FELLOWSHIP ONE WITH ANOTHER

1 John 1:7~~~ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

As a woman, it is a blessing to have sweet Christian friends who encourage me in the Lord and with whom I can fellowship in the bond of our Christianity. Such is the new friendship I have in Lucille. It was a fun time at her lovely home this morning watching the kids play and enjoying some great adult conversation with Lucille. She served a delicious lunch and then we parted ways so that the little ones could get their afternoon naps for church tonight. Jaden LOVED the big slide and the trampoline, and it wore him out. He has had his bath and is sound asleep following his fun morning and yummy lunch.

WEDNESDAYS ARE SPECIAL!!

Grandchildren Are God's Reward for Growing Old(er)....

This picture is of Jaden coming over this morning... in his pjs, with his "bedhead", and with a big smile. You see, Wednesdays are special for us both as this is the day I keep Jaden home from nursery for a break in his week and a fun day for us. We have a standing arrangement to get together with my grandma friend Lucille and her granddaughter Cailyn who is Jaden's age. Last week they came to our house to play and for lunch, and this morning, Jaden and I are going to their house for play and for lunch. This is our first time to go to their house so we are both excited. I know a secret but won't spoil the surprise for Jaden. Granny Lucille has one of those big blow-up water slides and Jaden is going to get to play on it with Cailyn this morning. That should make for some fun playtime and some good pics. :) Speaking of which, I need to get the boy dressed so we are ready to go here in a bit.

HUMMER, DRAGONFLY, CAT AND GOD!!

Genesis 2:19~~ And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

I have enjoyed snapping pics of hummingbirds for the past 2 days. I sat outside for an hour early this morning and so much enjoyed the cool breeze (down into the 60's this morning!!), the birds chirping, a huge dragonfly that lit and stayed nearby so that I could enjoy his unique beauty, my cat nudging me to be loved on, and singing How Great Thou Art to myself. It's so awesome to enjoy God's mighty creation and to feel His presence.

I realize I'm not a good photographer, but I post these pics as a thank you to God for showing Himself GREAT in the glory of this world and for allowing us as humans to have the capacity to enjoy it. I can't even imagine the world to come!!

An Oil Change and a Change of Heart!

The Lord afforded Richard and me an opportunity to witness on Saturday morning. We took our car to Wal-Mart to have the oil changed. While there, we spoke to the young man who came out and signed in our car for the oil-change. We were outside with him and there were no other customers waiting on him so I just casually told him that we were headed to the restaurant next door and asked if there was anything we could pray about for him when we were there and ready to ask the blessing. He didn't miss a beat and immediately told us that he has a new baby boy ~~ one week old ~~ and that his name is Japheth and to please pray for him. I said, "Oh, your baby boy has a Bible name. You must be a Christian." He shook his head and said, "No, not really. But my father-in-law has talked to me about that." I told him that he would be a even better husband and daddy is he would give his heart to the Lord and become a Christian, and then I asked if I could show him how. He said that I could. I had a tract in my hand (that I had planned to use at the restaurant) and went through the A-B-C's of salvation explaining each step. At the conclusion, I asked him if he would like to pray for forgiveness of his sin and to ask Jesus to come into his life as His Savior, and that young man said he would like to pray the sinner's prayer. And he did!!! And then he thanked us!! Richard and I urged him to start reading the Bible every day, to pray, and to please go to church with his family and father-in-law on Sunday. He said he would. We told him "good-bye" and went on our way.

We went on to the restaurant and received prayer requests from three people who waited on us in there. This is the most exciting thing I have ever experienced since becoming a Christian!!!

We got our Wal-Mart shopping done and saw lots of friends from church so got to fellowship a bit and enjoyed that. It surely is GREAT to be a Christian! I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God!

Blessings and a Salvation Story

John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

I am NOT a "super-duper" Christian. I fail my Lord far too often. I get caught up in this life and neglect to think about my service for Christ. The Lord has been dealing with me in this matter. Our faithful Pastor's message on Wednesday night hit me over the head and nailed my heart. I prayed and recommitted myself to be available if God would see fit to use me. I am so thankful that HIS grip is the strongest when I am my weakest. I am thankful for His love, mercy, grace, and long suffering with me.

