Thursday

“Who knows,

perhaps you have come to the kingdom

for such a time as this,”

~Esther 4:14b, HCSB~

McComb Bank Tragedy

Pray for all the families involved in the tragedy at the bank in McComb yesterday.

Cancer Free!

Smiley Conerly and Sammy Broyles are now cancer free! Than-you for your prayers for them. Please continue to pray for them and their families.

Jesse Dean

Today is the day set for Jesse to be released to rehab or home. Thank God for the progress he has made since surgery.

Lauree and Cliff Titus

Pray for Lauree and Cliff. It seems like they have gone from one health issue to another lately.

Baby Aaron Hill

Well, God does not want Aaron to head home to MS just yet. Today’s echo and visit with Dr. Szwast have yielded another plan. First the good news–Aaron now weighs 7 ½ lbs and is 20 inches long, so he is gaining weight and growing longer. (I was so proud!). His echo, however, was cause for some concern. There still appears to be some problem with the mitral valve, as it doesn’t look like it is opening wide enough to allow proper blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. While Aaron has some pulmonary stenosis (that was cause for concern early on for opposite reasons), apparently there is so much blood flow through his heart that there is pressure building up in his left atrium. Because of this buildup of pressure, the doctors are concerned that leaving his heart like this might cause damage to his lungs over even a short period of time. Given this danger, Aaron will undergo a heart cath on Tuesday at CHOP where the doctors will evaluate the heart and lung pressure and gauge the overall function and capacity of his heart.

Our surgeon, Dr. Spray, does not feel like the possible mitral valve problem will prevent a two-sided repair procedure. Therefore, if the heart cath goes well and yields positive findings, Dr. Spray will perform surgery in the immediate future to move Aaron’s aorta over to his left ventricle and repair the other problems with his heart. If the surgeons begin the surgery and determine the mitral valve will not sustain his heart, they will place a band on his pulmonary artery to reduce the amount of blood flow through his heart and stop there, leaving us to return for the first single ventricle repair surgery when Aaron is between four and six months of age.

As you can see, so much still remains uncertain. I am grieved that we will not be going home this week. Scott and I had so wanted to be home even for a little while with Aaron and Levi. We miss everyone terribly. However, we are both glad that the pressure problem has been discovered now rather than after our return home. Please continue to pray for us (especially Aaron) as we get ready for the heart cath and prospective surgery. Scott will head home tomorrow then back on Monday for the cath. My mom and sweet Levi will also return soon—I have missed both of them a lot. Please say an additional prayer for my dad while my mom is here giving me support. We are blessed with wonderful family and friends. We love you all.

BCM Lunch

The BCM lunch at Southeastern yesterday was a big success. The were about 125 students there o enjoy the jambalaya and other foods. Thanks to all who contributed and all who went. Special thanks to Marty and Gretchen for cooking the jambalaya.

Donald J. “Buster” Dieterich

A retired senior purchasing agent of Barnard & Burk Engineering, a U.S. Air Force veteran, a resident of Baker and a native of Amite, he passed away Saturday, March 8, 2008, at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. He was 69. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd., on Friday, March 14, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a memorial service at 6 p.m. He is survived by his wife, Shirley M. Dieterich; daughters, Marie Angel’ Tetrick, Smyrna, Ga., Monica Brian and husband Tracy, Zachary, Sharon Price, Baton Rouge; stepdaughters, Natalie Roussel, Geismer and Jennifer Lay, Oklahoma; son, John Scott Dieterich and wife JoAnna; step son, Richard “Ricky” Lay and wife Debbie, Walker; sisters, Patsy Dieterich Norton, Gretna, and Jean Dieterich Mitchell, Metairie; brother, Thomas Dieterich, Jackson, Miss.; 16 grandchildren, Casey Lee, Cody Tetrick, Lindy Babin, Laird, Aubin and Jude Brian, Mazie and Mary Dieterich, Tori, Megan, Joshua and Christina Lay, Amber Guzzardo, Kimberly Sanchez, Maranda and Taylor Ree; and a great- grandchild. Preceded in death by his parents, Peter Gemeth and Ora Mae Dunnington Dieterich; brother, Earl Dieterich; and grandson, Thomas Devin Lay. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Tony Gene King

Tony King died at 3:55 a.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond. He was 44 and a resident of Amite. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, on Thursday, March 13, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by graveside service at Amite Memorial Gardens, Amite. Survived by his daughter, Jessica Goudy, Randolph’s Air Force Base, Texas; four brothers and sisters-in-law, Ronnie and Ashley McDonald, Amite, and Mike and Carol King, Jeff and Khris King and Tracy and Beth King, all of Cleveland; and sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Jerry Hughes, Amite. Preceded in death by his father, Ted King; and mother, Cinderella Williams King. For more information, visit http:// www.mckneelys.com.

 

KneEmail

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:10).

Mike Benson, Editor

Storm

JESUS TOLD THE twelve to get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee…

As they started across the sea, everything was smooth and calm, and Jesus went to sleep. Suddenly a huge wind blasted on the sea and the boat began to be swamped with water. They awakened Jesus in great fear and said, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (v. 24). They believed they were going to die right there on the water. Jesus woke up and told the wind and water to be still, and instantly the sea was as smooth as glass. At this point Jesus turned to the disciples and asked, “Where is your faith?” (v. 25). The disciples were now terrified, not of the storm that had stopped, but of the One who stopped the storm.

Why were they suddenly afraid? They had already witnessed so much power from Jesus. What was different on this occasion? The difference was that is was their storm. They were the ones in the boat this time. It was their lives on the line. They knew Jesus could take of the storms in someone else’s life, but it was an entirely different issue when it was personal. People tend to do this all the time. Spiritual lives are destroyed because of the storm of family problems, or the storm of past sin, or the storm of sickness, or the storm of money troubles, ad infinitum. It is easy to tell someone else that they need to trust God to take care of them, but what about when it is my boat that is sinking? What do we do?

If Jesus is with you, outside influences cannot enslave you, nor can they sink your boat (Rom. 8:31-39). Outside influences cannot take away eternity as long as you weather the storm. They may make life more difficult here, but they will not defeat you unless you allow them to do so. Jesus Himself suffered more than any of us, yet He was victorious because His focus was on God’s eternal plan, not the immediate storm of life. The next time you are facing a storm, remember that He needs to be in the boat first, and then you will be successful in weathering whatever storm you are facing. (Terry Frizzell)

“But He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’

And they were afraid, and marveled,

saying to one another, ‘Who can this be?’

For He commands even the winds and water,

and they obey Him!”

~ Luke 8:25~

 

 

We all have “storms” in our lives. When they come, we need to remember Jesus is walking along with us, just like he does on all the other days. Going through the “storms” of life is not always pleasant or easy, but we can get through them.

Anna Lee