Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Prayer for Israel to Know Jeshua As the Messiah!
Greetings from Poland!
Allan and I just returned from the Jewish Conference in Poznan, Poland. God richly blessed us through the conference and through his many gracious children there!
If you are receiving this letter, it is because I consider that you are faithful in praying for the needs of the children of God!
I will post a bit of information on my blog: www.fishermensline.blogspot.com within the next couple of days. I wanted to write to you immediately, however, about an urgent prayer request that I encourage you to get everyone involved in that you possibly can!
In May of this year Jews for Jesus will hold a campaign in six cities in Israel. The campaigns have been held throughout many countries in the past, yet this is the very first time it is planned for Israel! The campaign is called "Behold Your God!" The teams will be in constant jeopardy during this time, Please pray for the safety of these Jewish Christians. Nothing like this has been done since Paul the Apostle, and we all know what Paul suffered for the sake of HIS name, Jeshua, the Messiah.
Please also pray for the Jewish people to know WHO the God of their Father's really is! Pray that they will come to know Peace through the Prince of Peace! There is no world peace and there will be no world peace, until the world knows The Prince of Peace!
Jesus told the Jewish people during His time here with us on earth, "you will NOT see Me again, until you say, 'blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Pray that the world will cry out, "blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!!!"
The Jewish people still have a broken covenant,( broken by them, NOT by God, Who is faithful, even in our unfaithfulness) to honor and keep with God. Until we all pray for the Salvation of the Jews through their (and our) Messiah, the Prince of Peace, that covenant will remain broken. We MUST pray for the salvation of the Jews. They are NOT automatically saved, salvation is through CHRIST ALONE, and we can not allow our concentration on the world being evangelized, to the exclusion of the Jews! To exclude the Jews would be to permit Satan to deceive us once again through anti-Semitism!
We need to pray for this mission of Jews for Jesus! We need to support their desire and commitment to make the Messiah-ship of Jesus known to their people.
Their covenant with God was to be a witness to the nations through their obedience to His statutes and commands, when this was broken by His chosen people, they became not a light, but a 'by-word' and a nation living in darkness and exile and persecution, according to the warnings they had been given through the prophets found in God's written, inspired Word.
Avi, from Jews for Jesus (European Director), preached messages regarding this. We all were asked to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Praying for political peace, etc. is good, but they need the Prince of Peace before any true peace will ever be found.
Please join me, and please ask the congregations to join in fervent, continual, prayer for this campaign in May, 2008! God is working in so many hearts and lives. This is my desire, that we pray as Christ wants us to pray for our Jewish family who are not yet IN the family of God in the way of salvation through Jesus the Messiah.
They have suffered much persecution. It is because of God's love for us that the Jewish nation was chosen. Just think...it could have been any other nation who had undergone such persecution, such dislike and disrespect if they had been the chosen people! We should be forever THANKFUL to the Jewish nation that they went through this for us! They were God's instrument for the written word and the Living Word which we have today!
Thank you so much for your fervent prayers for this undertaking. The Jews for Jesus are willing and aware that they may be in such danger for their lives! Please Pray!
Also, I truly desire that any support we can give as believers in Jesus would be most appreciated. You know, I have not been asked to say this, and I doubt in this world of 'political correctness' that this is even appropriate, and I know we have so many times given above and beyond, financially, but I believe with all my heart, that this campaign is so important to the entire world, that I am stepping outside of the boundaries of political correctness, doctrines, etc. to say that if anyone wishes and feels led to support this endeavor, you can go to the Jews for Jesus website; www.jewsforjesus.org to give to their organization. I also for the sake of political correctness add that any giving to anyone must be above and beyond your tithes to your local church, Lottie moon, etc. I read their newsletter and the work they are doing is truly God inspired!(and risky). When we find people who risk their lives, friends, and families, we need to support in any way we can and feel led.
Please write with any comments or questions!
In Christ Alone, Our Hope is Found!
Sue
Allan and I just returned from the Jewish Conference in Poznan, Poland. God richly blessed us through the conference and through his many gracious children there!
If you are receiving this letter, it is because I consider that you are faithful in praying for the needs of the children of God!
I will post a bit of information on my blog: www.fishermensline.blogspot.com within the next couple of days. I wanted to write to you immediately, however, about an urgent prayer request that I encourage you to get everyone involved in that you possibly can!
In May of this year Jews for Jesus will hold a campaign in six cities in Israel. The campaigns have been held throughout many countries in the past, yet this is the very first time it is planned for Israel! The campaign is called "Behold Your God!" The teams will be in constant jeopardy during this time, Please pray for the safety of these Jewish Christians. Nothing like this has been done since Paul the Apostle, and we all know what Paul suffered for the sake of HIS name, Jeshua, the Messiah.
Please also pray for the Jewish people to know WHO the God of their Father's really is! Pray that they will come to know Peace through the Prince of Peace! There is no world peace and there will be no world peace, until the world knows The Prince of Peace!
Jesus told the Jewish people during His time here with us on earth, "you will NOT see Me again, until you say, 'blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Pray that the world will cry out, "blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!!!"
The Jewish people still have a broken covenant,( broken by them, NOT by God, Who is faithful, even in our unfaithfulness) to honor and keep with God. Until we all pray for the Salvation of the Jews through their (and our) Messiah, the Prince of Peace, that covenant will remain broken. We MUST pray for the salvation of the Jews. They are NOT automatically saved, salvation is through CHRIST ALONE, and we can not allow our concentration on the world being evangelized, to the exclusion of the Jews! To exclude the Jews would be to permit Satan to deceive us once again through anti-Semitism!
We need to pray for this mission of Jews for Jesus! We need to support their desire and commitment to make the Messiah-ship of Jesus known to their people.
Their covenant with God was to be a witness to the nations through their obedience to His statutes and commands, when this was broken by His chosen people, they became not a light, but a 'by-word' and a nation living in darkness and exile and persecution, according to the warnings they had been given through the prophets found in God's written, inspired Word.
Avi, from Jews for Jesus (European Director), preached messages regarding this. We all were asked to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Praying for political peace, etc. is good, but they need the Prince of Peace before any true peace will ever be found.
Please join me, and please ask the congregations to join in fervent, continual, prayer for this campaign in May, 2008! God is working in so many hearts and lives. This is my desire, that we pray as Christ wants us to pray for our Jewish family who are not yet IN the family of God in the way of salvation through Jesus the Messiah.
They have suffered much persecution. It is because of God's love for us that the Jewish nation was chosen. Just think...it could have been any other nation who had undergone such persecution, such dislike and disrespect if they had been the chosen people! We should be forever THANKFUL to the Jewish nation that they went through this for us! They were God's instrument for the written word and the Living Word which we have today!
Thank you so much for your fervent prayers for this undertaking. The Jews for Jesus are willing and aware that they may be in such danger for their lives! Please Pray!
Also, I truly desire that any support we can give as believers in Jesus would be most appreciated. You know, I have not been asked to say this, and I doubt in this world of 'political correctness' that this is even appropriate, and I know we have so many times given above and beyond, financially, but I believe with all my heart, that this campaign is so important to the entire world, that I am stepping outside of the boundaries of political correctness, doctrines, etc. to say that if anyone wishes and feels led to support this endeavor, you can go to the Jews for Jesus website; www.jewsforjesus.org to give to their organization. I also for the sake of political correctness add that any giving to anyone must be above and beyond your tithes to your local church, Lottie moon, etc. I read their newsletter and the work they are doing is truly God inspired!(and risky). When we find people who risk their lives, friends, and families, we need to support in any way we can and feel led.
Please write with any comments or questions!
In Christ Alone, Our Hope is Found!
Sue
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Fishermensline December- Krakow!
Greetings from Krakow!
December has come and gone very quickly. The wonderful and festive days of anticipation filled with excitement, secrets, and wonder are already a memory. Moments of quiet recall make us smile and sigh, for yet another year has quietly slipped away.
In recalling December (here in Poland, called Grudzien), I have quite a few things to share with all of you back home.
Team Krakow made many plans for the month, one being a Christmas Party in which we would make flyers and invitations to announce our new Compass International Fellowship. In our new fellowship services we will have several worship songs, a testimony at each service, a brief message, scripture reading, a couple more songs, prayer time, and then a team meeting afterwards. The fellowship will have volunteer helpers for the very young children and infants during the meeting. We are welcoming all English-speaking people to attend (or multi-lingual, of course!). You may say to yourself, this sounds a lot like church! You would be correct. Since we can’t establish a church, we have a Christian Fellowship.
We are all looking forward to the fellowship times because it is such a blessing to worship God in our own language. We all love the Roma and Polish church, but of course, just as they need worship in their language, we do, as well.
This will make our already full Sundays, filled to running over with activity, but then we will appreciate Mondays more! You know very well, that no one has ever appreciated Mondays! Right?
We also planned a small Christmas party for the team so that everyone could get involved and enjoy time getting to know each other and having some fun time with games, good food, etc. We had a gift exchange and played the game where you may take another’s gift or choose from the tree. Having children’s gifts in the pot made it a lot of fun (hoping some one would take my gift of little toy cars!!). Thankfully, we have a five year old who eyed my little cars immediately. (wheeew) I chose someone else’s gift of Tabasco sauce for Allan and gee, I got to keep it!! He loves Tabasco on everything. You all probably remember that about him.
In the first Christmas Party for the CIF introduction, we had a lot of fun games, beautiful Christmas carols, and a little nativity play that even our team’s four month old played a part and was the ‘star’. Nathan Dowdy played baby Jesus, and he did a perfect job. The youth sang Silent Night as we recited Luke 2. The children did a fantastic job and I was very proud of them (especially since I was in charge of the play). I did a lot of praying you can be sure. During practice I had thought, “what have I gotten myself into?” God is so amazing!! He is forever glorified!
We did prayer walking around the city square and several blocks on the way there and back. We made a few trips to Zakopane and Tarno’v. These are cities where there are a few Roma villages. We had Bible study and prayer time with the Roma.
Ed and Ann Dayton, the couple I mentioned a few times before, graciously sent a check for the Roma for us to buy Christmas gifts for those under 15.
Allan and I shopped for the gifts and supplies, and the stores were so crowded that it was unbelievable. When it came time to check out, I kept letting people with only a few items in front of me, because we had so much in the carts.
It actually took three buying trips, but Jerry and Allan did the last one (PTL!). I never thought spending $500.00 could be so difficult! (hear that Lora??) It really CAN be difficult to spend money. We had to buy 53 toothbrushes and split them into age groups, etc. There were at least 53 children of varying ages to buy for. FUN, I say. Next year it will be more organized because this was an unexpected donation. Hopefully we can get any donations for Christmas in November or prior.
In addition to the above, Brenda and Jerry hosted their daughter’s wedding here in Krakow. It was quite an exciting time for the Goss family! Tara is getting married, Kristen coming also, from the states. Tara’s fiancée’s arrival, and all the activity going on for Christmas; well you can imagine the coordinating efforts involved.
Allan and I attended the wedding and had a wonderful time. It was in a beautiful hotel in the center of Old Krakow (well all of it is old!) The food was good (it seems all we had done in Dec was eat!!!), and everything was perfect for the bride and groom. They left the following morning for 10 days in Italy. (WOW)
The MK’s had a retreat just after barely recovering from Christmas and the wedding. I understand that it was not only fun for them but very busy as well. They had to get up at four or five a.m. to get in all the fun possible in their three days time.
We had a very quiet Christmas ourselves. Mark, the S.A. for the Baltic Region, had family from the states over to visit. The Goss family were blessed to be together again (except for Tara on her honeymoon!), others on the team either left on trips to visit family or friends.
We had a visitor in town; and not wanting her to be alone on Christmas we invited her here for a small Christmas dinner. She is a missionary from farther north in Poland. We had a good time talking about missions. She had been in Asia in the past, so we had a few things in common.
As for the office work in which I am involved; I’m still learning (trying that is). I will do my best, of course, but I am still not really ‘office material’.
I just want to honor and glorify God in what ever I do and in any way that I can. Please pray for me about this.
The conference in Poznan: I am so excited and looking forward to that! I have learned that Avi, from Jews for Jesus has been invited to speak on two different topics. He sent an e-mail saying that he will talk about how to best pray for his people and the call of the Jewish people. Doesn’t that sound exciting!!! We are truly looking forward to this conference. At the wedding we talked to a guy named Richard (Allan had met him before), and when we mentioned the conference, he wanted information about it, so I believe he plans to attend. For us, that would be yet another blessing. He speaks fluent English and could help us with translations.
Health: although this will bring us into January, we certainly want to tell you these bits of information. Allan is so happy about the shoe inserts he received! His feet are painful most of the time when he walks. He appreciates these gifts so much and so do I.
Since we are already into January; we received the three boxes from FBI Church in Indialantic. God Bless you all! Thank you from the bottom of our heart. I opened the huge box of Charmin and I just about died with excitement and from laughing. You are amazing!
For those who aren’t aware: we got gourmet coffee of every known flavor, Caribou Coffee bars, energy bars, CHARMIN, Peter Pan by the dozens of jars, books, DVD’s, sweet n’ low, long johns, spices, more than I can say. It was so wonderful opening the boxes with all the treats and oh, yes!!! I got Jergens lotion! We can’t thank you enough. We love you, and hopefully, you know that.
Lora sent movies, cards, and sweet n’ low!! We will have enough to last our three years and enough to share with those who love these things as much as we do!
I have just been getting over my third bout of laryngitis. I have been coughing a lot. I went to a Polish Dr., who speaks a little English. He gave me a prescription for an inhaler for use for three or four days to see if it helps. He also prescribed some cough medicine and lozenges. He said if I don’t improve on this, I’d begin antibiotics (they don’t use them here as much as in the states). I had a 102-103 temperature through the day and all night on Tuesday with aches, etc. but it seems to be on the mend. It’s just not a good way to start your year.
Praise Him for His Faithfulness!
Praise Him for His Love, Mercy, and Grace!
Praise Him for Our Family!
Praise Him for our Churches!
Praise Him for our Team here in Poland!
Praise Him for our Missionaries!
Praise Him for answered prayers!
Praise Him for the beauty of the Universe HE created for our pleasure!
Praise Him for His healing!
Praise Him for His Constant Presence!
Praise Him for His WORD!
Praise Him for the Lessons He teaches us!
Praise Him For He is Great and Greatly to be Praised!
Pray for Michael!
Pray for Lora and her family!
Pray for Health!
Pray for perseverance!
Pray for Poznan Conference!
Pray for the Roma!
Pray for this team in Krakow!
Pray for East Asia!
Pray for times of travel!
Pray for the New International Fellowship!
Pray for the Jewish Ministry!
Pray for our churches! Pray for each other!
Pray for our grandchildren!
Pray that we will see family soon!
Pray for Workers in the Harvest!
Pray that His WORD will be spread and the TRUTH be understood and Believed and accepted!
Please tell us HOW we can pray for you! You are so important to us, let us be part of sharing your burdens and taking them before the THRONE of GOD!
In Christ Alone My Hope is Found!
Sue and Allan
He said, “ Follow ME, and I will make you fishers of MEN.”
December has come and gone very quickly. The wonderful and festive days of anticipation filled with excitement, secrets, and wonder are already a memory. Moments of quiet recall make us smile and sigh, for yet another year has quietly slipped away.
In recalling December (here in Poland, called Grudzien), I have quite a few things to share with all of you back home.