After Bible Study on Friday morning, I stopped by a friend's home (actually she is my son-in-law's mother and the other grandmother of my grandchildren, but she is my friend!) to visit Carol and her 91-year-old mother, Goldie. I hadn't seen them in several weeks and so much enjoyed the visit with Carol and Goldie, and also with Carol's daughter Mary and granddaughter Morgan who were there.

From there, I was headed home, but I looked at my watch. It was still only 3:00 and so on the spur of the moment, I decided to stop by the "Nails" place and get a pedicure as Amy and her family had given me a gift certificate for Mothers' Day. I had a wonderful relaxing and much-needed spa pedicure. The Vietnamese girl who was "pampering" me was so very sweet. We had a fun chatting while she worked on my feet. As I sat there, I felt "led" to get a manicure~~ my first ever.

A digression...

On Wednesday night, our Pastor talked to us about the urgent matter of witnessing and winning souls for Christ. He read verses on the subject and spoke from his heart regarding his desire that our church be a soul-winning church. I was convicted in my heart because personal soul-winning has always been a weakness in my Christian life. I pray for lost people but have always felt somewhat inept and unsure of myself when it comes to personal soul-winning. During that service, I prayed and asked God to help me in that matter and made the decision to share Christ if God would give me an opportunity. One neat suggestion that Dr. Jackson shared is when eating out (which we do quite a bit of!) is to tell the waiter or waitress that we will be asking the blessing before we eat and ask them, "Is there anything we can pray about for you?" That sounded easy enough and struck me!! I actually was able to do that on Thursday night when I sat in a hospital room with a friend who has had a massive stroke. As the nurses and doctors came in, I explained to them that Angie is a faithful Christian and that I would be having prayer with her before I leave later in the evening. Is there anything we can pray for you when we have that prayer time? (I had a sheet of paper to write down requests.) By the end of my four-hour stay, I had a page of prayer requests that were given to me. That was very special!! And then when I left the hospital at 8:00 p.m. Richard met me at a restaurant so that we could have a bite of dinner together. I asked our waitress there and she gave me THREE requests and thanked me for asking. What a joy it is to serve Jesus while we serve others!!

Back to the blessing on Friday...

Pauline (the young Vietnamese nail lady) took me to her manicure table where we were now sitting face to face. After another few minutes of chatting during which I found out she is 31 years old, married, and has a gorgeous 4-month-old baby girl named Connie), the Lord urged me to ask Pauline about her spiritual condition. I said, "Pauline, do you go to church?" She answered "Yes, I am Catholic." I then asked her, "If you were to die tonight, do you know you would go to Heaven?" She looked up from working on my hands, and said so very quietly, "No, I don't." I asked her if I could share with her how she could know, and she said, "Please do." WOW!!!! I didn't have a tract out or a Bible with me BUT the Lord quickly brought to my mind the A-B-C's of how to be saved. Very quietly as there were people all around, I shared with Pauline this way:

"A" ~~ ALL ~~ the Bible says that ALL have sinned. Pauline, have you ever done anything wrong? And she said "Yes, I have." I told her that is called sin. Because of Adam and and Eve, we are all born sinners and can't help but sin. It is our nature to sin, but sin is wrong.

"B" ~~ BELIEVE ~~ "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Pauline, God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to earth. He was born a baby boy but lived a perfect life and at age 33 he was crucified on the cross for our sins. But, Jesus Christ didn't stay dead. He arose on the 3rd day and resides in Heaven with God the Father. Pauline was looking me straight in the eye the entire time but with such a precious humble look on her lovely face.

"C" ~~ CONFESS ~~ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. I told her that if we confess our sins to God and then confess that we believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead, we can be saved ~~ become a child of God. "Pauline, would you like to pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins and invite Jesus to come into your heart and be your Savior?" She had totally stopped working on my nails for this entire encounter and never took her eyes off of mine. She said, "Yes, I would."

