Dan and family update

Dan's mom is a little more limber today but still in a lot of pain. BUT during last evening David was taken to the hospital for his diabetes again. soooooo Dan is off to the hospital today to see him. Please pray for Dan and them all. He really sounds tired.... really tired...

Dan's Mom

Dan called last night and his Mom is still in the hospital. She has had or is having small strokes, and this could be related to her hearing loss. They are still running more tests. Dan requested that we keep prevailing in prayer, that the testing reveals conclusive results and that she recover her hearing and be restored to health.
Also, remember his brother and Mel. And Dan.

Mother in hospital

You never know what is going to happen when you wake up in the morning and everything is normal, off to work and just get that second cup of coffee down and feeling like you just might make it through the day. when along comes a phone call from your mother saying she had to crawl to the phone to get me and is bearly able to speak because she is so dizzy and overcome with nauzia(sp?) and wants some help NOW. I calmly get a hold of a neighbor down the way to see in on her before I get there. But before I could get home I receive a call from the neighbor saying my mother looks like she needs to see help quickly. I had him call 911. I was less than five minutes from home. EMTs and MEMS arrived quickly and before you knew it she was off to the hospital. After all the blood work, CT scan, chest Xray, the doctor felt mother could stand to be observed for 24 hours. He just wasn't comfortable with her going home not knowing what caused this vertigo attack, and with the possiblity of having another attack. She was her old self when I left the ER 4 hours after this all began. Yes, Shirley, she was ok with me going back to work. I get to smuggle some of her food into her room this evening. can't live without those prunes and bran muffins.

Please, pray that the ear specialist she was to see this monday will be able to see her tomorrow at the latest. We needs to know what is wrong with her.

Pray for the doctors, you know how my mother can be.

Pray that she will not get an infection of some kind. She told the doctor not to let the hospital give her some bug.

Thank you for all your prayers.

Trusting in the Lord

Psalms 56:3,4

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?



The Enemy wants to put fear in us. Especially when we have no power over the circumstances. I write this to preface the news I have about mother. Last Friday she began to lose her hearing again and by Sunday she was bearly able to hear herself. Her sinus' are all plugged up and she is quite miserable. My prayer is that this is just a hiccup in her recover and the doctor will be able to clear this up and that the ear virus will be completely cleared up. Thus giving my Mother's hearing back to her.

Please pray the following:
1. That my mother will not let fear overpower her
2. We will be able to get her quickly back to the doctor
3. That the doctor will know what to do and be able to treat this virus
quickly and correctly
4. That the hearing loss would be temporary
5. That I would be an encouragement to her

Thank you.

Budapest, Hungary

from Suzanne

From: Patton
To: Linda Smith
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 11:39 AM
Subject: Fw: Fw: Budapest, Hungary Let's all dance.---BE SURE TO CHECK THIS OUT
Please post on the blog for me.
Wow! Makes my heart shout!
Notice how clean-cut these young people are. They carry quite a message.
watch this: it is in Budapest, Hungary. . . a celebration on Resurrection Sunday - so awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5dSIL358NM

Community Group Spring EAT Revisited

This is just a recap of Friday nights Spring EAT!!! And EAT we did!!!!! This recap is also proof positive that Prayer Warriors do have FUN!!!! Happy Birthday to Susan Brown.... , yes, she is the one with the carrot in her mouth!!!

Thanks to you all for bringing such yummy food AND to the Country Smiths for returning and making our time so very special. Jim and I love you all and are grateful that you love to go to the throne room to praise His Holy Name and to ask for grace to help in time of need.... all made possible by the blood of Jesus. To Him be the glory!!!!

YOU ARE LOVED!!!

Community Group Spring EAT!!!!!

I just got back from watching some cute little boys, and although I am tired.... I am very blessed to have gotten to be with them. Adorable!!!!

NOW... The GAP Community Group Spring EAT will be at our home this Friday evening at 6PM. You all are so good to bring the food... We will provide the drinks, maybe an appetizer, a place to sit yourself down to eat, and a big smile of welcome. How's that!!!! God is good!!! Ya'll come!!! Please let me know if you will be able to be here (or not) so I can get the table set with the right number of places and to make sure I can fill in the food gaps if you are not able to come. Here is what I think you said you would bring.
Jim and Susan - BBQ chicken and baked beans
Donna and Ernie - scalloped potatoes, bread, and cole slaw. (yikes.... can I do some of that for you?)
Suzanne - dessert
I am hungry already!!!!
Also remember that we will be gone tomorrow until Thursday but you can reach me by cell phone. 501-425-1482.

Community Group Meeting

Greetings!!!! My family is in town and we are having a great time, but it keeps me out of the loop a little. So I am taking this chance to communicate.

Community Group meets this Friday at 7PM at Donna and Ernie's home. Please let me or the Peters know if you are NOT able to come. Also, Susan, can you call Susan Bowden to remind her? Thanks!!!

