Prayer Requests...

I want to thank each of you who take the time to read my updates and pray for our family and the ministry here in Manta!  You are all an incredible blessing to our family and we don't take that lightly.

Tomorrow after the services Tony, the kids and I will be traveling to Guayaquil.  We appreciate your prayers for a safe journey there.  Monday morning, I will be flying to the US for 3 weeks.  Yes, you read that correctly, 3 weeks!   Most of the first week will be spent with one of our faithful supporting churches in their Missions Conference.  This wasn't something that I actively sought out, but it is a special door that the Lord opened for me, and I am excited about going and praying that God would use me to be a blessing and an encouragement.  After that, I will return to TN and spend 2 weeks at my Mom and Dads.  I have medical exams and check-ups schedule, and I appreciate your prayers as I take care of all of that.  Also we are going to try and clean out a storage unit that we have there, and maybe have a "garage sale".  :-)  (it doesn't seem to matter where I go, I have "stuff" waiting for me to sort and clean out!  Why is that do you think?!  Maybe because I'm a "pack rat" and want to hold on to EVERYTHING!...well, I am, but I have to say, after seeing some of those shows on tv, I'm not really that bad! LOL!!)

I am grateful that the Lord is giving me the opportunity to see 2 of the girls and their families.  Jonathan, Lexi and Ren will be at the Missions Conference in VA. and Mike, Mandie, Ioan and Saranna are planning to come to my parents the last week-end I am there!

While I'm away, I really would appreciate your prayers for Tony and the kids, here in Manta.  Also for the Ladies Ministry at our church.  The leaders wives will be organizing the October Ladies which is the 2nd Saturday of the month.  They will also be organizing a baby shower for one of our faithful ladies.   It is really exciting to see how much these ladies have grown and their willingness to take on responsibility for the ministry.

One other special request is that the Lord would open the doors and that Tony would find favor with those in authority and that we would be able to get our "new" car registered.  I would explain the situation to you, but it wouldn't make any sense...truth is it doesn't make any sense to us! LOL!    It just seems that for some reason the "computers" aren't "talking" to each other between the different agencies, or for that matter cities...even though they are suppose to be all "networked" together now.   Anyway, we know that God has not been surprised by any of this.  Thank you for your prayers.  

I am praying that each of you receive blessings beyond your imaginations, and that in each of your lives, your homes and your ministries, God is glorified!

Joy

In the End, God Wins!

Tomorrow morning we will be finishing our study on Esther in the Ladies Sunday School class.  What an incredible study it has been.  I don't know why it continues to amaze me, that no matter how familiar a story or Bible passage is, there is always something new to learn!  That is what it means when it says in Hebrews 4:12, 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

The Word of God is living and active. That is just the neatest thing!  Every week, when I prepare the lesson, it has just been such an incredible thing to see how God has used it in my own life.   

As we finish up the story of Esther, we are reminded that in the end God really does win!  It doesn't really matter what is happening at this very moment.  God will turn our sorrow into joy and mourning into laughter!  The other thing that really stuck out to me in the end of the book, was just how very important it is for us to make monuments of remembrance.  This month, has been the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  All of us I'm sure can remember exactly where we were, and when we heard the news.   Because of that, it is almost inconceivable to us, that anyone could ever forget or not know what happened on that fateful day.  Yet, the truth is, there are children that have been born during this last 10 years, that have no idea what 9/11 is.  And without monuments of remembrance they will grow up and have no idea.  So just as it is important for us to have memorials and monuments in our country, it is also important to have them in our lives too.  I'm not talking about shrines here.  We are talking about monuments that teach our children and those after us, from our failings.  We aren't enshrining our failures, we are praising God for the victories that he brought about.   In Esther, after the enemies of the Jews were vanquished there was a celebration!  Before Esther walked off the scene and let Mordecai and King Ahasuerus, get back to business, she made sure that the days of Purim would be observed at their appointed seasons.   Esther 9:29-32  Why was this important?  Because, each year at the feast of Purim from the time of Esther to this present day, the Jews recounted the story of how Haman tried to destroy them, but how Almighty God saved them.  Every child grew up knowing what happened.   

That has made me stop to think...am I living at a shrine to my past failures and shortcomings?  Do I spend time thinking about what might have been or should have been or could have been if only?  Or have I made a monument of remembrance for the incredible victories God has brought about in my life?  Do I celebrate the joy of my salvation and the freedom I have been given in Christ?   Keeping my eyes on Him?  

What an incredible blessing to know that in the end, God wins!  2 Timothy 4:7-8,

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.