January is finished.  In the next two months we will visit Mexico, California, and Brazil, after two weekends in nearby Connecticut.

At the beginning of this year, we are in a desperate spiritual struggle for two people that are dear to our heart, and praying about an opportunity.  Benjamin Rivera, 27, has been lying in a hospital bed in a medically induced coma for three weeks.  Seemingly out of nowhere, he developed a high fever and then his body went into seizures that the doctors could only stop with heavy sedation.  After three weeks, he is still in intensive care with no real prognosis, hanging between life and death.  We believe that there is a real spiritual battle going on for his soul.  His family goes back with Damaris’s family for 40 years.  We are all calling on the name of the Lord to save him, both physically and spiritually.

Perhaps you have seen on the news the story about a NY mother of two that has disappeared in Turkey, Sarai Sierra, 33.  She and her husband are friends of ours, too, and they have visited our church several times over the past years.  Her husband, Steven, and her brother have gone over to Turkey to try to help the authorities find her.  The fear is that she was abducted, since her passport and various personal effects were left in her hotel room after she did not board the flight home.

The opportunity that we are praying about is the possibility of a new CD for Dámaris.  We are using Kickstarter.com to give people the opportunity to help us raise the funds necessary to produce a CD on our own.  We have until March 4th to raise the budget so that we can get some cost savings with another project that our arranger and producer are working on.  You can see the progress on the left of this page.

Would you help us pray?  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Two weeks ago today we announced our new CD project… That was our responsibility.  Immediately, many of you were prompted (by the Lord) to pledge toward the project.  That was God’s responsibility.  Today, we are thrilled that the project has gone past 30% and we want to thank those that have already pledged.  That was their responsibility, to obey the Lord’s prompting.  Now, we need to remind you, if the Lord has moved your heart to help us get this CD produced, to please do it.

If we don’t completely make the goal, nothing comes in at all, and the CD won’t be recorded.

So, here’s what you can do:  Help us pray, tell your friends about this opportunity, and be sensitive to the Lord’s prompting.  We are trusting Jesus that He will make this new CD a reality, through the help of His people.

 

Twice this month, Damaris has been asked to speak, once to our church’s youth on the life of Samuel, and once to bring a message to our prayer meeting on second chances.

You can listen to them both just by clicking this link:  Listen now.

A very wise person said that the Christian life is not so much one of ups and downs but more like parallel railroad tracks.  The good times and hard times travel side by side.  I believe the Word of God clearly affirms that with verses that say, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice,” and “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

With that said, as I am rejoicing over the launch of our new project with Kickstarter, my heart is aching over Ben Rivera, who is fighting for his life in an medically induced coma at Columbia University Hospital in NYC.  Ben was born four months before our son was born (1985) and they were the best friends for many of those early childhood years.

The Neuroscience dept. of the hospital said he is the sickest person in that unit.  He came in with flu-like symptoms followed by continuous seizures that caused them to put Ben in a coma.  They really do not know what the problem is but they said his body is fighting, hence the seizures.

When I heard the words, “fighting” I truly felt like there is a war being fought for Ben’s soul.  We Christians do battle in prayer.  Would you join me in fighting against the enemy for Ben?  Luke 18:1 said that Jesus taught a parable on how we ought to pray and not give up.

In prayer we do battle and the faithful testify

of the wonders they have seen the Savior do

time after time

so let us press on pleading on behalf of those we love

He can do great things so let us not give up…

The victory is won through prayer

We will not be defeated or despair

For the Lord above is listening

Anytime and everywhere

The victory is won through prayer

Written by Steve Siler, Scott Krippayne, and Tony Wood.  © 2004 Fifty States Music/New Spring Publishing, Inc/Chips and Salsa Songs (ASCAP)

 

At long last, the Lord has provided a door for Dámaris to make a new CD!

How?

Click on the link and watch the video!

Damaris’s New CD

 

We have fabulous dentists in Connecticut.  A husband and wife team, they have made a two hour drive to the dentist’s office a joy every six months.  Okay, it’s a unique relationship and a long story.

Anyway, today was the day.

We got up early, drove far enough until the post-Sandy NYC gasoline lines were gone, and filled up.  Got our teeth cleaned and inspected, left the office, took them to a Chinese/sushi restaurant, stopped in Walmart (Dámaris calls it Canaan), then drove back, topping off the tank before entering the gas-less society.  Then we picked up Dámaris’s parents, took them out to Boston Market, and finally got home around 7.

“Where’s my pocketbook?” she asks.  ”I think it is with the Walmart bags,” I replied.  Nope.  Tears.  We went back to the parents’ home– maybe Mom snagged it thinking it was hers.  Nope.  More tears.  I called the Chinese restaurant.  Nothing.  Called Walmart.  Nothing.  Called Boston Market.  Nothing.  Called the dentist at home, she goes back to the office to look.  Nothing.  So, I start dialing 800 numbers to cancel the cards.  $3,000 of fraud at CVS and Walgreens in two hours last time.  No activity on the credit card.  Whew.

The debit card people come up with some interesting news:  Someone had already called in and reported the card lost (or, more accurately, found)!  Dunno who or where, but SOMEONE found it and made sure there was no fraud!  Peace.  SOMEONE is still honest, helpful and responsible.  And Christian, I suspect.  There is just not a lot of morality these days without a fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10).

Hopefully, they will put it in a little box and return it to the address on the license.  Or maybe they will find this website and click on the Contact Us tab.  Maybe it is YOU!

My mother-in-law says Christians never lose anything.  What I do know is that “…in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28 emphasis mine).  I want to love Him.  And, whatever His purpose is for me for tonight, Election Day (vote prayerfully, folks!) and forever, I want to hear His call.  He is calling, speaking, wooing and sometimes jolting and shaking.  Sometimes He “rattles your cage” a little, like today.  Sometimes He lets big things happen, like Hurricane Sandy.  Are you listening?  He speaks and teaches through His Word.  Are you reading it?  He that has an ear, let him hear.  Let’s listen.  He usually has a still, small voice– easily overlooked.

We have a lot of distractions.  Put some of them away and let Jesus teach you something eternal.  When the unexpected happens, first ask what the Lord is trying to teach you.  Facebook, Twitter and text messaging can wait.

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