Team Krakow made many plans for the month, one being a Christmas Party in which we would make flyers and invitations to announce our new Compass International Fellowship. In our new fellowship services we will have several worship songs, a testimony at each service, a brief message, scripture reading, a couple more songs, prayer time, and then a team meeting afterwards. The fellowship will have volunteer helpers for the very young children and infants during the meeting. We are welcoming all English-speaking people to attend (or multi-lingual, of course!). You may say to yourself, this sounds a lot like church! You would be correct. Since we can’t establish a church, we have a Christian Fellowship.
We are all looking forward to the fellowship times because it is such a blessing to worship God in our own language. We all love the Roma and Polish church, but of course, just as they need worship in their language, we do, as well.
This will make our already full Sundays, filled to running over with activity, but then we will appreciate Mondays more! You know very well, that no one has ever appreciated Mondays! Right?
We also planned a small Christmas party for the team so that everyone could get involved and enjoy time getting to know each other and having some fun time with games, good food, etc. We had a gift exchange and played the game where you may take another’s gift or choose from the tree. Having children’s gifts in the pot made it a lot of fun (hoping some one would take my gift of little toy cars!!). Thankfully, we have a five year old who eyed my little cars immediately. (wheeew) I chose someone else’s gift of Tabasco sauce for Allan and gee, I got to keep it!! He loves Tabasco on everything. You all probably remember that about him.
In the first Christmas Party for the CIF introduction, we had a lot of fun games, beautiful Christmas carols, and a little nativity play that even our team’s four month old played a part and was the ‘star’. Nathan Dowdy played baby Jesus, and he did a perfect job. The youth sang Silent Night as we recited Luke 2. The children did a fantastic job and I was very proud of them (especially since I was in charge of the play). I did a lot of praying you can be sure. During practice I had thought, “what have I gotten myself into?” God is so amazing!! He is forever glorified!
We did prayer walking around the city square and several blocks on the way there and back. We made a few trips to Zakopane and Tarno’v. These are cities where there are a few Roma villages. We had Bible study and prayer time with the Roma.
Ed and Ann Dayton, the couple I mentioned a few times before, graciously sent a check for the Roma for us to buy Christmas gifts for those under 15.
Allan and I shopped for the gifts and supplies, and the stores were so crowded that it was unbelievable. When it came time to check out, I kept letting people with only a few items in front of me, because we had so much in the carts.
It actually took three buying trips, but Jerry and Allan did the last one (PTL!). I never thought spending $500.00 could be so difficult! (hear that Lora??) It really CAN be difficult to spend money. We had to buy 53 toothbrushes and split them into age groups, etc. There were at least 53 children of varying ages to buy for. FUN, I say. Next year it will be more organized because this was an unexpected donation. Hopefully we can get any donations for Christmas in November or prior.
In addition to the above, Brenda and Jerry hosted their daughter’s wedding here in Krakow. It was quite an exciting time for the Goss family! Tara is getting married, Kristen coming also, from the states. Tara’s fiancée’s arrival, and all the activity going on for Christmas; well you can imagine the coordinating efforts involved.
Allan and I attended the wedding and had a wonderful time. It was in a beautiful hotel in the center of Old Krakow (well all of it is old!) The food was good (it seems all we had done in Dec was eat!!!), and everything was perfect for the bride and groom. They left the following morning for 10 days in Italy. (WOW)
The MK’s had a retreat just after barely recovering from Christmas and the wedding. I understand that it was not only fun for them but very busy as well. They had to get up at four or five a.m. to get in all the fun possible in their three days time.
We had a very quiet Christmas ourselves. Mark, the S.A. for the Baltic Region, had family from the states over to visit. The Goss family were blessed to be together again (except for Tara on her honeymoon!), others on the team either left on trips to visit family or friends.
We had a visitor in town; and not wanting her to be alone on Christmas we invited her here for a small Christmas dinner. She is a missionary from farther north in Poland. We had a good time talking about missions. She had been in Asia in the past, so we had a few things in common.
As for the office work in which I am involved; I’m still learning (trying that is). I will do my best, of course, but I am still not really ‘office material’.
I just want to honor and glorify God in what ever I do and in any way that I can. Please pray for me about this.
The conference in Poznan: I am so excited and looking forward to that! I have learned that Avi, from Jews for Jesus has been invited to speak on two different topics. He sent an e-mail saying that he will talk about how to best pray for his people and the call of the Jewish people. Doesn’t that sound exciting!!! We are truly looking forward to this conference. At the wedding we talked to a guy named Richard (Allan had met him before), and when we mentioned the conference, he wanted information about it, so I believe he plans to attend. For us, that would be yet another blessing. He speaks fluent English and could help us with translations.
Health: although this will bring us into January, we certainly want to tell you these bits of information. Allan is so happy about the shoe inserts he received! His feet are painful most of the time when he walks. He appreciates these gifts so much and so do I.
Since we are already into January; we received the three boxes from FBI Church in Indialantic. God Bless you all! Thank you from the bottom of our heart. I opened the huge box of Charmin and I just about died with excitement and from laughing. You are amazing!
For those who aren’t aware: we got gourmet coffee of every known flavor, Caribou Coffee bars, energy bars, CHARMIN, Peter Pan by the dozens of jars, books, DVD’s, sweet n’ low, long johns, spices, more than I can say. It was so wonderful opening the boxes with all the treats and oh, yes!!! I got Jergens lotion! We can’t thank you enough. We love you, and hopefully, you know that.
Lora sent movies, cards, and sweet n’ low!! We will have enough to last our three years and enough to share with those who love these things as much as we do!
I have just been getting over my third bout of laryngitis. I have been coughing a lot. I went to a Polish Dr., who speaks a little English. He gave me a prescription for an inhaler for use for three or four days to see if it helps. He also prescribed some cough medicine and lozenges. He said if I don’t improve on this, I’d begin antibiotics (they don’t use them here as much as in the states). I had a 102-103 temperature through the day and all night on Tuesday with aches, etc. but it seems to be on the mend. It’s just not a good way to start your year.
Praise Him for His Faithfulness!
Praise Him for His Love, Mercy, and Grace!
Praise Him for Our Family!
Praise Him for our Churches!
Praise Him for our Team here in Poland!
Praise Him for our Missionaries!
Praise Him for answered prayers!
Praise Him for the beauty of the Universe HE created for our pleasure!
Praise Him for His healing!
Praise Him for His Constant Presence!
Praise Him for His WORD!
Praise Him for the Lessons He teaches us!
Praise Him For He is Great and Greatly to be Praised!
Pray for Michael!
Pray for Lora and her family!
Pray for Health!
Pray for perseverance!
Pray for Poznan Conference!
Pray for the Roma!
Pray for this team in Krakow!
Pray for East Asia!
Pray for times of travel!
Pray for the New International Fellowship!
Pray for the Jewish Ministry!
Pray for our churches! Pray for each other!
Pray for our grandchildren!
Pray that we will see family soon!
Pray for Workers in the Harvest!
Pray that His WORD will be spread and the TRUTH be understood and Believed and accepted!
Please tell us HOW we can pray for you! You are so important to us, let us be part of sharing your burdens and taking them before the THRONE of GOD!
In Christ Alone My Hope is Found!
Sue and Allan
He said, “ Follow ME, and I will make you fishers of MEN.”
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Dec. Fishermens Line
http://www.fishermensline.blogspot.com/ Fishing in Poland!!
Greetings!
Have you ever been ice fishing? Today is a chilly 30 degrees here in Krakow, but I notice that it’s an even chillier 28 degrees in Michigan, where Lora, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane, live!
We always watch the weather on our pc desktop to monitor Lora and family and Michael, in his tropical 75 degrees!
Today is one of the busiest days of the week for us. Sundays we have two church services, travel to and from one house church, which is about two hours drive each way, then a meeting of the entire Krakow team at the end of the day! So much for rest! Therefore, we usually have our rest time, when possible, on Friday.
I’ll try to update everyone on our developments over the past month. My office helper, Ann, will not be coming to the field, most likely. She and her husband, Ed, still plan a short trip, maybe this summer. Ed just this past week (on the 6th of Dec.) had a tumor removed from his brain. It apparently was non-malignant, thankfully. They just don’t think it’s very likely they will come here to stay. Please be praying for Ed and Ann.
Another note about this lovely couple (whom we have only met once, and love them both dearly); they have donated a gift for the purchase of Christmas presents for the Roma children. Brenda, her daughters, and I will be doing the shopping for these gifts. Most likely, it will go for much needed items, and maybe a small treat that the children will appreciate.
Michael is very busy traveling for about a week at a time. He tells us he gets a big kick out of people thinking about him being in a beautiful, tropical island, with monster surf, and beautiful women! He has seen the beach once! He says knowing the waves are so big, is absolute torture, not being able to even see them! He says, ‘it’s so different than how I used to be, when surf was up, I was there, and now, I’m being so responsible!” Allan told him, “We all have our cross to bear!”
I have been telling him that he will have a time of R&R, and that he’ll be able to do that, Lord willing, of course. Anyway, he’s doing great and still loving his work for the Lord. Pray for him and for the lost souls of his area.
Lora tells us that she put up her Christmas tree. I haven’t seen a picture of it yet (Lora?!), but she always does a beautiful tree. This year it is filled with natural decorations, pine cones, etc.
I have been in touch with one of the representatives for Jews for Jesus, here in the European region. Allan and I are hoping to meet him at the conference in Poznan, in January. I am still not sure where God will take this desire to minister to the Jewish people of Poland, but He has already placed several people in my life, that are even connected to each other, across oceans and country boundaries!
It seems by our conversation on Skype, that he knows the lady here in Poland that I have been in touch with through e-mail! When we discovered this, it was clear that it was God at work.
Allan and Jerry are hard at work with the Roma people. They have a Bible study on Tuesday and Thursday evening. They also attend the 3rd Baptist Church on Sundays (the Roma), and they often try to attend the house church in Tarno’v.
Last Saturday we attended another baptism of 5 Roma and 3 Polish believers. It is a blessing to see them follow Jesus’ example of obedience to be baptized.
The really wonderful thing that happened on that Saturday, was that the pastor of the Baptist church in this nearby town (about 45 min. away from Krakow), wants to get involved in a Roma outreach! He said it was a divine intervention that Allan and Jerry came there. He told Allan that the little city is full of Roma. Allan asked if there are any Roma believers there, and he said, “not even one, that I know of!” Please pray for this opportunity to further this outreach of this persecuted people. Please also pray for this pastor, who has such a heart. He seems to be most humble! Also pray for his church and the believers that they, too, will share his vision of reaching these people.
Most of the Roma are too poor to tithe much, but they contribute greatly to the church’s ministry. They usually struggle with daily survival in a world of extremely high costs of living, and no healthcare, very little government aid, etc.
Our Strategy Associate, Mark and his wife Susie, have family here for the rest of Dec. Jerry and Brenda, have their two daughters here from the states. One of the daughters, Tara, is getting married on the 21st. Her fiancée’ Will, is here also. We will attend Tara and Will’s wedding and after the ceremony, they will fly to Rome for 10 days then back to America.
I’m not sure what Allan and I will be doing for Christmas. We will miss our family so much, that I am hoping we can take a drive to somewhere nearby. I was hoping Austria for only a night or two, but it’s about 8 hours drive. I’m not sure we would have the time. If not, then maybe we can make a trip to Zakopane. Zakopane is in the Tatra’s, part of the Carpathian Mountain Range. It’s a beautiful little ski village and will be completely decorated for Christmas. I don’t think I’d get on skis, however, but a ride on the lift should be safe enough for my bones!
We are having a Christmas party on the 16th to announce the opening of the New International Fellowship here in Krakow. Please pray for this fellowship! It will be our worship time in our own language, and wow!, do we ever need that!
It will be an English-speaking fellowship, and we’ll have music and a message that we can understand. I know, more than ever what Paul is talking about when he talks about someone in the congregation who cannot understand without an interpreter. If there is no interpreter, how can one be edified?
Usually, in the services, we can pick out a word or two, and if we listen extremely carefully, we may be able to tell what book and chapter they are reading from! The numbers here are very long and they speak rapidly. It’s very difficult to understand, so often, someone (usually Jerry) will lean over and whisper to us which book, chapter and verse, so we can at least follow in our own Bible. Please pray for us in this too!
I believe that is about all for this month. Oh, one more thing though. The office is pretty well set up. We also have two or three rooms where guests can stay. If anyone wants to come for a mission trip, visit, etc. we can accommodate you with bed and breakfast at least! Allan and I will also have one extra room. Everyone here would be happy to help out to keep expenses down.
Please pray about sending a small group in July for the Roma camp! There is much to do and if anyone has musical skills of any kind, it would be awesome to have you help out! Please pray, also, that Lora, Jim, and the boys can come over this summer! Ryan wants to be here for the Roma camp, to help us with that. They also want to return to Lake Ann Camp this summer. I’m praying that this will all work out. (Ps.37:4-5!!!)
Thank you so much for your prayers, and we both want to know, how can we pray for you? Please let us know. We will certainly pray! Pray for our prayer team, that we will be faithful in intercessory prayer! Prayer is our foundation, and all work must be based on His plan and direction!
God bless you one and all! Have a wonderful Christmas! (Lu.2:1-16). John 12:27.
I have inserted two or three pictures of Zakopane. This is where we go to visit with Roma believers. There are several towns and villages where there are believers, thanks to LOTTIE MOON and the generous gifts of the believers back in America. Pray for LOTTIE MOON offering this year. Pray that the offerings will exceed beyond our imagination. We know, first hand, what this Christmas offering accomplishes worldwide. God uses this wonderful offering to spread His Word to those who are lost and desperate and without hope. LOTTIE MOON makes visiting villages and nearly impossible to reach, out of the way places, possible! LOTTIE MOON gives missionaries all over the world a chance to do HIS work un-hindered, as it should be done!
Please prayerfully consider your giving this year! Please remember what Jesus meant when HE said in Matthew 24:14 “and this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto ALL Nations; and then the end shall come”
In His Great Unfailing Love,
Sue and Allan
Greetings!
Have you ever been ice fishing? Today is a chilly 30 degrees here in Krakow, but I notice that it’s an even chillier 28 degrees in Michigan, where Lora, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane, live!
We always watch the weather on our pc desktop to monitor Lora and family and Michael, in his tropical 75 degrees!
Today is one of the busiest days of the week for us. Sundays we have two church services, travel to and from one house church, which is about two hours drive each way, then a meeting of the entire Krakow team at the end of the day! So much for rest! Therefore, we usually have our rest time, when possible, on Friday.
I’ll try to update everyone on our developments over the past month. My office helper, Ann, will not be coming to the field, most likely. She and her husband, Ed, still plan a short trip, maybe this summer. Ed just this past week (on the 6th of Dec.) had a tumor removed from his brain. It apparently was non-malignant, thankfully. They just don’t think it’s very likely they will come here to stay. Please be praying for Ed and Ann.
Another note about this lovely couple (whom we have only met once, and love them both dearly); they have donated a gift for the purchase of Christmas presents for the Roma children. Brenda, her daughters, and I will be doing the shopping for these gifts. Most likely, it will go for much needed items, and maybe a small treat that the children will appreciate.
Michael is very busy traveling for about a week at a time. He tells us he gets a big kick out of people thinking about him being in a beautiful, tropical island, with monster surf, and beautiful women! He has seen the beach once! He says knowing the waves are so big, is absolute torture, not being able to even see them! He says, ‘it’s so different than how I used to be, when surf was up, I was there, and now, I’m being so responsible!” Allan told him, “We all have our cross to bear!”
