Saturday, April 30, 2016

APRIL 2016 EDITION

Our lives are so very fragile. Things can change in a heartbeat. I have observed this at close hand. Let me share two incidents that have happened recently.

On Good Friday, Peggy’s niece, her oldest daughter, her daughter’s boyfriend, and her ten year old son were on a trip visiting colleges during the daughter’s Spring Break. They were traveling south on I-95, having left Columbia, South Carolina on their way to Florida for a vacation. I-95 was gridlocked with holiday traffic. While they were at a standstill, a mother who was chatting with her daughter next to her, travelling at normal highway speed, failed to see traffic stopped ahead and struck Peggy’s niece’s car in the left rear side. This caused the niece’s car to spin rapidly in an one hundred and eighty degree manner. The force of the spin did not affect the daughter and the mother who were seated on the driver’s side. However, the force caused a concussion to the boyfriend in the front seat whose head hit the window. Unfortunately, because of his size the ten year old, Teddy, had his head strike the window frame causing a very severe fractured skull. There was great fear for Teddy’s life or the possibility of being on life support during those first days. After a week, the doctors were able to do surgery. This consisted of placing thirteen plates in his skull to repair it. During the next month, Teddy and the family was showered with prayer and support.

 As of this writing, Teddy is now in a pediatric rehab facility near his home in Alexandria, VA. and is amazing everyone with his steady progress. Teddy has resumed walking, dribbling a basketball, doing math problems, laughing and identifying his classmates! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Now, tragically, on the other side of the coin, just two nights ago, five beautiful coeds from the University of Georgia were traveling down a rural road outside of Athens when, inexplicably, their car swerved into the path of an oncoming vehicle and four of these young ladies lost their lives and the fifth is in a coma. Five families and literally thousands of students at UGA and our entire state has been devastated. The young lady that is still in a coma is on student staff with Young Life in Athens. One of the other girls who died was a niece of one of our Young Life regional team. Please keep all the families in your prayers, as well as the Young Life staff in Athens who are dealing with their loss while ministering to so many students from middle school, high school and college.

 “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:13-14) (NIV)  “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom”. (Psalm 90:12)



MINISTRY NEWS

The Friday Morning Group has been studying some of the foundational scriptures pertaining to salvation such as what is known as “The Roman Road”, a series of verses found in Paul’s letters to the Christians in Rome that explains the elements of the gospel message.

I attended the Spring Staff Conference for the Southeast Region of Young Life at Young Life’s SharpTop Cove facility.

I continue to minister to the staff of Young Life’s Southeast Region through visits, e-mails and telephone calls.

I celebrated my 41st Christian birthday on April 29th.

I have had the opportunity to minister to many individual men during the month.

Thank you for making this ministry possible with your prayers,

encouragement and financial support. Of course, we could always use more of all those elements if you are so led.

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