Trey Tuesday - February 22, 2011

From Matthew 14:23-36:

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side.
Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray."
Can you imagine it?!?
Jesus Christ, son of God, Savior of the World went to a quiet place and time to pray!
Can you say that for yourself?
As we begin this Trey Tuesday, find yourself a quiet place and time (even a few minutes alone in the bathroom will work!) to meet with God on behalf of Trey.

"Later that night, Jesus was there alone, and the (disciples') boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it."
Did you ever feel that way?
Far from any level of sanity and sanctity, being beaten by the waves of life because everything was going against you?

"Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear"

Christmas Eve 2010.  We all vividly remember the news of Trey's diagnosis:  It is cancer.

We can easily identify with the disciples' first instinct:  FEAR.

BUT>>>>  :0)

"But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

We know it!  We know Jesus has everything under control!

It is good to cry out to God when we are afraid!

We pray for Trey when he is afraid or screaming or unable to verbalize his feelings -

for him to somehow hear the voice of God calming him, giving him His peace.

May we all remember to listen to God's words in reply:  "It is I.  Do not be afraid."

“Lord, if it’s You,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to You on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus."

Are you listening for God's command?

We know all the Bible verses that tell us not to be afraid, trust God, believe in His promises...

but are you listening so well you are prepared to take action?!?!

As we pray for Jay and Rachel we pray for them to be able to continue to hear the voice of God clearly

saying to them, "Come to Me."

We watch Jay and Rachel lead their family in walking close to God....please pray for God's loving arms to surround each of them, protect them and guide them always.

"But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down."

Let's keep our eyes on Jesus, NOT on the wind and waves of Trey's storm...

Let's not doubt, but have GREAT faith!

This is our prayer for Trey!

Keeping our eyes on Jesus:

May the winds of cancer die down!
May the cancer cells be destroyed!
May the health of Trey's body be strong!
May his blood cell counts be great!
May Joe and Bella be strong in health and mind and spirit!
May the God of walking-on-water-miracles fight Trey's fight and win his race against cancer!

"Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God."

Amen and Amen!

Now THIS is the right focus!  :0)

And we are sooooo thankful for the focus of all of you on TEAM MITLO ONE - for the blessings that you have poured forth on the Mitlo family. May you be blessed because you have blessed others.

"When they had crossed over, they landed and when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of His cloak, and all who touched it were healed."

Trey Tuesday - February 15, 2011

A journey through 2 Chronicles 209:20 on behalf of Trey:
Upon hearing threatening news, King Jehoshaphat immediately took the issue before the Lord:

“LORD, the God of our ancestors, are You not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can withstand You. Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for Your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in Your presence before this temple that bears Your Name and will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us."
And so, it is Trey Tuesday - a privilege and an honor to join with prayer warriors from around the world!  Let's join our voices and stand together in one accord and cry out in our distress for Trey and his family.  God WILL hear us!

Sometimes our fears and worries and doubts creep in and interrupt or interfere with our best intentions.  We need to fully depend not on our strength or wisdom, but on God's endless Provision!  God knows all about Trey's cancer and the emotions that Jay and Rachel battle.  What a relief we can ALL say:  "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

“Then the Spirit of the LORD said, 'Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”
Please pray specifically for Trey's health, his strength, his white blood cell counts to remain strong.  Please also pray for Jay and Rachel to be strengthened and encouraged by this time together at home.  And please pray for Joe and Bella to be content with their united family, and secure in the routine of daily life at home and school and church.

(Take a peek with me - feels like the phrase 'Jumpin' Jehoshaphat' originates with all the praise and worship about to happen - before the battle even begins!!)

Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

   “Give thanks to the LORD,
   for His love endures forever.”

We praise and thank God for so many answered prayers already!  He is faithful!  And He knows everything!  So with great faith we conclude by again saying,

"Give thanks to the Lord, for His loves endures forever."

Now, for those of you interested in the triumphant conclusion of Jehoshaphat's battle, check out the work of the Lord!  (Sounds a little bit like what the Lord is doing through Team Mitlo ONE!)  :0)
As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the LORD.  This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.

Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lyres and trumpets.

 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Trey Tuesday - February 8, 2011

As we begin our prayer for Trey Tuesday we look into the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14:
"The LORD said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” So at the LORD’s command Moses sent them out."

So far so good.  Moses was a good listener.
We thank and praise God for the testimony of Jay and Rachel and their willingness to obey God's calling on their lives - and Trey's!

"Moses explains, 'See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many." So they went up and explored the land."


We all have a journey to make.  God has sent us out of our comfort zones and into our wildernesses.  They may be financial, they may be diseases like Trey's cancer, they may be relationship based, or they may be emotional issues.  You can be sure if God is sending you, He is with you every step of the way, and He knows your journey fully well.


Please remember to pray for Joe and Bella.  They are witnessing major changes in their lives and don't understand sometimes what happened to their "normal" life.  Thank God for the unchanging blessings of church and family and friends and school in their lives! 



"They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large."


Oh, here we go!  The spies report that yes, there is milk and honey!  BUT>>>>the people look threatening!
Stop for a few minutes and examine in your life where God has shown you nourishing fruit and you missed it!  Where has He directed your attention and you choose to look aside in fear and worry?
Please pray for the Mitlos to focus on God's promises of protection and provision and to drive out the fear that creeps in.


"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”



This is the message of TEAM MITLO ONE!  One Faith, One Family, One Fight - we can do it!  TREY can do it!  GOD can do it!


As Trey faces round 3 of chemotherapy beginning tomorrow, please be in prayer for his strength and comfort.  This round should be more intense, with more side effects.  Please pray his little body has lots of fight in it to stay strong so thechemo can do its job!  We praise God for the beautiful, happy images of Trey on Facebook and CaringBridge!



"But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”

Please pray for Jay and Rachel to be surrounded by God's hedge of protection in all ways.  Please pray especially for their marriage to remain as strong and connected as it is always been.  For them to continue to complement each other, being the strong chord with God that He has joined together. 

"The LORD is with us. Do not be afraid"


A Spy's Prayer: (shared with me by a mighty prayer warrior!)
from http://onlysometimesclever.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/a-spys-prayer/

I am Joshua.
I am Caleb.
I am a scout.
I have had my wilderness experience.
I have seen the disobedience of my fathers.
I have seen the Promised Land,
but I am not yet inhabiting it.
There are giants in the land,
but I have seen the fruit.
And the fruit:  it is worth it.
I’m in the minority, on that one:  “it is worth it.”
The majority say, “We are not able to go up against the people for they are too strong for us.”
But, if I must be a giant-killer in order to eat the fruit, then train me, Oh God!
Equip me with a sword.
Thank you for seeing to it that I am part of a fighting army, led by a Moses, a Moses who prays, “Let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared.  The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression…“
Make me brave, Oh God!
Give me courage.
Keep my eyes fixed on the prize:  On You.  On the Promised Land,
So that I may accomplish the purpose You have appointed for me.
If You are pleased with me, Oh God,
If I do not rebel against You,
If I fear neither the majority nor the giants of the land,
You will bring me into the place of promise, which does indeed flow with milk and honey!
I am Your servant, Oh God.
I know you have placed a “different spirit” in me.
Empower me to follow You fully.
Bring me into this land I have spied, and let my children take possession of it forever!
For the love of Jesus, and for His glory alone,
Amen.

Trey Tuesday February 1, 2011

As we gather on behalf of Trey today, please consider the infamous Jonah.  Our scripture picks up right where Jonah is stuck in a pretty seemingly hopeless situation!

"From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:

   'In my distress I called to the LORD,
   and He answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
  and You listened to my cry."

Think about it:  Jonah is still in the belly of the fish at this point!
He is already acknowledging the help and power of our ever listening and faithful God!

While Trey is still stuck in his recovery, we need to have that same focus!

³ "You hurled me into the depths,
   into the very heart of the seas,
   and the currents swirled about me;
   all Your waves and breakers
   swept over me.

