If you have a prayer or a thought that you want to mention here or send to someone who you believe is deserving please use my column to reach special people who would go out of their way to say a special prayer on your behalf for that someone you care about – Marty Martel

.WHISNews21 Prayer Line and thoughts for Wednesday March 13, By Marty Martel.

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As most of you know by now, Dawn Sears is battling cancer and the following message she sent on Facebook, and I want to share it with you as my Thought for this Day.

Dearest Friends and Family: I just wanted to say THANK YOU SOOOooo VERY MUCH … for the kind words, well wishes and prayers. Some of you have expressed sadness. Please don’t be sad. Cancer, in many ways, has been a Blessing to me. I know that may sound a little weird – but it’s given me a lot of clarity. At the end of day, we all just need to know that we are loved and that we matter. I know tha…t I am and I do. I keep repeating myself by saying that it “feels like a nice warm blanket” – but it really does. I am at peace with it and I have turned it all over to the Lord. He knows that I am not even close to being ready to leave this world and He knows that regardless of my wishes and wants, I will follow His lead.

I remain in battle with a definite plan/goal to be the victor, but I will most certainly appreciate your continued prayers on my behalf (please remember Kenny & Tess, too). One can never have too much help.

Your kind words and many prayers are very humbling, and very appreciated. I can’t THANK YOU enough. Music has always been a guiding light in my life. I look forward to every chance at making it or being part of it in some way. Music has given me the opportunity to meet so many new friends and faces and I’ve seen so many places around the world because of it. Music has been such a friend to me. A gift to me. If it weren’t for music, I wouldn’t have all of you to write to here on FB! (smile) I thank you for listening to the work I’ve been involved with. I hope you take every opportunity to share music with children and young adults – whatever the genre – share it. Music is a gift to be shared by many. It fills many needs – many voids.

My wish for you all is that you get to experience – “the warm blanket” … without cancer. What a Blessing!

I’m not an avid “poster” on FB – but I did want you to know that I try to keep up with it. I wanted to THANK YOU for remembering me musically and in your prayers. You will never know what that means to me!
Love Ya – Mean It!

STOMPIN’ TOM CONNORS DIES AT THE AGE OF 77: Please keep Tom’s family in your thoughts and prayers at this time of sadness in their lives. MAY TOM’S SOUL REST IN THE PEACEFUL AND LOVING ARMS OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOR.

Peterborough, ON (March 6, 2013) Today Canada lost one of its’ true musical icons with the passing of Stompin’ Tom Connors O.C.,LL.D.,Litt.D. Connors died of natural causes at his home in Ontario. He was 77 years of age. (A personal message from Tom can be found on his website: www.stompintom.com) Stompin’ Tom literally put Canada on the map with such songs as “The Hockey Song”,“Sudbury Saturday Night”, “Bud The Spud”,“Tillsonburg”, “Big Joe Mufferaw” and countless others. Born Thomas Charles Connors in Saint John New Brunswick on February 9th 1936, he was separated from his mother at a young age and raised by foster parents in Skinners Pond, P.E.I. until he was 13 years old. His life of poverty, orphanages, hitchhiking and playing bars would eventually turn into a life of hit songs, national concert tours and fame in spite of a constant uphill battle to be recognized by the music industry in Canada. In 1979 in a fit of frustration and disappointment he returned all 6 of his Juno awards as a statement of personal protest against the Americanization of the Canadian Music Industry, a sentiment he continued to express to this day. In 1989 Tom signed with EMI Music Canada, teamed up with talent promoter Brian Edwards and returned to the stage where fans young and old embraced his music once again as he quickly became one of the biggest concert draws and sought after performers in the country. Due to the unwavering love for promoting his home country, some of the many accolades he has received include becoming an Officer of the Order of Canada, his own Canadian postage stamp, he was invited by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson to receive the Governor Generals Performing Arts Award, he was the recipient of both the Queens Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medals and he earned 3 honorary doctorate degrees (Saint Thomas University in Saint John New Brunswick; “Laws”, University of Toronto; “Laws”, and the University of P.E.I.; “Letters”). He now has an astounding 61 recorded albums, 10 of which have yet to be released to the public. His songs will continue to be made available worldwide and remain a legacy to his career, his life and his beloved country. Tom is survived by his wife Lena, 2 sons, 2 daughters and several grandchildren.

The Celebration of Tom’s life is being planned for Wednesday, March 13th in Peterborough, ON at 7pm at the Peterborough Memorial Centre and per his request, will be open to the public.

In lieu of flowers, the Connors family has asked that donations be made to your local food bank or homeless shelters, in memory of Stompin’ Tom.

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 If you have anyone you would like to send a prayer out to please mail them to

martymartel@earthlink.net

for inclusion in to WHISNews21 weekly prayer line initiated by Marty Martel

in the interest of goodwill to all in need of a little help by the way of a prayer