J.O.Y. President Mary Cecil Forbus presents speaker Kandi Anderson with a varigated Bougainvillea.
I’m sure you’ve heard of wedding crashers before, but have you ever heard of a J.O.Y.* Group crasher? When I heard that Kandi Anderson would be speaking to the J.O.Y. Group at Grace Memorial Baptist Church this past Tuesday, I decided to see if I could slip in unnoticed.
The J.O.Y. Group was created for the more mature ladies at our church (and I do aspire to be mature one day!), but I ventured that no one was going to check my i.d. Besides, I didn’t see a bouncer posted at the door!
Of course, the ladies were warm and welcoming, and I got to enjoy speaker Kandi Anderson’s special brand of humor and inspiration. Kandi writes a regular column for The Sun Herald (check out “Everyday Reflections” in the Saturday edition); she is also the author of Buried Under Life’s Dirt and Fertilizer…IT’S JUST ANOTHER BLOOMIN’ DAY! She hopes to release her new book, That’ll Preach! in the near future.
As many in our local community know, Kandi’s beloved husband, Lowry (former pastor of Bel-Aire Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi), was diagnosed with brain tumors in the prime of his life, and passed away within weeks of the discovery. “I sure miss my sweetheart,” Kandi once said to me, but it is evident that she still has her zest for life and faith in God’s plan.
We were blessed to learn from her presentation that, in time, God provided Kandi with a wonderful, magical moment to assure her that Lowry’s love reaches from Heaven. She has a beautiful story to tell.
Visit Kandi’s website to learn more about her ministry: www.kandianderson.com
*J.O.Y. stands for Jesus first, Others second, You last …it’s a widow’s support group.
Tags: Bel-Aire Baptist Church, Grace Memorial Baptist Church, Gulfport Mississippi, J.O.Y. Group, Kandi Anderson, Sun Herald
