"Apples of gold in pictures of silver"

Have you ever thought about the words that you speak? Do you take the time to choose your words, or do you just say whatever comes to you mind? I had the opportunity this week to read a devotion about the importance of the words we use. I have been preparing for a ladies meeting that will be here this coming Saturday.

In the devotion I read, it was brought up that we take great care with most things in our lives, but what about the words we use... Think about it, when you get dressed in the morning you don't just go into a dark closet, and pull out the first thing your hand touches and put it on. You think about what you will be doing... going to work, cleaning house, having a meeting, shopping, etc. You dress accordingly. Yet so often where our words are concerned, we just throw out whatever comes to mind, and think it will do.

I am going to be using Proverbs 25:11 as our theme verse. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." The idea is that our words are to be a "beautiful thing".

I would really appreciate your prayers for me this week, as I prepare for this Ladies meeting on Saturday. Also for Tony and I as we work on writing a Bible Study together that I will be teaching in a 6 week session for the ladies, starting Oct. 3.

We had a great day today. 81 were present in church this morning. We had a few first time visitors. Among them was a lady that had accepted Christ through the BBN radio ministry here in Manta. She had called their office in Guayaquil and they had referred her to us. We had talked to her on Thursday and invited her to church this morning. What a blessing to see her arrive! This evening we started a series of DVDs on child discipline. We had 30 adults in attendance for this.

The ladies group leaders are getting excited about the special "Ladies Day" we are planning for the end of November. They have found a place where we can meet, that will provide the food, conference room, which includes tables, chairs, table clothes, etc... all for $6 a person, so we are thrilled about that! We are planning to start around 10:00 in the morning, and go until about 3:00 in the afternoon. We will have 2 teaching sessions, a "Christmas choir", lunch and a Christmas handcraft.

I would like to ask you to pray for Veronica and for Marti. These are two ladies that I have been witnessing to and have invited to church. Veronica and her husband have shown an interest in visiting the church but the last 3 weeks, Satan has put obstacles in their way. The first week Vero, got food poisoning and was very sick over the week-end. Then last week, she developed and inflammation in her leg and is having a hard time walking. Each time I see her, she says one day soon, she will surprise me and show up at church.

Marti has shown little interest in coming to church. She and her husband go out of town most week-ends. I am hoping that I can get her to attend the Ladies Day in November. Please pray for each of these ladies. That the Lord would work in their hearts and draw them to him.

Thank you for your prayers for the ministry here and for our family. It is very exciting to see what the Lord is doing in the different lives of people we work with. But there are days, as you all know when we get tired and with that comes discouragement. Times when we don't always "see" with the eyes of Christ.

Praying that you have a great week serving the Lord, where he has placed you!
Love, Joy