I have been telling him that he will have a time of R&R, and that he’ll be able to do that, Lord willing, of course. Anyway, he’s doing great and still loving his work for the Lord. Pray for him and for the lost souls of his area.
Lora tells us that she put up her Christmas tree. I haven’t seen a picture of it yet (Lora?!), but she always does a beautiful tree. This year it is filled with natural decorations, pine cones, etc.
I have been in touch with one of the representatives for Jews for Jesus, here in the European region. Allan and I are hoping to meet him at the conference in Poznan, in January. I am still not sure where God will take this desire to minister to the Jewish people of Poland, but He has already placed several people in my life, that are even connected to each other, across oceans and country boundaries!
It seems by our conversation on Skype, that he knows the lady here in Poland that I have been in touch with through e-mail! When we discovered this, it was clear that it was God at work.
Allan and Jerry are hard at work with the Roma people. They have a Bible study on Tuesday and Thursday evening. They also attend the 3rd Baptist Church on Sundays (the Roma), and they often try to attend the house church in Tarno’v.
Last Saturday we attended another baptism of 5 Roma and 3 Polish believers. It is a blessing to see them follow Jesus’ example of obedience to be baptized.
The really wonderful thing that happened on that Saturday, was that the pastor of the Baptist church in this nearby town (about 45 min. away from Krakow), wants to get involved in a Roma outreach! He said it was a divine intervention that Allan and Jerry came there. He told Allan that the little city is full of Roma. Allan asked if there are any Roma believers there, and he said, “not even one, that I know of!” Please pray for this opportunity to further this outreach of this persecuted people. Please also pray for this pastor, who has such a heart. He seems to be most humble! Also pray for his church and the believers that they, too, will share his vision of reaching these people.
Most of the Roma are too poor to tithe much, but they contribute greatly to the church’s ministry. They usually struggle with daily survival in a world of extremely high costs of living, and no healthcare, very little government aid, etc.
Our Strategy Associate, Mark and his wife Susie, have family here for the rest of Dec. Jerry and Brenda, have their two daughters here from the states. One of the daughters, Tara, is getting married on the 21st. Her fiancée’ Will, is here also. We will attend Tara and Will’s wedding and after the ceremony, they will fly to Rome for 10 days then back to America.
I’m not sure what Allan and I will be doing for Christmas. We will miss our family so much, that I am hoping we can take a drive to somewhere nearby. I was hoping Austria for only a night or two, but it’s about 8 hours drive. I’m not sure we would have the time. If not, then maybe we can make a trip to Zakopane. Zakopane is in the Tatra’s, part of the Carpathian Mountain Range. It’s a beautiful little ski village and will be completely decorated for Christmas. I don’t think I’d get on skis, however, but a ride on the lift should be safe enough for my bones!
We are having a Christmas party on the 16th to announce the opening of the New International Fellowship here in Krakow. Please pray for this fellowship! It will be our worship time in our own language, and wow!, do we ever need that!
It will be an English-speaking fellowship, and we’ll have music and a message that we can understand. I know, more than ever what Paul is talking about when he talks about someone in the congregation who cannot understand without an interpreter. If there is no interpreter, how can one be edified?
Usually, in the services, we can pick out a word or two, and if we listen extremely carefully, we may be able to tell what book and chapter they are reading from! The numbers here are very long and they speak rapidly. It’s very difficult to understand, so often, someone (usually Jerry) will lean over and whisper to us which book, chapter and verse, so we can at least follow in our own Bible. Please pray for us in this too!
I believe that is about all for this month. Oh, one more thing though. The office is pretty well set up. We also have two or three rooms where guests can stay. If anyone wants to come for a mission trip, visit, etc. we can accommodate you with bed and breakfast at least! Allan and I will also have one extra room. Everyone here would be happy to help out to keep expenses down.
Please pray about sending a small group in July for the Roma camp! There is much to do and if anyone has musical skills of any kind, it would be awesome to have you help out! Please pray, also, that Lora, Jim, and the boys can come over this summer! Ryan wants to be here for the Roma camp, to help us with that. They also want to return to Lake Ann Camp this summer. I’m praying that this will all work out. (Ps.37:4-5!!!)
Thank you so much for your prayers, and we both want to know, how can we pray for you? Please let us know. We will certainly pray! Pray for our prayer team, that we will be faithful in intercessory prayer! Prayer is our foundation, and all work must be based on His plan and direction!
God bless you one and all! Have a wonderful Christmas! (Lu.2:1-16). John 12:27.
I have inserted two or three pictures of Zakopane. This is where we go to visit with Roma believers. There are several towns and villages where there are believers, thanks to LOTTIE MOON and the generous gifts of the believers back in America. Pray for LOTTIE MOON offering this year. Pray that the offerings will exceed beyond our imagination. We know, first hand, what this Christmas offering accomplishes worldwide. God uses this wonderful offering to spread His Word to those who are lost and desperate and without hope. LOTTIE MOON makes visiting villages and nearly impossible to reach, out of the way places, possible! LOTTIE MOON gives missionaries all over the world a chance to do HIS work un-hindered, as it should be done!
Please prayerfully consider your giving this year! Please remember what Jesus meant when HE said in Matthew 24:14 “and this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto ALL Nations; and then the end shall come”
In His Great Unfailing Love,
Sue and Allan
Matt. 4:19
Pray for Discernment Praise Him for His Mercy!
Pray for our family Praise Him for He is Great!
Pray for the people of Poland Praise Him for His Blessings!
Pray for the Jewish People Praise Him for new believers!
Pray for the Roma Praise Him for Answers!
Pray for Discernment Praise Him for His Mercy!
Pray for our family Praise Him for He is Great!
Pray for the people of Poland Praise Him for His Blessings!
Pray for the Jewish People Praise Him for new believers!
Pray for the Roma Praise Him for Answers!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Fishers of Men
As I have contemplated my Fishermens Line ( now I must apologize because I have contemplated this for quite some time!), I realize that not weeks but months have gone by and so very quickly!
I will do my best to update the past weeks and inform you of the anticipated events of the coming weeks as well.
Let me go back to May. On the 8th of May we had the great pleasure of our son, Michael, coming to spend the summer with us. Michael is now in orientation in Virginia preparing for the field in October. (II Timothy 2:2 and II Timothy 2:15)
During Michael's time here we had many wonderful times together. We enjoyed a summer concert in the park. The concert was in Midland, Michigan. The weather was near perfect. The Christian musicians were wonderful and inspirational, the worship was fantastic. Ryan and Ian attended the concert with us (and Allan, of course!).
We worked on the house, went to a couple of movies, had cook-outs, dinner at Lora's a few times, sleep-overs with the grandsons, celebrated Michael and Allan's birthdays, took short trips ,shopped at local orchards...and oh, yes, Michael and I picked strawberries at a local strawberry farm! What fun that was! Michael made smoothies for us (several times) and we still have strawberries left in the freezer!
We have had many evenings of just sitting around talking about our upcoming journey (Michael to Asia and us to Poland). Michael took the boys (Ryan, Ian, and Zane) to Bertha Brock Park to run and swim with Cane (Michael's dog). They played basketball,played miniature golf, saw a baseball game, and Michael and Ryan went to a concert in Grand Rapids.
Shortly after Michael arrived we had to leave for a trip to Oregon to see Allan's sister. We had tickets to fly to Portland, Or. We spent ten very much needed restful days there....well, Allan certainly needed them!!
Allan fished on the Columbia River and wonder of wonders...he caught an eleven foot sturgeon!! He fought it for over two hours! He was so exhausted by the time the fish finally gave up! I prayed for him to pull it in, mostly for all the hard work he's been doing on this house...I felt so strongly that he just needed a little reward like that (you can't keep a sturgeon that big, but for Allan, it's all about the sport, anyway). Anyway, God allowed this wonderful gift for him and I'm so happy about it. The best part of it all, is the witness that Allan gave before his sister and her husband, Ed: "it wasn't me, it was God that allowed it! He gave me the strength to keep fighting with the fish and pull it in."
We had a great time in Oregon. We passed field after field of the most beautiful, vividly bright colored Iris's. They were deep reds, oranges, purples, lavenders, yellows and whites. As far as you could see, the colors blazed in the sunlight. The mountains were so beautiful! On the Columbia River, you are near an area where you can see Washington's Mt. Rainier and to me, that's always an awesome sight.
We went to one of my favorite places in Oregon; Newport Beach on the coast. It was much busier than when I had seen it a few years ago. This time it was bustling with summer activity...last time I saw it, there was very little activity, it was very cold and foggy, misty, and winter was in the air.
As we returned to Portland, Michigan and our family, I was happy to be home again.....back to my grand babies, Lora, Michael, and Jim...and back to work on the house and at the hospital (well, maybe not so glad to be back at the hospital). Although I still love nursing, I'm not that crazy about this hospital.
Lora and I had a very special time going to "The Melting Pot" for a ladies dinner night out. It was wonderfully delicious. We had such a good relaxing time just talking and talking more! I always enjoy spending time with her. She needed the quiet time away. Uncle 'Mikey' watched Ryan, Ian, and Zane for her. He stayed the night and even cooked breakfast for everyone the next morning! What a great uncle...they miss him already!
Jim is now in Oklahoma for training for the reserves. Please pray for him during this time away from his family. We miss him, terribly. The boys and Lora want him home, so we hope this happens soon! Pray for his knee. He's been having some pain since doing all the running required for physical training. Pray for strength and to be pain free! Pray for his witness among the other military men. He was able (very blessed!) to lead someone to Christ during his time there...it makes me think of Paul in Rome (under so- called house arrest, which I prefer to think of as God's protective custody, as he preached the WORD boldly in chains!), so while Jim is training; may he speak the WORD of GOD boldly to his friends and co-laborers of the reserves, and redeem wisely, his time there in Oklahoma!
This month (August) we signed a contract with a local realtor, Randy Sandborn (please pray for Randy as he tries to sell the house!!). We have had some pictures in the paper, but since it's still not completely finished, it's difficult to show everything.
You know, this house has taken about a year, now. Let me tell you why:
The long, hard, cold, windy, wet, snowy winter. The fact that Allan has been doing all the work himself.....NO sub-contractors at all! Well there was one, the drywaller (Allan hates doing drywall). Allan has done the plans, the layout, the permits, the foundation, the walls, the roof and roofing, the garage, the entire framing, trim, electrical system, plumbing system, air conditioner/heating system, painting, cabinets, tile, wood flooring, deck, fireplace and mantle,the entire house with very minimal help. He was up on the roof (not only building the roof, but roofing it, too,) in some pretty scary weather!
He is the hardest most dedicated worker I have ever known. Anyone who knows Allan, knows this about him. God has certainly blessed him with not only a wide variety of skills, but also with a love of hard work, intelligence, and common sense. Many times through the cold to freezing winter days, I have questioned this common sense....but I am so thankful to God for my husband and his desire to accomplish whatever he feels that God has set before him to do.
Our 40th anniversary will soon be here (Sept.1, 1967!!!), and over the years of our marriage, I have had many people tell me what a hard worker Allan is, and I tell them: "You don't know but half of it, I know better than anyone how hard he has worked and how determined and dedicated he is! I thank God for him everyday!"
You know this didn't start out to be a newsletter dedicated to my husband and how special he is, but maybe this is what God has led me to say. My family has always been the heart of my world. God has blessed us with two beautiful and precious children, a wonderful son in law, who is like a son to us, and three beautiful and precious little grandsons.
He has blessed us with family all over the world. He has given us, not a hundred fold, but a thousand fold in loved ones!
Now for the plans that are upcoming, Lord willing! Michael plans to return to Michigan for one night to pick up the rest of his luggage and will depart from Detroit on October 4th. PLEASE pray for him! Pray without ceasing!
He will be in his new home away on October 6th. Pray for his safety, protection, witness, lost souls to be led to him for hearing the Word through the Holy Spirit. Pray for his health. Pray for discernment.
The day after Michael leaves from Detroit, we will leave from Lansing. We'll fly to Chicago then on to Germany, then to Krakow. PLEASE pray for Lora, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane as we leave them back home to carry on here. Pray for peace that passes all understanding...the peace that only Jesus Christ can give to us! Pray for their health, their safety, pray that they will be able to come see us! Pray for us for safe travel, for lost souls who seek to know the truth will learn that there is only ONE way and that is through Jesus...that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Pray for Asia and for Europe! Pray for us as we carry out the Lord's Plan in Krakow!!!
Pray for us as we try to sell our 'stuff' once again! Pray for our witness; that we WILL always be salt and light! Pray that we will walk worthy of the calling! Rejoice always in the Lord! Pray without ceasing!
And HE saith unto them, "follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" Matt.4:19
In His Great Love,
sue
The Fishermens Line
I will do my best to update the past weeks and inform you of the anticipated events of the coming weeks as well.
Let me go back to May. On the 8th of May we had the great pleasure of our son, Michael, coming to spend the summer with us. Michael is now in orientation in Virginia preparing for the field in October. (II Timothy 2:2 and II Timothy 2:15)
During Michael's time here we had many wonderful times together. We enjoyed a summer concert in the park. The concert was in Midland, Michigan. The weather was near perfect. The Christian musicians were wonderful and inspirational, the worship was fantastic. Ryan and Ian attended the concert with us (and Allan, of course!).
We worked on the house, went to a couple of movies, had cook-outs, dinner at Lora's a few times, sleep-overs with the grandsons, celebrated Michael and Allan's birthdays, took short trips ,shopped at local orchards...and oh, yes, Michael and I picked strawberries at a local strawberry farm! What fun that was! Michael made smoothies for us (several times) and we still have strawberries left in the freezer!
We have had many evenings of just sitting around talking about our upcoming journey (Michael to Asia and us to Poland). Michael took the boys (Ryan, Ian, and Zane) to Bertha Brock Park to run and swim with Cane (Michael's dog). They played basketball,played miniature golf, saw a baseball game, and Michael and Ryan went to a concert in Grand Rapids.
Shortly after Michael arrived we had to leave for a trip to Oregon to see Allan's sister. We had tickets to fly to Portland, Or. We spent ten very much needed restful days there....well, Allan certainly needed them!!
Allan fished on the Columbia River and wonder of wonders...he caught an eleven foot sturgeon!! He fought it for over two hours! He was so exhausted by the time the fish finally gave up! I prayed for him to pull it in, mostly for all the hard work he's been doing on this house...I felt so strongly that he just needed a little reward like that (you can't keep a sturgeon that big, but for Allan, it's all about the sport, anyway). Anyway, God allowed this wonderful gift for him and I'm so happy about it. The best part of it all, is the witness that Allan gave before his sister and her husband, Ed: "it wasn't me, it was God that allowed it! He gave me the strength to keep fighting with the fish and pull it in."
We had a great time in Oregon. We passed field after field of the most beautiful, vividly bright colored Iris's. They were deep reds, oranges, purples, lavenders, yellows and whites. As far as you could see, the colors blazed in the sunlight. The mountains were so beautiful! On the Columbia River, you are near an area where you can see Washington's Mt. Rainier and to me, that's always an awesome sight.
We went to one of my favorite places in Oregon; Newport Beach on the coast. It was much busier than when I had seen it a few years ago. This time it was bustling with summer activity...last time I saw it, there was very little activity, it was very cold and foggy, misty, and winter was in the air.
As we returned to Portland, Michigan and our family, I was happy to be home again.....back to my grand babies, Lora, Michael, and Jim...and back to work on the house and at the hospital (well, maybe not so glad to be back at the hospital). Although I still love nursing, I'm not that crazy about this hospital.
