My Danielle

Last Sunday at Creekside one of our brothers came to me and Ellen and said, "I have something that I think will be a blessing to you both." I didn't know what to think. He told me about a Homeopathic Doctor in our area that helped people with all kinds of sicknesses. He thought that this man might be the answer to prayers for our daughter Danielle. He thought it so much that he said he would pay for the treatment.

In January of 2004, the middle school called us and told us that Danielle had a seizure. We thought they were talking about someone else's child. That couldn't be happening to us! It was happening to us. She had two major seizures that day and began having absance seizures from then until the present. These are just short staring spells where she "zones out" for a few seconds. We have been "controlling" these with medication since that time. The doctors have been hopeful that she would outgrow these someday.

Doctor Smith told us yesterday that he thinks he pinpointed the problem. It would take lots of BLOG time to tell you the whole story, but he was amazing to watch. He is also treating her with all natural remedies. I think that is cool!

I am asking you, my brothers and sisters to pray that this be the answer we have been looking for. Danielle is so excited about the possibility of being seizure free. Danielle is 15 years old and wanting to get her driver's permit. She must be seizure free for six months in order to do that. I know that it seems like a small thing to want to drive and she is really handling it well, but it is a big thing to her. Quite frankly, I think that my daughter not being able to drive in this city is a blessing. You parents of teens know what I am talking about.

I am rambling now, so I will hush. Just please pray.

What a Weird 24 Hours!

I have had a weird last 24 hours. Last night Ellen and I spent the evening at a "Pastor's and Minister's Appreciation Dinner." There were hundreds of clergy there from all kinds of backgrounds--even a Jewish Rabbi. That was really weird. It was a really enjoyable evening. A Christian comedian, Dennis Swanberg was there and he was one of the funniest people I have ever heard.

Then this morning I went on a local Christian radio station to help with there annual "Sharathon" which helps raise money for the station. Before leaving, I had the two DJ's lay hands on me a pray. What an experience!

Following this time I went to a local monthly preachers' luncheon at Heritage Christian University. This meeting consists usually of about 30 ministers from local churches of Christ. I cannot share the contents of that meeting due to confidentiality, but suffice it to say, it was very interesting.

I don't know what to make of all this diversity in my life. Some say on one side of the fence that it is the leading of God. Others call me a heretic. Some just don't know what to do with me.

I see it as a journey. God is moving in my life. It is an adventure. One that, if I could just get myself out of the way I believe will lead me into places I have never been before. I pray that those places are where God wants me. I pray for wisdom and strength to endure these "weird" times. I say weird because it is a strange time for me. The awesome thing is, however, God does not see it as weird at all. He already knows the outcome. He has promised me that He will not leave me nor forsake me. That is all my hope and trust. It's not about me anyway. It's about Him! Praise Him for weird times!!

Prayer Request

The following prayer request comes from one of our family at Creekside. Please pray for this family.

Hello everyone.... I just had to email to ask you to pray for Jason Langdon. Jason is the seventeen year old son of one of our Farm Bureau employees. We at Farm Bureau are like family even if we do not know each other personally. Jason tore/severed his carotid artery during a football game about 2 weeks ago. He suffered a major stroke on the left side of his brain. He was air-lifted to The Med in Memphis, TN and has had several surgeries. Jason is paralyzed on his right side and cannot speak. He is off life support and is breathing on his own. He developed pneumonia this week and has been battling that. If all goes well, he will be transferred by ambulance to Shepherd Center in Atlanta on Monday October 10th. This is supposedly one of the best rehabilitation centers in the country.

Jason is an outstanding person and athlete. He plays all sports well and was probably getting a baseball scholarship to one of MS's 4 year universities. As you may imagine, his spirits are very low. I am asking for your prayers for Jason, his family, his doctors, his therapists, and his nurses. I also ask that you forward this prayer request to those who will respond. Prayer will get Jason and his family through this tragedy. Please add him to your church prayer lists, bible study prayer lists, etc...

FYI - The Langdons are from Water Valley, MS. Jason is a Water Valley High School football player.

Growing Pains

Growing hurts! Anything that grows in size must, at some point, stretch. Stretching is painful.

Tonight at Creekside was, in my opinion, a great step forward in the growth of our church family. We had the second of "Open" night. We meet each third Sunday night with any of the adults who want to come to be open in our worship, thoughts, and prayers for each other. It is a time of sharing and caring for one another. It is a time to vent if need be. It is a time of expression to our heavenly Father.

Tonight was special because people really "opened" up and shared some things that to an onlooker without knowledge of the love of God and the Spirit of our family would have thought there to be a fight about to break out. In the midst of this time of somewhat of a disagreement, there was a sense of peace that prevailed. I know that ultimately all peace comes from God but I wanted to share some observations I had without revealing any of the conversation due to confidentiality.

Observation #1: I saw the love of Jesus revealed through people disagreeing without attacking. That is unusual in our heritage. People tend to want to be "right." People do want their "say" and sometimes they want their "way" too. But this was not the case tonight. People were allowed to be open with one another and leave as brothers and sisters in complete love for each other.

Observation #2: I saw the art of shepherding in action. In my past, when an "elder" stands up in a meeting where everyone else is seated, that usually means trouble. Tonight when the "shepherd" stood up, he said not a word, but simply by standing offered comfort to us all. It was amazing. I know why that happens. This shepherd, like all of our shepherds at Creekside, is a man of God who is humble in nature and non-intimidating in spirit. He was there to comfort an uncomfortable situation. That is what a shepherd is supposed to do.

Observation #3: I saw a man fall to his knees in prayer, pouring his heart out to God. Verbally crying out! Openly in the Spirit! Challenging in his prayer! Instead of being asked to "calm down" or made to feel like and idiot, a woman in the crowd stood up and walked to him during his prayer and knelt with him as he finished an emotional outpouring to God. Awesome!!

There was more that I could BLOG about, but suffice it to say, It was very spiritually uplifting! Praise God! By the way, for those of you who can't read this for trying to "figure out" what the controvery was all about, the disagreement was insignificant compared to the uplift we all recieved in the Spirit. I guess you'll just have to wonder;).