“I know what I’m doing.

I have it all planned out

—plans to take care of you, not abandon you,

plans to give you the future you hope for.”

~Jeremiah 29:11 MSG~

I don’t know why I have not thought to send this to you before now but, it just hit me to send this prayer request.
Cheyenne Hartman is a 5 month old little girl that goes to our church, Mt Nebo. You can read for yourself the story on caring bridge. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cheyennehartman
Please add Cheyenne and her family to the prayer list. She and her family need our prayers.
Thanks,
Lynda Newman

Background Story

Cheyenne was born on March 3, 2009 at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.  During our pregnancy at 6 months she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and congenital heart disease which included a complex heart defect, AV Canal.  During the ninth month, she was diagnosed with Duodenal Artresia, which would have to be repaired within 24 hours of her birth.

The Surgeon told us it would be a slow recovery and estimated it wouldl take up to 2 weeks or longer for her to be ready to go home.  Cheyenne came out a fighter and proved she was not a child that would be able to predict behaviors on.  Cheyenne had a shorter surgery than time than estimated and in record time she recovered and we went home after 12 days.

In April, when she was one month old she aspirated and was hospitalize

Obituaries Einar “Bud” Oxholm, Jr.
(November 15, 1931 – August 10, 2009)

Einar “Bud” Oxholm ,Jr. who was known for his wits, humor and practical jokes was born November 15, 1931 and was welcome home by his Lord and Savior at 6:29 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2009 at the Louisiana Medical Center & Heart Hospital, Lacombe. He was 77, a native of New Orleans, a resident of Kentwood and a former resident of Metairie.He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 30 years, Wilda Fay Oxholm, Kentwood; daughter Tina Marie Anthony and husband, Pete, Husser; 2 grandsons, Hunter and Tanner Anthony, both of Husser; and his loving friend “Cricket”.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Einar and Cecile Hilda LeBlanc Oxholm; a daughter, Susan Clarice Oxholm: a sister, Marcelle Dillion and 5 siblings.

Mr. Bud was a retired Veteran having served in the U.S. Naval Reserve, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard and Retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He was also an avid fisherman and hunter. His favorite hobbies were cooking, watching sports and working in his shop.

Visitation will be held at McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home, Amite, on Thursday, August 13, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and after 8:00 a.m. Friday, August 14, 2009 until Religious Services in the Funeral Home Chapel at 1:00 p.m. conducted by Elder Mason Miley, Elder Doyle Ball, Elder Glynn Ervin , Elder Jesse Johnson and Dr. Danny Smith. Interment in the Beulah Cemetery, Kentwood.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105

An on-line Guestbook and to view a Video Tribute is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

Anthony Failla
(June 13, 1937 – August 14, 2009)

“Set your mind on things above,

not on things on the earth.”

~Colossians 3:2, NKJV~

Holly K. had a motoscooter (her form of transportation) accident in western Africa.  God provided a mud puddle for a soft landing.  Thank God for watching over her.

Mr. Billy Brabham is feeling much better.  Thanks for your prayers on his behalf.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimmyandretiadukes

Please pray for Dr. Jimmy Dukes as her returns home.  Also, pray for the family as they have a memorial service Tuesday.

KOMpray

Kids on Mission Pray

Swimming pools were God’s answer

Swimming pools were God’s answer
The mayor of a city in Turkey decided to build swimming pools all over the city.  It was a great idea.  There are many canals in the city and children used to try swimming in the canals.  It was dirty and dangerous.  That’s why the mayor built the pools.

And God is using the pools that the mayor built!  There is a new pool in a neighborhood where a Christian family lives.  They have prayerwalked their streets of their neighborhood once a month for over a year.  They asked God and asked God for a way to make friends and get to tell them about Jesus.

You got it—they meet new friends at the pool.  The pools are an answer to prayer.  This Christian family asks us to pray: “Dear God, we pray that You will help these neighbors in Turkey learn more about You.  We pray that they will  tell others about Jesus too. God, please help the Christians be good witnesses of Your love.”