I will be sending you another country to pray for today. Please try to keep them in your prayers this week. Also I thought that we would pray for one of the (intern) pastors each week. I am beginning with Erid Mason and his wife, Yvette (I think). They were the first to visit our community group and planted a church in Philadelphia. He was one of the men on the panel... second from the left if you weren't here when they came to our group. What a blessing to hear all that God is doing all over the country and the world.

We love you and praise God for you.

Community Group

Community Group will meet on Friday night at 7PM Suzanne Patton's home. Thanks, Suzanne. We have much to pray about and even more to praise Him for..... He is worthy of all of our lives and all of our praise. Glory to His name!

Please, please let her know if you are NOT able to come. Thanks so much.

Community Group update

Thanks to Jim and Susan for a great night of prayer at their home and great conversation about scripture after the prayer. What a great night!

Here are some of the things we prayed about and can continue to pray about.

Marriage 911
Susan Bowden will be moving this coming weekend. Pray for an easy move and transition.
Ginnie (Linda's sister).. whose house was broken into for the second time.
Jan Priddy and her family at the homegoing of their grandson who was a medic in Afghanistan.
Judy McClendon.... family issues
Jeremy, Jerry, and Sherry... strength... continued healing for Jeremy
Linda... this week's challenges and opportunities to lead classes at two churches in two days from two different books... James and Jonah.
Praise for Mel and David.... things coming along.
Strength for Dan and Dorothy .... and healing for Dorothy's right leg and hip
Praise that Jim Brown's deal came through at work.
Prayer that Jim and Susan can sell three houses this month.
Praise that Mike Brown is beginning to "enter the real world".... realizing that he needs to work, etc.
Praise for Suzanne's trip and her sharing that spurred prayer and conversation.
China, Columbia, Nigeria, etc.
The church
Our Community Group... that we would be the group that God means us to be in fellowship and worship and prayer and service to Him.

Love you all..... may God richly bless you this week.

Community Group Meeting.... change of Venu

Community Group meets this Friday at 7PM.... but the change is that we will be meeting at Jim and Susan's home instead of Suzanne's. The Browns want to share the view of their beautiful dogwoods with everyone. So we hope to see you at the Browns on Friday night.

Another highlight of Friday night will be that Suzanne is back from Ghana and has some wonderful stories and insights to share from her time there. I promise that what she shares will bless you and challenge your walk. See you Friday night.

Please communicate with Jim and Susan if you will not be able to attend.

Blessed Easter

Blessed Easter!!!! He is Risen.... He is Risen Indeed!!!! Tomorrow we celebrate the reality that Jesus not only died for our sins, but rose that we might live in newness of life .... abundantly and for eternity. He is worthy of praise, .... all of our praise!!! He is worthy of all of our lives, which He paid for with His precious blood!!!! Easter is not just a one time a year celebration. It is a day by day, moment by moment reality that we celebrate continuously with our lives. Let's live purposely and thankfully every moment until He returns. To Him be the glory in the church forever!!!!

Prayer Thought from Family Research Council

Dear Praying Friends,

After the Boston Tea Party, King George closed Boston Harbor on March 7, 1774 in a deliberate effort to destroy the colony's economy. William Prescott wrote, "If we submit to these regulations, all is gone... Our forefathers...spent their blood and treasure that they might enjoy their liberties, both civil and religious, and transmit them to their posterity... if we should give them up; can our children rise up and call us blessed?"

Upon hearing of Boston's crisis, Thomas Jefferson led the Virginia House of Burgesses (on May 24, 1774) to proclaim "a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights." Lord Dunmore, Virginia's Royal Governor, was so upset by the Proclamation that he dissolved the House of Burgesses. The members regrouped in nearby Raleigh Tavern to make plans for a Continental Congress, which in 1776 declared American independence (American Minute, Bill Federer, March 7, abridged).

We need this same formula now: dependence upon God, humility, fasting, prayer, and sacrificial, lawful resistance against all ungodliness and tyranny. As in the founding era, God wants us to meet His requirements so He can do what only He can to heal our land and preserve our liberty for our children.

Linda's Request for Prayer for China this week 3-29-10

Just a quick note with a prayer focus for this week.... found it in Operation World website and will be sending you one as often as they change it. It definitely helps me keep the persecuted church in front of me and puts a lot of things in perspective.

Linda
Pray For…
China
Stats
Population - 1,338,612,968
Percentage of Evangelicals - 6%
Total Number of People Groups - 462
Number of Unreached People Groups - 388
Language Spoken - Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese
Major Religion - Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian, Muslim
Human Development Rank - 92
Persecution Index - 13

