Month: January 2012

Friday

“And whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones

because he is a disciple–

I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”

~Matthew 10:42, HCSB~

  • Tangipahoa Parish and many other places have been drawn together in praying for two young boys, Jadon and Tripp.  Lives have been touched by these two young lives and strong families.  I’ve seen such evidence of prayer that encourages my heart.  I know you have prayed and been touched too.  May God bless these two families and each of you who have prayed for them.  I think the following blog will give you the insight into the life of one person who will be changed forever.  Keep praying!
  • Lisa Westmoreland shared this request.
    • I am asking for Prayers for my uncle Willie Westmoreland,he is having problems with his kidneys and will require a kidney transplant.
  • Debbie Luce, a teacher and a former student of mine, will have her third back surgery Tuesday.  Pray this fusion process goes well and Debbie can be free of pain and return to her teaching job.
  • Roy Russell’s by-pass surgery went well.  Today will be the third day which is usually the hardest day on the patient.  Pray Roy gets through this day without any complications.  Roy is a brother to Faibra Cade and a step-brother to J.C. Miller.
  • Continue to pray for Taylor Breeland of Kentwood.  Her prayer support has not been as evident on the internet, but I assure you those who know her have been praying.  Keep her near the top of your list as this young lady battles cancer.
KnebrokenEmail
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10
Mike Benson, Editor

THINGS HAPPEN THAT hurt terribly…

  • A youngster breaks a leg, eliminating him from participation in a sports activity in which he was excelling;
  • A tragic accident turns life into a nightmare;
  • A “perfect” marriage is shattered by the sudden death of a partner;
  • A promising career is fractured by a merger which puts a brilliant man out of work.

Such things put faith–even strong faith–to the test.  The Bible says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord” (Psalm 37:23).  How?  We can’t presume to know how God works in every case.  But for starters:

1.  The good man seeks God’s will in all he does.  He doesn’t make decisions without considering God’s will.  He consults God’s Word, and prays for direction.  Then if problems come, he reasons that God may be directing in a way beyond human understanding.

 2.  He looks for good even in the painful experiences.  There will be times when even the good man fails to properly consider God’s will.  Times when he will fail to consult the Word, and pray.  Times when he will act impulsively, foolishly.

And even when he has fervently sought to do right there will be times when thing go sour and tragedy strikes.  What does he do then?  He places his trust in God–convinced that, though he doesn’t understand how, God will bring good out of it.

Maybe there are times when God causes seeming tragedy in order to send us down a different road.  More often, however, those painful experiences cannot be assigned to the Lord.  He does not cause them–but He can use them.  Even the terribly tragic experiences He can turn to our advantage.  Joe Barnett

 “. . .It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.”  Jeremiah 10:23

Thanks for praying.  You touch many lives!

Anna Lee

Thursday Afternoon

Tripp Roth

http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com/

Tripp is not doing very well.  You may want to read the latest few blogs before you pray.

Mrs. Ann Chapman sent this.  I thought it was such an appropriate timing considering all the children, especially little boys, we have been praying for lately.

Hey folks, I have discovered a new ministry that everyone can take part in. St. Jude wants our old Christmas cards or any occasional cards. Just cut the front from the back, (be sure there are no personal notes on the back of the front), they only want the front. The children will be involved in making new cards to sell.
Mail to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
100 St. Jude Street
Boulder City, NV 89005-1681

Also if you would like to order cards from them specify what you want, birthday, All Occasion, etc, religious or not.
They are $6.50 per box of 10. Order from:
St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
P. O. Box 60100
Boulder City, NV 89006-0100

Or call 1-800-492-3562

Thursday Addition

4 bites and an ounce of juice (Jadon Pailet)

I never knew how exciting four bites of toast and 1 ounce of juice could be. LOL Yes I drank some juice and ate some toast this morning. I’m having trouble with the right side of my mouth due to the surgery. This is normal but its making it hard to eat and drink. You know me though, I’m a fighter and I’m already doing it. I’m also moving my right hip and my toes. I haven’t moved my right arm yet but it will come. So lots of good stuff now the not so great stuff. I do not like when they come in to sit me up. I get so nervous and I break out in a rash. Everytime someone comes in after that I break out because I think they are going to hurt me. It’s so sad. I’m also fustrated because I can’t move my right arm. Everyone gets telling me I’ll get it back but I’m still not happy about it. I’m confused and don’t know what happened to my body. I’m also very weak. All I want to do is lay in my bed and hold someones hand. Everyday I’m getting stronger though. It is weird to watch me lay in my bed and not have seizures. I’ve had these for almost two years so you can imagine how weird it is to not see them. My mommy and daddy are watching me so closely to make sure they don’t see any seizures. Again we are thanking God for what he has done and praying that my recovery continues to go great. Thank you so much for praying for me. You are helping me get better.

