Labor Day Pains, Prayers, and News

Friends:

Good afternoon, all!  I hope you're enjoying your Labor Day weekend.  Let's all be glad that we aren't fleeing New Orleans!

Thanks to the Ericksons for bringing our donuts this morning!  Next week, Ben & Teresa Sullivan are in charge.  Thanks, folks!

We have lots going on, so let's get to our prayers, praises, and related matters.

PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Vince and Mary leave for China on Wednesday!  Mary is just now experiencing her first labor pains. : )  Please pray for safe travel and a great meeting with Malia!  Pray that God will be with all three Ericksons every step of the way.  We will be excited to see you when you return!  Mary will be sending updates to this web site.  If for some reason she can't access this site in China, she will send along updates to me and pass them along to the class.  Here's the link:

http://www.journeytomalia.com/

Of course, we also need to continue our prayers for Steve May's dad.  He is back at home, but recovery will take some time.  Pray that his Parkinson's will get under control.  Pray, also, for Steve's mom who is helping him to recover.

Vince has asked that we pray for the Phillips family in Oklahoma.  Their young son, Jacob, died this past week after climbing on a dresser that then fell over on top of him.  This is a very sad and tragic story, and we need to pray for everyone who knew Jacob.

Let's be sure to pray for everyone who is in the path of Hurricane Gustav.  Pray for as little damage as possible and for a successful evacuation of New Orleans and other areas.  Pray for a good response from local, state, and federal governments as well.

Rod Smith has asked that we pray for his wife Shannon and their son Bo.  They are in Arizona visiting family.  Rod also will be traveling on Friday to be with them.  Pray for a good trip and safe travel for the Smith family.

Nicki Sanchez would like for us to pray for a lady she knows named Mrs. Glass.  She fell and broke her hip this past week.  Please pray for a complete and speedy recovery for Mrs. Glass.

The Sullivans brought a praise today that Hunter had a good check-up recently with his physicians.  They were a bit concerned that he wasn't developing as fast as he should be, but it turns out that he is just fine.  Great news, Sullivans!

Vince E. has asked that we say a praise for his friend Scott Reister.  Scott's wife recently gave birth to a baby girl named Mallory Rose.  Praise God for the great news!

Mr. Corbin will have his thumb surgery this Friday morning (Sep 5).  Please pray for a successful surgery and a quick and full recovery.

We need to pray for everyone who has been affected by the very sad story of the family from West that was killed while walking along the road this past week.  I believe that four people died in the accident.  Please pray for strength and comfort during this terribly difficult time of mourning.

Last but certainly not least, Jason Bunting has asked that we pray for the Acosta family.  Mrs. Acosta is the Hewitt Elementary teacher who passed away about 10 days ago.  Ask God to be with everyone who is mourning her loss.  Jason also would like for us to pray specifically for the faculty at Hewitt Elementary.  The teachers have been through several deaths in the past few years.  Pray for comfort, strength, and a positive spirit during this difficult time.

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I think that covers our prayers and praises for this Sunday.  I am enjoying our study of Proverbs!  I appreciate hearing from everyone on Sunday morning!  I hope the rest of you do as well.  Next week, the subject will be "Honoring Family in the Book of Proverbs".  Here are the selections from Proverbs that we will read and discuss.  This material is right down our alley:

Proverbs 15:17

Proverbs 17:1-6

Proverbs 19:18

Proverbs 21:9

Proverbs 21: 19

Proverbs 23:22

I'll get our lesson questions uploaded by the end of the week.

Have a great week, everyone!  We'll look forward to seeing you again next Sunday.

Wes and Dana

Speaking Truth from Proverbs

Friends

Happy Labor Day weekend! I have attached our lesson for Sunday. If you can, find some time to read these selections from Proverbs and write down your thoughts about the questions.

Dana and I look forward to seeing all of you on Sunday morning.

Wes

Update on Steve May's Dad (Estol)

I've just talked with Steve on the phone. He is driving home tonight. His Dad is in a VA hospital in Dallas. He is stabilized and awake, but has some recovery to do. As many of you know, Steve's Dad (Estol is his name) suffers from Parkinson's disease as well as dementia. They will do some more tests on Estol tomorrow to determine what to do next. He had a by-pass surgery in 1996, so they may have to go in and clean up some of the arteries that they worked on back then. He for sure suffered a heart attack late this afternoon.

Steve would like for us to pray that his Dad will be at peace and comfortable. Pray, also, for good decision-making for the physicians who are helping Estol. We also need to pray for Steve's brother and sister, who are both in Dallas with Estol. I've told Steve and Jennifer to let us know what we can do to help them.

Thanks for your prayers. I'll keep you posted as I hear more from Steve and Jennifer.

Wes

Prayers for Steve May's Dad

Friends:

I just received word this evening that Steve May's Dad has had a heart attack. Please pray for him and for Steve as he drives to Dallas. I will send more details as soon as I have them. Pray that God will help Steve's Dad through this. Pray for strength, safety, and comfort for Steve as well.

Wes

Erickson Shower Photos!, and Other News and Prayers

Friends:

Good evening, everyone! We had a great shower this afternoon for the Ericksons. Thanks again to the VanZees for hosting us at their home! You guys are great, Brian and Jill. We were able to give Malia some great gifts and we also had the opportunity to pray for the Ericksons as they get ready for the trip. They leave one week from this Wednesday on September 3rd. They will arrive with Malia on Saturday, September 20th, at 12:45 p.m. at the Waco airport. Several of us are planning to meet them at the airport when they arrive. So be sure to put September 20th at 12:45 p.m. on your calendars!

Thanks, also, to everyone who donated some money to help the Ericksons pay for a few meals as they travel to China. We've now set this down as a new precedent for our class. If anyone else decides to fly to China to adopt a little one, we'll at least help a bit with meals along the way! I know the Ericksons appreciate us doing this for them. In the interim, let's be praying for Malia and her soon-to-be American parents!

Next, let's be sure to say a big welcome to Angela Banks. She was a guest in our class this morning. Angela, it was great to have you! I do hope that you will come back to see us again next Sunday. We'll save a chair for you!

We also need to thank the Mays (Jennifer in particular!) for bringing our donuts this morning. We appreciate it, Jennifer! She managed to get all three boys and several dozen donuts to church and class this morning. You're my hero, Jennifer! Next week, the Ericksons are in charge of goodies.

PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Praise God that Raelynn VanZee is now officially a VanZee! Yep, that's right. Brian, Jill, and Breeley went to Dallas last Wednesday to finalize Raelynn's adoption. Praise God for this special little girl and for the VanZee family!

Next, we need to pray for the family of Veronica Acosta. Veronica is the Hewitt Elementary teacher who passed away suddenly this past week. This is of course a very sad and tragic time for her family. She had two young children. Please pray for these children and for everyone who is mourning the loss of Veronica.

We need to pray for Shawn Buhner's mom. The Buhners have been helping her to relocate and adjust to Waco this summer. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few weeks ago. Please pray for better days for her and for patience for Shawn and Shelley. Hang in there, guys! We also need to pray for Shawn's father, who is still living in Houston.

Let's continue to pray for our expectant mommies: Amy Nicholson, Elizabeth Nemec, and Mary Erickson.

Vince E. has asked that we pray for his friends Cole and Iva. Their son had a successful brain surgery this past week, which is certainly a praise. We need to pray for him during his time of recovery. We also need to pray for Cole and Iva as they continue to deal with adoption matters for the boys.

With school starting, let's be sure to pray for all of the teachers, students, and administrators who are beginning a new school year.

Christina G. would like for us to pray for her brother. He is selling his business, graduating from school in May, and otherwise making some major changes in his life. Ask God to be with him during this time of change and transition. Also on the Christina front, she would like for us to pray for her parents. They are traveling. In addition, Christina brought a praise about her uncle, Mike. He recently completed his Ph.D. degree in pharmacy. Praise God for his hard work!

Mary Erickson has asked that we continue to pray for her friend, Jen. She is the one who is pregnant and on bed rest. She had a rough week last week. The baby isn't getting any amniotic fluid. She's only 18 weeks. Please pray for better days for Jen and this little baby.

Salley T. would like for us to pray for her mother, who is traveling to visit Salley and the girls this week. We also need to pray for Salley as she makes some changes in her life. She recently decided to leave the Methodist Children's Home and start a business on her own. Please pray for Salley as she begins this new chapter in her life.

WE GET TO CELEBRATE A WEDDING!

Speaking of new chapters in Salley's life, how about this news: SALLEY AND CHRIS SCHMID ARE GETTING MARRIED! Yep, that's right. After several years of dating, Chris has asked Salley to tie the knot. No date yet, but they will be officially married in the not too distant future. Please pray for Salley and Chris as they plan for many exciting days together as one family. Praise God for this exciting news!

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Next week, we will continue our study of Proverbs. If you wish to read ahead, we will be looking specifically at these verses:
Proverbs 11:1-3
Proverbs 12:19-22
Proverbs 14:25
Proverbs 15:4

More on those verses later in the week.

I believe that's everything for tonight, folks. Do we have a lot going on or what?! Exciting times, I must say.

Dana and I hope all of you have a great week. Enjoy the photos of the Erickson shower!

Wes and Dana