Circumstances change; God does not

This morning I received an email from our darling friend Vicki who was at the hospital with her parents. Yesterday at church, her father fell backwards down six stairs and now has a serious brain injury and is on a ventilator. He hasn’t regained consciousness since the accident and Vicki is helping her mom, also heartbroken, to cope. Obviously, Vicki will not be with us this Wednesday, July 11, for Bible study.

I am praying for Vicki and her parents.  I know you will, too.

In discussing God's immutability, AW Tozer said, "In coming to Him at any time we need not wonder whether we shall find Him in a receptive mood. He is always receptive to misery and need" and "today, this moment, He feels toward his creatures, toward babies, toward the sick, the fallen, and the sinful, exactly as He did when he sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for mankind" (Knowledge of the Holy). And so, we continue to lift up the needs of the Porters to our God who receives our prayer with compassion and love.  

And knowing without a doubt that all of you ladies attending wouldn’t want Gana or Donna or me to sing – we don’t call ourselves the Babblelettes for nothing! -- I called Janis Brening who will be singing for us next week, and she graciously agreed to sing for us along with her two daughters, Hannah and Leah, as well! When I told her we were studying the woman with the issue of blood, the woman Jesus stopped to heal while he was on his way to heal Jairus’s 12-year-old daughter, Janis told me that 12-year-old Hannah was playing charades the other day and that story was the one she acted out. Ah. I mean, awe.

We hear you, Lord. We stand in awe. We didn’t know this would happen, but you’ve got our backs. All our backs. Vicki's, her dad's, her mom's. All of us. Amen.

Please join us in praying for sweet Vicki and her dad and mom. And please continue to pray that God be glorified through this study and through the Brening’s beautiful music.

Circumstances change; God, however, does not.

___________________________________________________________

Manna of God is pleased to announce that Janis Brening and her daughters, Hannah and Leah, will open our first summer Bible study session with beautiful music testifying to their love of Christ.

Janis and her husband Ron have been in the ministry for over 25 years, and Janis is currently a stay-at-home mom who home schools her youngest daughter.  Besides singing on a Worship Team at her church, she is also part of the Mathis Trio who will sing for us during the last session of Bible study on July 25.

“There is nothing greater than sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in song,” Janis says.

And how happy we are that she is coming to share with us!  

Update on Monday, July 9, 2012 at 5:02PM by Becky Bader

Text from Vicki with an awesome update on her dad: 

"Can't believe it - dr just took him off of the vent - is breathing on his own for first time! Still critical but huge step in right direction. Thank you all for the prayers!"

Kiss! Kiss! (You would have known this wasn't Vicki unless I put that in!)

Update on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 10:38AM by Becky Bader

From Vicki: 

"We are encouraged that dad is breathing on his own, but he is getting combative and angry and has had to be very restrained at the chest and arms-- trying to climb out of bed! They said he had a rough night and we have been here for about an hour. SO glad my mother is letting me take her home at night-- she is taking this really hard and I am concerned how this will impact her health as well.

 I am overwhelmed by the response of prayer and love showered on us-- I am truly blessed to be a part of the body of Christ! I think this could be a pretty long "haul", but my intention is to return to work next week, and to make my base here at their home so I can be with my mother at night-- can't imagine her being alone just yet.

A skilled nursing center at a nearby nursing home is probably the next step, according to the nurses, if he survives this crisis-- so we are definitely at the Turning Point I have been expecting.

 I just pray that God will be merciful and not let him linger if his mind cannot be healed. They said the worst part of his brain "bleed" is in the front and that is the part that controls personality and emotion. He may never totally come back, so they are preparing us as best they can.

Will keep you posted. My heart is with you for the Bible Study tomorrow." 

God Bless,

Vicki

Update on Friday, July 13, 2012 at 12:01PM by Becky Bader

Update from Vicki...

Good morning.

The day has not started off well. He (Vicki's dad) is developing congestive heart faillure because of the fluid building in his lungs. They are trying to work on that and are putting in a feeding tube directly into his stomach this morning since he still can't swallow properly.

I am doing okay but my mother is not handling this well at all and I have great concerns for her as I said in prior days. She is just not ready to even THINK of the possibility of him passing, so I will continue to be as gentle and supportive as I can. No way to ever prepare ourselves for that moment, but I don't want to see him linger like this! Thank you so much for your love and support.

God Bless, Vicki

Update on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 4:52PM by Becky Bader

Latest update on Vicki's dad:

From Vicki --  "Transferring today out of ICU - long way to go but we are thankful! His mind has not come back yet, but his heart is stable."

Know they are appreciating all the prayers.

Vicki Porter to Sing July 11!

Hope you can join us this Wednesday, July 11, at 9:00 AM at the Bellville United Methodist Church as Vicki Porter, phenomenal Christian speaker and singer, opens our first summer session with her testimony in words and song. If you've never heard Vicki, I promise you will be encouraged and inspired and also, at times, moved to tears. And you'll be so glad you came for God's hand is on this woman as she ministers across the state with her musical gift and her amazing testimony. Vicki most definitely has been touched by Christ Jesus. She is the real deal. I mean, for crying out loud, look at that darling face and her fabulous smile and those twinkling eyes! Oh, and one more thing: she loves to laugh, and we love her like crazy! (Oops! Well, that was two, but you get the idea...!!!) 

