When it is a question of God's almighty Spirit, never say, "I can't."-Oswald Chambers
October 2nd is this Sonday! FINALLY! Remember that we are going to have a combined service at 10:00 at the LeRyan center. Without a doubt, this is the day when we have asked God’s Almighty Spirit to move among us. Hear His voice and never say “I can’t” Holy Spirit we call to You to revel Your power in us and work a miracle on Sonday!
I have a great praise. I was in a car accident on Tuesday morning. It was totally my fault. As I had a close encounter of the painful kind with the guardrail on the freeway, I did not hit nor was I hit by any other car, in spite of the ample opportunities I was provided with. As I write this on Wednesday evening, I am hurting in a multitude of places - including some places that I am convinced are hurting in sympathy with the rest - but I am alive. As my car spun out of control I thought I was dead. I guess that Father still has something for me to do on this old earth. Abba, I try to make light of the situation - but I know that Your intervention is the only reason I am alive. Thank You for the life You gave back to me this morning. I love You.
I spoke to Ruth Rush today. Merle is doing so well in his recovery from the stroke that they are calling him the “Miracle Man” We thank You, Father for this great news on Merle and ask that You continue to heal him.
While I was in Von’s bakery on Tuesday asking about the perfect snack to take to my Bible study, the baker asked us to pray for her niece Katie who underwent a biopsy surgery on her spine today. Great Healer, we pray for Katie and ask that You help her to recover from this surgery, and that the results will be favorable.
Edie Gates has shingles. I saw her at Bible study on Tuesday and she told me she was recovering from them. Holy Father, we thank You for Edie and for the many ways that she serves You. Please continue to heal her from the shingles.
Denise’s heart continues to deteriorate. She is under a cardiologist’s care. This doctor treats only the very sickest of the sick. Rock of Ages, we pray that You pour Your strength into Denise. Touch her with Your healing hand because You are the only true hope that she has.
We continue to pray for the following: Mike Lee Joos and his radiation treatments, Doug Clapp’s brother in law with prostrate cancer, Fran Regier’s daughter (not Ginger) who may need a liver transplant, David & his heart, Ray Rahn and breathing problems, Jean Hofer & her back, Helen & Harvey Wilmot, Walt Couch & prostate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer, Brandon & leukemia, George & Margie Martin and his cancer, new employment opportunities for Dan Hansen, Stan Reed & cancer, Kassel Coon in Afghanistan. LORD of Eternity, we pray for each of these names and situations on our prayer chain and ask that You continue to be sovereign in all of them.
Pray for our missionaries - Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, SeaFM and their work in Southeast Asia, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel For Asia, The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, and all the missionaries worldwide. Holy Spirit, we ask that You build a hedge of protection around Your missionaries as they serve You in places all around the world. Through them may Your Word go out to all the lost & hurting of this world.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others. Hope of Glory, You have called servants out from among us to lead our fellowships. We ask, LORD, that You bless them with wisdom, strength and patience. Pour Your abundance on Your ministries and provide for the needs of Your church. Open our eyes to see where You are working and help our hearts be willing to join You in Your purpose.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military. Just One, thank You for Your mercy on our country. America has strayed, and continues to stray so far from You. Your justice is what we deserve, Your mercy is what we receive. Help us to bring our country back to You. God bless our military.
Messiah, Christ, The Savior of the World,
You are God’s only begotten Son, His gift of life to us. You gave everything You were to death so that we could live. Help us to keep You fresh and strong in our lives. Don’t let us ever get used to You. You are the love of God reveled.
Holy Spirit, Living God, Comforter,
When Jesus went home to Father, You came to us. You indwell us - You are part of us. Guide us, teach us Your ways. Help us to hear Your voice and to obey You. You are the love of God sustained
Father, Filler of Eternity, God over all gods,
There is no thing that compares to You. You are high & lifted up, far beyond what we can ever imagine. The heart of all creation resonates to Your love. You have washed us with Your love. Help us to never make that a small thing in our lives. You are the love of God eternal.
Triune God,
We bow before You. This is where we want to be. Our hearts rejoice to be in Your presence. You are God of love. We are Your children restored to You through Your love. We love You forever and ever.
Local 'Goddess' Turns to Christ
Many would come to her hoping to receive wise counsel and advice. Many would come to her whenever calamities and illness befell. Many would come, but none received truth or grace.
Sunita was known throughout her village as an incarnation of a local goddess, believed to hold special religious powers. In other words, Sunita was a 'Mata.' Yet she didn't have any peace, and suffered from constant illness and worry.
During this time of great despair and uncertainty, Sunita was visited by some ladies from a Believers Church. These devoted sisters felt the Holy Spirit leading them to knock on her door. Sunita's house contained much paraphernalia for idol worship, but this did not deter the missionaries from speaking the truth in such a dark place. After the initial introductions, Sunita was given a Gospel tract and told about the healing power only offered through Jesus Christ.
Sunita received a Bible from them and searched the Scriptures daily. The ladies came back the next Saturday to find Sunita open to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They knelt down and prayed together.
Sunita did not accept the Lord immediately but began getting involved in a Believers Bible Women's Fellowship and attending church regularly.
Finally, on August 13, the angels rejoiced in heaven as two new children of God accepted His Son as their Savior. Both Sunita and her husband accepted the Lord in their hearts that day, and when they returned home they disposed of all their pagan religious items.
Coming to Christ in Asia involves much more persecution than one faces elsewhere. Because Sunita was a Mata in her village, she and her family will face much persecution and hardship. Please pray for God's protection over Sunita and her husband Rajen, and pray that they would stand firm in their newfound faith and be a powerful witness to those in the surrounding area.
MY OATH TO YOU...
When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried.....I will give you hope.
When you are confused.....I will help you cope.
And when you are lost....And can't see the light.
I shall be your beacon.....Shining ever so bright.
This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask?.....Because you're my friend.
