Oceans Apart:
You're welcome

alanback: Thank you for that

Oceans Apart:  Blessings on the departed and on those left behind.

 Transition

 A dear friend of mine who plays on here, his father passed over yesterday morning. God bless, my thoughts are with you and your family sweetheart. You know where i am if you need me, and i will try and pop and see u in the forthcoming week.

Pbarb2: Duh, typo there. Have you gotten any rain yet? Looks like we finally are drying out!

Eriisa: Cape Coral is South West..Florida.
Thanks for the prayers. We have had some rain fires have stopped for now.
Fireworks and fire crackers were banned in Cape Coral. Things have been so dry. They had about 10 minutes fireworks for the display. This they did over the water.

Radiant2007 :-): Cape Coral is in SE Florida. Texas is having severe floods (one place has 19 inches of rain in 24 hours) and California is having wildfires.

Pbarb2: *praying for Florida.. where in Fl is this? WHat happened in Texas and California?

Cape Coral, Florida has a huge fire burning. It started yesterday from a ligtening strike. They thought it was out and this morning over 500 acres was burning. It now has jumped the road and going into huge residential areas. The people were told to evacuate. It is over 2,000 acres now.
The firemen are fighting this fire in 97F weather. Fire Departments are helping from 19 different counties. The city is in smoke. Our church is very close to the area. Florida has had fires all summer long. Many peope have lost their homes.
We pray for much needed rain. The biggest drought in years here.
Please don't forget the people in Calif. and Texas. They are in need of our prayer, too.
God Bless
BARB

ScarletRose:
Absolutely a miracle! God works in mysterious ways that´s for sure. Thanks for the update, good to hear that he´s on the road to recovery and hope your daughter is doing fine also.

ScarletRose: Thanks MsScarlet, I had wondered how he was doing. So glad to hear he is still doing well.

ScarletRose:  Thanks for the update.  We'll keep John in our prayers. 

srnity: Praying with you! amen

srnity:  May he have strength, wisdom, and serenity.

For my beloved son, that God Our Father, in His mercy and goodness, will help him through an incredibly difficult time in his young life

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small uninhabited island.
He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and everyday he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of
driftwood to protect himself from the elements and to store his
few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his
little hut in flames with smoke rolling up to the sky.
The worst had happened! Everything was lost!
He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger.
"God, how could you do this to me?" he cried.
Early the next day he was awakened by the sound
of a ship that was approaching the island.
It had come to rescue him.
"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.
"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
Moral of the story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we
shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives,
even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Remember that, the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground.
It just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

Tuesday:  God bless you and Wanda.

God Bless and lots of huggz and thoughts to those who are in the main stream of all those storm cells in the mid eastern belt of the States..

Tuesday: LOL, I did too.


Although, the though crossed my mind, that you might want to be careful about just WHAT kind of pair your travel in!

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55426

Saturday, April 28, 2007
FAITH UNDER FIRE
Widow of slain Christian: 'Forgive them'
'She said what 1,000 missionaries in 1,000 years could never do'
Posted: April 28, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Editor's Note: This report contains a graphic description of the martyrdom of three Christian men.

By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

In an act that hit the front pages of the largest newspapers in Turkey, the widow of a martyred Christian told reporters she did not want revenge against the Muslims who killed her husband and two others, according to a new report from Voice of the Martyrs.

"Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do," she said, agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23.34), according to a letter Christians in Turkey have written to the worldwide church, a letter released through Voice of the Martyrs.

"In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Tilman has changed lives," the letter said. "One columnist wrote of her comment, 'She said in one sentence what 1,000 missionaries in 1,000 years could never do.'"


Necati Aydin, Tilman Geske and Ugur Yuksel, (L to R) who were martyred by Muslims in Turkey

She is the widow of Tilman Geske, a German citizen who along with two Turkish Christians were martyred recently – allegedly by five Muslims who met the three victims at a Christian publishing company for a Bible study.

Authorities have taken several suspects into custody, and their cases remain pending.

The letter titled "A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of Smyrna" was received by VOM shortly after the slayings, and the ministry organization that works with the Persecuted Church worldwide is publicizing it.

"The Voice of the Martyrs has already been actively involved in assisting the families of these courageous Christians. We encourage you to pray for them as they grieve, and to pray that this will be a significant turning point for the gospel in Turkey," the organization said.

(Story continues below)

VOM noted that 2,000 years earlier, this location of Christians was addressed in Rev. 2:8-11: "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write… 'Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.'"

The letter describes the work Geske, 46, was doing on a new Turkish Study Bible. That morning, he went to the offices of Zirve Publishing, which produces and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and other parts of eastern Turkey, for a Bible study. Pastor Necati Aydin, the father of two, also left for the same office, as did Ugur Yuksel.

"None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ," the letter said.

Also heading to the Bible study were five men thought to be "seekers" who had been guests of Pastor Necati at an invitation-only evangelistic service earlier.

"No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story," the letter said.

"The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible study, around 10 o'clock," the letter said. "Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilman's hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they tortured our brothers for almost three hours."

The letter included the following graphic details of the torture:

"Tilman was stabbed 156 times, Necati 99 times and Ugur’s stabs were too numerous to count. They were disemboweled, and their intestines sliced up in front of their eyes. They were emasculated and watched as those body parts were destroyed. Fingers were chopped off, their noses and mouths and anuses were sliced open. Possibly the worst part was watching as their brothers were likewise tortured. Finally, their throats were sliced from ear to ear, heads practically decapitated."

The letter released by Voice of the Martyrs said neighbors thought the noise was a domestic argument so they did not respond.

Another believer, Gokhan, arrived about 12:30, but couldn't get in, so he called.

"Ugur answered his phone. 'We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there,' he said cryptically. As Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone's background weeping and a strange snarling sound," the letter said. He called police.

