sylvia's Requests...

From: Sylvia Pituch

Date: December 31, 2009 3:15:53 PM CST

Subject: PR

I hope that you all have a very blessed and safe Happy New Year!

Syl,this is a request for a friend who just lost her dad and her mom needs lots of help.This is very stressful for her(MY FRIEND).Her dad died quickly of liver cancer. Also pray for a friend who's very sad right now and needs our prayers.He's talking to Francy and I about doing something scary.Thanks,Maureen

My daughter-in-law, Anita Metzker, will be going in for surgery on Monday, Jan. 4th to University of Penna. Hospital, in Phila. As you know she had been diagnosed with 2 blot clots and an aneurysm. The aneurysm has now grown and something has to be done. On the 4th they will do some relocating of the veins that are affected by the blood clots and on the following Friday she will have major by-pass surgery. They will be totally replacing her aorta. The operation will take 10 to 12 hours and is really a critical situation. She can use all the prayers she can get. Thanks so much! I really appreciate it....... Mary

Kim' Daughter needs your prayers

I received this from one of our faithful prayer partners...

In a message dated 12/29/2009 8:02:57 A.M. Central Standard Time, obuche@stanion.com writes:

All joking aside…..would you add my daughter Kim to your prayer list. She is having tests done, first for a growth on her stomach, and then when they did a CT found a “spot” on her kidney. I am trying not to worry until I have something to worry about, but it’s not working !

Thank you

OB

Sylvia's Requests...

I ask you all to please keep in your prayers my cousins David & Kelee Mayernik - on Friday night aunt Emma passed away - she was admitted to Lehigh Valley Hosp Center on Wed. as she was found to have a bleeding ulcer - the loss of blood took a toll on her heart.

Kelee asked me to pass along to family and friends who will be attending the celebration of my aunt Emma's life - the viewing will be at 10AM in the Weir Funeral Home, across from the Cathedral of St. Catherine's - David will share the love he has for his mom through his words AT THE FUNERAL HOME - the Mass will follow at the Cathedral. Many heavy hearts - my aunt Emma was an amazingly strong woman with a heart of gold.

sylvia's Requests...

Dear all, we have a prayer request from Suzie and Jim Lee for a co-worker of their daughter Maria. Laura is their daughter's co-worker
and is the aunt of 2 year old Kendra who is getting ready for a liver transplant next week. Aunt Laura is donating part of her liver for her
niece. There is a website that you can access to see Kendra, and she will just steal your heart, she is the sweetest little thing!!! Please
storm heaven with prayers that all goes well with this transplant for both Kendra and her Aunt Laura. Thank you so much.

In His Name,
Mary Ann
_________________________________
Mary Ann,
A little 2yr old, Kendra, is getting a live liver transplant on Dec. 15 or 16. The donor is her Aunt Laura. Laura is a co-worker of my daughter Maria.
Please ask the prayer warriors for prayers for Laura and Kendra. I have attached the website if people want to see how adorable this
precious child is and to understand her condition. www.love4kendra.com

sylvia's Requests...

Hi Sylvia.

I have a few prayer requests and updates:

>Update on Sheldon - he's home and doing well. Latest post (Wednesday) from his wife below:
Sheldon was discharged yesterday and I got him home to our house about 5:00 yesterday afternoon. He is much better than he was on Sunday when I saw him last, and he was moving around the house without much difficult. He even joined the group for bible study in the living room without becoming too overtired.
He is scheduled for bloodwork on Monday and a followup clinic appointment on Wednesday (a week from today) at which time I think they will be trying to determine how significant the antibody mediated rejection (AMR) is and what the next steps for that should be (more Valcade, kidney biopsy, no action?). In the meantime, the kidney on Tuesday remained good (creatin of 1.4), so we are encouraged by that.
In the meantime, we will try to resume what passes for normal at our house.
Thanks as always,
Kathy
>Please pray for my friend, Richard (contrabassoonist in the Harrisburg Symphony). His car was hit broadside earlier in the week. It took several days for the doctors to finally diagnose all of his injuries.
I just got back from 24 hours at St. Agnes (Agony) Hosp. They did CAT scans of my head/chest, X-rays of my shoulder, and MRI of head/neck. They know I have 2 broken ribs (in the back), a broken shoulder blade, some lung bruising, and possible some shoulder injury. My left arm is in an immobilization sling. I guess I have a reason for not overdoing Christmas this year.
>Please pray for my friend Paula's brother-in-law. He had a knee replacement last December and has been battling an infection for several months. This all sounds eerily familiar. He had surgery yesterday.

