Conference yukon::christian_v7

Most of you know, I teach Sunday School to kids [girls] in 4th - 6th grade 
from of our bus ministry.  A refreshed perspective was brought before me this 
past Sunday by one of my bus girls from East Palo Alto.

As I walked in to Jr. Church, one of my girls was sitting in the back [where 
they place you when you haven't behaved], I thought this unusual because I 
have never had a moments problem with her in class.  She saw me her face lit 
up and she beckoned me to her.

I sat down and she very ashamedly said in a small voice, "I got in trouble 
for talking." 

I just hugged her and said, "I know." :-)  Another of my bus girls came up to 
me and sat with me.

Then the first girl said very excitedly, "Ms. Morales I'm going to the jail 
to see my father today after church."

"Oh, really," I replied, "How long has your father been in jail?"

"Six years", she said, "But he's not my real father, my real father died."

"I'm *so* sorry to hear that, tell me how did your real father die?"

"He was shot by a drive-by shooting when I was 2 years old.  My stepfather 
was his best friend and he was with him when he was shot.  My real Dad didn't 
like my stepdad very much, cause my stepdad like my Mom."

"Oh honey," was all I could muster as the tears swelled in my eyes, and I 
hugged her closer.

Then the second girl spoke up and said sadly, "I'm going to see my father in 
jail after church today too."

My Sunday School lesson that day was going to be on *Faith*, in Acts 11 the 
Bible describes Barnabus as a man "Full of Faith and the Holy Ghost" and that 
"many will be added unto the Lord."  I prayed God to give me wisdom as I 
emphasized what faith really means.  Of course, I used Matthew 17:14-22, the 
story of the boy that needed healing and the disciples were unable to perform 
the act and asked Jesus why they couldn't.  Jesus' simple answer, "Because of 
your unbelief!"  But he didn't leave it there, he went on to explain all you 
need is the faith of a *mustard* seed.

My heart broke for these girls and their lives, the burdens these little 
shoulders carry, shoulders that are supposed to be innocent, soft and 
fragile, have muscles built in them to carry the weight of the world.  I 
prayed God to use this message of faith in their hearts to carry through the 
week when they are in the desert.  I asked that the Lord give me tenderness 
to be the oasis for them on Sundays.  

The hard part was that as we were loading onto the Bus where I teach Sunday 
School, the little girl asked me if she could go to the bathroom, I said 
okay.  She came back rather quickly, but was taken off the bus by another 
teacher in the building as she was identified as having slapped a 3rd grader 
in the girls bathroom.

My heart ached for her... I didn't want to let her go with the other teacher, 
I knew God had used her to prepare my heart for the lesson I was about to 
deliver... I could only ask God to bring her back, I had to let her go.

This child has been abandoned though many people are around her.  Satan 
didn't want her to hear that through faith in Christ she could move 
mountains... 

Not a new perspective for me, a refreshed one.  Children today are growing up 
in an age of violence... in an age where innocence is no longer a virtue... 
parents haven't the skills to raise little ones, the only hope in this life 
and for eternity is Christ.

                        A little girl comes home
                        she looks in the mirror,  
                        She is all alone, 
                        there's noone there to greet her
                        she wonders for a moment just why she was born
                        It seems that nobody loves her
                        
                        But what she doesn't know
                        is God is watching her
                        and what she doesn't know
                        is that He cares
                        
                        Oh will you be the one 
                        to tell her of God's Son
                        Oh will you be the one
                        
                        A young man is standing by the riverside
                        staring deep into the water
                        He's glad that no-one sees the tears he cried
                        while missing the love of his father
                        
                        But what he doesn't know 
                        is God is watching him
                        and what he doesn't know
                        is that He cares
                        
                        Oh will you be the one
                        to tell him of God's Son
                        Oh will you be the one
                        
                        A young mother stands by their bedside
                        wondering just what went wrong
                        she sees in the faces of her children
                        a husband's love long since gone
                        
                        But what she doesn't know
                        is God is watching her
                        and what she doesn't know
                        is that He cares
                        
                        Oh will you be the one 
                        to tell her of God's Son
                        Oh will you be the one
                        

    Nancy

�    Please share here those things that affect your outlook on life.
    
