Valerie Rae Hanneman
Revelation 5:10 (NIV) “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on earth.”
I want you to take just a moment and think about the three or four people who have made an impact on your life. Now here is the kicker – it cannot be Abba/Jesus/Holy Spirit or any of your family members. It just got a wee bit tougher, didn’t it?
Let me tell you about four people in my life. The first would be Joann Lewis. I worked with Joann and I could hardly stand her. She was so constantly perky! About 12 years ago she started inviting me to her church. She asked me often, but after her church got this new preacher, the woman became relentless. I finally went to her church in the hopes that it would satisfy her and she would leave me in peace. But was there peace for me? The next person was that preacher Joann kept talking about. My first Sonday at Fresno First Baptist was when Willie baptized Joann’s husband, Scott. I was a master at hiding behind a false face, an expert at making sure that the real me was hidden from view. Because I was so good at maintaining what was false, I recognized the real thing when I saw it. The smile on Willie’s face as he baptized Scottie was the real thing. I watched Willie’s joy and knew that nothing in my life had ever caused me that much joy. Was there joy for me? A few Sonday’s later, along comes Judi Wright. The woman did not understand the concept of personal space/boundaries! She walked up to me and hugged me! After an abusive partner, I hated the thought of anybody but my children touching me and this woman I did not know just flat out hugged me and told me she was glad to see me. And heaven help me, she kept on doing it! Although I didn’t understand the Christian concept of agape, Judi was teaching me about a love that was different from the family/friends/sexual love that I was used to. Was there this type of love for me? The final person was Samee Myers. Samee was one of my Sonday schoolteachers and the woman cried at the drop of a hat. As a person who had an ironclad rule against crying in public or in private (no exceptions), I found her to be a little unsettling. The more I watched Samee the more I realized that her tears were not a weakness, but the strength of a tender heart that lived for God. Was there tenderness for me?
When I think of a priest, I think of a Roman Catholic priest or a Buddhist priest. But priests have been with us since the beginning of religion. A priest is simply somebody who is set apart to serve what ever god they happen to believe in. In most instances these priests are serving in a full time position. When Abraham defeated the kings who had kidnapped his nephew, Lot, in Genesis 14 he offered his tithe to Melchizedek, the high priest of Jerusalem. When God gave the Israelites the Law He set aside an entire tribe – the Levites – whose sole job was to serve as His priests. But what about today – who are God’s priests today? Well, immediately we have to think past the normal view of priests and say that Willie is a priest – he is set aside full time to serve Jesus. Terrie Purgason, Bryan Hitch, Chris Aycock, Dan Gates, Eugene Wright, Dale Bethell are all priests in our community of faith. Is Kristin Navarro a priest? She isn’t ordained – but she works full-time set apart to serve in children’s ministries. How about Jessica Pittman? She is also employed full-time to do God’s work. So I would say that they are priests as well. You know who else is a priest? You and I are priests. Just as God, in the Older Testament, set aside a tribe of people to serve him, Jesus has also set aside a tribe of people to serve Him. And that tribe is us – all of us who are called by His Name. Truly the only difference between Willie’s priesthood and my priesthood is that I am kind of a priest in disguise. Unlike Willie’s job title – Senior Pastor – there is nothing in my job title that says that I am a priest but I am a priest, nevertheless. Jesus gives us the title in 1 Peter 2:9 when He called us “A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” Although the world may not see my priesthood, it may be disguised from them, I am Jesus’ priest. He has set me apart to serve Him full-time. Like Willie, my priestly duties are at my worksite, in the grocery line, in my house, when I am pumping gas into my car, and most challenging of all, when I am cut off on the freeway.
The four people who impacted my life do not have a lot in common. One is a legal secretary, one is a professional Christian, one works for the Salvation Army and the last is a retired teacher. Three are women and one is a man. Two are younger than me, two are older. What these four have in common is that they are Jesus’ priests and they are willing to be used to serve His purpose. Each of them was used to impact me in a different way. Joann invited me and invited me and invited me. She never gave up on me. Willie allowed his joy in Christ to be apparent. Judi welcomed me – a stranger. Samee taught me to be open, tender and to be a woman after God’s own heart. Different people, different roles, different methods, but all priests called to serve. How have your three or four people impacted your life? How have they been priests to you?
Because Joann is a priest I found peace is for me. Because Willie is a priest I found joy is for me. Because Judi is a priest I found love is for me. Because Samee is a priest I found tenderness is for me.