Signed: GOD
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Acts 19:24-27 “A silversmith named Demetrius had a business that made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. Those who worked for him earned a lot of money. Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said: Friends, you know that we make a good living at this. But you have surely seen and heard how this man Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods we humans make are not really gods at all. Everyone will start saying terrible things about our business. They will stop respecting the temple of the goddess Artemis, who is worshiped in Asia and all over the world. Our great goddess will be forgotten!” (CEV)
I was talking to a friend recently about the disaster caused by hurricane Katrina. As we sat and talked she was sipping her Starbucks coffee and carefully tearing apart her Starbucks muffin with her long decorated nails so that she did not drop any of it on her Macy’s clothes. She was talking about how the need was going to go for years and she just didn’t know what to do. As I sat there sipping my $1.29 Zip & Rip coffee, no muffin and the dress that cost me $2.00 at Lydia’s Closet Thrift Store I told her that it was easy to make a donation, I had made mine to the Salvation Army over the internet. Her eyes rolled, “I know that! I just don’t see how I can afford to give anything. Money is so tight!”
What did you think of old Demetrius in the story above? His story reminds me of a “CSI” episode that I was watching one day. There was this really bizarre murder and the CSI Tech was stumped and went to Grissom for advice. His advice was “When all else fails, follow the money. It will tell you what is important.” The money trail was almost as bizarre as the murder, but in the end it not only reveled the murderer, but was the cause for the murder.
If you read Demetrius’ words carefully, what is important to him is quickly reveled. He doesn’t start out by saying, “This man Paul is dissing our goddess, Artemis, and needs to be stopped.” No, what he says is, “We make lots of money off our statues and this man Paul’s preaching is going to cut into our cash flow big time - oh, yeah, he’s dissing Artemis, too.” When he incited the mob to march on the city they were not shouting out “Money! Money! Money!” They marched in the name of their religion and shouted out “Artemis, Artemis, Artemis” But the truth of the matter is that it was really all about the money he was afraid he was going to lose.
Money is the cornerstone of this world. All to often the world judges more by the bank account than by the inner quality of a person. We further flaunt our money (our worth?)by our “stuff.” My daughter’s $11,000 Aveo gets around town as easily as a $56,000 Hummer - but the Hummer is the one we go “Oohhh” over. (Now before you enlighten me about the off-road capabilities of the Hummer - remember that the closest most Hummers get to off-roading is that patch of dirt they ran over in the parking lot of the mall) A $1.29 cup of coffee tastes the same as the $4.00 Starbucks - but there is a reason that Starbucks are popping up at every corner. It’s all about the stuff. How much we have and how much it costs.
Grissom was right when he said,“When all else fails, follow the money. It will tell you what is important.” How we spend our money is the clearest indication of what is important to us.
My friend and I earn about the same. My friend has that Starbucks & muffin every day. She’s spending a couple thousand on just that a year. She seems to always be buying new clothes, shoes, etc. That is what is important to her. And to be honest, I don’t have a problem with that. It is her money. Starbucks is not important to me - I can’t taste the difference between it and the Zip&Rip. What is important to me is radically different. I gave the donation to Salvation Army because it was important to me.
My friend has a good heart and good intentions but to be honest - it would never enter her mind that she could make a several hundred dollar contribution to Katrina if she just skipped coffee and a muffin once a week. And again - that is okay - because that is what is important to her.
It is different for me though. I am a follower of Christ. Because of that, what is important to me is on the flipside of what is important to the world. What is important to me is that I love the LORD my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my might and with all my wallet - and that I love my neighbor as myself. Because reaching our neighborhood kids for Jesus is important to me, my time, love and money go to support the Kids Klub outreach. Because reaching our community is important to me, I listen for what Father would have me do in the Venture of Faith - 21st Century campaign. Because I weep as I watch the devastation of Katrina, I am able to praise God for the opportunity to make a donation to the relief effort. And here is the good part - I have enough. I don’t have much by the world’s standards - but I have enough. And by my Jesus’s standards - I do have the best. Because I have Him.
I hope that anyone who cares to follow my money trail sees Jesus and His glory written all over it. I hope that my money trail leaves no doubt that He is what is important to me.
What does your money trail say about what is important to you?
LORD Jesus, it was a lot easier to pledge my life to You than it was to pledge my money to You. I still struggle with it. Help me so that when my money trail speaks - it sings Your praise. I love You, Jesus.
"Hope is hearing the melody of the future. Faith is to dance to it now." - Richard Alves, Quoted in "When I Lay My Isaac Down" by Carol Kent
October 2nd is going to be a great day in the HIS-tory of FFBC as we make our VF21 commitments. This is our opportunity to dance to the melody of the awesome future Father has planned for us! Pray that God will work a miracle through His people.
I have a GREAT praise! Pa Lai’s daughter had a low hemoglobin due to not having enough iron in her system. With a blood transfusion, iron supplements and a change in diet, she is doing very well now. Pa Lai asked me to pass on her heartfelt gratitude for our prayers.
Sandy Austin, Danette Joos’s mom, has a new job and Danette’s parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary! (Renee Z & Kenny C should have taken notes!)
Mike Lee Joos, Danette’s ex-father-in-law, had surgery to remove the growth on his vocal cord. It was cancerous. He will be having radiation for it. Pray that this brings Mike close to Father.
Doug Clapp’s brother-in-law recently underwent prostrate surgery to remove cancer.
Denise was almost ready to go to a convalescence facility before last weekend, but an infection caused her major organs to start shutting down. She has stabilized but is still in grave condition.
Fran Regier’s daughter has been taken to the hospital. She may need a liver transplant.
We continue to pray for the following: David & his heart, Hal & Char Cole, Ray Rahn and breathing problems, Jean Hofer & her back, Helen & Harvey Wilmot, Logan who is back in the hospital, Penny Graham and lung cancer, Walt Couch & prostate cancer, Bob Rogers & his heart, John Rodgers with cancer, Brandon & leukemia, Merle Rush and recovery from his stroke, George & Margie Martin and his cancer, new employment opportunities for Dan Hansen, Stan Reed & cancer, Kassel Coon in Afghanistan.
Pray for our missionaries - Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, SeaFM and their work in Southeast Asia, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel For Asia, The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Wasn’t that a fantastic write up about Flipside Church in the Faith&Values section of the Bee? Karl’s picture even looked good! Please continue to keep our church plants in prayer.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Living God,
We wish that we had the words worthy to praise You or the songs that would show You how grateful we are for Your presence in our lives. May the joy we have in You rise before you like the finest perfume.
We praise You, Abba, for Your hand of protection on Pa Lai’s daughter. We thank You for giving Sandy a new job and for the 40 years that she & her husband have recently celebrated.