Prayer Requests from Missionary Kids

Please pray for my best friend’s mom because she has lung cancer. COOPER, age 7 (European peoples)

Please pray that the L people will grow in faith.  Many are church goers, but few are devoted Christians.  KAREN, age 12 (East Asian Peoples)

Hi, I am Emily.  Please pray that I can make lots of friends with the Bengali people! And witness 2 them.  CHARITY, age 12 (South Asian peoples)

Please pray for a safe trip home and for the people in Africa.  SAMUEL, age 6 (Sub-Saharan African peoples)

To get more people to come to our church.  PRESTON, age 11 (American peoples)

Please pray for my family and me, for us moving to places to tell other people about Jesus. There are lots of poor people there.  Please pray that I will be quiet and patient while my parents are teaching the Octa people.  ZC, age 7 (Southeast Asian peoples)

Thank you that I can share the Gospel with my Chinese friends (even adults).  Also, I’m thankful that I have great friends.  JUSTIN, age 12 (East Asian Peoples)

Sandy Cutrer Camarata
(October 12, 1956 – August 13, 2009)

Died on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, LA. She was a native of Independence, LA and a resident of Spring Creek, LA. Age 52 years. Funeral Arrangements are pending at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite. Survived by husband, Nunzio “Bonzeau” Camarata, Spring Creek, 3 daughters, Jennifer Harris and her husband, Ty, Denham Springs, Kimberly Caramata, Spring Creek, Tracy Camarata, Spring Creek, son, Nunzio Camarata, Jr., Hammond, and his fiancee’, Jenny Gemer, 4 grandchildren, Tyler Harris, Jordan Harris, Landon Camarata, Savannah Camarata, brother, Kenny Partin, Spring Creek. Preceded in death by parents, Harrison and Avos Partin.

Johnny Manliolo, Sr.
(January 30, 1926 – August 13, 2009)

Died on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond, LA. He was a native and resident of Independence, LA. Age 83 years. He was a U. S. Army veteran of WWII. Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. until religious services at 11 a.m. Saturday. Services conducted by Rev. David Cutrer. Interment Colonial Mausoleum, Independence, LA. Survived by daughter, Mary Pierre, Hammond, 3 sons, John J. Magliolo, Jr., Amite, Samuel T. Magliolo, and his wife, Sarah, Tickfaw, John W. Birch, Houston, TX, 5 grandchildren, Kevin Magliolo, Sarah Tate, Bridget Sutarmin, Angela Hudson, Adrienne Magliolo, 8 great-grandchildren, Sarah Sutarmin, Seth Tate, Emma Sutarmin, Jeremiah Magliolo, Johnathan Hudson, Elijah Sutarmin, Bethany Tate, Tyler Magliolo. Preceded in death by wife, Juanita Birch Magliolo, daughter, Louise Smith.

KneEmail

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name;

make known His deeds among the peoples!”

~Psalm 105:1~

Mrs. Nadine Council continues to progress at home following her hip replacement.  It will be good to see her back at church.  Thank God for her progress.

Charles Slade has fully recovered from his copperhead bite.  Thank God for his recovery.

Thank God for the life and testimory of Mr. Quincy Chapman.  Pray for the family as they have a memorial service today.  It should be a wonderful testimony for this man and his special family.

From Cheryl Hughes Green

My youngest son, John, has a half brother, Will. Will is 10 years old and he is having an operation on the 21st. Will has one lung and they are operating on it. He has a 50/50 chance of surviving the surgery. I am asking people to pray for him and would you and your church pray for him. His full name is William “Will” Easley; he is 10 years old. He also just lost his Mom to sugar in March. Could you also put him on the prayer link. I would appreciate it and thanks for the job you do to keep everyone informed.

Cheryl

KneEmail

“The only accurate way to understand ourselves

is by what God is and by what he does for us,

not by what we are and what we do for him.”