Who is looking at me and how am I being a priest to them? How is my priesthood to Jesus being revealed in my every action, word and thought? Although I am a priest in disguise, my life should make my priesthood the most evident part of my life.
LORD Jesus, let my peace, let my joy, let my love and let my tenderness, that are the wonder and the center of my priesthood to You, be revealed in everything I do.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of FFBC at valerie@fresnofirst.org
After all it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life – Evelyn Underhill
Please pray for Jessica Winebrenner, a friend of Tammi Curtis. She as recently been diagnosed with cancer and has been given but a year to live. Her most serious problem is not the cancer – it is that she is not in relationship with Jesus. Pray that He will use this year to bring Jessica back to Him.
Pastor Dan Gates sent over an update on Sue Aldridge. Sue has been able to go home. She is receiving physical therapy and needs to be on oxygen, but she is eating better and continuing to show signs of improvement.
I talked to Debra Powder today, she went up to Stanford and the blood clot that has been giving her so much pain is gone.
I invited my co-worker to services again, she told me that her husband was having a hard time believing that we are a local church – he thought we were in LA or something.
Marva Ward’s dad is home from his surgery and recovering well.
Lil Wilson’s sister has been diagnosed with stage one kidney cancer.
Dottie Clem’s husband, Bill, is requesting pray for Dottie’s back & feet.
Please pray for Doris Rahn’s granddaughter, Holly Rahn.
Keep Matthew & Lisa Watson in prayer as they follow God’s call to Tennessee. Although we rejoice in God’s call upon their life, it is hard to see them leave us. Great news, though, if we don’t see them again here on earth – we have God’s promise that we will all end up in the same place.
My friend, Ann Herrington, has been given a very short time until she loses her battle with kidney cancer. Please pray for a peaceful passing into eternity.
Kids Klub will be having our first fundraiser on Wednesday, February 27th. It is in partnership with the McDonalds on Shields & Blackstone. 20% of all sales between 5:00pm and 8:00pm will be donated to Kids Klub. If you are in choir, Awana, in the neighborhood, or are just hungry, please come to McDonalds on that Wednesday to support Kids Klub. And if I may introduce a new “religious” word for that night – supersize!
Please continue to pray for – Katie, Eddie Ronsley & his heart & stomach, Nelle Lacy in hospice care, Sible Spikes in hospice care, Johnnie Sowell & vertigo, Vance Smith with nerve damage, Donna Hemphill, Carol Robertshaw, Kathy, waiting for back surgery and Walt Couch.
Pray for our missionaries –Biana and Faith Alive in Nigeria, Judy, Faye & Miisaw with New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Yvonne Deel in Belize, Bounkham & Khamla in Laos, Laurie Bethall in Amsterdam, Megan Dineen in Mexico and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries and our finances. Pray for opportunities to be fishers of people.
Pray for our county, the military who serve freedom and our leadership. Keep Zack
Ruud in Iraq and Frankie Banuelos in Korea in your prayers.
God Who Gives life,
You are all powerful, You are all knowing, You are all present. Creation and eternity are filled with You, created by You and sustained by You. We cannot even begin to understand how immense You are. And to our great wonder, You turn Your attention and Your love to us. Thank You for Your love, Your love means everything to us.
Yahweh Ropheha, God, our Great Physician, we leave to Your tender mercies and care all of those who are facing health challenges. We lift up Jessica and pray for her salvation, we ask continued healing for Sue Aldridge, for Marva Ward’s father, for Lill’s sister. We call out for Dottie Clem, for Ann Herrington and for all who remain on our prayer chain.
Abba-Father, our prayers come before You in praise of Debra’s blood clot being gone. We do not know the specifics of why prayer was asked for Holly Rahn, but You already knew long before our prayers come up before You. Jehovah Jirah, Our God who Provides, I pray for the fundraiser at McDonalds this Wednesday and ask, LORD, that You bless all who come in and support us. Open the eyes and the hearts of my co-worker and her family and let them see You in whatever they see in me. Holy Spirit, although we rejoice in Your call upon Matthew & Lisa’s life, there is sadness as they leave us. Thank You so much for the time that You have given us with them, thank You for all that they taught us, and all that we taught them. But most of all, thank You for Your promise that says that no matter how painful the parting – for those of us who are called by Your name, no parting is forever. We will be together again around Your throne.
