by Kim Howard

I was reading a few verses ahead in Romans during service last month, and when I saw Romans 12:20, it stilled my heart and mind. I felt convicted to share the impact this verse had on me during a very difficult time in my life. Before the service ended, Carlon encouraged us to share how the power of forgiveness transformed our lives. These two moments convicted me to share my testimony of the healing power of forgiveness.

In June of 2011, I was blissfully pregnant with twins after a difficult infertility journey. At the time, I believed infertility was the life struggle God used to draw me to Him. In truth, infertility was the training ground where I learned to trust God in all things. I was soon to learn what it means to struggle beyond my wildest imagination. At 13 weeks pregnant, I lost Baby B. Shortly thereafter, my husband (at the time), started an affair with a co-worker. A month later, he left me – informing me in an email.  

My world stopped spinning, I was unable to function on my own, and those closest to me had to remind me to breathe. I searched desperately for a ‘how-to’ manual to survive. My pastor’s wife encouraged me to post scripture all around me - in my work cubicle, inside desk drawers, on bathroom mirrors, etc.  I blasted K-love radio all day and night in my home, clinging to the truth that the Word of God will not return void. Five days a week, on my cubicle wall, I stared at the following verses multiple times throughout the day:  

“The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Romans 12:20

I lived in uncertainty for many months.  I was consumed by two things: (1) apprehension in delivering a baby by myself and (2) a fear of bitterness taking root. The two scriptures on my cubicle wall guided my thoughts and calmed my fears. As my thoughts spiraled out of control, I would pray these scriptures. As the communication with my estranged spouse became hard hearted and mean-spirited, I would pray these scriptures.  My actions, guided by Romans 12:20, were considered desperate attempts to win back my spouse by the world, but I was operating as I was led by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, God revealed a plan to me. I would temporarily move to Pennsylvania to be with my parents. At 30 weeks I made the move and immediately established care with a new doctor. At 32 weeks, I had an emergency C-section. The new doctor immediately noticed an irregular growth pattern and delivered a 2lb 5 oz. Cooper.  Cooper was diagnosed as IUGR- Intra Uterine Growth Restriction, combined with limited amniotic fluid. Without the early C-section there was almost complete certainty he would have been stillborn.  It wasn’t immediately obvious to me at first, but on one of the many drives to the NICU the Holy Spirit ministered to my soul, connecting the dots of why I was in PA.  

It would take an additional two years of intense therapy to truly reach a place of total forgiveness towards my ex-husband. Today, I think of him like you might think of that distant cousin you haven’t seen in 20 years. They hold a place in your memories, but not much emotion.  

The greatest blessing of all is that every prayer for family restoration was answered in ways unimaginable to me at the time. When I fully surrendered to God’s plan for our lives, Cooper and I were introduced to a wonderful widower who loved Jesus and had two kids of his own. Ultimately, we became The Howards and are living one big, beautiful, blended family life. God’s plan is so much greater than we could have dreamed up on our own.

by Anita Montgomery

Shortly after the war broke out in Ukraine last spring, I got a chance to see an example of how God “works all things together for good.” He used experiences and contacts in my life, some going back decades, to get people from various parts of the globe working together in order to get a badly- needed piece of medical equipment to a hospital in Ukraine. Several of those people are members right here at Covenant (CCC). To view story click on the link below.

https://storage1.snappages.site/W52GJ7/assets/files/Life_Stories_Insert_Template_4_pg.pdf

written by Lowell Entz for Jim Wagler

(the following was written by Lowell Entz, in conversation with his brother-in-law Jim—Sue’s brother)

Hi, my name is James Neal Wagler, but most people just call me Jim. I am 61 years old, and I live with Lowell & Sue. I grew up on a farm near Abbyville, KS, and most recently lived with my dad to help care for him until he died last December. I was baptized and became a member of my small country church in KS, and I also helped usher and sing in the choir. After my dad’s death, I moved here to Yukon.

As a newborn baby born in Sterling, KS, I contracted spinal meningitis in the hospital when I was born. I was expected to die as an infant from hydrocephalus, but an experimental device called a “shunt” saved my life.
 
This condition has limited me physically: I can’t run or play sports, or drive, or have a regular job outside the home (I’m pretty good at Yahtzee, though!). And it has impacted how I think: I have great memories from the relatives and farm people I grew up around— I can still tell you their old home phone numbers, birthdates, and many of their names and stories.  But I won’t usually remember your name, the Bible lessons that you teach me on Sunday, or even what Sue cooks for meals at our house (though I’d say it’s always really good!)

I am thankful for Covenant to be my home church now.  Even though you are WAY bigger than the church I grew up in, you have taken special notice of even the “little guys” like me.  You greet me on Sundays with my name-- though I can’t remember yours.  You’ve included me in the Legacy class and a weekly home group-- though I prefer to say very little. You keep me company and help me find my way around this big church-- when I lose track of Lowell or Sue. You’ve become my new church family.

You’ve even invited me to serve.  Helping with water coolers for Sports Camp.  Helping John set up the voting booths in the Fellowship Hall.  Helping Geoff and Alan at WaterServe on Thursday mornings.  You help me feel needed and useful—just like God says that every part of His body (at CCC) is useful and needed.

My favorite song is “How Great Thou Art.”  I’m glad we still sing that song here sometimes, because being at CCC has reminded me how great God has been in my own life.  And that is why I am thankful for my new family at CCC!

(but dead would be better) by Bonnie Tschetter

“Don’t be surprised by the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange was happening to you.”      I Peter 4:12

September 23, 2020, I was lying in a hospital with a large gaping wound on the bottom half of my right leg, having just had surgery for an infection. The incision extended from my knee to my ankle and was several inches wide and horrible to look at. I remember thinking, “Lord I know You are with me but I just don’t feel it. It seems like You are sitting in that chair over there and I am here. Why can’t I feel Your presence?” And then it dawned on me - why wasn’t I fearful? Why was my heart at peace? Wasn’t it because of the Lord’s presence and outpouring of lovingkindness, His mercies promised at times just like this?

Almost two months earlier I had dropped off my grandkids after a fun morning. As I was backing out of the driveway, I saw a large (or small) wasp flying around in the back seat. Panicking, I tried rolling down windows but to no avail. So I decided to get out of the car, forgetting to put it into park. Realizing what I had done, I tried jumping back in but the rolling car door knocked me flat and I hit my head hard on the concrete. “That was a really dumb idea” I thought as the car rolled over my leg. I sat up and watched the car roll down the driveway, across the street, and stop halfway up the curb on the other side. I felt an urgency to get up. “Good - I can stand.” And then hobbled across the street. As I approached the car door, the wasp flew out.

X-rays revealed no broken bones but a significant crush to the soft tissue in my calf. My ribs were sore but not broken. And my head didn’t even hurt, not even a bump. Lots of bed rest and elevation and I thought I was getting better, but two months later I ended up in Baptist hospital with a significant acute infection in my leg, requiring surgery and an 8 day hospital stay. I realized all this time from the moment my head hit the ground to that very moment in the hospital, I had felt nothing but peace. I had panicked over a wasp, but a potentially life ending/changing accident - Peace? Calm? Why?

There is no human explanation - it had to be the supernatural presence of God in my life promised to us in times just like this. I began making mental notes, which would now fill a book, of so many things I was grateful for related to this accident. And God’s presence was all over it. No ‘what ifs’ or ‘why me’s’ or regrets. Just God.  I wore a wound vac for another two months but landed back in the hospital with another infection. A skin graft, another hospital stay and by Christmas I felt well enough to have our family over - FINALLY!

I am healing and slowly getting my strength back. And I am still thankful. My leg is very ugly. I will never be able to wear shorts or skinny jeans. Other problems may arise at some point or not. But the scar, a friend reminded me, is a beautiful reminder of God’s love and mercy and presence. Just like He always promises. I have seen and felt the presence of God, and I would not exchange that for anything in this world.

Thank you, dear saints of CCC, for your faithful prayers, love and concern and for the many ways you carried us through this time. Carlon and I love you so very much!

P.S. My husband is an excellent nurse as well as expositor of the Word.

P.S.S. He has a PowerPoint of pictures (that I still cannot look at!) showing the devolution of my leg! We are truly “fearfully and wonderfully made!

Lessons I Learned or Was Reminded of!

1.  Nothing in our lives happens by chance. Even “accidents” are ordained by God to conform us to the image of His Son and to use as a platform for His glory and light to shine.

2.  I never even knew there was a burn/wound floor at Baptist Hospital! I have the greatest respect for the nurses and doctors who have to inflict so much pain in order for their patients to heal. (It was brutal)

3.  I honestly believe that the depths of God’s love, His tender mercies cannot be felt apart from suffering. He meets us there in the most intimate way and I can say with all of my heart - His grace is sufficient!

4.  I am very thankful for the love and promises of God. Would I want to go through such an ordeal again? Absolutely NOT! But what He says - He will do. And as suffering is part of this life and something the Lord tells us we all will face, we can rest in the fact that He’s got this - and us - and He will see us through! Amen & Amen!!

Lamentations 3:21-25
But this I call to mind; therefore I have hope: the Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases. His compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; Your faithfulness is abundant! My portion is the Lord, I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who trust in Him, to the one who seeks Him.

by Connie Norsworthy

In 1973, Neil and I got married. Both of us had accepted Christ as our Savior, but we grew up in different churches. After we got married, we started looking for a church that we could be a part of and enjoy as a couple. We visited several churches but we were not finding the right fit.  We wanted a church close to home so we could attend regularly and our family could grow in our walk with God.

In February 1981, Tracy, our second daughter was born and our prayers for a church were answered. A neighbor came by one day and told us about a new church in Yukon. The church was so new that the sanctuary wasn’t finished.  We had our service in what is now fellowship hall. As I sat in that church for the first time, I knew our prayers were answered and that we had found our church home.  We joined the church two years later.

So, what does 40 years look like for us?

In 1982 we moved into the sanctuary which had bright red carpet.  Since then God has blessed CCC to be able to refurbish many areas of our building.
 
Our daughters grew up at CCC. God worked in their lives through the Sunday school, Awana and TRUTH student ministries. They both accepted Christ and were baptized. We are so grateful to God that both girls have grown into godly women and along with their husbands are teaching their children about Jesus.

God has graciously blessed us through these forty years as we have participated in opportunities for fellowship in small group Bible studies, Community Groups and various church gatherings and events.

Why 40 years at Covenant Community Church?

First, it’s the teaching. The first thing I learned when we came to CCC was the importance of having a daily quiet time. It has changed the way Neil and I interact with God on a daily basis and helped us to build a solid relationship with Jesus.

For me, the most important thing about the teaching at CCC is that God’s Word is the truth. It’s not added to, subtracted from, sugar coated, or watered down in order to fit into the culture of the day.  It’s the absolute Word of God.  I’ve learned that if I feel uncomfortable or I’m struggling with something presented that morning in church that I need to pray and rectify where I am in my walk with Jesus. That uncomfortable feeling tells me that God is working on me. I have never left this church on Sunday morning without learning something new or understanding a verse with a new perspective. I greet Sunday mornings with anticipation as to what I will learn and add to my understanding of God’s Word.

Second, it’s the people. Through the years, Neil and I have been blessed by the people God has brought to this body. We learned so much through the ministry of Jack and Jodi Hough, Mike and Tomi Sue Fisher and many others.

The people of CCC are our church family. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ who pray for us, encourage us and build relationships with us. They have loved us through both the good and the hard times.

I am learning what it means that we are blessed to be a blessing as I see this body reach out to prepare and serve meals for those who are sick or have lost a loved one, through watching people serve in the community and step out to help meet needs. Several years ago, we met a young lady that came to our church with the Bike & Build program. She was seriously injured on the bike road trip. This church family reached out to her family and really blessed them in their time of need. This young lady has fully recovered and is riding a bike again.

In the forty years that we have been in this church, we have seen people give their lives to Jesus and grow in the truth of the Word. We have seen children grow up, graduate from school, marry and have families of their own, including our two daughters. We have been greatly blessed with five grandchildren. We have been blessed as we have witnessed our church family doing the work that God has called us to do - to be a light in a world of darkness.

For forty years, Neil and I have been blessed by God, this church and all of you!

Submitted Anonymously

My biggest shame and my greatest revelation of God’s grace both swirl around the same thing. At the age of 18, I aborted my child. I knew it was deeply wrong, but I didn’t want to see the disappointment and hurt in others, or feel judgment or condemnation because I was unmarried. I justified that I could do this one act and then move forward, leaving it in the past. Little did I know that that one act would affect every single area of my life for the next 35 years.

Shortly after the abortion, I married the young man who had fathered my baby. We lived a simple, happy life and went on to have more beautiful babies. On the outside, we looked like the normal church-going American family. But inside, we were a couple with dark secrets and shame.

I loathed who I was and what I had done all those years ago. I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it to anyone, and had begged God for His forgiveness time and time again. In my head, I knew He had forgiven me, but somehow I was never able to fully grasp that. Because I had done something so horrendous, it only made sense that I needed to “do” something, to perform, to be perfect, to control.

Fast forward 35 years later, and my husband confessed that he no longer loved me but was in love with another woman. The wall around my heart, built up because I resented his role in the abortion and which showed itself in so many different ways, had driven him away. My sin, added to my husband’s sin, wrecked our home. This picture-perfect life I thought we had was destroyed.

I began meeting with a counselor at this time. She was the first person in 35 years that I talked to about my abortion and shame. The session that stands out to me the most was when my counselor took me back in time to the abortion. The room. The smells. The sounds. The people. The feelings. The emotions.

Then the question: “Where is Jesus at this moment?”

As a young child, I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, and I knew that I took Him wherever I went, even to the abortion clinic. He was there with me, every agonizing moment, as that little one was ripped from my body.

Her next question: “What is He saying to you?”

Romans 8:1 tells us: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I had heard it my whole life, but deep down hadn’t accepted it because of the magnitude of my sin. My Savior had been standing right beside me, loving me, letting me know how He had so amazingly paid the price for my sin. “I paid for this … “

The morning as a young child that I accepted Jesus as my Savior, He knew what I would do. Even though I was guilty of a horrendous sin, I was also absolutely forgiven. Jesus had taken the weight of that sin upon His shoulders, and paid for the guilt and shame Himself. He did that. For me. In that moment, I was freed from the terrible bondage I had been under for the last 35 years. Because of His great forgiveness for me, I could also forgive myself. What He had done was enough.

I also knew that Jesus was holding my baby in his own nail-scarred hands. My child wasn’t alone and unwanted. A child had been entrusted to me and I hadn’t guarded that life as I needed to. I was forgiven and set free, but I also needed to come face to face with what had been done. Even in this, though, there was no condemnation from Jesus because He had taken that on Himself.

My counselor encouraged me to pray and ask God to show me the name He had chosen for our baby and then to talk with my husband, who I was separated from, about what he’d like to name the baby. Both of us, separately and individually, came up with the same name for our child.
Once our baby had a name, we committed him to the Lord. Because he was with Jesus, we knew he perfectly forgave us. We thanked God for loving our child so well, for forgiving us so completely, and knew that someday, we would see our child’s face.

Jesus tore down the walls around my heart with His indescribable love. During my healing, He was so incredibly tender and poured His love out on me through His Word. The Creator of galaxies, the Sovereign King, the great I AM longed for a deep, personal relationship with me – no barriers, no holding on to past sins, no shame.

When He said, “It is finished” on the cross, He was deadly serious. What needed to be done had been done once and for all. His Word says in Romans 6:10, “For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God.” Leaning in to my Savior, wallowing in His Word, celebrating in Who He was and what He had done, learning to take my thoughts captive, giving and receiving forgiveness, dying to self – all lessons that I learned then, and continue to learn as time goes by.

Today, my husband and I are together: our marriage has been healed, our hearts have been mended, and our lives have been restored. We are a walking, breathing picture of God’s redeeming grace. Our biggest sins, our biggest shames God has removed and filled with His own righteousness. It truly is an amazing grace!

by Allen Boules

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of the Lord stands forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25

During my Journalism study days at the University of Oklahoma, a professor emphasized a writer of the word must strive to use proper and descriptive words to bring the reader into not only an understanding of what is being said but have a clear and definitive conception of what they are being told.

For example, the writer can just say, “She was baking an apple pie.” Or, with the proper and descriptive words, the reader will be led to smell the aroma of the pie in the oven, be drawn into the kitchen to see and understand the extent of the effort that has been put forth in the creation; view the succulent pastry clearly and exclaim, “I want some of that!”

My brothers and sisters, that is what the Bible, God’s truths, does for us. God tells us He has provided us a savior, He and His Son loves us, He wants a relationship with us and He has a plan for us. However, these truths will only come to us in the degree we allow them. Will our lives show God working in and through us or us remaining undisciplined writers?

Most of my life, I approached my relationship with God as “she was baking an apple pie.” I grew up going to church and knew about God. Unfortunately, I never took the time to know God. My understanding of God came from what a variety of pastors would say from the pulpit - ranging from a judgmental being, a bookkeeper of rights and wrongs to the creator of all things - and as the years progressed, less of God and more of current philosophy and doctrine. Not only did I not lead people to breathe in the delicious aroma of God’s word and partake of it, the fruit wasted away because I ignored reading His recipe.

In the almost mid-80’s, God drew me to Covenant and led me on a new journey. With His leading and Sandra’s nudging, I stepped from the foyer into God’s kitchen; in this situation, Covenant’s mixing of Navigators’ 2:7 studies and individual home bible studies. God’s word and caring people showed me I had a frayed belief system created by false teachers, friends and relatives and a deep dependence on self, which separated me from God. Eternal life is a gift; not something I must earn. The life I was living was not the life God wanted for me. As I earlier said, God has created us for one purpose: A love relationship with Him.

Then on Easter morning 1987, God poured the ingredients of my life into a mixing bowl. Pastor Roc Bottomly said to write down your wrongful deeds, acts and words on a piece of paper and pin it to the Cross. Jesus had bled and died on that Cross so my sins, past, present and future, would be forgiven, not just parts but all. I pinned the paper to the Cross and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. God had led me from experiencing an enticing aroma to wanting to taste what He has prepared for me. God has provided me a journey of challenges, times of success, times of failure (learning, growing), excitement, joy, peace, trust and hope which will be wilted grass and flowers compared to what awaits me in Heaven.

God has not gifted me one apple pie; He has created millions for me with aromas so sweet and filling, my plate spills over. He has brought and continues to bring godly people alongside me, revealing the truth of His word; the importance of being with Him daily; showing me how to walk the path He has created for me; showing me how to love others; and be a beacon to the lost, hurting and despairing of this world. We are told this world will have problems but do not despair because Jesus has overcome them all. The most awesome pie in the world will never compare to the times God reveals just the scripture, verse or word I need as the world attempts to discourage and mislead me. 

