An example of an abundant life

Last week a dear friend of ours was in a car accident and died as a result of injuries. We met Marcus in 1999, when he and his friend Lindsay began coming to Cottonwood. Marcus had suffered a broken neck in a car accident in 1994 and was paralyzed, from the chest down. He lived in a wheel chair, and had very little use of his hands. Marcus became a very special friend to our family, as did his friend Lindsay. Below is a portion from the obituary in the Abilene Newspaper

"Marcus was born on January 12, 1970 in Ft. Wainwright, Alaska to Rufus Warren Edwards, Sr. and Janet Kay Edwards. Marcus grew up in Lampasas and graduated from Lampasas High School. As a life-long learner, Marcus had earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Tarleton State University, a Master of Education, as well as a Master of Arts from the University of Houston. Marcus was an advocate for people with disabilities. His desire was always to motivate and inspire others to reach their highest potential.
Marcus was a member of Beltway Baptist Church and served on the Board of Abilene Hope Haven. While living in Houston he also served on the City of Houston's council for people with disabilities. Marcus had been working with IntelliGEN AR, since 1994, first as a participant and later as a volunteer consultant. IntelliGEN AR is an organization that helps others who are paralyzed to regain their health and function. Marcus was the living embodiment of what it is to help others while himself living an extraordinary and productive life."

Marcus really did live his life in a way that inspired others. After his initial accident, Marcus became a very depressed and bitter person, but he was eventually able to work through the anger and depression. Soon after we met Marcus, he shared that he had given his life to Jesus. He sat up all night and listened to a song, "In the Arms of Love", and he became convinced that God does love him and has a plan for him. From that time, Marcus lived his life with joy and excitement. He was fun and interesting and we loved having him as an honorary part of our family, and Lindsay as well.





My husband, Les took him on a men's camp out. Because of poor circulation, Marcus was very sensitive to the cold, so Les sat his wheelchair very close to the campfire, so close that his shoes began to smell like burning leather! Marcus and Lindsay came on a family picnic at the Lake and Les insisted that Marcus should ride in the boat. We tried to convince Les that it was too dangerous, but he had a plan. I could just imagine the news that night, "Quadriplegic drowns in boating accident", and everyone in the state would say, "What was a quadriplegic doing riding in a boat?" The answer would be that his friends put him in it. Finally, Marcus told Les that he really did not want to ride in the boat. That was one of the few things that Marcus did not want to do. He lived his life fully.
He and Lindsay were married in 2000, and began a life journey together. Their love for each other was inspiring. Lindsay made the difficult decision to marry a man who would be in a wheelchair the rest of his life and she would be not only his wife, but his primary caretaker. She did that with so much love, and so much joy. Five years ago, Marcus purchased a van that was altered for him to drive. This gave him great independence. Last week, he failed to make a turn and drove off the road and hit a tree. The cause of the accident is not known. What we do know, is that now Marcus is in heaven, running, dancing, maybe even swimming with full use of legs and arms, safely "in the arms of love".

New Life, New Song

Celebrate Recovery is all about celebrating the new things that God is doing, saving us and setting us free from all kinds of junk. I have permission to share one woman's "new life" story.
Last October, Tina walked into Celebrate Recovery a little early. I had the opportunity to visit with her before we started, and as people came into the room, she told me, "These people are so happy. It's weird."
She stayed for the large group time and the small group time, then visited alone with her small group leader, Karen. She came back the next week and said that she had thought about the things we had said and had asked Jesus to be her savior and her Lord! Hallelujah!
Tina has been coming regularly to Celebrate Recovery and to church since January. Boy, has she changed. I will not go into any details, but as she says, her life was a "train wreck". Now, she is experiencing new freedom, new joy, and new peace.
A couple of weeks ago, she told Les, who leads our worship, that she had written a song. She sang it for him that night, and this week, he helped her polish the song.
Last night, she sang the song for us. We clapped and shouted for her, celebrating her song that really represents the new life that God has given her. She gave me permission to share her story and her song so that anyone reading can be blessed. As you read the words of this song, remember these are the words of a brand new Christian.

God You Know My Heart

Swimming in a river of doubt
I thought there was no way out.
Then You came along and washed it all away.

Climbing up the mountains of despair
I wanted to give up.
But you reached out to me with Your unfailing love.

God You know our hearts
God You know our hearts
Jesus take the pain away from us.
God You know my heart.
God You know my heart
I know by faith You have a plan for me.
You have a plan for me.

The pain is deep in me
Like a thorn within my soul.
I know that God is healing me these days.

The scars are oh so real
And very unbearable.
Rainbows shine in these new eyes He's giving me.

Repeat Chorus

After Tina sang her song, we all joined in and sang it with her. She was so full of life, full of joy and confidence. She has changed so much in these few months, her husband told her that she even looks different!
I asked Les, "How is it that we get to be a part of this, to be able to see God work in the lives of people in such a great way?"
We always tell people that Celebrate Recovery is a lot of things, but one thing for sure, it is FUN. Thank You, Jesus!

Youth Group Ministry in New Orleans

A family from Cottonwood is currently living in New Orleans, attending seminary there, serving in a struggling church, and ministering to the people of New Orleans, who are still hurting and recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. A group of students from Cottonwood spent spring break in New Orleans with Dixie and Patrick Bernson and their daughter Anna, helping residents with projects and serving with members of Ames Avenue Baptist Church there. I asked one of the adults to write a report on the trip for the blog.
Youth Mission Trip to Ames Boulevard Baptist;New Orleans, LA

We left Sat. morning, March 13th, at 7 am from Cottonwood with 15 high-school youth and four adult leaders. Ames Boulevard Baptist Church was our home for 6 nights and 5 days. We slept in sleeping bags, and it was amazing how 19 people showered every day using two showers. The Lord made it work.

Sunday we attended morning church and were blessed by a message from Mike Fritscher. We recovered from our trip during the day, had meals provided by Dixie Bernson and members of Ames Street church, and rounded out the day with an evening message by Chance Yankie.
Monday we broke into groups of four and prayer walked some of the neighborhoods surrounding the church. The Louisiana Baptist organization has a goal to reach every household in Louisiana by the end of 2011. We had a door hanger for each front door that says "your house has been surrounded in prayer today" with the church's contact info. We had maps of our neighborhoods and stopped in front of every house and prayed for peace, provision, protection, and salvation of the residents. Some of us were able to pray for people who where outside. I met a man who was working in his yard whose wife had just had a kidney transplant. I was able to pray with him for her. He was very moved. The kids' prayers were very thoughtful and spirit led. Monday night we went to eat in the seminary cafeteria for supper and attended a worship and sermon there.
Tues. morning I prayer walked again with three kids. We estimate that we prayed for the inhabitants of well over 2,000 homes during the day Mon. and Tues. morning.
All day Tues.:
- A group of boys mowed, weed eated, weeded, trimmed, raked, etc. an elderly church lady's yard.

- A group stayed at the church and cleaned.
- A group went to a charity clothes closet and helped the lady who runs it get it organized by sizes.
Tues. afternoon Dixie and I went to talk and pray with a lady from North Carolina who was visiting her son, who is a seminary student and neighbor of the Bernsons. She is 55, not much older than me, but with many health issues. Dixie had met and talked with her a few days before and just felt she needed some encouragement.
Wed. we went to work at Cafe Hope, a restaurant that will open soon that will employ at-risk youth and young adults. They will cook, wait tables, work in the garden that will provide the produce for the restaurant, etc. Each at-risk person is being trained and assigned a mentor. Our kids did garden work, painted, cleaned, etc. all day. At this job our kids were good examples for the at-risk youth and young adults that they worked alongside. Wed. night we had another supper prepared by church members and a low-key share time where our kids got to tell any experience that had made an impact on them thus far.

Thurs. morning we went to Arlene and Eddie's house. They are an elderly couple from Delacroix Hope Baptist Church whose house was heavily damaged during the hurricane and still needed lots of yard cleanup and mowing, etc. Within two and a half hours our kids had loaded two flatbed trailer loads of junk out of the back yard, and mowed, raked, weed eated, edged, and swept in back and front yard.

Pastor Boogie, the Delacroix Hope pastor, drove the two trailer loads to the dump and took four of our boys to help him unload. Then Eddie and Arlene told their story of God's work as they narrowly escaped drowning inside their home when Katrina hit and how that experience restored their marriage and brought them back to the Lord. The pastor's wife and Arlene provided gumbo, sandwiches, cake, and bread pudding for lunch. Thurs. afternoon we went to the French Quarter and shopped and saw the sights.
Each adult leader,(Ann Moyer, Sarah Ground, Cheryl Krey, and Chance Yankie) as well as Patrick and Dixie, Ames Boulevard members, Arlene and Eddie, and Pastor Boogie, saw God last week in the faces, attitudes, and work ethics of the 15 kids who went on this trip! Here are the names of the kids that went. When you see them around church, bless them by bragging on them for being a reflection of Him!