LORD Jesus, with thankful hearts we pray for our pastors and for the leaders that You have placed in our communities of faith. Provide the people with willing hearts and provide the resources so that we can change the world in Your name.
Forgive me, LORD. I want so much to be like You, but when I look at me I see so much of the world. Forgive my weakness, strengthen me to be more like You, and help my life to burn brightly for You. Help us to share the incredible story of Your love.
Today, tomorrow, forever, You are our God and we are the children of Your heart. We praise You when the sun shines bright on our life. When the storms roll into our lives, help us to hold even tighter to You and continue to praise You in the storm.
VOICES IN MY SHOWER
Valerie Rae Hanneman
February 16, 2008
Romans 8: 38-39 (NIV) “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I stood in the shower about 14 years ago, my body and my spirit trembling. It wasn’t the water’s temperature that chilled me. My body was trembling because I was in that in-between place that druggies have where yesterday’s drugs have worn off and today’s drugs have not yet been taken. My spirit was trembling because that voice that I hated to hear was talking to me again. Back in those days I thought the voice was my conscience. I refused to even think that it might be Father-God calling out to His wayward daughter. The voice was talking hard to me, talking about things I did not want to hear. Is this what I really wanted from life? Drug induced highs when I felt like I could conquer the world followed by the downturns of uncontrollable guilt and pain. The constant scrabbling for money and connections to get that next bag of white death, the pain I was causing my children and my mom? Where would I be in ten years? Still an addict? Would I even be alive? And the hardest question of all – the one caused my brain to yell “SHUT UP! I don’t want to hear you!” every time this question popped into my head - If I died from the drugs, what was I going to say to God when I stood in front of Him?
To the world I was spouting off a bunch of belief-garbage. The traditional God – He wasn’t real – the god that was real to me was Mother Earth, she lived within us and was the spirit of life. And a bunch of other blah-blah, blah-blah. I was very modern and new age with what I told the world I believed. But I was lying to everybody. Inside of me – you know – that part I kept telling to shut-up – knew the truth. I had accepted Christ when I was twelve during VBS at the Baptist Church across the street. Up until I was 25 I had lived within that faith. I may have been lying to the world, I may have been refusing to acknowledge my Father’s voice, but deep down inside of me where the Truth lives, I knew. And so I trembled at the thought of continuing the nightmare my life was, I trembled at what was going to happen when the drugs finally killed me and I stood before the very God I denied.
I often wondered, in the solitude of my showers, if I had really accepted Christ at 12. How could a Christian live the life I was living? If I showed up in front of God with the stench of drugs on my skin – would He remember me? Or would He say for me to depart from Him, He never knew me?
Throughout this time, I may have doubted my salvation but I did not doubt that if I was saved, being a drug addict would not deny me heaven. I had been in church for thirteen years, I had even gone to one year of Bible College and I understood that salvation is a gift from God. The Word of God says that it is by grace that we are saved and this is not from ourselves it is a gift of God, not of works least any of us should boast. I knew that because there was nothing I could do to earn this gift from God, there was nothing I could do to lose the gift. I may have questioned the actuality of my salvation, but I never doubted that if I were saved, I would always be saved.
It was within just a few months of the voice appearing in my head that I was forced to decide between life and death. My choice was clear – get off the drugs and live or stay on the drugs and die. I chose to live. I cannot describe the hell of going cold turkey – but I made it. I stayed alive. Two years after I got clean I found Fresno First Baptist. A few weeks after that, again in the solitude of my shower, I acknowledged that the Voice who had been speaking to me years ago was indeed God, and I asked Him, “Am I Yours? Can I come back to You?” Then came His quiet still voice of assurance, “You are my child and you always will be. Come home, I have been waiting for you.”
When I think of my relationship with Father I think of the parable of the lost son. The son left his father, hurting his father dreadfully when he said in effect that his father was dead to him. But nowhere in the parable did the father disown his son, or say that his son was dead to him. Instead, the father’s eyes constantly searched the horizon, waiting for his child to come to his senses and come home. And when the son finally came home the father’s joy could not be contained.
I turned my back on Father in anger and told Him that He was dead to me. I lived like it too. But Father God never disowned me. In the depths of my filth I was still His child. He tugged at my heart, spoke to me in the silence of my head and did everything He could to get me to come to my senses and come home. And when I finally did, His joy could not be contained.
This verse from Romans is my life verse. I cling to this promise through thick and thin. In it Paul lists everything he can think of that could separate us from God and then states that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes satan, that great liar, is going to whisper in our heads making us question if this gift is really a gift, or does it come with strings attached. He is going to make us wonder if we can do something to lose our salvation, or if we ever really were saved. When he whispers tell him to shut up and then listen to the Voice of Truth that is deep within us. Know that we are God’s children and just as our children can be secure in our mortal love, we can be secure in His immortal love.
What can separate us from God’s love? Nothing. We are His.
Father God, Thank You for Your gift of eternal life. I am not worthy to be called Your child, but You have made me Your child based on Your love and not on me.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of FFBC at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
have gotten to the point where it is more humbling than anything to allow God to use you, to use whatever gifts He has blessed me with…. Blair Underwood
I have not received an update on Sue Aldridge – anybody know how our sister is doing? I am also waiting on an update from Kelli Hasting.
Bobby Mo’ and Peggy were both in services this past week. They looked great! Peggy told me that now that the weather is getting better it is easier for them to get to services.
Debra Power told me this past Sonday that she is doing much better.
Pastor’s Prayer Partners ministry began this week. If you signed up but have not been receiving them, there is a small glitch we are working on – and you are one of the ones who got gliched. If you forgot to sign up for this prayer ministry – that is separate from this prayer ministry – let me know and I will include you. The mailing list is updated every Friday – so if you signed up this week you will be added shortly.
In the course of a conversation with a Christian co-worker I found out that another of our coworkers and her husband stumbled onto our TV ministry last Sonday and watched it. I took the opportunity to tell her that it was our church, to tell her the time and station of the broadcast and then to invite her family to services (Seriously, when God drops one in your lap – ya better go fishin’!) Please join me in prayer for her and her family.
Weather permitting; Kids Klub goes to the snow this Saturday. Prayer needed!
Kids Klub will be having our first fundraiser on Wednesday, February 27th. It is in partnership with the McDonalds on Shields & Blackstone. 20% of all sales between 5:00pm and 8:00pm will be donated to Kids Klub. If you are in choir, Awana, in the neighborhood, or are just hungry, please come to McDonalds on that Wednesday to support Kids Klub. And if I may introduce a new “religious” word for that night – supersize!
Please continue to pray for – Katie, Eddie Ronsley & his heart & stomach, Blanche Shuck, Idaleen Conklin with undiagnosed medical problems, Nelle Lacy in hospice care, Sible Spikes in hospice care, Johnnie Sowell & vertigo, Vance Smith with nerve damage, Donna Hemphill, Carol Robertshaw, Josh and Ann Herrington with kidney cancer, Kathy, waiting for back surgery and Walt Couch.
Pray for our missionaries –Biana and Faith Alive in Nigeria, Judy, Faye & Miisaw with New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Yvonne Deel in Belize, Bounkham & Khamla in Laos, Laurie Bethall in Amsterdam, Megan Dineen in Mexico and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries and our finances. Pray for opportunities to be fishers of people.
Pray for our county, the military who serve freedom and our leadership. Keep Zack
Ruud in Iraq and Frankie Banuelos in Korea in your prayers.
Abba,
How we love to breathe Your Name in the stillness of our souls. Joy is ours as we remember Your loving-kindness’ that You have shown time and time in our lives. It is simply incredible to have this love relationship with You, to be secure in the knowledge that we are Your beloved children. Words fail to describe the wonder of Your presence. Our hearts swell with so much love for You that we are afraid that they are going to burst.
We do not know how Sue & Kelli are, LORD Jesus, but You do. Continue to be with them and to heal them. Continue to work in Debra’s life and in her medical problem. Thank You for the relief from pain that she has been feeling. Spirit of Eternal Power, strengthen Bobby Mo & Peggy so that they can continue to bless us with their presence in services.
Pour Your blessings on the Pastor’s prayer chain and help us resolve this little glitch so that everybody who wants to participate can do so. Be with Kids Klub this Saturday as we go to the snow. You know my prayer, LORD. No blood, no broken bones, and please let me come back with the same number of kids – and it would be good if they were the same kids we took up there. Bless Norm as he drives for us, LORD God. Thank-You for the love he shows to Kids Klub. Bless the Kids Klub fundraiser at McDonald’s.
