Community Group Meeting

After a month of all kinds of delays and postponed meetings.....  there will be a community group prayer meeting at Suzanne Patton's home this Friday night at 7PM.  Jim and I will not be able to be there, but Jim Brown will be leading the discussion of Chapter 7......  remember that chapter?????  Thanks so much, Jim B.  Well, please brush up on that chapter and come ready to discuss it, followed by a great time of prayer and praise.    Also PLEASE CONTACT SUZANNE IF YOU ARE COMING  OR IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO COME!!!!!!   Please!!!!!  That will help sooo much.  Thanks so much.

Blessed Easter!!!! Sunday's coming!!!!

Blessed Easter, dear friends!!!!  Jim and I took a couple days to go to Big Cedar on the spur of the moment.  Such a great time of rest and relaxation.  Thank you, Lord.  And now we are here at Easter!!!!  A time that we celebrate the amazing and unconditional love of God....  the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.....  He died to set us free!!!   I pray that we never forget the price paid for our lives.... that we might live in newness of life... that we might live eternally with Him.... that we might know Life Abundantly.  The chains are gone.... We've been set free!!!!!  Praise His Holy Name!!!

I found this clip of part of a sermon by S.M. Lockeridge.  It is part of his message with pictures from the Passion (movie) and is titled, "Sunday's Coming".   Friday to Sunday.... may it cause us to praise Him and recognize that even in our lives.... Sunday is coming!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn94B3GHcjY

Community Group AND Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Well, I am home!!!!.... and alive and well and praising Him!!!!

First order of business is that we will NOT have Community Group Meeting this Friday due to it being Easter weekend. Sorry that I have been so out of the loop and didn't see that coming.  Stay tuned for when and where we will meet in May.  Thanks for your patience and for carrying on while I was gone and Jim was entertaining my "birding" family members.  Also thanks for the communication that I received from you all with words of encouragment and info and for having lunch for the Peters at the Peters.  Hated to miss it but loved seeing you all being the Body of Christ and being led by the Lord.  Not sure that made any sense.... I am pretty tired but very blessed.
Now here are some pictures of  "Jack", the newest member of the Dukes family.  I had so many that I wanted to include but these will show a little of what the 2 weeks were like.

Here's Jack.... a miracle!!!  More on that another time. Fearfully and wonderfully made!!!!

And Jack with his two year old brother, Erik Daniel. One of four boys that adore their new brother.

Erik Daniel and Elijah (below) both contracted Strep throat after Jack was born.  Elijah was very sick for 4 days with high fevers, but was well by his birthday celebration on Saturday.

And this is daddy after sleeping with Jack in a chair all night.  He also is that same man that played "Jesus" in the Easter Pageant on Saturday and Sunday night with full beard and long hair. (note the blood on his hands from being "nailed" to the cross.)  But the truth is this is how we all looked by this past weekend. (minus the bloody hands). Soooooo please pray for Erin this week as she takes care of the boys and homeschools without her "helper and baby nurse".... that would be me. 

All in all it was an amazing and beautiful week of seeing God work in this situation.  All glory to Him!!!!!



update on Jeb Upson

from Lori Upson via Kathi Oberby
Here is an update from Lori about Jeb...


Just got back from a follow up doctor's visit. Jeb's counts are looking better than last week and he's lost 5 pounds! (This is probably fluid that he has been retaining and is a good thing). The doctor was encouraged but says it is too soon to determine if he's responding to the prednisone. We feel the power of prayer has brought him a long way from last week thanks to you.

Diet is not as restrictive and he's happy. He looks better and is acting better.

He has a touch of pneumonia from all the extra fluid but it is being treated for it early. He is on antibiotics for this and it wasn't a surprise to the doctor based on his underlying condition.

Long term prognosis still looks sunny but he will be under a doctor's care until late teens. Still many unanswered questions...a waiting game. But we are grateful for all God's gifts!

Community Group Meeting April 8

Community Group meeting originally scheduled for April 8th is canceled; we will still try to get together on April 22nd. We may try to do two chapters of Radical at that time so we don't fall too far behind. I'll let everyone know more later. As I am typing, John Andrew or Jack, as we will call him, is on his way home with his Mom and Dad. He is doing well, even though he arrived a bit earlier than we were all expecting. I talked to Suzanne this morning, and she said her Dad is still recovering nicely. Praise God! Thank you all for contributing to the blog, calling, and emailing to keep everyone informed on how to pray about all that has been happening in our CG over the last few weeks. It was a beautiful example of the body of Christ at work. Keep praying, and keep communicating needs and praises.

Mr. Jerry - Suzanne's Dad

Dear Pray-ers:
Short update on Mr. Jerry:
Still at stv rm 2026. Has pacemaker installed and it is working well. He still has a great deal of pain associated with the three broken ribs. His 95th birthday is tomorrow, Monday April 4!! Suzanne thinks Nicholas is going to come visit him tomorrow !!! He is on oral lasix to get his lungs cleared up (no iv's now). Suzanne reports today he is doing much better. When Donna and I saw him this afternoon he was in good spirits and very talkative. Praise God for His mercy and healing. Jerry wants badly to get out of the hospital and go back to Presyp Village!
Please continue to keep him and Suzanne "prayed up."