Great Healer, with the touch of Your hand You heal our bodies and our souls. We lift before You Mike Joos, Doug’s brother in law, Denise, and Fran’s daughter and ask that You touch them with healing.
We ask, Mighty God, that You continue to move in the lives of all those we pray for. Use each of these situations to bring glory to Your name and to bring others closer to You.
LORD Jesus, we humble ourselves before Your sovereignty and declare that without You we are nothing. You have given us life on earth and life in eternity. With joy and love we serve You.
Jesu Mapru, we call out for Your missionaries who serve You and the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Protect them from those who would harm them. Renew their lives, strengthen their spirits.
We rejoice in the growth and outreach of Flipside and LIFEhouse churches. We ask, Giver of Abundant Life, that you continue to bless the pastor’s and their families of these two new churches. Thank You for giving us the privilege of being involved in their birth’s.
Holy Spirit, You are the Promise that Jesus gave us when He went back to Father. Thank-you for Your indwelling of us, for the comfort You give us and for how much You love us. Help us to heed You when You speak to us.
Triune God, Three-in-One, how our hearts praise You for the pastors that You have sent to our fellowships. Help us to love them and support them. We thank You for our leaders and for the ministries that You have given us. You give our lives purpose. Show us ways to be Your hands and feet. Show us opportunities to reach out in love to our friends and neighbors with the Good News of Jesus.
Your promise is that if we humble ourselves before You that You will heal our land. On our knees we cry out to You for America and ask that You heal her. Use us to turn her back to You. Grant our leaders wisdom in their decisions. Protect those who serve in the military.
You are God, the Great I AM. Before time began You already loved us. When time ends You will still be loving us. Your love knows no boundaries. It is not constrained by time or space. It fills eternity. Thank You for loving us. Our lives resonate to Your love for us.
Note from Valerie: Karl sent this to me on Monday - so when he talks about yesterday he means last Sonday -
Hey Flipside Family! I love you all! What a great celebration we had yesterday at our “birth day”!
I just want to say “thank you” to you all. Your faithfulness, sacrifice, and support mean so much. So many people are hearing about Jesus and learning more about Him and His desire because of you!
I want to give you the “update” on yesterday. Without counting people twice (all the workers who stayed for both services) we had 416 people. If we were to count everyone in both services we would be at the 500 mark (but I don’t want to “double count” people J). My “coach” who gives me guidance in the plant process says to think in terms of a “Launch Window” and count those people who were at our last preview service but who couldn’t come to the Kick Off and those who come next Sunday who weren’t at the Kick Off. Suffice it to say, we were blessed no matter what the “count” was! I am so proud of all of you. I have been moved to tears out of gratitude to God numerous times yesterday and today. This is a very humbling process. Thank you for letting God use you in it with me.
You all have been so generous. The offering, which I made the decision all goes to Katrina relief, was over $4,600.00! Wow! Thank you. Again, I am so proud of you. What other church gives away their entire offering?! What a difference you are making in lives all the way across the country! The Flipside family is changing lives!
Guess what? Sunday comes again in 6 more days! That means we have the opportunity to gather together as a community again and be encouraged and strengthened. Continue to invite your friends and neighbors. We are always in the growth process as there are thousands of people who need to be in church with God and with us.
We begin a series this week on “God’s 10 Redeeming Values”. We’ll look at things like…
*The God Above All Others
*The Object of My Love
*The Sacred Name
*The Sacred Pace of Life
*Priority in Family Living
*Sanctity of Human Life
*Sanctity of Sex
*Right Acquisitions
*The Credibility Gap
*Getting a Grip on Greed
Don’t miss this great time of growth and strengthening. I love you all and look forward to being a part of what God is doing in and through us. Blessings, Karl
Valerie Rae Hanneman
1 Chronicles 29:17 “I know, my God, that You examine our hearts and rejoice when You find integrity there” (NLT)
One day I was hanging out with two of my favorite guys. My son, Steven, and his friend Clark. Steven had gotten a really good grade on a report and I was in the mood to celebrate. When I found out that Clark had never had teppan-yaki I knew what the reward was going to be. We went over to Japanese Kitchen and we placed our food order. Steven asked if he and Clark could add a side of mushrooms to their order. I checked my wallet. I had just barely enough. I flagged down our waiter and ordered the additional sides of mushrooms. When our bill came, it was wrong. I called our waiter over and told him there was a mistake. He was highly indignant. They always check their bills carefully and there wasn’t a mistake. As gently as possible, I assured him that there was a mistake. He interrupted me to protest that there was not. A little louder I told him that the additional sides of mushrooms were not on the bill - they had undercharged me. Suddenly he had nothing to say. He looked at the bill, took it in the back and corrected it. While he was gone, the woman sitting next to me asked me, “Why did you do that? They would have never known.” “I would have known.” I answered her, “I am a Christian, and I take that very seriously.” She just shook her head as if I had a problem. But I just smiled.
Integrity is defined as being “the quality of being honest and morally upright.” These days, it seems like it is an old-fashioned word or maybe a word open to interpretation. Another way I have heard it defined is as “Integrity is who you are when nobody is looking.”
I saw a little sign this week. It said “How naughty can I be and still get to Heaven?” I know that this is supposed to be funny - but it isn’t. (I know that our place in heaven is not dependent on how naughty we are but on the grace and mercy of Jesus’s salvation.) What is sad to me is the idea that not only is it acceptable to see how much you can get away with and still be considered a good person - but that it is considered to be cute.
Who are you when nobody is looking? Do your thoughts say what your mouth would never utter? Do you pad that deduction on your tax return? Do you offer comfort to a friend then mock them behind their back? Do you point fingers and place blame rather than admit your fault? Is it easier to two-step around your integrity than to stand firm in every situation?
Our integrity should be important to us because it is important to Father. It should be the way that we live our lives and not the way that we live through each situation. We must make the deliberate decision in our hearts to be a person of integrity before we are in a situation that challenges our integrity. A quick situational decision is all too often the wrong decision.
Father searches our hearts and rejoices when He finds integrity there. The integrity that He is looking for is the foundational integrity and not the “blowing with the wind” integrity that the world embraces.