Holy Spirit, guide me as I deal with my co-worker. Help me to be an absolute witness to Your glory and love. Soften their hearts, open their eyes. Help me to bait my hook.
We lift up all those who are on our prayer chain, complete their lives. Surround our pastors, leadership and ministries with Your power. Bless Your missionaries with joy, peace and Your incredible love.
Let us see clearly the opportunities You give us to be Your wit
In this election year, LORD God, help us to choose a leader who will honor You. Bless our military around the world. Keep Zack & Frankie firmly in Your grasp.
With grateful hearts, we give You thanks LORD. Because of what You have done for us the weak are strong, the poor are rich, the blind can see, the lame can dance, the dead in spirit live again eternally in Your presence, and we who were so broken are mended. You gave us everything when you died for us. That You would do something like that for somebody like me is beyond comprehension. Nothing we can ever give You can compare to what You have given us, but what we have we give You willingly. Take our hearts, take our minds, take our words, our thoughts and actions and use them to Your glory. We love You so much.
SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if you're busy. Very well written.)
satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep people from going to pray. We can't keep them from reading their holy books and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their GOD. Once they gain that connection with GOD, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their prayers; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with GOD."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil, "Distract them from gaining hold of their GOD and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford the ir empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. "Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. "This will jam their minds and break that union with God."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and news papers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."
"Keep skinny , beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with
their wives. "
"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them distractions to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of life."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. "Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."
"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. "
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from GOD."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."
"It will work!" It will work!"
It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing people everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of GOD to change lives.
I guess the question is, has t he devil been successful in his schemes?
You be the judge!!!!! Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?
Author Unknown
2008 and almost my birthday!
Well, it’s now 2008 and there are so many things coming up this year! (One of those being my birthday on the 27th of February, but that’s all I will mention it! That also means, however, that it will have been
one year since I first arrived at the YWAM base here in Pachuca! Now that is hard to believe). As many of you know, I started off this year of 2008 half-way across the world, with a group from Fresno
First Baptist in Laos, Southeast Asia. The trip was incredible, and it was so great to get to know more of the country, the people, God’s vision for the nation, and God’s vision as pertains to our involvement with it. I’ll plug it once more; if you haven’t heard about the trip, about Southeast Asian Friendship Ministries or any of the sort, please visit:
http://www.tripntale.com/trip.aspx?did=346,
where you can view pictures and read journal entries of my experience in Laos. You may also want to check out SEAFM’s website: seafmlao.org.
As I returned back here to Mexico, there was a group from Finland on the outreach part of their Discipleship Training School (DTS). Although I didn’t get to work too much with them (they left a few days after I got back), I know they made an impact in the city and areas around - one main project of theirs was in holding a conference with top educators of a nearby village about Finnish education. Apparently, Finland has the top-ranking level of education in the world, and much of the system is based on Christian principles. It was a great session and opportunity to inspire and challenge eucators here in Mexico. Looking ahead, we have many happenings in the coming months: training sessions, outreach and ministry groups from Ensenada, Denver, Pennsylvania, and other potentials. One major project I am currently working on for an Immediate Response to Natural Disasters Training, to be hosted by us here in Pachuca. Some folks from Hope Force International, based out of Tennessee, will come down and give this four-day training in first aid basics, understanding the emotional/spiritual cycle of someone in a crisis, identity in Christ and how to be of help to such a person in a crisis, maintaining healthy relationships and how the crisis responder should cope, etc. We believe this training will be so useful to individuals, families, pastors, churches, youth groups, etc. We as YWAM Mexico are trying to form a team to be able to respond to natural disasters when and where they hit - this training is an excellent resource and tool to make such an effort effective.
So, I currently am handling the promotion of the training, fund-raising, translating the materials, and
making the necessary scheduling arrangements. Please pray that many will turn out for this event and be changed by it, and that God would provide the finances and resources needed. I look forward to all that’s coming up and hope you are off to a great start of the year!
From the snowy mountains of California, to bamboo huts beat by the Lao sun, and back across the border into Mexico - As always, it’s a pleasure updating you!
Please keep me in your prayers, as you are in mine.
In Christ,
Meghan
After all it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life – Evelyn Underhill
Sue Aldridge has taken a wee bit of a turn for the worse. She was still in the rehab hospital last I heard, but they were wanting to admit her back into the hospital.
Kelli Hastings is doing much better! A suspected collapsed lung turned out to be a virus. She is going to USC/LA for additional tests this week.