Emily Bollenbacher
Kaitlin Hooper
Molly Roskilly
Sarah Lueck
Justine DeVries
Kressyn Cole
Natasha Perkins
Colton Johnson
Austin Moyer
Daniel Winkler
Kade Cole
Jamey Mulloy
Mark Weber
Tyler Golden
Dan Chaine

Another Big Court Date

Yesterday was another big day. Hudson Lee became our grandson legally yesterday. Of course, this was a nothing more than a legal step. He has been our grandson for months already.
To fill anyone in who may not know the background, our daughter Libby and her husband Mike have a biological son, Carter, who is 14. They also have a 9 year old daughter, Abby, and a 7 year old son, Dillon, both adopted from Korea. (you can read a little about that on my post of Jan. 7, "God's Amazing, Astounding, Ridiculous, Crazy Love").
Well, last February, they received an email from their adoption agency about a 15 month old baby boy in Korea who was waiting for a family. When he was born, the doctors were afraid that he might have a serious genetic disorder, which delayed his adoption. Testing showed that he was fine, but, by that time, he had missed the referrals that are done when a baby is born. So, there he was, a healthy toddler with no forever family. Mike and Libby immediately felt that this baby belonged in their family.

They began the process. International adoption involves mountains of paperwork, boatloads of money, and miles of red tape dealing with governments of two nations.
(I have to add that it is absolutely worth it.) Finally, the first of September, they got the word, and Mike, Libby, and Abby flew to Korea to bring Hudson home.


Hudson is ADORABLE. He is very smart, and very happy. He loves to play with his cars. He would rather be outside in the yard than anywhere else. God was so good to place him in our family. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this little fella.

Face to face with modern slavery

Recently at Cottonwood we had a day of focus on human trafficking. After a pot-luck luncheon, a young woman, Katy Bentley, shared an experience that she had when she went on a mission trip while in college. Katy gave me permission to share her story here. So, in her own words, according to the notes I took, here is her story.

"A few years ago, I went to Indonesia for the summer on a mission trip. My job was to work in an English resource center. Another girl, Sue spent time meeting the girls who worked in the brothels in the city. I asked Sue if I could go with her one day. We went to the red light district, many blocks of brothels, and continued to a house where Sue had made friends with the woman who ran the brothel.
Sue and I went weekly to visit with the girls who worked there. We talked about girl stuff. The girls would touch us, stroke our hair. I realized that was the only human touch they had that was not abusive, and these girls were hungry for that kind of touch. I was amazed at how easy it was to be friends with these girls.
One day, Sue asked the girls if we could pray for each one of them. We intended to pray together in the gathering room, but the girls wanted us to go to each of their rooms and pray. Going into their rooms made me realize how much like me they were. These were real people with interests. Some of the rooms had pictures of the girl’s children. One woman, who was 19, had three children back in her village. Her husband was out of work and they did not have money to feed their children. Her Uncle had told her that he could get her a job in the city. When she got to the city, her uncle sold her to a brothel for $30. As appalling as this was, the young woman said it was really OK, because she was able to send a little money home each month so that her children had food. The system is set up so that the women are paid for the work, but they have to pay for their room and their food, and anything else they have. They are charged more than they make, so that they are in debt from the first day they are there, and never will be able to pay their bills.
I wanted so badly to help these girls. I had some money, and I could get more money from my parents and from my church. I could buy some of these girls and set them free. Sue told me that I could not do that, it wasn’t that easy. There would just be more girls bought and put into the brothel. I realized that these girls may not be rescued, but God could set them free. . Jesus came to set the captives free, not only from physical slavery, but also from the bondage of the soul whether they are freed, or not, God’s love must be sufficient. God’s love can meet their needs. His love is sufficient."

We do want to do whatever we can to fight slavery in every form. We also realize that whatever the circumstances of a persons life, they must hear about God's love for them. God's love truly can sustain them and bring healing and freedom in the soul.

True Freedom that comes through Surrender

It has been a week since the retreat, but I am still thinking about the things Arnita shared. One thing I am thinking about is that in order to have a life of true freedom I have to live a life that is surrendered to God. As a Christian, I had a big moment of surrender when I gave my life to Him, but that is followed by day to day, moment to moment surrender.
What do you think of when I say "surrender". Usually we don't like it. We think of old movies where a man is surrounded and knows that he has no other alternative, so he waves a white flag and surrenders. It is the last thing he wants to do because it means defeat, and he knows that the price will be loss of freedom. It is the last thing he does when he has no hope of victory.
Surrender to God is just the opposite. Surrender is the only way to have freedom.
Real surrender is leaning into God and walking intimately with Him. Surrender is not the end, it is the beginning.
Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
There are several benefits to living a life surrendered to God.
1. Surrender will bring you an awareness of the presence of God, and the favor of God.
John 8:29 "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."
2. Surrender will bring you into your destiny.
Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
3. Surrender will bring you fulfillment, a feeling of satisfaction, and accomplishment.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
4. Surrender brings you to safety and a place of protection.
It is a paradox of the Christian life that the greater surrender in your life, the greater freedom you will have.
John 8:31-32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, " If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

