What’s in your hand?

Exodus 4:1-20 Moses
1 Samuel 17:38-40 David
John 6:1-15 A Young Boy
God does not require of us what He has not already provided. Some people are called to go to the mission field. Some are called to send them there. You may think in this current economy “I have nothing to give.” God’s economy is not our economy.
A simple staff in Moses’ hand used in obedience to God parted the sea and saved a nation. Five small stones in the hands of a young man when used in obedience took down the giant and the enemy of the Lord our God. A few small fish and loaves of bread when surrendered in obedience to God feed the multitudes. God has placed something in your hand to be surrendered for His use, given in obedience miracles will follow. What is in your hand?
Members of the Liberty Church Community will be part of a team going to Jacmel Haiti in April 2009 on a short term mission trip. This trip will consist of labor to prepare a home for the Mangine family who will become full time missionaries later that month.
When complete Haitian Children’s Home will become home to 160 orphaned or abandoned children. There will be eight homes with 20 children each on a twenty acre plot of land. There will be three schools, a church, a community building, a clinic and a soccer field.
Each member of the mission team must raise $1500.
This is our vision for fund raising. It is three fold.
What is in your hand? What is in your wallet? What is in your heart?
What is in your hand?
This may be a talent or ability, a hobby or trade.
Example: your may be a handi-man. You enjoy tinkering. OR maybe you take nice photos, OR maybe you are a plumber, a carpenter or a good cook, babysitter or housecleaner. God has created us all with gifts and talents.
If you are willing to use what is in your hand, we will match you with someone who is in need of what you possess. That person may not be able to hire someone with your gifts in the world’s economy. By making a donation to the Haitian Children’s Home mission team in exchange for your time they will both give and receive a blessing. As we serve one another the Body is strengthened; relationships are built and community is formed.
You can call Denise Goodale at 252-305-4031 or 252-473-1950 or email at dgoodalecreation@yahoo.com to add your name and what talent and time you are willing to donate for this cause.

What’s in your wallet?
We have all heard this ad by Capital One Credit Card Company. After researching the Capital One web site it was discovered that 20,000 reward miles can be redeemed for a $100.00 gift card on American Airlines. One person can use as many as 8 gift cards toward their flight. It cost between $700-$800 to fly to Haiti from Raleigh or Norfolk. Many people have similar plans with their credit card companies. Business owners especially have often unused reward miles sitting in their accounts. Why not consider gifting these reward miles to this trip.
And finally
What’s in your heart?
If the Lord impresses on you that you have the means to give support by writing a check then we pray you will give what is in your heart to give.
Donations are tax deductable and can be written out to the Haitian Children’s Home/Outer Banks team and given to Denise Goodale or mailed to PO Box 474, Manteo , NC 27954

Some of the things being offered for a donation so far are:
certficates for:
wedding vocalist
4 voice lessons
sign language classes
teaching your baby to sign classes
4 hours landscapeing
2 hour shooting lessons
wedding supplies including banquet tables and cloths

Think outside the box on this one! What is in Your hand?

And Baby makes 7!

One might think that after having six other grandchildren that the excitement would wane when another baby comes along. Not so at all. Evangeline who we call Evie was born on July 8,2007. She is just six weeks younger than her cousin Josiah! It was a busy summer. Melody came to Creation and toughed it out waiting for her due date. Ok, she really didn't tough it SO much cause she and Chris being the big wigs that they (he) are at Creation had a mac daddy of an RV so the camping part was not that bad. We encouraged Melody to walk, walk and walk some more. We were ready to meet Evie. She however did not want to interfere with her Daddy's Creation schedule and held off a while. It seemed a long while. Evie was the first of my grandchildren that I got to be in the labor and delivery room. How awesome it is to see your baby giving birth to her baby.

My mother who was in upstate NY was dying. The day after Evie was born I was back on the road to be with my mom. Life and death meeting. The life cycle so closely touching. Joy and and sorrow mingled.