Carol Alstrom was back in services on Sonday looking as great as always!
Linda Morris has gone home to Jesus after a long battle with cancer. Please pray for Lyle and the whole family as they grieve.
Biana Grogg will be in Fresno for a few short days before she heads back to Nigeria.
Please continue to pray for Judi Wright and her mom, Nola Ambler as they face continuing health concerns.
The Nigeria team is in our final countdown. We will be arriving in Abuja on April 3rd. Most of the team is staying about two weeks but Char Cole and I are staying for a full month. We should be back in services on May 4th. I am so excited to be going back to my second home. We have asked Polaroid Corp to make a donation of Polaroid film for us so we can take pictures of the children and their parents – please keep that request in prayer.
We are starting a new prayer ministry (can’t get enough of prayer!) This is also an e-mail based ministry. Every day Pastor Nolte will e-mail three prayer concerns or praises to his partner list and we, as his prayer partners, commit to praying for those prayer concerns. If you would like to be included in this ministry just reply to this e-mail and I will put you on Pastor’s partner list.
Please continue to pray for – Katie, Eddie Ronsley & his heart & stomach, Debra Power, Blanche Shuck, Idaleen Conklin with undiagnosed medical problems, Nelle Lacy in hospice care, Sible Spikes in hospice care, Donna Hemphill, Carol Robertshaw, Bob Molander, Josh and Ann Herrington with kidney cancer, Kathy waiting for back surgery, and Walt Couch, with prostrate cancer.
Pray for our missionaries –Biana and Faith Alive in Nigeria, Judy, Faye & Miisaw with New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Yvonne Deel in Belize, Bounkham & Khamla in Laos, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Meghan Dineen in Mexico, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray for the opportunity to go fishing.
Pray for our county, the military who serve freedom and our leadership. Keep Zack Ruud in Iraq and Frankie Banuelos in Korea in your prayers.
Abba,
When we turn to you in prayer and know that You are as eager to be with us as we are to be with You our hearts sing a song of joy that is beyond earthly words and music. It is the purest of joys that can only be found in You.
Holy One, we lift up Sue Aldridge and ask You to be with her and to heal her. We ask Your healing hand be on Nola and on Judi as she tends to her mother. We pray that the tests that Kelli is undergoing will help to heal her and that this virus is gone soon.
Father, surround Lyle and the family with Your comfort as they grieve Linda’s passing. LORD of all, we know that Linda is now free from pain and that she is rejoicing with the angels. Thank You for your promise of eternal life.
Holy Spirit, we ask that You be with the Nigeria team as they are in the last of the preparations to go. Keep us strong in our desire to serve You first and forever.
LORD Jesus, there are many on our prayer chain, each of them with their own challenges. LORD God, use each of these people and each of these situations to bring You glory. You are the reason we live.
Have mercy on us LORD, strengthen us when we are weak, guide us when we are lost, love us when we are the most unlovable.
Prepare the hearts of Your missionaries for a fresh filling of Your vision and Your spirit. Guide our pastors in the direction You would have us go. Give them the courage to lead and give us the wisdom to follow. Pour blessings on the ministries and places where we serve You. In each ministry help us to keep our focus on You and on reaching the lost.
God bless America. Keep us strong, keep us free. Help guide us. Protect our military men and women no matter where they serve.
LORD Jesus, bless Your people. Remind us that we are many denominations – but only one Church. We are many doctrines but only one faith. We are many styles but only one God. You are our God and we are Your people. We take great joy in being Yours. We love You, LORD, we will love You forever.
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Matthew 20:32 (NIV) “Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.”
