Brought to You By the Number 1

Yesterday at my old home church in WV one of my dearest friends was asked to preach/teach on a Sunday when the pastor would be out of town. I got to listen to it this morning and I was so proud of him. Dwayne is one of the most awesome guys you will ever have a chance to meet. In person he doesn't mince words, but he is also compassionate. We knew of each other in high school, but we really became friends years ago when I was a fairly new believer and we were in a book discussion group together. In his own off the cuff way, he challenged so many things that I believed or thought in a way that would sometimes make me angry but always left me thinking -valuable things that have stayed with me until this day. A few years ago he met his lovely wife Shasta - and I don't think anyone but the Lord could have picked a more perfect soul mate for Dwayne. She is cute and spunky and smart and all the things you know his companion would have to be. Our church family has known hard knocks. That is why this sermon is so profound to me. About 3 years ago - there was a major rift. It was painful, like losing an arm and a leg. Healing has continued to be a long arduous process for many of us. Being back home several weeks ago, I got to experience what he is talking about in this sermon - Christ is central and the rest is peripheral. I can tell you that Dwayne is one of the few who can truly preach this particular sermon - he has walked it out. He never chose sides, but he also never beat around the bush or withheld his thoughts in order to say what someone wanted to hear. You can always trust such a friend. I hope you'll enjoy this sermon clip as much as I did. Keep showing them Jesus, Dwayne!

There seems to be a teensy problem with playback. After a couple of minutes it abruptly stops - to remedy this, just restart it and move the play bar at the bottom of the video over to where it left off, and start it back up. There isn't any buffering if you have high speed internet.

Mrs. Douglas

I have a friend named Ruth who got to meet Jesus today. She was so sick for the last few months that her body was no longer able to keep her spirit here. I am so sad for the loss that those of us who have loved her have experienced, it is selfish but when you love somebody, it hurts to know you won't see their face or hear their laugh again. I was hoping to get to see her when we make our trip to West Virginia, and now I will have to wait for heaven. I am thankful that she is not going through any more of the horrific medical problems that she had, the ups and downs, the frustrations of living in a nursing home. But I'm sad for Dwayne and Shasta who have lost their mother and friend.
Before Dwayne married Shasta, I used to clean their house. The best part about cleaning day at the Douglas' was getting to visit with Mrs. Ruth. I could do most of the work in an hour or two - but I would often spend half the day there. Sometimes Mrs. Ruth would make lunch for me. She had a great sense of humor and a vibrant personality. I can remember a day when she was particularly anxious about her son, Dana. His marriage was going through a rough period, and he was getting into trouble. When I got there that day, she was just wringing her hands in worry. We talked for a little while and I ended up by her on my knees praying for her son. A few days later, she called me and joyfully reported that Dana had given his life to the Lord. His life really did turn around, and I counted it special that Mrs. Ruth and I got to share that miraculous answer to our joint prayer.
Mrs. Ruth will be deeply missed, but the indelible mark she left on the lives of those who loved her will remain.

Pray for Ruth

I have a friend and his mom who are in need of your prayers right now. His mom is diabetic and has had some serious health issues. Recently she has taken a couple of nasty falls, and also has a toe injury that is not healing. Mrs. Douglas is a precious lady. I used to clean their house years ago when my kids were smaller, and the best part of that was always visiting with her. She is a card. She is a spunky little lady. You never knew what she would say, and if you knew her son, you would know that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Dwayne is married now, and he and his bride, Shasta have watched his mom's health go from bad to worse. The most recent report is that she is having some congestive heart failure, her kidneys are not functioning properly, and that she is likely going to have her toe and possibly more amputated. She is being moved from the small town hospital to a larger one that can better care for her. Please pray for Mrs. Ruth, for healing and for the hearts of those who love her that may be facing saying goodbye in the not so distant future.
On a personal note, it is excruciating to be so far away and not be able to hold my friend's hands through this time. My heart aches to be near them right now.

Song Lyric Sunday Contest

My friend Dwayne has been hosting "Song Lyric Sundays" at his blog for a month or two now and he decided to have a contest, which I think is pretty nifty. He shoots out a few lines from a tune from lots of different genres, and asks his visitors to name that tune, so to speak! It has been a lot of fun. Not long ago, he decided to host a bigger contest and I decided that I wanted to make him a "button" (even though I had never done it before!) If you like music, you might want to click on over there and check this contest out. There are prizes and everything!
We are having a little trouble with the button - can you please comment here and let me know if you can see it? Thanks!
Thank you Kaitlyn for holding my hand as I learned to make these blinking buttons!