When we got out to the car, my son told me that he was proud of me for telling the truth. “You didn’t have to, Mom.” he said. He was right, I didn’t have to. If I didn’t say anything nobody would ever know. It was their mistake, not mine. I could have stopped after the first attempt to correct the problem. I had tried and they didn’t want to listen. I did not tell them about the mistake because I wanted them to think I was a “good” person. I did not persist because I wanted to prove I was right. I did not tell the truth so to show off what a Christian I was to the people at the table. I didn’t even do it so I could be a good example to my son and Clark.
I did it because it was the right thing to do.
Now of course there were some benefits to my choice. First and most important is that when my integrity was tested I passed the test with flying colors and Father rejoiced over me. Just knowing that Father is rejoicing over me is worth everything I did. But there is more. Even though I did not tell the truth about the bill to be an example to Steven - I was. My son knows that the choice about the bill was mine and he knows that I acted with integrity. When the choice is his maybe my choices will influence his. And then the woman sitting next to me. No doubt about it, she thought I had made the wrong choice. She thought I was a weird one. But maybe - just maybe - the day will come when she will remember that weird Christian woman who took her faith seriously enough to make the right choice instead of the easy choice. And maybe my choices will make a difference in her life.
The choice is ours. We can choose to two-step around our integrity when it is easier for us to do so. Or we can choose to stand firm as people of integrity. If we choose the two-step then we choose to sink into the sludge of this world. If we choose to stand firm then we get the satisfaction of making the right choices. We get to know that Father is rejoicing over us. We get to be a positive influence to our family & friends. We get to be a positive influence on those we don’t know. We get to change the Kingdom. That is a win-win as far as I am concerned!
Two step or stand firm - the choice is ours.
P.S. - You remember that statement “Integrity is who you are when nobody is looking.” That doesn’t apply to us. As Christ followers there is not a moment when Father is not looking at us - and knowing the choices we make.
Father, to be a person of integrity in a world that does not understand is hard. But to know that You are rejoicing over me when I stand firm - that alone makes it all worth it. Help me so that my life gives You reasons to rejoice.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First at valerie@fresnofirst.org
May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in. -Mother Teresa
I am requesting prayer for a friend of mine, David. David is relatively young (younger than me anyway!). This past week he was diagnosed with congenital heart failure - only 20% of his heart is working.
Please remember Pa Lai Lee and her daughter. The baby has been in the hospital since Tuesday and has had two blood transfusions so far. The doctors do not know what it is - but thankfully they have ruled out leukemia.
Ray Rahn is having trouble breathing and is on oxygen - doctor’s aren’t sure about what is going on. Please keep Ray in prayer - that he will see Jesus for Who He is.
Please keep Hal & Char Cole in prayer as they struggle with family issues.
I am struggling with a few issues as well. I would appreciate prayer for Father’s clear direction in my life.
Our world-weary - but Spirit-energized - travelers will be home from Nigeria today. They missed their connecting flight in New York and were forced to spend the night in the Big Apple. I am not too sure that that is suffering for Jesus!
We are getting closer and closer to our October 2nd celebration of how Father is going to work through us to accomplish great things at FFBC. I can’t hardly wait to get started on them! Please continue to pray for the VF21 campaign. Pray that God will work a miracle through His people and ask Father what He would have you do as Your part of His miracle.
We continue to pray for the following: Jean Hofer & her back, Helen & Harvey Wilmot, Logan who is back in the hospital, Fran Regier’s daughter & son-in-law, Helen Olson & recovery from surgery, Penny Graham and lung cancer, Walt Couch & prostate cancer, Bob Rogers & his heart, John Rodgers with cancer, Denise and the hole in her lung, Brandon & leukemia, Judi Wright, Merle Rush and recovery from his stroke, George & Margie Martin and his cancer, new employment opportunities for Dan Hansen, Stan Reed & cancer, Kassel Coon in Afghanistan. Please send me any updates you might have!
Pray for our missionaries - The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, SeaFM and their work in Southeast Asia, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel For Asia, and all the missionaries worldwide.
On Saturday I will send you the update from Pastor Karl about Flipside’s kick-off. I attended their first service and it was wonderful. Please continue to keep our church plants in prayer.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Triune God,
As tragedy from natural disasters and man-made brutality rocks our world we can continue to live in hope because nothing can take us from Your hand. We bow down at Your feet and cry “Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty, Who was and is and is to be. Sovereign God reign in our lives.
Forgive us, LORD God, for the many times we have failed You through our sins. Help us to remember our sins, LORD. Not so we can beat ourselves up over them - but so we can remember to not do them again. Through Your mercy You make us pure and we accept Your forgiveness.
Father God, we lift up David and his heart problems. Touch him with Your healing hand, give him patience as he deals with these lifestyle changes.
Spirit of God, on our knees we pray for Pa Lai’s baby and ask that You grant the doctor’s wisdom as they treat her. Bring comfort to the family.
We call out for Ray Rahn and ask that You ease his breathing. Let his doctors find the cause of his problems.
Be with Hal & Char as they work though the family problems - give them strength. I pray a special touch of Your grace on Hal, Father. Be strong for Your child.
Abba, I know what my heart wants - but I need to know what You want. Please do not let my heart’s desire blind me to Your will. Open the doors and I will follow You through them.
Precious Jesus, You are the Hope of the helpless, You are Rest for the weary, You are love for the abandoned. You are the Peace of the tear-stained hearts. You are the light when we cannot find our way. We call out Your name, Jesus, because we know that every need is fulfilled in You. You are everything to us.
Holy Spirit, we continue to pray for those on our prayer list. We thank You that each person and each situation is important to You. We surrender each of these to Your power.
LORD God we thank You for the missionaries who serve You in so many places around this earth. We ask Your provision for them and Your strength to guard them.
We thank You for the fellowship of believers that we are part of. Bless our pastors, our leadership and the ministries of each fellowship. Help us to find ways to show them our love, support and to encourage them.
Thank You for the blessings that You poured out this past Sonday as Flipside celebrated their birth day. Continue to guide and bless both Flipside and LIFEhouse fellowships.
Father, bless our country and all of the countries around the world. We pray for their leaders that a way can be found for us all to seek Your will for our countries and for our world.
