News, Prayers, Character, and the Cowboys Better Pick it Up!

Friends:

Good afternoon! Well, once again, here I am shipping off this message during the Cowboys game. They better pick things up a bit!

First of all, let's say a big thank you Ben and Nicki Sanchez for bringing our snacks this morning. Way to go, Ben and Nicki! Next week, the Hudsons are in charge. Seeing as how the Hudsons eat a bit healthier than some of us, I suspect they may be bringing something that is a bit healthier for us, but we'll see! Thanks for signing up, Hudsons!

CLASS LUNCH ON OCTOBER 19TH!!!
As I mentioned last week, we will be heading to lunch as a class on Sunday, October 19th. Please put this date on your calendar! Next Sunday, we'll discuss where we want to go. We'll dismiss about 11:30 that day.

PRAYERS AND PRAISES
We have lots of prayers and praises this week, so let's get to it.

Praise God for Malia's first visit to our church and class this morning! She is a precious little girl. Please continue to pray for Malia as she adjusts and for Vince and Mary as they begin their lives as parents. Pray for good nights of sleep and continued learning of English for Malia. Malia has slept well for the last two nights, so that's good news. Please pray that it will continue.

Vince brought a praise this morning that things are looking positive for his friends Cole and Iva in Oklahoma. They will be able to use their chosen names for the two young boys they are looking to adopt officially. Please pray for continued good news for Vince's friends.

Bernie has asked that we pray for Sarah Dudley, a friend of hers from work. Sarah recently had a kidney transplant and has been suffering from some complications. Pray for better health and a complete recovery for Sarah.

I would like for us to pray for Mona Choucair. She had to have some surgery this past week, but is now home and, as far as I know, recovering just fine. Please pray for a quick and complete recovery for Mona.

Ben and Teresa have asked that we pray for Hunter. He's had a bit of a rough start to his first grade year. Please pray for better days at school for Hunter.

Steve May is leaving this week for a trip to New Jersey. Please pray for a quick and safe trip for Steve.

Also on the May front, Benjamin turned 12 this week! Praise God for a great day for Benjamin.

Shawn Buhner had a praise this morning that his mom is doing a better and has settled into her new home. Please continue to pray for good days for her. Let's also pray for Shawn. He's traveling to Houston today to see his Dad.

Happy Anniversary to the Hookhams! Yep, that's right. Jeff and Bernie were married twelve years ago today. Way to go, Hookhams! Please ask God to be with the Hookhams on their special day. As all of you know, the Hookhams have been with our class from the beginning. Praise God for sending the Hookhams to help us build our class. With the turnover that we've had during the last couple of years, the Hookhams are the only holdovers left from the beginning. I think that means that Jeff and Bernie have been the victims of more bad jokes than anyone other than my wife. We love you guys, Hookhams!

We need to pray for our country during these difficult economic times. Please pray for strong leaders who make decisions that benefit all of us, not just some of us. Ask, also, that God will provide our nation with wise, steady leadership during the years ahead.

Jill and Brian VanZee have lots of traveling to do during the next few weeks. Please pray for safe travel and successful trips for Jill and Brian.

Last but certainly not least, lots of people in the South are dealing with difficult days due to a lack of gas. Pray that the refineries will get back on track so gasoline can be delivered soon. Pray, also, for our country's efforts to rid ourselves of foreign oil by investing in alternative fuel sources!

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For those of you who want to look ahead, next Sunday we will be looking at Galatians 5:16-26. We will continue our focus on character by looking at the subject of Discipline. I'll have things put together by Friday evening.

Have a great week, everyone. See you next Sunday!

Wes and Dana

Courage and Character for Tomorrow

Friends:

Good afternoon! I have uploaded our lesson for tomorrow. It's called "Courage and Character". See below. The next study we are doing is on character. It's going to be great for us. I’m already enjoying it. It’s also timely. Character is certainly something our country needs more of at this point.

Dana and I look forward to seeing all of you in the morning!

Wes

News, Prayers, and Go Cowboys! (Unless you're a Packers fan)

Friends:

Good evening, all! Well, the Cowboys seem to be off to a good start with a fumble. Let's hope for a good game to watch this evening!

Let's start off this evening by saying a big welcome to Richard and Tina Leonberger. They were guests in our class this morning. We enjoyed having you, Richard and Tina! I do hope that you will come back and see us again next Sunday. We'll be looking for you!

Next, we need to say a big thanks to the Hookhams for bringing our donuts this morning. Thanks, Jeff and Bernie! Ben and Nicki Sanchez are signed up to bring our snacks this next week. Thanks for taking care of us, Ben and Nicki!

PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Let's move on to our prayers, praises, and other news for this week.

Praise God for the Erickson family! They arrived home safely yesterday afternoon about 12:30. Since was I out of town, I was, unfortunately, not able to be there, but several of you were able to make it. From what I hear, Malia and her parents are doing quite well! Let's continue our prayers for Malia as she adjusts to her new life in America. Pray for the entire Erickson clan as they recover from jet lag.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT MEALS FOR THE ERICKSONS: Dana will be contacting Mary soon to arrange meals for them. Please be on the lookout for Dana's email. Vince goes back to work tomorrow. Thank you for considering this very important way to help the Ericksons.

Next, we need to keep up our prayers for our other expectant mommies: Amy N. and Elizabeth N. Amy is due in just a few weeks! Elizabeth will find out the gender of their little one soon. Exciting days, I must say!

Brian VanZee and Brian Nicholson were both home sick this morning. We need to pray that they will get to feeling better soon.

I would like to ask that everyone continue to pray for the Moore family. Their son, Andy, has been diagnosed with cancer. I have not heard an update recently, so I don't have any new information. I'll try to found out more this week. Please pray for health and strength for Andy and the entire Moore family.

Christina G. has asked that we pray for her friends in Houston who are recovering from the hurricane. She has good news, however, that her parents' home was not seriously damaged.

The Hudsons also have family in Houston. Pray for them as they recover as well. Lots of people are facing difficult days as they rebuild their lives along the coast. Please pray for everyone who has been affected.

Jennifer May would like for us to pray for her mother and step-father. They will be traveling this week. On top of that, Jennifer's step-dad broke a rib a week or so ago and has been in pain because of that. Pray for a safe trip and as little pain as possible for Jennifer's step-dad.

Shannon and Rod Smith should be moving into their renovated home in about three weeks. For those of you who don't know, their home was struck by lightning back in late spring (April, I think). The house suffered a great deal of damage, but the good news is that the remodeling is just about complete. Please pray for Rod and Shannon as they prepare for the move back into their home. Pray that everything will go smoothly and quickly.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: CLASS LUNCH ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19TH!!

For those of you who are new to our class, on occasion we dismiss class a few minutes early and head out to eat somewhere as a class. This is a great way for us to enjoy some fellowship time outside of class. We haven't done this in a while, so I think it's time to schedule one. It looks as though Sunday, October 19th, will be good for a number of us. PLEASE PUT THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR! I hope all of you will be able to make it.

Last but not least, we will move on to a different Bible study next week. Our new subject for a few weeks will be "Character". I will send out the lesson by Friday evening. I think this lesson on Character will go quite well with our theme of Heroes. For those of you who would like to read ahead, the verses we'll be considering next Sunday are as follows:

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

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Well, in the time it has taken for me to type this message, the Cowboys and the Packers have both kicked a field goal. It looks as though this could be an exciting game!

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

Wes and Dana

Trusting God (Not Wall Street) for Sunday

Friends:

Good evening. Greetings from Washington, DC! I have uploaded our lesson for Sunday. See "Trusting God" in our Lesson Links box below.

Our nation has had a rough week. Putting together our lesson for Sunday, I am struck at the power and relevance of our message this week: "Trusting God". All of us, and our kids, will be paying for many years to make up for the greed that has infected Wall Street. Trusting God, it seems to me, is the right place to begin as we work to rebuild our country.

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In better news, the Erickson family will be home on Saturday! Mary and Vince, we are quite excited about seeing Malia!

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Last but not least, don't forget that the Baylor Bears play on ESPN2 tonight at 7:00 p.m. CST. Sic 'em Bears! Be sure to vote on our poll above!

Dana and I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday. The Hookhams are in charge of donuts this week. Thanks, Hookhams!

Wes

Fall is Here, Ike is Gone, and We Move On

Friends:

Good afternoon! Thought you might enjoy a couple more pictures of Malia. She will arrive home with Vince and Mary next Sunday at 12:45 at the Waco airport!

PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Let's go ahead and get to our prayers and praises. We need to continue to pray for Amy N. and Elizabeth N. Amy is due in about 5-6 weeks! Let's also pray for Mary E. as she recovers from the delivery. : ) Be sure to pray for Mary, Vince, and Malia as they travel home this weekend.