Lora and I had a very special time going to "The Melting Pot" for a ladies dinner night out. It was wonderfully delicious. We had such a good relaxing time just talking and talking more! I always enjoy spending time with her. She needed the quiet time away. Uncle 'Mikey' watched Ryan, Ian, and Zane for her. He stayed the night and even cooked breakfast for everyone the next morning! What a great uncle...they miss him already!
Jim is now in Oklahoma for training for the reserves. Please pray for him during this time away from his family. We miss him, terribly. The boys and Lora want him home, so we hope this happens soon! Pray for his knee. He's been having some pain since doing all the running required for physical training. Pray for strength and to be pain free! Pray for his witness among the other military men. He was able (very blessed!) to lead someone to Christ during his time there...it makes me think of Paul in Rome (under so- called house arrest, which I prefer to think of as God's protective custody, as he preached the WORD boldly in chains!), so while Jim is training; may he speak the WORD of GOD boldly to his friends and co-laborers of the reserves, and redeem wisely, his time there in Oklahoma!
This month (August) we signed a contract with a local realtor, Randy Sandborn (please pray for Randy as he tries to sell the house!!). We have had some pictures in the paper, but since it's still not completely finished, it's difficult to show everything.
You know, this house has taken about a year, now. Let me tell you why:
The long, hard, cold, windy, wet, snowy winter. The fact that Allan has been doing all the work himself.....NO sub-contractors at all! Well there was one, the drywaller (Allan hates doing drywall). Allan has done the plans, the layout, the permits, the foundation, the walls, the roof and roofing, the garage, the entire framing, trim, electrical system, plumbing system, air conditioner/heating system, painting, cabinets, tile, wood flooring, deck, fireplace and mantle,the entire house with very minimal help. He was up on the roof (not only building the roof, but roofing it, too,) in some pretty scary weather!
He is the hardest most dedicated worker I have ever known. Anyone who knows Allan, knows this about him. God has certainly blessed him with not only a wide variety of skills, but also with a love of hard work, intelligence, and common sense. Many times through the cold to freezing winter days, I have questioned this common sense....but I am so thankful to God for my husband and his desire to accomplish whatever he feels that God has set before him to do.
Our 40th anniversary will soon be here (Sept.1, 1967!!!), and over the years of our marriage, I have had many people tell me what a hard worker Allan is, and I tell them: "You don't know but half of it, I know better than anyone how hard he has worked and how determined and dedicated he is! I thank God for him everyday!"
You know this didn't start out to be a newsletter dedicated to my husband and how special he is, but maybe this is what God has led me to say. My family has always been the heart of my world. God has blessed us with two beautiful and precious children, a wonderful son in law, who is like a son to us, and three beautiful and precious little grandsons.
He has blessed us with family all over the world. He has given us, not a hundred fold, but a thousand fold in loved ones!
Now for the plans that are upcoming, Lord willing! Michael plans to return to Michigan for one night to pick up the rest of his luggage and will depart from Detroit on October 4th. PLEASE pray for him! Pray without ceasing!
He will be in his new home away on October 6th. Pray for his safety, protection, witness, lost souls to be led to him for hearing the Word through the Holy Spirit. Pray for his health. Pray for discernment.
The day after Michael leaves from Detroit, we will leave from Lansing. We'll fly to Chicago then on to Germany, then to Krakow. PLEASE pray for Lora, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane as we leave them back home to carry on here. Pray for peace that passes all understanding...the peace that only Jesus Christ can give to us! Pray for their health, their safety, pray that they will be able to come see us! Pray for us for safe travel, for lost souls who seek to know the truth will learn that there is only ONE way and that is through Jesus...that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Pray for Asia and for Europe! Pray for us as we carry out the Lord's Plan in Krakow!!!
Pray for us as we try to sell our 'stuff' once again! Pray for our witness; that we WILL always be salt and light! Pray that we will walk worthy of the calling! Rejoice always in the Lord! Pray without ceasing!
And HE saith unto them, "follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" Matt.4:19
In His Great Love,
sue
The Fishermens Line
Thursday, May 03, 2007
How Times Have Changed!
Can you believe this is the Weaver family? How many years ago do you think this was taken?
The sunset was at our condo in Melbourne Beach in 2003. Isn't it just beautiful!! Our God is such an artist and what landscapes He has created in His divine love for us. Can you imagine what heaven must be like! I can only imagine that it is un-imaginable! When I see the beauty of His creation on earth and in the skies and seas...I long for heaven more than words can ever tell.
I just finished reading the book "90 Minutes in Heaven". It was a truly wonderful book that made me cry like a baby most of the time. How much suffering the author, Don, must have gone through, and such after experiencing heaven for 90 minutes! It reminded me of Paul, and Jesus telling him "what things he must suffer for my name's sake", and also of Paul telling of the man he knew who had been to heaven (whether in the body or out of the body, he did not know), and how he saw things un-speakable and was given the thorn in his side to keep him humble after being so honored as to get a glimpse of heaven.
As I read the book, I wondered (yet I think I know the answer!!), would Don trade the experience in heaven, to come back to earth and life here, pain free? I think he would choose to keep the heavenly experience!!! I am certain that God allowed him this experience for a purpose far greater than we can imagine. His witness will be far-reaching into the future. I have no doubts what-so-ever of the authenticity of his literally being in heaven for that 90 minutes, then returning to this life on earth....after all he was prayed through by a Southern Baptist!(God had spoken to him through his heart to pray for the man in the accident). I have heard of many miracles since going into the mission field, I firmly believe in them, because I have it on good authority that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that HE can do anything. That He is sovereign. That He is omniscient. That He is omnipresent. That He is omnipotent. He is Lord. He is the creator. He is coming back someday to take us to that place of indescribable beauty, where eye hath not seen, nor entered into the heart of man the place God has prepared for us....and we shall worship The King of Kings and sing praises to Him forever. What hope we have IN Him! Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
In His Love for His Glory!
The Fishermens Line
Is. 30:21, Eph. 4:30
Pray for us as we continue to prepare to leave in October. Pray for our children and grandchildren...for peace, for the time we will be together again, and for God's perfect will in all of our lives, to seek Him in all of our decisions, and to please Him in all that we do, to glorify Him by the life we live for Him. Pray for the house to sell as quickly as it is finished (and pray for it to get finished soon!). Pray for Michael as he prepares to leave in October, also.
Pray for wisdom, discernment, and a faith that will never fail when tested. Pray for souls for His Kingdom!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Grace to You, A Gift from God, Your Father!
Greetings!
May you walk by faith and not by sight!
Romans 6:23 says; "for the wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through JESUS CHRIST, our LORD"
We can not buy this gift We can not pay enough penance. We can not suffer enough for it. We can not give enough, and we can not do enough to earn this gift. It is unmerited, undeserved, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to obtain this free gift......but to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and savior of all mankind (whosoever will believe on Him), to know that he died for our sins, he paid the penalty, once for all, the perfect and final sacrifice! To know that He was raised from the dead, and became the victor over sin and the grave for us; to know the Holy One is understanding!
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that NOT of yourselves, it is the GIFT of GOD, not of works lest any man should boast" You may walk a million miles barefoot, you may climb a million mountains, you may fast until you are a wisp of flesh, but it will do you no good! You may pay alms or gifts to the poor until you have not a penny, and these are good, but they will not bring salvation, forgiveness, or righteousness.
We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None is righteous. We have disobeyed the God of the universe, the creator of all things. The only way to have a relationship with Him is through Jesus. Jesus paid our sin debt once and for all. In John 14:6 we read that Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME" There is no saint, no prophet, no ritual that will get you through to the Father....only through Christ Jesus will the Father receive you or your petitions! Only through Him will you ever be saved and receive eternal life!
There is ONE mediator between man and God: I Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the one Christ Jesus."
There is one Father, therefore Jesus said in Matthew 23:9, "And call no man your Father upon this earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven."
Jesus, Himself says that HE stands at the door and knocks, there is no other who can do this! Revelation 3:20 tells us; "behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with Me."
Jesus has this free gift of salvation, eternal life, and we just need to answer His call and receive the gift! We are accountable for our salvation. The Bible says that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father (Phillipians 2:10-12)Wouldn't you rather bow to Him now, than at judgement day..unsaved!?
Work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling! Why would you allow someone else to tell you about your own salvation...something that is so critical, so eternal? Why would you not want to know the truth for yourself? II Timothy 2:15 tells you to study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the WORD of TRUTH! (Remember; JESUS is the WORD and JESUS is the TRUTH!) The Word is living and dynamic. Study it for yourself! Hunger and thirst for it!
I do not bow or pray before icons or idols! God says that we are to have no other Gods, and that we are not to make an image or an idol to pray before (or to). in Exodus 20:4-5 we read, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or likeness....thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them..." We, as humans can also set up idols in our hearts and minds, we must not allow this to happen, either. Christ will help us guard our hearts and minds. (Phillipians 4:6-7)
Isaiah tells us that God has said that anyone who makes a graven image (or icon) shall be ashamed and it is vanity. Read Isaiah chapter 44!
Isaiah also tells us that He was wounded for our transgressions and He was bruised for our iniquity.( Isaiah ch. 53) Jesus is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. He did this for me! What more could be added to what He did? He said on the cross, "it is finished!" He was the perfect, sinless sacrifice. His work on the cross completed the atonement, satisfied the wrath of a Holy and Righteous God, He bought us with His life, He paid the debt...we can pay no more!
When we confess our sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and when we repent (meaning a complete surrender and turning from sin), and when we ask Him to be Lord of our life, when we walk in newness of life with Christ as our strength and the Holy Spirit as our guide and counselor, when we are baptised into Him and are raised in Him, we are a new creature.
Let us live as new creatures. Let us "be ye Holy, for I am Holy".
I Corinthians 3:17-18 says, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is Holy, which temple you are"
It is my prayer that anyone reading this may hunger for "the Bread of Heaven" and may thirst for "The Living Water" The book of John says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was GOD, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-14).
Jesus IS the Word, He IS the BREAD of LIFE. He IS the Living Water. If we consume His WORD, if we desire to know HIM, He will reveal Himself to us (Jeremiah 33:3; "call unto Me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not")
Life is so short and our time on earth is but a wisp, a fleeting moment, and we are gone....we can not put off so great a thing as our salvation! We live and breathe and have our being in Him!
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:16-17
The Fishermens Line
May you walk by faith and not by sight!
Romans 6:23 says; "for the wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through JESUS CHRIST, our LORD"
We can not buy this gift We can not pay enough penance. We can not suffer enough for it. We can not give enough, and we can not do enough to earn this gift. It is unmerited, undeserved, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to obtain this free gift......but to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and savior of all mankind (whosoever will believe on Him), to know that he died for our sins, he paid the penalty, once for all, the perfect and final sacrifice! To know that He was raised from the dead, and became the victor over sin and the grave for us; to know the Holy One is understanding!
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that NOT of yourselves, it is the GIFT of GOD, not of works lest any man should boast" You may walk a million miles barefoot, you may climb a million mountains, you may fast until you are a wisp of flesh, but it will do you no good! You may pay alms or gifts to the poor until you have not a penny, and these are good, but they will not bring salvation, forgiveness, or righteousness.
We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None is righteous. We have disobeyed the God of the universe, the creator of all things. The only way to have a relationship with Him is through Jesus. Jesus paid our sin debt once and for all. In John 14:6 we read that Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME" There is no saint, no prophet, no ritual that will get you through to the Father....only through Christ Jesus will the Father receive you or your petitions! Only through Him will you ever be saved and receive eternal life!
There is ONE mediator between man and God: I Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the one Christ Jesus."
There is one Father, therefore Jesus said in Matthew 23:9, "And call no man your Father upon this earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven."
Jesus, Himself says that HE stands at the door and knocks, there is no other who can do this! Revelation 3:20 tells us; "behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with Me."
Jesus has this free gift of salvation, eternal life, and we just need to answer His call and receive the gift! We are accountable for our salvation. The Bible says that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father (Phillipians 2:10-12)Wouldn't you rather bow to Him now, than at judgement day..unsaved!?
Work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling! Why would you allow someone else to tell you about your own salvation...something that is so critical, so eternal? Why would you not want to know the truth for yourself? II Timothy 2:15 tells you to study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the WORD of TRUTH! (Remember; JESUS is the WORD and JESUS is the TRUTH!) The Word is living and dynamic. Study it for yourself! Hunger and thirst for it!
I do not bow or pray before icons or idols! God says that we are to have no other Gods, and that we are not to make an image or an idol to pray before (or to). in Exodus 20:4-5 we read, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or likeness....thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them..." We, as humans can also set up idols in our hearts and minds, we must not allow this to happen, either. Christ will help us guard our hearts and minds. (Phillipians 4:6-7)
Isaiah tells us that God has said that anyone who makes a graven image (or icon) shall be ashamed and it is vanity. Read Isaiah chapter 44!
Isaiah also tells us that He was wounded for our transgressions and He was bruised for our iniquity.( Isaiah ch. 53) Jesus is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. He did this for me! What more could be added to what He did? He said on the cross, "it is finished!" He was the perfect, sinless sacrifice. His work on the cross completed the atonement, satisfied the wrath of a Holy and Righteous God, He bought us with His life, He paid the debt...we can pay no more!
When we confess our sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and when we repent (meaning a complete surrender and turning from sin), and when we ask Him to be Lord of our life, when we walk in newness of life with Christ as our strength and the Holy Spirit as our guide and counselor, when we are baptised into Him and are raised in Him, we are a new creature.
Let us live as new creatures. Let us "be ye Holy, for I am Holy".
I Corinthians 3:17-18 says, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is Holy, which temple you are"
It is my prayer that anyone reading this may hunger for "the Bread of Heaven" and may thirst for "The Living Water" The book of John says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was GOD, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-14).
Jesus IS the Word, He IS the BREAD of LIFE. He IS the Living Water. If we consume His WORD, if we desire to know HIM, He will reveal Himself to us (Jeremiah 33:3; "call unto Me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not")
Life is so short and our time on earth is but a wisp, a fleeting moment, and we are gone....we can not put off so great a thing as our salvation! We live and breathe and have our being in Him!
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:16-17
The Fishermens Line
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Knowledge and Wisdom
A few weeks ago I felt the strong urge to lie face down, prostrate, before the Lord, to pray.
I had been feeling that there was something God wanted to show me. All my life, I have been an avid reader, and one who digs deeply into every thing in which I have an interest. I cross-reference and cross-reference until I'm nearly cross-eyed and confused as to where my study began and what am I doing now....how did I ever get into this new subject!?
As I lay there praying that day, I felt as if God wanted me to go to Proverbs...read it all carefully and then go to James and read it with equal care. I thought to myself: "Proverbs and James?" What do they have to do with each other? (aside from the fact that ALL the Word of God is connected!)
As I read Proverbs (which I had previously studied at least a dozen times or more), I began to underline many verses, then I began to see a pattern in what I was underlining. I thought, "ok, here are a lot of little encouraging tid-bits I can share with Lora and Jim about raisng children"
Little did I know that God was leading me into some 'tid-bits' for myself!
I read more and underlined furiously (my KJV is completely covered in markings in Proverbs, now!!). I read all of Proverbs and moved on to James. As I began to underline things in James, I saw the same pattern as I was being led to understand in Proverbs. Then I read in my Bible (which has an 'outstanding facts' section) that James is considered, by many, to be "The Proverbs of the New Testament" !!! Something I didn't know when I was 'called' to read them together!