If we were to try to describe Your glory, our words would go on and on - and yet we would not come close to all that You are. You tell us that our eyes have not seen or our minds imagined what waits for us when we are home with You. I think that You are telling us about You when You say this. I think that we cannot begin to imagine You and Your glory. Thank You for an eternity with You that will allow us to know You fully.
From Norm Baird:
Our experience in Nigeria has been fantastic so far! Today we visited to rural villages called Kafanshan and Bakinkogi. At Bakinkogi, we were welcomed by the entire village, and after we were done touring the very crude satellite clinic there, and we walked out of the building, there were probably 100 kids or more, most under the age of 8. I greeted them by saying "San Nu", which is Hausa for "Hello", and I began shaking hands with a few of them. Before I knew it, I was literally mobbed by dozens of kids wanting to shake my hand. So I made a point to shake as many as I could, and as we started walking up the road to the village chief's home (where we were invited as special guests), about four or five kids grabbed on to each of my hands and walked along with me, holding my hand. It was absolutely awesome! I felt like the Pied Piper! As we walked along, several of the village women were doing the high pitched squeal you've probably heard before in the Middle East or Africa to announce a celebration, and they sang and danced in front of us as we walked.
We ended up eating with the chief, and promising to return again. Well, I hope things are going well with you. We'll talk to you soon.
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
THE SERPENT IS CRUSHED.
Those of you who have been praying for protection for all the staff here, will be most happy to hear that this month started with Sapan, Prakash and John crushing the head of a nearly 6 feet long 4 inch wide python on the 2nd Aug in front of Prakash house. This python was spotted for the last 3 months in the hospital campus. Finally God helped this to be killed, even after the head was crushed the tail curled around the arm and leg of Sapan. As the dead python was carried out to be thrown away, a passer by wanted this and said that this will be a big meal for his family. Our staff Rukmani said that this would be full of fat. In a city it might have fetched a large amount of money, for its skin.
Mundiguda Center:
1. Praise God for the protection from all snakes and insects and for the good health of all the staff and children.
2. Praise God for the successful visit to the Tusi hills, which takes, by walk 3 and half hours on a winding, slippery, single mountain path. Here the Duran tribal people live.
3. Please pray for the staff to stay for a place near by.
4. In a near by village Tumripal the IMS evangelist Phiilp's 4 year old son drowned in a small pit of water and died on the 16th. Please pray for Philip's family.
Rhabhaguda Center:
1. Praise God for the protection from all snakes and insects and for the good health of all staff and children.
2. Please pray for the few contacts among the Bengalis, a very strong Hindu community.
3. Please pray for the healing of 26 year old Mata of Masaguda who sustained burn injury on his right leg while sleeping near the fire on the night of the 12th.
4. Please pray our staff Prabhati, recovering from spontaneous miscarriage.
Malkangiri Center:
1. Praise God for the new interest shown in the very resistant Kadwal village. Here the koyas and poraja tribal group stay. There is daily literacy Programme conducted by the lady staff Minothy and Santhi.
2. Praise God for the release of Konica after being in the jail for 5 years on alleged charges of murder of husband, Her 4 year old son was born inside the jail was named Jabaz. Though all the in mates called him Jaily
3. Praise God for all staff had their salary paid up to June, and for the month of July 9 staff received full salary and 10-part payment.
4.Please pray for the release of Kowsalya, in the jail for just over 4 years, alleged murder of her husband. Kowaslya now knows to pray very well.
4. Please pray for 'Adma" a koya tribal person who learned to read and write through the literacy Programme then later trained as an evangelist by IMS, in the jail for false case of severe Naxalite activity.
5. Please pray for the healing of 3-year-old Jostsana, daughter of Prakesh, suffering from sever sulpha allergy.
Promise verse for August for me is from Psalm. 18:19 - ' He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me'. This to me was through a path humiliation, degradation, and a sense of worthlessness.
My heartfelt thanks to each one of you for your daily prayers and financial support.
Closing with Love & Prayers
Yours in Christ
Dr. Iris. G. R Paul
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Acts 7:41 (The Message) “That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together”
I have this great hairdo. It is absolutely unique. It is all different lengths - from strands 1 inch long to strands 19 inches long. There are four distinct colors from pale blond to deepest red - including my signature copper orange color. It is a startling hairdo and I get all sorts of reactions on it from people who love it and say that it is “so Valerie” to Carol Robertshaw who warns me not to come near her if she is holding a pair of scissors (she’s joking with me - I think). When people ask me why I would do such a thing to my hair I tell them that I am having a mid-life crisis. I can’t afford a sports car - I am too tired to chase men half my age - so all that was left for me to do was something wild and wonderful with my hair. But the truth is that I love it!
Ilene Luna created my hairstyle for me and she is the only person I would trust to do something as different as this. As part of the process Ilene needed to put hair extensions in my hair to give me the varied longer lengths and colors in my hair. When I commented to her about how real the extensions felt she assured me that they were real human hair. I asked her where they came from, she told me that her supplier purchased the hair from temples in Asia - that the hair came from young women who, after they were married, cut off their long hair as a sacrifice to their gods to ensure fertility.
How sad. How sad that the sacrifice that some young woman laid at the feet of her god along with her hopes, dreams and prayers ended up on the head of a spoiled American woman. (And compared to most of the world population - I am spoiled simply because I eat regularly)
But isn’t that the way it is with man-made religions? In the end - they are just a big disappointment - a waste of our time, our lives and our resources. You certainly don’t get what you are expecting.. And any faith that is not absolutely founded in God’s grace extended to man through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, in our place is just a man-made religious program.
This verse in Acts, spoken by Steven as he was being interrogated by the religious leaders, is a reminder of one of the most inexplicable instances of a man-made religion. The Israelites, fresh from a walk on dry ground between massive walls of water, were waiting for Moses to come down from Sinai where he was meeting with God. They knew that God was up there, they could see the rolling clouds, see the lightning and hear the thunder. They had stood and trembled in fear when God first came to the top of that mountain. But now Moses had been gone to long - and Israel was looking for an excuse to party. And that is exactly what the golden calf was - an excuse for Israel to have an orgy. No one will convince me that Israel truly believed that their man-made religion, centered around that golden calf, was real - but it fit their purposes.
