Prayer & Praise
Our lives are occupied territory …
occupied by a cacophony of voices,
and the din undoes us.
In the daytime we have no time to listen,
beset as we are by anxiety and goals
and assignments and work,
and in the night the voices are so confusing
we can hardly sort out what could possibly be your voice
from the voice of our mothers and our fathers
and our best friends
and our pet projects,
because they all sound so much like you.
We are people over whom that word shema has been written.
We are listeners, but we do not listen well.
So we bid you, by the time the sun goes down today or by the time the sun comes up tomorrow,
by night or by day,
that you will speak in ways that we can hear out beyond ourselves.
It is your speech to us that carries us where we have never been, and it is your speech to us that is our only hope.
So give us ears. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann. Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: The Prayers of Walter Brueggemann (p. 56). Kindle Edition.
Amen
Prayer Requests: Aug 6–Aug14
Sarah – Little Michael continues to make progress here, which continues to be amazing. They have moved him to Atlanta for rehab. Here’s his Daddy’s update last Thursday:
Nonnie – Praying for our brother and sister in Christ who are serving in West Africa, ministering to those with the deadly Ebola virus. They have contracted it Praying for them.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-doctor-in-west-africa-contracts-deadly-ebola-virus/
Michael and Trey Needing prayer covering
J2 and her husband facing nonsense from the local government which may result in $6000 in fees. Prayers for wisdom and the community voicing their frustration, and that they would be heard.
Michael Liles “Smurf” A man Derek served with in Bosnia and Iraq, he has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS. The lifespan for those diagnosed with this is very short. Prayer for Michael and his family. You can find out more, also about his speaking before Congress for more attention to ALS, on his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/michael.liles.169
Paigemom’s Daughter and Son-in-law Eric and Sarah S. “My son in law out of work for months. , is also struggling with depression and severe self doubt. My daughter works part time. Both are ‘hanging in there’ by faith, but both are weary and wonder if they have been ‘cut off’ from God’s care.
Michael Needs a job and income.
J2thePerson – disability application processed quickly.
Sarah’s Nephew-in-Law Blake – Serving 9 months in Afghanistan. Pray for safety.
Pastor Saeed FREEDOM
Captain Kevin- cervical spinal stenosis (narrowing of the upper spinal column), which causes pain in my neck and shoulders as well as down into my hands. , bone spurs in my hands, and what appears to be a separating of my left wrist and hand, wearing braces and taking some pretty strong meds, but the relief is minimal. My pain specialist says that pain sensations I feel are probably heightened by the fibromyalgia.
Thank you, Dusty.
Had been truck broken into last night and lost stuff I can’t afford to replace.
Still no job.
Other than that, it’s been a great day…
Tomorrow we assemble 575 backpacks. Of course, that’s nothing compared to big churches etc, but it’s the most we’ve ever done.
We’ve been really blessed this year when I didn’t think I had the energy or motivation to even do one. Somehow, as always, it comes together.
I’m not usually nervous before this event, but this time I am although we are ahead of schedule, organized and on track.
Prayers for volunteers, kids that will receive bags, the teachers, social workers, and families that pick them up and distribute them etc is appreciated.
This year, for the first time ever, I’m nervous that we won’t have enough help and I’m nervous we will have to much help (not enough dinners)…
Can’t really talk about the concerns and excitement elsewhere, so appreciate this place.
London,
Bless you for each and every child that you touch.
Praying that it goes better than you could hope for…
Thanks. And thanks for the reminder earlier about the “why”.
This year just feels different. Not in a bad way, but different.
Tonight was really good. Had a bunch of new people. We’ve reached that stage of growth where I didn’t personally know a large part of those volunteering.
We had people from Haiti, Nepal, Guatemala, Mexico and US helping.
Toddlers to Grandmas in their 70s and 80s.
Even had a bit of a high school reunion with some folks I hadn’t seen in x number of years. (The number isn’t important 🙂
We made some great contacts with a fundraising group, a teacher of an alternative school and a ministry group that takes backpacks to Juarez.
I can see us partnering up with all three in the future to do some cool stuff in NM and maybe some other countries.
We seemed better organized and calmer than we have in the past. I think a large part of that is I was better organized and calmer instead of feeling like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
My favorite stuff is when, like tonight, we have families that have called for help, come participate as volunteers and have so much fun they want to come back next year. This time we had a family come who is already planning on working with us on our thanksgiving project. She approached me about helping feed some of “the elders” in a small rural village.
She was excited because every year she tries to gather food to help them and no we will be able to help.
I love the community feel of what we are doing….even though I actually have no clue what we are doing. 🙂
Tonight on FB someone I went go HS with said that they’d had fun working with us and that she was “feeling awesome”. That almost made my cry because I forget sometimes that it’s not just the kids that get the backpacks that we touch, but it’s also everyone that shows up and pitches in.
Saturday we are going to participate with two other groups to provide school clothes and backpacks to 100 kids who have been pulled out of family situations and now have to be in court for one reason or another.
Excited for that and the connections we are making there as well.
Anyway, thanks again for the prayer support.
London…that is really fantastic, truly. Praying for each one of those backpacks and the child it is now blessing…for that child to know they are cared for and loved. Such a great ministry. Hope you can get some rest!