The common thread that God had revealed to me is that "discretion shall preserve thee; understanding shall keep thee"
Now, I have always worked in the health profession; confidentiality and discretion are one of the trademarks of a good nurse! I have always honored those qualities and abided by them to the fullest. But that is not what I needed to know.
God was telling me that I needed to watch what I say to my daughter and son-in-law, in regards to raising their children (my very precious grandsons). I learned that just because you have knowledge, just because you love very deeply, just because you feel strongly, maybe even just because you may be right, love does not give one the right to say whatever you feel you want someone else to know. It does not give one the right to be another's conscience or act as another's Holy Spirit or convictor. Now, of course, we know these things, but to put them into practise is what God wanted me to do!
I learned that the law of love is greater than the law of liberty. Although I may have the knowledge and the liberty to say what ever I think may be helpful or worthy, or even instructional, and although I may love one so deeply that I feel I simply must tell them what I know, I do not have the right under the law of liberty because the law of love is greater. This law does not permit me to say whatever I want (although with the best of intentions!).
In my case, God was telling me that I should use discretion in my knowledge and use wisdom in watching what I say. He was, in effect telling me to trust HIM to be the teacher.
I also realized that in James, when he spoke of bridling one's tongue; it does not always mean saying something negative or bad; it can also mean that even with good intentions we can say too much, or the wrong things, or make another feel 'judged' or wrong. There is an old saying: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Now what brought me to all this awareness and revelation of my need to learn this instruction? Love, of course! Deep abiding love!
The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. I want to know Him more!!! I want to listen to His every Word...for whoso findeth Him findeth life.
My 'outstanding facts' section tells me that the personification of wisdom is Christ.
WHEN wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. (Pr. 2: 10-11).
We know that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Pr. 9:10).
These three: wisdom, knowledge and discretion are a blessing
when working together!
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. I Th. 5:16-17
The Fishermens Line
I had been feeling that there was something God wanted to show me. All my life, I have been an avid reader, and one who digs deeply into every thing in which I have an interest. I cross-reference and cross-reference until I'm nearly cross-eyed and confused as to where my study began and what am I doing now....how did I ever get into this new subject!?
As I lay there praying that day, I felt as if God wanted me to go to Proverbs...read it all carefully and then go to James and read it with equal care. I thought to myself: "Proverbs and James?" What do they have to do with each other? (aside from the fact that ALL the Word of God is connected!)
As I read Proverbs (which I had previously studied at least a dozen times or more), I began to underline many verses, then I began to see a pattern in what I was underlining. I thought, "ok, here are a lot of little encouraging tid-bits I can share with Lora and Jim about raisng children"
Little did I know that God was leading me into some 'tid-bits' for myself!
I read more and underlined furiously (my KJV is completely covered in markings in Proverbs, now!!). I read all of Proverbs and moved on to James. As I began to underline things in James, I saw the same pattern as I was being led to understand in Proverbs. Then I read in my Bible (which has an 'outstanding facts' section) that James is considered, by many, to be "The Proverbs of the New Testament" !!! Something I didn't know when I was 'called' to read them together!
The common thread that God had revealed to me is that "discretion shall preserve thee; understanding shall keep thee"
Now, I have always worked in the health profession; confidentiality and discretion are one of the trademarks of a good nurse! I have always honored those qualities and abided by them to the fullest. But that is not what I needed to know.
God was telling me that I needed to watch what I say to my daughter and son-in-law, in regards to raising their children (my very precious grandsons). I learned that just because you have knowledge, just because you love very deeply, just because you feel strongly, maybe even just because you may be right, love does not give one the right to say whatever you feel you want someone else to know. It does not give one the right to be another's conscience or act as another's Holy Spirit or convictor. Now, of course, we know these things, but to put them into practise is what God wanted me to do!
I learned that the law of love is greater than the law of liberty. Although I may have the knowledge and the liberty to say what ever I think may be helpful or worthy, or even instructional, and although I may love one so deeply that I feel I simply must tell them what I know, I do not have the right under the law of liberty because the law of love is greater. This law does not permit me to say whatever I want (although with the best of intentions!).
In my case, God was telling me that I should use discretion in my knowledge and use wisdom in watching what I say. He was, in effect telling me to trust HIM to be the teacher.
I also realized that in James, when he spoke of bridling one's tongue; it does not always mean saying something negative or bad; it can also mean that even with good intentions we can say too much, or the wrong things, or make another feel 'judged' or wrong. There is an old saying: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Now what brought me to all this awareness and revelation of my need to learn this instruction? Love, of course! Deep abiding love!
The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. I want to know Him more!!! I want to listen to His every Word...for whoso findeth Him findeth life.
My 'outstanding facts' section tells me that the personification of wisdom is Christ.
WHEN wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. (Pr. 2: 10-11).
We know that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Pr. 9:10).
These three: wisdom, knowledge and discretion are a blessing
when working together!
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. I Th. 5:16-17
The Fishermens Line
Thursday, November 16, 2006
My GRACE is Sufficient!
As I sit here beginning to write my Blog, I am in the active process of listening to 99.7 Family Life Radio. How amazing that the two programs I have been listening to this morning are about the very subject I have decided to write about today!
The first was Chuck Swindoll in raising children and the difficulties we encounter and the huge responsibilities. The second (which is still in progress is the story of a Korean Street Child, as she tells her story of being put out in the street as an infant, still believing that her mother loves her, but did what she had to do. The child, now a grown Christian woman, in ministry, tells of being thrown into a building with another little girl, younger than she. She tells of the hatred she felt at being used as a human bait for rats. She tells of being abused by men over and over. She told of a man who finally showed some real affection and she spat on him, at nine years old, she was dead to emotion except for hatred. She was adopted by a Christian couple and began to know God and the love of Christ and began to heal....what a blessing to have a mother and father who can Train up a child in the way he should go!
That leads me into my subject for today. Proverbs 22:6 is an all time favorite verse for most Christian parents. I have that scripture dedicated in a brick at the Melbourne Beach Library for my three grandsons; Ryan, Ian, and Zane.
As I think deeply and intently about the verse, I see so many ways it can be understood. ( I LOVE the living, dynamic, changing, revealing, yet firm ways God makes His every Word come alive!)
Train: the definition of train means to impart knowledge, to instruct by precept and example, to give experience. As we train a tender plant as in a Bonsai tree, so shall it be bent. As we nurture and gently shape and mold it, as we turn it toward the sun (SON), it will turn in that direction. We can not force it, we must be gentle and consistent...if we force it, it will break. This is proven Biblically by the following scripture:
Colossians 3:21 " fathers, (and mothers) provoke not your children to wrath, lest they be discouraged" Some translations say: "Do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."
Know that your child is wonderfully made by God and trust God that He will be His protector and guide. Know that His grace is sufficient for you and for your child if you leave that child in the Father's hands!
When we train up a child in the way he should go it means more than meets the eye! Train is to teach, to admonish, to gently guide, to discipline with loving admonishment (to express disapproval by gentle and ernest, solicitous manner, to advise and encourage...not DIS-courage).
As we train our child, we know that the fruit we will see may (most likely) not be immediate, nor even may it be in the next few years, but know that if you lovingly, gently, teach and admonish by example of your own life, that child will turn to the one who is loving, forgiving, and provides for him in his times of trouble. If he knows that God is his counselor, his sustenance, his rock of salvation, a very present help, his Lord and savior, he will turn to Him! It is God's promise. It is truth. It is written. God is faithful. The KEY is training by example, with love, gentleness, and loving admonishment.
When the Bible says; "spare the rod, and spoil the child...." I shudder to think of the ways in which this has been made perverse! We knew of a man back in Sheridan, who made a rod about three feet long and about 1/2 " thick to use on his children..they were ages from one year to about three!
In Biblical times, the rod was a gentle probe to guide or nudge in a certain direction. The rod and staff were to comfort not to beat or harm! We need to nudge our children in the right direction. If we see them having a desire we should listen with intention, ask them to pray with us about it and ask God to direct and counsel and then let God's grace be sufficient. In doing this, we teach them to seek God for all decisions and to trust in God's will not our own.
David was a man "after Gods own heart" yet David killed a man, caused another to die at the front lines of battle, committed adultery, killed a giant, killed a lion, and danced naked in the streets. The heart of David was toward the Lord, always. His intent was to please God, yet he failed many times to be a perfect example....the consequences of his behavior was to have those same sins repeated by his own sons, and to lose the son of Bathsheba. He paid the price of sin. God is no respector of persons, if we sin, we pay in this life, as well as being judged or rewarded on judgement day.
We teach our children that there are consequences in this life for our sins and for the choices that we make. When we include God in our decisions, I am a firm believer that He will work things together for good for those that love Him and keep His commandments!
We shall become as little children...."whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But whoso shall offend (cause one of these to stumble!) one of these who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hanged around his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
The raising of a precious child is a very serious business. It is the greatest responsibility one can ever carry. It absolutely must be done with fervent prayer and with a bridled tongue. It must be carried out with the I Corinthians Love scriptures:
Love suffereth LONG! Love is KIND! Love envieth not! Love vaunteth not ITSELF! Love is not puffed up! Love doth not behave itself UNSEEMLY!
Love seeketh not her own! Love is not easily PROVOKED! Love thinketh no EVIL! Love rejoices not in unrighteousness. Love rejoices in TRUTH!
Love bears all things! Love Believes all things! Love HOPES all things! Love ENDURES all things! Love NEVER FAILS!
To the children: Children OBEY your parents in the LORD, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother. This is a commandment with promise, that it may go well with you! (Eph.6:1-2).
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.....let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, clamor, and evil speaking or railing (shouting, arguing) be put away from you! Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving, EVEN as GOD forgives you! (Eph. 29-32).
Fathers, provoke NOT your children to wrath! but bring them up in the LOVING nurture of the Lord. (Eph. 6:1)
As Thanksgiving is upon us, I am so thankful to my God and my Savior for my children! I thank my God for my grandchildren and my son-in-law and for my husband. God is so good to us. I have no words to thank Him for His awesome grace, mercy, love, patience, forgiveness, and His constant and wonderful presence. I am so glad, in light of my lack of ability to thank Him enough, that His GRACE is truly sufficient for me!
To my family: I thank you for being a part of my life, for the blessing you have been to me these past years, I thank my God for all of you. I thank my God for my brothers and sisters around the world, for the body of the Living Church of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer! With every blessing, I give HIM praise!
Thanksgiving be Unto our Father!
The Fishermens Line
Pray Without Ceasing!
The first was Chuck Swindoll in raising children and the difficulties we encounter and the huge responsibilities. The second (which is still in progress is the story of a Korean Street Child, as she tells her story of being put out in the street as an infant, still believing that her mother loves her, but did what she had to do. The child, now a grown Christian woman, in ministry, tells of being thrown into a building with another little girl, younger than she. She tells of the hatred she felt at being used as a human bait for rats. She tells of being abused by men over and over. She told of a man who finally showed some real affection and she spat on him, at nine years old, she was dead to emotion except for hatred. She was adopted by a Christian couple and began to know God and the love of Christ and began to heal....what a blessing to have a mother and father who can Train up a child in the way he should go!
That leads me into my subject for today. Proverbs 22:6 is an all time favorite verse for most Christian parents. I have that scripture dedicated in a brick at the Melbourne Beach Library for my three grandsons; Ryan, Ian, and Zane.
As I think deeply and intently about the verse, I see so many ways it can be understood. ( I LOVE the living, dynamic, changing, revealing, yet firm ways God makes His every Word come alive!)
Train: the definition of train means to impart knowledge, to instruct by precept and example, to give experience. As we train a tender plant as in a Bonsai tree, so shall it be bent. As we nurture and gently shape and mold it, as we turn it toward the sun (SON), it will turn in that direction. We can not force it, we must be gentle and consistent...if we force it, it will break. This is proven Biblically by the following scripture:
Colossians 3:21 " fathers, (and mothers) provoke not your children to wrath, lest they be discouraged" Some translations say: "Do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged."
Know that your child is wonderfully made by God and trust God that He will be His protector and guide. Know that His grace is sufficient for you and for your child if you leave that child in the Father's hands!
When we train up a child in the way he should go it means more than meets the eye! Train is to teach, to admonish, to gently guide, to discipline with loving admonishment (to express disapproval by gentle and ernest, solicitous manner, to advise and encourage...not DIS-courage).
As we train our child, we know that the fruit we will see may (most likely) not be immediate, nor even may it be in the next few years, but know that if you lovingly, gently, teach and admonish by example of your own life, that child will turn to the one who is loving, forgiving, and provides for him in his times of trouble. If he knows that God is his counselor, his sustenance, his rock of salvation, a very present help, his Lord and savior, he will turn to Him! It is God's promise. It is truth. It is written. God is faithful. The KEY is training by example, with love, gentleness, and loving admonishment.
When the Bible says; "spare the rod, and spoil the child...." I shudder to think of the ways in which this has been made perverse! We knew of a man back in Sheridan, who made a rod about three feet long and about 1/2 " thick to use on his children..they were ages from one year to about three!
In Biblical times, the rod was a gentle probe to guide or nudge in a certain direction. The rod and staff were to comfort not to beat or harm! We need to nudge our children in the right direction. If we see them having a desire we should listen with intention, ask them to pray with us about it and ask God to direct and counsel and then let God's grace be sufficient. In doing this, we teach them to seek God for all decisions and to trust in God's will not our own.
David was a man "after Gods own heart" yet David killed a man, caused another to die at the front lines of battle, committed adultery, killed a giant, killed a lion, and danced naked in the streets. The heart of David was toward the Lord, always. His intent was to please God, yet he failed many times to be a perfect example....the consequences of his behavior was to have those same sins repeated by his own sons, and to lose the son of Bathsheba. He paid the price of sin. God is no respector of persons, if we sin, we pay in this life, as well as being judged or rewarded on judgement day.
We teach our children that there are consequences in this life for our sins and for the choices that we make. When we include God in our decisions, I am a firm believer that He will work things together for good for those that love Him and keep His commandments!
We shall become as little children...."whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But whoso shall offend (cause one of these to stumble!) one of these who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hanged around his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
The raising of a precious child is a very serious business. It is the greatest responsibility one can ever carry. It absolutely must be done with fervent prayer and with a bridled tongue. It must be carried out with the I Corinthians Love scriptures:
Love suffereth LONG! Love is KIND! Love envieth not! Love vaunteth not ITSELF! Love is not puffed up! Love doth not behave itself UNSEEMLY!
Love seeketh not her own! Love is not easily PROVOKED! Love thinketh no EVIL! Love rejoices not in unrighteousness. Love rejoices in TRUTH!
Love bears all things! Love Believes all things! Love HOPES all things! Love ENDURES all things! Love NEVER FAILS!
To the children: Children OBEY your parents in the LORD, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother. This is a commandment with promise, that it may go well with you! (Eph.6:1-2).
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.....let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, clamor, and evil speaking or railing (shouting, arguing) be put away from you! Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving, EVEN as GOD forgives you! (Eph. 29-32).
Fathers, provoke NOT your children to wrath! but bring them up in the LOVING nurture of the Lord. (Eph. 6:1)
As Thanksgiving is upon us, I am so thankful to my God and my Savior for my children! I thank my God for my grandchildren and my son-in-law and for my husband. God is so good to us. I have no words to thank Him for His awesome grace, mercy, love, patience, forgiveness, and His constant and wonderful presence. I am so glad, in light of my lack of ability to thank Him enough, that His GRACE is truly sufficient for me!
