Jesus replied,
“The most important commandment is this:
‘Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
And you must love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
all your soul,
all your mind,
and all your strength.’”
~Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)~
Urgent Prayer Request
Dear Prayer partners,
Please be in prayer for Kenny P. Kenny had a very serious accident at his home in the US on Sunday afternoon and fell from a ladder from two stories. He was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital. He has serious injuries to his back. He has injured several vertebras, one is injured extensively. There is the possibility of spinal damage. He is resting at a local hospital in ICU and will have an MRI on Monday morning and surgery on Monday afternoon. He is also expected to undergo a second surgery in two or three days following the initial surgery. He will be moved at a later date to a hospital that specializes in spinal rehab.
Kenny and his wife, Teri have been a great asset to our region. Each year they oversee the volunteers that come and minister to our children and us at our annual meetings. They have been doing this for many years. They have blessed our lives with their dedication in this special ministry to us all in CEE.
Please pray for God’s healing hands to touch Kenny’s back. Pray for Teri as she talks with doctors and as she is with Kenny. We have CEE colleagues that are with them right now so we will keep you posted as we hear.
Thank you for praying!
Melinda
Joan Hagan had a better day yesterday. Please continue to remember her in your prayers.
The monthly share group meeting is at the Alford cabin Thursday at 6:30. You are invited to join the fellowship. Bucky Erwin will lead the devotional.
KneEmail
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:10).
Mike Benson, Editor
MARCH 24, 2008
THIS PAST WEEK, I learned that a young man, a freshman at Freed-Hardeman University drowned in the ocean while on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic…
Shane Ruiz was wading in the ocean with several friends on the last day of their mission trip, when a rough wave knocked him over and an undertow pulled him out to sea. Attempts were made to rescue him, but all attempts proved futile. This young man was in the Dominican Republic, along with several other fellow students, to teach a Vacation Bible School for children living there, and to work with a Children’s Home. After a long week of work, their schedule called for a trip to the ocean before returning home to the United States.
My first thoughts when I heard of this tragedy were the thoughts of a parent. I too, have a child at Freed-Hardeman, and I can only imagine what this young man’s parents must be going through. I would ask that you remember them in your prayers.
But my second thought was the last verse of a song we sometimes sing in our assemblies. The song is entitled, “Follow Me” and was written by Ira Stanpill in 1953. Here is the third verse of that song:
Oh, Jesus if I die upon a foreign field some day,
T’ would be no more than love demands, no less could I repay,
No greater love hath mortal man than for a friend to die,
These are the words he gently spoke to me.
If just a cup of water I place within your hand,
Then just a cup of water is all that I demand,
But if by death to living they can they glory see,
I’ll take my cross and follow close to Thee.
Now here’s the point of my article. This young man died while engaging in the work of the Lord. While many young people across our nation use their Spring Break to immerse themselves in immorality and drunken revelries, this young man spent the last week of his life trying to teach children about Jesus. While I am saddened by the events that ultimately occurred, I am thankful for the choice he made.
Friends, all of us, if we could choose, would want to leave this world while doing the work of the Lord. Even Balaam, the wicked, greedy prophet in the Old Testament prayed, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his” (Num. 23:10).
But now, allow me to leave you with a question. If you were to die doing the work of the Lord, would you have to die on a Sunday morning only, between the hours of 10:30 and 11:30? Give it some thought. (Steve Higginbotham)
KneEmail: “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his” (Num. 23:10).
Bible reading for 05.12.08:
Articles about Shane:
1. http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158288~Freed-Hardeman_student_presumed_drowned_on_mission_trip
2. http://brotherhoodnews.com/2008/03/20/campaigner-presumed-drowned-in-dominican-republic/
3. http://web.fhu.edu/NR/exeres/31DC34C5-7BC6-4E15-9DDD-BA50F27BB232,frameless.htm
Thank you for being there to pray each day. Your prayers mean so much to so many.
Please feel free to send praises, requests, and updates you wish to share.
Anna Lee
The Prayer Link 