Hallelujah Stories

Time It Customer Service - Just In Time

2010-08-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

We returned home from Shreveport after learning our healthy looking, healthy acting son had been diagnosed with cancer. Before leaving Shreveport that Friday for the long trip home my husband, Lee, had the oil changed in our car.

After an emotional roller coaster weekend of knowing our God is faithful, but facing hard possibilities, Monday morning came - and with it a "Customer Service" phone call from the Time It Lube in Shreveport...."not a good time for this" I thought. Oh, but it was.

The gentleman from Time It was so kind and when he heard that our son wasn't well immediately asked if it was okay to Pray!! Wow, was it OK!!! And did he Pray and encourage and Pray some more.

I am certain our Awesome God heard his words, and subsequent prayers this "Special Agent" from the Lord has prayed. I am also convinced that God uses His children to bring about on earth what He has already decreed in Heaven.

This whole story is to remind me, and maybe you, as well, that God gave us each other as great gifts to each other straight from His heart... Our part is to listen and obey - even if it means taking a Customer Service call - that moves Heaven and blesses hearts. This "Special Agent" continues to follow up and pray and encourage by reminding us of God's Promises.

For Just THIS Time

2010-07-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

There it was - for an instant it seemed impossible, but there it was...

Lee and I were tidying up the guest room for a visit from our precious daughter, Melody. It was her first visit since the home-going of her brother and our much loved son, Jim.

While putting away a multitude of Jim's papers, on top of one stack was a yellowed, hand-written letter. "Dear...."--- and right there for an inexplicable reason was a letter from Jim addressed to his sister, Melody, written in his child-like scrawl. Somehow the letter was never mailed to her, but was tucked away for thirty years for just this time.

Because it was so sweet and personal, and is her story, I will only share this part. Besides telling his sister how much he loved her, he also told her of his experience just the day before: On Easter, when he was 12, he was baptized.

Jim wrote to Melody: "It felt so good when I was lifted up out of the water because I knew my sins were forgiven."

His Dad and I had the blessing of delivering Jim's letter that was never mailed with our own hands and hugs to Mel, and were overwhelmed once again with the amazing timing and love of God. His tools of healing are rarely what we expect, but they are always perfect. We so hoped our Jim would be healed, but with a letter written by a twelve-year-old, we experienced first hand a wonderful miracle of heart-healing in the three of us that day.

Our Wonderful God

2010-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Please take some time for this!

I hope you can cut and paste this video URL and spend a few minutes to watch it. MOST amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-NPPIeeRk

Then to bless you, take a breather, close your eyes and listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXnkv0iBgIU

You Never Know Who Reads

2010-03-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had an amazing Facebook experience. In light of bad press with so much of our social networking, this is heartening:

You know how many of us will post a snippet on Facebook each morning—a Scripture with a comment or two? Many do it, and often people will post a reply: “I love that verse” or “Wow, I really needed that this morning.” It’s heartening to know someone is being blessed by something we posted. A woman contacted me recently. Here's her reply:

I’ve been reading your devotional posts. You have no idea how God has used the things you say to speak to my heart. I’m a Christian but I’ve been struggling with depression. and afraid to tell anyone because they would condemn me and say my faith wasn’t strong enough. Three days ago, I planned to end my life. I wanted out. I couldn’t struggle against the depression any more. I had already made plans but I read your devotional post about God granting peace in the middle of pain and conflict, and that my adversity wasn’t bigger than God. That evening after work I had a choice. I could follow through with my plans or not. Before I did anything, I pulled out my Bible and read the passage you posted that morning. I realized that God didn’t condemn me for my depression and I poured out my heart to Him. He said it wasn’t time for me to come Home yet. Thank you for letting God use you.

Isn't our God amazing? In this Easter week when many hearts are tender and receptive, choose carefully how you walk and speak; and choose what your FB post says. You never know who reads it!

You Never Know Who Sees

2010-01-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

My friend, Roxanne, has 7 kids who range in age from 22-3. A couple of years ago, her husband died suddenly of a heart attack. To say things have been tight is an understatement. From cars that break down to faulty air conditioners, Roxanne has battled through repair bills. During the Christmas holidays, it was imperative some construction be done to attack a mold problem. With much consternation, she scheduled the repair work.

Once it was finished, one of the contractors appeared on her doorstep. In his hand, he held an envelope which he gave to her. "Mrs. S, your family has been such a blessing to me and our workers, that we wanted to give you the profits we would've received from our work." Roxanne opened the envelope to find a substantial sum.

What did she do differently in front of these workmen? Not one thing. She and her children lived out their lives in a Christ-like manner. And Jesus blessed her.

Oh that we should all live worthy of His calling.

Matthew 5:14-16 ..: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world... I'm putting you on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (The Message)

God's Surprises

2009-12-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

A Special Gift For Dad

There were only a couple of days before Christmas 2009. He had just discovered that the last paycheck before Christmas was garnished by the IRS for more than what he expected. What a crushing disappointment! But within two hours of this low point of the season an amazing thing happened.

Earlier in the week he had gotten his hands on a special gift for his orange-blooded dad, who played football his freshman year at the University of Texas - an unopened Wheaties box from the BCS Championship of 2005 of UT. On the front was a picture of Coach Mack Brown. What a special gift!

It so happened on this day of disappointment he had it with him at work. When what to his wondering eyes should appear - at Dick's Sporting Goods in Austin Texas - but Mack Brown himself.

A kind reply to a request by a son ended with an AUTOGRAPHED Wheaties box. Yes Mack Brown signed right there beside his picture. The special gift became a special treasure and a reminder of how good God has shown Himself to be in this great year for our son Jim.

Children of Light

2009-11-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

My friend, Cynthia Ruchti, produces a radio show and wrote a story which chronicles one of our Wisconsin adventures! Enjoy!

CHILDREN OF FIRELIGHT

I don’t know if you’ve ever been insanely busy before, but for that handful of our listeners who might have at one time or another been pressed by their workloads or deadlines or to-do lists, we offer this reality-based story that might resonate and turn on a proverbial lightbulb.

I was one of four authors on a research trip. The book on which we collaborated had a deadline that nipped at our heels the whole way. To get a true feel for the setting about which we were writing, we explored backroads and forthroads, ate each meal at a different quaint café or restaurant, picked up leaves and rocks to study their composition and shape, took pictures, read historical markers, collected information of all shapes and sizes distributed by the Chamber of Commerce, the tourism bureau, book stores, artist colonies, and points of interest.

We also skipped our traditional budget-friendly lodging choice and instead shared a room in a charming inn. Research.

The inn had a gas fireplace in the sitting area, a treat we relished. It seemed an unnecessary but welcome luxury until it turned into something more—our saving grace.

After days of gathering facts and brainstorming plot lines, we itched to get to the actual writing. And the looming deadline barked its own orders—WRITE!

Dragging ourselves through the last few minutes of the time we’d allotted for exploring, we headed for the inn and a full night of productivity. We planned to put our laptops in front of us and make their keys smoke with our writing fervor. With pizza on the table and an assortment of hot tea to sustain us into the wee hours, we booted up our computers and—

The power went out. Not just in our room. Not just the inn. Not just the neighborhood. The whole town.

