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Happy Belated New Year! We pray you all have a fantastic 2010! We trust your
New Year has started off with great expectations as to what this year will
hold, for you, your families, and the body of believers. As believers in
Christ our hope is in Him and nothing else! I am sure you have heard
Oklahoma hit the news a few times lately, during the Christmas season and
again recently as we have battled terrible winter storms.
It is very interesting to see the difference in the reaction to storms
from the Northeast and the Southwest. Our Christmas storm shut down our city
for days; in fact we were all caught unaware |
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until the storm was upon us. All the Christmas services were canceled and the
town literally shut down for several days. Major Highways were closed. When
Wal-Mart closes on Christmas Eve you know people are in a panic. Some people
were determining to continue with their holiday plans and there were many
accidents and deaths because of it. There were some who lost their lives as
they stopped to help others stranded. Many were upset because there were no
warnings that they heard. |
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The second storm hit yesterday (Thursday) but the weather man has been telling
us about it since Monday. Urging people to stock up on everything and be
prepared for electric to go out because we were going to have freezing rain.
Keep in mind as the warnings began we had just experience as long period of
spring like weather, enough to trick my flowers into popping up out of the
ground, and our honeysuckle to bloom. In fact the day before we were in the
high 50’s even into the evening it was warm. But the storm did come as
predicted and at this moment almost 30 thousand people in our county don’t
have electricity. The last I heard they are not sure when it will all be
restored there are so many power lines down from the ice build up. |
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still have our electric on. We have been watching the
tree branches from our neighbor’s tree, hanging on the
power line that leads to our house, since yesterday
afternoon, praying the Lord would send angels to hold it
up and He has. The roads are treacherous and going out
is highly discouraged. Again the city is shut down, but
the city and its people were much more prepared for the
worst. Still the inevitable has happened. The storm
came, the lines were overload with ice, and people are
with out electric and many cases without heat. We have
been blessed to be able to help our friends and
neighbors with a place to stay, warm meals, showers, and
even the luxury of doing some laundry. As I thought
about the storms and the effects they were having on
this city, and how even though we were prepared for the
storms (as prepared as this part of the state can be).
We don’t have much of the equipment that the states back
in the Northeast have, so even though the storms don’t
come often, when they come we are immobilized.
As I ponder this in the middle of the night, I thought
about how as God’s people some storms catch us unaware,
they come out of the blue and we are hit hard. Other
times we know the storm is coming because we have been
warned in some way. Regardless of how far in advance we
know the storm is coming, the inevitable is that the
storm will hit. How well we handle it, how mobile or
immobile we will be will be determined by what tools we
have to work with.
It’s like our walk isn’t it? If we have the tools we
need we can handle any storm.
The tools I speak of is the very Word of God, if we
have the word of God in our very being, when we have
taken of it, eaten it, digested, live and breath it, we
can handle any storm. We may be slowed down, but we will
not be immobilized.
I guess my mind has thought a lot lately of the
suffering all around us; we have many God fearing, Word
loving friends who are going through tremendous storms.
They have the tools, they have lived the word, and still
the storms come. They are all in different stages of
their storm, but still in terrible storms. One thing
that stands out in the storm that I have noticed above
all is they love, trust, honor, and serve their God.
They have the tools and they use them.
I just want to encourage everyone, including myself,
if we have the tools and use them we will never be
immobilized no matter what storm we may face in life.
Read the Word of God, study the Word, Live the Word, it
is our very lifeline! |
Howard has faced a
storm this past year with his eye. In November Howard’s
right eye had a hemorrhage in it, which causes a tear in
his retina. The eye specialist first performed laser
surgery to correct the problem. It was in-office, a bit
painful, but it seemed to correct the problem. After
seeing the Doctor for his follow up the okay was given
for him to resume using his eye in moderation. Shortly
after using the eye again he began to lose his sight in
it.
They immediately performed emergency Vitreous-retina
surgery with a buckle. It was traditional under the
knife, hospital operating room surgery. Howard
experienced a lot of pain afterwards and was immobile
for a period of time. Doctor’s orders were to lie flat
on face, no exercise, no reading, no computer, no
television ETC. He was allowed to listen to the radio,
which was a blessing. Now even though Howard was unable
to read and was physically immobile for a short period
of time, the Word of God is within Him, and He and Jesus
were able to discuss the Word together in those times.
It definitely has been a storm, but Jesus is riding it
out with us.
Recently the doctor has allowed him to resume his work.
The healing process is coming along very well although
the vision in that eye is still blurred. The doctor said
the vision will clear up when they operate again at the
end of May to remove the silicone gel they installed to
hold the retina in place as it heals.
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Continuing in the Call |
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| As we start off the New Year we continue
to walk out the calling on our lives. As always our vision is to
support, encourage, and uplift Native believers and leaders. To see them
take their rightful place in the body of Christ, exercising the God
given gifts that they posses. To love people into the Kingdom! We
continue to be encouraged as we look over the years and see how God has
allowed us to play a part in releasing a message of hope to those who at
times “think they are hopeless”. |
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Please continue to pray with us for: |
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The Kiowa Suicide Prevention Task Force as
they set up new offices. Especially keep Amy, the director,
in your prayers; she has a lot of responsibilities to
juggle.
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The Cedar Creek adults and youth as they
prepare for an Easter Drama that they themselves have
created.
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Howard complete eyesight recovery in his
right eye, surgery for gel removal will be set for the end
of May.
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Preparations for the Sing to the Mountains
Music Festival that Jonathan Maracle with the help of us and
others is putting together here in Oklahoma (it will be in
June, but be praying for all the logistics and finances to
come together in order for it to take place).
We love you all and are so
grateful to you for answering the call to pray and support
the ministry, we are indebted to you for all eternity. Thank
you!
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