And that is the way it is with man-made religions - it fits our purposes. When people did not want to understand a single, absolutely just God, they created gods and goddesses to explain life - and made sure that these gods and goddesses had all of the moral weaknesses that they themselves surrendered to. After all - if your gods and goddesses are just as immoral as you are - how can you possibly be held to a higher standard in your own actions. You want to indulge in wine to excess - Bacchus is your god. Multiple partners? Zeus was your guy.
This creating of our own gods and goddesses continues today. Different names - but same purposes. These days they are named “bank balance” “keeping up with the Joneses”“chasing the American dream” “bigger, better, more” Too many of us continue to sacrifice our time, talents and integrity to the pursuit of these idols. They fit our religious program.
And our sacrifice to them is worthless. Our pursuit of them leads to destruction.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a God - a single, absolutely just God Who is worth serving and worth sacrificing to. This God - our God - does not have the weaknesses that mar the gods this earth pursues. Sin has never stained Him - He is perfect. Because He does not have the weaknesses that false gods have we do not have to worry about Him failing us. He is not capricious in His actions - being with us one day and gone the next. He is unfailing in His love - He will never turn against us. What is true about Him today is true about Him tomorrow and what is true about Him tomorrow is true about Him for eternity. Because He is absolutely perfect we don’t ever have to sacrifice our integrity to follow Him. He is the one true God and there is no other god who is above Him or even equal to Him.
When we willingly sacrifice ourselves to our God our sacrifice is not tossed on the junkpile, it does not end up on the head of some spoiled person, it is not in vain. It rises up before our God like the sweetest incense and it brings Him delight. I wouldn’t be too surprised to find out that He pokes Gabriel in the arm and says, “Look at what My child is doing!” and all of heaven rejoices. That alone makes any sacrifice worth it.
Who is the god that you serve? To whom are you sacrificing your life, time and talents? Is your sacrifice worth it? Or is it worthless?
LORD God, I have never sacrificed anything to You that compares to what You sacrificed to pay my sin-debt. You are more than worth anything I have sacrificed. I willingly sacrifice everything I am and have to You.
Contact Valerie or subscribe to the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org
From Norm Baird in Jos, Nigeria
How's in going back in the States? We're having an incredible experience here in Nigeria. We spent almost the entire day yesterday touring the Faith Alive Clinic here in Jos. Our tour guide, Pastor John Mark, is himself HIV positive, and lost his wife to AIDS two years ago, and is now raising their kids on his own. What a testimony! We toured all the programs within Faith Alive, including the Reception Area, the medical filing room, the exam rooms, the general and special labs where all the HIV testing is done, the Pharmacy, and the counseling rooms. By the end of the day, they even had us counsel with and pray for HIV patients at the Clinic! Talk about a humbling experience............then we toured the Transitional Living Center (or as we've dubbed it, "The Pink House"), where teenage mothers live with their children that have been disowned by their own families due to their HIV positive status. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as they shared their testimonies, and the way that they're "living positively" (which is how they describe living a victorious life in spite of being HIV positive).
We've been eating all our meals in the home of Dr. Chris (who founded Faith Alive) and Dr. Mercy Isichie (Chris' wife), who are the most gracious of hosts. They're making a point, I think, to feed us the most Americanized food, figuring we'd be the most comfortable with that (we had "Nigerian" spaghetti last night). We're staying in a secure housing complex about a half mile from Dr. Chris' house. We are living comfortably in a five bedroom guest house, with a large front room for devotions and prayer time at the end of the day. We've had such an incredible explerience here already!
This morning, we had the priviledge of visiting the Mt. Carmel Christian School, where both of Dr. Chris' kids (Emily-4, and Prince-3) attend. It was an awesome experience! We observed Chapel with the entire student body, ranging in age from 2 yrs. old to 6th grade, singing worship songs in English that we sing every Sunday morning at FBC! A phenominal worship time!
Driving in Jos is truly an adventure! You've got three lanes worth of traffic trying to fit into two lanes of road, with motorcycles and scooters shooting in and out, and hundreds of people walking along the side of the road, narrowly being missed by the cars (by 6 inches or so)! It's like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride....I'm sure glad I don't have to drive.
Well, I'd better get this to you. We're about to head out on another adventure. Keep us in your prayers.
A prayer offered by the humblest and most obscure saint on the ground of the Redemption of Jesus Christ demands the complete attention of God and the performance of His program. O. Chambers
It is so good to have Judi Wright back up in the choir. She is able to get out and about - but not yet able to go back to work.
I am sad to report that Ashley, the young woman in a coma, passed into the arms of Jesus last Wednesday. I am sad because she was so young, and yet, glad for her because she is with Jesus. And that is a pretty cool place to be.
Please continue to pray for the displaced persons in the wake of hurricane Katrina.
Karen Musselman’s mother, Jean Hofer, fell recently and hurt her back. She is undergoing tests for other medical problems as well.
Helen Wilmot has suffered a series of small strokes that have put her in a wheelchair. Please pray for Harvey as well as he is Helen’s care giver
Colene McDonnough’s grandson, Logan, has been taken back to the hospital in San Francisco.
Fran Regier’s daughter and son-in-law who are recovering from hepatitis.
Helen Olson is recovering slowly from surgery to repair a pinched nerve.
Our Mission team to Jos, Nigeria left Sonday afternoon. Please pray for safety as they travel and as they serve Jesus. They should be home to us on September 15th.
Please continue to pray for the VF21 campaign. Pray that God will work a miracle through His people and ask Father what He would have you do as Your part of His miracle.
We continue to pray for the following: The Garcia family after the loss of Baby Frank, Penny Graham and lung cancer, Walt Couch & prostate cancer, Bob Rogers & his heart, The family of Walt Hemphill, Nancy & recovery from an aneurysm, John Rodgers with cancer, Denise and the hole in her lung, Sherline & her thyroid, Brandon & leukemia, Shaun & depression, Ted & lung problems, Merle Rush and recovery from his stroke, George & Margie Martin and his cancer, new employment opportunities for Dan Hansen, Stan Reed & cancer, Kassel Coon in Afghanistan. Please send me any updates you might have!
Pray for our missionaries - Gospel For Asia, The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, SeaFM and their work in Southeast Asia, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, and all the missionaries worldwide.