Thursday

“We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,

about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia.

We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure,

and we thought we would never live through it.

In fact, we expected to die.

But as a result,

we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God,

who raises the dead.”

~2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NLT, 2nd edition~

CaringBridge: Logan Watts (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/loganwatts/mystory)

Well our wifi is working at the moment so i’m gonna update while I can. Logan had a wonderful Christmas. He has enjoyed playing with all his new toys and he had a week off of out-patient therapy, which was much needed for him and us. We are getting back into our routine once again with his outpatient therapy, homebound teacher, and therapist from the school system. While Logan was off we took the opportunity to visit Blair Batson Childrens Hospital in Jackson. It was surreal pulling back up into the parking lot there, we were so full of mixed emotions. We had a wonderful time. We got to see one our favorite Dr’s and a few of his PICU nurses and also took the advantage of passing out Logan’s gospel tract’s.

Logan did have his botox injections in his right calf muscle. He did great being that the numbing cream had not affected him. He is now in a cast and will have three series of casting. He is such a lil trooper.
Logan has a eye Dr appt Monday and if his eyes aren’t improved (with being equal) they will do another surgery to align his eyes. Please pray that he will not need the surgery. His vision is good and each time we have seen the Dr his eyes improve.
He is able to have nectar thick liquids now, which is a huge blessing. He does pretty good with the thickened drinks. I was worried since he’s such a picky eater that the consistency would bother him but it doesn’t.  His next swallow study will not be until April unless his speech therapist sees a need for one sooner. Logan will also have a MRI and Dr. visit with Dr. Tilton at Childrens in N.O. on April 2.
Logan is trying to stand some and he pulls himself up on a wall to try to turn lights off and things like that. He has stood for around 30 seconds before falling over. He is continuing to improve tremendously but still has a long ways to go. We are so thankful for the progress God has allowed him to make. Thanks for your continued prayers for Logan!
Please continue to pray for Jadon Pailet, his family, and the medical staff caring for him in Detroit.
Roy Russell’s surgery at Lacombe was for seven by-passes.  Pray for Roy as he recovers from this difficult surgery.
Mrs. Micky Cade will be coming home following her surgery and rehab.  Please keep her in your prayers and encourage her because she has been “out of pocket” for a while.
Glen Magee, Sr’s outpatient surgery was more complicated than expected, but he is not home in Kentwood.  Pray for him as he continues to recover,
Pray for Susan Rimes as she continues to recover from her kidney stones.
Boyd Hatchel had several appointments yesterday.  His next appointments are Monday.  Pray for the family as they wait to see what God has in store for them.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. There are more human slaves on earth today (27million) than EVER before and human trafficking is $32billion industry. How’s that for a reality check?
“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.” Psalm 82:3
(Shared by my niece, Kristin)
Baptist Press
Thought for the Day: He will never leave you!
The following touching story comes from the book, “Chicken Soup For the Soul”:

In 1989, an earthquake almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son’s school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake.

Standing there looking at what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise he made to his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!” Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless situation, but he could not take his mind off his promise.

Remembering that his son’s classroom was in the back right corner of the building, the father rushed there and started digging through the rubble. As he was digging other grieving parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: “My son! “My daughter!” They tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying: “It’s too late!” “They’re dead!” “You can’t help!” “Go home!” Even a police officer and a fire fighter told him he should go home. To everyone who tried to stop him he said, “Are you going to help me now?” They did not answer him and he continued digging for his son stone by stone.

He needed to know for himself: “Is my boy alive or is he dead?” This man dug for eight hours and then twelve and then twenty-four and then thirty-six. Finally in the thirty-eighth hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son’s voice. He screamed his son’s name, “ARMAND!” and a voice answered him, “Dad? It’s me, Dad!” Then the boy added these priceless words, “I told the other kids not to worry. I told ’em that if you were alive, you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised that, Dad. ‘No matter what,’ you said, ‘I’ll always be there for you!’ And here you are Dad. You kept your promise!”

What a beautiful illustration of the promise that God has made to us. “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5).

That is a promise with which we can trust our lives. Time and time again, God has proven His faithfulness. And we have every reason to believe that He will continue to keep that promise. Maybe you find that your world has collapsed around you. Your marriage is struggling. You’re not sure where the money will come from to pay your bills. You just got off the phone with the doctor and the news is not good.

