Arise & Shine: From Mourning to Dancing

By Peggy Pulliam

This book is of my personal journey and process of grief. It contains things I learned and what I felt God was teaching and showing me on my journey, which I am still on. It contains journal entries and my study notes from the times I spent alone with God, studying his Word and searching for answers about grief.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524554675

Peggy Pulliam

Peggy Pulliam lives in Sparta, Georgia. Peggy and her husband, Scott, have been married for twenty-two years; together they have three grown children, a son-in-law, and four grandchildren. Peggy has served the Lord in ministry for the past twenty-five years—a Georgia certified pastoral counseling chaplain in 2013. Peggy is a chaplain with a local hospice in her area and is also a minister. Peggy graduated from Morning Star Ministries, Fort Mill, South Carolina, with an associate’s degree in Christian ministry in 2009 and was ordained with Morning Star Ministries, Fort Mill, South Carolina. Peggy and her husband, Scott, are founders, pastors of Nehemiah Prayer House since August 2014 in Milledgeville, Georgia. Peggy has returned to school to continue her degree. Peggy is a member of Morning Star Fellowship of Ministries and serves on their Intercessory team. The team prays for church leaders, churches, and pastors. Peggy has a heart and passion to pray and minister the Father’s heart. Peggy believes this is the church’s hour to arise and shine and to be ready for the next great awakening. It is now upon us and the fields are white and ready for the harvest.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Peggy Pulliam.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016917931

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5245-5469-9

      Softcover      978-1-5245-5468-2

      eBook         978-1-5245-5467-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Cambridge Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2016. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 12/09/2016

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Contents

Introduction

Grief

One Day At A Time

Rise And Shine

Morning Prayer

Oh, Lord, I Need You!

Weep Now, Laugh Later

You Are My Sunshine

Mourning To Dancing

In The Garden Alone

Journal Entry

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

Running From Grief

Seasons Change, Changing Seasons

Holidays, Oh The Holidays

His Presence

The Essence Of His Presence

I Go Before You To Prepare A Place!

Closing Words

References

Mourning To Dancing

Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and the deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1–2)

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. (Psalm 30:11)

INTRODUCTION

I n 2006, I was driving on some country back roads in Georgia. I was listening to a series of CDs by Francis Frangipane about writing. I wanted to learn more about writing since I wrote in my journal daily. As I was driving, I heard the Holy Spirit gently whisper to me, Write a book. I sort of chuckled like Sarah in the Bible did when she was told she would have a child in her old age. Then I heard the whisper again. I responded with Write about what? The answer was It’s inside of you. I began to reason with God like Moses and came up with all kinds of reasons why I wasn’t qualified to write a book. But it all boiled down to a couple of things: faith and confidence. I didn’t have enough confidence in myself. I needed to have full faith and belief that, if God called me to do it, he would equip me to accomplish what he called me to do.

There was a process for me to go through, and as I sensed, God desired for me to share with others. I thank God for the process because he knows what he is doing in my life. Timing is everything. Philippians 4:13 (KJV) says, I can do things through Christ who strengthens me.

Everyone grieves differently. Grief is a journey of its own. I have learned a lot about grief and about myself on the journey. Even though it is a journey, it does not mean you get to a destination and it is over. It is a journey that is continuing; we are just at different places and different times on the journey.

My first experience of grief started when I was a child. My first cousin drowned, and I experienced guilt for the first time in my life. Later in life, I lost a brother, then grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Those relationships affected me but then came the death of my mother which shook me to my core and changed me. Nine years later, my father died. I know there are other people who have lost many family members at one time. I know people who lost so many at one time. Each person’s experience is different, but there is a common denominator—that is loss, grief, and mourning. I had many questions, and it was a hard thing to move through life without my mother and then my dad.

During that process, I wanted something—a book or someone to tell me how to get through this