Well...... 84.1 did!  That's taking the LORD to kids in real need, while 
'our' Sunday School is an in-house job, consisting mostly of chrch members' 
kids.

I think my kids would (have) learnt more from me giving myself up to help
the spiritually deprived, than grilling their intellectual knowledge (if I 
had).  Rather, teach by example '....go and do thou likewise....'


							Andrew

	RE. .1

	Interesting... our pastor put aside her prepared message on
	Sunday to preach (by the Holy Spirit's prompting) on

	
		Faith and unbelief!!!!

	

    The one thing that I didn't say in my note is that my lesson on Sunday
    was supposed to be on the Church at Antioch, and it changed to faith
    that morning. :-)
    
    Thanks for telling me that Karen, I guess your Pastor and I was
    listening to the same Holy Spirit that met the needs of our audience.
    
    Praise Him!!
    
    Nancy

    
    One of many books that I'm reading (hey I must be multiuser :-))
    at the moment is called "Children finding faith". As the memory
    side of my brain isn't that functional I'll try and recall some
    the the questions that the author asks :
    
    How can you teach a child the meaning of FORGIVENESS if they
    haven't been forgiven by another person ?
    
    How can you teach a child the meaning of LOVE if they
    haven't been loved by another person ?
    
    How can you teach a child the meaning of BEING ACCEPTED BY GOD
    if they've never been accepted by their own family ?
    
    How can you teach a child the meaning of BEING A DISCIPLE if
    they've never been shown discipline ?
    
    When talking to children I used to always illustrate God's love
    like that of our parents. Sadly that cannot be generically used
    as an illustration today. I find myself scratching my head when
    I see children today who haven't had the *privelage* of
    experiencing human love. This sure knocks me down alot and
    brings me to a greater *appreciation* of the privelages I have been
    given by my family and God.
    
    Erich

    As one of those kids Erich, I can tell you that God's love *is*
    sufficient.  Psalms 27 is my life's passion, and Psalms 27:10 is very
    neatly wrapped in their, 
    
    "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me
    up"
    
    Well, here I am smitten, taken, and loved by our Lord Jesus.
    BTW, your *longsuffering* or anyone's *longsuffering* with kids from
    off the streets today, does exactly that... goes a long way in showing
    the love of God.  Be patient with our less fortunate children in
    today's society... when they 're in your church and you see them
    sitting with their feet up on the pews or in the pews, be patient, just
    remember, they could be drinking beer, smoking pot, or in gang rather
    than in church.
    
    Set Life's Service Passion Off,
    [but only for this note]
    :-)
    Nancy
    :-) :-) :-)
    

         I read the following in my daily reading notes recently, and it 
         may be of some encouragement, particularly to those who are facing 
         an uncertain future, either within DEC or without:
         
                "We often say that we would like to know the 
                future. But our world is a world in which we know 
                the future brings pain, grief and death as well 
                as joy and fulfilment. To know the pain in 
                advance would be a crushing burden. For us, 
                ignorance of the future is part of our personal 
                freedom to enjoy the present. Anxiety is taking 
                on the pain of the future too soon. Carelessness 
                is tempting the pain of the future to come before 
                its time.
                
                "Perhaps someone around you is facing pain in the 
                future. Bad news from the doctor or the house 
                being repossessed (or being TFSO'd - pre). They 
                need good friends to be with them; to witness 
                their struggle, to allow them to be 'troubled in 
                spirit'. People who have been through it 
                themselves and don't want to "magic it away", but 
                are able to stay with the pain and come through 
                it with them."
                
         Paul

    -1
    
    A great reminder in these days.
    
    Thanks,
    Nancy

    When my father and my mother forsake, then the Lord will take me up.
    Psalm 27:10
    
    My parents abandoned me in different ways.  My father abusive,
    abandoned his role as parent and became to me something evil and
    intrusive.  My mother both physically and emotionally abandoned me when
    she not only left my father, but left me with him.
    
