URGENT CALL TO PRAYER!!!

Today my heart is heavy with burden for this dear lady I have met through blog land. She is very ill, as is her daughter, who has been through the ringer. I honestly do not see how in the world they all keep going, except for the grace and mercy of our Lord. I'm asking you, right now, to pause and please pray for Danielle in this fight with cancer, with Arwen, her daughter who has many physiological and challenging problems, for her husband Rick, who is her rock, and for their sweet son. In spite of all she is going through, she is asking us to pray for baby Stellan, whom I've asked you to pray for before. Please go here to read his story! I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER! God is GOOD...ALL THE TIME! His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are, as well. It is difficult, at best, in times like these to understand the mind of Christ. And so I ask you to please, please pray, pray..........
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Needing some extra prayers please............................................ It is time for me to get honest with you and myself, I feel terrible. Don't know if I've ever felt like this. Wednesday morning I woke up with the good ole liver glow.......yellowish/green and it has gotten worse as the weekend approched. This morning when I got up sebastian told me that i looked scary and very yellow. I haven't kept anything down since Friday night. I've had a headache on the same side for over 8weeks now. It is constant, waxes and wanes from dull ache to throbbing to stabbing and make me more nauseous than usual. Nothing sounds good. I did get some Wheat/Yogurt bread from the farmer's market and that seems to taste the best. My belly pain has increased and the places where i received radiation are 'burning' more than normal. It is hard to explain the sensation, but needless to say, I wish I never had the radition, I just traded it for a differnt pain. The itching has increased as the coloring gets worse for obvious reasons, blockage. I've been battling with mouth sores for a few weeks now. I'm use to canker sores but these sores are so painful and all over my mouth. I've gotten a mouth wash that is for cancer patients and it has helped and am making sure to keep my mouth clean. I barely have enough energy to take care of the kids. Rick came home from work this morning and said he has never seen anyone so yellow and look so bad. I admit this all has me down and not sure what the end result will be. I've got so much anxiety due to not being able to sleep and the pain and worrying about will come next, and yes I'm grouchy because of it (and I'm being nice when I say grouchy) I would appreciate some extra prayers and thoughts. Also while you are praying, please pray for baby Stellan. He is a sweet little boy who has been struggling with SVT (super ventricular tachycardia) since he was in his mama's belly. He is now 8 or 9 mths old and has been in SVT for over 3 days now. He is currently being airlifted to a specialty hospital in Boston. I believe Stellan and his family live in Minnesota. His temp has dropped down to 94.7, bp is dangerously low, his kidneys are failing, fluid build up, acidosis, and none of the medication cocktails are working, he had an ablation 2 months ago and that is not an option this time. So please keep this little boy in your prayers as well. We all know God has a plan for all of us, He is the great physician and assists the doctors on earth on how to treat their patients. Sometimes when we are going through the rough spurts of pain and suffering we forget this. I'm off to call the hospice nurse and let them know what is going on and see if I can get some fluids. I don't want to go to the hospital. Thank you to all of you for your prayers, thoughts, and support. Love to all~Danielle *************************************************************************************

"Once upon a time....The end"

I'm back...with so much to share, so many thoughts to process, so full of the joy and love of the Lord...here's my thoughts for today!
“Once upon a time…” “In the beginning…”…all stories have a beginning…”The End”…most stories have an ending…the ‘in between portion” encompasses the clues, character roles, descriptive words/phrases and images that draw the reader into the plot and whet the imaginative appetite. Beginnings are mysterious and set the tone for the rest of the story. Endings are at times predictable; other times the reader is left hanging in the abyss of suspense until the final words are read.

Christians know the beginning of God’s story (Genesis) and most know how His story ends (Revelation). We have heard, and can usually repeat with a certain degree of accuracy, the classical Old and New Testament stories: Noah’s ark, the parting of the Red sea, Jonah and the whale, Paul’s conversion, the stoning of Stephen, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, etc. Some can recite Scripture committed to memory…this knowledge is admirable and is an important part of our faith…but there’s more!

It’s called “our responsibility”~ to go and tell others His story (“history”), sometimes affectionately referred to as “The Good News”! Don’t we desire to share good news? Sure we do! We want others to celebrate with us! Yet, many of us are not as willing to share His Good News”! We “coulda, shoulda, oughta ”…yet opportunities present themselves frequently, and either by commission or omission we let those moments pass us by, hoping someone else will do it….or assuming there will be other opportunities we can grab…perhaps even being oblivious to certain opportunities placed right in our path.

Jesus came to serve, not to be served. His ministry centered on people who were in need, some physically, others mentally and/or emotionally, still others spiritually! He came to heal, to help, to hear their cries…those poor in spirit, those poor in possessions, the lowly, the unattractive, the outcasts…He did it out of obedience to the Father’s call on His life, and He did it with love, humility, sacrifice, joy…and without condemnation or judgment.