In such times as today, surprising to us but not God, James said in 1:2-6, “Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But, when he asks, he must believe and not doubt…” God has led me to pray when trials and tribulations come like sea billows roll, “Father how can I grow in you and glorify you in these circumstances instead of asking why they are occurring? Father thank you for allowing me in your kitchen. Father give me another slice of your plan.” Joy, peace, hope and reassurance come!

I pray my writing of how God loves us and Jesus paid a debt we cannot pay, will lead you to say, “I want some of that! I need all of that!” Read His Book daily, study, reflect on His word and communicate with Him through prayer. God is preparing fruit-filled lives for each of us: Tell Him you are ready and enjoy what He has prepared for you. Believe me, you cannot get too much of Him in your life. Come on in, He always has room for one more in the kitchen!

by Emily Koontz

It was 2015, I had just graduated college the year before, and was finally starting to feel like I was figuring life out. I had a job that I loved, working for the women’s soccer team at my alma mater in Indiana and enjoyed living close to family and friends. So when I sensed God telling me it was time to leave, to step out in faith and move to a different place, my first thought was something like, “Huh? Are you serious? Why?”

I didn’t want to move. I liked my life. I was comfortable. But the thought that God was calling me to move wouldn’t go away. I knew it had to be from the Lord because even though it was scary and full of many unknowns, I also felt excited to step out in obedience, as I wrote in my journal. That, among other reasons, gave me peace that this really was God’s leading. But first, I would learn a lesson about submitting to God’s timing.

“God, I did what you asked, why aren’t you coming through for me?” was my bitter cry as the job applications kept going out, only to be rejected over and over again. I was 25, unemployed, and living with my parents. Not exactly the picture of success as painted by the world. I had a terrible attitude fueled by self pity, entitlement, and cutting myself off from community. I knew God was still there, but it seemed like he didn't care very much.

By God's grace, my attitude started to change when I finally accepted my circumstances and  began to serve in my community. “God, how can I use this time? What do you want to teach me?”, became my prayer. My attitude began to change, but the notion that I was supposed to move did not. I still felt that God was leading me to step out of my comfort zone and into a new place.

As summer came closer, I was excited for the opportunity to serve with a sports ministry for the 3rd year. I was especially excited because I knew it would give me the opportunity to go to Oklahoma for training, and even be back at CCC, where I had been the year before to help lead sports camp. I liked the people there and had made some good friends who attended CCC, plus I enjoyed being in Oklahoma. I’m not really sure when, but somehow I came to the decision that after the summer was over, I would move to Oklahoma. I had some friends and a place to attend church, so why not? Finding a job and a place to live could come later.

Let me pause right here to point out that this was not typical thinking for me. I would not describe myself as an adventurous type of person. I like to plan; to have my “ducks in a row”, so to speak. Looking back, I see this as evidence of God’s leading. Fast forward to the middle of the summer, when I got a call from a friend who attended CCC. “Hey, this is random, but Covenant is looking for a secretary, I know you are planning to move here - is that something you’d be interested in?”

I won't bore you with all the details that followed, but later that summer, about 2 years after I first sensed God calling me to move, I arrived in Oklahoma - as a resident! I began working at Covenant part time and after a year was hired full time to continue my duties as administrative assistant and also lead the 5th and 6th grade ministry. I never would have imagined any of this, but God showed his faithfulness by leading me to a place and a job that I love so much. Since moving here, God has blessed me in many ways and has used this experience to teach me many things about himself. I am humbled and I am thankful.

Thankful for opportunities to grow and live out my faith, and a church that challenges and equips me to do so.

Thankful for the many people who have shared their lives with me, helped me in various ways, made sure I always have a place to spend holidays, and have become like family to me.

Thankful for parents whose love and support have played a bigger role in this story than these short pages can convey.  

Thankful that God saw fit to lead me here, to teach me, and to allow me to see the fulfillment of his promise that he works all things together for good and for his glory.

For the past 69 years, I have lived a blessed and full life: good health, happy marriage of 48 years, 6 loving children (5 happily married), 13 grands age one to 11 years, sweet 93 year-old Father who was also my next door neighbor, plus a long career in real estate – all which equals an endless list of urgent things for me to accomplish each day for people who depend on me.

About a year ago, in the middle of the night, I woke up lying on the floor at the end of our bed and could not get up. Thus began a long and unfamiliar journey for Doug and me and our precious family. I was no longer the caregiver; I was in need of constant care.

My family took me to the Heart Hospital thinking I’d had a stroke, but after many tests and several hours of a sodium IV, they sent me home.  My heart wasn’t the problem. However, hallucinations had begun to plague me.
         
Doug and daughter Elizabeth took me to Mercy Hospital where my oldest daughter Josiah met us and helped get me inside and to the emergency room. Have I mentioned how amazingly loving, faithful and efficient my children are? All of them and their families have busy lives and schedules, yet they seemed to somehow minister to Doug and me in so many ways. It was very humbling! They had scheduled themselves, their spouses, Doug (who continued to go to work), my sister and some of our dear friends to be with me 24/7 the first 3 weeks and then during the day the remainder of my time (12 days) at the Mercy Rehab Hospital.  Our son, Stephen, who lives in Chattanooga would update my condition on Facebook.

My condition got worse each day.  I was weak and exhausted from lack of sleep. The hallucinations were constant. I couldn’t move my arms or legs, change positions in the bed, lift my head or close my left eye. I thought, “Wow! I’m paralyzed!” The neurologist at Mercy was fairly certain that Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) was the cause of my condition.  After a spinal tap confirmed his diagnosis, I began a 5-day treatment of IV’s with antibodies from people who had survived GBS. The first day of treatment I was moved to the ICU so my oxygen levels could be better monitored. I loved the big, private ICU room! And after that first day of treatment, my hallucinations stopped!  Thank you, Jesus! With the hallucinations gone I was able to think.  It was during the following nights that God’s Holy Spirit was able to do business with me as only He can do in His tender, yet convicting way.  He brought to mind things I had done, said, or thought through the years that were hurtful to my siblings, husband, and children. He reminded me of the way He sees and loves them, and reminded me of the forgiveness I’ve received through Jesus. After many tears of regret and prayers of repentance He gave me a greater appreciation and love for each of them!
     
It was after my fifth day of treatment that I was transferred to Mercy Rehab Hospital. The therapists, nurses, aides, kitchen staff, and doctors were all wonderful! I can’t praise them enough! I arrived helpless and paralyzed – by the time I left – I could walk with a walker, drink, eat, roll from side to side in bed, sit up, and get up from bed to a wheelchair!
     
So many people were praying for me. Friends that I hadn’t seen for
years came to visit. I received many get-well cards and beautiful flower arrangements. Josiah had strung a line of family pictures with another two lines for get-well cards. I had the best looking room at the Mercy Rehab Hospital!

While at the Rehab I observed how painfully hard and difficult it was for the other patients who had suffered strokes, brain injuries from falls, back surgeries or those who were struggling with the pain and adjustments of losing part of a leg from diabetes. My heart ached for them and rejoiced with them for the small improvements they accomplished in therapy, and prayed for them during the nights as God brought them to my mind.
     
All of the therapists were great, but there was this one (not even one of mine) that caught my attention. David had a joyful countenance which would light up a room when he entered. His interactions with both his patients and co-workers were fun to watch. Close to the end of my time there, I discovered that his last name was Price and he sang in the church choir with Doug at Covenant – now, how cool is that?!

Throughout this ordeal, though I was uncomfortable and tormented by hallucinations, I was never fearful – fully aware and comforted in the presence of Jesus. His mercies were new every morning. He opened doors for physical and spiritual healing and spoke peace to my soul.  
     
“I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” - Psalm 34:4

by Kay Cain

Recently, I began a long-needed project of restoring an antique cobbler’s bench, originally used in the middle of the 1800’s. I finally had motive to repair and restore the finish because our daughter wants to use it, and I wanted it to look better than it did now - dried out, grimy, dull and broken. As I set out to clean and refinish this piece, I reminisced about how I had acquired it. The first house Clint and I lived in had a very small living room. I was wanting a coffee table that didn’t take up much room.  I wanted something narrow and interesting. Entering the May Avenue Antique Mall (now at 23rd and Drexel) with tunnel vision, I searched and scoured the mall until my eyes beheld just what I had been looking for.  It was solid wood with a nice oak finish. It had a unique shape. The cobbler could sit straddled on one end of the bench with his work station at the other end, a larger square-shaped tray compartment lined by four smaller trays, I assumed for tacks or nails or hooks; whatever a cobbler used. Underneath the trays sat a small wooden drawer, probably for tools of the trade. It went home with me that day and was well used until around three years ago when we made some furniture changes.

When it first came home, our three boys were pretty young, around 5, 3 and 2 ½ years of age. They loved to sit on the bench and use it as their horse. It soon became apparent there was one flaw in the design of the bench. There was no stop at the back of the drawer. The boys could send the drawer flying across the living room floor. It wasn’t long before the slide pieces broke off and the knob had a chip. I soon found another use for the drawer.

Fast forward some twenty-six years, to last week when I got out my wood wash and Restorz-It products and began washing off the grime and grease that had built up over the years. I believe the Holy Spirit began speaking into my heart about what Jesus Christ does for our sinful condition when we believe in Him and put our faith and trust into His hands, and how that process was much like the one I was taking on with this old work bench.

Just as I used this soap and water to wash off the grit and grime and grease on this wood, Jesus has washed all my sins away by the shedding of His blood. As I glued and nailed new slide pieces onto the drawer, I was reminded how Jesus has brought healing to my brokenness through His goodness and lovingkindness. As I attached a stop piece to the back of the drawer compartment I thought about how God, because of His love and care for us, has placed boundaries. The world doesn’t want any stops of boundaries, but God in his infinite wisdom knows without them there will come only brokenness and destruction.

The wood needed three coats of Restorz-It to bring out the original finish. This process made me think about how Christ’s death and resurrection gives me a covering of His protection. Some wood requires more coats than others. Some of us require more of His discipline and patience to bring out the finished product, one that shines and reflects His light. It doesn’t remove all the scars and dents acquired through years of use, but God can use these too, to build our character and to help us relate to what others have gone through and help to bring about healing.

The restored bench does not look perfect, just as we will not be perfected this side of heaven, but it is able to be used for the purpose it was originally intended, which probably won’t be as a cobbler’s bench.

When we place ourselves in the hands of the One who designed us for His good purpose, we can rest assured He has plans for our lives which we cannot even imagine.

Thank you, Lord Most High, for Your cleansing, healing, covering grace!

by Kelly McGee

I enjoy my projects. I’m very task oriented. So when the season of becoming an “empty nester” came around I was very much looking forward to additional free time to do whatever I wanted. But God had other plans. I couldn’t shake the feeling I would be consumed with self and be no good to anyone. The sermons and God’s Word kept challenging me to think more outward and less inward. In our Friday morning men’s group we read several books that challenged us to be “radical” in our faith from the standpoint of being “sold out”. Totally committed to whatever God would send my direction. Even our community group did a series that challenged us as followers of Christ that, “if anyone is willing to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”. I was hearing the message but had no idea what the plan was.

About that time my middle child was a speech therapist by trade. You know her as Caitlin. She would frequent an elementary school regularly to work with kids. There was a county shelter for kids without a home nearby that would bus their occupants to the school. A particular 8 year old grabbed her fancy and her heart. His name was Randon. Knowing he had nowhere to celebrate Easter, she obtained permission to bring him home for the day.

We had fostered in the past when our kids were young and it was very rewarding and yet very trying. We had been moving in the direction of adopting a child we fostered for several years and it appeared to be a done deal. It fell through at the last minute and that experience hit the heart strings pretty hard. So the proposition of that happening again wasn’t very inviting. But then you would have to know who I’m married to. Between my wife and daughter, I could see this moving in a certain direction. We organized several other opportunities for Randon to come and spend extended time with us. Pretty soon that message we had been hearing began ringing in our ears. What does it look like for us to “love others” and “live the gospel”? At times it seems like we don’t have much to offer, but we now had spare bedrooms and free time. I could see in my wife’s eyes she was “all in”. That’s how she rolls. Because of the prep work God had done in me, the question moved from, “Do you really want to go through this again?” to, “How can we not do this again?” Welcome home Randon.

One of the things that has struck me about Randon since adopting him as our son, is how much we are alike. Being in the foster system and in and out of shelters for his first eight years, Randon came with no sense of permanence, security, significance, value, or importance. Having been there myself, it’s been interesting watching him transition. It’s hard to miss the parallels with the Gospel. I was once a stranger but now I’m a son (Adoption). I deserved God’s wrath but the penalty has been paid on my behalf and He now calls me friend (Propitiation). I was unable to obtain to His perfection but God made a way and gave me His righteousness. I’m in a relationship with the Father! (Justification).  I felt worthless but He has paid a great price to make me whole (Redeemed). I continue to struggle and fail, yet He is patient and committed to work with me until the work is done (Sanctification). I can’t help but believe these identity truths are there for us all, waiting for us to appropriate them for ourselves.

Randon’s siblings, who were all in on this endeavor with us, have been amazing to give him something he has never had before. Family. At times he struggles to not allow the past to dictate current behavior, and so do I. As he and I journey forward together, may we enjoy the work that has been done for us and to us by God. May we come to know the depths of the riches of His love. May we by faith believe who God is and the redemptive work He has done on our behalf. And may what we become be driven by the unfailing love of Christ. There is much work to be done, but we stand on that great truth that He will never leave us or forsake us. We are not alone!

By age 10, I was an accomplished cook.

I usually opted for mac and cheese. We rarely had milk, so I substituted tap water. Then I settled into familiar surroundings on a faded couch, which closely matched the color of my meal and conveniently doubled as my bed. Our small house was a bedroom short. As the youngest, I was forced to sleep in the living room. Besides the obvious lack of privacy, the room featured the added bonus of lingering cigarette smoke.

By 8 o’clock, I had the house to myself, sort of. My dad was passed out from an afternoon of heavy drinking. Straight whiskey, by the pint. Mom rushed out to make it on time to whichever area town was hosting a bingo game. Two older sisters were smarter than me. They hung out with friends until late. Or had sleepovers.

My dad wasn’t violent, just drunk. My mom wasn’t drunk, just absent. Still, I hoped each day my life would somehow get better.

I started going to church, thanks to a church bus outreach (remember those?). Thank God for the bus that stopped each Sunday morning on North 15th Street in Collinsville. I attended regularly. Church was my refuge. I still remember the powerful fragrance of the Wednesday evening churchwide meals. Thank God for good cooks!

At age 12, the direction of my life changed. I placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit took residence. I began reading the Bible daily. Still, home life was hard. My parents divorced. I felt ill-prepared when I left for college, barely 18. I went to UCO, courtesy of a low-income grant and a vocal music scholarship. Thank God for His provision!

I had a Godly roommate who attended church with me and taught me the value of a daily quiet time and how to memorize Scripture. God rescued me out of that rotten home and placed me on the front lines sharing my love of Christ with others. Thank God for answered prayers!

I was introduced to a group of men who modeled Christ-like behavior. They were affiliated with a para church group called the Navigators. Men who helped mold me, like Gene Warr. John Repass. John Crawford. Lorne Sanny. Bob Boardman. Mike Gilbert. They were the reflection of Christ I needed in my life. Thank God for them!

I met Debra in 1992 at the Baptist Student Union. She loved God as I did, and I was smitten. No doubt God sent her to UCO to become my wife. A smart man once said your spouse can double your ministry or cut it in half. We committed to teaching others and sharing what the Lord provided. Thank God for women who desperately love Him!

I have a job I love. My degree is in newspaper journalism. I was a reporter at The Oklahoman before becoming a public relations coordinator. I still write. Thank God for a job, which helps sustain my family. Our grown children (Kaylee, 23, and Tim, 20) love the Lord as we do. God continues to reveal His plan for them. I have no doubt they will model a Godly home of their own soon. Thank God for children and the joy they bring!

What do we take away? If you’re facing a lousy situation, pray! A preacher once said, “God never promised to take you out of the fire, but He promised He will walk with you through it.” I cannot predict when your hard times will end, but I am proof that God rewards the faithful. In 2008, I had one of those trying times. A stomach ache turned out to be metastatic cancer. God sustained me through two surgeries and five rounds of chemotherapy. Now I have a story to share and the ability to help others cope when facing a similar trial. Thank God for situations that make us stronger! Well, it’s about time for dinner, and It’s my turn to cook. We’re having mac and cheese, with milk! You’re always welcome!

In early childhood, I learned that the way to be loved was to be who people needed me to be. Be quiet when people need quiet. Be happy when people need happy. Be fun when people need fun. Be brave, be restrained, be big, be small, be nice, be decisive, be polite. Be what people need you to be and you will be loved.

Then as a teenager, I met Jesus. All of a sudden I had a purpose and a reason for my life because of Him. He said He knew me in my mother’s womb, loved me, counted every hair on my head (that’s a lot!), had a purpose for my life, is my Father, made me in His image, and that I could trust Him and He would never leave me.

In my early twenties, I dealt with depression for the first time, or the first time that I had a term for it. I wrestled with the tension of being a Christian and being depressed. I remember many nights being fearful of going to sleep and not having the words to wrap my mind around why. How could this be? I know Jesus loves me, so why is it so hard to go to sleep? Or get up each day? I spent a lot of time in Bible Studies, small groups, discipleship groups and still just couldn’t shake this heaviness that would come each day and night. I would ask God for healing many, many times. Still, I was struggling.

I remember a particularly hard season when I found myself curled up in the corner of my bedroom next to the stinky, dirty clothes pile. I was weeping and crying out to God, “Please Father lift this weight from me. Please. Heal me, please! I don’t want to keep feeling this way.” I was asking why and wondering if maybe my brain was just broken? Or maybe my heart lacked the faith to muster through these moments? Maybe I hadn’t memorized enough scripture? Maybe I never got my prayer life to be quite as intentional as it should be? Did I spend enough time in the Word? Enough time in prayer? And then I had this deep, deep conviction that I am Loved and He is with me. Unexpectedly and maybe miraculously I started thanking Him for the dark seasons. (What?!?!) Because of these dark and painful times, I’ve known the Lord more intimately. In the near way. My source of life and hope. My constant. My shelter. Not in spite of them, but because of these seasons, I have leaned in. Leaned into the truth that “my flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” Psalm 73:26. It’s interesting that with the depths of hardship and pain I’ve come to a place where I’m grateful for them, not in a tidy or polished sort of way, but in a barely getting by, superheroish, imperfect with hair disheveled sort of way. I’m thankful now for the hard times that have flexed my muscle of dependence on Jesus.

It always brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat when thinking of Jesus in the Garden praying and sweating blood, when He asked the Father to take the cup of the cross from Him. He quickly followed it up with, “not my will but yours be done”. The heavy weight of the cross, the road He was about to walk was overwhelming in a brief moment for our Lord. Something about that gives me great peace. I can relate to that. The gut-wrenching cry to the Father to take the pain, lift the burden or heal. If Jesus can’t get out of this life without overwhelming heartache, pain and grief I guess I don’t expect to either. I trust His will is higher and greater than mine even in midst of pain, tragedy and loss. And in the moments when I don’t, I fall back on all the ways He has been faithful before. All the dark days He has seen me through.

I believe what the Lord wants you to hear from my life is He is with you. He cares deeply about the heavy in your heart. He is near and will never forsake you. Young Terri thought she needed to be something to be loved but what she didn’t understand is that the Lord had already renamed her, her name is Love. He established me as Loved when Jesus died for me. He deemed me worthy and significant when He allowed Jesus to be nailed to the tree on my behalf. For a wretch like me. I think of Gideon. He was in active hiding when God renamed him Valliant Warrior. He was running away when God named him courageous. That’s me. God has loved me from my beginning, and while my wayward heart was searching, he renamed me Loved. I hope this brings you some comfort during the quarantine-weirdness. Jesus loves you. The Lord deemed you worthy. He can stand up to your biggest questions, darkest days and deepest fears. He will never leave you or forsake you. You are Loved.

My prayer for you and for me is that we have the kind of faith that mirrors Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3 when they were being thrown into the firey furnace and remained faithful to the One True King - “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."”

But even if He doesn’t friends. Even if he doesn’t cure the depression, anxiety, loneliness, cancer or mend the broken family.....Not for a moment will He forsake you.

Strategies for living daily with depression:

1. Memorize scriptures. Post them everywhere in your house, on your phone, desk, stove and in your car and white knuckle them in the darkest moments, like you would a roller coaster safety bar.
2. Crank up the worship music!
3. Keep a prayer journal of other people’s needs in addition to your own.
4. Get outside and get some fresh air. Creation declares His glory!
5. Exercise. There are scientific words for what happens in your body when you exercise so google it, because I’m no scientist!
6. Talk to someone about your struggle. It will let some light in.

Not for A Moment        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XD0cvWImVjA
 
You were reaching through the storm
Walking on the water
Even when I could not see
In the middle of it all
When I thought You were a thousand miles away
Not for a moment did You forsake me
Not for a moment did You forsake me
After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
You were singing in the dark
Whispering Your promise
Even when I could not hear
I was held in Your arms
Carried for a thousand miles to show
Not for a moment did You forsake me

by Cate Moriasi

My name is Cate Moriasi, my husband Daniel and I have two children, Michael and Maria. About 13 years ago, Lori, a neighbor who lived in Colonial Hills Apartments, invited us to Covenant Community Church the same weekend we moved to Oklahoma because of Daniel’s job. Lori also introduced us to the Bible Club ladies.  When Maria was born a few weeks later, the church organized meals for us and Dawna Nelson brought and set up a Christmas tree in our apartment.  Other ladies from the church invited me and arranged for Debra Price to pick me up and bring me to meet with other mothers of preschoolers. These wonderful ladies didn’t judge me when I told them that I didn’t want to do a craft during the MOPS time. That year, Mitzi Ayler invited us to Thanksgiving with her family. Later, the Stringers decided to adopt us, such that now when our children think of Thanksgiving, Carlton and Judy Stringer are a big part of that thought process. I am thankful that now I have a sister, Sara, and a nephew, Bradley here in Oklahoma and at Covenant. But when we first came, we did not have any relatives. God brought us here and gave us a family. I couldn’t find a word in the English vocabulary to express exactly what this church family has meant to us over the last 13 years, but the Luganda word is TETUJUZA! And the closest English equivalent is “In Covenant Community Church we have found all that we have needed from a family.”

Our children didn’t have uncles, grandmas or any other relatives, yet the people of this church stepped up to fill those roles. I would need a whole day to list every single person who has contributed to helping us raise our children to be who they are now but I will give you some examples to show you what this church family has meant to us. For a long time Steve Lessman took Michael to Bible Club every Monday; close to one of Michael’s birthdays, Ralph Smith reached out to us because he heard that Michael loves trains, so he brought him a train set; Harry Dupree reached out to Michael and gave him a signed Gideon’s Bible; Ann David wrote a note telling Michael how special he was because he was named after an angel; Harriet Bottrell loved on Maria like she was her own child; Todd and Cyndi drove to our home to fix Michael’s bicycle when Daniel was out of town; the Stringer’s kept the children so we could go celebrate our anniversary. Recently, I sent out a GroupMe text to my community group about my garage door having problems. I received a quick response telling me about Bruce DeRose, a garage door guy who goes to our church.This church has been a one stop for us, God has met all our needs here.

It’s even better the way He continues to meet our spiritual needs. Our children have been prayed for, they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, got baptized and are growing spiritually.  They have role models and people to talk to so they can finally say, “Oh, that makes sense,” even when mom and dad have been saying the same thing all along. We are very thankful for the children and youth ministries! From the get go Daniel fell in love with Carlon’s teaching and if you have an hour for him, he will tell you what this church has meant for his spiritual growth.

For me, when we started coming, I was still in my little world but God has used this church to do a work in me. He has moved me out of my comfort zone and made sure that I have what I need to continue growing in Him. I will give you an example of how this has played out in my life. Through different encounters God began to impress upon me that the reason I was struggling in my Christian walk was because I was relying on my mind and wisdom of the world instead of relying on His wisdom. After several weeks of studying, praying, complaining and wondering what I was supposed to do with that in the practical sense, our community group leader, Kelly McGee, without knowing my struggles, decided to do a series on the attributes of God and one of the topics was the wisdom of God. It was answered prayer for me. By the time I was done learning what I could about the wisdom of God, I knew that my only hope of living the way God intended was to learn to rely on the Spirit of God. Then in the following months I prayed, many times it was whining actually – “Lord, I get it, I need to walk with Your Spirit, but how? Lord make it practical.” Guess what happened shortly after – Carlon started a series called, “People in Step with the Spirit!” I went back to God and said, “O Lord, You never cease to amaze me! You are a relentless pursuer! You see to it that I have what I need even when I don’t know what that is.”

So on behalf of my family, I say thank You to Covenant Community Church, for accepting to be used by the Lord to bless us, and our prayer is that we too will be faithful members of this family of God, committed to knowing Him more and allowing Him to use us to love others and live the gospel.

by Rhonda Rundel

As all parents know, parenting comes with many joys but with heartache as well. The statement that having kids is like allowing your heart to walk around outside your body is pretty accurate. God has blessed me and my family in countless ways, but every life must have struggle, for that is how we grow in dependence on the Lord. The area where God has most forced me to trust Him is with my children, who both suffer with mental illness.

In November of 2018 the Lord directed me to attend the Covenant women’s retreat. During that retreat the Lord spoke clearly to me that I was to be praying for my son’s healing. (That’s another long story involving a tattered, decades-old devotional tucked away “randomly” in my Bible about Nebuchadnezzar and the seven years he spent eating grass like a cow before the Lord restored his sanity.) My son suffers from a debilitating mental illness that has no medical cure. He was in an intense state of crisis at the time, and my prayers focused around keeping him safe one more night. The Lord made it clear that I was to be asking for far more than to keep my son alive one night at a time.

I found myself sharing with others that God had told me to “pray bigger” for my son. That was, after all, close to what He said. Strangely, I found it nearly impossible to pray such a simple prayer, even though I wanted my son’s healing with all my heart. I was uncharacteristically defiant. This confused and scared me because I knew God was able to do abundantly more than we imagine, and I was certain He told me to pray for my son’s healing. Why was this hard? It took some time to unfold the complicated lies I was believing. I eventually told a few people what God had actually said to me and about how hard it had been to be obedient in this. They spoke all the truths to me, truths that I already knew in my head. (Thanks, friends!) They helped me discover that I felt unworthy to ask for such a big and impossible thing for my family. After all, who am I? The simple answer is: I am a child of God. I am a child of a God who wants to give good things to His children.

By about February, 2019, I was finally praying for the Lord to heal my son. That March, he was back in the hospital. It was another time of crisis. During this time the Lord gave me 2 Chronicles 20:15. Thus says the LORD to you, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” I felt peace during this time that the Lord was doing a good work. By July of 2019 my son had been accepted at a group home. During the first few months miraculous changes occurred in him. I don’t know if God has or will heal my son. What I do know is that a boy who has been at times catatonic, unable to speak, unaware of who he was or where he was and was often fearful and confused is now talking with me regularly and making plans for the future. He was able to come visit for a week at Christmas and see family that he hasn’t seen in years. This is abundantly more than I ever dared hope for.

If the Lord has impressed on you to pray for someone or something, you might consider that God will not do apart from prayer that which He has ordained to do by prayer. I believe this more than ever.

Forgiveness toward someone who has wronged you is not a natural or easy act. Sometimes it seems quite impossible! True forgiveness must first be learned from our Teacher, Jesus.  

I’ve struggled with forgiveness on a number of levels and have always failed in my own effort. How can we forgive someone who hurts us? On many occasions I’ve been faced with having to forgive a wrong thing said or overlook an offense against me, but one of my most emotional moments came with the forgiving of Timothy McVeigh, the man who killed my parents.

My parents, Dr. Charles and Jean Hurlburt were visiting the Murrah Building in OKC on that early morning of April 19, 1995.  My mom was checking on her social security benefits and dad was running the errand with her.  In a moment their lives were taken along with the other 166 innocent people who died that day.

