Car Accidents Suck

Hey,

Eric Hammond, a good friend of mine and Ben's, was in a car accident on Wednesday (Aug 22). According to the police officer he was surprised that Eric was still alive (the crash was that bad). Anyway, Eric is in stable condition, however, his pelvis is broken and his lower back may be broken as well - the docs are not sure yet.

To make matters worse, he is in excruciating pain. He was on a morphine drip and vacatin (sp?) and still in extreme amounts of pain.

So, it's a miracle that he survived, but please pray that he will heal quickly. With injuries as severe as this he is in for a very long recovery process, pray that his spirits stay high.

update

I'm home, all's well.
it hurts a bit, but the drugs haven't worn off yet, so I'm doin better than I could be.
God's faithful, always is.

Digital Zion

I'm having surgery tomorrow.
I'll be in a lot of pain for the next two or three weeks.
Please pray that my recovery will be quick and as pain-free as possible.
I'm not worried about the surgery, just dreading the pain.

the ride is ending

I have 5 more days at Cedar Point. I'm physically more than exhausted. My attitude at work has been really poor lately. I really just don't care. Our management is kinda screwy, and we don't get treated the greatest. It's affected the way I interact w/ guests and co-workers. It's hard cause I pretty much have lived at work this last month. (70 hrs a week) I've been very absent-minded lately, and tend to not know how to put my thoughts into words. Even typing this, I'm having a hard time. I don't know how, but pray for these things. Especially as I will be leaving a lot of people that I've built different relationships with, that in my weakness God can be strong.
Ben and I have been dreaming up different possibilities for "Mission:Cedar Point." I have gone to a few different places in Sandusky, shopping around to find more information about other seasonal work, places to rent, or the possibility to have a gathering place that employees could come and hang out. Pray that God leads my walk in these next couple days as I'm talking to different people. Pray that He guides my words and the interactions with these people.
Pray for the possible future of this mission. If it is I or Ben, or somebody else that takes it on. The potential at this mission field is great.

Amber

Amber is a girl I've been friends with since my freshman year at Western. If something can go wrong in her life, it does. Today, she has three doctors appointments. She's been getting pretty horrible migraines (the can't talk kind) so, she's getting an MRI for that. She was also found to have tumors on her ovaries. The doctors will be checking soon whether or not they are malignant or benign.

Firstly, pray for her health. Second, perhaps pray that things could start working out better for her. Third, a combination prayer/praise, Amber is not Christian. She was afraid when I started attending church freshman year because she's had so many horrible experiences with Christians. This October, her boyfriend was hit by an SUV and told he'd never walk again (by the way, he's walking). I had a few conversations with her over the phone and she started asking about Jesus. She is aware that He is someone she might need in her life. She has acknowledged that there is a higher being. Yesterday when I was talking to her on the phone I told her I would pray for her and she said it made her feel special. I'm not sure she's going to invite Christ into her life any time soon but I think she's starting to realize He can help her.

praise

Jonathan came out of surgery just fine, and he's doing fairly well for having come out of surgery today.
The bad news is that he'll have to have valve replacement within the next couple years.

A Praise

It still amazes me (even though it shouldn't) the ways in which God is working out the smallest details of my trip. When I first started planning this, I couldn't even begin to imagine how I would get all the money to go. Through lots of answered prayer, I have enough money to pay for the trip itself, but I was concerned about the bills I would be leaving behind. I have sponsored a child through Compassion International since I was 16. And with no income for six months I wasn't really sure I was going to be able to contiue my sponsorship while I was gone, and I was afraid I would have to give it up, something I didn't really want to do. I'd been praying about it lately but hadn't figured it out yet. Well, tonight one of my friends, Lindsey, called me and said she'd had an idea. She offered to take over my payments while I'm gone. This just completely blows me away and serves as a reminder that I don't need to worry about anything because God is definitely in control.

a small request

Jonathan, my only brother, goes in for a heart cath. on Wednesday. He's also getting eartubes in while he's under.
Please pray for him that he'll have a willing spirit, rather than one that would fight the thought.
Also pray that all would go well.
If you wouldn't mind, also please pray for me.
His heart had to be stopped for a previous operation, and they had trouble getting it started again. It isn't that I couldn't go on, or "wouldn't know what to do" if Jon died, but he's been not just a good brother, but a real friend to me.
Ask God to lead my family to Him for peace, and that He'll freely give it to us.

If God is on our side...

...who can be against us?

Please pray, it is our source of guidance, how we connect with those around us, how we connect with God. In a world where diversions are nearly, if not truly, countless, be vigilant and prayerful that we may prevail against the dark principalities of this world.
Take time today to touch the grass, thank God for the ability to see it, feel it, hear the sound as your hand brushes through it (if it's quiet enough) and to smell when it's been cut. Remember to thank God for the small things we take for granted (he gave us an immune system).
Thank God for health while you have it, as it could be gone forever in an instant, and when it is, thank God for being your strength.
Finally, praise God for whatever situation you're going through right now, pleasure or pain, all things that satisfy come from the Giver of Life. Thank Him for being strength in weakness, thank God for the ability to resist any temptation through the Son, who is our Savior. Recall that there is no temptation you're going through that is uncommon to humanity. Moreso, remember that God is faithful to us and never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, but gives us an out that we may stand blameless in His sight. (1 Cor. 10:13)
So pray, and pray for each other. Pray for everything you can, and whatever you ask, do so in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
There is not merely power in prayer. No, our power is in prayer.
We are greater on our knees and faces than a thousand standing tall.