09-17-09

Just wanted to offer a quick update:

John ran 20 minutes without holding the handrails on the treadmill last week. He is still setting goals, accomplishing them, and moving forward. God is worthy of all our praise!

He got to speak at Glory of Zion over labor day weekend. That was a wonderful opportunity and John did such a good job sharing. That weekend he got to spend time with Charles and his kids. They played putt putt, John set his own ball up at every hole and played to win.

Another big accomplishment, he and Caden went on a 5 mile bike ride the other day.

John's video is now on YouTube, please see the link below (you may have to cut and paste the links):

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fd5M2au18w

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJpTjRIeNOc

9-2-09 Prayer Requests

Howard Sheets

Howard had surgery today to remove the cancer in his lungs. The surgery went well and they believe they were able to get everything. He is in ICU now and has not woken up since surgery. Please be praying that he will wake up and recover quickly. Please pray for his family and his wife Sandy. 

Ashlynn Bridges

Ashlynn is Lindsey and Billy Bob Bridges oldest girl who is 4 years old and she has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She is at Scott and White in Temple TX. They are saying that she will be insulin dependent the rest of her life. Please pray that God would intervene and turn this situation around for this precious little girl. Billy is in Iraq and they have two other girls and one on the way. Please pray for Lindsey and her strength through this time and for Billy as he is away. Thank you for your prayers. God is faithful. 

08-25-09 Prayer Requests

Cynthia

I received an e-mail from Cynthia asking if we would stand in agreement with her. She is asking the Lord for healing for her autoimmune system. Let's lift her up to the Lord for complete healing in her body. I told her a mighty group of prayer warriors would be joining her as she stands in faith for her healing. We've seen God do mighty things in our midst, and we know with Him all things are possible. Thanks!

08-19-09

John got to meet Joel Osteen while he was in the Valley as few weeks ago. Joel preached three services, I believe, to a packed house every time. They said the atmosphere was electric. God was there in a big way and they had an awesome time.

This week turned out to be very busy for John. He flew to Houston to have his Baclofen pump flushed with saline and they were going to discuss the possibility of having the pump removed. They found his pump is infected again and because the doctor is leaving town next week they rearranged his surgery schedule and squeezed John in for Thursday. Isn't God good, again, He makes a way!

John is heading back to Houston today to get admitted and prep'd for the surgery to remove his pump tomorrow. The really big miracle in this whole thing is this is only the second time this doctor has ever removed a pump from a patient. He told us last time, "You know, this never happens. People just don't get these pumps taken out." Thank you Jesus for the miracle healing you have done and are continuing to do in John's body.

His eye sight is getting better too. He's been very diligent in his 1-2 hours brain fit therapy sessions daily. When he started his level was 1.1 and now he is up to 2.5. Surely and steadily, more and more signs of healing and improvement.

We are going to continue to post updates to the blog but want you to know we are going to change things up a little too. We are going to start posting devotions, as well. James has started teaching a life group/bible study and we would like to share with you what the Lord is showing us.

It's about your Position, Not your Condition

Whatever condition we are in, He has an answer. He always makes a way. Someone once said there are times we get stuck in a rut. And we can live in that rut so long that the sides begin to look like the horizon to us. Your focus becomes your condition which effects your position - stuck in a rut. Let's see what Jesus says about our position.

When the veil was rent at His death He gained access for us to God.

Matthew 27:51-53 (New International Version)
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

The veil was 60 ft. long and was rent from top to bottom. The price that was paid for us to have access was great and we should always remember our position with Him.

Our Position - We are made new in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New International Version)
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Our Position - When we abide in Him

John 15:7 (New International Version)
7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

Our Position - A life in Him with no condemnation

Romans 8:1 (New Living Translation)
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

See here how the first portion of this chapter speaks to our condition:

Ephesians 2:1-6 (The Message)
It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

Then Jesus stepped in and changed our position - He saved us!

Ephesians 2:10 (The Message)
7-10Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

How Great is Our God! How He loves us! Look at the 9 things he did for us. Write them down, get them in your Spirit, and begin to live according to your position not your condition.

Ephesians 1:3-14 (New Living Translation)
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[a] 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,[b] for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own[c] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Be blessed!

08-19-09 Prayer Request

Shelli Ward

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/shelliward

This is Sharla (married to Brandon) Marler's sister. She needs a miracle as the tumors in her brain have come back and worse than before. Surgery is not an option, and chemo has very little success rate so it is not an option. She has decided to take a holistic approach. Please read the update she posted to her blog for more details. The doctor gave her the scripture below to pray and she is asking that everyone come together to pray at 9pm tonight. Let's raise up a loud cry into the heavens for her healing and for this medicine/juice made from a tree to work for good in her body.

Revelations 22:1-2

Then the angels showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for healing of the nations. to work in her body for good.

08-11-09 Prayer Request

Howard Sheets

Howard has been diagnosed with lung cancer and the doctors are saying that they need to do surgery. Please pray that Howard's heart will be strong and ready for the surgery and please pray for the wisdom and direction the doctors need while performing the surgery. We aren't sure when the surgery will be but please keep Howard and his family in your prayers. Thank you.

08-06-09 Prayer Request

Carolyn

Has fought severe for the last 2 years. She has seen several doctors, had shock therapy, and it going to see a new doctor today. She feels like she has no hope and will be placed in a psychiatric

hospital. Please pray that she will be set free from this depression, that the doctors will find the right treatment for her, and she will have an encounter with the Lord that changes her outlook completely. She needs a miracle.

Mike Heup

Going in for surgery on Monday so they can remove his cancerous bladder and reconstruct him a new one. Please lift him up for everything to go smoothly, quickly, and with out complication.

Deanna

Just learned that her cancer has returned. She is believing the Lord will strengthen her body and walk her through this as He has in the past. Thank you for praying for her to be healed, for all treatments and medicines to work for her good, and for her doctors to have insight concerning her treatment.