Manna of God's Summer Bible Study for Women of All Denominations.

Wednesday, July 11 at 9:00 AM;

Wednesday, July 18 at 9:00 AM;

and Wednesday evening, July 25 at 6:30 PM

Bellville United Methodist Church -- Room 204

There is no charge for this study, but a love offering to support Mosquito Nets for Uganda and Dresses for Africa will be appreciated.

For additional information, contact Gana at gmarek@kerdowney.com or call Becky at 979-885-9526.

Gana Marek -- Donna Riefkohl -- Vicki Porter -- Becky Bader

No Need for a Swifter

It’s 5:30 AM and my 14-year-old dog woke up with a nonfragant reminder that he hadn’t been outside during the night. An old dog, sweet Riley the beagle is. Now on medication for his bladder. Doesn’t see or hear very well either, and several other body parts have ceased functioning like they once did, including his back legs, which can be quite painful for him and for us to watch. We call him the Easter dog because every time we think it’s all over for him, he is risen. Indeed. Canine-style. Not his time to go. When we were in South Africa for over two weeks, we signed a do-not-resuscitate order just in case, but our vet assures us that Riley isn’t in too much pain as long as he still eats. And ole’ Rile loves to eat especially now that it’s the chicken and rice chunks in gravy. His tail wags. That still works.   

But I don’t like cleaning. I wish Ian would wake up and clean up after Riley instead. He does it so much better. Takes a long time. Gets the perfect mop. Rinses it repeatedly.  Me?  I like writing in the mornings, not cleaning, so I compromise. Am writing about the cleaning.

I use the swifter which probably takes longer because it mostly dances the dirt around, but it helps eliminate the smell. Sort of. Enough where I can write anyway. Maybe Ian will do better when he wakes up. Or not. By then he’ll be ready to go out and climb on the green tractor parked in the middle of the backyard. Man toy equals happy man. Nice way to start the day. Oops. It’s not Saturday. That’s what happens over a holiday.

Last week I bought another dustpan from the dollar store because ours was probably 33 years old. Had to. Swifter wasn’t swiftly cleaning up the dirt. And then there’s the dust, overwhelming in a house 105 years old, and only some of which comes from Riley. Filters through the cracks of our house which is more like a boat anyway, rocking back and forth, and creating more cracks, which invites more dust and dirt and the sometimes small critter, mouse-style.  And the dust pan sometimes isn’t better than the swifter for there are still cracks in the floor too, between the boards. Wish the lady who blew the dirt down the hall of the high school with a leaf blower would come over today. No, I don’t. That’d be worse.

Ian says patience is the key and he’s more patient than me. At cleaning anyway. Oh, and cooking, too.

So I made my favorite green tea in the kitchen where the aroma of garlic and onions in olive oil with chives still lingers in the air from last night and where my black and white vinyl floor reminds me of the black and white marbled floor at La Residence with its delicious caramelized pear French toast. Not the same, but still delicious, my husband’s latest culinary creation -- a tasty, crunchy quinoa patty our sweet daughter-in-law recommended -- has settled down and made itself at home in our kitchen. It’s amazing how good Ian can make something so healthy taste. And how good our kitchen smells after he does. Takes patience, he’s constantly reminding me.

But this morning I don’t have enough patience (or wishful thinking) to wait patiently for him to wake up and want to clean. Maybe patience is developed by being in situations that require patience?  And anyway, he makes so much noise when he wakes up and then I couldn't write anyway, so...

But I can’t stay in the kitchen forever if I want to finish my book and my Bible study and my blogs and my…. So back I go to the room in the back. Back to the cleaning problem at hand and back down on my knees to clean. And that’s where I think of Jesus. Reminders everywhere of Jesus, but especially on my knees. He took my distress out of the mess and gave me the best. Himself. And on my knees cleaning, I’m overwhelmed with Him. And reminded, too, that I need to clean up inside before I go outside today. Confess the dirt that’s in the cracks of my life. Quit simply moving it around. Take my time before the Throne of Grace where He waits patiently. No need for a swifter, just a grateful heart.

Go Forth on the Fourth

Jesus once asked Peter, “Who do you say I am?” And Peter responded, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  

And a believer in the living God, AW Tozer once said, “Without doubt, the mightiest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God, and the weightest word in any language is its word for God.”

A question to answer and a thought to ponder as we go forth today on the Fourth of July, contemplating truths deemed self-evident and celebrating one nation under God.

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

The Gift

She stood tall, physically and also spiritually. I could just tell. She wore confidence yet also humility. I could tell that, too. And even though she seemed content, she was obviously concerned.  She cared. She wanted to know what I thought. And she wanted me to help her. So she asked for my help, respectfully. And I remember thinking that day at school how thankful I was for the respectful student before me.

And oh she wanted to learn. More even than I was giving her. And I could tell she appreciated the extra time I was spending with her. “Thank you,” she repeated as I continued to answer her questions while complimenting her on her concerns. And I knew she meant it.  Her response wasn’t mechanical or manipulative, but genuine and appreciative. A lot was packed in her thanks. And I remember thanking God for this gift before me, the gift of the respectful child. She filled my heart.

And I woke up this morning thinking about her, the respectful child, and praying that today I respectfully give Jesus that same gift. Me.

“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him” (Luke 20:13 NAS).