My brother-in-law had the old, diseased knee joint removed yesterday and the temp put in. He's got a pic line for continuous antibiotics over the
next few weeks; he had gotten quite ill prior to surgery with a fever and
jaundice from the infection (and they think from one of the meds). Surgery went well and my sister is now much relieved. So they will keep watching him and see if he is truly ready in 6 weeks for another permanent replacement. Keep Tom and Jane in your prayers ... thanks.

Paula

Thanks so much!
Love, Connie

How Great Thou Art...Ultimate Freedom

Click the Link...turn speakers on...enjoy.

sylvia's Requests...

Syl,
We just received some shocking news that our dear friend, Mike LoDolce has followed and joined his wife with our Lord. Mike just lost his wife 1 1/2 months ago to a long battle with cancer. His 20+ yrs. old daughter found him dead in bed this morning. He's leaving a daughter in her 20's and a son around 19. Please prayer for the family to be able to deal and accept the lost of their father, son and brother (best friend). His brother could use some extra prayers. He and Mike did everything together and now his brother is going thru some personal trials of his own. Pray that the Lord be in his mind and heart to be able to be strong for himself, parents and nieces and nephew.
Beverly

(Bev & Jeff, praying through the night for your dear friend Mike's family - let me know if there's anything I can do)

Sylvia's Requests...

At prayer group last evening, we prayed for Nancy I's son John's friend who was dx with cancer - and afterward we talked about how special it is when our children call us to pray with them for a special intention - tonight our cousin Sara (15) asks us to pray:

hey aunt syl. Can you send out a prayer request to storm the heavens with prayers for my math teacher. today in class he got a call that his mom and sister were in a car accident, his sister died and his mom is in ICU and might not make it. thanks soo much! its been a rough week for me.
love you

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Please pray for one of my patients - her name is Rose and she was just dx with colon cancer (she is also a breast cancer survivor) - she and her husband are very much involved in the Serra Club (Bethlehem) - when scheduling Rose's surgery they asked if I was Catholic - I told them that I was and that I would be praying for them - I told them about our prayer group and Rose's husband said "get us on every one!".

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Dear Ones,

Just heard from Tom's sister, Jackie, that her daughter, Stacey, who's expecting her second baby in April, has placenta previa (sp?) & needs to stop lifting, take it easy, etc. She has a toddler, is a physical therapist who works with children at DuPont, & now she has to rest, which is not going to be easy. When Tom's mom had that in her 7th month of pregnancy with Tom's youngest brother, she had to go on complete bedrest for the last two months. That's when Tom learned how to cook!

So, we're entreating all good prayers for Stacey & her baby so that they'll go full-term & have a healthy baby. Thank you & God bless.

Love,

Norine

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UPDATE ON BABY CODY:

Leslie,

Thank you for your concern and prayers. We know that it is the prayers that effect what God decides what will do.

Cody is in recovery after surgery Friday. He has been in a drug induced coma since the then and is now being weaned off the anesthesia. He is functioning well and came through the surgery without complication or surprise.

We are very grateful for the riches of God’s inheritance: namely the studies , research, wisdom, knowledge and hearts and minds of the medical missionaries in Houston Medical Center and beyond because without it our baby would not live past a year or more.

I looked up truncus ateriuss and it is described below:

Truncus arteriosus (TRUNG-kus ahr-teer-e-O-sus) is a heart defect that creates severe circulatory problems. If your baby has truncus arteriosus, one large vessel leads out of the heart, instead of two separate vessels — one leading out of each of the lower chambers of the heart. Also, the two lower chambers are missing a portion of the wall dividing them. As a result of truncus arteriosus, oxygen-poor blood that should go to the lungs and oxygen-rich blood that should go to the rest of the body are mixed together. If left untreated, truncus arteriosus usually leads to death within the first or second year of life. Surgery to repair the heart and blood vessels is usually successful, especially if the repair occurs before your baby is 2 months old. Sorry I have not replied sooner. In the past two weeks we have been shuttling to the hospital in Austin, Texas which is three hours from Houston, going to the hospital downtown in Houston for the pre-op and surgery at the Texas Childrens hospital which is 45 minutes to an hour away, post-op visits, more car driving, having family time and trying to keep up with work and the house and feeding everyone, out of town family for the past week off and on and haven’t had time to email or call. Thanks for your faith in God and in His providence for us.

Love,

Janie

Painting Heaven

This is WONDERFUL.

This will be the BEST four minutes you have spent this day...this month...this YEAR.

Click the link...

Sylvia's Requests...

You may have head the news of the woman who was killed while crossing Hanover Avenue - Mrs Venditto is the aunt of Janet Stralo, one of our faithful prayer warriors - you may know Janet more affectionately as grandmother to baby Cole. Please keep the Venditto family - especially Mrs. Venditto's daughter Roseann, in your prayers.