When officers entered, they found, "Tilman and Necati had been slaughtered, practically decapitated with their necks slit from ear to ear. Ugur's throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive," the letter said.

Several assailants were caught in the room, and two nearby, including one who apparently tried to jump out a window to flee and was seriously hurt.

The letter said persecution of Christians – bombings, physical attacks, verbal and written abuse as well as media propaganda -- moved into the intense range following a decision in 2001 by the National Security Council of Turkey to consider Christians a threat to national security on the same level as al-Qaida.

The letter described cameras in churches to promote fear and antagonism towards Christians.

What Turkey witnessed from its Christians was something else. "Hundreds of believers and dozens of pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media," the letter said.

When Susanne Tilman desired to bury her husband in Malatya, the local officials spread rumors it was a sin to dig a grave for a Christian, so volunteers from the church in Adana dug the grave in an untended 100-year-old Armenian graveyard, the letter said.

Ugur was buried with "his believing fiancée watching from the shadows as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur had so long professed and died for," the letter said.

"Necati's funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane from Malatya, it went through two separate X-ray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives," the letter said. "Necati's funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, thousands of Turkish Christians and missionaries came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Necati's wife Shemsa told the world, 'His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ… Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.'"

Then Susanne Tilman expressed her forgiveness in a television interview that was reported on front pages across Turkey.

The letter said the Malatya missionaries most likely will move, as they've been identified as targets in that hostile city, and the remaining 10 believers have gone into hiding.

"What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers from other cities will go to lead the leadership church," the letter said.

"Please pray for the Church in Turkey," wrote Pastor Fikret Bocek. "Don't pray against persecution, pray for perseverance."

"This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus," the letter said. "Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side."

"We pray – and urge you to pray – that someday at least one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilman Geske, who gave his life as a missionary to his beloved Turks, and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church," the letter said.

Susanne said she planned to remain in Turkey with her children, Michal Janina, 13, Lukas, 10, and Miriam, 8.

Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, interdenominational ministry working worldwide to help Christians who are persecuted for their faith, and to educate the world about that persecution. Its headquarters are in Bartlesville, Okla., and it has 30 affiliated international offices.

It was launched by the late Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, who started smuggling Russian Gospels into Russia in 1947, just months before Richard was abducted and imprisoned in Romania where he was tortured for his refusal to recant Christianity.

He eventually was released in 1964 and the next year he testified about the persecution of Christians before the U.S. Senate's Internal Security Subcommittee, stripping to the waist to show the deep torture wound scars on his body.

The group that later was renamed The Voice of the Martyrs was organized in 1967, when his book, "Tortured for Christ," was released.

One : Don't miss the boat.
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven : No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting

May your troubles be less,
may your blessings be more,
and may nothing but happiness
come through your door!

Oceans Apart,
I'm Sorry to Hear That & She's so Young too

Summer Flame: I know, still trying to get my head around it, they are now waiting to see if it has spread to her spine, it is an aggressive type apparently.

Oceans Apart: Awwwwww sis what terrible news. i am sending prayers and thoughts to your friends daughter, to your friend and all her family and you too :)

Oceans Apart: My thoughts and prayers are with your friend's daughter and those who love her. And Dan, also your friend and their family.
My sister died of a brain tumor at the age of 6...it was inoperable. My cousin has an inoperable brain tumor but after several years of keeping an eye on it it looks like it poses no threat to her.
No one knows why we all have to go through these life trials but I am a firm believer that God does all things well. We may not know the reason but God does and we just have to trust Him...the same way our children trust us.
God Bless.

Please say a prayer for a friend of mine whose daughter has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, She is only 18. The tumour is operable (sp), but they wont be able to remove it all becasue it would be to dangerous, it has wrapped itself around her optical nerves. She will lose her sight. This is devastating, she is just about to sit her A Levels as well.

of Willie.  The son of a friend who died in an auto crash.  The memorial is tomorrow.  I'm playing.  Great family and a great kid.  He was 26.  One car crash.  One of my youth group kids.  Just starting out life.  He will be missed by many.

Thank you so much for being the nice and wonderful person that you are.. Max for me and Dorothy. .. ..>:

My prayers are with Dorothy and Max and of course all the families of students killed or injured at Virginia Tech today.

My dear friend Kring Krystal has asked me to remember his wife Dorothy in my prayers because she has undergone surgery. I ask that anyone reading this will also remember Dorothy and Max in their prayers. Thank you.

My thought are with the families who lost their children, in the dreadful shootings in Virginia today

Happy and Blessed Easter to all who observe.

Happy Easter everyone .Have a blessed holiday.

<span>

<span>The <span> angel said to the women, Do not fear,

<span>for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

<span>He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.

<span> <span>Mat. 28:5,6

<span>

<span>He is risen and we are alive in Christ !!

<span>May His blessings be upon you in every walk of life.

<span>Happy and blessed Easter,

<span>Much of His Love,

<span>Radiant

Radiant2007 :-):    

Tigger: AMEN

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We are in need of rain. It is so dry and we are having fires daily, it seems. Many houses have gone up in flame as well.
I75 was closed most of the afternoon and evening..Southbound. The smoke was to thick for people to drive. So if you will just say a prayer for us during this time of drought we would be so thankful.
Thank you and God Bless BARB

Jeremiah 29:11 "For
I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans that
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Goodnight Dear Lord
Dear Lord,

Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:
God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm
For they're so close to me.
And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.
Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.
You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.
I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.
Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.
Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits "send".
When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to GOD.com

Amen

~God never promised a smooth journey, only a soft landing~

srnity: Hopefully there will be improvement soon. Thankyou

srnity: Your friend is in my thoughts

srnity: I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

Dolittle: Will keep TT in my thoughtsand prayers.