I was more than a little bit surprised when the bakery lady at Vons’s said, “You’re a real one aren’t you?” I was surprised because I have always considered myself to be real. But let me start at the beginning……. I have a weakness for Vons’s jalapeńo and cheese bagels. I bought them every time that I was in Vons. I often took a little extra time to tell the bakery lady how good they were. One day she showed my some focchio bread with jalapeńos and cheese. It had just come out of the oven, I took one whiff and I was a goner. She boxed it up for me and I had a big chunk of it eaten before I got home. When I went back to Vons I raved about that bread. An acquaintanceship developed into a small friendship. She told me the schedule for when the bread was going to be baked and I told her about my church, my ministries and my Jesus as often as I had the opportunity. When I was given the assignment to get a cake for Matthew & Lisa’s going away party I knew immediately where I was going. I explained to the bakery lady about how special this cake was and about my friends who were going to Nigeria. She told me what she could do and I commissioned the cake. When I picked up the cake it by far exceeded my expectations. The bakery lady had gone to a lot of extra effort for the cake. I was greatly enthusiastic – but she didn’t seem to be. I touched her hand, “Is something wrong?” She told me that there wasn’t, but her eyes told the truth. “I do the e-mail prayer chain at my church, can I pray for you?” Then she told me. Her grandson was having tests in just a couple of days – they were trying to figure out what was wrong with him – the C-word had been mentioned – he was just a child. I promised I would add the boy to the prayer chain and that I would pray for him. And I did. The next week I made a special stop at Vons. “How is your grandson?” I asked. “He’s going to be fine.” She answered. She explained what the doctors had found and then asked, “Can I get you some bagels?” “No, I still have some. I just came in to check on your grandson.” For a long moment she just looked at me. “You came in just to ask about my grandson?” “Yeah, I wanted to know how he is and to update the prayer chain.” I was more that a little bit surprised when the bakery lady said, “You’re a real one, aren’t you?” “Real one what?” I asked. “You are a real Christian, aren’t you?”
You can’t get too far into Jesus’ ministry without seeing that He often took time for the members of society that often went unnoticed or ignored. Children were of no value in the Jewish society and when the disciples tried to send them away from Jesus, He said, “let the little children come to Me.” (Matt 19.14) In Luke 8 Jesus is going with Jarius, the ruler of the synagogue, but He stops to heal a woman ill for 12 years. In Matthew 20 Jesus & His disciples are leaving Jericho followed by a great crowd and in the midst of this parade Jesus stops to heal two blind beggars. In John 4 Jesus travels to Sychar in Samaria to reach out to one Samarian woman scorned by her town. These are but a few of the times when we see Jesus stop what He is doing, or turn away from the direction He was going, or travel completely out of His way to reach out to those who were on the outskirts of society. He did not choose the most learned of the Israelites to be His disciples; He chose fishermen and tax collectors. He was often criticized by the upper crust of society because He spent His time with the lower crust of society. And yet, Jesus did not ignore the powerful of His time, either. When Nicodemus’ hungry heart couldn’t stand it any longer and he snuck through the night-darkened city streets to meet with Jesus, Jesus welcomed him with open arms. And after an exhausting day of ministry, Jesus took the time to talk to this seeker, probably late into the night.
Jesus cared enough about people to invest a His time, His efforts and His heart into reaching out to them. And He still does (and always will).
What does that mean to we who are called to follow Him? If it is our desire to model our lives after Jesus, then it means that we have to care enough about people to invest our time, our efforts and our heart into reaching out to them in Jesus’ name. And it means that we need to go past our normal circle of people and reach those who touch our lives only marginally. We need to lead the Bible study and we need to thank the food server with words as much as with a tip. We need to talk to our neighbor and we need to talk to our mechanic. We need to genuinely care about them and in caring for them, show them how much Jesus cares about them.
My boss was talking one day about making an effort to show our clients that we care about them. He told us about a study among patients of doctors who had made mistakes in their treatment. The patients were more willing to forgive the doctor for the mistake if they felt that the doctor had genuinely cared about them. This study held true when the doctor had made little mistakes and when they had made major mistakes. But the part of the study that was the most amazing was that the doctors whose patients felt that they had cared abut them had spend less than 30 seconds of additional time with their patients.
Thirty seconds was all it took to make an impression of caring.
I can take thirty seconds of my time to care about those who are around me. I can take thirty seconds to thank them, to talk to them, to care about them like Jesus does. And that thirty seconds may make the difference in where a person spends eternity.
Vons closed not long after the Bakery lady asked me if I was real. Although the bakery lady and I talked many more times before it did, and several times about Jesus, she never made a decision for Him. When Vons closed, she slipped out of my life. But my prayer and my faith is that somebody else will come into her life and be another real Christian for her and that I will be a link in the chain of events that will bring her to Jesus. I believe that one day the bakery lady and I will laugh on the streets of glory about what a difference a few Jalapeńo bagels and thirty seconds of time made.
LORD Jesus, help me to never be so hurried and rushed that I cannot take the time or make the effort to show everybody how much You love and care for them.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-ministry of FFBC at Valerie@fresnofirst.org