Hear these words of God. Fix them firmly in your mind. God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It may seems that hours have passed by without any sign of God in your life, maybe even days, weeks, months or years. Take heart and be assured. God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” No matter how it may seem, God has not forsaken you. And he longs for the day when he can once again hold you in His arms.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

This reminder from the book of Hebrews is still true!  Feel free to share the devotional and the scripture as you meet others in need of this reminder today.
Anna Lee

Wednesday Evening

Jadon’s Story: A quick update

I’m doing really well. My daddy stayed with me last night and I slept through the night. I’m very content and enjoying not having seizures. The doctors said that it’s great that I’m moving my right leg already. It means the transfer of motor function started before surgery. Now the rest has to transfer. Please pray that my motor function will transfer to it’s maximum potential, that I will have no seizures , and that I will not need a shunt. Also pray for a speedy recovery. I do have thrush in my mouth but they gave me some medicine for that and I’m better. The next few weeks are very important and we will know more of the total outcome each day. Of course EEG is the only thing that can prove no seizures but we will not do one for a while. I need to heal right now because I’m very weak. So far I’m doing great and we are not seeing any visible seizures. Your prayers are helping so keep them coming. Love you all, Jadon

 

 

Wednesday

“Blessed be God,

who has not turned away my prayer,

nor His mercy from me!”

~Psalm 66:20~

 

 

Jadon’s Story

http://jadonsisstory.blogspot.com/

 

 

Carol New has the stitches out of her knee.  She’s so glad to have come this far since her last surgery.  Thank God for her progress.

 

Mrs. Pauline Strickland has had a setback, be is now doing a little better.  Billy Carl will have a procedure Tuesday that will determine if he is ready for chemo and radiation.  Donna Fay has been having some heart issues.  Pray for all of them and for Firma Kay.

 

Pray for the doctors working with Boyd Hatchel to evaluate him carefully and determine the continuing course of treatment.  Boyd has appointments at 10 and 11 today.

 

Alan Smith’s Thought for the Day: The bigger picture

Leith Anderson, a minister, shared this experience: As a boy, he grew up outside of New York City and was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. He was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers never got on base, and his excitement was shattered.

Years later, he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first major league game he attended and added, “It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan and the Dodgers never got on base.” The man said, “You were there? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history?”

Leith replied, ”Yeah, but uh, we lost.” He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team’s defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater page of history.

I wonder how often the same thing happens to us. We get so caught up in the “defeats” in our lives, the times when things don’t turn out the way we want them to. So we’re depressed because an illness continues to linger, or when people don’t treat us the way we think they ought to, or when we face financial difficulties.

But we are often so blinded by the pain and disappointment of our “defeat” that we fail to appreciate the fact that we might be witness to something far greater that God is doing in our lives.

Remember when Paul was in prison? He wrote to the Philippian Christians, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.” (Phil. 1:12)

While most of us would have focused on the “defeat” (being in prison even though he was innocent), Paul was able to see what God was doing in his life. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s never easy to view things from a heavenly perspective rather than an earthly one, but it is especially difficult in the midst of pain and defeat. But it is learning how to have a heavenly view that helps us to know joy no matter what happens in our lives.

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

I think this devotional speaks to all of us.  What do you think?

 

Looking for the bigger picture,

Anna Lee

Tuesday Evening

From Monica Pailet

Just saw Jadon. He is already kicking his right leg. He is such a fighter. They told us he wouldn’t move it for awhile. God is awesome. Keep praying. We now wait 20 minutes and then we don’t have to leave him again. He hasn’t moved his right arm yet but give it time. Still praying for no seizures.

Let’s thank God for all the good things that have happened in Jadon’s life today.  Now, let’s ask him for a good night and a brighter day tomorrow (seizure free).

 

Velta Morris

Hello everyone,

I now have an appointment set for the biopsy to check into the enlarged lymph nodes.  It will be next Tuesday morning, January 17, at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, and I expect it to be an outpatient procedure.   My sweet “daughter-in-love”, Merritt, will be taking me and holding my hand every step of the way!

Thank you for continuing to pray!  I love you all.

Velta

I know Velta has prayed for my family and me.  She surely has prayed for many of you too.  I think her prayers are powerful and her love for God steadfast.  Let’s return the blessing and pray for her.

Update on Jadon’s Surgery

From Monica

After 9 hours, Jadon is out of surgery. He did really well. Thank you God. We will get to see him in about an hour. Please pray that he has a fast recovery and that we never see a seizure again.

Jadon is one step closer to being seizure free.  Thank-you for praying.  Let’s pray for a good rest tonight for all and a recovery for Jadon that leaves his seizures in the past.  Keep on praying.