~Romans 12:3 MSG~

Mr. Luther Ricks

After 43 treatments of Radation and a five week wait, our prayers are answered. We are cancer free with a 0.1 P S A. It feels so good to say that word FREE. I can’t say thanks enough to those who said a prayer for me. Thanks, Thanks. Luther Ricks.

Mr. Billy Brabham

Mr. Billy Brabham has been in North Oaks where he had a heart procedure yesterday.  All went tell.  Continue to pray for him.

Averi Strickland

Averi is the 16 year old high school student who had a stroke and is hospitalized at Children’s Hospital.  He is now beginning therapy to continue to regain speech and movement.  Please keep Averi and his family and friends in your prayers.

Address for Mrs. Ann Chapman

Mrs. Ann Chapman

c/o Amite Baptist Church

7100 Amite Church Road

Denham Springs, LA 70726

Thank-you from Dr. Jimmy Dukes: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimmyandretiadukes

Erin Duke’s blog (Recommended by Jimmy Dukes): http://embracingmycup.blogspot.com/

Maggie Lee Henson news releases: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maggieleehenson

Einar “Bud” Oxholm
(November 15, 1931 – August 10, 2009)

Einar “Bud” Oxholm was born November 15, 1931 and passed away at 6:29 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2009 at the Louisiana Medical Center & Heart Hospital, Lacombe. He was 77, a resident of Kentwood.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

An on-line Guestbook is available at http://www.mckneelyvaughnfh.com

McKneely & Vaughn Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Ginny Chehardy Stegall
(April 4, 1958 – August 10, 2009)

Went home peacefully to be with the Lord on Monday, August 10, 2009 at her home in Kentwood, LA. She was a native of New Orleans, LA. Age 51 years. She is survived by her husband, Robert B. Stegall, Jr.; 3 daughters, Hannah Marie Stegall, Lydia Grace Stegall and Sarah Elizabeth Stegall; a sister, Melanie Navazio, all of Kentwood; 2 brothers, Andrew Chehardy, Ft. Myers, FL and Rene Chehardy, Jr., Houston, TX. She was preceded in death by her parents, Rene and Virginia Chehardy; a brother, George Chehardy. Visitation will be at Eagle Heights Church, Tickfaw, from 3 p.m. until religious services at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Interment will follow in Woodland Cemetery, Kentwood, LA.

KneEmail

Bridge

PEOPLE USED TO travel between the UP (Upper Peninsula) and LP (Lower Peninsula) of Michigan by ferry until they built a bridge along the Straits of Mackinac…

In 1934, the Michigan Legislature created the Mackinac Straits Bridge Authority to study the feasibility of the bridge and authorized it to sell bonds for the project. Preliminary plans for the bridge featured a three-lane roadway, a railroad crossing on the under deck of the span, and a center-anchorage double-suspension bridge configuration similar to the design of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. From 1939 to 1941, a cause-way of approximately 4,000 feet in length was constructed with concrete road fragments extending from the northern shore. With uncertainty in funding and the initiation of World War II, further building was delayed. In 1950, engineers resumed construction and the state legislature authorized the sale of $85 million in construction bonds on April 30, 1952.

David B. Steinman was appointed the design engineer in January 1953, and the American Bridge Division of United States Steel Corporation was awarded a contract of over $44 million to build the steel superstructure. On November 1, 1957, after two-and-a-half years of construction and the loss of five lives, the bridge finally opened to traffic. It was officially dedicated on June 25, 1958. The bridge is approximately five miles long, the third longest in the United States. Forty years after the dedication, the 100-millionth crossing was celebrated.

Most of us probably look at the construction of this bridge as a feat of modern engineering. True enough, it is. But behind the construction was the need: the need to connect two cultures and two land masses, to expand and improve economic prosperity by bringing people together.

Did the bridge spring up immediately? No.

