My niece

I have a niece, who got saved a few years ago. She is going to Fairhaven. I just spoke to her tonight and boy has she changed. For the better! I love hearing her talk. You can just tell the spiritual growth by what she says. We were talking about doing devotions tonight. And finding favorite verses or what has spoken to our hearts lately. I think the experience of her going to Fairhaven was such a plus for her. She is learning so much, growing in the Lord, she is around godly people, not the world. The classes are making her think about the Lord and what he has done for her. She is in a lot of ministries, and loving it.

I am so proud of her.

Please pray for her that the Lord keeps blessing her. Her job is not the greatest as far as hours are concerned, so add that to your prayer too, please. She needs more hours for more money, but they have none to give right now.

Well, have a good night.

Talk to you later.

Father-in-Law

Well, as an update, my father in law passed away. He went to a nursing home for two days and then went back to the hospital and passed away. (Well, they took him off life support). It is what he wanted. The last time hubby went to visit him was the day before the move to the nursing home. Jim was asleep, so he never got a chance to talk to him.

I am glad that the last time I got to see him he was chipper, laughing and talking. I am glad he got to hear Kayla play her piano (via phone recording). So they will be good memories. Brad's dad was a very nice man. And I wish we had more time to be able to spend with him. I also wish we did not waste so much time, in not visiting. But, with busy lives, six kids, we don't really visit anyone.

I guess you don't realize that at any time you may not see a loved one again. We take that for granted I think.

As for where Jim stood with the Lord before he left this earth?? Well, Brad got a little witnessing in. Hopefully Jim was able to understand enough to put things together.

The funeral is Monday evening.

Talk to you later

My Father-in-law

Well, my father in law is not doing so well. He has lung problems and is on oxygen. His lungs are so bad that they can't help him, just up his oxygen level. But by doing this he is getting poisoned by it (carbon monoxide i think). so just recently he died, but they were able to revive him. He is on life support right now. They are checking for brain damage since he was dead for so long before they revived him. We went to the hospital to visit him. He was able to turn and look at us and I believe he knew who we were.
I hated seeing him there so helpless. Brad was able to give him a small amount of the gospel. And he squeezed brads hands and looked at him while he was talking to him. It took everything he had each time he turned his head or moved his eyes down to actually look at you.
they say it is hopeful especially because of the response he is giving.
Please pray for him, that he makes it through and has another chance at salvation.
I could not muster up the strength to say goodbye. It may be the last time I see him alive again because with six kids it is hard to find a sitter.
Makes me think that it is so easy to say goodbye to people when they seem okay. We visited him a few weeks ago and never would have thought that it is possible today we would be going to his funeral had they not revived him. (he was without oxygen for 30 minutes).
I hope to not take for granted when I see our family to always show our love somehow, you never know when that was going to be your last goodbye.

I have been reading a lot in Joshua lately, and Luke (I jump back and forth).
Please also keep Brad in your prayers. He is trying to deal with the fact of knowing his dad is not saved, and is sitting at deaths door. Wanting so bad for him to recover and get one more chance at sharing the gospel with him. And possibly regretting the fact that it was not pushed harder while he was alive and well. But with some people, it is hard to witness to them (especially your family). They see how we live, and they don't like it... they don't want to hear about it. So you just throw it in in bits and pieces, try and keep the peace, but yet let your life be a testimony.
It is very hard when you have unsaved family, especially when it is close relatives (parents, siblings).

TAlk to you later

Family

I was reminded this week how good God is to me. I remember years ago when I first got saved and dedicated my life to try to serve the Lord how my family hated me for it. After years of praying for my family, and trying to live right, and being a testimony just in my life, the past two years have been wonderful with seeing my family get saved.
1) my children (three of the six) have gotten saved and baptized (child number 1 more than 2 yrs. ago)
2) My younger sister and her husband are now saved
3) My oldest niece and now her sister
4) I just found out that my cousin is saved and is working on her husband. So pray for them... She is trying to raise a family with an unsaved husband, that has got to be tough.

Anyway, if you would have asked me 8 years ago if I thought my family would ever be saved, I probably would have said probably not, but I am praying. And here eight years later and there are some saved.

These are all answered prayers, and I am trying to praise and thank the Lord. Sometimes I think we can overlook the fact that we did get an answer to prayer. So "Thank You Lord, for my answered prayers"...

Have you had any recently answered prayers? Take a minute to stop and Thank the One answering.
Talk to you later.

Church Anniversary

We had our churches 13th anniversary yesterday. Preacher Dan Souza came to preach. I love hearing him. He always makes me laugh and lifts my spirits. His messages were great. We played our Violins (Sweet Hour of Prayer). Things went well... then we played Jesus loves me... with an unexpected solo, then duo then finally our trio. ;) But it went well, and the kids said it sounded planned. So we pulled it off. Yippee!! Good job girls (and guy).
Anyway, we had some visitors there too, to hear some good messages. Our dinner was well prepared, very good.
A very fun day...
Talk to you later

Kids Challenge

Josh and Laura were baptized. So as a gift we gave them a new Bible. It is a very nice Bible, but they don't make them anymore. So luckily I bought three a few years ago just incase... In these Bibles are a lot of study helps for young believers, and Bible reading plans etc. So as of yesterday, they picked a Bible reading plan and at the end of October if they have read their Bible every day this month, they will get a prize.

When I did this with my oldest daughter (now 10) she got a candy bar of her very own, a bag of candy, then when she did a three month plan from the book, she got a dramatized DVD of the Bible being read. That is such a nice program. It is just the Bible being read but dramatized, and it shows a picture of a bible page with the verses (usually about 3 per page) so you can follow along with the reading.

Anyway, that is the new challenge for the kids. Hopefully it will help them form the habit of reading the Bible, and give them the taste for wanting to read it.

Well, talk to you later