Good morning Ladies ~ We are
at the start of another new year 2017 and it is a good time to update everyone
what we are doing at “Friends Needing Friends”.
"Friends Needing
Friends" is a special ministry for widows only. This ministry is a
sisterhood of ladies selected by God. I have been asked the following
questions many times - "why widows only?" or "I'm divorced, why
can't I come?" I will try to answer these questions as simply as I can.
When you divorce your mate, it
is a human decision between two people. The death of a mate is a decision
made by God. The true reason for either loss, only God knows.
As director and founder of
"FNF" I have witnessed a special compassionate bond between all the
ladies. When a newly widowed person comes to a meeting for the first
time, I will introduce the widow to another widow. Immediately, there is
an expression of compassion that no other person can give nor receive.
Their eyes meet and in a single glance without saying a word, there is an
exchange of understanding and full knowledge of their hurts and feelings.
These feelings are the true meaning of the word "sisterhood". The
dictionary's definition of the word "sisterhood" is: "An
organization of women with a common interest, as for social, charitable, or female
members of a church".
The common interest of
"FNF" is from the Bible in 2 Corinthians 1:4 - God comforts us in all
our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves have received from God. Our sisterhood of women is doing
exactly what God has directed it to do and who better to help at this time -
you guessed it - another widow.
Our sisterhood was founded in
June 1988 and has physically and financially supported several other charitable
organizations. We have a Teddy Bear ministry where once again we obey God by
visiting the sick and the shut-ins. Since 1995, our ladies have delivered
hundreds and hundreds of Teddy Bears to the sick and have encouraged the
shut-ins with God's love.
The past several months, God has
led "FNF" to support widows from Kerusomen Gospel Ministries in
India, a special Christian Foundation that supports our widow sisters who are
in need of food, shelter and medicine. Today we are supporting 18 widows
monthly. The past Christmas we supported a large Christmas Party for many of
the widows in India and had three drivers bring some of them to celebrate
Jesus’ birthday.
As the saying goes: "Side by side, or miles
apart...We are sisters, connected by the heart."
Yes, we have met the dictionary’s
description of the word "sisterhood" and yes our ladies have obeyed
the LORD by sharing the comfort that God has given to us.
May I further explain to you
that "FNF" is a ministry available to widows only; that may or may
not attend a church. There is a desperate need in our society today
regarding the widows that we come in contact with. Our group is a
Christian Interdenominational Ministry and we do not urge joining a different
church or changing one's religion.
I hope that you will be able
to attend our monthly meeting/brunch, which is on the third Monday of each
month. We look forward to seeing you there and if you can, invite or bring a
widowed friend.
Meeting
place:
9301
Jog Road, Boynton Beach, Florida
Time:
10 a.m. - 12 noon
And
Our
New Jersey Chapter meets
The
Third Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m.
Wedgwood
Country Club, Turnersville, N.J.
Mary
Lou Tweed is the Director
Friends
Needing Friends also started a blog that goes to over 12 different countries
with a total of 32,300 hits (as of
today.) Our blog address is: www.friendsneedingfriends.blogspot.com
Our Bible verses for all of
our meetings is found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
All praise to God, the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all
comfort.
He comforts us in all our
troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able
to give them the same comfort God has given us.
For the more we suffer for
Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. (NLT)
God's Blessing in 2017!
God's Blessing in 2017!
 |
| Dotti Ackerman Founder & Director of FNF Serving the Lord since 1988 |
Thank You Lord !
"He Knows My Name" by Tommy Walker