To my family: I thank you for being a part of my life, for the blessing you have been to me these past years, I thank my God for all of you. I thank my God for my brothers and sisters around the world, for the body of the Living Church of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer! With every blessing, I give HIM praise!
Thanksgiving be Unto our Father!
The Fishermens Line
Pray Without Ceasing!
Monday, October 30, 2006
The Eyes of Man Are Never Satisfied!
King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes that the eye is not satisfied with seeing. (Ec.1:8) How true this statement is and always has been and will be true!
Greetings!
I make the above statement about Solomon's wise saying because it fits so perfectly with my reading Genesis this past week (for the 15th time at least...probably more than that even). This time, although I always love to read Gods word, I love the history of creation...and history in general, but I wanted to read it with INTENTION! I asked God to show me more, I want to know Him more! I want to know His Word for me!
As I read through Genesis and read intentionally, with the strong desire to get what HE wanted me to get out of it, I was overwhelmed with how truly AWESOME He is! What a plan for us! Even though our ancestors, Adam and Eve, were placed in a paradise garden, with un-told beauty, and with the job of taking are of this paradise and the animals subject to them, even though they walked and talked with their Creator God, they were not satisfied!
Why can we not be satisfied with what God has given us? Why do we always want to listen to the adversary? Why do we allow ourselves to be deceived by a tempter and liar, and the father of lies?
This is why! When the serpent (Satan) held the beautiful fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil up before Eve...he knew the eyes of man are never satisfied...he was the progenitor of pride and the desire to be above God! The very thing that caused his fall was about to cause the fall of humankind!! He knew that Eve would easily be tempted to be more 'like God', to know more, to not surely 'die'!
See, isn't the fruit alluring? Isn't it good to look at? Isn't it satisfying?? You will not die, you will be like God and know good and evil! You will be lifted up! Your station in life will be better! You will be stronger...smarter, you will be better than others, you will be successful, you will be in control! Isn't there the idea that you will be on a higher plane? You can control your life, if you just have this one thing!
Then the moment you listen to this tempter and give in to his enticements, you know you have been deceived! You know God is near and you have disobeyed HIM!
The instant, you give in to Satan and his lies and deceptions, you KNOW he has won and you have broken Gods very heart! Thank God for His omniscience! His omnipresence! His omnipotence!
Once Adam and Eve fell, we could never be innocent again! We all became immoral! How wonderful that God had a plan from the beginning! When He gave us free-will, He had a plan to redeem us from our sin.
Isn't it so amazing that God told us about it all in the beginning. All we have to do is believe in Him and the salvation plan He has given to us!
God shows us all along that when THe Word said, "let there be light,(Jesus is that true light!) and Christ was and is that light! The Word is the creative work of God and the Word is Christ. God shows us the three person work in the first chapter of Genesis: The Word, The Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters. The Word speaks, God moves,through the Holy Spirit of God.
Every Word that He has spoken has come true and will come true. He implemented the entire plan into action from the beginning! He planned one wife...monogamy. He planned a job for us...tending a perfect garden. He planned a moral and intellectual nature. If He had not given us free-will, there would have been no opportunity to do what is right on our own...we may have been better to be robots...but thankfully, we serve a God who wants us to CHOOSE Him out of faith and love!
He tells us later in His Word to "be ye holy, for I am holy" He would not say this to us if it were not possible! He only wants us to know that if we choose Him once He calls us, we are to follow His lead, His example, His life, His work, to die daily to ourself and literally tell Satan, "get thee behind me!"
We must continually be aware that the adversary, the devil,walketh about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour! (I Peter 5:8).
As Proverbs 6:11 says "a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool to his folly (repeats)". Once we have chosen to follow Jesus, we must simply tell Satan, "get thee behind!" and that "you are a liar and a deceiver, and the father of lies!"
Think of the men of God who believed His promise of a city whose builder and maker is God! We are not looking for an earthly city, we are looking for the promised land that is eternal, with the Lord, and our walk through this earth is filled with trials, temptations, troubles, testing, and adversities, but when we ask God, our Creator and our Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, He will lead us through all of this by the power of the Holy Spirit! He will be right there with us, going before us and being strong when we are weak!
Right now, I know, beyond a doubt, that God has called us to a Prayer Journey...we are preparing for Rain! God called us during our trip from Bangkok to Hong Kong...February 8th. We don't know how, when, etc. but we do know that it is a call that we must answer. Please pray for us!
I am not sure, but even though we also have a desire to go overseas for awhile again, the Prayer Journey seems to be a priority on the agenda! We need a LOT of prayer for guidance in the details. We are trusting that God will reveal as He sees necessary!
We also are positive that He wants us right where we are right now! As in the cloud by day and the fire by night...we will move when God moves! Until then, we serve Him right where we are and are content in that.
The house is coming along. It has a roof (not a finished roof yet), and we are hoping yet again for good weather to hold until the garage is poured and built and roofed! Allan is working so hard! He is so intent upon this task. Ryan, Ian, and Zane help him when they can. They are such precious little guys...what a blessing God has given us in our family!!
Michael plans to come up here for Thanksgiving, so please pray for him, traveling and for a wonderful time here with the family. Pray for blessings on all of us during this time of Thanksgiving and fellowship with God and each other! I BELIEVE in the power of prayer, so please pray for this. We miss Michael so much and I pray for good weather and safety for his journey!
I hope that all of you have a very special Thanksgiving and BE THANKFUL "Let your moderation be known to all men, be careful for nothing (be not anxious!),but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds in CHRIST JESUS."
Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE." (Phllipians 4:5-8
"Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have..." He.13:5
May God bless you and may Kingdom work be done by His Spirit through you.
The Fishermens Line
Is.30:21, Eph. 4:30
Greetings!
I make the above statement about Solomon's wise saying because it fits so perfectly with my reading Genesis this past week (for the 15th time at least...probably more than that even). This time, although I always love to read Gods word, I love the history of creation...and history in general, but I wanted to read it with INTENTION! I asked God to show me more, I want to know Him more! I want to know His Word for me!
As I read through Genesis and read intentionally, with the strong desire to get what HE wanted me to get out of it, I was overwhelmed with how truly AWESOME He is! What a plan for us! Even though our ancestors, Adam and Eve, were placed in a paradise garden, with un-told beauty, and with the job of taking are of this paradise and the animals subject to them, even though they walked and talked with their Creator God, they were not satisfied!
Why can we not be satisfied with what God has given us? Why do we always want to listen to the adversary? Why do we allow ourselves to be deceived by a tempter and liar, and the father of lies?
This is why! When the serpent (Satan) held the beautiful fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil up before Eve...he knew the eyes of man are never satisfied...he was the progenitor of pride and the desire to be above God! The very thing that caused his fall was about to cause the fall of humankind!! He knew that Eve would easily be tempted to be more 'like God', to know more, to not surely 'die'!
See, isn't the fruit alluring? Isn't it good to look at? Isn't it satisfying?? You will not die, you will be like God and know good and evil! You will be lifted up! Your station in life will be better! You will be stronger...smarter, you will be better than others, you will be successful, you will be in control! Isn't there the idea that you will be on a higher plane? You can control your life, if you just have this one thing!
Then the moment you listen to this tempter and give in to his enticements, you know you have been deceived! You know God is near and you have disobeyed HIM!
The instant, you give in to Satan and his lies and deceptions, you KNOW he has won and you have broken Gods very heart! Thank God for His omniscience! His omnipresence! His omnipotence!
Once Adam and Eve fell, we could never be innocent again! We all became immoral! How wonderful that God had a plan from the beginning! When He gave us free-will, He had a plan to redeem us from our sin.
Isn't it so amazing that God told us about it all in the beginning. All we have to do is believe in Him and the salvation plan He has given to us!
God shows us all along that when THe Word said, "let there be light,(Jesus is that true light!) and Christ was and is that light! The Word is the creative work of God and the Word is Christ. God shows us the three person work in the first chapter of Genesis: The Word, The Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters. The Word speaks, God moves,through the Holy Spirit of God.
Every Word that He has spoken has come true and will come true. He implemented the entire plan into action from the beginning! He planned one wife...monogamy. He planned a job for us...tending a perfect garden. He planned a moral and intellectual nature. If He had not given us free-will, there would have been no opportunity to do what is right on our own...we may have been better to be robots...but thankfully, we serve a God who wants us to CHOOSE Him out of faith and love!
He tells us later in His Word to "be ye holy, for I am holy" He would not say this to us if it were not possible! He only wants us to know that if we choose Him once He calls us, we are to follow His lead, His example, His life, His work, to die daily to ourself and literally tell Satan, "get thee behind me!"
We must continually be aware that the adversary, the devil,walketh about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour! (I Peter 5:8).
As Proverbs 6:11 says "a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool to his folly (repeats)". Once we have chosen to follow Jesus, we must simply tell Satan, "get thee behind!" and that "you are a liar and a deceiver, and the father of lies!"
Think of the men of God who believed His promise of a city whose builder and maker is God! We are not looking for an earthly city, we are looking for the promised land that is eternal, with the Lord, and our walk through this earth is filled with trials, temptations, troubles, testing, and adversities, but when we ask God, our Creator and our Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, He will lead us through all of this by the power of the Holy Spirit! He will be right there with us, going before us and being strong when we are weak!
Right now, I know, beyond a doubt, that God has called us to a Prayer Journey...we are preparing for Rain! God called us during our trip from Bangkok to Hong Kong...February 8th. We don't know how, when, etc. but we do know that it is a call that we must answer. Please pray for us!
I am not sure, but even though we also have a desire to go overseas for awhile again, the Prayer Journey seems to be a priority on the agenda! We need a LOT of prayer for guidance in the details. We are trusting that God will reveal as He sees necessary!
We also are positive that He wants us right where we are right now! As in the cloud by day and the fire by night...we will move when God moves! Until then, we serve Him right where we are and are content in that.
The house is coming along. It has a roof (not a finished roof yet), and we are hoping yet again for good weather to hold until the garage is poured and built and roofed! Allan is working so hard! He is so intent upon this task. Ryan, Ian, and Zane help him when they can. They are such precious little guys...what a blessing God has given us in our family!!
Michael plans to come up here for Thanksgiving, so please pray for him, traveling and for a wonderful time here with the family. Pray for blessings on all of us during this time of Thanksgiving and fellowship with God and each other! I BELIEVE in the power of prayer, so please pray for this. We miss Michael so much and I pray for good weather and safety for his journey!
I hope that all of you have a very special Thanksgiving and BE THANKFUL "Let your moderation be known to all men, be careful for nothing (be not anxious!),but in everything by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds in CHRIST JESUS."
Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE." (Phllipians 4:5-8
"Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have..." He.13:5
May God bless you and may Kingdom work be done by His Spirit through you.
The Fishermens Line
Is.30:21, Eph. 4:30
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I Can Only Imagine!
I can only imagine and what an awesome glimpse of His Power, His Presence, His Knowledge!
This past Wednesday, as I took my walk along the river walk in Portland I walked and prayed for the people of Portland and its surrounding villages and communities.
When I awakened and once again saw the heavy mist and fog hanging low over the winding river, the leaves of gold, red, yellows, browns, and scarlet, russets, and all sorts of breathtaking colors, I looked at the Colorado Blue Spruce, Scotch Pines, Holly, Juniper, and many other evergreens, and the still remaining greens of the Maples, Oaks, Walnuts, Elms, and Sycamore trees along the path, I felt an overwhelming awe at the landscape that our Father designed for us to enjoy!
I took a deep breath and just felt so joyful at the fragrances of fall mingled with the lingering fragrances of summer. God knew exactly what He was doing when He created this beauty for His children!
That thought gave rise to another regarding the spoken WORD of God. What power! To speak and a thing comes into existence! To breathe and a life comes into being! What power has our God! What power IS our God!
Of course, I then thought about the way only HE can design such intricasies as to be able to co-ordinate every detail of the life of every person that He ever created. What power He has, what intelligence! What love! What presence!
How can I even put these thoughts into words! To have a personal relationship with the God of creation. The One who can just speak things into being. The One who knows all...who is omniscient. The One who even created knowledge! The One who is all wisdom! The One who designed the living cells of all creation!
To know the One who hung the stars, the moon, the sun, the planets, the One who holds the ocean in its place, the One who gave the law and fulfilled the law. The One who gave us grace through His love for us, His special creation...mankind! The One we can call Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. What an awesome wonder, to be His children and to be able to say, "Abba, Father!"
I truly stand in awe of Him! I was reading today in my "Every day with Jesus" newsletter, about knowing Him, not just His word, but knowing His attributes, about what would someone feel who sent a love letter to us and cared so deeply for us, but all we cared about was the words of the letter, but not the PERSON behind the letter...the One who actually wrote the letter. I started to think about that, and it made such perfect sense! I want to know my Father and my Lord Jesus, I want to know Him better! I want to really know the Person of Christ! I want to see Him as He is. I want to experience the kind of love He gave to us. I want to experience the kind of forgiveness that He has for us! The forgiveness that would forgive a thief on the cross beside me, that had just mocked me, and then asked me to forgive him, and I would do that!
I really want to be the kind of person that can look at the beggar on the street and love him or her for the fact that they are God's creation...and not pass them by, but reach out to offer a helping hand! I want to be a doer and not just a hearer! I want to give, not just pray for them, but to offer them a hand of love and hope.
I don't want to just pray that God will bring people to Himself, I want to speak the words of hope to them, and to show them the way to salvation through Christ.
I suppose these walks are really being used by my Father to open my eyes to things that I need to see in myself. Please pray for me that I will be and do what God wants me to do, that I will walk "worthy" of the calling. Pray for me that my prayers will be for fruit for my Father's Kingdom!
I have been working in the outpatient surgery department, and I am really enjoying it. I think that, maybe this is where God wants me right now. I have been working in Med-Surg until a couple weeks ago, and once I started doing orientation in outpatient, I found I really like it, and I don't have to do any lifting and that is a big relief! God always comes through, and he knows my needs!
Allan is working on getting ready for the second story of the split-entry house. He just got the backfill in yesterday, even during the wet, muddy day (it had rained for two days!).
We awakned to the first snowfall this morning! This is the 12th of October and we had about three or four inches...it was so beautiful! The snow didn't stick, though...what a pity!
Lora said she felt really guilty because she wanted it to stay, yet she knows that for Grandpa's sake and building the house we don't need snow or rain! We are praying that the weather doesn't get too cold, windy, wet, etc. If it does, we may need to hold off on building till the spring thaw!
I just ordered tickets for the musical called the "Magic of Christmas", which will be performing in Grand Rapids in November. I am so looking forward to it! It will be mine and Lora's birthday gift to each other. We have birthdays together (mine Nov. 18th and Lora's the 19th), The musical is Christian and Christmas music with several musical talents and the Ohio/Michigan Orchestra.
We had the most wonderful blessing yesterday! We had a visit from Karlene and John Johnson and the family! What a great visit. We all talked non-stop, but our visit was all too short. We made plans to get together again soon,though, and we are looking forward to it! Ryan was here,too,so he got to see them and he was very happy about that! Katie is such a beautiful little baby and this is our first time meeting her (except by photographs, of course).
Karlene looked just beautiful. God has so wonderfully blessed that family. John looked great, too, and all the boys had grown since we last saw them in Florida before we went to China.
Karlene pointed out a very interesting thought. She mentioned that just five years ago she sat in our living room in Melbourne Beach, and now she sat in our living room in Michigan! God is truly awesome! That's just what I meant about He plans all the tiny little details of our lives and works His marvelous blessings into our days!!! He designs our life just as He designed us in the womb, if we only allow Him to work His wondrous works in us, He plans so much better that we can even think to ask!