My parents were so dear to me and losing them tore my heart to pieces.  God’s requirement that I forgive the very man who took my precious parents away was impossible for me. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. Why forgive the man who by his own words said those who got in the way of his agenda were just collateral? They got in the way of his bitter mission! My parents were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or so I thought.

In reflection of my life over the past twenty years, I’ve thought a lot about how God has helped me to forgive those who have hurt me, including Timothy McVeigh. How can we forgive someone who hurts us? Why must we forgive?  God says we must forgive. Matthew 6:15 says, “If you don’t forgive others your Father will not forgive you.” But, this is easier said than done.

Initially, I didn’t see Timothy McVeigh as my enemy but only a man guilty of a horrendous crime. I hadn’t had a real issue of anger up to this point because I couldn’t link what he did in my head as directed towards me personally but somehow more detached. I knew him from afar and he had no clue who I was. My bitterness didn’t show itself until I watched an interview he gave on television one night. I had only seen Timothy McVeigh as a man always being led in chains across the TV screen and never speaking, but now, he had a chance to speak. He spoke, laughed and carried on normal conversation with an indifference and coldness about what he had done that reached down into my inner being!!!! Now I had a target. Now I was furious!!!  He looked like a normal guy but the words coming out of his mouth had no feeling. He didn’t care if innocent babies, everyday citizens, MY PARENTS got in the way!  I was enraged!

After the interview that night I was restless. I was in so much pain and thoughts of the interview kept going through my head. I was a Christian and raised in a Christian home. I knew what the Bible said about forgiveness of your enemies but I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it. Forgiveness is always a choice and the choice I was making was wrong, and I knew it. The emotional struggle was overwhelming until I cried out on my bed to Jesus.  I told him I didn’t know how to forgive, and didn’t want to either.  I remember distinctly saying, “ If I don’t forgive Timothy McVeigh You will be mad at me.”  In that very moment two beautiful verses came to mind. Romans 8:38-39 says: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wow!  God could love me even in my disobedience!  All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed with the love of God.  I didn’t care about anything else that night. Bitterness melted away.  My Heavenly Father loved me when I was unlovely.  I could forgive because my Lord had loved and forgiven me first.

It was the year of Timothy McVeigh’s execution which stirred up intense emotions, not only for me but everyone watching the news. I felt God prompting me to pray for Timothy’s salvation. Even if I forgave him, why was God asking me to pray for his salvation? He didn’t deserve salvation!  But deep down, I knew I didn’t deserve it either. The task of praying for the man who purposefully murdered my parents and so many others, was difficult to say the least. After continued prompting from God, I relented and prayed. For some reason or other, his execution was delayed. I can’t remember the politics of this decision but I knew in my heart that God was using the delay to give Timothy an opportunity to turn to Him.  Did he turn to God? No. His final words were that “ he was the captain of his own ship.....”  

Timothy McVeigh died with a cold heart toward God. So why had God prompted me to pray? I may not know all His reasons, but in praying for Timothy God showed me something greater. Much greater!!  He showed me His amazing love!  Out of love I believe God caused me to pray for Timothy McVeigh. He used this act of difficult obedience on my part to show ME the great love He has for all who will turn to Him. He showed me His long-suffering and patience toward not only an evil man, but me too. 2 Peter says, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Go ahead and forgive!!  God’s blessing will be many times greater than the offense!

Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”  August 28th marked our 3-year anniversary of moving to Yukon, OK. As I said goodbye to one of my closest friends, she handed me a letter and said, “I know you are in God’s will because of how calm and peaceful you are reacting to this life change.”  This dear friend was speaking from a place of experience in my life. We had traveled the road of giving birth and raising children together for nearly 8 years, and in those eight years she watched me struggle with anxiety and fear.  Being in the center of God’s will is not always easy, it can be scary, but we are here trusting in faith that God is with us providing, teaching and molding us into people more like His son Jesus Christ.
 
 Before moving I researched Covenant Community Church by listening to sermons online, and I knew we lined up with the truths that were being taught through the expositional teaching. On one of our first Sundays the Duncans were commissioned, and that made my heart happy to see a church sending a family to go into the world and preach the gospel.  I have to say, it’s not easy walking into to a new church without an invitation from a friend, and this was a new experience for us because we had always gone with friends. One of the most monumental Covenant experiences which changed my life, was a dear friend investing in and gently encouraging me by walking me through “The Steps to Freedom in Christ” by Neil T. Anderson.  

I know that God does not waste our testimonies and is faithful to equip us with gifts and talents to be shared.  I began to pray, “Lord where do you want me to share the gospel, invest in lives and do kingdom work?”  I realized he had equipped me through a career of teaching online, through encouraging students by equipping them with life skills and through a career in hospitality.

In May of 2019 my best friend in Virginia asked me to be the sponsorship director for Be There Ministries.  We sponsor and equip families in the Chirkos neighborhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Covenant Community Church has encouraged me to use the gifts God has given me to help others 10,000 miles away in Ethiopia.  In August I went on my first trip where we had countless opportunities to feed families, wash the street orphans, provide clothing and give hugs to children who have lost both parents. I will never forget walking through the trash dump in Korah, where families rent small portable homes and dig through the trash to provide for themselves.  For now, my mission field is my family first, then my community and globally through Be There Ministries.  My prayer for my family is to be bold and have the courage to share the good news.  I am grateful for our community group where we have developed sweet friendships and experienced close fellowship.

Recently I have experienced something I have never experienced before. I have always enjoyed my work, my friends, my church - all these things. But I have never been as excited as I am now because of the path I find myself on. I enjoyed sports growing up. I grew up in a Christian home. I am blessed with incredible parents and siblings. I thought life really couldn’t get any better. I try to always have a happy, ‘go with the flow’ attitude about anything and everything I am involved in. I just didn’t really have a clear path of what to do in life, I felt, - until now. I wholeheartedly believe and trust that God’s plan is good. I have always tried to shine the light of Christ wherever He has me. But now I feel this is more true than ever.
 
In a recent conversation with my hairstylist, she asked me if I had ever thought about cutting hair. She asked because she said she has seen my creativity and my ability to relate to and enjoy people all my life. I began to pray specifically about what I should do and where I should go because of that conversation. Until then, I thought I had surrendered to God and His will for me. But this was different. I began praying that He would open doors and also praying for courage that I would actually do my part and walk through those doors. Man, those doors weren’t closing. So I kept walking through them.
 
I took the first step and applied. I filled out all the fun paperwork. I went on interviews. Completed more paperwork. Before I knew it, I walked out of the establishment that would become my school and that I now look forward to attending daily. The Lord knew I needed to act fast because He knows how I respond to things. If I had taken extra time to sit and think about it, I wouldn’t be getting an education now. I would’ve wigged myself out-pun intended. I cannot and do not want to get over watching how my Lord has faithfully provided for and directed me, in the conversations I have, the people I’ve met and the connections that I now have.

I am very excited about where God will take me from here. How could I fail if I’m where God wants me to be? I look forward to the people I will meet, become close to, witness to, and be a light to. I pray my career will become a ministry where I can live a model of obedience to God in front of everyone whose paths I cross.

As a believer trying to live obediently, I look to see God’s work in everything, literally. It is always easier to see it in hindsight, but I want to experience it in real time if possible.

When I do, there is a peace that is beyond my understanding. Wherever I am, I know He is with me; caring for me, loving me, protecting me from this dark world and even from myself.

There have been some life events that Harriet and I have had in the last few months that once again have made God’s presence and love very real. These things are somewhat common experiences, but the details lined up in a way that makes God’s hand in them undeniable. The skeptics could disagree, but as one who does not believe in coincidence or luck, I must agree that He is living and active in our lives.

April 3rd I had an “ordinary” knee replacement. It could not have gone better. I had an excellent surgeon, quality care, and a good rehabilitation. It was a bit uncomfortable for several weeks, but still, no regrets. However, it was how easily things lined up that made us confident in the decision to go forward. Insurance issues, schedules and other timing makes me confident that God had his hand on this from start to finish.

May 10th I was terminated from my employer of 14 years. I was asked to come to my supervisor’s office and while I slowly hobbled down the hallway, I had a feeling about what was going to happen. When I entered the room, there was HR, and I became very excited. My boss told me how much he appreciated my work, but all I could think of as this was taking place is what God had for Harriet and me next! This job had been God’s blessing to us time and time again. I refused to ask why this was happening. Instead, I just could not wait to see what was next, knowing whatever it was He was part of it. That brought a peace that transcended my understanding.

I made a call to a vendor I had been working on a project with for more than a year to tell him I had been terminated and that I had no idea what would happen to the project due to my termination. He paused and asked if I could be in his office the next day at 10. After a few weeks of talking to others and focused prayer, I accepted an offer of employment. I work in the oil and gas industry and currently jobs can be very scarce. It is literally undeniable that God had his hand on this as well. I had no idea I had been interviewing for a job with this organization for the previous 14 months.

In December, Harriet and I decided to build a new home. It was time to downsize and build for a different purpose - one level and more space to host more people. We needed to sell our current home before moving into the new home, but we were in no hurry, the new home should finish in January 2020. A young family heard about our home and came to look at it. They liked it and made an offer to purchase it. We accepted their offer with a contingency of the sale of their home. They called their realtor and the realtor bought it. Now it was time to find a place to live for a few months while waiting on the new house to finish. My sister-in-law had spent some time with us long ago and offered to share her home with us. We accepted her gracious offer and have been there several weeks. It is working out much better than I had anticipated. God’s hand had made a way around every obstacle.