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Please also keep in your prayers my co-worker Pam - her dad passed away about one month ago - she's having a difficult time - "I find I don't even have time to grieve" - and we pray for all who experience the loss of a loved one - (Christine, I hold you, Kevin, & the Fab Five close to my heart xoxo)

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Our cousin Suzi's son Nicholas is having surgery early tomorrow morning for his tonsils and adenoids - please pray for all to go well, and for little Nicholas to have a quick recovery. Thanks!

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Prayers are needed for a friend of our son, John. He just found out he has cancer and John asked to put him on the prayer list, ( I don't have his name.)

Thank You, Nancy

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Please pray for my friend Kim's son Billy who's driving cross country to pick up his brother Josh to bring him home for Christmas - for Guardian Angels to surround him on his travels there and back.

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Dear Prayer Sisters,

I received the following prayer request from my sister. Could you please add Pearl to your list.

Love, Renee


Please put Pearl on your prayer chain. She is a Mom of one of the teachers at my school. She fell and broke her pelvis and arm today. She is 93 years old.

Thanks,
Christine

20 Keys to YOUR happiness

1. Compliment three people every day.

2. Watch a sunrise.

3. Be the first to say "Hello"

4. Live beneath your means.

5. Treat everyone as you want to be treated.

6. Never give up on anyone; miracles do happen.

7. Forget the Jones's.

8. Remember someone's name.

9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage

10. Be tough-minded, but tender hearted.

11.Be kinder than you have to be.

12. Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

13 Keep your promises.

14 Learn to show cheerfulness even when you don't feel like it.

15. Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years.

16. Leave everything better than you found it.

17. Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do.

18. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone's day.

19. Don't rain on other people's parades.

20. Don't waste an opportunity to tell someone you care about them.

For Aaron's Mom...Please Pray

A good friend, Paul Walker writes...

Rick, hope things are going well with your new endeavors.

We have been busy with Amy and her family here. Aaron's mom has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer - stage 4. Not good. They will be with us until at least Sunday.

Please Pray for Claudia "Anne" Wertin

This note from a very good friend...and more importantly...a very good person...who could use your prayers.

Surgery scheduled as pain and elevated ovarian cancer marker for Dec 9th--possibly in the mid to late afternoon with the Devinci Robot and 2 surgeons. Hoping for a quick night and out the next day. Looking for pain relief and positive outcome. Prayers appreciated. Claudia "Anne" Wertin

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

It's Called Christmas with a Capital "C"

Merry Christmas faithful ones. The year has been full of requests and the many prayers and offerings have been rewarded with His grace. Pray for others...it is in the giving that we receive. RGB

Alice Lester 100 years old...Prayer Request

Rick,
I would like to ask you to post a prayer request for my grandmother. Her name is Alice Lester. She turned 100 on May 31st of this year. Tuesday she was diagnosed with liver cancer. We think she could be called home at anytime.

Thanks!

Regards,
Jeff Lester

Prayers WORK

08.11.2009

Dear Bhajan:

Well and nice to hear from you. And thank you very much for your information on CLL.

Now Kohila is quite OK after the administration RITUXMAB a monoclonal antibody medicine that is available in India since last two years. Earlier Fludrabine was the available one.

We have six doses of RITUXMAB to Kohila at one month interval, and this medicine has worked wonders. Now her blood counts and blood parameters are as healthy as a normal adult person. However, we have been advised to do monthly blood check up as a monitoring step. It is about six months that she lives like any normal person with out any health problems due to CLL or otherwise.

It is all due to prayers from friends like you.

I have taken note of your clipping and this medicine details - for future reference in case it is necessary.

Ungalai pondra nalla ullangalukku nanri.

Further, Vinod is in Mumbai with Reliance and Aarthi is with TCS, Bangalore and are doing fine. We are looking for alliance for our daughter which is yet to settle.

Welcome to Chennai.

Regards.

Ganesan. R

In Memory of Jerry Bockwinkel, My Uncle

Departed 3:10PM Central Time, April 4, 2009

O loving God . . . I pray that You welcome my deceased Uncle, Jerry Bockwinkel, into heaven with You. Forgive any sins and reward his goodness. Grant that I may be with him, and my family and friends again in Your Peaceful presence. Amen.

The Prayer of Oscar Romero

The Archbishop served the people of El Salvador and was assassinated in 1980 while he was saying mass in San Salvador.

