Trey Tuesday - September 27, 2011

"Be strong in the Lord"

Once again we gather on behalf of our SuperHero:  Young Warrior:  Trey!  :)  (Could he be any cuter or more charming!!?!?)  :)

As I prepared to write this prayer letter today I was reading in the Old Testament about God commanding the Israelites to be strong. 
"Be strong and courageous" Joshua 1:6-9
"Be strong and courageous" Deuteronomy 31:6

Many, many times throughout the Bible God uses those same words:  Be Strong.  Jay and Rachel know a lot about physical strength.  Athletes depend upon rigorous discipline and exercise in order to maintain their strength.  Many people know about emotional strength.  Our feelings rely on our strength to dig deep to uncover - discover - or keep cover in order to function in society.  And then there is spiritual strength.  How does that children's song go?  Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong.

Ahh, there is the ticket!  We don't need to be spiritually strong!  Yes, our spiritual life depends upon rigorous discipline and exercise in order maintain a strong relationship with God.  And yes, we need to dig deep inside ourselves before God to rely on His strength instead of our feelings!  That Supernatural strength that God provides comes when we forsake every other plan/agenda/idol/habit/practice/plan and seek our strength from Him!

"Peace! Be strong now; be strong."  Daniel 10:19

"Be men of courage; be strong"  I Corinthians 16:13

Trey is in the middle of a very big week.  Daily chemo is not for wimps!  But our strong warrior hangs in there with all the smiles and giggles as usual!  How does Trey do it?
Jay and Rachel have given Trey all the tools!  And the Holy Spirit has stepped right in to empower him!
They all know that there is no doctor, no drug, no procedure, no test, no plan, no surprise outside the will of God.
We simply (did I just say SIMPLY!?!?!) need to weaken all our defenses and accept the Strength of God!

"Be strong and of good courage" I Chronicles 29:20
"Yet now be strong"  Haggai 2:4

We also accept the responsibility of presenting Trey and his needs before our Strong God!
Please continue to pray for complete healing for Trey!
And for clean, clear lungs this week!
And for swift and smooth days of chemo (with no side effects!)
And for continued strength and peace for Trey's family!
And for Team Mitlo One to continue to be strong corporately and individually!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord" Ephesians 6:10

Trey Tuesday - September 20, 2011

The Ultimate Warrior!

Yes, we celebrate Trey as our Young Warrior!  He truly is!
And yet we all know the Source of Trey's miraculous victories time and time again!
Let's praise the Ultimate Warrior, Jesus Christ!

He alone is to be worshiped!
He knows every detail about Trey - and about you!

"Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth."

And yes, we ask Him to enter our little lives and work His wonders!
We seek God's perfect wisdom and power over healing Trey!
We pray for Trey to have clean x-rays and potty training and clear lungs and peaceful sleep!
We pray for speedy and successful Broviac surgery this week!

"He will not grow tired or weary,
   and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak."

And we ask God's strength upon Jay and Rachel to hang in there one more day, day after day!

"Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength."

Yes, Joe and Bella get tired, cranky, emotional, afraid and wild!
God knows all about it!
Thank you, Team Mitlo One, for standing in the gap for the kids and Jay and Rachel!
Thank you, for being the body of Christ to them when they have no strength of their own!

And it is with great confidence that we know God loves each and everyone of us!
He has GREAT plans for our good and His Glory!
We entrust our Young Warrior into the hands and heart and mind of our Ultimate Warrior!

"They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31

Trey Tuesday - September 13, 2011

9-11 and Spaghetti Dinners Everyday!

*Disclaimer:  Please know that I am respectfully honor and treasure all who have endured the September 11 tragedies up close and personal!  I am grateful for all those who have and will serve in order to protect our country!

Looking back on the weekend remembrances of September 11, I wonder what our world/country/communities/families/selves would be like if we honored those emotions and convictions every day?
Let's see...hmmm....
Passionate Dedication!
Strong Convictions!
Heart wrenching Testimonies!
Courageous Accomplishments!
Bold Faith!

And I wonder if we had Spaghetti Dinner Fundraisers everyday....  (Sorry, volunteers:  Too soon?)  :)
Servants' Hearts!
Generous Spirits!
Love and Hugs!
Smiles and Tears!
Plentiful Sharing!
Joyful Support and Encouragement!
Kindness to Strangers!
Boundless Energy!
Unity!

As we gather for Pray for Trey Tuesday, let's use that same zeal and fervor to uplift our little boy!
Please pray for continued miraculous recovery and healing!
For good numbers and outstanding CT Scan!
For successful potty training!
For health and strength and good eating and sleeping and playing!
For Trey's love of God to contagiously spread across Team Mitlo One and beyond in:
Passionate Dedication!
Strong Convictions!
Heart wrenching Testimonies!
Courageous Accomplishments!
Bold Faith!
Servants' Hearts!
Generous Spirits!
Love and Hugs!
Smiles and Tears!
Plentiful Sharing!
Joyful Support and Encouragement!
Kindness to Strangers!
Boundless Energy! Unity!

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort"
2 Corinthians 1:2,3

Trey Tuesday - September 6, 2011

Blessings...

Oh, how many, many blessings we ask for for Trey and his family!  How many of our own blessings we send across the miles through thick and thin!
Have you ever stopped to really think about blessings?
A quick peek into the Old Testament certainly opened my eyes concerning just how serious it is to ask a blessing on someone! 

As always, we pray for Trey to be "blessed!"
We pray for continued miraculous strength and stamina for Trey!
We pray for a continued dynamic testimony lived out before Trey's doctors and nurses and staff!
We pray for God's peace that passes understanding for Jay and Rachel!
We pray for Joe and Bella to know the love of Jesus expressed through their teachers and friends at their great school!
And we pray for God's almighty hedge of protection around Trey and his family as they progress one day at a time, waiting upon the Lord,
leaning not on their own understanding, but acknowledging God's divine will and way!

Let's look at Genesis 32:22-32 as we pray for Trey this week.
A few interesting highlights cause us to ponder this request of blessing!

"So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak."
For those of you who know Jay well, does it get any better than this?
Wrestling mentioned - and used as a powerful tool! - in the Bible!?!?!?

"When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man."
This hit me in a powerful way as Trey's diagnosis all began with a limp, "something" wrong with Trey's hip!

What was the angel of the Lord (the man) wrestling with Jacob about?
"Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
We all like to be blessed, right?
Jacob wanted to be blessed, let's watch the story unfold...


"The man asked him, “What is your name?”
"Jacob,” he answered.
Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”

Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip."

That blessing changed Jacob.  He became the father of the nation, Israel, that bears his name.  His sons gave their names to the twelve tribes of Israel.  God used Jacob and his struggle/his blessing to overcome!

Trey's "blessing" changed how he walked physically both then and now and every day to come!
God has and will continue to use Trey's struggles/his blessings to overcome!  :)

We pray Trey's "blessing" changes your "walk" as well!
May the Spirit of the Living Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your life!