Comments on: Valentine’s Day

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:46:00 +0000

Thanks so much, Jamie. I know many of us will pray for Jezreel.

By: Mark!

Mark! — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:06:00 +0000

my wife’s birthday is also Valentine’s Day. A double whammy! Great opportunity to love her.

In many ways, how we feel “fully received” by the Lord is influenced by how our Christian family receives us. In what ways does a Christian family have opportunity in intimate ways to “fully receive” its own people, and others?

By: Jamie B

Jamie B — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:15:00 +0000

Mike,
Need to let everyone know of an urgent prayer request.

Steve & Samantha Allen, 2 missionaries in Thailand recently adopted a 4-year old Chinese girl, they’ve named Jezreel. Jezreel was born with a heart defect: her heart only has 3 chambers.

While on leave here in Texas over the hoildays, they arranged for a much needed surgery. That story of how the surgery came about is a testament to God’s mercy and grace in itself.

Jezreel underwent open heart surgery yesterday, on Valentines Day.

Once the doctors were in, they found scarring from an earlier procedure performed in China was much more extensive than they expected. As a result, Jez was kept on the heart/lung machine hours longer than anticipated. Resultant swelling was such that the surgeons could not close Jez’s chest back up at the end of the surgery.

We’re asking everyone to pray (and those who are able and willing to also join us in fasting) for Jezreel’s healing. That God, Yaweh Rapha, the God who Heals will hold Jezreel in His hands and reduce the swelling so she can be closed; that infection be kept away; that her little body will strengthen and heal.

Thank You

By: Heather A

Heather A — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 04:39:00 +0000

Clint, yes, I think you can serve into loving. I have a personal example of a person that I really did not like, yet I knew that I needed to change my attitude toward her and was having trouble with loving her. So I just began to pray for her, REALLY pray for God to bless her life abundantly. And before I knew it, I found myself loving her despite my flesh’s best efforts not to. I also like the idea of God loving us into service. Thanks for the excerpt, Mike. Wish Diane a Happy Valentine’s Day for me, and congratulations on 29 years since your first date! I love you guys!

By: songbirdintl

songbirdintl — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 04:10:00 +0000

Wow. I really needed to be reminded of that today. Thanks Mike. I still have a ways to go in this regard. Logically, I know I am fully received, but my heart still needs some work in accepting and owning this.

Happy dating anniversary!

By: Beverly

Beverly — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 02:56:00 +0000

I know I could be flogged for saying this but…I have never read a Henri Nouwen book…I’m getting this one.
But…I do love Pujols..does that get me a point back??

By: Brandon Moore

Brandon Moore — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:09:00 +0000

Albert Pujols is my hero just for that reason, oh and because of an upper deck gamewinning homerun with two strikes and two outs facing elimination in the NLCS! And he’s staying right where he’s at for a long, long time.

By: Amy Boone

Amy Boone — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:33:00 +0000

If only we could get good ole’ Albert to pronounce his last name differently. My sister said she can hardly even hear his name without cringing! What a guy! You think he’d be interested in the Rangers!?

By: David

David — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:10:00 +0000

From the introduction of “The Inner Voice of Love”:

“Everything came crashing down–my self esteem, my energy to live and work, my sense of being loved, my hope for healing, my trust in God—everything.”

This may be one of the best descriptions of depression, at least what I have been experiencing, that I have read. Why do we go through times in our lives that we do not feel “fully received?” Also, I echo Cathy’s question, What does it feel like to be fully received?

I miss Henri. I think I will spend some time in his little green book. Mike, thank you.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:09:00 +0000

Happy Dating Anniversary - we always remember ours too.

I love that Nouwen book and especially that piece. Thanks for reminding us what real love is.

By: Thurman8er

Thurman8er — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:19:00 +0000

I’m reading from Nouwen’s “Bread For the Journey” every day. He touches what’s real.

I’ll trade you Casey Kotchman and Ervin Santana for Albert Pujols. Lackey we keep. What do you say?

By: Beaner

Beaner — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 16:59:00 +0000

Oh man! I needed to hear that today - esp. “It is trusting that you do not need to protect your own security” Thanks!

By: Clint

Clint — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:19:00 +0000

If we are loved into serving is it possible to serve into loving?

By: eddy

eddy — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:18:00 +0000

Thanks for the Pujols Family Site. What an incredible testimony to the working of God!

By: Logan and Katie Brown

Logan and Katie Brown — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:05:00 +0000

Thanks for the Nouwen clip. I think the most humbling experiences have been when I’m the recipiant of this kind of giving. Because, I’m sure they know I am not at a point where I could give something back, and even still, God provides for what we need because of the compassion of His children. Praise God!