Pray for Will

I normally don't do this, but feel led to share this. I don't know the Herndon's, but I know that my God cares for them. Here's an email from his mom. Pray for Will.



Hi friends,
As many of you know, my 6 year-old son Will has experienced vision loss over the past several months attributed to what was thought to be a genetic form of juvenile macular degeneration.

We received some devastating news this week from our genetics visit last month that diagnoses him with Batten's Disease, a very rare neurologically disease that initially attacks the eyes and then moves to the brain. As you can imagine, we are in shock...and while we refuse to claim this diagnosis, based on our faith, we cannot deny the DNA tests, nor the progressiveness of this disease.

My Will is such a wonderful, kind, caring and loving child. To think this horrible disease affecting only 1000 children in the country will steal his vision, mind, mobility and life is unimaginable. Since there is no cure (yet), we will rely on faith and prayers to lead the way to a miraculous healing for our son and possibly sons, since all our boys are at risk and will be tested next weeks.

I ask you plainly, with your utmost passion, to pray for our Will. Please pray for him each day; please include him prayers groups, at churches, share his picture with friends and family of faith. All we have is prayers and faith in God, and I will take the possibility of his intervention over any medicine, any day. I believe in each of you and I thank you for taking the time to read this, thoughts for my family and the hope that you wonderful friends send our way.

I've attached a recent photo of our sweet Will as a visual reminder of who you are praying for. Many thanks to Jamie Werner for taking this awesome photo and capturing his beautiful face so perfectly!!

With love and a heartful of thanks,
Missy and Wayne Herndon

Overwhelming

I have started and erased this blog post several times because I am having a hard time putting into words what happened on Sunday. I knew that it would be a great day, but I was not expecting what happened. God's presence with us was overwhelming. On Sunday evening, as I was helping the guys grill hot dogs at Joe Pool Lake, I tried to mentally download what happened over the previous 8 hours. Tears filled my eyes. I can't really describe it and this blog post is going to be frustrating to those who were not there to experience it with us, but all I can say is that there was a movement of God sweeping over His people at 412. Three people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior- and 2 of them did so in the middle of the service. It was almost as if they themselves could not stop it from happening.

Sunday night, we baptized 14 people. It was truly one of the happiest celebrations that I have ever been a part of. Tears fill my eyes just thinking about it.

Here are a few pics:

King Stanley the Great and I

I'm not going to flaunt this, but will simply tell the facts. I rescued a dog today. I named him King Stanley the Great. He stared death in the face on Matlock and Cooper Street at Pioneer Pkwy. I also stared death in the face when I followed him across Cooper in my vehicle. He is a good boy. He now resides in Arlington Animal Shelter. I believe that he will break out and come find me if it's fate. Or, if it's God's will.

Beloved Shirt

Today I am wearing my "Beloved" shirt from my sermon on Sunday. In case you missed it, God wants us to wake up in the morning and renew our minds to the truth that we are His Beloved. I don't have to go out and try to be lovable. I am loved. And so are you.



If you don't believe me, read Ephesians 2:4-5.

Powerful

Keith Wigi sent this to me on Facebook. I had to share the love. It's packed full of truth. It's Grrrrrreat!

The perfect Latte

From our friends at ABC Coffee. This is the perfect Latte. I don't even like coffee but I think I would drink this. Thanks to Dr. Calvin Pearson for letting me take a picture of his latte. It was awkward, but i think all of you would agree that it was worth it.

Sunday morning's messenger

By the time I got to church on Sunday morning, I was rattled. I was so scatter-brained. To make a long story short, I experienced what I think a lot of families experience on Sunday morning- stress. When I got out of the car on Sunday morning, Jonathan (our worship pastor) was in the parking lot getting something out of his truck. I sighed and told him, "I'm not preaching this morning." He said, "I'm not either." I said, "Fine then. I'll do it."

Walking through the halls that morning, it was so weird trying to be a pastor when my psyche had been wrecked minutes earlier. When people asked me how I was, trying not to be two-faced, I responded, "Scatter-brained." That was true. But if someone would have said, "Hey Kyle, are you ready to preach? Are you pumped?" I would have had to lie and said "Absolutely."

But then it happened. I believe God sent a messenger to me right before the service started. "Hey Kyle, I don't know if anyone has told you this before, but I just want to say 'Thank you.'"
"For what?"
"For all that you guys do. I love this church. I have never liked church and I haven't been to church in over 20 years. I've never been religious, really. But I feel so free right now. I feel like I can have a relationship with God. I feel accepted by God. Thank you."

Needless to say, it put me in my place. I decided that there was nothing I would rather do than what I was about to do- deliver a message of hope to the people of God.

God is always on time. I love the way that God will always deliver His timely message- to his messengers and through his messengers. Have you ever been there? Just when you needed a bail-out, a fresh message, an encouraging word- God brought the noise and revived your soul...