As I look out the window, the snow is still gently falling. The flakes are smaller now, and still not sticking to the ground. It's about 45 dergees out there, but I'm all snuggly inside with a cup of spice tea. Allan just got home a few minutes ago, and is reading a magazine...waiting patiently for me to stop writing and give him attention. I think I will make tea for him and we'll do our devotional time together.
May the God of peace be with you and may Kingdom work be done!
In His Love for His Glory!
Is. 30:21
Eph. 4:30
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. (I John 3:1)
Sue and Allan
The Fishermen
This past Wednesday, as I took my walk along the river walk in Portland I walked and prayed for the people of Portland and its surrounding villages and communities.
When I awakened and once again saw the heavy mist and fog hanging low over the winding river, the leaves of gold, red, yellows, browns, and scarlet, russets, and all sorts of breathtaking colors, I looked at the Colorado Blue Spruce, Scotch Pines, Holly, Juniper, and many other evergreens, and the still remaining greens of the Maples, Oaks, Walnuts, Elms, and Sycamore trees along the path, I felt an overwhelming awe at the landscape that our Father designed for us to enjoy!
I took a deep breath and just felt so joyful at the fragrances of fall mingled with the lingering fragrances of summer. God knew exactly what He was doing when He created this beauty for His children!
That thought gave rise to another regarding the spoken WORD of God. What power! To speak and a thing comes into existence! To breathe and a life comes into being! What power has our God! What power IS our God!
Of course, I then thought about the way only HE can design such intricasies as to be able to co-ordinate every detail of the life of every person that He ever created. What power He has, what intelligence! What love! What presence!
How can I even put these thoughts into words! To have a personal relationship with the God of creation. The One who can just speak things into being. The One who knows all...who is omniscient. The One who even created knowledge! The One who is all wisdom! The One who designed the living cells of all creation!
To know the One who hung the stars, the moon, the sun, the planets, the One who holds the ocean in its place, the One who gave the law and fulfilled the law. The One who gave us grace through His love for us, His special creation...mankind! The One we can call Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. What an awesome wonder, to be His children and to be able to say, "Abba, Father!"
I truly stand in awe of Him! I was reading today in my "Every day with Jesus" newsletter, about knowing Him, not just His word, but knowing His attributes, about what would someone feel who sent a love letter to us and cared so deeply for us, but all we cared about was the words of the letter, but not the PERSON behind the letter...the One who actually wrote the letter. I started to think about that, and it made such perfect sense! I want to know my Father and my Lord Jesus, I want to know Him better! I want to really know the Person of Christ! I want to see Him as He is. I want to experience the kind of love He gave to us. I want to experience the kind of forgiveness that He has for us! The forgiveness that would forgive a thief on the cross beside me, that had just mocked me, and then asked me to forgive him, and I would do that!
I really want to be the kind of person that can look at the beggar on the street and love him or her for the fact that they are God's creation...and not pass them by, but reach out to offer a helping hand! I want to be a doer and not just a hearer! I want to give, not just pray for them, but to offer them a hand of love and hope.
I don't want to just pray that God will bring people to Himself, I want to speak the words of hope to them, and to show them the way to salvation through Christ.
I suppose these walks are really being used by my Father to open my eyes to things that I need to see in myself. Please pray for me that I will be and do what God wants me to do, that I will walk "worthy" of the calling. Pray for me that my prayers will be for fruit for my Father's Kingdom!
I have been working in the outpatient surgery department, and I am really enjoying it. I think that, maybe this is where God wants me right now. I have been working in Med-Surg until a couple weeks ago, and once I started doing orientation in outpatient, I found I really like it, and I don't have to do any lifting and that is a big relief! God always comes through, and he knows my needs!
Allan is working on getting ready for the second story of the split-entry house. He just got the backfill in yesterday, even during the wet, muddy day (it had rained for two days!).
We awakned to the first snowfall this morning! This is the 12th of October and we had about three or four inches...it was so beautiful! The snow didn't stick, though...what a pity!
Lora said she felt really guilty because she wanted it to stay, yet she knows that for Grandpa's sake and building the house we don't need snow or rain! We are praying that the weather doesn't get too cold, windy, wet, etc. If it does, we may need to hold off on building till the spring thaw!
I just ordered tickets for the musical called the "Magic of Christmas", which will be performing in Grand Rapids in November. I am so looking forward to it! It will be mine and Lora's birthday gift to each other. We have birthdays together (mine Nov. 18th and Lora's the 19th), The musical is Christian and Christmas music with several musical talents and the Ohio/Michigan Orchestra.
We had the most wonderful blessing yesterday! We had a visit from Karlene and John Johnson and the family! What a great visit. We all talked non-stop, but our visit was all too short. We made plans to get together again soon,though, and we are looking forward to it! Ryan was here,too,so he got to see them and he was very happy about that! Katie is such a beautiful little baby and this is our first time meeting her (except by photographs, of course).
Karlene looked just beautiful. God has so wonderfully blessed that family. John looked great, too, and all the boys had grown since we last saw them in Florida before we went to China.
Karlene pointed out a very interesting thought. She mentioned that just five years ago she sat in our living room in Melbourne Beach, and now she sat in our living room in Michigan! God is truly awesome! That's just what I meant about He plans all the tiny little details of our lives and works His marvelous blessings into our days!!! He designs our life just as He designed us in the womb, if we only allow Him to work His wondrous works in us, He plans so much better that we can even think to ask!
As I look out the window, the snow is still gently falling. The flakes are smaller now, and still not sticking to the ground. It's about 45 dergees out there, but I'm all snuggly inside with a cup of spice tea. Allan just got home a few minutes ago, and is reading a magazine...waiting patiently for me to stop writing and give him attention. I think I will make tea for him and we'll do our devotional time together.
May the God of peace be with you and may Kingdom work be done!
In His Love for His Glory!
Is. 30:21
Eph. 4:30
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. (I John 3:1)
Sue and Allan
The Fishermen
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
They That Wait Upon the Lord!
And she said unto them, " Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Lord has dealt very bitterly with me." Ruth 1:20
As I read this scripture in the book of Ruth, I think about how we are so quick to decide what our Sovereign God, our Father, our Creator, our Rock, our Protector, our Savior has in His perfect plan for us!
How can we be so quick to decide that He has left us, or dealt very bitterly with us?! Why can we not always do as Isaiah says, "but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
If only Naomi could have known and trusted the God she served...if only she could have known her future and her contribution through the faithfulness of Ruth...the child born to her daughter-in-law would be the the bloodline of the Christ, the savior of the world! If she had known the plans God had for her, how blessed she would have been! How very differently she would have viewed things that seemed at the time to be a bitter inheritance!
If we only trust the promises of our Father God, through His Living Word! If only we can step out of the boat in complete faith...if only we can truly know, not just believe, not just think, but truly KNOW that our God is faithful and that He will prosper us and not harm us, that HE will work things together for good for those that love Him and keep his commands and are called to His purpose!
We can know it. He has told us in His Word and we can trust Him completely. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption...we are His kinsmen and He is our kinsman Redeemer! He has given us His word and every jot, every title is written in His Word for a purpose! Nothing is accidental. Every word, every line has a meaning.
God works in every little detail of our lives to accomplish His purpose! All we have to do is invite Him to lead, guide, and intervene in our daily life! He will not force us to be part of His blessings, but He has made it clear in each word spoken through His instructions, divinely given and preserved for us, that He wants us to have the promises and blessings given to those who love Him!
When God called Ruth, a Moabite, to be part of the Davidic line, He was showing His love for the Gentiles of the world, both then and the future. His plans have always been to include the nations of the world for Salvation! What a blessing for us to have God's written words, living and dynamic, to follow, to study, and to compare with secular history, and to know that He has shown us His plans and His will for our present life and for our future in eternity with Him!
Naomi didn't have that wonderful book. She didn't have the Holy Spirit to listen to and to guide her along. Her knowledge of God was passed on to her through family stories and through the books of the Law of "Moses". Think of the joy she must have known when she passed into eternity to be with God, and to learn, perhaps for the first time, that she was the grandmother of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David!
My whole point to this is that when we have been dealt with very bitterly, and when we suffer persecutions, and sorrow, and pain, that we remember that our Father is still in control and that we will someday know why these things happen...but in the meantime, let us "occupy" till He comes( Luke 19:13). Let us trust in Him completely. Let us Let Go and Let God do His magnificent planning in our daily life and then let us see what wonderful things can come from that seed of faith that is un-wavering!
Please pray for me as I speak at the WMU meeting this week (Oct. 5th). Pray that God will give me words to say that will glorify His name.
I am also hoping to start a prayer-walking team here in Portland. Pray for that, also. Prayer-walking is fairly new around here, so I'm hoping to encourage the women of this church to step out in faith and pray for the many things we need to take before our Father.
Please pray for Lora as she home-schools Ryan, Ian, and Zane. Please continue to pray for Michael and his desire to serve God. Pray for Allan as he builds our house....for safety and for his health. Pray for me as I work at the hospital, that I will be salt and light to those I work with that are lost.
I just partnered with my favorite radio station...you can hear it online at Family Life Radio! www.familyliferadio.org. On Thursday morning they are calling to get my testimony about missions, so pray for me, that God will use my words to reach someone!
The weather is so beautiful! We have had a lot of rain and fog. Monday morning on my way to work at 0630, you could not see one foot in front of you! It was also thundering and lightening and raining!
I took a nice morning walk today (off work today), and I took a dozen pictures of the misty foggy morning, the river walk, the beautiful Colorado Blue Spruce trees, the Scotch Pines, and the beautiful leaves turning their lovely reds, yellows, golds, and browns, mixed with the evergreens. The fog hung low over the river and what a glorious sight the Lord has given us to enjoy in this earth!!! If only I could have captured the smells: fresh rain, misty air, a spicey fragrance from the trees, and the flowers that are still lingering...roses and petunias, morning glories and marigolds...how wonderful!
Please pray for Ryan, my twelve year old grandson (just turned twelve) and is struggling between childhood and wanting to grow up all too quickly! That age is so difficult for both the child and the parents, who often are torn between wanting to please yet direct their child. Please pray that Lora and Jim will seek their counsel from God and His word during these years of growing and learning and changing....physically and emotionally. Ian and Zane will be ten years old on Friday the 6th. Ten is not quite so difficult because they still are being little boys, and mom and dad have been there with Ryan! It's always the one who is the one paving the road in childhood that we are always so worried about. Pray for wisdom for all our pre-teens and for the desire to serve and love God with all their heart, mind, and strength!
We had a very successful Missions Conference. It was a blessing to everyone. We had missionaries to Peru, Romania, and Turkey (in addition to Allan and I representing E.A.)
Hopefully, tomorrow, we will go see the new movie "Facing the Giants". It is the Christian movie that had received so much attention for having a PG rating because it was about having faith in God!! Please try to see it when it comes to your area!
Oh, well, God will make this work together for good, too! Publicity!
Please write to us and let us know how we can pray for you! We always pray for you and remember you each day. It would be nice to know how we can pray more effectively with specifics that we can take before our Father on your behalf.
I send my love to all, as does Allan.
"laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (the life which is life indeed). I Timothy 6:19 Grace be with thee!
As I read this scripture in the book of Ruth, I think about how we are so quick to decide what our Sovereign God, our Father, our Creator, our Rock, our Protector, our Savior has in His perfect plan for us!
How can we be so quick to decide that He has left us, or dealt very bitterly with us?! Why can we not always do as Isaiah says, "but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
If only Naomi could have known and trusted the God she served...if only she could have known her future and her contribution through the faithfulness of Ruth...the child born to her daughter-in-law would be the the bloodline of the Christ, the savior of the world! If she had known the plans God had for her, how blessed she would have been! How very differently she would have viewed things that seemed at the time to be a bitter inheritance!
If we only trust the promises of our Father God, through His Living Word! If only we can step out of the boat in complete faith...if only we can truly know, not just believe, not just think, but truly KNOW that our God is faithful and that He will prosper us and not harm us, that HE will work things together for good for those that love Him and keep his commands and are called to His purpose!
We can know it. He has told us in His Word and we can trust Him completely. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption...we are His kinsmen and He is our kinsman Redeemer! He has given us His word and every jot, every title is written in His Word for a purpose! Nothing is accidental. Every word, every line has a meaning.
God works in every little detail of our lives to accomplish His purpose! All we have to do is invite Him to lead, guide, and intervene in our daily life! He will not force us to be part of His blessings, but He has made it clear in each word spoken through His instructions, divinely given and preserved for us, that He wants us to have the promises and blessings given to those who love Him!
When God called Ruth, a Moabite, to be part of the Davidic line, He was showing His love for the Gentiles of the world, both then and the future. His plans have always been to include the nations of the world for Salvation! What a blessing for us to have God's written words, living and dynamic, to follow, to study, and to compare with secular history, and to know that He has shown us His plans and His will for our present life and for our future in eternity with Him!
Naomi didn't have that wonderful book. She didn't have the Holy Spirit to listen to and to guide her along. Her knowledge of God was passed on to her through family stories and through the books of the Law of "Moses". Think of the joy she must have known when she passed into eternity to be with God, and to learn, perhaps for the first time, that she was the grandmother of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David!
My whole point to this is that when we have been dealt with very bitterly, and when we suffer persecutions, and sorrow, and pain, that we remember that our Father is still in control and that we will someday know why these things happen...but in the meantime, let us "occupy" till He comes( Luke 19:13). Let us trust in Him completely. Let us Let Go and Let God do His magnificent planning in our daily life and then let us see what wonderful things can come from that seed of faith that is un-wavering!
Please pray for me as I speak at the WMU meeting this week (Oct. 5th). Pray that God will give me words to say that will glorify His name.
I am also hoping to start a prayer-walking team here in Portland. Pray for that, also. Prayer-walking is fairly new around here, so I'm hoping to encourage the women of this church to step out in faith and pray for the many things we need to take before our Father.
Please pray for Lora as she home-schools Ryan, Ian, and Zane. Please continue to pray for Michael and his desire to serve God. Pray for Allan as he builds our house....for safety and for his health. Pray for me as I work at the hospital, that I will be salt and light to those I work with that are lost.
I just partnered with my favorite radio station...you can hear it online at Family Life Radio! www.familyliferadio.org. On Thursday morning they are calling to get my testimony about missions, so pray for me, that God will use my words to reach someone!
The weather is so beautiful! We have had a lot of rain and fog. Monday morning on my way to work at 0630, you could not see one foot in front of you! It was also thundering and lightening and raining!
I took a nice morning walk today (off work today), and I took a dozen pictures of the misty foggy morning, the river walk, the beautiful Colorado Blue Spruce trees, the Scotch Pines, and the beautiful leaves turning their lovely reds, yellows, golds, and browns, mixed with the evergreens. The fog hung low over the river and what a glorious sight the Lord has given us to enjoy in this earth!!! If only I could have captured the smells: fresh rain, misty air, a spicey fragrance from the trees, and the flowers that are still lingering...roses and petunias, morning glories and marigolds...how wonderful!
Please pray for Ryan, my twelve year old grandson (just turned twelve) and is struggling between childhood and wanting to grow up all too quickly! That age is so difficult for both the child and the parents, who often are torn between wanting to please yet direct their child. Please pray that Lora and Jim will seek their counsel from God and His word during these years of growing and learning and changing....physically and emotionally. Ian and Zane will be ten years old on Friday the 6th. Ten is not quite so difficult because they still are being little boys, and mom and dad have been there with Ryan! It's always the one who is the one paving the road in childhood that we are always so worried about. Pray for wisdom for all our pre-teens and for the desire to serve and love God with all their heart, mind, and strength!