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of sayingthat the kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the differencebetween the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

Wednesday, April 1st, was the anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero. For the reflection that day, Bishop Untener included a passage titled "The mystery of the Romero Prayer." The mystery is that the words of the prayer are attributed to Oscar Romero, but they were never spoken by him. They were, in fact, spoken by John Cardinal Dearden in November of 1979. They come from a homily he gave at a Mass for deceased priests. But what is even more important to know is that they were words drafted for Cardinal Dearden by Ken Untener.

Be Generous in Prosperity

Be generous in prosperity,
And thankful in adversity.

Be fair in judgment,
And guarded in speech.

Be a lamp unto those,
Who walk in darkness.

Be eyes to the blind,
And a guiding light.

Be a breath of life,
To the body of mankind.

Be a dew to the soul
Of the human heart.

And a fruit upon the tree,
Of humanity.

- Bahá'u'lláh

Provocative Question

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tugged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, of the thousands that passed by, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best violinists in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written for a violin which was worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize artistic talent in an unexpected context?

An interesting question drawn from this experience:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Simple White Envelope

by Nancy Gavin (This story originally appeared in Woman's Day magazine 12/14/1982)

SIMPLE WHITE ENVELOPE:

It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our
Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has
peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true
meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the
overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie
for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in
desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts,
sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for
Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12
that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended.

Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team
sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed
to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast
to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new
wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other
team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to
protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously
could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as
each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his
tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't
acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them
could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like
this could take the heart right out of them.' Mike loved kids -- all kids --

and he knew them,having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a
local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling
headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside
telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His
smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in
succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --one
year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey
game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had
burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The
envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last
thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new
toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the
envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but
the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You
see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around,
I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But
Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the
morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst
to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The
tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our
grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation
watching as their fathers take down the envelope.
Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the
true Christmas spirit this year and always.

Merry Christmas Prayer

Loving Father,
Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Please Pray for Brian Stapp Family for their Loss

I wanted to let eveyone know about the funeral services for Brian Stapp.

There is a viewing on Friday, December 26, 2008 at the Wilkerson Funeral Home, Dierks, AR.

The Funeral Services are Saturday, December 27, 2008 at Mt Holly Baptist Church, Dierks, AR at 10:00 am.

I plan on attending the funeral, and will pass on all of the support that I received from the employees of Mid-States Supply to the family. I can honestly say that I am very proud to be part of a company that showed so much support for a fellow employee, that most had never met or talked to.

I hope that you all have a safe and the Happiest of Holidays!

Thank you

Trish Kitchen
Branch Manager Springdale
Mid-States Supply
1490 June Self Drive
Springdale, AR 72764

Kokila Ganesan NEEDS prayer

I request you to include my close friend's wife name also in your prayer group's 'Request list to God'.

I heard from my friend this week, that his wife is diagnized with Leukaemia. Her name is Mrs. Kokila Ganesan.

Only 7 months ago we met this cheerful couple, when they both came to my daughter's wedding.

She is now undergoing treatment in Chennai, India.

Though the severity of her illness is known, we still heard about miraculous survivors from it.

Hence we still believe, God can listen to our prayers and extend her life until her children establish their own families.

Thanks & Regards,
Ven Venkatesan

So this is Christmas

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn . If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a 'Merry Christmas' that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no 'Christmas' tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in, and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

For Hope Champion

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ocie/nikesf08/hchampion
DEAR FRIENDS
I AM TRYING TO SUPPORT MY SON JOHN'S WIFE, HOPE CHAMPION.
WE ARE PROUD OF HER EFFORTS TO FIGHT CANCER WHICH HAS BEEN AN ENEMY TO OURS AND MANY OTHER FAMILIES IN THE PAST.
ANY SUPPORT;[VERBAL,PRAYERS OR FINANCIAL]WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU
ED CHAMPION

Sally Sluggett prayer PROGRESS!

Dearest Prayer Group,
Thank You for your enlightening prayers for Sally. To bring you up to date of the last few weeks: Sally was given a tracheotomy so the feeding and breathing tubes could be removed. After that she was slowly brought out of her heavy sedation, stabilized enough to breathe, then eat on her own and was moved to rehabilitation. She is now at home. The trachea has been removed, the incision is healing, and even though she tires easily it is hard to keep her high energy spirit down. Her husband has not yet felt comfortable telling her how dire her straits were. Maybe that is a good thing.
Thank You again for your prayers,
God Bless,
Mary

Penny Ferretti needs your prayers

Dear Prayer Group,
I am sending a prayer request for my friend's mother Penny Ferretti. She has been diagnosed and being treated for blood cancer. Please add her husband Ed and the rest of their family so they may feel God's strength during these trying times.
Wishing You God's Love and Light,
Mary

Sally Sluggett Rewarded by your Prayers

Dear Prayer Group,

I have seen the Power of Your Prayers. May I be so bold to ask you to say another Prayer for my dear friend Sally Sluggett. She has been in Barnes Hospital, St. Louis since July 21st. She was first diagnosed with pneumonia and then Legionnaires Disease. The very next day after your prayers her health immediately stabilized. She is still in intensive care and heavily sedated, but they were able to reduce her oxygen intake and the last x-ray of her lungs showed improvement.