Not to worry, we thought. It’s temporary. These things usually are. No ice storm or blizzard beat outside the windows. Sure, it was a little windy, but…

We understood why the term pitch black became a cliché. Perfect description. In that tourist town, generators were apparently reserved for genuine crises. A thick blackness turned everything quaint into the dark belly of a coal mine.

The gas fireplace stayed lit. It was our only source of light and heat on a bone-rattlingly chilly night. We huddled next to its warmth, hesitant to use our cell phones for fear we’d drain them with no way to recharge. No power. We couldn’t depend on our laptop battery power lasting long enough to create our stories. Again, no way to recharge. And we couldn’t see well enough by the light of the fire to pack for leaving the next day or read the books we’d brought with us or study the plethora of research materials we’d collected.

With no electricity, we lost water pressure as well. Too bad, so sad, we couldn’t do up the dishes in the kitchenette.

After a few hours, the innkeeper’s assistants came to each of the rooms offering emergency glow sticks. We held the glow sticks as if they were more than just a novelty offering green mini-illuminations of comfort. The ridiculousness of their faint light compared to the spotlights we needed sent us into a Grammy-unworthy version of “This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let It Shine.”

The darker the night deepened, the softer our conversation became—we who had talked non-stop to take best advantage of our short time together as friends and writers. We quieted our discussions, our laughter, our flurry of brainstorming activity.

The fire from the fireplace threw its comforting embrace around us as we sat in the darkness and thought about life.

We told stories from the heart rather than imagination. We encouraged one another in the struggles we each faced. We let our tightly wound centers relax until the sounds in the room disappeared except for the faint lap of the fire’s flames.

It seemed as natural as anything to slip into a quiet time of prayer for one another and for our project. We couldn’t do what we’d planned to do, what we wanted to do, what we thought we should do, what our deadlines dictated. Instead we did what God wanted all along.

We prayed.

We quieted ourselves and prayed.

The power came back on hours after we’d gone to bed for the night. When the lights we’d left on powered up, rather than feel relieved, we quickly turned the lights off, a little sad that the wonder of a firelit night was over.

In the morning, as we slipped back into “normal” life, one of us shared that her morning devotional time included this verse from the Bible. Ephesians 5:8—“For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.”

How much more meaning that verse held after the forced quiet of the night before!

We’d moved cautiously, not daring to venture out of the fire’s illumination. We’d treaded carefully in our conversations. We’d kept our voices low in honor of the sweetness of the hour. We’d slipped naturally into prayer and slept with thoughts of the Lord and His grace overwhelming us.

As we considered the weight in those words from Ephesians 5:8, we sensed the Lord encouraging us to “walk as children of firelight,” with that same unhurried, serene, gratitude-rich peace we’d experienced the night before as we let go of our agendas and technology and our connections with the outside world.

“Walk as if you had no electricity, no deadlines, and no preconceived notion of how your days are supposed to go,” we felt Him say.

“Walk as children of firelight.”

We’ve written radio broadcasts before on the subject of power outages, about staying connected to our power source.

This one’s a little different, though. We pray that you too can feel the urgency in the Lord’s voice when He encourages us through Scripture to “walk as children of Light,” or “as children of firelight.”

We know we need to walk as if we belong to Him, making it obvious that we’re changed, we’re His, we’re redeemed and grateful for it.

But don’t we also need to consider walking through our lives in the same spirit we writers did on the night our plans were turned upside down when the lights went off?

Don’t we need to take a serious look at how peaceful life can become if we let it, if we disconnect from the outside world and the technology that keeps us tethered?

What do people do who have to draw close to the lone source of heat and light when they can’t flip a light switch or plug in an appliance or turn up the furnace? They talk and dream and pray.

Where do leisurely conversations—with others or with the Lord—work into a life that moves from one frenzy to another? Where are the pockets of time with no noise, no sound? When do we drop all activities as if they weren’t as important as listening to Him…because they aren’t?

Do you too sense the Lord telling you to live as if the power were out and all you had was the light of His presence?

You have been listening to THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME, written and produced by two women with one desire—to share the Hope that can transform lives!

Does the Lord have to make it impossible for us to do the work we’d planned in order for us to grow quiet enough to do the heart work HE planned for us?

It seems that way, doesn’t it?

What if we intentionally turned off the electricity and turned on the fire? HIS fire?

What if we chose to walk away from the important things on our list in order to attend to THE most important things?

What would happen if a whole generation of His people became “Children of the Firelight”? What could He accomplish in us and through us then?

Listen to that passage of Scripture in the New Living Translation. Ephesians 5:8-9—“For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

THE HEARTBEAT OF THE HOME
Box 56
Vesper, WI 54489

Take some time to check out the resources on our website, all designed to draw you closer to the Fire of His love for you. Our web address is: www.heartbeatofthehome.org.

Cynthia's debut novel--They Almost Always Come Home--releases with Abingdon Press Fiction May 1, 2010. www.cynthiaruchti.com

A Paws Alert

2009-08-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

Lately several friends have indicated how my life could be enriched: add a pet! Since I don't enjoy gerbils or fish, and cats don't necessarily come when called, they concluded a dog would fit the bill. I laughed.

I laughed and waved a paw...er, hand...and said, "If God wants me to have a dog, he'll have to bring me one--and specifically one that does not shed!" Like such an animal exists. ha!

Silly me. Wouldn't you think by now I'd know God has a sense of humor?

I visited my sister, Trish, in Houston the first weekend of August, with plans to drive home on Saturday. I had such a delightful time with her kiddos, I decided to stay over and go to church. From the pulpit, the pastor's wife, Jana, announced that for the very first time ever the Houston Humane Society was holding a pet fair in the parking lot after church, just a sashay from my car door. There were four pets on display. A volunteer held the leash of a 4yo Maltese-poodle mix...who grinned at me. (I'm sure she did.) I discovered she was totally housebroken and very friendly. Do you know poodles don't shed?

So meet Lindy: named after Lindale Assembly of God Church. And my Father in Heaven is chuckling!

Genesis l:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

p.s. This morning my pastor exhorted us to pray/walk in our neighborhood. I've lived here 3 yrs and only since I've had Lindy have I taken a walk. Guess she's a prayer partner, too!

Purchased with a Price

2009-06-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

We watched a video of Dr. Wayne Cordeiro, Senior Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship,in Honolulu, Hawaii and he told the following story.

A young boy built a sailboat. He sanded it, painted it and carved his initals on one side. Pleased with the results, he took the boat to the river for a sail. Daily he played with the toy he'd created and had such fun. One day the river was swollen from a rain storm. Caught in a raging current, the boat slid downriver faster than the child could run. To his dismay, his sailboat was lost. All that work gone.

Several days later the youngster took a trip to town. There in the mercantile's window sat his sailboat. He entered the store, picked it up and examined it. Sure enough, there were his initials. He took the boat to the cashier. "Sir, this is my boat. I made it."

The man replied, "It's yours for $19.95."