Jonah's circumstances appear to be pretty grim, huh?

Trey's are as well!

But if we take a closer look at the sentence structure here we see that the waves and the breakers belong to God.

God is still present in the storm!

God knows where Trey is, He knows what Trey needs, and God knows what Trey's family and friends need.

We can trust him despite the circumstances!

Sometimes God uses a storm to water the seeds, clean out the gutters and make everything new! (Springtime is coming, right?)  :0)

⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
   from Your sight;
   yet I will look again
   toward Your holy temple.’
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
   the earth beneath barred me in forever."

   But you, LORD my God,
   brought my life up from the pit.

 ⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
   turn away from God’s love for them.
⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
   will sacrifice to you. 
Look at the words that were bolded above.

Look at the hopeful change God can create!
Often times what looks bad to us can be used for good by God!

So now, let's take everything we know about Trey - his diagnosis, his prognosis, his blood cell counts, his treatment plan, his parents, his siblings - and boldly and confidently present them to God!

Let's pray for:

 - Trey to be bathed in the protection of God through his skillful doctors and nurses!

 - Trey's cancer to drown in the sea of his treatment plan!

 - Jay and Rachel to feel the refreshing mist of hope and peace that passes understanding! 

  - God to use his powers over the sea to raise Trey's blood counts numbers to a safe level!

Now let's go back to the beginning and remember the faith-filled prayer of Jonah!

  'In my distress I called to the LORD,
   and He answered me."

Amen and Amen!

Trey Tuesday January 25, 2011

From Psalm 86:  A prayer of King David:

Pause a moment before jumping into prayer to examine and reflect upon the spiritual posture that King David held in approaching the timeless God of the Universe!  A few translations are used here to open up the lines of communication:
"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy."  NIV
"Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy."  KJV
"Please listen, LORD, and answer my prayer! I am poor and helpless."  CEV
"Bow down thine ear, O Jehovah, and answer me; For I am poor and needy."  ASV 
"Bend an ear, God; answer me. I'm one miserable wretch!"  The Message
"Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me;  For I am afflicted and needy." NASB

So often we speak of bowing down in prayer, or bowing our heads in prayer.  Have you ever imagined
God bowing down?!?  He wants to be so intimate with you that from His great throne in heaven He
will bow down to get closer to you to hear what is on your heart!  :0)

And then we can look at all the adjectives describing King David's current state of affairs:
...poor
...needy
...helpless
...afflicted
...one miserable wretch!
We don't need much imagination to envision these feelings, especially in light of Trey's journey!

BUT>>>>>the other part of this first verse is critical!
Yes, we want God to listen to what is on our minds and hearts, but we are also asking God to answer us - and He will!  :0)

Verses 3 and 4
"Be gracious to me,  O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long. 
Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul."  NASB

"Have mercy on me, O Lord,
   for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant,
   for to you, O Lord,
   I lift up my soul."  NIV

"Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul."  KJV

Let's cry out together, lifting unto the Lord the needs and requests of Trey and Jay and Rachel and Joe and Bella:
For Trey's health - for complete healing from cancer, for increased white blood cell counts, for a speedy bone marrow harvest, for protection from illness.
For Trey's peace and protection - for him to lie down and sleep in peace, for God's peace that passes understanding.
For Jay and Rachel - for wisdom, for discernment, for strength, for patience, for peace, for sleep!  :0)
May the God of hope grant that Jay and Rachel may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13
For Joe and Bella - for great health and strength for them - for their childlike innocence to allow them to be consumed in their times at school and with friends so they remain at peace and secure. 
For Joe and Bella's teachers and school and church contacts - that they may be keenly aware and observant of what Joe and Bella are going through and that God may open their hearts to be tender, as they are the face of a very caring community of support and love!

May the love and support of the many friends and family around Trey and his family strengthen them, encourage them, and touch them deeply to always know how much they are loved!  And may this be a physical reminder of how much God remembers them and loves them!

