Nikki--

What is your new email address?

Baby Hunt arrives!

Baby Hunt has arrived!

What was it? Boy or Girl

Check out the link to see the surprise!

http://georgiababyonmymind.blogspot.com

Riley Leanne Crisp

I just read this and wanted to share it with those of you who were praying for Riley.

Email from Nigel: "Our precious baby Riley died last night in our arms. Because of her Complete Atrioventricular Canal Defect, her little heart just couldn't pump enough oxygen rich blood to her body and couldn't remove the CO2 and bad gases from her body. The doctors and nurses attempted to keep her blood pressure up and maxed her out on basically every drug in their toolbag (dopamine, dobutamine & finally epinephrine). We were able to hold her and cuddle her and pour out our love on her for 8 hours yesterday before she left this rag of a body and went to be with her Father in heaven. We'll take her back to S.C. and bury her in the Crisp Family Plot in Mountville. We thank our Lord for the 5 wonderful days that she spent with us and all the blessings and joy she brought into our lives during that short visit. We love her and miss her dearly, and know that she was born, lived and died for a Purpose, and that our God really is in control.

Thanks for your prayers...we need them in this difficult time.

-Nigel"

Please continue to pray for this wonderful family. I cannot even bein to imagine what they are going through.

URGENT prayer request

Hey ladies, I hope you are all having a great summer. I feel bad that I haven't seen you all much lately. We just finished our final wedding of the summer and I'm going to AL to celebrate my grandma's birthday this weekend. Busy times!
Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know about an urgent prayer request. Some of you may know the Crisp family in Mountville. Michael is very good friends with their son Nigel that lives in CO. Well, Nigel's wife delivered their baby girl today at only 24 weeks. Riley is 1 lb. 2 oz. PLEASE keep them in your prayers. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through right now. They have 2 sons and I know this is hard and confusing for them as well. We have all seen the amazing results of mighty prayer warriors, and I urge you to remember this special family.

Update on little Mackenzie

I just wanted to share this great news about my friend Julie's little girl. I hope you are all having a great week!

We hope everyone had a great weekend, ours was lazy and uneventful....just the kind we like around here. Mackenzie did get sick once on Saturday and once on Sunday, but other than that she has been full of energy.Mackenzie did real well last week with the anaesthesia and her scans went well, the doctors were able to get all the information they needed.Good News! Mackenzie is still responding to the chemo and her spots are still decreasing and there are NO new areas of concern. Our sweet precious angel continues to prove that one day soon this disease will be gone from her body. Thank you all for the continued prayers and support. We cannot express how blessed our family is to have the wonderful family, friends, and community who think of us everyday.Today Mackenzie began her seventh round of chemo. She received two drugs each of which lasted about an hour. We began the day at 9:30AM and we got home at 2:15PM. So far Mackenzie is doing well, and when we came home she saw her car in the garage and was ready to ride, too hot at that time of day. Mackenzie has tomorrow and Thursday where she gets one drug and then she is finished with this round. After this week one more round to go. Please continue to keep Mackenzie in your prayers!We love you all!Michael, Julie, Hunter, & Mackenzie

Option for Thursday?

Will 7:45 work Thursday night or we can resume on Monday???

Bible Study Thursday Night!!!

Hey everyone! I sent an email out and if you didn't get it here is the short and sweet. Tiffany and I have softball games on Thursday. The game is at 6:45 so it would be too hard to make it eariler or later. Post a suggestion!

Thursday, April 30

This week's bible study will be at Nikki's house. We have lots going on in the upcoming months. I'm trying to figure out a way to post a calendar. Hopefully it will be up soon and we will all be in the know!

Update on my friend Julie's little girl Mackenzie

This was from her most recent post on her caringbridge site:

"Wednesday we were up at 5:45 AM and off to Charlotte. We arrived at the hospital a little after 7:00 AM for Mackenzie's MIBG scan. Mackenzie was put to sleep at 8:30AM and she got to recovery a little before 11:00AM. When we left recovery around noon we went to clinic for Mackenzie to receive one more drug for round five. We left the hospital on Wednesday at 2:30 PM. Mackenzie again did really well.Today we had the last drug for round five, and thankfully today was a short day. In at noon out, at 1:30PM. Before we left the doctor came in to give us the results of the testing that has been going on for the last two weeks. As you know Mackenzie's disease is at stage four meaning the tumors have spread throughout her body. The disease in her back, legs, arms, and pelvic region are disappearing. The tumor above the kidney is getting smaller, the one behind her eye is getting smaller. The tumors are responding to the chemo and the doctor is happy with what he is seeing at this point. Our doctor did say he would have liked to see the tumor above the kidney to be a little smaller at this point, but nonetheless it is shrinking. Same for the tumor behind her eye, but that could be caused by the disease effecting the bone and not necessarily be a tumor. Another CT scan might be done next week to get a better idea of the eye area."

Please continue to lift this incredible family up in prayer. Her daughter is only about a month older than Luke and it breaks my heart to think of what they are going through.

Caroline and John's Baby Update

Caroline has a blog where she is updating their baby news--I'm just going to link to it from here rather than re-typing everything. Thank you for your prayers!

http://georgiababyonmymind.blogspot.com

Praise God!!! I was able to witness today. A older man that has been coming to our outpatient clinic came today and gave me this opportunity. I knew that he wasn't saved, just based on the way he walked and talked. Somehow we got on the discussion about the end of times and I said that I liked reading the book of revelations. He asked why? I then told him, "I guess I like to know the way the story ends". Well he then proceeded to ask questions (and laughing the entire time). He said "Now, I want to ask you something, and I am just asking...how do you know that Muslims aren't believing the right thing?" I think we have all had this same question at some point or another and just staying in teh word and reading reveals the answer, but Martha (secretary who is a christian) responded. She said because if you are saved and you believe the scripture you know that religions that make their own idols are false and Muslims do that. I also followed up by--"if you believe that you are a christian ,in which you said you are, then you would have no other reason to believe otherwise. Our christianity faith is based on one God and one God alone. He tells us in the 10 commandments to have no other God's before me and to not make idols for yourselves. I also asked him what does being a christian mean to him and he responded by saying "if I treat people good and do right and try not to do anything bad." I responded by "that's not what a true christian is". Well we went on discussing and later I asked him " Would you like me to get you some material" and he responded and laughed saying "No". I could not beleive how it did not bother me that he was laughing at me, but then I thought to myself he laughed in discomfort. This man has recently been diagnosed with a disease that is quickly killing him. I pray that you girls will pray for him and that God would convict him with the things that we said and make him start questioning and searching for answers. Pray that God would seek him. Emails are so hard to tell a story because you can't hear the tone of my voice, but rejoice with me. This was an awesome opportunity for me.

Hey Ladies!!! Please pray that God would send me the energy of a wild horse to start studying for the boards. Time is clicking-oh No! Don't forget I graduate May 14,15. Leave to go back to Charleston May 5, so guess what someone is going to have to do the bible study for me--hahaha! Summer doesn't officially start until June so no excuses!

Prayer Request

This message was sent to me from my mother-in-law and I thought I would pass it along...


"Please keep Jennifer and Brad Cheek in your prayers As you probably know, Jennifer has been on bed rest for several weeks with premature contractions that have complicated her pregnancy. For the 4th week in a row, she has been hospitalized in Laurens. Tonight, Dr. Brown has decided to send her to Spartanburg Regional via ambulance, to a high risk doctor as her contractions have persisted in spite of the medications he has prescribed to stop them. Dr. Brown has been proactive in preparing little Jenna Bradlee for a premature delivery by giving her meds to strengthen her lungs. At 27 weeks, the ultrasound predicts her weight at a little over 3 pounds. Please pray for them and their families. "

I absolutely LOOOOVVEEE the new background. Way to go Jill!!!

I will see you guys on Thursday!

New Background

Ok----Tired of the pink already----a little b..oooo..rrrr..ing! So what do you think about this? A little sprucing up! I didn't hear back from anyone..so I'm thinking how about 7? E will take the girls up to his mom for dinner and baths and will have them back home for bed around 8. They'll be upstairs though so we're good for an all nighter....just kidding. Anyway, I'll see you all tomorrow.

On another though...I heard a portion of a talk about this book yesterday on Focus on the Family....I love listening to that while I'm in the school pick-up line---the part of the day I actually look forward too--the sun coming in the windows, kids sleeping in the back and just listening to wonderful speakers with great advice---anyway.....

They were discussing this new book and it sounds like it would be GREAT! It's a 2 book series/set. One for wives and one for husbands. It's all about how to figure out what the opposite sex is thinking. For example, Yesterdays talk was on wives learning about men and used the example of when men are driving around looking for a place--lost--and won't stop and ask for directions--for wives to constantly nag them about stopping and asking someone, they sense that we don't have faith in them or trust them. That's not our point--we just don't won't to be late, but they don't hear that in the communication--They hear--you are dumb and don't know how to do anything right!

The 2nd part today will be about men understanding women---looking forward to hearing what that has to say.

Just wanted to share the book with you. I think I'm going to get it for E and I. (Erskine told me the other night to stop handing him reading material--he's getting behind.-) Just what he needs--1 more book!

Hey everyone! I can finally do a post. Yes, I didn't get on the blog to see what the update was, but yes we are going to do the thing at Jill's.

Thurs. Meeting

Hi!

Just wanted to send a reminder that this week will be at my house. Let me know if anyone needs directions!

What time is good for most? Whatever suits me. Marji do you have a game this week? Nikki--are you still working late? Just let me know!~

Hope ya'l are having a good week!

Oh and "WAY TO GO NIKKI FOR A GREAT JOB SUNDAY!" I know that's tough!

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Just checking to see that my post will work!

No Bible Study This Week

Hi Girls!

Just wanted to send out a reminder that we will not have bible study this week. We'll take the week off for Spring Break and then pick up at Jill's house the following week.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy break---Kaysi--be careful traveling!

Special Prayer Request

Hey ladies, I hope everyone is having a great week. I have a quick prayer request. My cousin is leaving for her first mission trip this Sunday. She is going with Casting Crowns and other members of her church to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It's a VERY dangerous place, especially for believers. The crime rate is unreal and some of the things she has told me scare me to death. Please pray for their safety and for God's will while they are sharing the gospel.
I can't believe places like this exist right here in the U.S., right in our backyard. The teenage suicide rate is 150% higher than U.S. average, the school drop out rate is 70 % higher, life expectancy is 48 years for a man and 52 years for a woman. Aren't these crazy facts? These are just a few of the many disturbing things about this area. Imagine what God could do there!Thank you for praying with me for all of the men and women going to SD.

God Needs Our Prayers

I am re-reading the "Love to Pray" book study we did at church a few years ago--hoping to get a little better at it. I read this today and thought it was really good in light of the condition our country and community are heading---just thought I would share.

God Needs Our Prayers
9Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight hte Amalekites...I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."...
11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. Exodus 17:9, 11

God sometimes teahes us in surprising ways. When Israel faced a serious military threat, Joshua and the army went out to fight, but Moses went up on a hillside to pray. When his praying hands were up, Israel was winning. But when they were down, the enemy was winning.
Why, we may ask, would God allow his people to suffer defeat when there was no prayer? The answer is that God was teaching his people that he chooses to move in RESPONSE TO PRAYER and that He WILL NOT MOVE WITHOUT IT. Though he is almighty, all-wise, and fully able to work without us, God chooses to work throught our prayers. He calls us into a working partnership. Without us, he won't work.
When God first taught me this important principle of prayer, it had a simple but pointed application for me. It was as if God said, "Alvin, when your children go to chool each morning, they are heading into battle. If you as a parent keep your hands uplifted (like Moses) they will be winning. BUut, if your praying hands come down, they will be losing." I have never forgotten that lesson.
Since that time I have come to see that as church leaders and faithful Christians "lift up holy hands in prayer", the church grows strong and is able to break down the gates of hell. When believers in neightborhoods and workplaces lift up praying hands over those around them, the powers of darnkness are pushed back.
The most common testimony of Lighthouse keepers as they pray over neighborhoods is that of transformation. They speak of crack houes closing, crime rates falling, marriages being restored, families coming back together, and people being converted. WHat's happening as God's people pray over their neighborhoods is the same thing that happend as Moses prayed over the battlefield. The forces of evil go into retreat.
What we need most for solving the problems in our society is not more money, more education, more ideas, books, or strategies. Our prime need is hands lifted up in prayer. "We can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our work. Prayer...can do anything God can do! When we pray, God works" Where are your hands right now?

from Love To Pray-A 40 day devotional for deepening your prayer life:by Alvin Vandergriend

Thursday, March 26 Meeting

Hi Girls!

Just a reminder that this week we will be a Tiffany's. Our other 1/2's are welcome to join this week. Tifffany--let us know what time suits you.

We are each bringing a finger food to add to the spread. This is what we have so far. Just post a comment, so we'll know what you're bringing and we can fill in the gaps.

Kaysi--Pigs in a Blanket
Nikki--Donuts
Jill--Snack mix and something sweet?
Marji--Tea, plates, napkins, supplies
Tiffany--pizza dip and apple dip

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him- Psalm 37:7

Wow- I can't believe I'm the first one on here. I just wanted to share with everyone that I have had a prayer answered...it only took about 2 years. God's time, not ours...right? When I considered homeschooling Ella 2 years ago, I prayed and prayed for a homeschool friend but never received one. God has now answered my prayer and brought Jill and me together. He is amazing, isn't He? My memory verse this past week was Psalm 37:7 and it reminded me that you really do have to just wait on God. It's so hard and not an easy thing for me to do, but it can be so rewarding. I'm really looking forward to the next year as Jill and I tackle this adventure. We will need your prayers and support ALOT, lol! I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend. See you Sunday!

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