Quote from Forum Archives on August 29, 2006, 4:27 pm

Posted by: hopechestnews <hopechestnews@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,

This is just a quick note with a few prayer requests. I intend to send out the September issues of the Hope Chest some time in the next week. The theme is family ministry. If you have any thoughts on this, send them along. I am not writing much at all for this issue – most of it is being written by others! (This is the mercy of God for me, because I am seriously short on time right now!)

We are anticipating the arrival of very turbulent weather – in the form of Tropical Storm (or Hurricane) Ernesto -- within the next day or so. We don’t know exactly when or where it will hit, but predict it coming onshore in South Florida tonight and heading straight up the state through Central Florida where we live. Hopefully it will lose speed along the way and just dump a lot of much needed rain! I think we are better prepared now than we were when Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne barreled through here two years ago. This time, we have a generator, as well as lots of water, batteries, etc. I need to cook all of our meats, do all of our laundry, and charge up our cell phones – just in case. Do say a prayer for all who live in the affected areas. Thad and I each have relatives on the southeast coast of Florida, which could get a heavy hit. Maybe this will pass by all of us without much damage. Here’s hoping.

Also, please say a prayer for little Luke Walley. I got an e-mail from my friend Bonnie Carmichael in Gainesville about a little four year old boy in their area, and recognized the name immediately since he is the nephew of our home group leader Derek Walley. I believe that Luke is the fifth of seven sons in a home school family. Anyway, he was taken to the hospital late Saturday night with a severe lung infection. At some point in time he was in an induced coma and on a respirator, but I think he is out of that for now. When I talked to Derek yesterday afternoon, they still don’t know what is causing it, and it’s a pretty serious situation.

As a third prayer request, my 93 year old grandfather, Henry Hess, has just been diagnosed today with another compression fracture in his back. (No falls or anything – he’s just old and fragile.) He is in major pain and will have a vertebroplasty within the week. He and Grandma Hess live with my parents in Maryland, so they are in very capable hands. What a blessing a loving family can be!

And finally, while you are praying, add in a request for the many mommies who are going through depression and discouragement. Trust me, I hear from some of you about this, and you are not alone! My friend Sheree Phillips reminded me the other day that those who are in this situation need to go to other trusted friends for support, prayer and friendly counsel. We need each other! What a blessing loving friends can be! Be on the prayerful lookout for those you can serve in this way. I’ve never been through a severe or prolonged depression, but I know what it is to face inadequacy and even despair at times. I certainly don’t have it all together, either, despite the public image of being a “saint” or a “home school guru.”

I guess that’s about all for now.

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles