"Deni. DENI! I'm Having a Stroke..."

On Friday, August 16^th, I got the telephone call that we all dread. My Mom called and said she was having a stroke. Although most of my days are filled with responding to crises…it’s different when it’s your Mom. I felt the color leave my face, my heart started beating faster and my palms began to sweat. I was at work, so I grabbed my stuff and bolted out the door.

As I drove to their house…I was talking to the Father…please help me think and not react, remind me that I do this all the time and be calm, help me explain this to my Dad…is this really a stroke?? Father, no matter what, keep her in the palm of your hand…

Mom was at the Braum’s and her left arm fell useless. She however, got in her car and drove home. My Dad suffers from dementia and she wanted to talk to him before she was taken to the hospital. When I got to the house, I had 911 on the phone and we did the steps to check for stroke. I asked Mom to smile, to try to raise her left arm, to say a sentence. As we were checking she said she could feel the numbness and tingling going down her left leg.

My parents live in “no man’s” land between Tulsa and Sand Springs and I was keenly concerned that EMSA would get lost even though I gave directions to the 911 operator. No kidding, they pulled up in front of their house in 7 minutes. In came 3 firemen and 3 paramedics. I got Mom’s meds together and talked to my Dad. He just looked at me and all I saw was fear. We got Mom’s rings and watch off. They did the stroke checklist, checked her blood pressure, which was very high and decided they needed to move faster.

2 firemen picked her up and carried her out the front door and put her on the gurney. One of the paramedics was talking to my Dad saying it was a good thing we acted quickly. My Dad was confused and scared. He didn’t understand why I asked him to go to the hospital and wanted to stay in the house, “I want to be here when she comes back.”

So, I got in my car and called my sister. I told her we were headed to St. John Medical Center and Dad was frantic but still at the house. My sister was on nephew duty so she drove to my parents’ house to be with Dad. I called my younger sister and she and I met at SJMC ER.

When we got into the exam room, Dr. Wilson and Heather, RN were intently caring for my Mom. A CT scan had been done to confirm it was an ischemic stroke. Mom’s blood pressure was at one point 216/120. We began trying to pinpoint when the stroke started.

With a stroke, time is of the essence.  By confirming when Mom’s ischemic stroke began, determined if they could give her Intravenous Recombinant Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator or t-PA; a blood clot buster medicine.  t-PA needed to be administered within 3 hours of the start of the stroke. We determined we were still within that time frame.

Then entered Dr. Anna (Wanahita) as she introduced herself; the Medical Director of the St. John Heyman Stroke Center. The stroke center has been awarded advanced certification for comprehension stroke centers and ranked 10 percent nationally by the Joint Commission.  Dr. Anna had an incredibly intense bedside manner, with a touch of humor.  My Mom at times had trouble answering questions because of the loudness of the controlled chaos in the room.  Medical staff was moving at lightning speed and she couldn't hear and struggled to understand what Dr. Anna was saying.

This did not faze Dr. Anna in the least. She repeated her questions, continually checked Mom’s signs and symptoms, projected a calming effect and was in control of making decisions that saved my Mom’s life.

When it was determined t-PA could be given and Dr. Anna had ordered, Dr. Anna stayed right by my Mom, checking her and even telling my Mom that she is a new Mom. She also continually checked the clock, and when she decided it had been too long and the t-PA needed to be injected NOW, she leaned out into the hallway and strongly encouraged staff to step it up a notch. Her face was intent while looking down the hall, but immediately softened when she stepped back into the room and beside my Mom’s bed.

One of the possible side effects of this medicine is bleeding into the brain. The goal of giving her this med is to “attack” blood clots and drastically reduce the size of them thereby reducing the amount of permanent damage. Once the medicine was given, Dr. Anna remained bedside and continuously checked Mom for lessening of symptoms, “Smile, raise your arm and touch your nose, now the other side, lift your leg, which leg am I touching….”

It wasn’t long before positive indications were noted of Mom’s improvement.  But, the hub-bub of the staff in her room and the gravity of what could happen to her, finally hit her.  She began to cry and looked at me and said, “You’ve GOT to pray for me.” I leaned over her bed and took her hands into mine. I began beseeching the Father…for a miracle…for peace…for His loving presence…for every doctor, nurse and staff person…as I prayed I felt the warmth of God’s peace and I realized how quiet it was. No one was moving or talking…in the center of a sense of urgency for a few moments there was silence and the Spirit of God filled that room…and fear was banished.

As soon as I said, “Amen,” I kissed my Mom and the movement immediately began again. They took Mom for another CT scan and then took her to ICU for the next 24 hours.

On Saturday, Dr. Dunaway came to tell us what happened.  He began saying how he shouldn’t be talking with Mom, because of the size of the blood clot - she should have died. He held up his hands and it was about the size of a cantaloupe, “But now it’s about this size.” He used his thumb and index finger to indicate something about the size of a pea.  He also told her that she has had over 50 TIA’s (Transient Ischemic Attack) on the left side of her brain and she is filled with blockage. He told her that he hoped she enjoyed her last cigarette because it was her LAST cigarette or she’d be back in the hospital with another stroke and the next outcome most likely wouldn’t be as miraculous as this one.

My Mom’s left arm, left leg and speech are normal! To look at her you would never guess she had a stroke that almost killed her. She was discharged to home – no rehab – on the Monday after her stroke – truly miraculous!

She is on more medicines now and she has been cigarette free since her stroke and she has been blessed with an incredible gift of continued life. Needless to say, my Dad was so thrilled to have her home...we all were. 

My sisters and brother's-in-law worked seamlessly taking care of our Mom and Dad. Emails and texts were sent to prayer warriors, we each went where we needed to be exactly when we needed to be there, folks rallied and were at the ready if needed – it truly was a divinely guided weekend.

My Mom knows Jesus so if He had chosen to take her; we would still be giving Him the glory.  I’m sharing this because there are lessons to be communicated.

First, if you’re a smoker….this could happen to you. If you want to quit but don’t think you can call 1-800-STOP-NOW or give E-cigarettes a try.

Next, my Mom was given t-PA with 23 minutes to spare. With a stroke, getting the person quickly to the hospital is critical. My Mom’s symptoms weren’t textbook, but the loss of function of her left arm and the rate at which she was losing function in her left leg were big red flags.

These are the warning signs for a stroke taken from the National Stroke Association website – www.stroke.org:

Use FAST to remember the warning signs of a stroke:

F – Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the person’s face droop?

A – Arms. Ask the person to raise their arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S – Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

T -  Time. If you notice ANY of these symptoms call 911 immediately.

Also, try to remember when the first symptoms of a stroke start; time is critical in determining when t-PA can be given. At the FIRST signs of a stroke call 911.

Ruminating over the last weekend, it is humbling to see the many miracles God gave our family. One of the most amazing gifts was how He divinely guided the medical personnel who cared for my Mom. When I was driving to the ER from my parent’s home one of the things I talked to the Father about was giving me righteous anger and the ability to articulate for the advocacy of best practice for my Mom. So many times I have gone to the hospital and felt as if I was going into battle because so many hospital staff forget or don’t care about the importance of being professional, compassionate and empathetic.

Thankfully, each medical staff member we encountered was professional, compassionate, patient and empathetic. Our family would like to thank the following doctors, nurses and staff members. You not only moved with a sense of urgency, you did so with a sense of humor and an attitude of grace that made all the difference in the world to my Mom and my family.

Dr. Anna Wanahita

Dr. Wilson (ER)

Heather, RN (ER)

Dr. Dunaway (Stroke Team)

Natalie, RN (ICU)

Dr. S (ER, ICU)

Margaret, APRN (ER)

Nine West Staff

In His service, deni

Why Do We Hesitate When God Calls Us To Action?

We've all been there...minding our own business...when you begin to feel Him nudging you..."what me?" You look around and then you see him or her and your heart pounds harder...but then your hands start to sweat and your mind starts to race..."Oh, Father...now? Me? But, I'm on my way to work...You don't want me to be late...I work so I can tithe and give to others...what if he/she gets offended? What? You want me to offer them a ride? You know what my Mom would say if I did that...she would so freak out...if I die how can I continue to serve You?????? God? Is this really YOU???"         

Okay, so now you're passing by the bus stop and the person you KNOW you're supposed to offer a ride to...looks directly in your eyes...as you drive by....the nudging from God gets so strong that you cannot resist so you drive around the block and when you get back there...the person's gone...

Is hesitation, disobedience? What if today is that person's last day on earth? What if that person is in a domestic violence relationship and they were praying to God for someone, anyone to care, to offer to help...and God nudged you...and you didn't respond?

WHY DO WE HESITATE WHEN GOD SAYS GO??

I call it trying to rationalize an irrational act.  Our mind starts making up excuses not to act and they can be rational thoughts. "It isn't safe to pick up strangers in this day and age." "I could get sanctioned for being late to work." "My car is almost out of gas"...to the world this is responsible thinking.

What we need to think when we sense that undeniable nudge from Jesus...

Mark 2:13-14 - "Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to Him, and He began to teach them. As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me." Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him.

Forget about being late to work...Matthew was AT work and he immediately - without hesitation - got up and followed Jesus. Wow!! Jesus had dinner at his house that night. We have the book of Matthew in the Bible and so much more because he didn't hesitate.

Just think what would have happened if Matthew gave into that "rational/irrational" thinking? He could have rationalized his way out of eternity...

Roy Kostner is a Valedictorian and was asked to give a speech at his South Carolina High School graduation.  He took the time to write a speech but when he stepped up to the podium...he ripped up his speech...and he said he was so thankful that his parents led him to Christ at a young age...and then he recited the Lord's prayer!! You see prayer had recently been banned at school functions. He jumped out in faith and did what God nudged him to do...God doesn't call us to do easy things...He calls us to do the hard stuff, the take-your-breath-away stuff, the stuff that is crazy to the world but life transforming to the lost...

There are consequences to hesitation...

I was walking to the doctor's office with my Dad and I looked across the sidewalk and heard a senior calling out to someone. His right leg was shaking fiercely, he was using a rollator but there was no one by him.  In my head I was running towards him, but in reality I was hesitating, "Surely, whoever is with him will grab him." Then it was like God nudged me with His foot and I ran over to the senior as he was going down. I grabbed him and held him as his leg continued to shake violently. He kept calling out a name...his daughter's...and I continued to hold him and calm him down. Eventually his daughter was there and about 3 other people. I turned him around and sat him down. His daughter finished parking the car and came back. She was very grateful that I held him but terrified of what would have happened if he fell on the concrete.

According to his hat he was a Veteran of World War II and his skin was thin, he was hard of hearing and his face was filled with fear. So, if he had fallen and broken a hip or hit his head...that would have been a life changer for this man. The beginning of the end for many seniors. Inaction has consequences...I'm just thankful he held on until I moved.

So many times we remain inactive because we think, "SURELY, someone else will go..." If I had moved immediately maybe the man would have calmed down faster. He wouldn't have had to call out in fear to his daughter, because he would have been safe sooner, if only I didn't hesitate.

For a little conviction read, The Cost of Following Jesus in Luke 9:57-62...hesitation can cost everything. "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.'  (Luke 10:27) Now read Luke 1-:25-37, the story of the Good Samaritan...so which one are you?

In Matthew 9: 18-26, Jesus was talking and a man comes up to Him and tells Him that his daughter just died. The man asks Jesus to come put a hand on his daughter so she might live again. Jesus did not hesitate, He immediately got up to go with the man. But, wait..."Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. `Take heart, daughter,' he said, `your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed from that moment." Jesus then walked on to the man's house and took the dead girl's hand and she stood up!!

I think of this woman who has been bleeding for 12 years. Can you even imagine? She had no PCP to go to, no tests to be run, no diagnosis, possibly no hope. Until she heard about Jesus. She may have seen Jesus before and watched Him heal people. Maybe she was standing in the crowds listening to Him many times before.  She may have been having rational/irrational thoughts, "What will I say to Him? Master? Rabbi? I've got this personal problem...I can't do this in front of so many people...this is humiliating and embarrassing. What if He tells me it's my fault? What if He won't heal me? I am nobody...why would He even care about me? I get all tongue tied when I try to talk about things that matter, I'll sound like a fool and He'll just walk by...I just can't do this." Maybe she embraced this negative thinking because she was terrified of being rejected AGAIN. Maybe her family has disowned her. Maybe she really liked a man but couldn't consider the possibilities because of her horrible, gross, disgusting, ugly condition. There were no tampons back then, no Kotex.  How many times had she gone to the marketplace with blood stains on her clothes? How many nights had she cried herself to sleep? How many prayers had she prayed begging God for help?

What if she had been close to talking to Jesus many times, but each time her thoughts got in the way of her taking action...oh how she hesitated so many times before. 

But, in her heart she knew Jesus could heal her. "If only I touch the hem of His garment...He is almighty, I don't have to talk to Him...I just have to get close enough to touch..."

She was ready to move...her hands were sweating, she was crying - from fear, from the belief she really could be healed, from hope - she weaved in and out and pushed people aside, "Excuse me, excuse me." He got up to go to the man's house and His disciples flanked Him, "Oh no, I've got to get around them before they tell me to leave Him alone..." Her heart was about to beat out of her chest as she reached out to touch Him, He took a step to the right but it didn't phase her, she was committed, nothing would stop her now, she was about ready to call out His name she was so charged...she saw absolutely nothing but the hope of a transformed life and she reached out...her fingers covered with dirt, broken nails, tears blurred her vision, she was about to scream at Him to stop when she did it!!! She went to touch His sleeve, but she lost her balance and in front of her was the hem of His cloak...wrapped in her hand.

IMMEDIATELY she changed. Jesus felt her. She didn't touch Him...she had only His clothes in her grasp but He knew she was there!!!

He stopped. He knew everything about her. He knew her shame, embarrassment, brokenness, pain. He knew how many times she couldn't bring herself to approach Him. He knew how many times she hesitated.  He knew just how hard this was for her to do.

He smiled because she found the courage to act.

He was so proud of her! He looked her in the eyes and He spoke directly to her, "Take heart, daughter." She would never forget the sound of His voice, the words He spoke. He healed her. He made her whole. He gave her hope and a future. He gave her eternal life. She was indeed a changed woman! Hallelujah!!

If you are a Christ follower and are praying for less of you and more of Christ then it's gonna happen again. He's gonna nudge you to action. 
                  
                       Don't hesitate...trust Him.

"Take heart, daughter/son..."

In His service, deni

Bus Ticket

Not too long ago, a few of us were sitting in the café in First Baptist Church Tulsa. We were talking and waiting for a meeting to start, when a young girl walked up to us. She said she was abandoned by her boyfriend and didn’t know what to do.

I walked with her to a corner table and we talked. She said she met the guy and he promised to take her “to see the world,” and she was hungry to see what was out there so she didn’t hesitate and took off with him, even though she'd only known him for a couple weeks.  During the journey she learned that he had a drug addiction, was violent and didn’t have any money.

They got to Tulsa and argued, so he crushed her cell phone and kicked her out of the car. She said she had been sitting in the bus station crying for quite a while. But, when she got up and looked outside she saw First Baptist Church. She said, “My Grandma always told me if you get into trouble, just walk into the nearest church.” 

As we talked she realized she made a terrible mistake by leaving with this guy.  She had never been very far from her home town and she just wanted to see what was out there. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I just want to go home and start over again.”

I asked her what she wanted to be when she was a little girl and she said, “A singer.” She said people thought she could sing and so did she. I asked her if she ever pursued her dream and she said, “I didn’t think dreams were supposed to come true.”

I shared that God has a plan and a purpose for her life and that once she has a relationship with Him…He can make dreams come true!  We talked some more and we prayed and I walked her to the bus station.

I told her when she knows what God’s plan is if Isaiah 58, In His Service can help, we’d be happy to. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a hug.

Isaiah 58, In His Service bought her a bus ticket home.  The first bus was sold out and the next one was scheduled to leave at 3am.  She said she’d be alright in the bus station and I told her after I did a few things, I would return with some food and sit with her.  We tried to call her Grandma to let her know the young girl was okay and headed home, but no one answered.

I finished what I needed to do, so I went to Quik Trip and loaded up on some food and then headed back to the bus station, it was about 8pm.  I looked around before I went inside and she was nowhere to be found. Initially my heart sank for fear that the boyfriend had shown back up and she conceded to go with him.  But, I prayed against that and went inside.  The same clerk I bought the ticket from was behind the counter.  I asked her about the young girl and she said, “Oh, yeah, honey, she got on the early bus, she’s on her way.”

Praise God!  I went back to my car and called her Grandma and she answered.  I told her who I was and that her granddaughter was on her way to start over.  Grandma was relieved and thankful.

So, what was I to do with the bag of food?  I drove around looking for some of my homeless folks and couldn’t find anybody!  I kept driving and finally I saw one.  He was flying a sign and I drove up and said, “There you are, man I’ve been lookin’ all over for you!”  We talked and I gave him the food and invited him to Luke10 and gave him my card and said if he needs to talk or is ready to make a change…to give me a call.”

The next day I got a message from the young girl. She said she was home safe and sound and had learned her lesson and she was very grateful.

I have no control over outcomes. One of the coolest things our Father does is give us a free will…it is our decision to choose to follow Him.  We can say, “yes,” or “no.” But, as Christ followers we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ.  So, that means being obedient to serve when Jesus calls us into action.

I was at church for a meeting that I wasn’t thrilled about attending.  We were in the café because we were waiting for the start of that meeting.  I could have blown off the meeting and not been in the café.  When she said she was in trouble, I could have gone looking for a church staff member and passed the buck.

 

So here's the lesson...sometimes we do things that we don't really want to do...like attend meetings.  But, I wasn't supposed to be at church for the meeting, I was supposed to be there for this girl. I did make the meeting, by the way!

God could have put someone else there, but for some reason…He asked me to be there.  I am so humbled that He chose me! Look what I was blessed to do!  I got to plant seeds and am praying that they will be watered and the Kingdom will grow.  The first step is to be willing, “Here I am Lord, send me.”

In His service,

deni

Are you the same? Have you changed at all?

I went to the store the other day to get some goodies for a little lady’s birthday.  I had a cake and some decorations the usual birthday fare.  I got in line behind someone who receives correspondence from Isaiah 58, In His Service.  After the pleasantries, he looked at me and said, “I got your letter, so I suppose you were soliciting funds.”  Then he looked in my basket and wanted to know what I was buying. I told him I was gonna surprise a little lady who lives alone with some birthday treats. He nodded and turned around and said, “I guess you need money to buy stuff like that too.”

I went to the Mighty Women of God Conference at FBCT a couple weeks ago and listened to the featured speaker, Peggy Nunnelly talk about a woman by the name of Veronica.  Veronica had a family of 5 and she lived in a country in which it was illegal to be a Christ follower. She and her whole household were arrested and imprisoned because of their beliefs, trust and faith in Jesus Christ. The guards brought Veronica’s husband into her cell.  They told her that she must renounce Christ or they would kill her husband. She refused to deny her God and so they cut off the head of her husband.  They brought in her two sons next and told her to forsake Jesus and again, she refused to deny her God and they used swords to kill her two sons.  She and her daughter were eventually freed.

I read this on Facebook, “A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a relationship with God.”

Another life story Peggy shared at the conference;  a woman struggling with substance abuse most of her life, decided to kill herself so she put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. Miraculously, she didn’t die and she had no severe brain damage. So, Peggy went to the hospital to talk with this lady.  Peggy said the woman had prayed “the sinner’s prayer” many times in her life, yet her life didn’t reflect a relationship with God. So, Peggy boldly told the woman, “You don’t know the Jesus I know because if you did, you wouldn’t be laying in a hospital bed from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Peggy said the woman was incensed and told her to get out and not come back.  However, over time God convicted the woman and she knew what Peggy said was true, she really didn’t know Jesus at all.  So, she talked with Peggy and the next time she talked to Jesus, she repented wholly and completely and asked God to save her.

And He did. The woman is now staying with Peggy and her family as she matures as a Christ follower and is learning and growing to become the woman God intended.

Change.  I am NOT the deni I used to be and I pray I am NOT the deni I’m going to be.  The old things pass away, behold all things are new.  If you drank alcohol until you puked on a regular basis, if you smoked pot or did ecstasy on the weekends, if you gossiped about people, if you looked at pornography, if you were a chronic liar, if you cheated regularly on your spouse, if you watched movies filled with sex and violence or played videogames where the goal is to kill as many people as you can,  if you were living with someone you’re not married to, if you did your job half-heartedly and stole from the company, if you flipped the bird at people regularly on the highway, if you cursed constantly…if these things were a routine part of your life BEFORE you claimed to be a Christ follower and now it’s years later and you’re STILL doing these things AFTER you say you accepted God’s salvation, then “A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a relationship with God.”

If you can look at your life today and look at your life BC (before Christ) and essentially see the same person, then why are you claiming to be a Christian? If you go to church on Sundays, don’t cuss, are faithful to your spouse, limit your viewing of pornography, mow the widow’s lawn next door, pay the bills on time, have money left over for a vacation, tithe sometimes 5% and even throw a $20 in the offering plate once in a while, and allow your mother-in-law to stay for 2 whole weeks in the summer…and you’ve lived like this for as long as you can remember,“A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a relationship with God.”  It's not the stuff, it's the relationship. It's not the surface, it's what's inside. It's not the giving, it's the living. It's not me, it's all Jesus.

It’s not about being “a good” person or a person that’s given up the bottle, or pornography or the affair. It’s about loving Jesus so much that you have to tell people about Him! It’s about doing whatever, I mean WHATEVER it is that He asks you to do. It means devouring His word because you have got to learn more, it’s about believing what you read in His word and asking Him to work through you like He did through His disciples in the New Testament. It means thinking, “This has GOT to be God, cause this is the most uncomfortable, crazy thing to do...and I would never think of this on my own, so I KNOW it’s Him.” I bought a ring the other day that says, "LIVE THE WORD." I wear it every day as a reminder it's not about me, it's all about Jesus!  It's a reminder that as I continue in my relationship with Jesus...I will continue to change and grow...the goal is for people to see Jesus, not deni.

Remember, Beth Moore’s “faith story” about being in the airport and being nudged to comb the long, straggly hair of an old man in a wheelchair?  Remember the man was hard of hearing and she’s overwhelmed and trying to convince God not to make her do this, and trying to be discreet but he can’t hear her so she yells, “CAN I COMB YOUR HAIR?” Then the God moment happened, the old man told her that he had open heart surgery and his wife was ill and he hasn’t seen her in months. He was thinking what a mess he must look like as he is about to see his bride after all this time. Beth says, “I learned something about God that day. He knows if you’re exhausted or hungry, you’re serving in the wrong place or it’s time to move on but you’re too responsible to budge, He knows if you’re hurting or feel rejected. He knows if you’re sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual.  Tell Him your need! I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like this I had missed along the way…all because I didn’t want people to think I’m strange. God didn’t send me to that old man. He sent the old man to me.” (From an Internet post by Beth Moore)

I didn’t send out the long letter to ask for funds...but to ask you to ask God to show you how you can be more like HIm and do more for Him. My prayer is that folks will be convicted and not walk away like the rich young ruler when God calls us into action. My prayer is that folks will be convicted and do like Zacchaeus and open the door wide to Jesus and let Him in every area of our lives; no matter how crazy or scary or weird His calling may be.

There is a middle aged couple who are applying for disability, they have no income, no vehicle, no money and they need a place to live…

There are special needs kids who will most likely go into the foster care system because their only caregiver can't take care of them anymore…

There are women who struggle with mental illness or uncontrolled diabetes or other health issues, estranged from their families and cannot live alone anymore...

There are senior adults living in nursing homes without a family and are wasting away because they have a story to tell and there is no one there to listen…

There are teenagers who have no male role models and their Moms are working all the time or doing drugs or absent from their lives and these kids are wasting away in the projects…

There are young adults who have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused and desperately need mentors to help them heal and become self-sufficient…

There are single Moms who work two jobs to feed their numerous children but they continue to make bad choices in parenting and the men they date…

There are Dads who are disabled and can't work anymore and can't pay their bills....

There are homeless men and women who sleep on sidewalks and in abandoned buildings who are very sick and dying and need a place to die…

There are folks looking for work but can’t get to the interviews by relying on the city bus…

There are families with grandparents, siblings, grandchildren and significant others who live together and only one or two people work for a variety of reasons…they can’t pay their bills, their rent and they don’t have enough to eat…

This is just a drop in the bucket of the many people I see regularly who need Jesus and support from Christ followers willing to jump off of the pews and dive into the gutter…

There is someone in your neighborhood, in your office, on your team, in your child’s school, or in your church who is suffering and sinking and screaming for help and you know it and God is tugging at your heart but you are fighting Him, “I won’t know what to say,” “What if they take advantage of me,” “I don’t want to make the offer to help because what if helping them takes a long time,” “But, what if I have to give up my favorite TV shows, or cut back on my shopping, or go without something that I want, or be inconvenienced, or feel weird,” "What if it changes the way I like to live..." 