One Life Touched

Whenever I plan an event if any kind, I always feel that if one heart is touched, one life changed in any way, one person set free from any kind of bondage or healed from any hurt, then whatever work was involved was absolutely worth it. I don't believe that we have ever had an event that there was only one person touched. God is always faithful to work in more lives than just one.
Last weekend's retreat was no exception. I have heard many great reports of God working and speaking. One particular woman's story touched me so much I have to share it.
Casey is a sweet young woman who has Cerebral Palsy. She is not able to work or live independently. She has a wonderful family who love her very much and enjoy being with her, but she chooses to live in a group home where she has some independence but is taken care of. Casey always has a smile on her face. She loves children and enjoys being a part of Cottonwood. She is very quite. She is able to speak, but she has to work very hard to be understood, and it is often too hard for her. So, she listens quietly and we usually don't know what is going on inside of her. Casey came to the retreat this weekend and I could tell she was happy to be there.
On Monday, Arnita, who spoke at the retreat, showed her assistant Katy a picture frame with a note inside. The note, in the printing you would expect from a young child said this:

Dear Arnita,
You made me feel OK to be the way God created me.
Your Friend,
Casey

Was the retreat worth months of preparation, and a lot of work for a number of people? Was it worth Arnita driving 3 hours to speak? Was it worth whatever it took to pull it off?
For that one note, that one life to be so impacted, YES, IT WAS WORTH IT!!
I thank God that he used the retreat for one person be able to feel OK to be who she is.

"For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well."

Psalm 139:13-14

"More to See"

Last weekend, about 106 women participated in our annual Cottonwood Ladies Retreat. Our theme this year was "More to See" because our God always has more to reveal to us. Arnita Taylor blessed us so much from the Bible and from her own experience as a Christ follower. In her experience, one of the times that she has been able to really see more of God was during times of suffering or struggle. Here are a few encouraging tidbits from the first session of the retreat.

We have to know that there is a reason, a goal, and an end for our suffering.
The Apostle Paul expressed that in 2 Timothy 4:6-9
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."

Suffering doesn't always mean you are failing or doing something wrong. It does mean that I need to pray and seek God more. During our hard times, we learn God's comfort, and we experience His Presence as we draw closer to Him.
Suffering will clarify what my heart worships. It will purify our hearts, cut away sin.
Times of suffering will increase our hunger for God and help us to grow up. Those times teach us to trust Him more.
Difficult times also help us to understand God's sovereignty and His Lordship.
Ephesians 1:11 "we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,"

Here is an action plan, steps to take when you encounter a time of suffering.
1. Trust God's Lordship, His promises, and HIs Word.
Psalm 46:1-2
"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change"
2. Seek His lesson. Ask, "Lord, what are you teaching me".
3. Seek His hand, knowing and believing that He is with you.
Isaiah 43:1-3
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God,
4. Take small steps forward, without fear, without condemnation.

God's Big Work through Our Small Efforts

Big News. God brought fruit from our outing last week.
Last Saturday, I went with some family members to serve with the Pastor of a Spanish Speaking Church to minister in a neighborhood in East Ft. Worth (see post of Feb. 25, Sharing God's Love in Little Ways). We did not do anything big, and I did not expect to SEE any fruit from it. We went with a desire to share God's love, and to help this Pastor meet some people in an area that he is burdened for.
Well...Libby called yesterday with a report.
Pastor Luis went back to do some follow-up visits.
He visited the family with 4 year old Billy who has Cerebral Palsy. His mother became a believer.
He also visited the home with the 6 year old who has a brain tumor. Her mother and her Grandmother came to Christ.
This is amazing. I am just praising God for His work and thanking Him for allowing me to be a part of it. I am also thankful for a humble servant like Pastor Luis who is faithful to minister in this area.

" What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers;" 1 Cor 3:5-9

I also want to report on some "small things" that are being done. The Cottonwood Ladies Bible Study group that meets in DeLeon have really taken the idea of having an outward focused life and run with it. They are so busy, doing all kinds of ministry in the area. Here is a report from their last project.

"For Valentine’s celebration we wanted to make some widows and single moms feel special; so the Agape Givers (DeLeon Bible Study ladies) made coverlets out of red and pink fleece. Colleen Stockman kindly cut the fabric for us and then during one of our Thursday lunches we made yoyo’s and used them along with buttons and beads to decorate the coverlets and then they were delivered to 8 women. There were great smiles and thank you’s from the ladies. We are looking forward to projects we have scheduled for the future."