Now, let's return to that opening position with God...He IS King!  He IS everywhere!  He DOES know everything!  He HAS all power!
To Him WE bow down!

"For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God."
Psalm 86:10

 

Fasting for Trey

Hello dear family and friends,


As Trey gets admitted for round 2 of his chemotherapy, I feel led to suggest a time of fasting on Trey's behalf.

Let's set aside a time of fasting beginning tonight, Wednesday evening, January 19 and ending with your evening meal tomorrow, Thursday, January 20.  A dear friend recommends:  Communion is a precious way to honor the LORD in breaking the fast and it doesn’t have to be with others - but it sure would make the fast that much more spectacular with prayers and praises lifted up on Trey’s (and all involved) behalf. (Where two or more are gathered …)

Here are a few suggestions concerning fasts - please go before the Lord and hear His voice, Him telling you how you can participate as a member of this body of Christ.

Jesus fasted from food, and you can do that, too.  However, there are many distractions in our daily lives that prevent us from focusing most clearly on God as we seek His grace and mercy on behalf of Trey.  Facebook, computer, phone, food, alcohol, smoking, etc. are all wonderful objects of focus to eliminate from our lives in order to concentrate more and devote more time to the topic of prayer.  Also, adding deeper prayer, Bible study, scripture memorization, worship, music, etc are excellent tools to add on a day of fasting....

If you have scripture or encouragement to share, please reply all.


May God richly bless you as you share in this journey!


“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I. "
Isaiah 58:6-9

Trey Tuesday January 18, 2011

A peek into the prayer life of Jesus from John 16 and 17:

 ³¹ “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied to the disciples.

What a great place to begin praying for Trey this Tuesday!

Examine your relationship with God and ask yourself that hard question:  Do you now believe?

Despite your circumstances - whatever they may be - come before our Heavenly Father (who knows it all anyway)

and surrender your agenda, your fears, your worries, your insecurities, your failures, even your successes.  Curl up in the lap of our Gentle Shepherd and praise Him for His love!

Jesus continues:

“But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with Me." 

This is such an appropriate verse for us as we gather in the name of Jesus on behalf of Trey and his family!

Yes, we are all scattered geographically.  Even Jesus felt this separation from his closest friends and family.
But yes again, that we are all united in Christ! 

We are never alone.  God has promised to never leave us or forsake us!
God has promised to never leave or forsake Trey and Jay and Rachel and Joe and Bella!

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

What a relief to read this promise from God!  He has overcome the world!
He has overcome cancer!

This is exactly Who we want as our Team Mitlo ONE Leader!  And Coach!  And Owner!

¹ After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the time has come..."

Powerful words here.  Imagine Jesus facing His long road ahead.

We can all too clearly imagine Trey and his family facing their long road ahead.

Please pray for them to do exactly as Jesus has done:

"Look toward heaven and pray."

Please pray for Jay and Rachel to keep focused, keep trusting, keep believing God's promises.

"Father, glorify Your Son, Jesus, that Your Son may glorify You. ² For You granted him authority over all

people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. ³ Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."

Jesus asks that God be glorified.  We pray the same!

May God be glorified in this journey of Trey's.

Jay and Rachel offer prayers of thanks and praise that Trey's past 2 weeks at home have been healthy!
Thank God that Trey has been spared infection and sickness while away from the hospital!
Jay and Rachel (and all the Mitlos) give thanks to God for the many, many expressions of love and help

and support and encouragement and prayer and meals and mail!

^"4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do."

Jesus brought glory to God on earth by completing the work God gave Him to do.

It is now time for the doctors to continue the work God has given them to do.

Please pray for Trey's next round of chemo - that his red blood cell count may be sufficient enough for him to receive

his treatment.  For Trey to be healthy and strong enough to tolerate the medicine.  And for the medicine to be dramatically effective in destroying the cancer cells!

God always was, always is, and always will be!

Let's choose to be on His Team!

Let's trust Him to equip Trey and his family to fight the fight and to win the race!

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent me. ²⁶ I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”