If I may proceed further I have only know Sally for a few years. From the moment I met her I knew she had a big heart. She took me to New York for my first time last November. I was very skiddish of the big city. But she showed me around, we had a grand time, and we rode the subway. Sally didn't think twice about giving her lunch from Carnegie Deli to a homeless man or stopping us from boarding our train to try and help a begging girl with green snot running out of her nose down to her mouth by giving her tissues and talking to her, about what I never asked. Sal said she thought the gal was a drug addict. I always thought I was compassionate but I suddenly realized I had become a bit hardened through the years. Sally thankfully jolted me back to what the true meaning of compassion is all about. Her actions have made me a better person. And now I ask for your prayers for her. Please say a prayer for Sally.
God Bless,
Mary

For those who have seizures

Let us join in prayer for those that have had seizures, that they may recover fully and discover the trigger that causes these things so that they may manage their lives here on earth for the greater glory. Amen.

This prayer prompted by a seizure event in Kevin Fath's family; his mom and family would benefit from your prayers. Thanks RGB

A prayer: "For Those in Pain"

Lord sometime I want to howl in pain and anger when I hear of the death of some person or child who is innocent of any sin or evil.

I often direct this anger towards you because I don’t know
where else to place it.

I don’t understand how a loving God can stand by and watch this cruel world send its rock slide of pain down upon the innocent.

But that is exactly the point Lord, it isn’t you that sends
the pain, it is something that exists in this world that
is evil.

Something that we cannot describe fully, rolls over the
top of us when we least expect it.

We struggle to understand, but wisdom and insight
fail to be our gifts and we settle back into ignorance,
sorrow and blindness.

That is when we can turn to you for help. The past
is done but the future is pregnant with possibilities.

Our departed loved ones leave behind the sweet
taste of their love in great abundance and it is
this that will redeem our spirits and offer us
succor.

Lord turn us from bitterness and in your wisdom
show us how to spread love and not our sorrow
to the world around us.

Amen


Deacon Tom Coffey
Spring 2008

Lynda Hilborn update - Sunday - 11 May 2008

The following was forwarded to me nearly a month ago (how time flies)...and I am just getting caught up with adding a few requests for prayer to the PGPG blog...this one is certainly a welcome NEW addition to our group... Thanks for sharing Chris R.

RGB
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Hello everyone:

Today is the eve of our departure to Dalhousie University Speech Program for Aphasia, in Halifax Nova Scotia. I thought this would be a good opportunity to send you an update and, as always, solicit your continued prayers.

Although some of you have been on this prayer chain since the first day. Some of you may be receiving this for the first time. For those of you that have been with us for varying periods of this past year, I thank you for your support and prayers. I believe that it has been through these prayers that God has blessed me with the recovery we have seen so far. Although I fully acknowledge she has a long way to go, Lynda has come a long, long way from where she was a year ago.

For those of you that have just recently joined us, may God bless you for your support of us in prayer.

Now for the update:

Since I last provided an update on Lynda’s Birthday (April 13) there has been some improvements in several areas:


* Although we did have her gall bladder removed, it only slightly improved her condition. However, recent test have confirmed that she has two stomach ulcers which are likely causing her the pain she is experiencing.

* Although happy we found these problems it seems almost inconceivable that the other 3 GI doctors that ran so many tests on her didn’t find them.
* The treatment for this is a bit slower than we would like so there will still be issues with this pain for a while.

* We have dropped her sodium intake down to zero. On the surface it appears that she has stopped needing the 24 grams of sodium chloride a day she needed before. She may now be able to sustain her sodium levels by more natural intake.
* Along with the sodium, we have been able to get her off of nearly all medications. She is down to only three medications she has to take routinely. (This is down from 24 medications when I brought Lynda home from the hospital in August)
* She has on a few occasions articulated information which seems to indicate at least a beginning of a return of past memory. I’m excited about that because the past memory will also provide her with her past talents and abilities and minimize those things she has to “relearn”.
* Lynda also routinely indicates an understanding of the fact that “things are not normal”. She also articulates the desire for things to be “normal” again.