The boy shook his head. "No, it's mine." He pointed to the initials. "See, it's mine."

The man stroked his chin, "Yes, for $19.95, it's yours."

The boy placed the boat on the counter with a heavy heart.

For the next week the boy worked: raking leaves, washing cars, and saved every penny. With a sock full of coins, the youngster returned to the store. He plopped his money on the counter and grinned. "I have $19.95."

The storekeeper took the money and handed the boy the boat. "Then it's yours. You bought it."

The young boy created the boat, yet when lost, had to purchase it with a price.

Do you see the parallel here? WE are God's handiwork; his masterpiece. He created us. And purchased us with a price. His only Son. Amazing grace! How precious.

Cordiero's sermon urged us to reach the world in two easy steps. "Start with you. (your relationship with Jesus) Start with the face in front of you. Everybody's waiting for Jesus."

Waiting for Jesus. If each one who reads this post renews that Jesus-relationship and prays for the face in front of them, think what the Holy Spirit could do!

1 Corinthians 6:20 (New Living Translation)...for God bought you with a high price.....

Hangin' On

2009-04-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

This poor bear has gotten himself into a real predicament. He's hangin' on for dear life.

Ever feel this way? Sure we do! More often than we'd like to admit. At times like these, we need to feel the Savior's secure hand scooping us up and holding us close to him. Psalm 37 tells us to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Aaccck! Patiently? Not MY strong suit, that's for sure.

Today I wanted to remind someone in blogdom that the Lord KNOWS of your predicament. He sees! He cares. He loves you. Find a Bible and read Psalm 37. Notice the repeated phrase 'do not fret.' Rest in Him. You are LOVED with an everlasting love.

O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love!
Ps. 36:6

Our God Works Miracles

2009-04-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Our friends Mike and Anita have a tale to tell:

A few weeks ago at Grace Community Church, Pastor Mike preached a series on “Miracles” - whether God’s miracles are still for today. We, as a congregation, prayed for God to do miracles in people’s lives and did He show up in our family!

Shortly after the series, we received a call from our family in Indiana that Mike’s sister (Mary Jo) was in the hospital undergoing emergency surgery and was not expected to live. When we arrived, we were told of situations that only could have happened by God’s hand. Mary Jo had been experiencing severe abdominal pain. An MRI revealed a spot on her intestines, and the miracles began-

1. She was already in the hospital due to another situation.
2. After the MRI they determined surgery was necessary. The surgeon on call, a Christian, prayed over her before she went into surgery (how cool is that!).
3. The surgery revealed one perforation in her colon and two in her intestines. They had no idea how long they had been there, with poison leaking into her system. It was necessary to do three colostomies. The surgeon told the family that it was a very dire situation and all that was left to do was pray, but he did not expect her to live through the night. She did!
4. Day 2 they began trying to take her off the ventilator, but she was not able to breathe on her own. Again the doctor said if they were not able to wean her off of it soon, she would not make it. She already has COPD and emphysema. On day 3, she came off the ventilator. Thank you Jesus!
5. Later on day 3, her kidneys started to fail. After a time, they were preparing to put her on dialysis when her daughter happened to notice there was no output from the catheter. Lo and behold it was stopped up – No dialysis. Praise God.
6. All of Mike’s family rallied around and prayed over her many times. It was awesome to see God work in each person. One doctor even commented that if she were ever in the hospital, she would want this family praying over her. Only God could have brought this family together in faith.
7. We were there for a week and watched as Mary Jo recovered a little more each day. By the time we left, she was able to walk some and was starting to eat. Her surgeon said several times that God must have plans for her because as sick as she was, it was a miracle she was alive.

What a wonderful God we serve! Two months later, Mary Jo is in rehab with a long recuperation ahead, but we know God will be faithful to continue His work and there will be a time for the “rest of the story.”

God has also placed on my heart that there is no question as to whether He still does miracles – they are in every breath we take because only through Him do we live and breathe and have our being.
Mike & Anita Hughes
April, 2009
Acts 17:28 It is in Him we live and breathe and have our being.

God's Amazing Connections

2009-03-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love a good story, especially love a good story about Jesus and His working in and through His people. A young couple has become part of our story. It’s a most unlikely combination. They are the ages of our grandchildren, but what a great joy they are to us.

Pastor Mike and Antoinette have come to be pastors of Grace San Antonio and are rocking this part of the world with their amazing love for people and the mission of “doing church” God’s way. In the several weeks they have been here, God has “shown up”!

A series of sermons was announced by Pastor Mike on the Miracles of God. Eager to hear and experience the power of God, I was reminded of a book I read 5 or 6 years ago that reported a powerful moving of the Lord in Redding, California. The book is called When Heaven Invades Earth. Thinking Pastor might like to read it because it had rocked my world, I began describing the book to him. When I mentioned the author, Bill Johnson, there was a glimmer of recognition in Mike's eyes. Continuing, I told him that the most amazing part of the accounts of God’s miracles in Redding was how the Youth were captured by the Lord and went out to malls and other places – not necessarily churchy places, and the Lord healed many and used them in powerful ways.

At this, my pastor could be quiet no longer. “I was one of those young people! I was there my senior year of high school and my sister went to the Bethel school.”

Well, as my Spirit did back flips, I realized that it is better to be part of the story than just read along, no matter how exciting the reading is. That the Lord would send into our lives this young, full of the Lord pastor is an awesome gift.

To quote Paul Harvey, “the rest of the story” is still being written… and we get to be part of it!!

The last verse of the Book of John says: Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25

Times Three

2009-01-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

Imagine the couple's surprise when the doctor said, "It's a baby. It's a baby. It's a baby!" Everything times three! The young airman's salary was already stretched, and now triplets were on their way. How exciting and overwhelming.

A few months before delivery, Dr. GoodNews clapped Mom in the hospital: bed rest. This is when our friend discovered their story. She knew one thing: babies needed diapers. So with her husband in tow, they hit the baby aisles in Target.

Boxes of diapers loomed before them. Pampers, Huggies, Wet Ones, Aloe, Pull-ups. Sheesh, what kind should they purchase? They spotted a family--a mom in the know--and asked for advice. A short explanation: Mom on bed rest at Wilford Hall, triplets due, diapers needed. The experienced woman doled out suggestions, and our friends made it to the cash register with a cart full of boxes.

The next day, our friend received a phone call from the Soon-to-be Mommy. "Maggie, some strangers showed up at the hospital and donated five boxes of diapers to us. Who did you tell?"

Only the parents shopping at Target. Total strangers who reached out to help total strangers. Mom to Mom, Dad to Dad. What an encouragement to know others care!

Ripples of kindness. Times three.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.(NIV)

Resting Easy

2009-01-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

Many who read this blog are our prayer partners and lately you've been prayin' up a storm. For that, we give thanks. Just wanted everyone to know Caron's best guy, Lee, is on his feet and looking good. He was poked, prodded, and examined totally. The cardiologist assured Caron he had a strong ticker. The pulmonologist said to B R E A T H E during the night. The radiologist said all clear. The phlebotomist said...let me have a vein. Caron slept pretzel-like in a recliner and an overrated chair/bed, and should have the kinks out of her neck by May.