Another side note here.... I have trouble hearing and concentrating when there are other conversations going on around me. That happens to me at home with all of the family here, in church, at restaurants, etc. The nail shop had been busy with several customers and all of the employees taking care of them. The place was "abuzz," but the Lord just totally shut the noise out of my ears so that I could concentrate on what I was doing ~~ which I didn't even realize at the time but humbly and thankfully realized later. As Pauline and I were about to bow heads so I could lead Pauline through the sinner's prayer, I quickly looked around and the room was empty!!!! I guess the customers had all finished up and were gone and the employees were all in the back room for a break. (I had been there for 2 hours by this time and it was 5:00 but the shop doesn't close until 7:00 so that I didn't feel rushed in the matter at hand!!!)

Back to the story...

I explained to Pauline that we would bow our heads and that I would lead her through the sinner's prayer. She prayed that precious prayer asking God to forgive her of her sins and inviting Jesus to come into her heart and be the Lord and Savior of her life!!!! When we finished and both looked back up, she had a big smile on her face and said, "Thank you."

I asked her, "Pauline, does your Catholic Church teach you how to live for God?" She said, "No." I told her that she needs to find a good Bible-preaching church so that she can learn and grow in her Christian life. Her faith will make her a better mommy, a better wife, a better daughter, a better person.

Another "miracle." I don't know a LOT about the city we live in, BUT when I asked Pauline where she lives, I KNEW the area, KNEW of a good church, and personally KNOW the pastor and his wife. I told Pauline the name of the church and pastor and I got her email address so I can send her the service times, etc. I will call Bro. Joe and Debbie today and tell them about Pauline so they can be on the look-out for her. I asked Pauline if she has a Bible and she said she does. I gave her a tract (I finally found ONE in my purse and wrote the name of the church and pastor on it) and asked her to go home and read it last night as it would remind her of what God had done in her heart. And I urged her to read her Bible daily and to pray. She was so very open to everything I said and she seemed genuinely happy about her decision to accept Christ and in turn to be accepted into HIS family. It was the most exciting 2 hours I have spent in a long time!!!

Pauline's husband is unsaved and her Vietnamese parents are here and won't understand her conversion if she tells them. She said they are leaving to return to Vietnam in 2 weeks. I am praying that Pauline will witness to them and invite them to go to church with her on Sunday! Her husband works on Sundays so that frees her up to go to another church. Please pray that she will visit the church I recommended for we know it is imperative that she gets into a good church so that she can grow in her faith.

Hmmmmmm.... I will have to start getting regular pedicures so that I can check in often and encourage her in the Lord. Please pray for Pauline ~~ my Baby Sister in Christ.

(Lord Jesus, I have missed so many witnessing opportunities during these 35 years of my Christian life. I thank you for allowing me to see first-hand yesterday that, when you go before me and prepare the way, you can use even me to tell others about your wonderful saving grace. I ask Your forgiveness for my unfaithfulness in this most crucial area of my Christian life and pray that you will empower me and enable me to be a soul-winner for the rest of my life. Please use me as You see fit. In Your Precious Name I pray, Amen.)

Preaching Ministry News on Chip

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Our son, Chip, has been invited to preach at his Alma Mater (BBC) as part of their Bible Conference to be held in early October. He will be preaching in two sessions during the the conference.

Side note: They chose speakers from each decade of graduates... 1950s, 60's, 70's 80's, 90's and 2000. Chip was selected as the preacher for this current 2000 decade.

Please pray for Chip as he prepares and then delivers the Word of God to those young people who are preparing for their lifetime of ministry.

Jaden and Cailyn Playdate

Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.


Jaden and I enjoyed a playdate with Cailyn and her Grandma Lucille this morning. The kids swam and played while Lucille and I visited and got a little better acquainted. We are new friends and this was our 2nd time to get together for fellowship. It was a fun morning and lunchtime with our friends over today.

Happy Birthday to Kay!!!