What an exciting day this next Sonday is going to be! Flipside is having their official Kick Off! The Kick Off services will be on 9/11 at nine and eleven (in the morning) Try to attend one of these services and be part of this fantastic day!
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others. Pray for the Church that in these troubled times that she stands strong.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Mighty God, Ruler of Heaven and earth,
You are so good to us. Your plans for our lives are bigger and better than anything we dare to dream. Thank You for this life You have given us. Forgive us when we fail You and help us to be all that You want us to be.
LORD of All, comfort Ashley’s family & friends as they grieve the loss of this young life. Remind them that they will see her again - that death is just a door we pass through.
Great Healer, we lift up our friends and family - Judi Wright, Jean Hofer, Helen Wilmot, Logan, Fran’s daughter & son-in-law and we ask that You place Your gentle hand of healing on them.
Father, The devastation caused by Katrina is almost more than we can comprehend. We call out for Your mercy to be on those who have been displaced. Show us - as Your Church - how we can best by Your hands and feet in this crisis.
We pray for the safety and well-being of the team that we sent to Jos. Use them, Father, to reach out to others in Your Holy name.
Jehovah Jirah, You promised that if we gave to You willingly You would pour abundant blessings on us. VF21 is just around the corner, LORD. Show us what You would have us do. We give to You willingly - first from the love in our hearts and then of our possessions. We look forward to seeing Your blessings flow on our fellowship.
LORD Jesus, You know better than we do what is going on with each of the people and situations that continue on our list. We release them to Your power and keeping - knowing that Your love never fails.
We pray, Holy Spirt, for those who have answered Your call to serve You in so many places around this world. We pray for our missionaries, our pastors, and the leadership of our churches and ask that You hold them close to Your heart as we hold them close to ours. LORD God, we ask that You bless out ministries as they reach out to our communities in Your name. Provide for their needs. Help us to stand strong in Your power.
Abba, this next Sonday is such an exciting time for us as we participate in the kick off of Flipside Church. What a joy it is to see all the prayers and hard work come to fruition. Be with all those who serve You through Flipside as they prepare for this day and as they continue to serve You.
God bless America and pour Your mercy on her so that she turns back to You.
God of Wonders, You have set a banquet of life before us. So much beauty to see, so much abundance to taste, dances to be danced, friends to cherish, children to hug. It is more wonderful than we can say - but it does not compare to You. Nothing the world offers can compare with this time spent with You - knowing that You love us relentlessly and care for us eternally. You are our God - You are everything and we love You, Lord.
It is time! It is Kick Off time for Flipside Christian Church!
It has been a wonderful year leading up to this historic event! You have been faithful in praying and supporting Flipside. Thank you!
God has strategically positioned us to reach a segment of our population that needs a church. We are excited about following His path and plan and we want to celebrate our “Kick Off” together!
Please come celebrate our Kick Off, this Sunday at Valley Oak Elementary (465 E. Champlain). We are doing two services at 9am and 11am.
We want to celebrate God’s blessings over the past year, communicate God’s vision for our future, and consecrate ourselves for the task.
Our values shape our decisions; our decisions determine our actions; and our actions create our legacy. I’ll be explaining the key values of Flipside; those things that will shape our ministry and lives together and that which will create a lasting legacy of significance.
We’ll have commemorative water bottles, music CD’s from our band, footballs (for our Kick Off), and a large canvas on which to write a prayer, blessing, or scripture reference to encourage and bless the generations of “Flipsiders” to come.
There are two specific things I’m asking you to do leading up to this Sunday: 1) pray and 2) invite. Pray for God’s blessings to be poured out upon us as we kick off our new church; and invite everyone you know to come celebrate this historic event. We want to have a huge party with 500 people celebrating God and what He is doing!
I truly hope you make it a point to come celebrate with us this Sunday. Blessings on you. Karl
Do you ever get stuff on your e-mail that just seems to good to be true - like the $250 Nieman-Marcus cookie recipe, or that AOL is trying a new e-mail tracking system is going to pay you $100 if you send their e-mail to 10 people?
Do you get stuff that scares you - like the perfume sample that knocks you out and when you wake up all your stuff is gone (Including sometimes your kidney?) Or like the hypodermic needles in gas pump handles?
Do you get stuff that makes you mad - like how our congressmen pay into a special retirement plan that lets them retire with full pay - even if they have only served one term or Madalyn O’Hair’s petition RM-2493 to remove Christian broadcasting off the air?
It causes a gut reaction in you so you immediately forward it to your e-mail list so that they can be glad, scared or mad too. But is it true?
Most of the time - it is not. But how can you know? Try this website - www.truthorfiction.com When you enter the site there is a column of options on the left hand side. Click on the first option “search” then in the search line type in one or two words from the e-mail, like “cookie recipe” or “perfume sample” or “petition RM-2493" It will then bring up the stories that contain those key words and you will find out that Nieman-Marcus never charged that for their cookie recipe and it is free at their website. You will find out that only one woman has ever reported being knocked out by a perfume sample - and they suspect her of embezzling funds from her company and this was the cover-up story. You will discover that petition RM-2493 is the oldest hoax on the web - going through multiple versions - and the petition has never existed.. All of these stories listed above are hoaxes.
If you get an e-mail that seems to good to be true, scares you, or makes you mad - check it out at www.truthorfiction.com And make sure it is true before you pass it on. This is a great site to browse through the stories that float around the web. Pick one of the categories on the left hand column and be amazed at some of the junque - like the 86 lb cat found on an abandoned government research site, or the cactus full of tarantulas that a woman unknowingly bought.
Dear Partners in ministry,
We’d been feeling a bit jaded, never having any down time so we decided a weekend away would be the trick. We finished classes on Saturday at 4 .30 and were off at 5.00. We went to a place just 50 miles away and found a nice guest house that evening. The next day we headed off to a national park. When our car couldn’t make it in because of the wet dirt roads we walked in, enjoying the quiet and the relatively untouched surroundings. On the Monday we drove to another area and found another Nat. Park, but rain stopped any real exploration. We determined to do the trip again in the dry season. On the way home we lingered in the regional city of Nan, discovered a couple of parks and had dinner before heading home. We got home just before 8 and had hardly put our gear away when we heard our neighbors calling “Nup Dok Mai Noi”, (come and count flowers). Very quickly we had four ladies on the porch counting flowers.