Now for the prayer requests:

Praises:


* Portsmouth Christian Schools (the school that Lynda taught in for many years and was actively teaching in at the time she got sick) and several of the individuals and Sunday school classes at our church (Biltmore Baptist) raised a very significant amount of money to help with the expenses for the therapy program we are going to attend over the next several weeks. Their efforts cover more than ½ of the expenses. Praise God for this much needed help.
* We have found what is likely the cause of her biggest physical problem and have a plan to treat it.
* I have a boss and company that are providing the opportunity to go to this therapy program.


Requests:


* The treatment provided Lynda will take away her pain and any physical discomfort.
* The therapy will be a resounding success.
* Lynda will continue to recover her long-term memory and the ability to use it and articulate it properly.
* Safe and expedient travel and great experiences while we are in Canada.
* That God will bless each and every one of you as you continue to pray for and support me and Lynda.


As you know, because many of you have lived this year with us, this has been a tough time to say the least. It has been a roller coaster ride with emotions I never dreamed of experiencing.

As Lynda and I go to Canada to this clinic, I know that in many ways the work we will do will be harder than anything we have ever done before. But the rewards stand to be greater than any task we have ever undertaken. I believe that everything we experienced in the first beautiful 36 years of our marriage has been God’s way of preparing us for this past year and the recovery before us in the years to come.

I looked back at the journal we kept (mainly as part of Jenny’s nightly emails to each of you) and found that May 12, 2007 is the day we were first informed that Lynda had some level of brain damage. It seems very appropriate that the anniversary of that terrible news is the day that we embark on what could be the most important part of her recovery.

I am excited about this opportunity and I know that each of you has contributed in a very large way to my ability to not only survive the past year, but to be able to provide Lynda the atmosphere, treatment and therapy to bring her back as far as she has come. Through these efforts and the grace of God, she has reached a level that will allow this therapy to become fruitful. You have given so much of yourselves to make my job easier at a time when I could not have needed it more.

Thank you seems like such an inadequate word, but it is said with the utmost sincerity.

Thank you!

Chip and Lynda

Maggie n Grayson UPDATE!!!!

thanks to all of your prayers.......here now is maggie may 10lbs 1/2ozs and grayson 12 lbs 1/2ozs

best wishes to all

jill

Sarah Macey's Surgery...INCREDIBLE

From: st macy
Date: Sat, 17 May 2008 04:32:19 +0000


Please forward to anyone you think might be interested.

First and foremost, we are completely overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and response to the messages about Sarah. This morning we were checking e-mail and had prayer after prayer after prayer being offered for her and our family. You are an incredible support to our family and a beautiful testiment to the power of prayer and faith in God!

A special thank you to all from the St. Joseph community. WOW! What a blessing to have you in our lives. Messages from staff, students stopping every hour to pray, classes saying the Rosary, cards and pictures being sent, and the list goes on. We will never be able to thank you enough for what you did and continue to do for us. The Parish, School, and EEC were absolutely incredible with their response of hope and faith for us. That was a true beacon for us.

Sarah went into surgery this afternoon. What had promised to be a "flipping intense surgery" (the surgeon's words this morning - ha) with a lot of potential complications was successfully completed earlier than expected. The surgery had been predicted to be 5-6 hours if things went smoothly, longer if complications. It was about 4 hours. According to the CT scan, the tumor had spread throughout viens and lungs and could potentially be difficult to extract. The surgeon was able to remove all the visible tumors (the lungs will still needed to be treated via chemotherapy). It will probably be Tuesday before she is considered "fully recovered". Chemotherapy will start shortly after that. They inserted a port for the chemo which will reduce the number of times she needs to be stuck with a needle. As pathology reports come in, we will work with the oncology group to develop a treatment plan. We will keep everyone posted on the developments.

Although we still have a long road ahead of us as we wait for pathology reports and develop a game plan of how we will continue to treat Sarah, this is definitely a wonderful surprise compared to what we thought we would be facing based on the scan reports from yesterday. I truly believe that the power of prayer had a lot to do with today's positive outcome. So many people forwarded the message to others that we had prayers being offered by multiple denominations throughout the US, Masses being offered for Sarah, Rosaries being said, etc. Because of your incredible devotions and prayers, Sarah's surgery was smooth and we are looking a a less intense recovery from it.

Thank you!

May God bless you and your families!!

The Macy Family - Steve, Joan, Catherine, Isabelle, and Sarah

Sarah Macey (3yr old) Needs Your Prayers

We wanted to update everyone with Sarah's condition.

Our escapade with Sarah, our 3-year old, started on Tuesday night when we found a bump on her abdomen. After talking with our doctor's office, we thought she might be a little "backed up" since her play had increased with the nice weather but her fluid intake had not. With complaints of a tummy-ache throughout the night, we decided to take her into the doctor's office on Wednesday.

