Abundant Blessings

Im just thrilled to let everyone know that we had eight to come forward for Salvation today in Junior Church and want to be baptised. Please pray for these children as they go and testify to their families of their salvation and plans to be baptised. Pray that their families would be in acceptance. Also pray for their spiritual growth.

Just a Thought

For the last couple of months I have been fighting depression. Nothing bad. Just temporary bouts with a feeling that things are not getting any better. With the cost of living going up. The political smear campaigns and everyday life in general. Sometimes I even feel to down to pray. So yesterday, when the feeling welled up inside, I decided to get quiet and let God move. As I did. I felt the need to write. Something I used to do all the time but not so much anymore. So as my pen moved across the paper....the words began to form and I would like to share them with you.

"" No matter what the day may bring, I will look to Your heavens. I will be held secure in knowing that my lifes song, You alone do sing. My breath is intertwined with the lifeline of Your palm. When I am my weakest then are you strong."

No one wants to be weak but it does make us dependant upon God and more aware of his power in our lives.

Another Email, Thanks Claudia

WRITTEN B Y A 15 yr. Old SCHOOL KID IN ARIZONA :
New Pledge of Allegiance
Since the Pledge of Allegiance And The Lord's Prayer Are not allowed in most Public schools anymore Because the word 'God' is mentioned.... A kid in Arizona wrote the attachedNEW School prayer : Now I sit me down in school Where praying is against the rule For this great nation under God Finds mention of Him very oddIf Scripture now the class recites, It violates the Bill of Rights. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now.Our hair can be purple, orange or green, That's no offense; it's a freedom scene. The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all. In silence alone we must meditate, God's name is prohibited by the state.We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks. They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King. It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.We can get our condoms and birth controls, Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles. But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, No word of God must reach this crowd.It's scary here I must confess, When chaos reigns the school's a mess. So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; My soul please take! AmenIf you aren't ashamed to do this, Please pass this on. Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

An Email to Share

This comment from a US Marine does not go along with what we saw on national liberal TV.I received this from someone who was in Afghanistan when Obama blew in.Tiffany and Jeff Porter are friends who live in Virginia .(Below is from Tiffany)I don't know each of your personal political convictions, and apologize if anyone finds this offensive. I thought it was important enough to share. This is Jeff's first hand view of Senator Obama.Tiffany


-------------------Hello everyone,As you know I am not a very political person. I just wanted to pass along that Senator Obama came to Bagram Afghanistan for about an hour on his visit to 'The War Zone'. I wanted to share with you what happened. He got off the plane and got into a bullet proof vehicle, got to the area to meet with the Major General (2 Star) who is the commander here at Bagram.As the Soldiers where lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the General. As he finished, the vehicles took him to the ClamShell (pretty much a big top tent that military personnel can play basketball or work out in with weights) so he could take his publicity pictures playing basketball. He again shunned the opportunity to talk to Soldiers to thank them for their service.So really he was just here to make a showing for the American's back home he is their candidate for President. I think if you are going to make an effort to come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the freedom that they are providing for you.We got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States . I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-and-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country.If this is blunt and to the point I am sorry but I wanted you all to know what kind of caliber of person he really is. What you see in the news is all fake. In service,
CPT Jeffrey S. Porter
Battle CaptainTF Wasatch
American Soldier
American by birth
MARINEby the grace of God
Semper Fi