My point about looking for, anticipating and seeing God’s hand in real time is that it takes the anxiety away while replacing it with excitement. These are simple choices, not at all easy, but choices none the less. If we truly believe in a sovereign God, we should not expect less.

I pray that you see God’s hand in all parts of your lives, and this will bolster your faith to a strength that others will see and long for. One of our missions is to live in a way that is honoring and glorifying to God.

Hey ya’ll...my name is Mitzi Aylor.  I am 5' and my feet don’t touch the ground 99% of the time when I sit down.  Most people know me for the gift God has blessed me with, photography.  When I was a little girl I did not dream of being a photographer, I dreamed of being a mom with a house full of children and I dreamed of being a teacher.

I grew up in Chandler, OK (on Turner Turnpike where the cows are on the hill Exit 166).  I had a great childhood.  My dad had several careers, but the longest and dearest to his heart was being a social worker for DHS in Lincoln County.  My mom was known in town as the Cake Lady.  If you had a birthday or were married in the 80s - 90s, my mom probably made the cake.  Our house smelled of cake and icing ALL the time; I thought everyone’s house was supposed to smell like sugar!  We were very involved in our local church.  My mom was on the Hostess Committee, my dad was a Deacon and also served as the youth pastor for many years.  I was involved too.  I became a nursery volunteer at 10 years old.  I also babysat for all the families in the church.  In high school, I used to babysit for families that had 5-8 children.  My junior year, I began to work for the Evans family, and I LOVED these kids.  The desire for a large family grew in my heart.  I KNEW God would give me what I wanted--it tells us in the Bible He will.  Psalms 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  BOOM...MIC DROP

Fast forward to college, I received a degree in Early Childhood Education (check that off the Dream To Do List).  Then my junior year, my eyes were opened to a sweet quiet man.  We fell in love, got married, I moved into the bachelor pad, and we began to live my dream. (Remember the Evans kids, I married their uncle, so now I’m their aunt...God did a nice little miracle there.) It didn’t take long before I realized that this Cinderella fairy tale was not real life. Married life was hard for me. But even though it wasn’t picture perfect, we began to work through the hard things.  Two years into our marriage, I got the baby bug BIG TIME!!!!  I thought it was time to have our first child.  Steve was fine with that, since he is a bit older than me.  We were unsuccessful for many months.  I went to a specialist and found out that I had PCOS.  This disease can make it very difficult to get pregnant.  We had several failed procedures, but in the end we had one successful pregnancy.  Our little peanut was born October 26, 2004.  

Thomas Wade Aylor was the joy of our lives. I was SURE God would continue
“giving me the desires of my heart” the way I envisioned it.  He would give us 2-3 more biological children.  When Thomas was a year, I really wanted to try for another child.  So we did.  Unfortunately, nothing was successful, but God began to develop other interests in my life.

During this time, I began working in the CCC nursery and MDO.  I loved being with the children.  Thomas enjoyed MDO.  Steve and I had a group of friends that had young children, so Thomas had kids his age to play with.  At this time, I also began to do more and more photography.  The gift of photography began to grow. Steve took note of it and encouraged me to follow this avenue.

Today I joke a lot about my camera being my second child.  When people see me without it, they ask me where it is, as if I have left a child somewhere. The camera is a tool God has given me to bless others.  I get to be with and capture so many memories for people, from the most joyous times to the most devastating. I love how Melanie Shankle says in Everyday Holy, “God sees something in me that I don’t see in myself.  I see all the fears and insecurities and worries and just general yuck, but He looks at me and sees something entirely different.  He sees something He can use for His plans and purposes.”

This January, I started getting up early.  I would journal, read the Bible and pray.  Seven months ago, I had no idea what was going to be happening.  God simply needed me to show up.  As I spent more and more time with him, things began to stir in my heart.  Some things didn’t make sense to me, but I listened.  Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Sometimes you have to let things go in order for God to use you in a new way.  This summer, I stepped out of my role as lead nursery teacher.  It has been an amazing 14 years.  This was not an easy decision, but I knew it was what God was telling me to do.  Thank you Covenant family, for sharing your children with me.  I have LOVED so many children. I hope they will always remember, “Jesus loves you and Mimi does too”.  There was something on the horizon, but it can be scary to take the step, not knowing where that step leads.  A few weeks after stepping out of the nursery, I was asked to teach Yearbook at Southwest Covenant Schools. (I have to tell you, I’ve always said, I don’t teach anyone taller than me, and now they want me to teach High School.) I NEVER imagined teaching high schoolers.  The little kids have always been my jam.  I KNOW God had been working on my heart.  My first thought was, “Why not?” Steve was on board and I could not be more excited and
nervous. This can ONLY be God, because all high schoolers are taller than me! You guys, God has given me the desires of my heart in a way I could have NEVER imagined.

Thinking back to my dreams as a little girl, to teach and to have a lot of children, I now see that God has changed my heart and given me more than I ever dreamed. Psalms 113:9 says, “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!” Yukon is my home!  My
clients are not simply clients, they are friends and family.  (Yes, I will continue to photograph and build Aylor Photography) Covenant has been a home for me, where I have loved children and now SWCS is a new home where I can love and mentor teens. WOW...WOW WOW WOW.  

Isaiah 41: 9-10--”you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, says to you, ‘You are the servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Hey church, how goes it? My name is David Markus and has been for some time. I’m starting this off with Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” For some reason, this amazing God of ours broke through to me and then later let me find this amazing verse tucked away here in one of Paul’s letters just to watch me go, “Dang, that’s so cool.”

Early on in my life things were different and I was chasing after other things that I thought would carry the day. I was “churched” early on, complete with church camp and confirmation classes. By the time I hit high school, I was lost as a goose. It was the 60’s and it was all about sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Jesus? Oh yeah, he was cool or whatever the mind set was at that time. But I wasn’t gonna let that filter into my thinking because I thought, “You know, I’ve been there, done that, my ticket’s been punched”. In reality, I had no clue, well not yet. God had some things in place for me that didn’t come into view until after I got out of high school in Sheboygan, WI.

A few weeks after graduation, the despair and emptiness came center stage.  I was floundering badly and thinking all kinds of things about how to shake my bad, bad case of the blues. I was miserable and the bleak forecast my thoughts were handing me wasn’t good. It was time.

Earlier on in my junior year a sort of turning point event took place that set the stage for God to intervene in my life. A friend of mine named Andy and a handful of others from school just up and left for California. Not too long after that a letter circulated that found its way to me from Andy. He was talking about the Lord and how he was the answer to what we were looking for. That letter was like a burning bush moment when God told me to come to him. I knew then, even before I was ready to do it, that I was going to go out there to find out for myself.

By the fall after my senior year, I was hitchhiking out to the west coast no matter what might happen. On the way out, in the middle of Iowa, I took a shot at praying and asked God for a ride out of there. In five minutes’ time I had a ride (which oddly didn’t surprise me) and this nice woman in a van (of course) took me and a friend who was traveling with me all the way to my uncle’s house in Sacramento. She fed us and even got our clothes washed. I was, maybe for the first time ever, putting my faith and trust in God and giving my life to him. I experienced the truth of Matthew 6:33-34 and after just five minutes of calling out to him.

He wasted no time in showing me that this thing - this faith in God, this believing - was real, that He was real. Soon I met up with Andy and my discipleship journey began with a group of other believers who, similar to Acts, held all things in common and shared their lives with others and spoke of what Jesus had done for them.

So that my friends, is a “quick” 30,000 foot overview of God’s saving work in my life.

Life seems to be full of waiting. Whether we’re children waiting to grow up, an adolescent waiting to drive, a student waiting to graduate, an adult waiting to get married, have children, land a promotion, or retire, waiting is a fact of life. And even though I’ve had to wait for many things, I’m still awful at it.

 We are the Duncan family. James and I met in high school, married in college, and had our first baby before graduation. So while those things took time, there wasn’t a lot of sitting and waiting in our first couple years. However, before marriage we talked about adopting and missions, and wanted to be a part of both; we just weren’t sure how, or when.

When we first looked into adoption we were 23 and a lot of agencies wouldn’t qualify a couple so young. I remember being so impatient and thinking I couldn’t possibly wait seven years until we were (gasp!) 30, which was required at the time. Finally, we were able to start the process of adopting, four years and two bio children later. And what was “supposed” to take 12-18 months, took over two years. There were many hard nights wondering about the circumstances of the child who would be our son, and many times things looked pretty grim. But, through all the waiting, anxiety, fear, waiting, preparation, stress, and more waiting, God was revealing the truth of His sovereign control. At the same time, He was reigniting in our hearts a desire for foreign missions.

As I said earlier, God had given us a heart for foreign ministry before we had gotten married, but what He hadn’t done was show us where or how we would serve. We had tried breaking into overseas missions in several ways, but to no avail. Doors always ended up closed.  But during this time of working and having children, God had moved James from an entry-level graphic designer to a team-leading programmer, and we had begun thinking maybe our mission field would remain in our own backyard. Through the adoption of our son though, God called us to step out again into the scary unknown and pursue missions.

Neither James nor I have a Bible degree or medical degree, or gift for preaching - all things with obvious applications on the mission field. What we do have is a willingness to be used and sent where God leads, and turns out, the mission world could really use some sweet computer skills, like that of my computer programming husband! Woot!