Our theory of constipation changed to one of a possible hernia and a referral for an ultrasound. While at the imaging center, we received word that the swollen abdomen was due to a Wilm's tumor. With films in hand and a lot of questions in our heads, we headed for Children's Mercy - Downtown for admittance. This is what has developed over the past 24 hours:

She has a Wilm's tumor which is a cancerous growth on a kidney. It occurs in children typically between 3-8 years old. The CT scan shows that it has spread into the major viens/arteries to the heart and leg and into her lungs.

On Friday she will under surgery to remove her kidney with the Wilm's tumor and "clean" the veins/arteries. They will also explore to see if there is further spread not seen on the CT scan. She will then undergo chemotherapy to attack the growths in her lungs and potential other sites. A port will be implanted during surgery through which her future labs and meds will be drawn/delivered. We don't have a definite treatment plan until surgery and pathology reports are complete, but the doctor said to expect it to be a year or two for treatment.

We have been humbled by the extraordinary outpouring of support from family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. It is times like this we realize how blessed we are with such wonderful people in our lives. You may not realize how reassuring your words and actions of support and encouragement are to us. We will never be able to thank you enough. We will keep you posted as to the developments in Sarah's condition. Thank you & may God continue to bless you all!!!

The Macy Family - Steve, Joan, Catherine, Isabelle, & Sarah

All You Need is...Love. Who is Love?

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Father, God bless all my friends and loved ones in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Paul Harvey's Prayer for all of us(a)

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

A Psalm - A Cruel Disease, by Deacon Tom

A Psalm
Cruel Disease

Lord; fate has loaded us with so many disasters
and we try to overcome them but we have little
confidence in our ability.
We struggle to make sense out of the turmoil
that infects us when illness and death
seem to hover closely by us.

We must watch our loved ones suffer
with illness in that even a wise person
can not understand and we feel that we are
without resources.
We writhe in the agony of not knowing why
this illness is so cruel.

Lord our God you know what we have to
contend with.
You know what it is like to see you’re loved
one suffer under the cruel
bludgeoning of senseless pain.
You understand our suffering as friends,
siblings and lovers of the victims.

You made your children, the Hebrews,
emerge from the cruelty of slavery in
Egypt and become a nation.
You saw your son Jesus Christ die
a bitter foolish death on the cross
and through your wondrous grace
rise again to glory.
In all of the dark days of our world
you always have blessed us with
your love. Now we pray for
your children who are terribly ill and
without resources and we ask you to
touch their life with your warmth and
healing presence.

We know Lord that we don't always
see your healing and love as we face
the darkest moments of life, but it is
there.
It is not just healing that we need.
We need to find ways to deal with our
sorrows and live with our cross.
Show us the way out of this senselessness.
Lord you are the divine healer, the
master physician we are you loving children
bless and grace us as you see fit.

Deacon Tom Coffey
Spring 2008

Fake Friends / Real Friends tutorial

FAKE FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
REAL FRIENDS: Is the reason you have no food.

FAKE FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. / Mrs.
REAL FRIENDS: Call your parents DAD/MOM

FAKE FRIENDS: Never seen you cry
REAL FRIENDS: Cry with you

FAKE FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back
REAL FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours

FAKE FRIENDS: Know a few things about you
REAL FRIENDS: Could write a book about you with direct quotes from you

FAKE FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing
REAL FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds butt that left you

FAKE FRIENDS: Would knock on your front door
REAL FRIENDS: Walk right in and say 'I'M HOME!'

FAKE FRIENDS: Are for awhile
REAL FRIENDS: Are for life

FAKE FRIENDS: Will talk bad to the person who talks bad about you.
REAL FRIENDS: Will knock the person out that talked bad about you

FAKE FRIENDS: Would ignore this
REAL FRIENDS: Will send this to all their real friends and hope to get it back!

If you were killed today, I'm sorry I wouldn't be able to come to your funeral, because I'd be in jail for killing the person who did it.

The Cup of Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups-porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:
'Notice that all the nice looking; expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each others cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Thank the Lord for your blessings in 2008. And enjoy your hot chocolate!

James Bockwinkel

From: bockwig@yahoo.comTo: bockWINkel@aol.comSent: 4/26/2008 3:22:15 P.M. Central Daylight TimeSubj: Special Prayer Reqquest for JAMES

Rick,

James needs more prayers than his mom and dad can provide. Please ask your faithful to say one for James.

