Sanctuary of Hope

05/10/2026

Today was a great day at the Sanctuary of Hope! We celebrated our mothers in different way this year. We had them a breakfast tea. The men got to be a part of it. Everything was perfect. The singing and the ministering by Larry Bralley. Thank you to Brian Harris for serving as Butler. He made sure the ladies had hot water for their tea.

03/10/2026

Our heartfelt condolences are sent to the family of Lebreska Vest Whitaker! What a joy it has been to know her! Her laughter was so contagious! Please pray for Sister Phyllis and Brother Harold, and Robin Gallimore members of our church who have lost a daughter and sister. May Jesus comfort the her siblings, nieces and nephews, and the rest of the family during this time of grief.

View Lebreska Vest Whitaker's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

02/01/2026

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01/10/2026

I saw this on a friend’s page! I thought it would be great to share it. Take the time to read. This is so good!!! Who knew?

IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW:

1. Your shoes are the first thing people subconsciously notice about you. Wear nice shoes.
2. If you sit for more than 11 hours a day, there's a 50% chance you'll die within the next 3 years.
3. There are at least 6 people in the world who look exactly like you. There's a 9% chance that you'll meet one of them in your lifetime.
4. Sleeping without a pillow reduces back pain and keeps your spine stronger.
5. A person’s height is determined by their father, and their weight is determined by their mother.
6. If a part of your body "falls asleep", You can almost always "wake it up" by shaking your head.
7. There are three things the human brain cannot resist noticing - food, attractive people and danger.
8. Right-handed people tend to chew food on their right side.
9. Putting dry tea bags in gym bags or smelly shoes will absorb the unpleasant odor.
10. According to Albert Einstein, if honey bees were to disappear from earth, humans would be dead within 4 years.
11. There are so many kinds of apples, that if you ate a new one every day, it would take over 20 years to try them all.
12. You can survive without eating for weeks, but you will only live 11 days without sleeping.
13. People who laugh a lot are healthier than those who don’t.
14. Laziness and inactivity kills just as many people as smoking.
15. A human brain has a capacity to store 5 times as much information as Wikipedia.
16. Our brain uses the same amount of power as a 10-watt light bulb!!
17. Our body gives enough heat in 30 minutes to boil 1.5 liters of water!!
18. The O**m egg is the largest cell and the s***m is the smallest cell!!
19. Stomach acid (conc. HCl) is strong enough to dissolve razor blades!!
20. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day & while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
21. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
22. When you wake up in the morning, pray to ask God's guidance for your purpose today.
23. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
24. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.
25. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
26. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts and things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
27. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
28. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
29. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for everything.
30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
31. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
32. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
33. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
34. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
35. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
36. Help the needy, Be generous! Be a 'Giver' not a 'Taker'
37. What other people think of you is none of your business.
38. Time heals everything, except grief. Grief is a sign of Love.
39. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
40. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. Each night before you go to bed, pray to God and be thankful for what you accomplished, today. What if you woke up this morning and only had what you thanked God for yesterday? DON’T FORGET TO THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING.
43. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

12/14/2025

Today we had a lot that weren’t able to attend due to the weather. However, the service went as scheduled. It was a great day celebrating the reason for season and meal. Below is a summary of Larry’s Christmas message written by Amber Hale.

Today was a wonderful service at sanctuary of Hope showing that if you seek Jesus for yourself then you will find Him. We cannot be like Herod in the Bible and expect anyone to tell us where Jesus is or how to get to Him. Clearly, Herod wasn’t wanting to find Jesus because he wanted to worship him, as he told the wise men. But if you want to worship the Lord, you can find him by going through the path set out. Jesus won’t hide from you if you want to find Him. He is always accessible if you search for him with all your heart. Herod was like “Go find the King for me and let me know where he is, then I’ll go and worship Him.” That just won’t work. You must find him for yourself. And if you mean business, he’s as close as the mention of His name.
We also find that when Herod heard about this new born King, “he was greatly troubled”. He didn’t want anyone else to be the king except himself. Are we not also like that? Because of our Adam Nature, we usually don’t want to step aside and allow King Jesus to rule in our hearts and minds. But we have to be willing to die out to ourselves in order to let God take over within us. Sometimes people want to rule their own lives and be in full control. But we can’t expect God to be able to work in our lives if we don’t allow our will to be replaced by God’s will. When we find Jesus, then He should take up more space of ourselves than we do, like John The Baptist said, “I must decrease, but He must increase”, so that we can live out His will, and let the person of Jesus will take precedence over our “old man”, the Adam Nature.
Can you say “Jesus is the King” of who I am?

Thanks 10 everyone that contributed to the meal.
And, we missed all that couldn’t be there. Some we didn’t get pictures of and some had to leave. Love you all, Larry and Sherri

11/23/2025

Join us in wishing Dawson a Happy Birthday! We enjoyed celebrating his day today at church.

11/17/2025

Greetings to all of the church members, attendees, and friends.
With all of the other happenings that have taken place in the last 3 days, I strongly feel that this past Thursday’s cancellation of the weekend revival was the correct decision.
Not only did we feel that it was not the proper time to be rejoicing, due to the death of our precious Jennifer Ison, but there were other factors that were unknown or unexpected, transpiring as well.
#1) The speaker for Friday night was diagnosed on Thursday with a painful and highly contagious case of Shingles. Be in prayer for Brother Kenny Harris.
#2) Brother E. G. “Buzz” Keller, a longtime friend of our church and family, also passed away on Thursday. He was a Bishop to many pastors who sat under him. His viewing was held today (Sunday) from 1:00 to 5:00. Sherri and I were able to attend the viewing and visit with longtime friends who were members of Buzz Keller’s congregation.
#3) Our speaker for today (Sunday) Brother Tim Hart, was one of those former congregants who once sat under Buzz, later pastoring, and is now evangelizing. He informed me today in Beckley that he would have had to cancel his speaking appointment with us, for he could not have missed the viewing today.
So there you have the evidence that the decision to cancel the weekend revival was the correct decision.
God is still in control. He knows the future, and although we may not always be able to recognize His urging, it surely appears that we picked up on it this time.
Jennifer’s visitation with memorial service following, will be this coming Tuesday evening at 5:00 & 6:00 respectively at Norris Funeral Services on Randolph Avenue in Pulaski.

11/16/2025

There will be no Sunday School service in the morning at 10:00 a.m. See everyone next Sunday.

11/15/2025

Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the family of Jennifer Burton Ison. We truly will miss her!!!

Celebrate the life of Jennifer Lynn Ison (1972-2025) from Pulaski, VA. Read his obituary, share memories, and express condolences.

11/13/2025

It’s with a deep sadness that the Jennifer Ison family has lost dear Jennifer Burton Ison! She has been such a fighter, and has been fully supported by her husband, Brother Clint Ison II through every valley, every cancer episode, every chemo treatment, every chore around the house, child care, and so many other things.
She truly was such a sweet person who loved her family. Fighting cancer for 13 years. Friends, please lift this precious family up in prayer!

11/09/2025

Our weekend revival is fast approaching. Praying for a great time!