We need to pray for all of the families that have been impacted by the terrible train wreck in California. I believe that several dozen people have died. Please pray for comfort for everyone who is mourning the death of loved ones. Pray for those who are recovering as well.

Ms. Raelynn VanZee goes in this Wednesday morning for her ear tube surgery. Please pray for a successful surgery and a quick recovery for Raelynn. Pray, also, that these tubes will do the trick and Raelynn will have some healthy weeks and months in the future!

We need to continue our prayers for the Coltrain family. They remain in a state of transition as they continue to work to sell their home. Please pray for smoother and easier days for Khalil and Leslie. Pray for safe travel for Khalil as he goes back and forth to Round Rock. Pray, also, that they will find a buyer for their home!

We also need to pray for everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Ike. This has been a devastating storm that has done almost $10 billion worth of damage. Pray for everyone who is working to rebuild and for those who are stranded.

Jennifer May has asked that we pray for the China Spring families that are mourning the lost of the two kids who died in a car wreck about a week ago. Please pray for comfort and strength for the families as well as for everyone at China Spring High School who is dealing with the loss.

Let's continue our prayers for Jason Bunting's school. They continue to deal with the loss of one of their teachers a few weeks ago. Pray for strength and healing for everyone at the school, teachers and students. Let's pray that they will look toward the future and have a great school year.

Last but certainly not least, I would appreciate your prayers for the family of one of my colleagues, Scott Moore. Their son Andy (who I think is 9 or 10 years old) was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his hand. I don't know many details, but I know the Moore family has been in Houston this week (dealing with the hurricane as well, of course). Please pray for healing and health for Andy and for strength, courage, and God's grace for the Moore family.

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I believe that covers it for today, folks. I enjoyed hearing everyone's thoughts on our Proverbs verses this morning. Next week, we will look at the following verses. Take a look before then if you have time:

Proverbs 3:1-4
Proverbs 3:5-8
Proverbs 3:9-12

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

Wes

P.S.--I also need to say a thank you to those who helped run the Big Bull at the Block Party. I appreciate it. I think everyone had a great time!

Anyone Ever Get Angry?, Lesson for this Sunday

Friends:

I have uploaded our lesson for Sunday. You can find it at the bottom right. The title is "Managing Anger".

We look forward to seeing you Sunday. Stay clear of Ike! Let's be sure to pray for everyone in harm's way.

Wes

First Pictures of Malia with Vince and Mary!

Take a look, everyone! Praise God for Malia! Thank you, Mary, for sending these!!!

Prayer Request from Christina Gilliam

Friends:

Thanks for your prayers for Christina and her family.

Wes

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Wes,

I won't be able to attend class this Sunday, but I do need some prayers. My family owns property in San Patricio county, where Hurricane Ike is likely to hit. One of our houses will be fine, we might lose some windows, minimal flooding, etc. because it is up on a bluff, but our other house (the one we are trying to sell) is located about 200 yards from Corpus Christi Bay and ship channel which means, we could very well lose the house or incur major, major damage. My parents are torn as to what to do, especially since we are well over 5 hours away and people are already evacuating to McLennan County, San Patricio county's sister county. If they lose the house, insurance will pay WELL over what the house is worth, but we don't feel that that would be a good benefit, if you will.

My aunt's house is on South Padre Island, and could likely suffer some severe damage as well (she is right on the ocean) and with her residing full time in Long Beach, California, she too will be stressed out for the next week or so until all of this smooths out.

Please pray that God watches over EVERYONE in that area, especially those people who may not be able to evacuate and pray that once Ike does decide to make landfall, "he" will slow it down a bit. My parent's especially need prayers because there is a chance they will be making a trip down there on Sunday or Monday to assess the damage.

Thank you for your prayers.

Christina

They have Malia!

Everything appears to be going very well! Take a look at Vince's latest post by click here!

It's a Busy Life: Update on Block Party, China, Heroes, and Prayers!

Friends:

Well, it looks as though the Cowboys have things in hand, so let's get down to business. First off, let's say a big welcome to Matt and Kristin Dobogai! They were guests in our class this morning. Rumor has it that they are neighbors to the Nicholsons, but let's be sure not to hold that against them. : ) Great to have you guys, Dobogais! (That rhymes, by the way. : ) ) We hope you guys will come back and see us again next Sunday. Good donuts and bad jokes are guaranteed every week.