Bless each of you for your attention and care during this stressful time. Now it's time to schedule some fun!

Write Timing

2008-12-17T14:17:00.001-08:00

Occasionally a hallelujah story will make my hair stand on end. This is one of those. It started when my son e-mailed me a forward with cute notes children had written to God. I don't often hit forward, but chose to send this one on to an elite group of writer friends. What follows shows how much God loves us: His amazing timing.

From the keyboard of Connie, my friend, who lost her son Jonathan to cancer:

An incredible thing happened this morning—so amazing that even now I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the way God uses the simplest things, and puts them in place long before we realize their significance. All I can do is stand in awe of Him.

I clicked on my email this morning. There were several so I started at the bottom and worked my way up. One was from my agent. It was another rejection. I had pitched NEW MERCY (my cancer book) to a publisher in September. They finally got back to my agent, telling her the book was well written, and blah, blah, blah, but they didn’t feel they could take on this project at this time. I was disappointed and disheartened to say the least.

I went on to the next email. It was from a friend who had forwarded a bunch of cute letters to God written by children. Instead of being typed into the body of the email, these were the actual scanned photos of the letters the children wrote, so we actually read them in the children’s own handwriting. As I scrolled down and read each one, they made me smile. Just what I needed after a stinging rejection. I scrolled down a little more to read the next one, and the next one.

Then my heart stood still and my breath caught in my throat as I started reading one of the letters. I knew that handwriting. As I read, the letter was very familiar. I’d read it before—25 years ago. I scrolled down a little more to reveal the child’s name. It was Jonathan’s. I started shaking. It was a copy of a letter he wrote when he was in second grade. He was in a Christian school and his teacher instructed the class to write a letter to God. I still have the original. It’s in a box upstairs in the attic.

It was a cute letter, telling God that if He hadn’t let the dinosaurs become extinct, we wouldn’t have a country. (He was 7.) His last sentence in the letter told God, “You did the right thing.” (Doing the right thing was something I was trying to stress to Jonathan during that time.) It was cute then. Today it was miraculous.

It was like hearing Jonathan’s voice from heaven telling me, “Do the right thing, Mom. Don’t give up.”

I have no idea how that letter got on the Internet. I have no idea why his second grade teacher made a copy of that letter and kept it. What boggles my mind is the way God used such a small thing, put in place so long ago, and brought this new friend into my life a few months ago and used her to send me this email this morning. I am awestruck by the lengths God will go just to bless me.

Psalm 66: 5 “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.”
Psalm 66: 16 “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul.”

Dust of the Rabbi

2008-11-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

In our church service, pastor Mike Hooper's sermon discussed reckless abandonment--being sold out to Jesus. He used the phrase "dust of the rabbi's feet" and it resounded within me. I don't have Mike's excellent explanation but a Google search produced this:“Follow the rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet." Disciples followed so closely that they would actually become covered with the dust kicked up by the rabbi’s feet.

We, too, may become dust-covered disciples by following in Jesus' footsteps. We won't always get it right, but He's given us the opportunity for such a close relationship. Wow! We serve an awesome God.

Psalm 95:7-- Oh, that you would hear Him calling you today and come to Him!

Head, Shoulders.....

2008-11-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

....knees and hearts knees and hearts..... This is a health update on two of San Antonio's finest: Caron and Lee!! A real hallelujah post! I'm happy to report they are doing wonderfully well.

On October 15, Caron had knee replacement surgery. Dr. Pontius chopped off her left leg and spliced in a metal knee. Well, maybe not exactly in that manner, but it sounded like it to me. Day two of her hospital stay found her walking down the hall! (They cut you no slack these days.) She returned home with an exercise machine which moved her knee ... sometimes while she slept. Amazing contraption. By November 1, she walked into a meeting with the aid of a cane. That didn't last long. Canes aren't cute! After four weeks of physical therapy, her range of motion is AMAZING. God did great things as he helped her to heal. We give him all the glory!!

Last week, Lee's doctor suggested he see a cardiologist for a routine checkup. That doctor felt he needed further tests. So a heart cath was scheduled. Yuk! Methodist Hospital admitted him at six and by noon he was on the way home! Results: alllll good. Thank you, Jesus.

Knees bend, hearts beat! (Leave this post humming: Head, shoulders, knees and hearts, knees and hearts. Head, shoulders, knees and hearts, knees and hearts. God knows what we need, yes he does, from head shoulders knees and hearts, knees and hearts!)

Oh Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. Psalm 139:1

Gigglebox

2008-11-11T06:30:00.001-08:00

Did you hear the sound on Sunday? The rumble in Heaven? The whooping and hollering. The giggling? If you listened closely, I'm sure you could've. For Aunt Thelma joined Jesus and her family on Sunday! And there HAD to be laughter!

Aunt Thelma couldn't tell a story without giggling. She'd start to talk, cut her eyes in your direction and bend over double, laughing. Didn't much matter what topic: giggles tickled her insides. Of course it was contagious. The audience soon joined in and gales of laughter filled a room. She was SO much fun!

My mother's sister, Thelma Reed, the gigglebox received her mansion in heaven Sunday. We'll miss laughing with her here, but know one day..... and keep your ears open, you might just hear a belly laugh.

John 14: Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God now trust in me. There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you that you can always be with me where I am. If this weren't so, I would tell you plainly.

God Bless America

2008-11-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

God Bless America!! Because He has blessed America for 232 years as a nation, it is a wonderful time to be reassured that He is still on His throne!! It is our personal belief that America is God's nation, and often we have quoted and heard repeated the Scripture "Blessed is a nation whose God is the Lord." But more than any day in the recent past, today we are reassured that this nation called America that we and most Americans love, is God's, because we are His and America was His idea.

Let's celebrate Him and be glad He is still in charge of the future of this country.

We urge you to join us with a full voice looking with great hope and expectancy to declare this day:
God bless America
Land that I love
From the mountains to the prairies,
to the oceans white with foam.
God bless America my home sweet home
God bless America my home sweet home

God's Free Wheelin'

2008-10-26T14:27:00.001-07:00

An e-mail from a friend:

Caron, I have a "God" story for you.

Last month, 2 days before my birthday, my son was driving my car when a lady pointed to the front of my car. He thought he had a flat and pulled over to check. When he opened the door, flames were shooting out of the wheel well. He jumped back in the car, turned the key to "off" and popped the hood.

Well, when he opened the hood the engine was completely on fire. Flames licking everywhere. A lady in a nearby house got a water hose over the fence and the fire was out before the fire department arrived, but the car was totaled. It was a '99 vehicle, not worth a lot, but my only transportation.

The couple of months leading up to this grand event had been tough, financially, and I had let my auto insurance lapse, thinking I would get caught up and get my insurance re-instated . . . I know, not very wise thinking. Here's where God comes shining through.

A friend I only see once or twice a year, but have known for years, called to wish me Happy Birthday. As we talked, I filled her in on my latest saga. She said "Well, what are you going to do?" I told her I had thought of calling her brother, who is a used car dealer, to see what he had on his lot. She said, "You call him, make a plan and call me back. I want to help you do this." I told her I would and we hung up.