Considering the fact that Evie lives so far from me I am blessed that we have seen each other many times over the last 18 months. She knows me. In fact I get a little embarrassed when she won't go to other people. But mostly, it makes my heart happy.That is so awesome to me. She calls me several times a week and we sing and talk and say the ABC's. I was with her for her first steps and even caught them on video"Father I thank you so much for Evie. I pray that she will grow up to know you and as her name suggests she would be an evangelist. Teach her to honor you and her parents. As you prepare a path for her I pray that she will not go to the left or to the right but that she would stay on the road you have chosen. I pray that if you choose for her to marry that even now you would prepare for her the man who will honor God and her. Lord give her health and strength and a sound mind to follow you."

There's one in every family.

There is one in every family! And Josiah is his name in our family. Grandchild #6 made himself known right from the start.

Gwenn was two and a half weeks late with this little (huge) guy and she was pretty unhappy about his delay. I was not able to go to Raleigh until after his birth because I needed to save my vacation time so I could go with Nick to get Nico in Haiti. That was not how it happened.

Steve and I were downtown Manteo for first Friday. It was a beautiful June night and over dinner at Magnolia Grille we were excited knowing Gwenn was finally in labor and anxious for the phone call. She did call and share that she had just delivered a very large 9lb 7oz Josiah. We walked the docks and shared our happy news with friends. Then the second call came "Mommy, there is something very wrong with the baby. It might be his heart." I packed my bag and 4 hrs. later was at Rex in Raleigh. The room was filled with people. People who loved Gwenn and Nick and were there to support them. Awesome people from her church to whom I am forever indebted. I got catch a quick peek at Josiah as they wheeled him out of the hospital to transport him to Duke. I stayed with Gwenn that night until they released her the next morning. I remember Gretchen and Jenny showing up that night. Melody nearly nine months pregnant herself waited for word in PA. It was an awful week but God showed up. On day four Josiah (whose name means God heals) had open heart surgery on day 4.Before the operation we took turns staying overnight at the hospital. He stopped breathing once and my husband held me as I cried and the doctor and nurses worked on him. It was a few more weeks before Gwenn and Nick could take Josiah home. He was born June 1st and his brother arrived from Haiti on July 20th. Not much time for that little guy to be the center of attention.....but he found ways...

Josiah is a healthy strong adventurous toddler. He can handle himself in any crowd and let you know when he wants something. He is a singer/dancer/comedian. I remember crying out to God with everything in me for his healing on one of those many trips to Raleigh. My God is faithful to deliver. I know that not all babies are healed and that pains me. But I also know that God had his purpose in Josiah's heart condition and also had His purpose in His healing.

"Abba, it is with such deep gratitude that I thank you for sparing Josiah's life. No doubt some of the children in his PICU unit did not survive. I pray now for their families.I especially pray for the grandmother of Caleb. I pray that her grandson got the transplant he needed. I pray that she will know you as the healer.Grow Josiah up to be a man after your own heart. Fill him with your Spirit from a early age. Use his strong will to stand up for those who have no voice. Thank you for his healing and for allowing us as a family to know this trouble. Use what we have been shown to bring glory to your name."

What I'm really thinking.

Today while I was working at the post office a woman came in to buy two money orders. One she wanted to pay with her debt card and the other with cash. She did not have her money ready and was taking a very long time to just figure out what she really wanted. I did manage to wait on one or two other customers while she figured out her transaction. I was glad when she finally pealed off the last of the dollars so I could be finished with her. My frustration with her was contained on the inside but had she not been standing there (for a long time) filling out her money orders I may have been tempted to comment to a coworker about the difficulty this woman seemed to be having with such a simple task. When I looked up again..there she was back in my line. "Did I fill this out right?" She hadn't so I voided the money order and started over.I very carefully instructed her on the proper way to fill out her paperwork. She went back to the counter to fill it out and then came back to me at the counter. "Thank you for not making me feel like an idiot." she said. "Ouch." I thought.
You see I said all the right words, I acted kind and patient made her feel like she was ok. But in my heart I was ugly. Even though she never knew it, I knew that I had sinned against her. I was a hypocrite in the truest sense of the word. Who am I to judge this woman because she was not capable of doing something that I see as simple. Why would I want to speak to a coworker about her? Why after being a Jesus follower for more than 30 years do I still find myself to be so unChristlike that I embarrass myself. I guess I still need a Saviour . I know I am still a sinner.

What's in your hand? What's in your wallet? What's in your Heart?

