Prayer Request from Shelley Buhner

My "step"grandfather Ed (stepmoms dad) had a cerebral hemmorage today.
He is in Providence and he is still bleeding in the brain. The doctors
have told my dad they cannot stop the bleeding at this point. I assume
it is only a matter of time until he passes. Please pray for his
comfort (he is in a lot of pain right now) and also pray for my step
mom Elaine Reynolds. She is an only child and he is all that she has
left. She has taken care of him for the past few years.

Thanks,

Shelley Buhner

16 Days ‘Til Christmas, A Friend on the Move, and Lots of Other Stuff

Friends:

Good evening, all! Well, about two hours ago, I was concerned for our friend Steve May. As it turns out, however, the Cowboys made a heroic comeback. No mourning tonight at the May home. Enjoy the evening, Jennifer.

Thanks to the Rogers’ family! They supplied our donuts this morning. We appreciate it, Franci and Robbie. Next week, us Nulls will be bringing Bush’s Chicken. In case you’ve never tried it, Bush’s Chicken is delicious for breakfast, especially the okra.

I have much to remind everyone about in order to prepare for Friday’s Christmas Party, but I’ll do that in a separate message. We have lots of prayers and praises today, so let’s get to it.

PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Please continue to pray for Amy Nicholson. As far as we know, Amy is making good progress, but she continues to need our prayers. We’re praying for you, Amy! (and, on occasion, for Brian).

The Rogers’ duo would like for us to pray for Courtney Walters. Her uncle is not doing well at all, and Courtney traveled home this weekend to be with him. Courtney also will be returning to Waco to take a final exam tomorrow. Please pray for Courtney’s uncle and for safe travel for Courtney.

Salley T. has asked us to pray for her daughters. Their ten year birthday party is next Saturday. Pray that everything will go well. Salley also would like for us to pray for Haley. She is busy playing a role in a play here in town. Pray that everything will go well and that Haley will be able to handle everything that comes with her new acting career.

Vince brought good news this morning that things are looking up for his friends Cole and Iva. They had good news this past week. Please ask God to continue to be with them.

Jennifer May would like for us to pray for one of her students, Aryn. Aryn had to have a tumor removed earlier this week. Jennifer, of course, teaches pre-K, so little Aryn is only 5 years old. Pray that Aryn will be able to go home from the hospital soon.

Jennifer also has asked that we pray for Reese, a China Spring football player who was injured yesterday. Pray for Reese’s complete and speedy recovery.

Brooke Tooley would like for us to pray for her younger cousin, Courtney. Courtney has been having some hard days recently and could use God’s guidance.

Salley T. brought to our attention that her niece’s husband, David, is set to leave the country for Iraq this next week. Please pray for safe travel and for safety for David as well as for the rest of our troops.

Mary E. would like for us to pray for her friend Amy’s husband, Jeremy. Jeremy is returning home from Iraq this week after being there for 13 months. Pray for a great reunion!

Franci R. has asked us to pray for her friend, Kris. Kris is due to have a baby next week. Pray that everything will go well with the birth.

We need to pray for Brian VanZee’s mother, DeAnn (sp?). She has been dealing with dizzy spells and heart palpitations. Please pray that DeAnn will get to feeling better very soon.

Chris Schmid would like for us to pray for his grandmother, Marty. She is moving to Temple from Arizona in order to be closer to family. Pray that her relocation will go well and that she will make many new friends in her new home.

Let’s continue to pray for Ben Sullivan. He has been doing lots of work lately, some of which can be dangerous. Please pray for safety for Ben and for sanity for Teresa while she’s here with the kids. Hunter, especially, has been having a hard time with Ben being gone. We’re praying for you, Teresa!

Last but certainly not least, our friend Barry Sullivan announced this morning that it looks as though he will be accepting a position as City Manager of Gainesville, Texas. Yep, that’s right, it looks as though our friends Barry and Erica will be leaving town. I’ll try to be positive here and not sad. Congratulations, Barry! This is a terrific opportunity for Barry, but we will, of course, miss he and Erica tremendously. B & E have been with us almost from the beginning. They are, in a sense, Founding Fathers/Mothers of our class. I’m not sure how to move on without them, but we’ll manage (get it?!). In the interim, let’s wish Barry and Erica godspeed and God’s grace as they move along. They’ll be with us for a few more weeks, since Barry probably won’t officially begin his new position until the first or second week of January. In the mean time, we’ll be planning a going away party for the Sullivans (whether they want one or not, and whether they plan to attend or not!). Please pray that everything will go smoothly for Barry and Erica as they make the transition. Pray, also, for Erica as she looks for just the right kind of position. Rumor has it that she has some interviews lined up. The Sullivans have promised to come visit our class when they come to town to visit Barry’s family. More later on their departure once I’ve recovered from the news.

By the way, I just thought of something. Politically speaking, it looks as though our class may have just shifted a bit to the left! We better recruit someone to balance out the May/Nicholson duo!

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I think that’s all for now, everyone. Look for a Christmas Party update message sometime during the next 2 or 3 days. We’re looking forward to a great time on Friday.

Have a great week, everyone!

God bless,

Wes and Dana

Humility for Tomorrow

For any hearty souls that may still be up at this late hour, I've uploaded our lesson for tomorrow to the right.

See you in the morning!

Wes

Update on Christmas Party

Friends:

Plans are moving along quite well for our Christmas party, which will take place next Friday. We’re gonna have a big crowd! Several of you have asked about payment for the meals. Please just plan to bring a check or cash to the party. Leave the checks blank for now. I’ll talk with the Captain Billy’s folks early next week to see whether or not you should make the checks our directly to him or to me.