I had hardly gotten the phone hung up when her brother called. He said he had a 2005 Dodge Caravan on the lot and asked if I thought that would work. He said it had 40,000 miles on it (my old car had 140,000), tilt, cruise, power windows & locks. I asked what the price was, knowing that was way more car than I could afford. He told me his sister had called and said if that would work for me, he was to call her back with all the details and he couldn't tell me the price.

Then she called back, said she had talked to her husband, and he agreed that they wanted to give me this gift. I told her that was too much, that I was completely overwhelmed ... all this through my tears. She said, "We go way back, I have the means to do this, you have the need, and it's the right thing to do. So, don’t be overwhelmed! It's done!"

Well, the next thing I know, I'm driving this vehicle ... fully paid for! Plus, she put 4 brand new tires on it, new brakes on the front, a one year service warranty and paid my insurance for a year!

I can hardly believe how good God has been to me through them! God has always provided for me, but this was over the top!

Great is our God and greatly to be praised!

God's "Cool" Breeze

2008-10-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Heather Roberts wrote: Okay, I have a cool GOD story for you. Can I just tell you—God is amazing! Three significant things came out of a recent trial my family experienced.
Gary and I were put on the church prayer chain at Grace Community Church because our air conditioner went out in the house. We all were pretty sweaty and stinky! With four boys you can probably imagine! It was looking at costing us $4,400 to fix it...that alone would make you sweat right?
# 1~NO doubt the prayer chain was a huge blessing! A contractor friend (no names will be mentioned to protect the innocent) from church sent his AC guy over to our house and this stranger took my husband step by step through the process of fixing this unit. God gave us a better gift than just fixing it, He gave Gary the knowledge to do it himself and it only cost us $35 for the replacement part! The stranger, however, would take nothing!
# 2~After months of prayer and petition the Lord told us very clearly just recently “Without delay!” for Gary to undergo a vasectomy reversal. To make a long story short (‘cause this is another sermon altogether): We stepped out in faith and obeyed. In November, Gary will have this surgery. For the last three months we have been saving up money for the procedure. Had we needed to pay for the AC it would have drained our savings.
# 3~The first air conditioner company Gary called to get the $4400 estimate was a company he really just randomly picked from the phonebook. Come to find out the guy who answered the call was my old best friend’s younger brother. He gave me her phone # and she and I have been playing phone tag after years of no communication! Her brother told me he never works on this side of town! He thought it was pretty weird that he ended up being the one to come to our house. She had actually been on my mind for the last couple of weeks! WILD HUH? It was just a God thing.
The message: So often God wants to bless us but we just don’t have the patience to receive it or the faith to believe it. I learned that YES we will need to go through some HOT STINKY days... but, boy, is the reward all worth it in the end. God tripled the blessings in our life and He showed Himself in 3 special ways!
# 1~God the Father who is our provider!
# 2~God the Holy Spirit who leads us!
# 3~God the Son who heals the broken hearted!

When It's Right

2008-10-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

"Whose car is in the driveway?"

"Oh, a family friend from San Antonio dropped in. You remember, I told you about the man who lost his wife."

"If you have company, I'd better leave."

"Stay and meet him." Gayle's eyes lit up: matchmaking began.

And so the story goes: Caron and Lee Wise set eyes on each other and never looked away. Caron claims rose-tinted glasses blinded her from understanding Lee actually had five children! The two lovebirds blended their families and added one. Eight kiddos! The grocer had to have adored that clan.

On October 13th, thirty-five years ago, Caron and Lee married and began a life journey of ups and downs, crests and valleys. Partnering with Jesus Christ, they've endured hardships and loved extravagantly. They are a blessing to many.

Congratulations to my bestest friends in the whole wide world!!! Happy anniversary, I love you. E

Let It Be So

2008-10-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

www.gracesanantonio.com *The photo depicts Grace Houston.*

Our church's official GRAND opening happened this morning. Wow, what can be said? The Spirit showed up and we were blessed. It was GRAND!

Cameron and Desi Hall, pastors of Grace San Antonio, stepped out in faith and arrived in Bexar County a little over a year ago knowing no one. With the help of friends from Grace Houston, and total reliance on God, they rented a KC hall and services began. That location served as our home for a year. Lovers of Jesus began to filter in and form a core group: a family!

One year later--we've moved: the 8600 block of Huebner Road, San Antonio, TX. Come and join us. Jesus will be there, waiting.

Who Knew?

2008-09-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

"Who knew" has become a trendy phrase. Used it lately? Who knew? In this case, I have the answer: God did!! This is a personal who knew/God did blog. Shameless self-promotion, but it's soooo Him not me that I want to share.

If you've known me long, you know I'm an avid fiction reader. My mother said I was born with a book in my hand. (ouch!) In the late nineties, I learned about Christian fiction and began to primarily read those books, which several of us swapped about. (Kudos to Lee for buying many of them, btw.) In 2002, Cheryl Williford asked me why I didn't write since I read so much. And I thought, I wonder why? I learned of a Christian writers' group and joined. My journey began. You know where this is going. My first book, Dog Gone, releases at the end of the month. (If you choose to know more details, e-mail me.)

But this story isn't so much about my book. It's about the desires of my heart. Books=Eileen. Check. Writing=Eileen? Who knew? GOD did! He knew how tickled I'd be when He dropped me in the center of the publishing industry to learn at the feet of amazing writers. He knew what a charge I'd get from seeing my first publication: four prayers in a Barbour Prayers for the Military. He knew the frustrations I'd feel from rejection letters and the drive that imparted to learn and polish my craft more. He knew the Internet would be invented just for moi to touch base with other writers in remote places. (Kansas?) HE knew!

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Eileen didn't even know that was her heart's desire. Who knew? GOD did!

And yeah, shamelessly I show off my first novel.

A Mighty Force

2008-09-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Caron said: This is from my cousin Louise near Longview.... where they had hurricane force winds. We lost five trees, but none in the yard or on the house, thanks to our Awesome God, right? As many as we have around here, He was the only one who could have protected us in all that wind and with the ground already saturated. As I spoke with Mom this morning, she said, "Look at the tiny stem of the Spider Lily. God protected them as a sign to us of His power and care for the smallest details :)"
"In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion." Psalm 71:1

Eileen here: Caron and Lee's house at Surfside still stands, though the town lies forty miles down the coast from Galveston! How blessed we are this day to serve a Mighty King. Thankful that though many we love are without power as I write, they still have their lives. It's easy for me to say "things" can be replaced, but it's true.

Read the inscription on the inside wall of the beach house. We do have God as our Anchor when we make the choice to hang on! Despite the wind, despite the rain, despite the tree branches, long lines, no gasoline, heat--despite it all, we HAVE it all when we have Jesus!

A Mighty Force. Unfathomed.

Truly One to be worshipped.

Amazing Grace.

Just As We Are

2008-09-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday after church several of us headed to our favorite chow hall: Grady's. Nothing like their catfish dinner or chicken fried steak. Disclaimer: the picture on the blog is one from the Internet! Not our friends. But they could be!

