"THERE HAS TO BE A SONG"
written and read by Gloria Gaither
at Dottie Rambo's Home-Going Celebration Service

Bill and I love a good song! There is nothing more powerful than a great piece of
poetry married to the right music, because human minds tend to build roadblocks to the truth.
We argue with it and army all the negative experiences of our most disappointing days to build
a case to refute it. But deep in our hearts we know. Truth still survives, and if we let it truth can
shape us into the person we were meant to be in the first place. A great and true song has the
power to by-pass our human mental obstructions and goes straight to the heart to deliver
and confirm something eternal and to call us back to our original glory.
The lady in this box had the rare gift of a poet and the even rarer gift of being capable of
creating both great poetry and composing the perfect musical chariot to carry it to the soul.
I stand in awe of that double gift.
Yet she knew, as most artists do, that we hold this treasure in earthen vessels. She knew that
the song would outlive her, and when her well-known name had faded from the lips of all
who knew it, the song would remain.
During much of her life here, she was fragile. She was no stranger to pain. It gave her music
pathos. It had an undercurrent of homesickness in it, a yearning for something she seemed
only to glimpse now and then on this journey here, something that on her best days her spirit
knew she had to pursue. As she put it, "There was too much to gain to lose." Many of her lyrics
strained to see that "something".
But today all the sunsets lie behind the mountain; she's crossed her last hot burning desert of
the soul, and there'll be "no more valley's, no more hills." She is in a place where tears will never stain
the streets, and although her house here may bear a notice of her passing, she is in a new city where
there'll be "no wreath of death on her mansion door."
The poet has flown! She now walks without pain or assistance through the hills that have been
calling her for a long time. The doors of clay burst wide open last Sunday morning, and the angels
set her spirit free to soar like a mighty eagle. There was not a single "no vacancy" sign to be found,
and Miss Dottie, now finally perfect, has at last found shelter in the arms of God.

copyright 2008

Dottie Rambo Home-Going Celebration DVD

For a donation of $15 or more to the Dottie Rambo Memorial Fund,
we will mail a DVD of Dottie's Home-Going Celebration to you
including a commemorative program from the service.
This DVD is only available through July 31, 2008.*
We will not be charging shipping and handling.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

Donations can be made by one of the following methods:

Click HERE to make a donation online

OR

Mail a check payable to the Dottie Rambo Memorial Fund at
P. O. Box 50508, Nashville, TN  37205.

*To accommodate networks who could not schedule airings of
Dottie's Home-Going Celebration until July, we have now extended
our deadline to make a donation and receive a DVD until July 31, 2008.



Upcoming Airings of Dottie's Home-Going Celebration

SuperChannel WACX-TV located in Orlando, Florida, will be broadcasting
 the Home-Going Celebration on Saturday, June 28, at 12:30 PM Eastern Time.
To view the broadcast online, click HERE.

Dove Broadcasting WGGS-TV 16 based out of Taylors, South Carolina, will be
airing the Home-Going Celebration on Monday, July 21, at 8 PM Eastern Time
and Tuesday, July 22, at 8 AM Eastern Time.
For coverage areas, click HERE.


Photo Courtesy of Aaron Crisler / The Judy Nelon Group



Updates on Ferguson/Barnes/Meadows

Larry Ferguson is continuing to recover at home though in a lot of pain. He is in need of more surgeries.
Doctors are looking into surgery for Judy's shoulder. She is praying that it won't be necessary.
Christian and Pierce are physically well but having a hard time missing their Grand Dot.

Chris Barnes is doing well recovering at a rehabilitation center in Nashville.
His parents are back here with him. His mother is in kidney failure
and in need of a transplant.

Ronnie Meadows is also improving at a rehabilitation center here. Please continue
to pray for full recovery for each of these families.

Posted:  Monday, June 23, 2008 @ 8:30 PM CT



Larry Ferguson is continuing to recover at home. He is still experiencing a lot of pain.
Judy may have to undergo a surgery on her shoulder in a couple of weeks.
Christian and Pierce have had their medical check-ups and are well.

Ronnie Meadows remains in the hospital in Nashville. He is improving
daily and is expected to go home in a couple of weeks.

Chris Barnes is making progress at the hospital in Missouri. He should be
able to be released to a hospital in Nashville soon. His mother is
also in the hospital with kidney failure. She will be moved to
Nashville with Chris in hopes of a kidney transplant. 

Thank you Father God for these families progress and their full recovery!

Posted:  Friday, June 13, 2008 @ 8:30 PM CT



Larry Ferguson is continuing to receive medical attention at home and will be
undergoing more surgeries in the future.

Ronnie Meadows remains in the hospital in Nashville. He is recovering more
quickly than the doctors even expected.

Chris Barnes was released from ICU today and moved to a private room.
He remains in Missouri.

We continue to speak life and strength over these families!

Posted:  Saturday, June 7, 2008 @ 5:45 PM CT



Larry Ferguson is continuing to receive medical attention at home and will be undergoing
more surgeries in the future.

Ronnie Meadows arrived safely at a hospital in Nashville. He is now able to receive
ongoing medical care here.

Chris Barnes is starting to respond and communicate. He remains
in ICU in critical condition in Missouri.

Thank You Father for their progress!

Posted:  Friday, May 30, 2008 @ 9:00 PM CT



Larry Ferguson is progressing in his recovery at home but has surgeries ahead of him.

Ronnie Meadows is improving and in good spirits. He is being released from the hospital in
 Missouri today and transported to a hospital in Nashville for continued medical treatment.

Chris Barnes continues to face challenges in his recovery and for now remains
in critical condition in the hospital in Missouri.

Please continue to pray for these men and their families. We declare they are healed
and made whole in Jesus name!

Posted:  Wednesday, May 28, 2008 @ 10:00 AM CT



Larry Ferguson was released from the hospital and has returned safely to Nashville.
He will continue his recovery and receive medical treatment here.

Ronnie Meadows has had multiple surgeries and is in stable condition.
Chris Barnes is still in critical condition but improving. Both of them remain in Missouri.

We appreciate your continued prayers over these families.

Posted:  Friday, May 23, 2008 @ 10:30 PM CT



Larry Ferguson is still stable and in a private room, but his condition remains
critical.  Chris and Ronnie are now stabilized enough to have surgeries and remain
in ICU.  Although there have been improvements, their injuries are severe
and they need us to continue and intensify our prayers on their behalf.

Posted:  Thursday, May 15, 2008 @ 7 PM CT



We just received word that Larry Ferguson has been moved from ICU to a private room,
and his son Christian has been released from the hospital.
Ronnie and Chris are both stable but remain in ICU.

Posted:  Tuesday, May 13, 2008 @ 4 PM CT



Dottie Rambo's funeral will be at 1 PM on Monday, May 19th.
Complete details will be forthcoming.

Larry Ferguson came through an extensive surgery this afternoon.
He is in stable condition and recovering; however, he is still in critical care.
The bus driver Ronnie is also stable but in critical care.
Chris Barnes remains in critical care and is still awaiting surgery.