This past week Rodney, Benjamin and I were again honored to serve the poor in the Dominican Republic~ adults, teens, children…Dominican and Haitian (long time enemies)…the easy to love and the unlovable. We were reminded again of the fact that most of the world lives in conditions and at the economic level of the Dominican people; as Americans we are the minority, living a standard of life far and beyond the rest of the world! Serving our brothers and sisters on foreign soil was pure joy! The blessings we received far surpassed any possible blessing we may have given them, as the joy of the Lord IS their strength, and is evidenced on their faces, in the actions and by their words! (More about our mission trip to come!)

Be blessed as you visually experience our Dominican family…if and when you feel so led to pray for them, please do so fervently and without ceasing!

With heartfelt joy and lots of love,

On a mission...

...to the Dominican Republic for a week to serve Haitians and Dominicans, by building, leading Vacation Bible School and witnessing! Please keep us close in your prayers.

Back to the blog world on Wed., July 22 or Thurs., July 23!

Be blessed!

Church at it's Best/Here and abroad

This is my church, of whom I am so proud! Know why? THEY GET IT! They truly know that to be about God's business is to serve others, just as Jesus came to serve, not to be served! This was yesterday ~ 450+ volunteers serving people all over the Nashville community! Tuesday I leave with 18 others from my church to serve in the Dominican Republic for a week. I love it that we get it!

Two Chicks Too Giveaway/Fellowship of the Unashamed

GREAT GIVEAWAY HERE! Gorgeous hand-crafted jewelry by Two Chicks Two; head on over and check it out! While you are there, try and beat me out of winning!
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Now, be blessed by this today and everyday:

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit
Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has
been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow
down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,
and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight
walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,
mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.


I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by
patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.


My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my
way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted,
or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the
pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity.


I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed
up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a
disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop,
preach until all know, and work until He comes.


And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My
colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)
By Dr. Bob Moorehead



Dr. Bob Moorehead is former pastor of Seattle's Overlake Christian Church. He retired in 1998 after 29 years in that post. The essay appeared in 'Words Aptly Spoken,' Dr. Moorehead's 1995 collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts.

Freedom of Country/Freedom in Christ

On the 4th of July our country celebrates its freedom, and honors men and women who have served, are serving, and will serve to protect and defend that freedom! Many celebrate the holiday annually with a fireworks display to entertain us and to celebrate our freedom! However, freedom is not totally “free” ~ it comes at a price of lives lost. For many families, July 4th is a reason to mourn, not celebrate!

As I glanced at photos we took at the celebration we attended, many spiritual implications were exposed: life in the natural vs. life in Christ; the constant spiritual warfare in the heavenlies; and the eternal freedom we have as believers in Jesus Christ. Though I am an amateur photographer, hopefully the photos below will reflect those carnal/spiritual implications I found.

The heavenly battle rages between good and evil, darkness and light, Satan and Christ…competing for the #1 in our lives. God has granted Satan free reign in this battle for a time; the end result is his eternal demise in the lake of fire! Praise the Lord! Until that time, each of us must learn how to live "in the world” but not be 'of the world"!

Before finding Christ in my life, my world was dark! Evil surrounded me, and temptations flooded my thoughts constantly
Having been raised in the church, I knew right from wrong; I had a strong moral standard; I wanted to do what was right; yet, like Paul, the good I wanted to do I often did not do! The wrong thing was often easier and gave a temporary, yet instant, fulfillment and satisfaction!
The light (Jesus Christ) was there in every situation, trying to dispel the darkness that was taking over my life.
The battle continued to rage, and Christ remained steadfast, right in the midst of the battle for my mind! The consequences of the spiritual battle for my life going on in heavenly places were being manifested in my thought process, which often led to wrong actions.


At age twelve Jesus finally got my attention, and I truly had a “Damascus Road experience” with Him!
I surrendered my life to Him at the altar of the small Missionary Baptist Church my Mother took us to at the time, and I literally felt as though fireworks were exploding inwardly! The evil was still there; “but God" (my 2 favorite words of the Bible) overpowered the evil forces of the world in my life!
For many months I felt just like this:

In the years following my salvation experience, the “mountain top experience” seemed to gradually fade in intensity. I began to drift again, knowing all the while that God would never move, that he would forgive me no matter what I did (or in some cases did NOT do), and that I could always go back “home” to Him.
The evil of the world remains.....

But God continues to dispel the darkness of the evil IF He is allowed to. Individually we must choose to invite Him in to fight for and with us; or we choose to go it alone! He allows either; He prefers to fight it for us! It may seem like He comes slowly at times. Yet, we know He is faithful to show up, along with His warring angels, to fight on our behalf!

I want my life to be a full reflection of Jesus in me! I want others to see me living a life of God’s light; and I want to have the explosive joy of the Lord in my life in all times, even those that seem dark and dreary!

I am not naive enough to think there will ever be a time where evil won’t exist, and temptations won’t come my way. All I have to do is read the Word of God to know that is part of His plan, once man allowed sin to enter this world! The battle continues to rage;

but I also know the end of that same story, and it goes like this:

WE WIN!!!

We spend eternal life in Heaven with Christ! Satan is destroyed for all eternity! Thank-you, Lord Jesus!

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