I know this because at lunch I sat with a couple I'd never met before and thoroughly enjoyed their company. We were brother and sister in Christ. Another couple joined "our" church band and fit like fingers in a glove. Different churches, but no denominational barriers existed. New friends, old friends.... just ordinary Jesus lovers happening into the same dining room at the same time, having a "family reunion."

Isn't it amazing that we can differ in opinions yet share the same faith? Our love of Jesus is what is paramount. I was blessed Sunday with the ease and comfort of sharing our table with others.

Wonder who the people in the picture are? Wonder if they could claim the same relationships we did? For that's what it's all about: relationship.

Today think of one person you could contact and strengthen your relationship. Who knows! Maybe it's the guy in the Stetson.

Colossians 1:3,4 (NLB) We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God's people.

A B C

2008-08-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

August 25 about a zillion teachers and students will begin their trek uphill (both ways) to school. Some excited, some filled with dread: teachers and students. So I want to pause and say HALLELUJAH for the hallowed halls of learning!

Teachers: you can do this. Yes, you can memorize all those names. You can present material in a thought-provoking manner. You can grade one more set of papers. You can perform duty, before and after school. You can hold a parent conference. You can attend yet another workshop. Why? Because you're called to teach.

Kids: You can finish that paper on time. You can put your phone away and not text for a few hours. You can eat cafeteria food. Why? Because this is your time to be a student. It's your job!

Each one who reads this post, say a prayer of gratitude because someone somewhere taught you that letters make words, words- sentences, sentences- paragraphs, paragraphs- books. It's all as easy as ABC.

Bless each of you as you begin the 2008-2009 school year!! You CAN do this!!

I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

Look Out Below!

2008-08-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Melody really wanted to update the flooring in her house. The carpet's luster was long lost and she decided hardwood floors would add pizazz. However, her pocketbook and her husband did not agree. Hardwood floors remained a dream... a desire.

On the way home from church recently, Melody prayed about her flooring. "Lord, you know the desire of my heart. I release the situation to you. I'll be content with what we have." With a sigh, she let go of the idea.

Two days later, the couple returned home from work to discover a huge piece of sheetrock had fallen from their eighteen foot high ceiling! No one was home-no one was injured. But the insulation and .... ewww.....gook from a leaking pipe caused a good bit of damage. Fortunately insurance would cover all their needs. And a desire!

Yep. God's got it all in his pocket. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills AND a good parcel of hardwood flooring. Seems like letting go let God work. Isn't He awesome?

What desires do you need to release to the Lord? Ready for His blessing? You never know how it will arrive. Look out below...........

Kristy Dykes: She won!

2008-07-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

There are people who pass your way and make a lasting impression despite the miles which separate you. Kristy Dykes was one of those. Kristy, a well-published author, was bright, bubbly and fun. Several months ago, she was diagnosed with a GBM brain cancer. Her husband, Milton, kept up her blog. www.ChristianLoveStories.blogspot.com You should experience some of this journey by visiting their blog. His words about his beloved wife have touched thousands. Monday, he released Kristy's hand for the last time. I wanted to share some of what he wrote.

Milton here:

I had dreaded the prospects of standing with Kristy and holding her hand when she died, but the Lord had spoken inside my heart to "not miss the moment." It was a mental alerting to pay attention for there was going to be a "moment" a "special moment" and I was not to miss it.When was the moment going to come? She had stood at death's door over and over and I wondered if each time this was the moment or was it another unknown moment?

Monday afternoon I felt something fill the room covering me, cocooning me, surrounding me and surrounding Kristy. It came ever so slowly and more gently than gentle could be.As Kristy lay there moving toward death's door, I began to sing to her, "God is so good, God is so good......"

Then a prophetic exaltation began to come from deep within my soul proclaiming the virtues of Kristy, "You are pure, You are holy, Your gifts bring glory. They are precious, excellent, and loving. For you have been a blessing to all those who know you. You have shown the goodness of the Lord. The Lord is pleased. The Lord is gloried by your life. For the Lord is Holy, Holy, Holy."

I told Kristy that Jesus was soon to open heaven's gates for her and she would be walking on streets of gold with her mom, dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and all those who have gone before her. I

Her breathing was harder. I said, "Kristy. You did great. You did good. Good job Kristy!"The room was filled with the sacred, holy presence of God. It was awesome. Kristy was almost gone, but as she looked at me one last time I said, "Good job, Kristy. You won. You won. You won. I'll see you soon. The gates of Heaven are opening for you. You can go in. Jesus is waiting! Good job, Kristy, you win! You win! You win!" and Kristy left my hand and took the hand of Jesus as we cheered her into the gates of heaven an on to streets of pure gold."

At 6:42 PM on Monday, Kristy was gone into the glory world. She won! She won! She won!These were the most sacred moments of my life next to my salvation and marriage ceremony to Kristy. It was glorious, holy and awesome to escort Kristy and cheer her into the gates of heaven. Kristy is whole, well, and healed. There is no more pain. She is walking on streets of gold.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2008-07-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Our pastor friend, Devin, sent us this amazing story!

The Africa project was great. God seemed to be working at every turn and every word. It was a really great, but hot time. One day, we went to a little village to visit a very sick girl, Fatu, with plans to take her to see a doctor. When we arrived, she was in bad shape, just next to death. Here was a 16 year old girl who looked 12, her arms no bigger than two stalks of celery. We tried to explain to her parents that if she stayed there she would die, but if we took her to the hospital, there was a chance she could live. The local witch doctor had given her drugs--turned out this was good or she would have been in a great deal of pain.

Paul, the missionary accompanying me, tried his cell phone to call his wife because she spoke the language better. Maybe she could convince the parents to let Fatu be taken to the doctor. Even though there was no cell service in the area, from that little room-- the call went through! Despite Susan's pleas the parents insisted the girl was tired, and they were too, and she should stay home. We were heartbroken.

Paul sat on Fatu's bed, stroking her hair, and she reached up and began playing with his phone. She put it to her ear and pretended to talk. I told Paul to call Susan back. Again there was no cell service in the area, and again the call went through. I told Susan we would put the phone on the girl’s ear and Susan could tell her about Jesus.

Here in this tiny, dimly lit, tattered room, Susan was able to tell the girl about Jesus while all these Muslims stood around and watched, not knowing what was being said since Fatu was listening though a cell phone. Susan asked a bunch of questions: Do you believe Jesus can save you? Do you want Him to? Do you want Him to forgive you of your sins and make a home in heaven for you? On and on. Susan said she quoted John 3:16 to Fatu, saying, “For God so loved Fatu that He sent His only Son…” Each time, Fatu answered ‘Wow’, which is Yes in the Wolof language.

There was a young man in the room that spoke the best English in the village. Our missionaries had been talking to him for quite a few months. As Fatu finished with the phone, she asked us to pray for her, she asked the young man to pray for her. He did and wept as he prayed. This is very, very unusual in that culture for a Muslim man to pray and show emotion in public. I prayed aloud as well, but only the three of us, and God, understood my English. It was a very moving time. As we left their small home, Paul tried to make another call. There was no phone service.

