Photo 47

A sign of getting older....



I went to the eye doctor last Saturday after going to K's basketball game because I was so frustrated with not being able to see. K scored two baskets and one I couldn't see that it was her who shot it. I got a prescription for glasses (which i don't have yet) and contacts but that wasn't the disturbing part. The Dr. told me I have the beginning stages of macular degeneration, an eye condition that affects vision in the center of your eye and that normaly happens when one is much older. I'm praying against this one and ask that you would pray too!

Ministry Update

I haven't updated on ministry in a long time due to us not knowing what was going on or what we were doing.  Our church, New Hope, recently went through some major changes and we were very serious about leaving and finding a new church but felt the Lord telling us to press through the difficult and uncertain times.  Our pastor has stepped down for a season (he may or may not return) and the elder is filling in until a final decision is made on what to do, which should be made by the end of this month.
We haven't been doing the college ministry for a few months now.  Ministry, work and family life were too much so we needed a little time to rest and focus on what is important to us, being family.   Now that we have had time to rest and wait on the Lord, we see there might be an opportunity to finally start some form of prayer ministry.  Please be praying that the Lord's will would be done and that all obstacles would be removed.  Our hearts desire has been to start a prayer ministry, that is why we went to IHOP and did the training program in 2007.  Since the training program life has been challenging and we've hit so many road blocks, which has been quite discouraging but we are finally starting to see a glimmer of hope in starting something at our church.  That glimmer of hope is a huge praise because when we first moved down to the Austin area our church was NOT for a prayer ministry. It's hard to go so many years with no one really supporting what's on your heart...
Thanks for praying! We appreciate it!

There is a mighty lot of difference between saying prayers and praying. --John G. Lake

Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God. --Andrew Murray

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?-- Corrie Ten Boom

Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?....Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray. --Oswald Chambers

Do you know what prayer is? It is not begging God for this and that. The first thing we have to do is to get you beggars to quit begging until a little faith moves in your souls. --John G. Lake

If God will do whatever He wishes, regardless of whether we pray or not, then we do not need to pray at all, and the Lord's instructions on praying for the Kingdom and the Will are superfluous. But the truth is that God waits for a Remnant to rise up and to pray in agreement with His Purpose before He does anything - He will do nothing apart from the Church. Apart from HIM, we CAN do nothing; apart from US, He WILL do nothing –Chip Brogden

bastrop, tx

9.9.2011 - Pray for those in Bastrop, TX affected by the huge wildfire!

It's hard to imagine this whole area now completely burnt down..
but that park is nothing compared to all the people left without homes now.
The last count I heard of houses burnt was over 1,000. 

click here to see all the wildfires in TX

*Pictures from 2010*

Vision

For awhile now Bobby and I have had the vision to live on a farm and do daily life with a community of believers. The other morning at church I was very frustrated with the Sunday morning church lifestyle/culture and how people go to fulfill some duty placed upon them by man and not going to worship the King of the universe who loves them beyond their comprehension. So anyway back to last sunday morning, we had a guest speaker come and talk about a children's home in Georgia that runs an orphanage and rescues children from sex trafficking. My heart always breaks for those children caught up in sex trafficking, so instantly those two thoughts connect giving vision for the farm/simple lifestyle that has been on our hearts and some type of children's home. I can picture a large house full of children from all walks of life needing love and family structure on a large amount of land, living simply and off the fruit of the land, worshipping the God who created all things while finding healing for their souls.

Big vision, I know. I'm asking for your support to pray that IF this is the Lord's will that He will provide the resources necessary to do what we feel like He's calling us to do. Thank you!

James 1:27 "External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world."

Trip and update

My kind husband is watching all the kids alone while I take a weekend trip to Kansas City to go to IHOP for a weekend of prayer and visit some old friends! I'm very excited about it! Pray that my hubby will survive ;)

Oh and thank you for praying for my pregnant friend with a blood clot!! The doctors were amazed that it went away unexplained!! Awesome! The Lord is the one who heals!

The college group is coming over tonight for our discipleship/ prayer night. They are growing in the Lord and that is encouraging!

Don't worry about the pictures while I'm gone. I've already uploaded them!!

Esther

Today I went to a friends church for a Beth Moore Bible study on Esther. I'm really excited about it! I've done a few of her studies before but this one seems more personal. Since today was the introduction section she didn't get into the study. She did share a survey her team did on 400 women asking them their top 3 reasons why it's difficult to be a women. The answers were 1-Submitting 2-Responsibilities 3- Hormones. I laughed at the third one. She then went on to share a few explanations of the hormone answer. I wrote a couple down. "I get mad at the people I love and cry over commercials" and "I'm one hormone away from going off". Isn't that true though? I can't wait to dive deep into this study!

On another note, I have a prayer request. A friend who is 5 months pregnant went to the hospital today, she has a blood clot in her leg and has to give herself two shots a day in the belly for the rest of the pregnancy. She has two older children and a husband to take care of. Pray for the baby, family and her body! Thanks!