    This verse above became real to me, before I even knew of its
    existance.  Through hands only divine, was I guided to the most
    wonderful light in all of creation; the Light of Christ to which all
    other lights pale.
    
    This light now lives in me and through its guidance I have been able to
    love others as I would love myself.   This light often wraps its warmth
    around me and fills me with the knowledge that I am wonderfully made.
    
    
    

    Family,
    
    Last evening I went with my kids to a small shopping center where we
    could play some games.  As we walked in I notice a very small young
    woman resembling a little girl standing by herself with an umbrella
    stroller loaded with bags and different items.  Everything looked
    fairly new.
    
    Clayton and I played one game of pool together and then we left.  As I
    walked out of the door, she was still there.  Something inside of me
    pulled me back to her [I had already passed her by].  I turned around
    and I said, "I hope you aren't offended, but are you homeless?"  She
    began to weep and said, "Yes we are."  I asked her who "we" was and she
    pointed to a man and a small boy standing at a telephone booth.
    
    She cried and said that they'd been kicked out of their apartment just
    days ago and had vouchers from the welfare department to keep them in a
    motel, but that they had been unable to get the vouchers that day in
    hopes that his mother was going to pick them up.  But his mother never
    appeared.  She ended with she was so ashamed and frightened.
    
    I said,"Well you can't stay out here with a 3 year old boy.  Get your
    husband and your things and I'll take you home with me tonight."
    
    She called her husband over and the boys and I helped them load their
    things into my van and then we all piled in. we were driving we began
    talking and my youngest son said, "Are you a Christian?"  And the
    husband asked me if we were.  Of course I affirmed that we were.  
    
    I asked them if they had contacted Agnew's Shelter and they said no
    they had not.  But that they didn't know where it was.  Guess what I
    just live blocks from it.  I told them that we would try there first
    but that they were welcome in my home should this not be available. 
    Which btw, I doubted would be, Agnews fills up fast.
    
    Meanwhile enroute I told them that God does love them and that today in
    the U.S Christian charity is hard to find due to the enormous amounts
    of violent crimes committed.  That people like me, single woman with
    children would be considered a tad touched to pick up strangers and
    bring them into their homes.  They agreed.  But I told them for some
    reason I couldn't just walk by when I saw his wife.
    
    We arrived at Agnews and I had no clue which building was the shelter,
    yet I drove straight to it.  There were some people outside and they
    were leaving.
    
    He went inside.  The wife told me that she'd been in this country for
    only 5 years, 4 years married.  He was a car salesman.  She just kept
    saying over and over and over again that she appreciated me.  She said
    that she'd never seen a family like mine in this country, since she'd
    been here.
    
    She then told me that she had asked Jesus to be her Savior [her mother
    had become a Christian in the Philipines] about 6 years ago.  But that
    she'd not continued in her faith.  
    
    Her husband returned and said they have a room.  That those people
    who'd left just as we arrived allowed this vacancy for, Byron, Racquel
    and Byron Jr.  Talk about timing! :-)
    
    Clayton asked Byron Sr., if he would ask Jesus to be his Savior.  Byron
    said that he was 2nd person in 3 days to ask him that and he was really
    considering it.
    
    I walked them inside the shelter with their belongings.  As I was
    beginning to leave, they both hugged me so tight I thought I'd break. 
    I gave them the money in my wallet and told them to please use that to
    get a hold of his family and I gave them my telephone number.
    
    As they thanked me again, I told them to thank God as well and that God
    really does love them.
    
    As I left the shelter with my boys, I began to cry I just sobbed. 
    Matthew and Clayton asked me what was wrong.  I said I felt so ashamed. 
    Clayton very angry and confused said to me, "You make feel like you did
    something wrong.  Mom, you did right.  I'm proud of you."
    
    I told them I felt ashamed for I've taken for granted the wonderful
    things God has given us.  And I thanked Him for resetting my
    perspectives.  Clayton didn't understand.  Matthew did and I could tell
    this event was having a profound effect on him.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Whoa Nancy!  I can barely keep the tears in.  Thank you for
    sharing that story!
    
    Pam

Amen.

I'm glad I don't have mascara to run.

I hear the message that you're sending, Nancy, of how we all take so, so, so
much for granted.  And I receive it with joy and conviction.

But I also gotta say that I really love who the Lord is turning you into, sis.

Paul

I'm glad you listened to that voice inside your heart Nancy, and found a
place for that family to stay.  You are right about what we take for 
granted.

Leslie

Hi Nancy,

I just read your note about the people that you found homeless. 
It is a blessing that you were in the right place at the right time to
help them. When we walk with the Lord he uses us and I can see that through
your love and obedience - there you were to be used. 

Thank you for sharing this with us. It is neat to hear how the Lord does great
things!! 

Have a great day,

Steve

    
    Nancy,
    
    I have just had an opportunity to read this...
    
    Most Precious expression of that which is Most
    Excellent....God's Love.
    
    Bob

    "My father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am
    working ... I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he
    can do only what he sees his father doing, because whatever the Father
    does the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all
    he does."  
    John 5:17, 19-20
    
    As God's obedient child, you are in a love relationship with him. 
    Because He loves you and wants to involve you in His work, He will show
    you where He is working so you can join Him.  
    "Experiencing God" by T. Blackaby & Claude V. King
    
    You truly have a wonderful relationship with our Father.
    
    With love to my sister in Christ
    
    Dave

    First of all, warm greetings to all of you. I am new to this
    conference, and just wanted to say God bless you all.
    
      As far as my outlook on life, I shall share my story.
    
      I grew up with a mother who has had to this day, five different
    husbands. She had divorced my real father when I was but 6 months old,
    and moved from Utah to the Seattle area, where I am currently residing.
    We moved from house to house ritually every one or two years, usually
    revolving around who my mother was either interested in or married to
    at the time. 
      Of all the would-be fathers that she provided, there was amoung them
    a drunk-abusive, a homosexual, and a drug addict. So, I guess you could
    say I never really had a father figure. We moved into low-income
    housing (projects), and my mother, being "single" at the time, applied
    for welfare. I was a severely depressed young man, I hated myself, my
    mother, and everyone around me. I contemplated suicide for a long time.
    We were pretty poor, there was a stretch of time around 10 or 11 years
    old (5th or 6th grade) when I only had one pair of pants, if that even.
      But then I met a guy named Val, who lived down the block. He
    introduced me to a program called "adventure corps" at the local
    Salvation army. We got together and did things like basket ball and
    pool.
      On March 1st, 1990, the scout leader, a 35 year old balding
    gentleman, named Jim Brass (who, incidentally, ended up being the best
    man at my wedding) decided that we would go restaraunt hopping. Which 
    means we would go to Taco Bell, get one low priced item, hop back into the
    truck, go to McDonald's, get on low priced item, hop back into the
    truck, etc,etc. Then the trip took an unexpected turn of events. 
      It was getting dark, just a little past dusk. All the guys were in
    the truck goofing around, not paying attention to where we were going.
    The truck stopped, we all piled out and, to our astonishment, we were
    standing in the middle of a graveyard!!
      It turned out to be the greatest experience in my life.  We started
    to look around at all the graves and names and wonder about their
    lives, their loves, their dreams,...their deaths. Jim asked "how many
    of these people do you think made it to heaven?"
      We were all silent for a while. Jim told us of God's great wrath
    because of sin, and the fire's of hell. Then he told us about the life
    of Christ, what he had done for us, and the love he has for each of us.
    Standing in the midst of death, we recieved life. There were 8 of us
    there, and the holy spirit came with power!
      God has changed my life and my heart. I am 19 now, married to a
    beatiful wife, got a great job as security at Digital in bellevue, WA.
    and am working my way up to a career in Law Enforcement.
      My point is, although my wordly father may not have ever been able to
    be there for me, my heavenly father was. And while I was yet a sinner,
    the Son of God gave his life...all for sinner's gain. My life belongs
    to Christ, and all glory is given unto him.
    
    Thanks for letting me share,
    
    Joe
      

You're welcome, for blessing us by your testimony.  Our God is an awesome and
all-sufficient God.  Praise Him forever!

And Welcome here to this fellowship.

:-)
Paul

Hello Joe, and welcome!

Thanks for sharing that powerful testimony.  
That graveyard idea is something else!

					God bless
							Andrew

    
    Joe, thanks for sharing.  My eyes are welling up.  It is wonderful
    to hear about the transforming power of God's indescribable gift.
    
    Praise God for His unfailing love and for faithful servants like 
    Jim Brass.  
    
    Jill 

 Praise God, John...thank you for that, and thank you for being here.




 Jim

    .19
    
    goosebumps and tears... thank you *so* much for posting this.  It is
    with great pleasure I welcome you into Christian!  
    
    You encouraged me today...
    
    Nancy

    
    Thank you, indeed!  
    
    jeff

    Thank you for telling us your story.  Our heavenly Father is wonderful
    indeed!  On her deathbed, my mother shared with us how important her
    family was to her, how blessed she felt to have the husband she had &
    her daughters and so on, and then she began to talk about her wonderful
    father who had taught her so much and guided her in life, we were
    dumb-founded because my Mom's father walked out of her life when she
    was young and never had any further contact with her.  She must have
    noticed our bewilderment, because she stopped and said "My heavenly
    Father".  Then I realized she meant God, but had been speaking in such
    personal terms about Him that it sounded exactly like what a perfect
    relationship with an earthly father should be.

    Leslie

 Joe McClain's testimony about the graveyard has been on my mind ever since I 
 read it earlier today..the image is one I can't get out of my mind, and then
 hearing the message about soul winning at our service tonight where the 
 preacher spoke of how many people die in an hour, a day many of whom
 do not know Christ...I pray this desire to see souls saved never leaves
 me...


 Thank you again, Joe, for this blessing..


 In Christ

 Jim

    Joe, Thank's for sharing your past with us. Such reminders of the love
    and mercy of God is stimulating. I hope to hear more from you the the
    future
    
    God bless you 
    
    Peter

    Thank you all for your warm welcome. I hope God may use me to lift up
    at least one of you here, for his glory and honor. And I pray that each
    one of you that read this message will be blessed,after all, its not
    often that I say something intelligent.;')
    
    In Christ's love,
    
    Joseph
    

    A young girl had a rare disease and the doctors had decided that the
    only hope for her life was to have a blood transfusion.  The disease
    was so rare that they had determined that the only donor could be her
    brother, who had miraculously developed an immunity to the very same
    disease.  
    
    He was only 5 years old and he knew his sister was very sick.  As the
    doctors approached him, he was very quiet and listened to their
    request for him to give his blood so that his sister might live.  The
    doctors felt it was only hours before the little girl would die.  The
    boy didn't hesitate, "Yes sir!", he answered with confidence.
    
    They laid him down on one bed, connected a needle to draw his blood
    and then connected a needle to his sister lying next to him on another
    bed. You could see his blood going through tube into his sister.  He
    watched her so closely and could see the color begin to come back to
    his sister's face after a time.
    
    Finally, the boy asked the doctor, "Doctor, how long before I die?"
    
    In his young mind, this 5 year old boy laid down his life for his 
    sister.  When the doctors asked him, he assumed he would die.  Because
    he loved his sister, he gave all he had.
    
    Jesus laid down his life for us.  He asks for us to receive him into
    our lives, to lead holy lives.  God has asked some to give up their TV,
    their x-rated movies, their pornography, cigarettes, soap operas,etc.,
    and we stubbornly refuse and hang on to those things which grieve the
    heart of God.  Oh that I had the heart of that 5 year old boy, to lay
    down my life for Christ... to keep that commitment to love, pray, read
    His Holy Word.
    
    Nancy
    

Psalms 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his 
wonderful works to the children of men! 

That's an amazing one, Nancy.  Thank you.

							Andrew

	Great note, Nancy!

    
    Thanks Nancy.
    
    

    Nancy,

    I've seen this before. But every time it has the same effect. I am
    bawling my eyes out.