God's Touch

2008-07-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Mary stepped from the van and heard her ankle pop. Thankfully it wasn't a break, just a nasty sprain. After several weeks and therapy it grew stronger. Then, months later, another misstep pulled at the stretched ligament. She couldn't locate her ankle brace, so she wrapped it in an Ace bandage. However, the pins to hold the bandage in place were lost. Mary made do with a safety pin.

Arriving at Bible study a tad early, Mary slid the bandage tighter and told a friend about her ache. The friend suggested prayer! So when others arrived, the group gathered about Mary and prayed, after annointing the injured area with oil.

Later Mary related, "During our study, I felt a warmth creep over my ankle. I knew God had healed it." And He had! She's not had to use a bandage or anything to stabilize her foot. Our God is good, all the time!

He showed His mercy to Lew Shaffer Sunday night. Lew's wife, Sandy, happened to call during our prayer meeting time. She asked us to pray that Lew might have pain relief. Since his back surgery, he's suffered because he cannot handle pain medications well. So our group prayed. And Lew had the best night's sleep he's had in weeks. Thank You, Jesus for Your faithfulness.

A Chuckle

2008-06-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

My five-year-old grandson graduated from pre-school recently. In the weeks preceding the ceremony, a school photographer snapped pictures of each graduate wearing a traditional white cap and gown to commerate the occasion.

After school, Trevor's dad said, "Did you get your picture made today? Did you wear a funny hat and a robe?"

Trevor glanced Dad's way, perplexed. "A robe? I had a hat and a Jesus coat on."

It's all in the perception! Kids keep us laughing, don't they?

From The Message Psalm 127:3 Don't you see that children are God's best gift?

New Treads

2008-06-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Coleman balanced her Bible and purse in one hand and gripped the stair rail with the other. She descended into the church parking lot, shuffled her belongings, and pulled out her car keys. As she stuck a key into the lock, she glanced at her threadbare tires.

“Lord, get me home safely.” The octogenarian slid into her seat and headed down the road.

Lela, a great-grandmother, still retained her good eyesight and driver’s license. So far no family member had reprimanded her for driving, and she’d had no accidents. She traveled around Freeport, Texas, to church and ran errands nearby. With God as her co-pilot, Lela planned to stay on the go as long as she could. However, the upkeep of her van was a drain on her fixed income.

Early Monday morning, Lela drove to the Sears Tire Center in Lake Jackson to price new tires. The young man at the counter gave her the grim news.

“Mrs. Coleman, you’re going to need four new tires. I’m not sure how you even got here on the ones you have.”

Lela flinched, and then smiled. “With God’s help, son.” She stared at the invoice and calculated the costs. “But today, I can only buy two tires. I’ll pray about it, and maybe by the first of the month I will be able to come back and get the other two.”

The young man hung his head and dallied over the figures.

Lela realized he was slightly embarrassed. “Don’t worry; the Lord will keep me safe.”

An older man standing behind Lela stepped up to the counter, reached for the invoice, and waved it at the salesman. “I want you to find the four best tires in your store, and put them on this lady’s car.”

Stunned, both Lela and the salesman turned to the stranger.

“Do I know you?” Lela frowned through her bifocals to see the man clearly.

“No, ma’am. This is something I want to do for you.” The man smiled.

“I can’t allow such extravagance,” Lela sputtered.

The salesman beamed. “Maybe in this case you can. Seems like you got an early answer to your prayers.”

Lela tried to persuade the gentleman she would be fine, but he was insistent. Grinning, the salesman grabbed her keys, handed them to a technician, and ordered four new tires. The stranger signed his credit card receipt and left the store.

Within a few minutes, the minivan sat newly fitted in front of the store. Lela Coleman walked out to her car, slid in the front seat and said, “Lord, get me home safely, and bless the angel you sent me this day.”

Please pray for Mrs. Coleman. This story took place several years ago and at this time her health is faltering. We love you, Mrs. C.

Across the Globe

2008-05-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Rich and Sandy, have just returned from a teaching mission. They were with a group of chaplains from many countries. Rich taught "how-to-chaplain" lesssons, while Sandy became acquainted with the wives. What a ministry that will have ripple effects across the globe. Here's one account from Sandy:

Some memories and thoughts and praises from our time with the international chaplains and their wives: It was a unique time since the couples came from virtually all over the world----from Africa and Central America to the Far East and beyond. We dealt with many cultures. All spoke some English and all were Christians. That is saying a lot since in some places 97% of the population is Muslim so you know they have a hard job each day---and sometimes with danger. The chaplain from Papua New Guinea also spoke of continued tribal frictions and fighting with spears---can you believe that? But it was amazing how well we all got along and could communicate and work together.

The PWOC ladies at Ft. Bliss planned many activities for the wives (from craft activities to sightseeing tours and even a pedicure session). Each wife received a $50 gift card to Target and we chose an international wife to shop with. I was with Margaret from Bangladesh. She wanted toys for her grandkids so I helped her looked for Dora the Explorer items (Can you believe that kind of stuff has an international market?) So we did easy shopping. However Mariana from Moldova ended up in the household goods aisle in front of the towels with tears streaming down her face. Her family has not had new towels for 8 years. The idea of buying them all new ones overwhelmed her. With her extra money she bought some chocolates to take back to her church friends. We were all very touched.

Another thing that really struck us was that 2 of the chaplains do not have computer access----not even to do their work. The chaplain from Papua New Guinea had no computer access at all. Upon hearing this, one of the international chaplain couples thought a collection should be taken up to buy him a computer. ACCTS felt that this might be dangerous to start a precedent of buying things like this for one country and not another. So this couple initiated things themselves to come up with the funds to buy Theo a computer (we all were able to contribute unofficially though). So in a private time this international couple along with some of us "staff" folks presented Theo with a new laptop the day of graduation. His is a very private culture where men don't show much emotion. I cannot even describe his response and reaction. To say he was overwhelmed is a huge understatement. He said that he had NEVER received a present anything like this before. The two couples embraced and cried together----can you even picture it?

Also the couple from Guatemala had experienced a miscarriage in January. She is already 36 and so they were devastated, she was broken inside. She said she had not wanted to come to the interaction because she wasn't sure what to expect and didn't think it would be anything good for her. She was pretty introverted and quiet (and very sweet). During a time of testimony she spoke of how God was healing her spirit this particular week and helping her get over her grief and sadness of losing her baby----there was not a dry eye in the room!!! Since we have gotten home her husband has written to let us know that another couple there gave them $300 cash and their host family (who already housed them for 2 weeks and fed them dinner each night) gave them $248 which came to the exact cost of a new computer to take home with them to Guatemala. He also is overwhelmed with such blessings.

We were just blown away at the expressions of love and blessings we all experienced. We never knew we would end up with friends from all over the world like we have. We now pray that God will be able to help them to use the class information they received and the resources given to them to continue to spread the Good News in their own countries. It will be our blessing to keep up with them via e-mail and to see where some of their journeys take them next.