Warning

DON'T FLASH HEADLIGHTS AT ANY CAR WITH NO LIGHTS ON!! This is for areas with gangs (bloods) and yes beckley now has them.
Police officers working with the DARE program have issued this Warning: If you are driving after dark and see an on-coming car with no headlights on, DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS AT THEM! This is a common Bloods member 'initiation game' that goes like this: The new gang member under initiation drives along with no headlights, and the first car to flash their headlights at him is now his 'target.'. He is now required to turn around and chase that car, then shoot and kill every individual in the vehicle in order to complete his initiation requirements. Police Depts across the nation are being warned. Their intent is to have all the new bloods nationwide drive around on Friday and Saturday nights with their headlights off. In order to be accepted into the gang, they have to shoot and kill all individuals in the first auto that does a courtesy flash to warn them that their lights are off. Make sure you share this information with all the drivers in your family! Please forward this message to all your friends and family members to inform them about this initiation ritual. SR Dispatcher Tracey Sharber KentuckyState Police Post 3 Bowling Green P.O. Box0068 Bowling Green, KY 42102 Phone: (270) 782-2010 Fax: (502) 564-3507

Baptism

Lydia was baptised today. I think I managed to see her go into the water as I looked at her through my tears. I am so proud of my daughter and her decison to follow the Lord in believers baptism. I will never forget the day she got saved, actually two years ago, at home. She candidly ask me about being saved and how it happens. I gave her my testimony and showed her some passages in the Bible and described to her how to pray and accept Christ as her savior. She didn't say anything except "I will be right back, mom. I gotta go to my room." I found that odd and I spied down the hall into her bedroom and tried hard to hear what she was doing. She had kneeled down in the floor and she prayed and talked with her Heavenly Father about her salvation. I was surprised that the she decided to do this alone and in her own way. A few moments passed and I found my way back to the bed and sat down as if I were none the wiser. She came in with big tears in her eyes. I knew. I ask what she had done in her room. She replied, "Mommy, I got saved. I prayed and talked with Jesus." She recently came forward in Church with a public display of faith. I pray that the Lord will have his will in her life and that he will help Gale and I as her parents to develop her talents and further her abilities for him and for her personal goals as well. I hope you will pray for her as well as my son and the role God will play in their lives and decisions.

Mothers Chair

MOTHER'S EMPTY CHAIR
A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother. When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit. 'I guess you were expecting me, he said.' No, who are you?' said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, 'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.' 'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden woman. 'Would you mind closing the door?' Puzzled, the minister shut the door. 'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the woman. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.' I abandoned any attempt at prayer,' the woman continued, 'until one day four years ago; my best friend said to me, 'Betty, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. 'Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. 'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.' 'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.' The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mother had died that afternoon. Did she die in peace?' he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her. But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before Mother died, She leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?' The minister wiped a tear fr om his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.'

Happy Birthday

Wanted to wish my best friend of 23 years now, Heather Taylor, a happy birthday. I am so blessed that God placed us in one another's life.

VBS/Youth Rally

Vacation Bible school got underway this evening at Sewell Valley Baptist Church here in Rainelle. We have two great nights left. Tuesday from 6-8:30 and Wednesday from 5-8:30. Yes, I know lots of you are disappointed that it is not lasting all week. Just to let you know, Monday thru Wednesday will be for pre-k thru 6th grades. Starting Wednesday and finishing up on Saturday we will hold a Youth Rally for all the teens. Guest Speaker B.J. Grimmett will be on hand to share a message with our youth. If you need a ride or have questions feel free to call me at 667-8507. I also ask that you would keep our services in your prayers.

Happy Fourth of July!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Psalm 33:12

Stripped of Pure Joy - Heather Taylor

I have not contributed for a long while and it is something inside of me that says, You have nothing to contribute anyway. I will even start a post and will feel like no one wants to read it. I have been in what you would call a drought. The devil has slowly but surely been trying to strip me of any joy. As I even write this now, I can feel God saying, I am still here.
The past few months have been so trying for me and my family. Josh was blessed with a new job, but it is a blessing that we wait for. His new job started out at a major pay cut from what we were used to. This caused us to fall behind on our mortgage. Then to make up the one month we were behind it raised our normal payment almost $350. Now don’t forget we are already struggling. We have our other bills and well heck, we need to eat! With his new job you go through a probation period for 90 days then you hit permanent status. Thank God the permanent status is going to be here in July, but we are so not out of the woods. Even though it is almost over, we have once again fallen behind. When his pay does go to what it should be it will be great and we should be able to get caught up, but this will not be fixed over night. It has really put a strain on us.
My husband works six days a week and Sundays are the days we like to sleep in. Unfortunately we have missed church. The devil has loved this. Not so much that The Taylor’s missed church, but the guilt he knows I will place on myself to feel unworthy in every since of the word. He knows how easy it is to get me on that roller coaster.
A while back I was asked to help lead a ladies church group. I was all excited. We are even attending a trip to Dallas in the fall. The closer and closer it gets to the meetings up and going I feel like I am not the person to do this. I am not as holy as I was! All Christians have thought “this is happening because I am not doing something right!”
I recently started selling Avon. No, Amanda I am not trying to solicit business, it really does have something to do with what I am writing, lol! My husband had to quit his second job, because he was on overload. I started doing it to make extra money to try and help out. I was on such a high at first, but then I started thinking that there is too much competition around, I am not the right person, I am wasting my time. I was able to get out of my comfort zone and give people catalogs or even strike up conversation and give them my web address, but I got to where why waste my time doing this. A few days ago I was cleaning the closet and the phone rang and it was an order and the same thing has happened since. Just out of the blue. I could not feel joy for what was happening. Then last night something that I refuse to let the devil strip me of!!
It is the most joyous moments for any member of the Body of Christ. When someone confesses that Jesus is their Lord and Savior and he died for them, confessing their sins and knowing he will forgive them! What is even more special is this is someone so dear to me. Someone that has been in my life forever and was going down a horrible path. Someone I would pray for and worry about. Then I got that phone call that they had gotten saved! When they had gotten saved they were in the environment that was destroying them. The Lord broke down the walls of what was all around, to get to this one person. I think Amanda probably could not wait to call me and knew how I was going to react. I was happy, but it was not total joy! I was actually angry at myself for not feeling the feeling that joy in my heart. . Here is this wonderful thing happening and I am to down to feel the sheer happiness of this. This had showed me that the devil has tried to strip me of my pure joy. He his trying to take something that only the holy spirit can give me.
I refuse to let him take something so wonderful from me. I should have been rejoicing all night, not confused over my feelings. I guess that is why God is telling me I am still here because even when you think everything has been taken from you, it hasn’t !
We cannot let go of what the Lord has given us which is joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control-
Joy comes from Christ dwelling within us. I can not let me feelings mask that.
Psalm 16:8-9 I am always thinking the Lord; and because he is so near, I never need to stumble or to fall. Heart, body and soul are filled with joy.

The Umbrella Analogy

Check out this video and pass the link on in an email to everyone in your address book. Thanks.
The Unbrella Analogy

Greenbrier Fayette Tent Revival

Just wanted to remind everyone of the tent crusade that is going on now through Friday. Brother Dave Kistler will be speaking (he's awesome at portraying Gods word) his family along with the Daybreak Quartet will supply the music. I would love to see you there. If you need a ride or someone to set with give me a call at 667-8507. Tuesday we will be honoring this Great Country and the men and women who have fought for it. Wear your military uniform or patriotic colors. You don't want to miss a day of it.

Thinking About Vacation

We have been thinking about vacation. We have always hoped one day when the kids are older we will be able to spend at least one vacation on a missions trip. With children ages 6 and 20 months that would be a little difficult. So what can we do for a vacation now, that at least would get my six year old more interested in the Bible? How about the Creation Museum. Located in Petersburg Kentucky. About a 5 and a half hour drive from our home town may be an option. Go and check it out. The Creation Museum.

Prayer Request

Please remember my grandma "Beanie" her blood levels continue to be low. She is severely dehydrated and just not doing so well. This morning her blood pressure was up to 90 over 44. I say up because yesterday it was 90 over 40. We have had no luck convincing her to go to the ER. So keep her in your prayers.