Update and "Please Call Me By Name"

Wow, It is hard to believe it has been nearly 4 weeks since I posted anything here. It has been so long, perhaps there is no one out there to update. Anyway, if you are a preacher you will understand that after camp week was a week with speaking at 2 VBS's, and since then a holiday week, and now a week before vacation where I have 3 extra lessons to prepare before vacation week. Anyway, you preachers out there understand, if you are still out there.
Things are going quite well, actually. I am going to cheat a bit and include a great article that my dear Susan wrote for her blog. It is comforting to know that not only does the God of heaven and earth, the creator of the universe, know us by name- but he knows how many hairs we have on our head.(Mt.10:30).

Please Call Me By Name
In February, when we attended the Freed Hardeman lectures, we attended church on Wednesday night at the Estes congregation. Tom Holland always speaks on Wednesday night, and it is always a treat. When they made their announcements, it was announced that one of the members had just been diagnosed with colon cancer. I could tell it was someone who was a faithful, active member, simply by the way the announcement was made. As we were exiting the building, there was a lady standing in the back. Everyone was crowded around her. She looked to be about 50 years old, and she was crying. I could tell by the conversation that I was hearing that she was the lady in the announcement. Everyone seemed so concerned. One man stated- “We are praying for you.” The lady kindly replied, “Thank you. Please, call me by name when you pray! I don’t need generic prayers right now.” In other words, she did not want to be clumped with all of the other sick- she wanted her name brought before the throne of God. She wanted God to know that people were praying specifically for her. I don’t know the lady, or her outcome, but I do know that she understood that prayer is powerful. Will you help me as we pray for this people- and call them by name?
Melody Ferguson
Chandler Ferguson
Denese Billitz
Phillip Hammock
Chad Vernon
Bayley Maddox
Teale Yielding and Baby
Betty Garrison
Wayne Courington
Virginia Barnes
Eva Gaither
Would you like to add others to this list?