Angels Watchin' Over Me

2008-05-19T14:21:00.001-07:00

Sleeps through a tornado, dead to the world, out for the count: all terms which describe Richard's nightly sleeping habits. Once his head hit the pillow, he was asleep. Sherrie could shake him, the kids could romp on him, the dog lick his face: z-z-z-z-z.

So after a day at the beach, he hit the hay. The kids were slumbering away in their comfy beach house bedroom across the hall from Richard and Sherrie. Because of her pneumonia, Sherrie had taken medication that had her in la-la land. Peace and quiet reigned.

Suddenly at 3:10 a.m. Richard was wide awake. His feet hit the floor and he scrambled to the living room. The front door stood open. A wailing noise caught his attention and he rushed down the stairs.

There stood a crying three-year-old Bethany, beside their car, next to the road, about twenty yards from the ocean. She'd been disoriented when she woke in the night and couldn't find her mommy and daddy. Richard scooped her up and carried her to safety.

We think an angel's tap on the shoulder raised a snoozing daddy and alerted him to danger. We know God was watching!

Psalm 91:11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. NKJV

Blessing Those Who Bless

2008-05-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Stacy Buck wrote:

For Mother's Day, I told Masie that I wanted to go out for breakfast. The idea of my kitchen staying clean through one more meal so appealed to me:) So Masie gave Ryan a sales pitch and we ended up at a very crowded restaurant. I devoured my buttermilk pancakes - I forgot how good pancakes taste when you don't have to cook them. During breakfast we noticed a young beautiful mother, with 3 small little girls. One was in a baby carrier, the other little girl was about two in a darling green gingham dress, and the third little girl was about five who looked just like her mother. This mommy was eating out alone on Mother's Day. Masie and I found the manager and asked if he would give us her ticket. It was time to check out and this little family was leaving at the same time. Masie made a bee-line to her and her little chicks and told them that we bought their breakfast and wanted to share her candy with each of the girls. The mother, Monica, was so appreciative.

Then she began to cry. She said her husband was in Iraq and it took a lot to be around happy people. I told her that God cares for her and her children and a free breakfast was a small way of showing it. Then we hugged... total strangers in a crowded restaurant with motherhood in common.

Looking back I wish I had gotten her number. I can't get her and her babies out of my mind. How many other moms were alone and even un-celebrated on Sunday? The rest of the day I spent praying for God to encourage and strengthen Monica as she ministers to each of her children without a physical hug of affirmation from her husband.

It blows my mind how much freedom really costs and how I take it for granted. Monica was alone at Jim's Restaurant on my behalf. The best $20.00 I ever spent was to know that being a free American mommy is heaven sent.

Going MY Way

2008-04-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

Denise attended church faithfully and expected her girls to go as well. But one of them balked. "Mom no one in our high school class goes to church."

It was the catalyst Denise needed. She knew her family needed a change The “darkness” in their city was real. So, on faith, she packed up her two children and moved to San Antonio. They visited a mega-church near where they lived, but just didn’t feel plugged in. It was a bit overwhelming. Still, Denise was determined her daughters would have a Christian influence in their lives.

The last Sunday in September, Denise pulled protesting kids into the car and headed toward church. She prayed as she drove. “Lord, show me how to get my daughters connected. Show me where we belong.” Stopping for a red light, she saw an A-framed sign on the corner. Grace Community Church. She pointed it out to her girls. “Want to try that church?” Both agreed.

Denise made the turn and arrived at a KC Hall where the church group was meeting: for their very first service! They visited, and now over six months later, Denise’s girls enthusiastically attend worship services.

Seems like God sent them a real sign!

Jehovah Jireh

2008-04-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

(The following vignette from two years ago displays how well the Lord takes care of me! And He continues to do so day by day. Eileen)

My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory. Phil. 4:19

Since my retirement from teaching, I’ve been able to supplement my income through freelance writing and editing. My jobs come through the Internet, for the most part.

Last January, I decided I wanted a laptop. I prayed over the decision yet wondered if it was a desire, not a need. I struggled. I surely didn’t have extra funds for something I did not need. My new desktop computer was more than sufficient for my work. But I still wanted that laptop. I poured over the ads in the Sunday paper and found one on sale. I calculated the costs and knew I could afford it. Again, was this a desire or a need?

Another prayer didn’t snuff out the thoughts. Finally, I drove to the store and bought my new toy. I set it up and settled in my overstuffed chair.

Within two weeks, my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease progressed to the point where she needed twenty-four hour care. I quit my part-time job and searched for more online work. Mother sat across the living room in her recliner. She needed to see me in the room, to know I was near. Suddenly, the freedom via my laptop allowed me to work and be in her range of vision.

Provision before the need. Once again, God showed me He knew what I needed before I did. Amazing isn’t it?

He's LOOKing Out for Me

2008-04-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Despite blinking and squinting, Sherrie realized her vision was not what it should be—in fact she experienced some double vision at times. But with a bustling family of hubby and three children under nine years old and all the details of a busy life, her eyesight took a back seat. She shook her head and kept on going. Then the unforeseen, she broke her glasses and was forced to see the optometrist.

The verdict was stark. At 48, she was diagnosed with a unique kind of cataract on her right eye which was causing double and triple vision. During the examination the optometrist saw something in the back of her other eye which was alarming. He insisted she visit an ophthalmologist immediately. Having battled cancer, alarm bells began to sound in her head. Was the disease ravaging her body once again?

After an MRI, it was determined that Sherrie had an aneurysm on an artery behind her LEFT eye. Surgery was scheduled immediately. Within a few days she was clapped in the hospital, and her family prayed and awaited a verdict. God intervened! The aneurysm was repaired and within two days, Sherrie was home again.

Without the broken glasses, cataract discovery and a sharp optometrist, the aneurysm would still be lurking and left to do possible great harm.

Sherrie is experiencing some dizziness and light flashes, but is more than grateful.

Hallelujah for our miracle-working God and those He uses in our lives.

SmallTown blessings!

2008-04-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

After SmallTown church split, Pastor B wasn’t sure he could keep the doors open for the remaining congregants. To help in the budget struggle, he gave up his salary and worked at Wal-mart. After some time, a new member of the church asked to meet with him. Not sure of her needs, he set aside ample time for a visit.

Mrs. Newcomer began with a startling statement, “I drove past the church and heard the Lord speak to me. He said I was to attend this church. I argued with Him since I wasn’t accustomed to this denomination.” But the persistence of the Lord caused her to attend and then join the congregation. In the coming days, she was impressed again. This time the Lord wanted her to give a gift, resulting in this very meeting. “I’d like to help SmallTown church financially.”

Pastor B’s gratitude was obvious. Little did he realize the scope of her help. Mrs. Newcomer paid off the substantial church mortgage and SmallTown now owns their building.

Do you think Pastor B sees God’s provision in a different light now than before? How has God provided for you?

Welcome

2008-03-22T23:43:00.001-07:00

This site is designed to tell true stories which give God glory! We hope you will visit often and leave comments. That's the fun of the site! And if you have a hallelujah story, send it our way!