Sunday's Coming

Good morning from Branson,

I pray all is well with you. God has continued to use us and I pray we continue to follow Him where He leads.

We turned down an assignment in Arizona for the winter opting to stay somewhat closer, for our mothers both have been ailing. I urge you to keep us in your prayers that we do what God calls us to do.

Thanks for your prayers, emails and phone calls. You will never know what they mean to us.

A special thank you to the few of you that heard and responded to God's leading to help us financial, you will be blessed.

A friend sent me the following this morning and I pray it touches you as it did me.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on,
Don.

'The Cab Ride'

When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away.

But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.

'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness.

'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.

'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.'

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.

'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

You won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send this to ten people. But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending it on.

Thank you, my friend...

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

Sunday's Coming

Good morning from Branson,

May we be an encoragement to each other.

The free medical clinic is taking shape: we have a building, doctors, nurses, some helpers and are looking for others. God continues to show Himself mighty.

The park we are staying has had more people than last year. KOA, across the street, has been down in numbers, but no matter how big the crowd we still praise the Lord and share the gospel.

I read this today and felt compelled to share. I hope it speaks to you the way it did to me.

Thanks again for your prayers, encouraging emails and phone calls, and your financial support. The giving this summer is way down so without you helping us we could not continue this great work.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on,
Don

"Raising My Sights"

"My six-year-old granddaughter, Caitlynd, and I stopped at a Tim Horton's donut shop for a blueberry muffin. As we were going out the door, a young teenage boy was coming in.

This young man had no hair on the sides of his head and tuft of blue spiked hair on top of it. One of his nostrils was pierced, and attached to the hoop that ran through the hole, was a chain that draped across his face and attached to a ring he was wearing in his ear. He held a skateboard under one arm and a basketball under the other.

Caitlynd, who was walking ahead of me, stopped in her tracks when she saw the teen. I thought he'd scared the dickens out of her and she'd frozen on the spot.

I was wrong.

My GrandAngel backed up against the door and opened it as wide as it would go. Now I was face to face with the young man. I stepped aside and let him pass. His gracious response was a kind, "Thank you very much".

On our way to the car, I commended Caitlynd for her manners in holding open the door for the young man. She didn't seem to be troubled by his appearance but I wanted to make sure. If a grandmotherly talk about freedom of self expression and allowing people their differences was in order, I wanted to be ready.

As it turned out, the person who needed the talk was me.

The only thing Caitlynd noticed about the teen, was the fact that his arms were full. "He woulda' had a hard time to open the door."

I saw the partially shaved head, the tuft of spiked hair, the piercings and the chain. She saw a person carrying something under each arm and heading toward a door.

In the future, I hope to get down on her level and raise my sights."

Sunday's Coming

Good morning from Branson, Mo.

The sun is shining at last and looks like a beautiful day or two in store.

I pray all is well with you.

God has been using us and a lot of exciting things are going on. The free health clinic is taking shape. The ministry is going great as people come to church and God touches their hearts. We visit every day with many different people as God shows us where He is at work and we join Him there.

I encourage you to keep us in your prayers.

Have a great day, love you, pass it on,

Don

Magic Penny

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.—1 Thessalonians 5:11

Do you remember the song about the Magic Penny? Here are the first two verses to refresh your memory:
Love is something if you give it away,

Give it away, give it away.

Love is something if you give it away,

You end up having more.
It's just like a magic penny,

Hold it tight and you won't have any.

Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many

They'll roll all over the floor.

(Song written by Malvina Reynolds)

One way to give love away to others is by encouraging them. Since we are made in the image of God, we all possess some of God’s great qualities. So even if we are not always kind, or always honest, or always selfless, and so on, there are times when each of us displays those qualities (even if it is just for a moment!). When we encourage others, we have opportunity to move them closer to God’s design for them when we recognize God’s wonderful traits in that person.

Sometimes we don’t encourage others for a variety of reasons. Perhaps we are too busy and self-absorbed. Or, perhaps pride and jealousy keep us from affirming others, or maybe we are afraid of being misunderstood. When we withhold encouragement, we can actually become agents of discouragement to others. When we withhold encouragement, we withhold love.
When we encourage and show love, it is just like the magic penny. When we hold it close, we have none. When we give it away, it comes back tenfold.
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Sunday's Coming

Good morning friends,

Thanks for your prayers. My shingles seem to be going away and I'm feeling better.

The ministry here in Branson is going well we have had two good services and already had the oportunity to help people see that God is real and that He loves them.

I read this devotional this morning and it sounds like my heart. You see, we had a dream to take the gospel to people wherever they are, to lead them to Christ and this is happening, but we need your support. We need you praying, encouraging us and also giving financially so the work can continue.

Thanks again, have a great day, love you and pass it on,
Don

Ideas Need Friends Too
This devotional was written by Dan Johnson

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.—Matthew 7:6

Have you ever been so excited to share a dream or idea that you shared your valuable secret with a less than worthy confidante? Perhaps in an effort to find support for your world-changing plan, you “cast your pearl before a swine” and went away disappointed or let down. Many times, I have looked for a kindred soul who has the ability, the attitude and the willingness to help foster what may or may not be a world-changing idea but is, at the very least, a cherished hope. If you’ve been in this situation, don’t lose heart and don’t stop believing. You have the pearls. Now you just need someone who enjoys them.

Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield had an idea for a book. They enthusiastically set out with a proposal and in no time received 33 rejection letters from publishers. They were turned down by 134 more at the annual booksellers’ convention. Finally a small publisher agreed to take on their project, but not before they agreed to buy the first 20,000 copies themselves. And they were hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. After their book appeared, it took nearly 14 months of almost nonstop work and promotion to hit the bestseller lists. Today, their book series, Chicken Soup, has sold over 100 million copies and generated more than a billion dollars in sales. Why? Because they persisted in what they knew was a God-given dream even when swine outnumbered pearl lovers more than 100:1.

Most people don’t want to be dream crushers. They are simply too busy, too limited in their imagination or are unable to grasp what means so much to you. Take heart. God has put life and energy in you today. There are unique contributions that only you can make to the world. Without you, the world would be a poorer place. Keep honing the dream, understanding that the “dead ends” and delays are only part of the process God is using to develop the character inside that will sustain you when your dream becomes a reality. Persist; the journey is the point. And keep your eyes open for those who are eyeing you to see if you, too, may be a lover of fine pearls.