We had a very successful Missions Conference. It was a blessing to everyone. We had missionaries to Peru, Romania, and Turkey (in addition to Allan and I representing E.A.)
Hopefully, tomorrow, we will go see the new movie "Facing the Giants". It is the Christian movie that had received so much attention for having a PG rating because it was about having faith in God!! Please try to see it when it comes to your area!
Oh, well, God will make this work together for good, too! Publicity!
Please write to us and let us know how we can pray for you! We always pray for you and remember you each day. It would be nice to know how we can pray more effectively with specifics that we can take before our Father on your behalf.
I send my love to all, as does Allan.
"laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (the life which is life indeed). I Timothy 6:19 Grace be with thee!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Another Blog-Fog!!
I went back to check my blog post and noticed that sereval paragraphs had been cut off. Now, I seem to be having problems with the posting....it won't stop publishing a blank page! help!!! It has never done this before.
This is a test blog.
This is a test blog.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
To God Be the Glory!
I Thessalonians 5:16-17
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
Greetings once again to our faithful prayer warriors, brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. May the blessings of the Lord be with you as you walk in His love and His perfect will.
Yesterday as I listened to my new favorite Christian radio station Family Life Radio, I was deeply involved in many people calling in to tell what prayer has done in their life. Then a young pastor came on to give his view of how we, in America, and the world have become so complacent in our prayer life.
This young man is from a SBC church in, or around Kansas City. He was talking about how we often (usually) are so quick to ask God for everything we need (or think we need), or want, (think we want), and we don't make our personal relationship with Him intentional.
We know that we pray to God the Father, through Jesus the Son and through the Holy Spirit, yet the world is filled with those who believe just as fervently in PRAYER, yet to other 'gods'. When we pray to God in fellowship, worship, for intercession, for requests, for praise, etc., if we EXPECT those prayers to be answered, we MUST be in His will. We can not be living a life of sin, of complacency, of living the ways of the world, and still expect God to hear and answer our prayers!
If our prayers go un-answered and it seems that we are forgotten...could it be that we have allowed the deceiver to slip in and convince us that the wrong we are doing is "right, or okay"? In I Peter, we see that we should "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may DEVOUR".
He can not take your soul, but he CAN take your joy, your walk with your Lord God can be destroyed and he can cause you to fall over and over! He can cause your prayers to go un-heard or un-answered.
It is common for us to search our selves and see if we have un-confessed sin in our life before we take communion.....just so, we should examine our walk with Him and daily offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. Christ tells us to "be ye holy, for I am holy". He loved us so much, still in our sin, that He gave Himself for us.
Too often we CONFUSE legalism with OBEDIENCE. Too often we CONFUSE works with OBEDIENCE. Too often we CONFUSE law with OBEDIENCE. Jesus says, "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments."
In James we read that "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask AMISS, that ye consume it on your lusts (worldy desires)". What if we are asking for others, and not for ourselves?
We still need to be IN Him and "be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).
We should ask ourselves in all that we do, think, and feel, and in our attitudes: Is this grieving the Holy Spirit? "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). If we truly have Jesus as Lord of our life then we must obey His every command.
" be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds, (thoughts) through Christ Jesus." (Eph.4:6-7)
May we grow daily in His love and may we love and forgive as he loves and forgives us....completely!
I love you all and will be praying for my precious family every day! Please pray for us without ceasing and rejoice evermore with us.
In His Name for His Glory!
Is.30:21, Eph.4:30
Sue and Allan
The Fishermens Line
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
Greetings once again to our faithful prayer warriors, brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. May the blessings of the Lord be with you as you walk in His love and His perfect will.
Yesterday as I listened to my new favorite Christian radio station Family Life Radio, I was deeply involved in many people calling in to tell what prayer has done in their life. Then a young pastor came on to give his view of how we, in America, and the world have become so complacent in our prayer life.
This young man is from a SBC church in, or around Kansas City. He was talking about how we often (usually) are so quick to ask God for everything we need (or think we need), or want, (think we want), and we don't make our personal relationship with Him intentional.
We know that we pray to God the Father, through Jesus the Son and through the Holy Spirit, yet the world is filled with those who believe just as fervently in PRAYER, yet to other 'gods'. When we pray to God in fellowship, worship, for intercession, for requests, for praise, etc., if we EXPECT those prayers to be answered, we MUST be in His will. We can not be living a life of sin, of complacency, of living the ways of the world, and still expect God to hear and answer our prayers!
If our prayers go un-answered and it seems that we are forgotten...could it be that we have allowed the deceiver to slip in and convince us that the wrong we are doing is "right, or okay"? In I Peter, we see that we should "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may DEVOUR".
He can not take your soul, but he CAN take your joy, your walk with your Lord God can be destroyed and he can cause you to fall over and over! He can cause your prayers to go un-heard or un-answered.
It is common for us to search our selves and see if we have un-confessed sin in our life before we take communion.....just so, we should examine our walk with Him and daily offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. Christ tells us to "be ye holy, for I am holy". He loved us so much, still in our sin, that He gave Himself for us.
Too often we CONFUSE legalism with OBEDIENCE. Too often we CONFUSE works with OBEDIENCE. Too often we CONFUSE law with OBEDIENCE. Jesus says, "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments."
In James we read that "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask AMISS, that ye consume it on your lusts (worldy desires)". What if we are asking for others, and not for ourselves?
We still need to be IN Him and "be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).
We should ask ourselves in all that we do, think, and feel, and in our attitudes: Is this grieving the Holy Spirit? "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). If we truly have Jesus as Lord of our life then we must obey His every command.
" be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds, (thoughts) through Christ Jesus." (Eph.4:6-7)
May we grow daily in His love and may we love and forgive as he loves and forgives us....completely!
I love you all and will be praying for my precious family every day! Please pray for us without ceasing and rejoice evermore with us.
In His Name for His Glory!
Is.30:21, Eph.4:30
Sue and Allan
The Fishermens Line
Friday, September 08, 2006
Blog-Fog
Ok, I'm not a blog pro...but you would think I could at least get the web address correct for those interested enough to come online to read the letter!
Well, by now you have it and you are reading this and all confusion (Blog-Fog) is cleared up! Praise the Lord!
As I sit here at this very late hour, rain falling gently on the roof, and softly against the windows....I should be sleeping soundly in my new warm comfy bed, but after work today and all that is going on, I found myself a "tad" hyper.
I'll try to begin back in July (like I can remember yesterday anymore!). Well, after our return from Florida in July we played the bounce back and forth game....what should we do now (with the next year or so, of our lives!)?
We decided to try to build a little home (buying is too expensive here for what you get), and Allan feels that he can do it just the way he did 20-30 years ago (pray for him, please!!). After weeks of getting prices together and looking for affordable property, we finally started the foundation about a week ago.
Maybe by Christmas (Lord willing), we can at least be close enough to move in. I'll be happy if it's far enough so that he can work inside and not out in 20 degree weather!
I was hired at the Ionia Memorial Hospital to work per diem. I'm in orientation and can stay there until I feel comfortable with the new paper work, equipment, etc.....I think that'll be a couple of months or five! Once I go off orientation, there is no guarantee of being called in to work ( from what I see, though, it is very likely that I will have as many shifts as I can handle).
Since I had been away from the hospital for about three years, I was a bit nervous, but it all came back (with much prayer, of course!). God is sooooo good, all the time, isn't He?
Ian (one of my twin grandsons) and I went prayer-walking around Portland. We walked for about half a day and had lunch together. He kept me in 'stitches' all through lunch. He could really be a comedian!! We had a wonderful time laughing, talking, and praying for the city.
I think most of you have heard about our friends in China who are being kept under scrutiny by the PSB. The prayer-walking and Bible study team we formed, The Joshua Team, are having to be very careful. One of my friends had told us that during a Bible study that Mr. W.W. (Chinese) had prepared some English lessons to pass out to the team "In case we need them". Please pray for them as often as you can, because the persecution and consequences for being a Christan there can be imprisonment, beating, death, children, family members disappearing without a trace, and loss of jobs, education opportunities cut off,etc.. People just disappear and often no one even questions it for fear of their own life.
We know of a situation during our time there, of a co-laborer and his wife, who had reached many in their city; only to have over one hundred people arrested and a little girl ( about three) taken from her parents. No one knew where they took her or anything about what happened to any of them. The couple who had been working there had their visa cancelled and could not go back into the country.
These are some of the things I could not tell you while we were there because the mail and phones are monitored and you just can't risk it. We know that God has it all, don't we?!
We usually get about fifty e-mails every day or two. We try to answer them as much as possible. If we are away from the computer (which is often), we may have 70 or 80 to sift through. Hopefully, if you write (and I hope you do!), I will answer as soon as possible, because your letters are truly important to both of us. We love hearing the news...all the way from Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, Virginia, Tenneessee, South America, and even Michigan! Thank You All!!!!!!!
When God promises a hundred-fold blessing...He delivers! We are so blessed to have so many brothers and sisters around the globe, and that God has allowed us to be part of their ministry in a personal way.
Speaking of ministry....I always loved WCIF radio in Melbourne and I knew I would miss it terribly, and I do, but God blesses us with such good gifts every day...I found 99.7 Family Life Radio, and what a station it is! I love it so much...and you know that I have six Christian stations locked in on my car radio!! Six at least. I am so thrilled with that. Even though I am not sure "Michigan is my cup of tea", there are many good things about it.
I have a lot of quiet time this next couple of days.....Allan, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane, all went camping (and they happened to choose a week that will be very, very cold). I think in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan tonight it will be in the low fifties! I hope they went prepared!
I mentioned my new soft bed early in my letter....well, we left Lora and Jim's "cottage" and rented a small (very) house until we get the house finished. Well, for three nights I slept on the floor....we had an air mattress, but I kept rolling off onto the floor, so the second night I just stayed there. They delivered the bed after three days and when the alarm went off, I just did not want to get up at five a.m.! (but I did, of course).
Allan got us hooked up with DSL today before they went camping/bear hunting. See, now I can do my newsletter at home without going over to Lora's to use her service............so much better!
Sunday night at the First Baptist Church in Portland, we were blessed with the opportunity of opening the month-long missons conference with our presentation of our trip to East Asia. It was a real blessing to all of us. We are hoping to be able to get some short-term trips planned for some small groups...we don't know when or where yet, so please pray for us about that.
We will continue to keep you all in or prayers. Stay strong IN Him. Be strong. Be of good courage, the Lord is with you! We love you and pray for you.
Ok, now, it's 0130 and I am finally ready to try to sleep. The thunder is rolling out there and I love to lie in bed and listen to it and talk with my Father and worship Him in the early morning hours.
In His Love for His Glory!
sue and allan
Well, by now you have it and you are reading this and all confusion (Blog-Fog) is cleared up! Praise the Lord!
As I sit here at this very late hour, rain falling gently on the roof, and softly against the windows....I should be sleeping soundly in my new warm comfy bed, but after work today and all that is going on, I found myself a "tad" hyper.
I'll try to begin back in July (like I can remember yesterday anymore!). Well, after our return from Florida in July we played the bounce back and forth game....what should we do now (with the next year or so, of our lives!)?
We decided to try to build a little home (buying is too expensive here for what you get), and Allan feels that he can do it just the way he did 20-30 years ago (pray for him, please!!). After weeks of getting prices together and looking for affordable property, we finally started the foundation about a week ago.
Maybe by Christmas (Lord willing), we can at least be close enough to move in. I'll be happy if it's far enough so that he can work inside and not out in 20 degree weather!
I was hired at the Ionia Memorial Hospital to work per diem. I'm in orientation and can stay there until I feel comfortable with the new paper work, equipment, etc.....I think that'll be a couple of months or five! Once I go off orientation, there is no guarantee of being called in to work ( from what I see, though, it is very likely that I will have as many shifts as I can handle).
Since I had been away from the hospital for about three years, I was a bit nervous, but it all came back (with much prayer, of course!). God is sooooo good, all the time, isn't He?
Ian (one of my twin grandsons) and I went prayer-walking around Portland. We walked for about half a day and had lunch together. He kept me in 'stitches' all through lunch. He could really be a comedian!! We had a wonderful time laughing, talking, and praying for the city.
I think most of you have heard about our friends in China who are being kept under scrutiny by the PSB. The prayer-walking and Bible study team we formed, The Joshua Team, are having to be very careful. One of my friends had told us that during a Bible study that Mr. W.W. (Chinese) had prepared some English lessons to pass out to the team "In case we need them". Please pray for them as often as you can, because the persecution and consequences for being a Christan there can be imprisonment, beating, death, children, family members disappearing without a trace, and loss of jobs, education opportunities cut off,etc.. People just disappear and often no one even questions it for fear of their own life.
We know of a situation during our time there, of a co-laborer and his wife, who had reached many in their city; only to have over one hundred people arrested and a little girl ( about three) taken from her parents. No one knew where they took her or anything about what happened to any of them. The couple who had been working there had their visa cancelled and could not go back into the country.
These are some of the things I could not tell you while we were there because the mail and phones are monitored and you just can't risk it. We know that God has it all, don't we?!
We usually get about fifty e-mails every day or two. We try to answer them as much as possible. If we are away from the computer (which is often), we may have 70 or 80 to sift through. Hopefully, if you write (and I hope you do!), I will answer as soon as possible, because your letters are truly important to both of us. We love hearing the news...all the way from Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, Virginia, Tenneessee, South America, and even Michigan! Thank You All!!!!!!!
When God promises a hundred-fold blessing...He delivers! We are so blessed to have so many brothers and sisters around the globe, and that God has allowed us to be part of their ministry in a personal way.
Speaking of ministry....I always loved WCIF radio in Melbourne and I knew I would miss it terribly, and I do, but God blesses us with such good gifts every day...I found 99.7 Family Life Radio, and what a station it is! I love it so much...and you know that I have six Christian stations locked in on my car radio!! Six at least. I am so thrilled with that. Even though I am not sure "Michigan is my cup of tea", there are many good things about it.
I have a lot of quiet time this next couple of days.....Allan, Jim, Ryan, Ian, and Zane, all went camping (and they happened to choose a week that will be very, very cold). I think in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan tonight it will be in the low fifties! I hope they went prepared!
I mentioned my new soft bed early in my letter....well, we left Lora and Jim's "cottage" and rented a small (very) house until we get the house finished. Well, for three nights I slept on the floor....we had an air mattress, but I kept rolling off onto the floor, so the second night I just stayed there. They delivered the bed after three days and when the alarm went off, I just did not want to get up at five a.m.! (but I did, of course).
Allan got us hooked up with DSL today before they went camping/bear hunting. See, now I can do my newsletter at home without going over to Lora's to use her service............so much better!
Sunday night at the First Baptist Church in Portland, we were blessed with the opportunity of opening the month-long missons conference with our presentation of our trip to East Asia. It was a real blessing to all of us. We are hoping to be able to get some short-term trips planned for some small groups...we don't know when or where yet, so please pray for us about that.
We will continue to keep you all in or prayers. Stay strong IN Him. Be strong. Be of good courage, the Lord is with you! We love you and pray for you.
Ok, now, it's 0130 and I am finally ready to try to sleep. The thunder is rolling out there and I love to lie in bed and listen to it and talk with my Father and worship Him in the early morning hours.
In His Love for His Glory!
sue and allan
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