How did it start? With a vision, a picture in the minds of visionaries of what it might resemble and how it might change the lives of all affected by its construction. When it became clear that ferries were too expensive and too inefficient to accomplish the goals of connecting the two sides, the bridge came to the forefront of everyone’s mind. The old ways of transportation just were not working. Something new had to be put into place.

What it cheap? No.
Was it easy to build? No.
Were human lives put in danger? Yes.
Was it worth the cost, the hardship, the lives lost, the requirements of years of work and commitment to make this bridge happen? For most people connected with the bridge, the answer was an overwhelming yes.

Like suspension bridges built across bodies of water, it takes time, money and risk for bridges of healing to be built between estranged people. Many may feel that the cost is too high to achieve the bridge. It might cost me time or pride. I might have to say I’m sorry. What if the person to whom I am trying to direct my bridge laughs at me, scorns me or refuses my overture–or worse yet, just plain ignores me?

Jesus said that we must count the cost of discipleship (cf. Luke 14:28). Building bridges that result in restored relationships is probably one of the most important costs of being a disciple of Jesus. Christ taught that reconciled relationships are more important to God than any offering we could bring before Him.

Why? Because for God, how we treat others is synonymous with how we treat Him (cf. 1 John 4:20). (H. Norman Wright, Larry Renetzky)

“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift”( Matthew 5:23-24).

Posted by Mike Benson

May you see God’s love all around you today!

Anna Lee

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends,

when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.

You know that under pressure,

your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. “

~James 1:2–3 MSG~

Mrs. Faye Price is in North Oaks for a few days, but will soon return to her home in Kentwood.  She no longer stays at Kentwood Manor.  Keep her and her family in your prayers.

Mr. Morris Easley has been hospitalized in Greensburg.  Please pray for him.

Pray for Frances Gay as she has work done on her shoulder next week.

Continue to pray for Mrs. Ann Chapman as she has physical therapy and as final preparations are made for Mr. Quincy’s memorial service.  Also, please continue to pray for Krisa and Emma as they continue to heal.

Pray for teachers, staff, and students in the beginning days of a new school year.

Maggie Lee Henson

Dearest Friends-
Words cannot express our gratitude for your generous prayers and concern for the life of our daughter, Maggie Lee.  It was remarkable to hear so many of you, friends and complete strangers alike, passionately pray for MLH.  She was a light to the world and since I don’t ask questions which have no answers, I will not begin to try to explain to you why she did not survive despite all the prayer. Horrible tragedies happen every day. That is part of life here on earth. Peoples’ lives play out without the slightest hint of a ripple. We are grateful that Maggie Lee’s impact has reached so far and wide. Her life and now death will not be in vain. We will make sure of that.  Please do continue to pray for us, we cannot carry on without that support from the Body of Christ.

KneEmail

Purification

LAST YEAR WHILE hiking in the mountains of North Georgia, I came across a very large unusually shaped brick…

The brick was almost completely covered in green, fur-like vegetation. After I scraped the green goop away, I carefully inspected the brick and discovered that it was a brownish-yellow color instead of the traditional red. I also discovered some unusual markings and identification numbers on the brick. When I returned home, I was able to do some research and found that this particular type of brick was used in the early-to-mid eighteen hundreds to construct smelting ovens. These ovens melted and purified gold after it was mined from the mountains of North Georgia and Carolina. The purpose of the melting process was to remove any impurities that were attached to the gold.

God compares the difficulties and trials that each of us must experience in our lives to the purification or smelting process that gold goes through in order to become valuable. It is kind of like the refining process that the old yellow brick had been a part of over a hundred years ago. The brick had actually facilitated the fire’s ability to remove impurities from the gold after melting, and thereby increased its value. And more than likely some of the very gold which was purified in that particular type of brick smelting oven is still around today, possibly in the form of antique jewelry that has been passed from one generation to another. (Mitch Temple)

“The genuineness of your faith,

being much more precious than gold that perishes,

though it is tested by fire,

may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

I Peter 1:7

Posted by Mike Benson

May you know God’s presence in your walk this week.

Anna Lee