Every since late January, James has gone from one cold to another. Even had to go to ER once. Well, two days ago, they finally diagnosed his illness. MONO. Anyone who ever had it knows how it can drag you down. He is in his final semester of his final year with graduation 5/11 and lots of papers and reports due in the next week plus finals. James needs some spiritual uplifting.
Thanks
Uncle George

Paul Walker HARVEST

Paul had a morning full of tests and then another appointment with the tranplant doctor. He signed consent for the additional drug to mobilize his stem cells. They will be harvesting his stem cells with the help of this new drug starting Monday, March 24. They generally harvest enough for two stem cell transplants in case another is needed; however, there is a possibility with his past trouble that they may only be able to harvest enough for one tranplant.

A rather major change is that KU is going back to inpatient transplants for awhile. Assuming the harvest is successful, Paul will be admitted to the tranplant unit on March 31, the first day of his chemo; and will be there for approximately three weeks or until his counts go back up. Last Friday, we talked to another myeloma patient that we had met at the support group. He was to be three weeks behind Paul on the tranplant schedule; but due to Paul's delay, he is now two weeks ahead. Anyway, he was told last Friday, that he would be inpatient. That gave us time to kind of get our heads around this before meeting with the doctor today; at least it wasn't a total surprise. We both feel comfortable with this change and feel that this is another way that God is taking care of us.

Again, thank you for all of your support and prayers. We know they are helping.- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)

Dustin Carter

http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/with-an-iron-will-he-finds-a-way/20080229222809990001

If you cannot access this story, let me know. It is inspiring to say the least.

Scripture Verse for your Birthday

Click it out ------> http://www.birthverse.com/MYBIRTHVERSE.CFM

The Cabbie and the Preacher

A cab driver reaches the Pearly Gates and announces his presence to St. Peter, who looks him up in his Big Book. Upon reading the entry for the cabbie, St. Peter invites him to pick up a silk robe and a golden staff and to proceed into Heaven.

A preacher is next in line behind the cabby and has been watching these proceedings with interest. He announces himself to St. Peter. Upon scanning the preacher's entry in the Big Book, St. Peter furrows his brow and says, "Okay, we'll let you in, but take that cloth robe and wooden staff."

The preacher is astonished and replies, "But I am a man of the cloth. You gave that cab driver a gold staff and a silk robe. Surely *I* rate higher than a cabbie."

St. Peter responded matter-of-factly: "This is heaven and up here, we are interested in results. When you preached, people slept. When the cabbie drove his taxi, people prayed."

The Taylor Rozier Cancer Story

Rick,

I am certain someone in your Prayer group is praying for someone with cancer. They might find this story from Incarnate Word Academy in St.L. one of joy. (Good to have some Kleenex handy though for some tears of joy).

Uncle George

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

Paul Walker Cancer Treatment Update

Paul had labs today and his platelets are starting to go up, so the plan is to start the harvest or collection of his stem cells on Monday, 2/25. The chemo and infusion of his stem cells will be the following week.

We are anxious to get started; but, obviously, somewhat apprehensive.

The central line that he had put in on Friday was a bigger deal than we realized; and the care of it is somewhat involved. Once we start going to the cancer center daily, they will take over its care.

Thanks for your support.-- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)

Man raised from the dead by prayer.

Article and video here:
http://www1.wsvn.com/features/articles/specialreport/MI75423

Paul Walker UPDATE...UPBEAT~!

In a message dated 2/12/2008 6:15:05 P.M. Central Standard Time, grandmalindawalker@gmail.com writes:

As of last week, the plan was to start harvesting Paul's stem cells the week of 2/18, and then the chemo and transplant the week of 2/25. He had a couple of full days of tests and consultations last Thursday and Friday. Most everything looked good, except his platelet count was low. This could be due to some medications which he is now going to hold or due to an infection. A low platelet count could make the harvest more difficult. At any rate, everything has been bumped back a week in hopes that the platelet count will go up. The really good news is that the results of his bone marrow biopsy show that his plasma cells are now only 2%. In June when he was diagnosed, they were at 10%. In October, when all of the pain started, he was at 70% in some places. At the beginning of January at Mayo, he was down to 5% after a little more than two cycles of the induction drugs....and now 2%. Actually 3% is normal; I always knew that there was nothing normal about him! The most recent skeletal x-rays show that he has compression fractures in his vertebrae that were not present in his 11/20/07 x-rays. This would explain the terrible pain he had in late November and December. The oxycontin is what is now controlling the pain. In the future he may consider having cement injected in the vertebrae. This would possibly help him get off of the pain meds. But first things, first....and that is the transplant.

Anyway, thank you for all of your prayers. They are really working. We will continue to need them in the coming weeks and months.-- Linda(Calvin's grandmother!)