I’d like to say we packed up and left as soon as we got the clarity of our mission, but no. We began the fundraising process and waited as God called people to join our support team. During that same time we added two more kids to our tribe because, well, why not? And so, three years after going to new staff training with our sending organization, we packed up our house, left our friends, family, amazing church body, and most of our belongings, and took our six kids around the globe to Chiang Mai, Thailand (where we added another baby!!)

There have been times I’ve wondered,  “Why now?” Why, as a family this large, this settled, with this amazing support system of family, friends, and church body, would we be called to leave it all behind? Why not before all that? Why did we have to wait until we were so established, until we would have so many we would miss? For us, I think in part, that is what we were waiting for. God wanted us to have all that support, all that identity, love, all that grounding.

Sometimes, when it feels like too much - and it often can being so far away from all I’ve known - I have this incredible establishment. Not just people to turn to and have pray for me, though I do and they’re invaluable, but I also have years of investment that has gone into me, and into us. God has used the time we felt we were waiting to prepare us, grow us, equip us, to root us and establish us in His love. All that waiting. It can be frustrating, stressful, full of unknowns, worry, anger, questions...you name it. But it is also full of the faithful handiwork of God. So while I’m not a pro at waiting, I’m learning to see and recognize its fruit, and appreciate the things God can do while we wait on Him.

My story began in a land far, far away called Livingston, Montana. I am one of twelve children (#9), was homeschooled from start to finish, the son of a pastor and was born into a home where the gospel and God’s truths were taught to us from day one. But even in a home filled with Christ and with two loving parents that lived out their faith daily for all to see, I was as lost as the day is long. From an early age I was bullied and believed that I could not be loved or accepted, and that I would never fit in. I convinced myself that the only way to achieve any of these things was to morph into whatever the person standing in front of me deemed acceptable. And that is how I lived for many years. I memorized all the verses, knew the correct answers, read my Bible just enough to squeak by if anyone asked, and followed the rules to make sure nobody ever doubted me and my “salvation.”

When I hit high school, I got a job at the local DQ and quickly found a new batch of bullies and people that, in my mind, I needed to appease. I found a girl that seemed to love me and I loved her, but I could never reveal those feelings because she wasn’t a Christian, and if I let that out someone might question me. All of these pressures, lies, and insecurities catapulted me into a world of depression, emotional pain, and suicidal tendencies. It wasn’t until a few months before my 18th birthday that I truly surrendered myself to Christ. I remember being on the verge of suicide that night, and I told myself that night would be my last…

But God had better plans. I woke up the next morning and I could hear my parents upstairs and, like they did every morning, I knew they were praying for their children. In that moment the light came on; I cried out to God, and I accepted the truth that had been faithfully calling to me my entire life. God sealed me that morning, but I still had years of recovery ahead. I graduated high school in 2011, moved to Bozeman, MT, then to Lincoln, NE, and then to Oklahoma City, OK, in August 2015. I know I just hit fast-forward on a good chunk of time. If you want to know about those years, ask me next time you see me wandering around. Believe me, God did a lot in those years.

In the fall of 2016, I found myself attending a church in Yukon, OK, called Covenant Community Church. Heard of it? There I found a group of people that not only cared about me, but they genuinely didn’t expect me to be anything other than who God created me to be. Now, I thought I had dealt with all of my identity issues. I mean, it had been at least six years since I had accepted Christ, so surely I’d gotten it all worked out, right? Well, no. Over the past two years God has used the body of Christ at Covenant in big ways. God brought people into my life who asked me the hard questions. They dug down deep and wanted to know the answer behind the answer. They introduced me to tools that would make me go back and face why I was putting up walls between me and the people around me. They took the time to care about who I really was. They peeled back the layers and helped me realize that I could be loved, accepted, and that I’m not the only one with skeletons in the closet. They were Christ to me and still are to this day. From late night conversations at the Bottrell’s to sitting on Landon and Lindsey McGee’s roof for hours, God has used people to reveal to me who I am in Christ. I thank God each day for these people.

And, finally, to bring you up-to-date, a few months ago I was convinced to attend a six week Sunday morning class on identity. As I walked into this class my pride told me that I wouldn’t learn anything new, that I already knew who I was. I was wrong. Yes, I have heard all of these things before. Yes, I memorized many of these verses in my childhood. Yes, I have worked through a lot of baggage. But through that class, God revealed burdens I was still bearing, shame that I was allowing to dictate my responses in certain situations, and pride that I was not willing to put to death.

So, who am I? I am completely accepted (Romans 15:7), I am unconditionally loved (John 16:27), I am totally forgiven (Col. 2:13), I am eternally saved (1 John 5:11-13), I am blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), and I am free indeed (1 Cor. 3:17). That is who I am.

Genesis is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It’s the beginning…the beginning of the greatest story in history. It chronicles the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, the lineage of patriarchs that God would use to execute His plan to rescue us and bring us back into a right relationship with Him. This year reading through Genesis, I have been especially struck with Jacob’s story. He was a mess of a kid. His mode of operation was to deceive and to trick his way into getting what he wanted. The thing he wanted most was acceptance. He longed for it and he went to great lengths to try to get what his heart desired. Twice he used trickery to deceive and steal from his brother Esau. He eventually had to flee his country and go to his Uncle Laban’s house to escape his brother’s wrath. While there, Jacob received the same treatment (deceit and trickery) from Laban that he had dished out to Esau (see Genesis 29-31).

In Genesis 32 we find Jacob leaving his uncle’s land to go back to the land of his father. He was especially fearful of seeing Esau because of the deceitfulness and trickery he had used in getting him to sell his birthright and robbing him of the blessing from his father. Once again, Jacob tried to gain acceptance, this time by trying to appease Esau with gifts. The night before he was to meet Esau he wrestled all night with God and through this struggle, Jacob came to see that it was not the face of Esau with which he was to be most concerned with, but the face of God. He says in verse 30 “For I have seen the face of God, and yet my life has been delivered.” That night he discovered that He was accepted by God. This was the approval Jacob most truly needed – what his heart really longed for. Once he received the vertical acceptance from God, all other horizontal human acceptance became so much less important to him.

Jacob’s experience is part of my own story. As a teenager and young adult, my heart longed for acceptance. I so desperately wanted to be accepted by others. Like Jacob, I made many choices and bad decisions in order to gain the acceptance I thought would make things right and would satisfy my soul. As I searched for that acceptance in others, I instead found heartbreak, confusion and the reality of the consequences of my poor choices. Like Jacob, I had made a mess, BUT GOD…

…BUT GOD stepped into my life. He reached down at the lowest point of my life and set my feet on solid ground. He took my mess and began to recreate a beautiful story of redemption. Through my struggles, He taught me that the face I needed to be the most concerned with was His face.
In God’s Word, I began to discover some vital truths that began to transform my mind and change the trajectory of my life. I am God’s child – John 1:12; I have been justified – Romans 5:1; I have been bought with a price, I belong to God – 1 Cor. 6:20; I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins – Col. 1:14; I am free from condemnation – Romans 8:1-2. Over the years, as I grew in my understanding of these truths and as I grew in intimacy with Christ, I realized that God’s acceptance was what my heart truly always longed for. Like Jacob, I had been looking in all the wrong places. All along I was looking for something more and I found that a relationship with Jesus was so much more than I had ever dreamed. Like Jacob, I can say “I have seen the face of God, and yet my life has been delivered.”

As I discovered the truth of God’s acceptance of me, made possible through the life, death and resurecction of Jesus Christ, human acceptance became so much less important to me. I now know that my worth and acceptance comes from Christ alone – not from anything in me, not from anything I do or don’t do. It’s all grace poured out on me through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

We are the Greiners: James, Katie, Seth (10), Lydia (8), Miriam (6), and Joel (3). Seven years ago, our family realized our lives were pretty comfortable, so we decided to change things up. James hit the campaign trail and ran for OKC councilman. After a yearlong fight, he ended up winning. It was a huge adjustment for our family, and it stretched us in ways we’d never been stretched before.
Then God started to pull my (Katie) heartstrings for foster care. However, it wasn’t God’s time for that work. I got pregnant with our fourth child, James went back to school for his masters, and our busy life went on.

Fast forward a couple of years, and God started pulling on the heartstrings again for foster kids. However, there were now 6 people living in a smaller house and we just didn’t know how things were going to logistically work. So we started looking for a bigger house. We looked for about 6 months and found nothing. We decided it must not be God’s time yet. The next month a friend told us about a house that we might like. I reluctantly went and looked at it and thought that it was perfect and we couldn’t pass it up. Two months later, we moved into a house that had plenty of space that God had perfectly orchestrated for us.

I immediately felt that then was the time for foster care. James agreed – our life had become comfortable and it was time to be stretched once again. We started the training and paperwork process in February of 2018 and in mid-July we got our first placement, a 3 year old boy and 2 year old girl.

The following two weeks would be the hardest of our lives! However, the day after we got our placement the church brought us diapers and wipes for both kids. Catlin McGee set up a meal train that lasted for weeks. The church continued to bring meals, provide childcare, and numerous people were praying for us. In other words, the CCC body has been an amazing blessing to our family!

The road of foster care has been more difficult than we could describe, but having the prayers and support of our church is how we’ve been able to withstand. God has not called us to this mission field and left us. He has given us the Holy Spirit and our church family to help us along the way. Our 2 foster kids have since been placed back with their biological mom, so now we wait to see who God has for us next.

We want to encourage others to get out of their comfort zone and do the work the Lord has called you to do, even if it seems like there are too many obstacles to overcome! God has a plan to make things work; we just can’t always see it because we’re not God!