Flowers - we seem to have a house full of flowers, we have been getting the ladies in our area to make small flowers for a craft shop in Australia. It is seasonal work and seems to come at a good time for our folk. Last month was the rice-planting season and folk needed cash for fuel to plow the fields and buy fertilizer. We had enough flowers to make that some were able to save a little and do something interesting with it. One lady who came saved enough to buy a piglet. This piglet is of good stock and will hopefully produce other piglets in the future which will be an income for the family. The piglet’s name is naturally, “Flower”.
Yes it has rained and the rice is in. Thank you for your prayers. Folk here say the rains were late but now seem happy with the amount of water they have for farming. Larry was able to go out a few times and wallow in the mud with friends. Jan was able to find enough other work as to have good excuses not to go.
I like living in the country; there is something wonderfully unpretentious about life! I have just come home from a wedding. The wedding was held across a number of yards and in the home of the bride’s family. Tents were set up and I sat with some neighbors under the house, where we chatted and ate lunch, 15 yards in one direction was the stage, 10 yards in another was a pigpen. The chickens wandered aimlessly pecking around and dogs were scavenging for bones as they were tossed under the tables. Food appeared from across the street and was only slightly diluted by the rain. After the formalities, which included the public counting of the bride price, everyone had an opportunity to grab a mike, get up on stage and sing their favorite song, the good, the bad and the indifferent. It is definitely one of those occasions when “a good time was had by all” can be said.
May we all know the joy of living with Jesus and sharing Him with others.
Thank-you again, for your partnership
Love
Jan and Larry
P.S. We have been watching the news and the reports about the devastation from Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast. After our experiences with the Tsunami we can understand the impact of natural disasters. We join you in prayer for these who have lost so much.
Prayer points
Give thanks to God for the rain and pray for a good harvest.
Give thanks for the flower project and pray that the relationships with the 20 families involved may bloom into something beautiful for the Kingdom of God.
Pray for 3 interns as they prepare to come for a 2 month practical experience, they arrive on the 25th of Sept.
Give thanks for the relationships we have through teaching, the flower project and living in the village. Pray with us that through our “words and deeds” we will see people come to know Jesus.
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Matthew 6:19 - 20 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”(NIV)
I attended two memorial services this past Friday. The first one was for Walt Hemphill. Walt’s service was well attended by friends and family - even those he had worked with prior to his retirement were there. Pastor Willie recalled several experiences he had shared with Walt, including how he always looked for Walt every Sonday, right by that pillar he and Donna always sat by. Others talked about his love for baseball and his love for Jesus. And through it all was the quiet assurance that Walt is now with Jesus, whom he loved so much.
The second one was for Viola, my children’s great grandmother on their father’s side. It was such a radically different service. There were about 15 people there, all of them family except me. ( I was there with my son, Steven). There was family missing - a couple of her children and their families who live back east. And sadly - her grandsons and their families, who live here locally. The officiating minister was a rent-a-Rev who did not know Viola and whose words were punctuated by “Bud (her son) tells me she did this” “Bud tells me she loved that.” The woman he spoke of had little resemblance to the angry, bitter woman that I knew. When it came time to share memories, nobody did. The minute the service was over the rent-a-Rev was gone.
Viola’s service was held in the cemetery. As I stood among the cement markers I noticed that they were basically the same. A name, a date that life began, a date when life was no more, and a line in between the dates. I thought about that line between the dates and of how it represented the life of the person named on that marker. All the dreams and disappointments, the joy and sorrows, the first dance and the last breath. Each line looked the same - but represented lives that were different from each other. And each line represents a legacy of what is left behind in the memories and lives of the people that each person has touched.
I wonder what the legacy of my line will be?
The legacy of Walt’s line is wonderful. Walt served in WWII and during a battle he promised God that if he survived he would serve Him all his life. Walt survived, and he kept that promise. One of those who spoke at Walt’s celebration of life talked about his 35 years at Fresno First and how he kept everything repaired and running. He said that there was not a room or machine in our campus that had not felt Walt’s touch. Walt was not involved in a highly visible ministry - but he was faithful to the ministry that God gifted him to do. And these many years later we still benefit from his faithfulness. I did not know Walt well but like Willie, I looked for Walt & Donna by their pillar every Sonday. They were part of the group of people I looked for every Sonday as I sat in the choir. As a newly returned Christ follower - who did not really understand being committed to anything other than my children, the steady commitment of Walt, Donna and the others I looked for taught me not only their commitment to God, but also His commitment to them. I know Donna and their son Ray much better than I knew Walt. Is there a more gracious woman than Donna? Every time we talk she is full of encouragement for me. She attended to my daughter, Fawn, when she was baptized. Ray works faithfully in the media team at FFBC. Sometimes he works sound board, sometimes he works a camera and sometimes he works the switcher control board in the back. Ray taught my son how to run the sound board and now my son runs the sound for Kid Mo’ on Sondays and for Care Fresno Kids Klub on Friday. Walt’s legacy of service is written in his family.
The legacy of Viola’s line is not so wonderful. I have never met an unhappier woman than Viola. Her life was a disappointment to her and she took out the disappointment on her family. Her conversations were a litany of complaints and bitterness. I never saw her go out of her way for another person - including her family. Self-sacrifice was simply not in her vocabulary. The legacy of her line was most apparent in the rent-a-Rev and the family that chose not to come to that final service. Her legacy continues through her children.
Two lines - two legacies - each so different from the other. What made them so different? That’s is easy. It’s Jesus.
Walt knew Jesus. He knew the Giver of Life and Jesus gave Walt an extraordinary life and an extraordinary legacy in the hearts, minds and lives of his family and friends.
Viola’s life says that she did not know Jesus - or if she did - she did not allow Him to impact her life. Hers was a joyless life and that was the legacy she passed on to her children.
I hope that the legacy of my line is as rich and full as that of Walt’s. I think that it is going to be because, like Walt, Jesus in the foundation of my life. And in these few years that I have tried to follow closely after Him, He has given me a life that I can only describe as incredible.
What is going to be the legacy of your line?
Beloved Jesus, I want the legacy of my line to be written in the brilliant colors of joy of a life spent serving You. I want that legacy to be written in my children’s lives and in my children’s children’s lives. Help me to live that legacy.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org.