A group of ten individuals from the Outer Banks will be traveling to Jacmel, Haiti in April. The team will working on the building site of the Haitian Children’s Home. Presently the HCH is home to more than twenty orphaned or abandoned children. When complete the site there will be eight homes with twenty children each. There are also plans for three schools, a church, a clinic, a community center and a water plant.
Gwenn Goodale Mangine, formerly of Manteo and who is the daughter of Stephen and Denise Goodale of Manteo and sister to Gretchen Bender of Manteo will be moving to Haiti in May. Gwenn along with her husband Nick will raise their three young children in Jacmel where they will be house parent in one of the HCH houses.
The Outer Banks mission team in seeking funding for their trip is asking the Outer Banks community to come up with creative ways of giving. “What’s in your Hand? What’s in your wallet? What’s in your heart? “ If you have any questions or would like to make a donation you can call Denise Goodale at 252-305-4031. Donations are tax deductable and can be made out to Haitian Children’s Home/Outer Banks team and sent @PO Box 474, Manteo, NC 27954.

Turn Around

Ok...this should be post #6 about Josiah. However I wrote that last night added pics, went to edit and LOST IT! So that blog will come soon. This is just a little ditty that I want to get written before it gets forgotten.
Today I was outside with 18 month old Evie. She was pushing a teddy bear in a toy stroller. I like to teach the kids how to play safely in the driveway so I always show them where the line is on the pavement that means "Stop, turn around here." It keeps them from getting too close to the road. So today I showed Evie on the one side of the circular drive where the "stop line" was and then we walked to the other side. I took a few steps in front of her and said "Evie, when you get to this line you stop and turn around." When she reached the line she was quick to obey. She stopped, let go of the stroller and started to spin around in a circle. :)

Grandmother's Heartbeat#6, The God Who Heals, Josiah

It was June 1st, 2007. First Friday, downtown Manteo in full swing. Steve and I ate dinner at Magnolia Grill. We were waiting for the call knowing that Gwenn was in labor with her baby Josiah. He was very late and we knew he would be big. His coming late seemed so hard for many reasons. First poor Gwenn was so uncomfortable. AND Nick and I were planning to go to Haiti to finally pick up Nico. So the call finally came that a nine + lb boy had arrived. We had not planned to go to Raleigh until the weekend because I would already be missing work for the Haiti trip. It was the first grandchild to be born when I wasn't at the hospital. We walked on the docks after dinner running into friends and shared our happy news with them. A short time later the second call came "Mommy, there is something very wrong with the baby. It might be his heart."

My own heart wanted to burst. I should have been there. I hastily drove home packed a bag and headed out. I was able to glimpse only for a moment this beautiful baby as he was wheeled out to the waiting ambulance for him to be transferred to Duke. I spent the night in the Raleigh hospital with Gwenn while Nick went on to Duke.

We took turns staying with Josiah around the clock. He would have to have open heart surgery. On one overnight shift with him his stopped breathing. I was so helpless as the doctors and nurses rushed in and worked on him. I got to hold him while he slept with wires and tubes and bells and whistles. It was during this time that Gwenn started to blog about Josiah. I believe it was a reader who asked her if she knew what Josiah means. She did not.It means God heals. I cried out to God like never before. He heard my cry. He heard our cry. Our family, our churches and the many many people who were following his story on Gwenn's blog.

When I looked at Josiah with all his wires and tubes and his chest surgery I did not see how horrid that picture was. Now when I see those pictures it about takes my breath away. God put us in His cocoon of grace during those first days. We see His hand of provision in many ways including the extra weeks of Gwenn's pregnancy which allowed Josiah to grow heavier and stronger.

During that time I was very mindful that not all babies are healed. Now when I hear of a baby in trouble I am instantly back in that place. I am able to pray for those families and those babies because I know as least in part how those families are feeling.

"Abba, I thank you for your loving kindness that you have shown to us in sparing Josiah's life. I thank you for the doctor's and nurse's who cared for him and the fact that he was able to be treated in one of the best hospitals in the world.Even now I ask your blessing on his medical staff from duke. I lift up to you every baby in the PICU unit tonight and every family member who waiting in that terribly uncomfortable waitin room.Grow Josiah up to be a God lover and give him the desire and the ability to follow you.Protect him from evil and help Him to be caught early when he does wrong and protect him from the evil one."