Here’s what people have signed up to bring. We only need desserts and chips/salsa:

Dessert
Nulls
Hookhams
VanZees
Ericksons
Jacques
Nemecs
Carey P.
Jantzes

Chips/Salsa
Hudsons
B&E Sullivans
Mays
Nicholsons

I think that’s all for now. Dana and I look forward to seeing you in the morning!

Wes

Is December Really Here?, and Other Stuff

Friends:

Good evening, all. I hope you’ve enjoyed your weekend. Believe it or not, December has arrived, which means that Christmas will be here in just over three weeks. Can you believe it? Unbelievable!

First, let’s thank Greg and Courtney Hudson for bringing our snacks today. We had Panera Bread bagels, believe it or not! Great stuff, I must say. We appreciate it, Hudsons. Next week, Franci and Robbie Rogers will be taking care of us. Thanks, F and R!

I hope all of you enjoyed watching the children sing this morning as much as we did. I have some good video, which I plan to try and upload sometime this week. I hope I can figure it out! Tips, anyone?


PRAYERS AND PRAISES

Let’s go ahead and get to our prayers and praises:

As I mentioned in my message yesterday, please keep the family of Dr. Fred Curtis in your prayers. His funeral is tomorrow afternoon.

We need to pray for Amy Nicholson as she continues to recover from her shoulder surgery. Amy is doing okay, but she had a minor setback earlier this week. Please pray for continued improvement for Amy. We’re praying for you, Amy!

Next, we need to pray for Ben Sullivan as he heads back out to sea for work on Tuesday. Pray for his safe travel and for his safety at work. Pray, also, for Teresa and the kids.

Also on the B & T Sullivan front, we need to pray for Teresa’s school. They are currently searching for a new principal. Pray that they will find the right person.

Vince E. has asked that we keep his friends Cole and Iva in our prayers. They continue to deal with difficulties in finalizing the adoption of the two young boys they now have. Please pray for God’s guidance for everyone who is making decision on behalf of these kids. Pray, also, for a speedy resolution.

We also need to continue to pray for the great news for Vince and Mary! As Mary mentioned in her note late last week, they have moved a step closer to getting a baby from China. Please continue to pray that the process will move along smoothly and as quickly as possible. Pray, also, for patience for Vince and Mary. Hang in there, Mary!

Last but not least, Mr. Brian VanZee is hunting elk in the great state of New Mexico (“I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico, the Zia symbol of perfect friendship . . . ). Oops, sorry, I resorted back to my elementary school days, when I recited the New Mexico pledge every day. Please pray for Brian’s safe return home this week. Please pray, also, for Miss Breeley who is missing Daddy!

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I think that covers matters for this Sunday, everyone. Sometime this week, I plan to send an update about the Christmas party. I have already heard from many of you that you will be there. I think we’ll have a big crowd! If you haven’t done so already, please email me to let me know whether or not you will be able to attend.

Have a great week, everyone.

God bless,

Wes and Dana

Perfect Leader Attributes: Purpose and Passion

Friends:

I've posted our lesson for tomorrow to the right. See you in the morning!

Wes

Dr. Karl Frederick Curtis (1939-2007)

Friends:

Please keep the family of Dr. Fred Curtis in your prayers. He passed away Thursday afternoon. He was a good friend--a true man--and someone I will sorely miss. More details below and on the Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey web site.

WN

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Dear Karen and Friends of Fred Curtis: As he did for so many others, Dr. Curtis has served as a source of inspiration to me since I first met him in 2001. He was my mentor upon coming to Baylor, and a terrific one at that. My hat is off to a loyal friend, one of the toughest men in Texas history, and an untiring fighter for teachers, curriculum, teacher education, and a high-quality teaching profession for all children. May you rest in peace, Fred, now that you're in a better place. Yours sincerely, Wesley Null

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Dr. K. Fred Curtis of Woodway passed away Thursday, November 29, 2007, surrounded by his family and friends. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday, December 3, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, with the Pastor Paul Krupicka officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, December 2, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey.

Fred was born October 21, 1939 in South Sioux City, Nebraska to Harriet and Norbert Curtis. He attended South Sioux City High School, Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, and later earned his doctorate from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Fred established his career as a dedicated member of the Baylor University Faculty. There he worked for over 34 years as a passionate educator and leader within the School of Education. As the endowed C.G. Strickland Professor of Education and Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, he touched the lives of his many students, teachers and colleagues.

As a leader in his field, he contributed greatly to the direction of his professional organizations; he provided instruction and continuing education to teachers across the state of Texas; and he created numerous programs at Baylor reaching international prominence. Fred was an active leader in his church, St. Matthew Lutheran, and his community. He celebrated life by sharing his passions with others through his community service, love for music and singing, and interest in travel and international cultures.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Norbert. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Karen Childs Curtis; sons, Dr. David Curtis and wife, Michelle; Michael Curtis; daughter, Heather Curtis Nichols and husband, Greg; grandchildren, Michael David Curtis and Catherine Abigail Curtis; brothers, Jack Buser and wife, Susan; Ned Buser and wife, Jeanne; and Dr. Kerrey Buser and wife, Kim.

Pallbearers are Elden Barrett, John Linda, Lowel Elliott, Dick Belanger, Jim Ferguson and Larry Webb.

Memorials may be made to St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 800 N. New Road, Waco, TX (254) 772-9349 or the American Diabetes Association.

The family invites you to leave a memory or message in our “Memorial Guestbook” at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey.