This is REALLY proof of God working through all of us today!!
We have received notice of a newlywed couple that lost everything they had in that horrible apartment fire in Lake St. Louis yesterday.
In doing research on them I found sooooo many ways that they are "related" to us as Lutheran Christians!!
Their names are Dalton & Lindsey (nee: Chrismer) Moore.
Lindsey is an elementary school teacher in Wright City. This is her first year of teaching.
They have only been married 3 weeks. They were married at Immanuel Lutheran in Wentzville!
They lost everything including all their wedding presents in the fire. They are living back with Lindsey's parents until they can get another place and all it takes to set up housekeeping again.
A firefighter was able to rescue their dog, Grace! She is currently a patient at the O'Fallon Animal Hospital. Still not in good shape but holding her own. BTW, Lindsey just found the dog a few months ago wandering on the highway and brought her home with her and named her "Grace". A Lutheran thing I suppose!
In doing more research, by talking to Sue Bauer at Immanuel - and they had not heard about this early this morning yet so she was glad I called - Dalton just transferred to Immanuel Wentzville from Immanuel Lutheran Church in Springfield, Illinois. I also talked with his former pastor, Darrell Debowey and he had some great things to tell me about Dalton. He confirmed Dalton into the Lutheran faith. When Dalton was searching for a "church" he found the Lutheran church there in Springfield and talked with Pastor Debowey. Pastor told me that by the time Dalton began the confirmation class, he had already bought a copy of The Book of Concord and had read it! Pastor Debowey was shocked, happy and delighted to have Dalton in that class!
Pastor Debowey thinks that Lindsey has been trained as a Lutheran school teacher. Guess Wright City is where she could find a position though, if that is true.
OK, so here is where we come in. Since they have to replace EVERYthing, the principal at Lindsey's school thought that cash donations would be good. I would think gift cards to Wal-Mart would work too. So, if you are able to help Dalton & Lindsay, please put your donation in an envelope plainly marked FOR DALTON & LINDSEY MOORE (and Grace!). Then drop it off with Marilyn in the church office and we will see that the Moores receive the help they so desperately need.
If you aren't able to help financially at this time, please remember them in your prayers. That IS important too!
Please direct any questions to Sandy Robine at snsrobine@centurytel.net or by calling her at 636-456-4147.PleaseDO NOTCLICK onREPLY to reach Sandy!
Brett Nordwald's Grandpa Frank passed away this morning at 7am. Thank you for prayers for him and his family.
Ruth Walters
Administrator
Warren County Health Dept. 104 W Booneslick Rd
Warrenton MO 63383
636-359-3244
Statement of Confidentiality: The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the sender. Thank you.
DEVOTION:(Jesus said) "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10
The topic for today's Daily Devotion was called to my attention by Rev. Nabil S. Nour of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Armour, South Dakota.
"Narrow-minded, antagonistic Christians are responsible for most of the world's problems."
That was the argument I recently overheard when I was on a plane traveling to a speaking engagement. At the end of the trip, I apologized for my eavesdropping and encouraged the speaker to look at the story of Youssef Nadarkhani of Iran.
If you have never heard of Nadarkhani, please allow me to share. Nadarkhani, a pastor from Rasht, Iran, was arrested in October of 2009, when he tried to register the house church, where he is the pastor. Eventually, the authorities decided he was guilty of apostasy, that is, he had converted to Christianity from Islam.
In Iran, the punishment for converting to Christianity is death by hanging.
Now the truth is this: although Nadarkhani's family is Muslim, he was an unbeliever when the Holy Spirit called him to faith in Jesus as his Savior. That was a fact the courts decided to ignore. Nadarkhani was convicted and sentenced to death.
It was then the world's Christian community began to get involved in protesting the severity of the verdict. Only then did the Ayatollah Larijani, the head of Iran's court system, come forward to ask Nadarkhani's case be retried.
According to those who have followed the case and the Ayatollah, this recommendation was mainly made so the world will forget Nadarkhani and get involved with other matters.
In the meantime Iranian authorities will continue to exert any and all pressure to win Nadarkhani back to Islam. If the past sets any precedent, Nadarkhani will be told his wife also has been arrested (she was jailed for a while last year) and that his two boys will be taken from him and placed in an Islamic family. (This also happened, albeit temporarily.)
So that is the story of Nadarkhani; it is also the story of many pastors and Christian laity, who are publicly sharing the Savior's story of salvation in the Islamic nations of the Mideast.
This is why I would like to enlist your help in prayer.
Let us ask the Lord to help brothers and sisters like Youssef to stand firm in the faith and the salvation that has been given them through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Further, please ask the Lord to bless and keep safe those of The Lutheran Hour staff, who are responsible for broadcasting the Savior's story into those Mideast nations where sharing Jesus' plan of salvation has been outlawed.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, send Your holy angels to minister to and strengthen Christians who are suffering for the Savior. Keep them faithful until death, so they may receive the crown of life. Lord we also pray for the Lutheran Hour Ministries staff, who are telling the lost of what Jesus has done to save them. Keep them all in Your care and under Your protection. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What would happen to someone who would kidnap someone and either sell him or still have him when he is caught in the Old Testament? He was to be put to death (Sandy Robine is the winner for the third day in a row.) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TODAY's QUIZ: What must happen to a bull that gores a man or a woman to death, and what about the owner of the bull? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CATECHISM: Question: What is actual sin? Answer: It is every act against a commandment of God in thoughts, desires, words, or deeds. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ CHURCH CALENDAR Thurs- Jonesburg nursing home worship 10:30 Fri- H.S. youth 30 hour famine starts at noon; High school lock in begins at 7pm Sat- worship 5pm; 30 hour famine ends 6pm Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9;Sunday School and Bible class 10:15; WORSHIP 11am ________________________________________________________________________________________________ NEWS:
POTLUCK WITH JAN LUCAS THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 3 AT NOON!!
A long time member of St. John's and friend to many, Jan Lucas, is moving. Some of her friends are having a going away potluck luncheon for/with her this Saturday at noon at church. Please bring your favorite dish to share.
LOCK IN AND 30 HOUR FAMINE Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.
All high school youth are invited to this lock in!!!!!! Bring your friends and bring lots of stuff to do: video games, movies, board games, whatever else you can think of.
We will stop eating after lunch on Friday and go without eating until 6pm on Saturday.
We are doing this to raise money for starving children throughout the world. World Vision is the group we will be donating the money to.
PAINTBALL!!! MONDAY NIGHT March 5??????
Every first Monday night of the month we are gong to do something fun. In march we are doing paintball if it is available. I still have to see if they do evening paintball, but if they do, IT IS ON!!!
BIBLE 101: A NEW ONLINE "INTRODUCTORY" BIBLE STUDY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ST JOHN'S!!!
15 PEOPLE SIGNED UP SO FAR!!!
What is it? Bible 101 is a new online product from Concordia Publishing House that increases Biblical literacy in adults.
It is for all levels of learning and knowledge. Even pastors learn things from this course.
Participants simply log into Bible 101 and enter an online learning environment. Members start out by learning essential Bible basics from "square one" and then build upon that as they progress through the course.
Here are som of the features of Bible 101
online- uses proven online educational strategies and models that facilitate retention among multiple learning styles.
videos- throughout the week, participants can access videos that relate to the lesson
discussion forum- participants are not left on their own as they are connected to a community where they can correspond, question, and encourage each other.
podcasts- daily devotional for each weekday
quizzes- test your knowledge and easily benchmakr where you are in your learning cycle.
printing- easily print the materials for even more easy access.
Please call or reply to this email to let me know that you want to sign up for this wonderful opportunity. I will sign you up! The congregation has already paid the annual fee so IT IS FREE for you!!!
DEVOTION: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20
The topic for today's Daily Devotion was called to my attention by Reverend Kurt Klaus of Messiah Lutheran Church in Mounds View, Minnesota.
Most of you don't own a copy of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
If you have never seen or heard of the DSM, let me explain. The DSM is put out by the American Psychiatric Association. Between its covers the DSM has descriptions, symptoms and criteria for diagnosing mental disorders.
One news source said the DSM is the "bible" for mental health medicine.
Having given that explanation, I thought you might want to know there is a new edition of the DSM in the works and when it is published next year, it will be making some major changes.
For example, have you lost and are mourning a loved one? In previous versions of the DSM that was normal and understandable. The new DSM ignores the cause of your loss and says only that you have a "depressive illness."
Or do you have a child who doesn't do as you ask? It used to be your child was just being defiant, but now he has a mental condition. He has "oppositional defiant disorder."
It gets worse. The DSM will be saying serial rapists and sex abusers have a "paraphilic coercive disorder." So what's the big deal, you ask? Simply this: these sex offenders could escape punishment, if they can point to a disorder and say, "It's not my fault. I've got a condition."
Now I'm certainly not going to disparage the excellent work done by counselors, especially Christian counselors. On the other hand, there is a great danger when evil becomes good and good becomes evil. It will be a tragedy for individuals and for society if people no longer feel responsible for their actions or the wrong they have done ... if there is such a thing as "wrong."
In contrast to the direction the DSM seems to be going, stands the Savior. Not only does the Lord recognize sin and guilt, He has done something about it.
So that we might be rescued from the condemnation that results from the evil we have done, the Lord Jesus came into this world. By taking our place under the Law, He has made it possible for all who believe on Him as Savior, to be forgiven and adopted into the Lord's family of faith.
And you should know, dear devotioner, that being forgiven of our wrongdoing by God is a far better thing than to pretend there is no such thing as wrongdoing at all.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there is no question that my sins have earned Your condemnation and wrath. That You have elected to offer Your Son as my ransom is an unexpected gift of grace. May I, and all the world, cling fast to the Life-Preserver, Jesus. This I ask in His Name. Amen.
PS - More than 11,000 health professionals have already signed a petition calling for the development of the fifth edition of the DSM to be stopped and reevaluated.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who is the "avenger of blood" as spoken about several times in the OT?
So it looks like the avenger of blood is a close relative of any deceased that met their death by accident or intent.
Sandy Robine is the winner! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S QUIZ: What would happen to someone who would kidnap someone and either sell him or still have him when he is caught in the Old Testament? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CATECHISM: Question: What has original sin done to human nature?? Answer: Original sin a. has brought guilt and condemnation to all people; b. has left everyone without true fear and love of God, that is, spiritually blind, dead, and enemies of God; c. causes everyone to commit all kinds of actual sins. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ CHURCH CALENDAR Wed- Supper (pork loin, stuffing, corn, applesauce, rolls, dessert) 5:30; bell practice 6; worship 7; choir 7:30 Thurs- Jonesburg nursing home worship 10:30 Fri- H.S. youth 30 hour famine starts at noon; High school lock in begins at 7pm Sat- worship 5pm; 30 hour famine ends 6pm Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9;Sunday School and Bible class 10:15; WORSHIP 11am ________________________________________________________________________________________________ NEWS:
POTLUCK WITH JAN LUCAS THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 3 AT NOON!!
A long time member of St. John's and friend to many, Jan Lucas, is moving. Some of her friends are having a going away potluck luncheon for/with her this Saturday at noon at church. Please bring your favorite dish to share.
LOCK IN AND 30 HOUR FAMINE Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.
All high school youth are invited to this lock in!!!!!! Bring your friends and bring lots of stuff to do: video games, movies, board games, whatever else you can think of.
We will stop eating after lunch on Friday and go without eating until 6pm on Saturday.
We are doing this to raise money for starving children throughout the world. World Vision is the group we will be donating the money to.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IS TOPIC FOR NEXT MONDAY'S MEETING
Next Monday evening at our regular meeting we will be learning about Jehovah's Witnesses. If you have a friend who is Jehovah's Witness bring them with you so that we can learn straight from the source.
PAINTBALL!!! MONDAY NIGHT March 5??????
Every first Monday night of the month we are gong to do something fun. In march we are doing paintball if it is available. I still have to see if they do evening paintball, but if they do, IT IS ON!!!
BIBLE 101: A NEW ONLINE "INTRODUCTORY" BIBLE STUDY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ST JOHN'S!!!
15 PEOPLE SIGNED UP SO FAR!!!
What is it? Bible 101 is a new online product from Concordia Publishing House that increases Biblical literacy in adults.
It is for all levels of learning and knowledge. Even pastors learn things from this course.
Participants simply log into Bible 101 and enter an online learning environment. Members start out by learning essential Bible basics from "square one" and then build upon that as they progress through the course.
Here are som of the features of Bible 101
online- uses proven online educational strategies and models that facilitate retention among multiple learning styles.
videos- throughout the week, participants can access videos that relate to the lesson
discussion forum- participants are not left on their own as they are connected to a community where they can correspond, question, and encourage each other.
podcasts- daily devotional for each weekday
quizzes- test your knowledge and easily benchmakr where you are in your learning cycle.
printing- easily print the materials for even more easy access.
Please call or reply to this email to let me know that you want to sign up for this wonderful opportunity. I will sign you up! The congregation has already paid the annual fee so IT IS FREE for you!!!
DEVOTION: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouragin one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
Worship attendance..... It is a phrase that I have both taken joy in and also hated over the years. Going to a Lutheran school as a kid every Monday morning the teacher took church attendance records. It was wonderful if you were in church, but if you missed there was trouble, especially if you missed more than a week or two in a row. It was a requirement for us to go to church.
As a pastor, it has continued to be a love/hate relationship with that phrase. It is wonderful to see the church full! I am overjoyed almost ot the point of tears on Christmas Eve and Easter when the church is packed. I often catch myself saying, "If it could only be this way every Sunday" Instead of enjoying God's full house on that day, I dread the following week when there will be, most likely, half of the people there.
Worship attendance and "meeting together" isn't a new issue. It was already an issue during the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews. It has been an issue since the time right after Jesus ascended into heaven.
Still, what does the writer say today in our reading? Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together.... but encouragin one another....
If we were to go on in this section of scripture, we would see that the warning gets more and more severe, even arning against the loss of salvation for those who spurn the Son of God. It is indeed a serious thing.
So to day I want to consider what we can do to stir one another up. How can we encourage one another to continue to meet together on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings? What can I, as your leader, be doing to keep you faithful and diligent in your worship attendance and in your fellowship with the rest of the saints? If you have any ideas, or encouragements for me, please don't hesitate to call or email. I'd love to hear from you!
Prayer: Lord God, help us to consider how to spur one naother on to love and good works so that your house may be full and your name honored and praise at St. John's and every other place. Amen.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What were some of the restrictions on the king of Israel according to the Lord. (Hint: The answer is in Deuteronomy.)
he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses; forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you: 'Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.' Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. His heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel Deuteronomy 17:16-17
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S QUIZ: Who is the "avenger of blood" as spoken about several times in the OT? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CATECHISM: Question: What is original sin? Answer: Original sin is that total corruption of our whole human nature which we have inheritied from Adam and through our parents. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ CHURCH CALENDAR Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible study 11:30 Wed- Supper (pork loin, stuffing, corn, applesauce, rolls, dessert) Thurs- nothing Fri- H.S. youth 30 hour famine starts at noon; High school lock in begins at 7pm Sat- worship 5pm; 30 hour famine ends 6pm Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9;Sunday School and Bible class 10:15; WORSHIP 11am ________________________________________________________________________________________________ NEWS:
LOCK IN AND 30 HOUR FAMINE Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.
All high school youth are invited to this lock in!!!!!! Bring your friends and bring lots of stuff to do: video games, movies, board games, whatever else you can think of.
We will stop eating after lunch on Friday and go without eating until 6pm on Saturday.
We are doing this to raise money for starving children throughout the world. World Vision is the group we will be donating the money to.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IS TOPIC FOR NEXT MONDAY'S MEETING
Next Monday evening at our regular meeting we will be learning about Jehovah's Witnesses. If you have a friend who is Jehovah's Witness bring them with you so that we can learn straight from the source.
PAINTBALL!!! MONDAY NIGHT March 5??????
Every first Monday night of the month we are gong to do something fun. In march we are doing paintball if it is available. I still have to see if they do evening paintball, but if they do, IT IS ON!!!
BIBLE 101: A NEW ONLINE "INTRODUCTORY" BIBLE STUDY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ST JOHN'S!!!
15 PEOPLE SIGNED UP SO FAR!!!
What is it? Bible 101 is a new online product from Concordia Publishing House that increases Biblical literacy in adults.
It is for all levels of learning and knowledge. Even pastors learn things from this course.
Participants simply log into Bible 101 and enter an online learning environment. Members start out by learning essential Bible basics from "square one" and then build upon that as they progress through the course.
Here are som of the features of Bible 101
online- uses proven online educational strategies and models that facilitate retention among multiple learning styles.
videos- throughout the week, participants can access videos that relate to the lesson
discussion forum- participants are not left on their own as they are connected to a community where they can correspond, question, and encourage each other.
podcasts- daily devotional for each weekday
quizzes- test your knowledge and easily benchmakr where you are in your learning cycle.
printing- easily print the materials for even more easy access.
Please call or reply to this email to let me know that you want to sign up for this wonderful opportunity. I will sign you up! The congregation has already paid the annual fee so IT IS FREE for you!!!
DEVOTION: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
By no stretch of the imagination could Grayce and Clarence Dwyer be considered "spring chickens."
The couple, who hail from Madison, New Jersey, are both 100 years old, and their marriage has celebrated its 71st anniversary.
Now, as is often the case, other people, younger people, want to know, "To what do you contribute your success in life?" Grayce and Clarence have a number of answers. First, they would have to concede their Irish ancestors have blessed them with some pretty healthy genes.
Of course, that explanation only speaks to their longevity -- not the success of their life together.
As I said, the Dwyers have a number of answers. For example, they would say they come from similar backgrounds: both are from immigrant families, and both lost their fathers in the 1917 flu epidemic.
But there's more. They contribute that success to their mothers, who taught them what was important, to things like taking care of each other and your family, surrounding yourself with good people, realizing life isn't always easy, and always having a faith which will help you through the tough times.
Now I suppose you could go to other centenarians who have celebrated 70 years together and get answers different than those provided by the Dwyers.
You might get other answers, but you won't necessarily get better answers.
The Dwyers have found that even though life has ups and downs, good times and bad, their Lord, their Savior will always be there. He whose love includes a Bethlehem stable, the Calvary cross and the empty tomb of Resurrection Sunday has love which can cover the first 100 years of your life and longer, the first 70 years of your marriage and longer.
It did for the Dwyers, and it will for you.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, while it is impossible for us to know if our lives will be long or short, filled with great happiness or grinding difficulty, we can be sure that You who sacrificed Your Son to win our salvation, will always be with us. For this we offer you our unending thanksgiving and praise. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
PS - Although it has little to do with the devotion, thought you might want to know -- Grayce celebrated Valentine's Day by baking a cake to share with Clarence.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: When a person sins unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord's holy things what is he to bring as a penalty?
"If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued1 in silver shekels,2 according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. Leviticus 5:15
________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TODAY'S QUIZ: What were some of the restrictions on the king of Israel according to the Lord. (Hint: The answer is in Deuteronomy.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CATECHISM: Question: How many kinds of sin are there? Answer: There are two kinds of sin: original and actual. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ CHURCH CALENDAR Mon- confirmation 5-6:15; youth group 6:30 Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible study 11:30 Wed- Supper (pork loin, stuffing, corn, applesauce, rolls, dessert) Thurs- nothing Fri- H.S. youth 30 hour famine starts at noon; High school lock in begins at 7pm Sat- worship 5pm; 30 hour famine ends 6pm Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9;Sunday School and Bible class 10:15; WORSHIP 11am ________________________________________________________________________________________________ NEWS:
LOCK IN AND 30 HOUR FAMINE Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.
All high school youth are invited to this lock in!!!!!! Bring your friends and bring lots of stuff to do: video games, movies, board games, whatever else you can think of.
We will stop eating after lunch on Friday and go without eating until 6pm on Saturday.
We are doing this to raise money for starving children throughout the world. World Vision is the group we will be donating the money to.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IS TOPIC FOR NEXT MONDAY'S MEETING
Next Monday evening at our regular meeting we will be learning about Jehovah's Witnesses. If you have a friend who is Jehovah's Witness bring them with you so that we can learn straight from the source.
PAINTBALL!!! MONDAY NIGHT March 5??????
Every first Monday night of the month we are gong to do something fun. In march we are doing paintball if it is available. I still have to see if they do evening paintball, but if they do, IT IS ON!!!
BIBLE 101: A NEW ONLINE "INTRODUCTORY" BIBLE STUDY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF ST JOHN'S!!!
15 PEOPLE SIGNED UP SO FAR!!!
What is it? Bible 101 is a new online product from Concordia Publishing House that increases Biblical literacy in adults.
It is for all levels of learning and knowledge. Even pastors learn things from this course.
Participants simply log into Bible 101 and enter an online learning environment. Members start out by learning essential Bible basics from "square one" and then build upon that as they progress through the course.
Here are som of the features of Bible 101
online- uses proven online educational strategies and models that facilitate retention among multiple learning styles.
videos- throughout the week, participants can access videos that relate to the lesson
discussion forum- participants are not left on their own as they are connected to a community where they can correspond, question, and encourage each other.
podcasts- daily devotional for each weekday
quizzes- test your knowledge and easily benchmakr where you are in your learning cycle.
printing- easily print the materials for even more easy access.
Please call or reply to this email to let me know that you want to sign up for this wonderful opportunity. I will sign you up! The congregation has already paid the annual fee so IT IS FREE for you!!!
We are delighted to share with you all the latest news from Jonas's mid-treatment scans. The tumor is greatly diminished! In some places (because the tumor is not spherical) the tumor has shrunk as much as 50%! The test findings also show that the cancer has not metastasized anywhere else in his body. Not to the lungs or the bones. They are so certain of this that they are skipping one of the major scans altogether. Woo-Hoo!!! This means that the protocol is doing exactly what it should be doing and that we don't have to make any changes to his course of treatment. Just stay the course. That is music to our ears. And as you can imagine, Jonas is ecstatic. (He's so happy, he's playing video games on the xbox today for the first time in weeks! Even got back on Facebook last night.) After several weeks of battling infections and worrying endlessly, we are due for a breather. You might not know it, but there is a fairly large percentage of kids with cancer that die of infection rather than the cancer. So we are more than happy to get that behind us. Jonas made it through last week's 5 days of chemo like a charm. The day before he was admitted, Grandpa came to visit us in Kansas City with Valentine's goodies and another generous donation from his lunch bunch. (A big shout out to you all in St. Louis -- I love you guys and hope to see you at Grandpa's party this summer. I hope to scoop you all an extra helping of brownies and homemade ice cream.) Anyway, that set us off for cheerfully for a week at the hospital. (Love you, Dad xoxo) This was the most tolerant his body has been of the five day protocol yet. Jonas was very nauseous and weak through his stay, but he didn't vomit once....which is a very big feat. The first two days we were there we shared a room with another 13 year old boy. Sharing a room is never the most comfortable way to be hospitalized, but in truth there is always something to be learned in it. Jonas learned that his own prognosis looks better and better and we are in a place where we can still see light at the end of the tunnel, when others aren't. Some people don't even have that hope to hang onto. Jonas and I talked about that country song Live Like You Were Dying and about doing things you think are important. I asked him what was important to him --something that he feel he is really missing out on. Without missing a beat he said, "Playing my bass." Jonas has played the stand-up bass since 4th grade with Mrs. Doss at Woodland. Rick Willoughby was his private instructor and Mr. Morales leads the orchestra at PLMS. (All three have made such an impact on him.. ) He hasn't been able to play since he got cancer for very many reasons. First of all, he hasn't felt well enough to manage it. Secondly, he has very little fat on his fingers and the wire strings hurt to hold them down. And lastly, he could play an instrument from his hospital bed, but a big bass viol is too big and heavy and not convenient for transport. I asked him if he might like to look into playing the bass guitar. I think the strings and fingerings are the same, the instrument is more portable, and I know guitars can use nylon strings -- which might not hurt him as much. Again, without hesitation he said yes. After we left the hospital, we stopped by Legacy Music in Lee's Summit. John and Kim Ostlund were so kind. They showed us several basses and let Jonas hold a few. They were all still too heavy for him to manage. John went in back and brought out something called a U-Bass (or a Ukulele Bass). It is literally the size of a Ukulele. So small. So light-weight. And it puts out sound just like an electric bass guitar! It was perfectly manageable and Really cool. John hooked it up to an amp and let Jonas play around for a little while. Well, Jonas was hooked and talked me into putting $50 down and putting it on hold for him. All I could think of was all the people who have asked what kind of gift would Jonas like, what could they buy him to help him pass the time in the hospital? What does he want? What can he do? Up until now, I have not been able to give anyone any ideas. So, here you go. If you would like to help purchase this Kala U-Bass for Jonas you may contact Legacy Music in Lee's Summit at (816) 554-7350 or at the link http://www.legacymusic.com/ He has spent the last two days watching YouTube videos all about the U-Bass and watching How-to videos featuring bass riffs. = ) If you would like to donate money to Jonas' fund directly you can do that at Blue Ridge Bank and Trust 4200 Little Blue Parkway Independence, MO 64057 Thank you to all the friends who have helped us this past month with meals: The Jordans, Bobals, Everetts, Weibengas, Hubbuchs, Browns, Mrs. Buehre and the Math teachers, Officer Wiley, and all the folks at PLMS who pooled their resources to give us the HyVee gift card. Let me say, after a week in the hospital there is nothing like a home-cooked meal. Yum! Thank you so much. Right now we are all stocked up on food and can probably take a break for a week or two until afterJonas goes back into the hospital again….which is tentatively March 2nd. I will keep you posted. Thank you to Verlene Kling, The Murphys, the Laird Family, Wendie Trent, Zach Dowdle, Brette, and Nick Wickline. Sometimes it's the little things that count so very much. Thank you for your help. You may have heard that our friend, Luke Minx, was eliminated from American Idol last week. = ( We were so sad about this, and selfishly hoping to hear his song HOLD ON sung on television. lol. That's okay. We know Luke is going to continue to go far and we wish all the best as he continues his journey to fame. Go Luke! On another famous note, the Kansas City Royals are heating up to be a winning team this year. Our artist friend, Dave Medin, who painted the amazing renedering of Eric Hosmer and Mike Mousakas for Jonas, checked in with them to see if they are still wearing their green bracelets this year. And YES! They are! I saw a training and interview video on their website and you can see that they are! So, they are already winners in my book. Great guys. We are totally behind behind them this year. Go Royals!!! Okay. Probably too much information to catch up on this time. = ) I'm looking forward to getting Jonas out of the house today to enjoy this spring-like weather for a while, to get out and see Mr. Blue Sky, so I'd better get going. Thank you all for your understanding, your love and support. We couldn't get by without all of you. = )
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! I have been anxiously waiting for the text results and I am SO excited that it is so much better! Blessings! PLEASE let me know when I can stop by. My cell is 816-509-3972. I would love to see you...I can bring my two little ones to entertain Blaire as well or if that it too much I can come solo...either one! I can even bring you a meal as well...just give me a call when you are up for it all. Would love to see you again...you are one impressive young man. I was impressed with you in 4th grade, but with everything you have been through and how you are handling it...if it is possible...you have impressed me even more! You are one fantastic young man (I guess you are not quite a boy now:-).
Posted 18 minutes ago
by sherrie adams
prayers = miracles!! sooo happy to hear your news. hugs to you all!! sherrie ;)
Posted 20 minutes ago
by Donna Everett
What wonderful news! Praise God for the reduction in the size of the tumor and that the cancer has not metastasized anywhere else in his body. Tears of happiness! Prayers for continued healing and more chemo rounds like this last one. Love to all of you!
Posted 2 hours ago
by Kate Bussen
Yaaaaaaay. Really glad that the tumor is shrinkIng and that your chemo went well!! Good luck with the guitar :)Hope to see you soon guys.
Posted 2 hours ago
by stephanie nolte
Woooooo HOoooo is exactly right!!!!! Amen I can't tell you how much JOY this message has brought to my heart. A tear is wailing down my cheek. All is well. He is a WINNER!! This child is a MIRACLE Child and nothing short of it. AMAZING, LOVING, CARING, but most of a a WINNER!!! Will have to do my homework on that Kala U Bass. My donation is on its way. Love you Jonas Aunt Stephanie Hugs and Kisses to the family
Posted 2 hours ago
by WENDIE TRENT
HIP-HIP-HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE all the good news and sharing what is going on - it is an inspiration!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!
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