Proverbs 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

My friend, Kay, is celebrating her birthday today. I won't say how many, but she is some 2 years and 2 months younger than I am. :) She was the church secretary at our home church way back in the 80's. I had the privilege of working with Kay in the church office and enjoyed a friendship with her as well. She eventually left us, got married, is a mom and lives a very busy life. She is today's version of "Erma Bombeck" and I so much enjoy her daily emails with stories of her life as Dan's wife and Ryan's mom. As my Dad always said about Kay, "She's a sight!! "Happy Birthday to you, Kay ~~ and many more!! Love ya! ~~Susan

DAY OF EVIL: 9-11-01

Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
Jeremiah 17:18

I am sitting here watching FOX NEWS as they replay the 9/11/01 morning news show from that awful day six years ago. And I am crying. To see that first tower on fire as they report that a plane has crashed into it brings back the feelings that surged through me that day. It was a terrible tragedy and we wondered for a few minutes about how that could have happened. And then the 2nd plane slammed into the 2nd tower and we realized that something terribly wrong was happening right here in America. The tears in our eyes, the fear in our minds, and the chill in our hearts came upon us....

Watching the replay of Andy Card as he comes in and interrupts President Bush while he is reading to school children.... chills all over again.

Watching the footage of men with the NYFD as they approach the towers on fire and to know that many of those men in just a few minutes would perish and enter eternity either saved and in heaven or lost and in hell as the mighty Twin Towers crumbled and crashed down upon them.... and the tears flow more.

Watching the replay as the newscasters report that the Pentagon had been hit and then the plane crash in PA and wondering who and what and where was next...chills all over again.

The evil was everywhere. It permeated that very day.... chills all over again.

Watching the replay of President Bush as he gives his first address on the news and how he rose to the occasion as our Commander in Chief. How thankful we were that he was in that Oval Office and NOT Al Gore.... chills all over again.

May we NEVER FORGET the terror that was perpetrated on every American on that September morning.

Our churches were full on Sunday, September 16, 2001. We all cried and begged God to have mercy on America and to please help us through the dark days of the aftermath of the attack. The churches weren't quite as full on the following Sunday. And soon we were back to our mostly normal numbers in attendance and back to an almost normal way of life. (It will NEVER be like it was pre-9/11.) But we Americans were strong. We wanted to get back to normality... back to the business of our daily lives, back to our fun past times. We wanted to forget that there was (and still is) an enemy out there seeking to destroy us. Basically, that enemy hates us because we love God. (As ungodly as America by and large is becoming day by day, we are still known as a Christian nation. May God please help us, His faithful Remnant.) As I watch Fox News this morning, they have the banner reading: 9-11 "The Day America Changed." I am reminded and am so thankful that we serve the True and Living God Who NEVER changes.

May we never forget that this is a spiritual war as well as a physical war. May we never forget our men and women around the world who are fighting for our freedom. Our enemy is empowered by Satan and seeks to bring down America and all that is good about our Country. Thank God that we know the END OF THE STORY and WHO wins the final battle to be fought on this earth. Let us all be busy about our Father's business for who knows how much longer our freedoms will stand that enable us to labor for the Master.

Welcome to our Campus Daughters

Lamentation 4:21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter...

Richard and I were so very blessed to have our six new freshman campus daughters as well as our 5 other campus daughters over for Sunday dinner and afternoon visit in our home. It was the first time to get together with our new girls, and we found that we have the sweetest and most lovely girls from all over America as well as from two foreign countries. After lunch, we had a "family meeting" and planned a lot of activities for our get-togethers throughout this school year. Here is a little bit about our daughters this year (not in order as pictured): Freshman Julie is from Texas and is majoring in commercial art; Sophomore Darla is from Tennessee and is majoring in medical office systems. Freshman Kelsey is from Tennessee and is majoring in commercial art. Freshman Kaylee is from Tennessee and is majoring in music education (voice). Sophomore Melissa is from Wisconsin and is majoring in Nursing. Senior Katharina is from Canada and is majoring in youth ministries. Freshman Candiace is from South Carolina and is majoring in nursing. Sophomore Melannie is from Peru and is majoring in nursing. Freshman Jess is from Connecticut and is majoring in elementary education. Freshman Jennifer is from Indiana and is majoring in music education (strings). Second semester sophomore Diana from Ohio is majoring in pre-med. These girls are great group, and I know we will have a wonderful year together. The picture of the girls was made at our house on Sunday afternoon. Interesting Note: the girls on each end (blue top and black top) are twins: Kaylee and Kelsey. Melannie (in black in the front middle) was honored as the September birthday girl. It was a fun afternoon with our 11 campus daughters!