BLOCK PARTY THIS WEDNESDAY!

Don't forget about this big event. Thanks to all of you who signed up to help with manning the Big Bull, our assigned activity. Here's the line-up. We still have a few slots open, so let me know if you want to sign up. I'll be the guy in the Cowboy hat hanging on for my dear life.

5:30-6:00

1. Wes Null

2. _________

6:00-6:30

1. Ramsdells

2. __________

6:30-7:00

1. Nulls

2. Hookhams

7:00-7:30

1. Hudsons

2. VanZees

7:30-8:00

1. Wes Null

2. __________

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PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Let's continue to pray for Vince and Mary! They have arrived safely in Nanning. They will get Malia at 3:00 p.m. China time on Monday, which is about 2:00 a.m. tonight our time (okay, for those who don't want to do the math, that means about 8 hours from now). Let's be sure to pray for a great first encounter with Malia! Mary has been posting lots of updates. Way to go, Mary! Take a look. Click on “Travel Logs” on the left about 2/3 of the way down the menu.

http://www.journeytomalia.com/

Next, we need to keep up our prayers for our expectant mommies: Amy N. and Elizabeth N. Pray for continued strength and good days for these ladies and their babies.

Rod and Shannon Smith are in Arizona this weekend. Pray for an enjoyable visit and a safe trip home.

Amy Nicholson has been having some trouble with numbness in her hands. It's more than likely related to the baby. Please pray for better days and as little pain as possible for Amy.

Bernie Hookham would like for us to pray for her sister Margie. She is expecting a baby and has come down with gestational diabetes. Please pray for a strong pregnancy and good health for Margie and baby.

Us Nulls have a praise for Mr. Corbin's surgery. Everything went great and he is on his way to recovery.

Christina G. has asked that we pray for her parents. They have a long trip planned this week. Pray for safety and success with their trip.

Ben Sullivan would like for us to pray for one of his co-workers who was hurt in an oil rig accident this past week. Pray for his strength as he recovers from the injury.

Also with the Sullivans, Teresa asked that we pray for her brother, Brian. He is the one who is going through a divorce. He has recently decided to move back from Canada to Texas. Pray for good decision-making for Brian and for God's will in his life.

Last but certainly not least, Cathy Schneider will be going in for some back injections this week. Pray that everything will go well and that the injections will do exactly what they are designed to do.

That reminds me of something. Let's say a big praise for all of the members of our class who have been teaching our children in Sunday School during the past few months! As we all know, this is a very important ministry. I know that the Schneiders have been doing this for the past several months. Way to go, Cathy and Trey! We have missed you guys, but we know how important teaching the kids is as well! And way to go everyone else who has done this!

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I believe that covers matters for today, everyone. Let's be sure to do everything we can to get our Fall off to a great start. Steve R. and the rest of the ministry team have worked very hard on the Heroes series. Let's thank them for their work by showing strong attendance during the Sundays ahead!

I will have our lesson for next week posted by Friday evening. For those of you who want to read ahead, here are the selections from Proverbs that we will take a look at next Sunday:

Proverbs 12:18
Proverbs 15:1
Proverbs 16:32
Proverbs 19:19
Proverbs 22:24-25
Proverbs 29:22

Have a great week, everyone. Dana and I look forward to seeing you at the Block Party and then next Sunday morning!

Wes

Updates from the Ericksons

Don't miss the updates from the Ericksons!

http://www.journeytomalia.com/

Proverbs Lesson for Sunday: Honoring Family

Friends:

Several of you have mentioned how much you're enjoying our study of Proverbs. Me, too! I've uploaded our lesson for Sunday. You can find it at the bottom right. It's on family, and it strikes me as quite relevant to the crazy lives we lead each day.

Dana and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Wes

P.S.--For those of you who are wondering, Corbin’s surgery went very well this morning. He’s napping right now and recovering just fine. Praise God that the surgery was successful and that us Nulls are out of thumbs!

Send-off Letter for Vince & Mary

Friends:

As I think most of you know, Mary and Vince leave tomorrow for China. Thanks again to those of you who donated to help them with the trip. I thought you might like to read the letter that I gave to them on behalf of our class. You can find it at the top right of this blog.

Travel safely, Vince and Mary! We will be praying for you each and every step of the way. We look forward to meeting Malia on September 20th!

Grace and peace,

Wes and Dana