If we’re bargaining with Jesus about being His hands and feet only, “when we have the time,” then we don’t believe that the Gospel “costs” something…and we don’t believe it’s worth very much and we are denying that He is worth any effort, so why are we claiming to know Him? Are we living the way we’ve always lived? Where is the New Creation? Because if this is how we've always felt and this is how we've always lived...then we don’t know Him at all.

I can tell you that God has never called me to do something – no matter how far out of my comfort zone it is – that He hasn't given me every single thing I need to do His will. We sometimes find it very easy to tell God that we love Him…but do we trust Him? Veronica trusted Him with the lives of her family…

what will you trust Him with?

“A relationship with God that doesn’t change your life, isn’t really a relationship with God.” - Facebook

In His service,

deni A. fholer

Isaiah 58, In His Service, Inc.
PO Box 521063
Tulsa OK 74152
918-260-1933
I58ihs@gmail.com
www.i58ihs.blogspot.com
501©3 nonprofit ministry

We HAVE to do more. We HAVE to do better.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

 and sinners will turn back to you.” Psalms 51: 10-13

Our life group, LUKE 10 is based on the chapter in the Bible. Jesus says in verse 2, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” In verse 27 we find God’s greatest commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

We believe if we live out these two verses in the Bible we will have a relationship with Christ that will forever be growing, changing, getting harder and be the most meaningful relationship in our lives.  Dr. Shea Bowling is our teacher, “a recovering Pharisee” and Deni Fholer is our Director. Shea is a pediatrician and Deni is a licensed social worker.  The life experiences that God takes them into reflect in Shea’s teaching and Deni’s direction for missions. We begin gathering at 9:30am on Sunday mornings in room 316 south in First Baptist Church Tulsa, 403 S. Cincinnati - enter through the east door (Detroit Ave) and ask the greeter to get you to Luke 10.

Luke 10 is an incredible mix of people! Our prayer is that anyone in any station in life can come into Luke 10 and be welcomed with open arms. If they don’t know Jesus, we will introduce them. If they know Jesus and want to know Him better, great!  If they realize that there is too much “me” in their lives and they crave more of Him…we try to provide opportunities for everyone to get into the gutter (be it a mansion or an office or the streets) and truly “love our neighbor as yourself.” 

Shea doesn’t use a quarterly. Her teaching is scripturally based and prayerfully considered. Her examples are from daily life which makes the Bible come alive and be relevant to the challenges we face each day. We have Faith Story Sundays. After we practice Priority Prayer we turn the teaching time over to individuals in our community who are willing to come and tell their stories of being lost and then being found by Christ. They could be a Mom who had an abortion and was addicted to drugs or a Dad who has been stabbed and spent time in prison or they could be missionaries who have returned from around the world telling what God has done. On Faith Story Sundays we bring food and share a meal and listen to the activity of our Father in the lives of those we invite. 

Deni is the Executive Director of Isaiah 58, In His Service, a nonprofit ministry that provides the tangible in order to build relationships and introduce people to Jesus. I58IHS does a Holiday Helping Hands Project in which we adopt families in the community and provide gifts for Christmas, meals for Thanksgiving and support during the two week hiatus when most ministries and agencies are closed for the holidays. Luke 10 responded with an incredible outpouring of love and support. We bought, wrapped, sorted and delivered gifts all in the name of Jesus.  Last year we took a Mission Trip to Tulsa and we gathered in a member’s home for a meal and fellowship.

In 2013 so far, we had an Extreme Clean on January 19^th. We emptied and cleaned a lady’s home who is in mourning over the loss of a close friend. Luke 10, FBCT, First Baptist Jenks and I58IHS did this as a collaborative effort. Now that the house has been emptied, the woman can make the house her home. We are continuing to support this woman in however God leads us. Our heart’s desire is to be flexible and willing to say, “Here I am Lord, send me.”

We will be taking a group of kidlets to Winter Jam 2013 at the BOK Center on March 9^th and a “Blessing Bag” day is in the works.  Our service projects are not something we plan, they are opportunities that God reveals to us in His timing. We don’t want to be restrictive and routine in our service to Christ. When serving Christ means that He calls us to follow Him in traffic, on the way to the karate class, in the office, as we walk past a homeless person, as we sit at a ballgame; those times when we least expect Him to call…but He does…we want to be like Matthew.  When Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me,” Matthew immediately got up and followed. 

Join us! When you leave you'll say, "Awesome...that's NOT what I expected in a Baptist church!!"

                                             We can do more. We can do better.