China is one of the oldest civilizations and for centuries one of the most advanced. Until the 19th century, China was advancing quicker in science and arts than most other countries. However, the 19th and 20th centuries were plagued with civil unrest, famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. These events led to upheaval of the emperor in China and the eventual establishment of a communist state in 1949. Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, China instated what is widely known as the Cultural Revolution where all threats to the state were highly restricted or even banned including news media, religion, and even forms of education. Christian missionaries were kicked out, churches were deemed illegal, and believers were forced to worship the Lord in secret. Believer who were caught by authorities were beaten, imprisoned, and at times sent to "re-education camps". In the last few decades, such restrictions have become more relaxed. However, persecution still remains for believers who are a part of unregistered churches (a.k.a. house churches). In addition, some believers who are a part of the ethnic minority face persecution from their family and culture. It is said that there are more Christians in prison or under detention in China than in any other country. So even though China has experienced new freedoms, many Chinese Christians still endure persecution.
Pray for those who have been imprisoned and persecuted for their faith.
Pray for the church in China to be further established in the Scriptures.
Pray for the 259 people groups who do not have a gospel witness among them.
Ask the Lord to work in the hearts of the government leaders and draw them to Himself.
It is illegal to work in China as a Christian missionary. Pray for missionaries in China to be able to remain there while they spread the gospel and strengthen the church.

Prayers and praises

Well, whatever malady I (Linda) had on Friday was gone on Saturday. Praise His Name!!! Sorry about cancelling Friday night but I was a mess all day Friday and then Sat AM.... I woke up feeling fine. Maybe it was allergies. :-)

Jeremy had his wisdom teeth removed on Tuesday of last week and is doing better now. I say, now, because besides it being painful, on Wednesday he had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic they gave him after the extraction. It gave them a pretty big scare since it caused him to lose his equilibrium and messed up his speech, etc. until it was out of his system. Praise God He is doing well now.

Jim Brown is close to closing a deal at work!!!! Thanks for the prayers for him and keep praying. AND he sold another house at Grace Subdivision.... that is #6. He did say that Ernie needed to keep praying because there was still no profit.... Hear that, Ernie!!!

Continue to pray for Suzanne in Ghana. She will be home Friday, April 2nd, and will be having Com Group at her house on the 9th so I am sure we will get a full report.

We love and appreciate you all.

Tonights Community Group

Sorry, we are going to have to cancel tonights Community Group meeting at our home. Linda woke up with major congestion and sneezing and didn't think you would like to share in this experience with her. What we initially thought were allergies in Jim seem to be something contagious. Lots of sneezing, coughing, and nose blowing..... just a minor light affliction.
Please let us know as soon as possible that you have received this message. Thanks and we will see you in two weeks, Friday April 9th, at Suzanne's home. Keep praying for her Ghana mission work.

Community Group

We are still going to meet for community group tomorrow night at the City Smith's home. Jim has been bothered by allergies and gets pretty tired by night, but is ready to persevere in prayer. Ah, Arkansas flowering trees... beautiful but full of pollen. We will try to make it a shorter evening unless God has a different plan. So see you at 7PM and we will begin shortly after with prayer and then ..... goodies.

Praising God today for so many things that He is doing and just for who He is. Praise His Name!!!! See you tomorrow night. If you CANNOT come please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks,
Linda

Suzanne and Africa and Marriage 911 Alert

Suzanne left for Africa today.... please pray for her. Her dad has a little issue that came up Thursday with his potassium being high. He is on a diuretic so should be fine, but it was a last minute thing to think about for her.

I am meeting with my Marriage 911 person today for the first time. Please pray for me and for her as we begin. That she would begin her walk toward healing for her marriage because He is able to heal and restore.

How is Felicia doing??? Praying for her...
Peyton off to Washington, DC for a week of leadership training. Kelly and Cecilia (and Avery) are going with her to DC but will leave her with the conference people today and not see her until Thursday. Pray that she does well. She doesn't know anyone she will be with, but it is an excellent program that she was invited to attend.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!!! praise Him all His angels: all His hosts: sun and moon and all stars of light. Praise Him in the highest heavens and the waters that are above the heavens!!!!..... and us, too!!!!!

Community Group Update and more

I am so sorry that I am late getting this update on the blog.... but here are some of the things we prayed about and a few new prayer requests for your prayer lists.

First, it was a great time of prayer at the Brown's home (thank you very much), and here is a partial list...

Suzanne Patton - Africa (Ghana) trip march 19 - April 2.
Marriage 911 - every Tuesday night 6:30-9PM
Felicia off to the Ski trip... safety and fun and spiritual growth.. plus good relationship with her teacher who is also her chaperone.
Susan Bowden - moving April 17th.... blood work, March 25th.
Sageworks
Praise about David getting on Medicaid.
Dan - bronchitis
Susan and Jim Brown - for Jim .. success in workplace and in Grace subdivision
Jerry, Jim's friend, - prostate check
Nicholas court date end of May
Church
Erik Daniel Dukes, our grandson, has hernia surgery tomorrow AM
Jennifer, Suzanne's daughter, prayer for her job

If you missed Sunday night you might want to go to the Fellowship website to view Bill Parkinson's presentation. It was very good and helped explain in more detail the things that Robert presented the first night. He put some flesh on the bones.... and there will be more to com when it is launched in the fall.

CG Meeting Friday Night

Don't forget CG Meeting Friday night March 12th at 7:00 PM at the Browns. Let them know if you can't make it. Linda will call Susan Bowden and get the word to her. Hope to see everyone there.