early October, we met up with the Rich family at Cheddar’s in Tulsa, OK. We enjoyed their fellowship over the meal. When we got ready to leave the restaurant, Derek and I started talking in the parking lot while our families courtesy talked in order to give us some time. At the end of that conversation, we exchanged numbers with our Dad’s blessing. From that point, we found every possible way to be together, ever seeking to get to know each other more. It wasn’t long and we both knew without a doubt that God was leading us to marriage. I’ve heard it said, “Don’t just find someone you can live with, find someone you can’t live without.” The latter was true in my heart towards Derek.

So, on January 1, 2016, Derek got on one knee and asked me to marry him and I said, “YES!” We enjoyed reading books together and talking through things that would not just prepare us for our wedding day, but for the rest of our lives. Today marks 1 month, 2 weeks, and 4 days that we have been married, and it has been the best time of my life. I have seen more how marriage, between 1 man and 1 woman, is ordained of God for sanctification, companionship, and pleasure. Marriage is truly a gift from God!

I will post more about the wedding this week. Thank you for sharing in our joy!

Blessings, Joanna Rich