Prayer request

Comfort and strength for Beth because she lost her daughter last year. Time has rolled around and it is almost time for the first birthday without Emily.

Emily Anne Clark
July 11, 1995 to September 7, 2011

(written the day after we lost Emily)
There is so much to say, and while the desire is there to type, the words just aren't coming. There are too many feelings and they are all raw.

Yesterday we spent the day numb. Oh, we were feeling but we weren't sure. It was almost like we were holding our breath. Well, today our breath was taken while we viewed Emily's body.

How can someone so beautiful, and so full of life, be cold and hard and so not alive?

Our breath was taken but our soul cried out when we saw her laying there. How can that be? Lose your breath and cry out at the same time? Knees buckle . . . eyes shut - tight - but you have to open them again because you know the cold hard truth.

I worry about my friend Beth. How will she be after this? How can she be? Her daughter - her heart is gone. Her life revolved around Emily's life. School, FFA, cheerleading, homecoming, proms . . .

I tell her momma that Emily is happy now. Emmy is fine now and I believe that. I know Emily loved our Savior. She was full of faith. She was a Christian. She is with our Lord. She is holding his hand. I know this. I can see her hand in His.

Emily's favorite verse: Philippians 4:13

But we miss her AND we thank God for the 16 years we were graced with Emily's presence. Emmy had such beautiful light bright blue eyes and she was so full of gentleness and happiness and grace. Firefly is what keeps popping into my mind. She was like a firefly dancing through our world for a short short while.

Doug & Bethany Pearson

Today was a special study because we had guest speakers - Doug & Bethany Pearson. They spoke of the work they are doing for our Lord in India and Nepal. I'm hoping someone else will come in and write more about all they spoke on. Right now I'm overwhelmed. I do like how Doug encouraged us by saying that we can have a 'mission field' right here. We just need to look around and see what the Lord has for us.

(They mentioned William Carey and the work he did as a missionary to India.)

Here is what was written on the 'info' page from Facebook concerning Hope Family Orphanage:

About Hope Family Orphans Nepal

Christian love that is much needed amongst the poor of Nepal

Description

Our Greater Grace Church in Katmandu Nepal has started this new ministry by faith. It is suddenly come upon Pastor Rajan and John Shaw in the Sovereignty of God to care for these abandoned children.

In August, a member of our Greater Grace Katmandu church heard reports of abandoned children in the forests in the district south of the city. This church member’s name is John Shaw. He in from India... , yet lives in Katmandu as a teacher in an international school. John was born in a Christian family, hence the Christian sounding name.
By faith and uncontrollable love, he went in search of these homeless children and with the help of some of our Praja tribe pastors, rescued these children and got government permission to take full responsibility for them.

John quit his job by faith, and with no promise of support, rented a home for them, caring for them each day. John is an excellent teacher, so they will get a quality education. The Hope Family is right behind Pastor Rajan’s home in east Katmandu , so Pastor Rajan’s wife Indu, she cares for the 12 Hope Family children each day also. So far, some of my American friends have given some support for rent, and to buy necessities, but it is still not enough. We are praying for more regular support and good communication between sponsors and the work there.

These 12 children all came with many diseases and worms in their bodies. They had been eating trash and dead carcasses of whatever they could find in the forests. 3 of the children even had to cannibalize a dead body they found to survive. These children are between 5 and 12 years old. Some of them are on regular medicine to rid the worms, and John Shaw is paying for the medicine out of his own decreasing life savings.

I gave him 500 dollars of my own support for some necessities and to set up an official school for them. They all came with rough sad faces, but most now have a sweet disposition. They are obedient now that they are loved. They all want to be pastors and missionaries now that they know Jesus.

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?'

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.'

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home.

Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water;

I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough, and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all.

The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.

Out of breath, he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!'

'So you think it is useless?' the old man said. 'Look at the basket.'

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different.

Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible.

You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you

from the inside out.'

Moral of the wicker basket story:

Take time to read a portion of God's word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.

Thought for Today: God's Love is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its end.

I really like this story because I don't retain things too well anymore . . . age may have something to do with it but I figure my brain just gets overloaded!

God isn't concerned about my brain anyway; He's more concerned about my heart.

(This story came from an email. I don't know who the author is but when I read this my heart was torn between joy and relief. I worry that I just don't know enough and that I'll let God down. I need to quit worrying. In the Bible it says that His word will not return to Him empty. Isaiah 55:11 and do I need the cleansing!)

Invitation

Dipo has invited us to his church to hear Pastor E.A. Adeboye

June 11th at 7pm.
Wisdom Assembly

http://www.wisdomassembly.org/specialevents.html

11225 Colorado Ave KCMO 64137

http://www.rccg.org/


Today we finished up Lesson7 Worship: Living My Life to Glorify God

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.

New Resource Added

In the "Resource" section of this page a new page called "All About God" has been added. It is packed with a lot of helpful information, feel free to chek it out along with many of the other helpful links; such as "Gods Yellow Pages & Our Daily Bread." And if you were looking for Christian books or other Christian reference materials we got you covered with the help of "CDB."

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

I overheard someone talking about a sermon, a very famous sermon, and I knew that I had to listen. Well, now that I've listened I know that I have to share it and I would love to hear your thoughts on Jonathan Edwards sermon.

I found this on youtube by Max McLean. He gives an excellent introduction.
http://youtu.be/DlyGmerlknk

This is the written version.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

different gifts

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. ~Romans 12:3-8

Tuesday's study

http://utmost.org/the-patience-to-wait-for-the-vision/

This ties in with what we were talking about in our study class on Tuesday.

Though it tarries, wait for it . . . ~Habakkuk 2:3

National Day of Prayer - May 3, 2012 (first Thursday in May)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_Prayer

We decided that we would meet by flag pole at 11:30 on Thursday to offer our prayers.