Saturday

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.

For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought,

but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us

with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

~Romans 8:26~

I’m sure you remember praying for Ashlyn Neal after her fall during a basketball game.  I’m happy to report she is back playing basketball and doing well.  Thank God for her progress and freedom from headaches.

Thanks to Lynda Newman for sharing this.

Specialist Christian Romig, 24 years-old, was killed on January 5th by an IED while fighting for his country in Afghanistan. He is survived by his parents, Rebecca Perez Romig and Leaman M. Romig Sr.; sister Gabrielle; brothers, Eric, Phillip and Lee Jr.; grandfathers, Joseph Perez Jr. and Donald Romig and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He is preceded by his grandmothers, Earllea Hoffstadt Perez and Elizabeth Hood Romig. Christian graduated from GKHS in 2005. He was enlisted in the Army from May 2008 and was scheduled to fulfill his commitment in June but opted to stay with his platoon overseas until completion of their deployment. Christian will be remembered for his big heart and big laughs. A Hero’s Return Home will be Friday afternoon at Belle Chasse Naval Air Station for the immediate family. Visitation will at Leitz Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Blvd, near Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA on Friday evening, January 14, 2011 from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM and on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at Divine Mercy Church, 3325 Loyola Dr., Kenner, LA 70065 beginning at 9:30 AM with a Funeral Mass to follow at 11:00 AM. Burial with full military honors will follow in Kentwood, LA at Hoffstadt Family Cemetery located at 251 Hoffstadt Rd, Kentwood, LA. If you would like to make a donation in the soldier’s name, the family asks that you consider Soldiers Angels, 1792 Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104 or online at soldiersangels.org/honorary-donations.

You may want to go to http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Christian-Romig&lc=7186&pid=147733206&mid=4508894&locale=en-US

for more information including lots of pictures.

Thank God for Christian and all the other young men and women who serve our country.  We are thankful for all of you!

Pray for the other families that are having funerals and graveside services today.

The associational WMU will meet Monday at FBC, Kentwood.  The meeting will honor WMU ladies who passed away in the past year.  Bring your favorite food to share and join us at 10 A.M.

KneEmail

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2.10

Mike Benson, Editor

GIVE THE PROCESS enough time…

Do not rush it.  The dream must be carefully wrapped in the foil of creativity and baked slowly, often very slowly, in the oven of time.  In short, be patient.

It is true that some visions pop full-blown into a leader’s head within a very short period of time.  This seems to be the case in the Old Testament with Nehemiah who, according to Nehemiah 1, received his vision in a matter of days (1.4).  While the chronology of the text is not entirely clear, Nehemiah was praying an envisioning prayer of confession and petition for his people when, apparently, God provided the vision.  At the close of the prayer (1.11) he indicates that he has God’s vision for his people, the Jews in captivity, because he asks for success as he approaches King Artaxerxes with that vision.

My experience with the church, however, is that Nehemiah’s experience is the exception rather than the norm.  Most visions are made up of bits and pieces collected from various sources over a significant period of time.  Add to this the fact that dreams work very closely with creativity, which cannot be rushed.  Most often they are several years cooking on the back burner of the visionary’s mind.  Then, when the time is right, they take shape.

But  how much time is necessary to develop a significant vision?  The answer to that one is easy: whatever time it takes. Aubrey Malphurs, “The Vision Process,” Developing a Vision for Ministry in The 21st Century, 77

4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”

So I prayed to the God of heaven.

5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king,

and if your servant has found favor in your sight,

I ask that you send me to Judah,

to the city of my fathers’ tombs,

that I may rebuild it.”

~Nehemiah 2.4-5~

Have a blessed day.  Be a blessing to someone!

Anna Lee