GARLIC FOR COLDS & ONION FOR EAR INFECTIONS

I can't remember if I've posted about garlic before or not, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself. I have been trying garlic as a natural remedy for a long enough time period to really believe this works. This winter, we've had a few bugs, but compared to everything being passed all around us, I feel we've had a very healthy winter, and I attribute it to God's protection, and to garlic, which is also a gift from Him! :D

At the first sign of a cold or virus, we load up on it. About a week ago, Aden was getting a runny nose, and I could tell his throat was bothering him. I diced up a clove of garlic, added it to a couple spoonfuls of his breakfast cereal, and I never again noticed the symptoms. It doesn't always work this fast, but I do think the trick is to take it as soon as you recognize any symptoms. Three days ago, Evan mentioned he had a sore throat. Again, I diced up a clove, he added it to a spoonful of raw honey, and never again complained. I asked him 2 days later how he felt, and he said great! Sometimes I'll even give my kids a clove after we've spent a day running around stores doing our shopping just to boost their immune systems a bit. The times we have gotten sick this winter were times that I wasn't faithful with giving garlic.

The best method: Dice up a raw clove, very small. Put it on a spoon, and heap either with applesauce (which I think works the best), yogurt, honey, or whatever you can swallow without chewing. Put it in your mouth, and swallow. I HIGHLY recommend NOT chewing! :D If you're already not feeling well, do it twice a day until you feel better. I believe it helps you heal up more quickly!

Now, for those of you with little ones who suffer from ear infections. Cut a small part off an onion. Get the juice from it any way that you can. (I use my hand food chopper.) Add a little olive oil to it and warm it up to a comfortable temperature. Drop it into the child's ear with a dropper and put some cotton in to help it stay there. I also try to keep my kids' heads tilted the other way for several minutes if possible. Repeat this process several times a day. I am convinced this has saved me from antibiotics for both Joel and Kiana this winter!

"FAME"

Tonight as I was prepping for our week of school, I noticed that the printer had run out of paper the last time it was used. When I went to print something for school, this song came out first. Tandra had used our printer for the songs from this past Thursday night's worship time. "Fame" was new to me until she first introduced it to us a few months back. This song means a lot to me right now, especially as God is asking me in a very specific area to "let go of false control" that I have been trying pretty strongly to hold onto. I praise Him that I can trust Him, and I'm begging Him to help me let it go!

Here are the lyrics:

I have tried to follow, I have tried to lead
I have failed at everything
I have been the culprit to my selfish needs
made everything but You my King

I couldn't be any less worthy
To spend one day much less forever with You

I raise my hands just as I am
I'm letting go of false control
I lift my voice
I have no choice
My life is Yours, use me for Your fame, Your fame

I have not seen heaven
I haven't seen Your face
But I've seen Your Spirit move
And Jesus it's amazing the evidence of grace
Standing all around this room

I'm merely a product of mercy
The target and victim of Your perfect love

I raise my hands just as I am
I'm letting go of false control
I lift my voice
I have no choice
My life is Yours, use me for Your fame, Your fame

BIBLE STUDY UPDATE

Thank you all so much for your prayers. Tonight was amazing. Peaceful. Men seeking truth with honest questions. Lots of soberness! One guy who was released from the jail as the study was going on, "just felt led to walk over to the shelter" even though he didn't expect it to be open until 11:00pm. Evan had a great time to talk with him and pray for him at the end of the night. Another guy, "Crazy Horse" as he has been known until tonight (who's real name is Joseph) is seeking. We have never seen him like he was tonight. Normally, we see evil, disruption, chaos, drugs & alcohol. But he keeps coming back! Tonight he was completely attentive and even was singing with the group, quietly as it was. He wants to go to treatment. We are praying about talking to Farren about sending him to U-turn for Christ.

Just wanted to give a brief update and let those of you know who are faithful to pray that God is working! Praise Him, and thank you for your faithfulness!!! God bless you!

Ezekiel 36-37

AN AMAZING PASSAGE TO PRAY FOR OTHERS

Php 1:9-11 ESV
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR AARON

As many of you know, our friend Aaron has recently been deployed. He has been in New Jersey the last couple of weeks, but will leave in the next day or two for Kuwait before heading to Baghdad. Please continue to pray for him and his family.

1) Pray for his safety.
2) Pray that he will be a light in the darkness that surrounds him.
3) Pray for his walk with the Lord, and that it will strengthen and grow through this time.
4) Pray that he will have opportunities to witness to those who surround him and that many will come to know the Lord through his witness.
5) Pray for a godly friend, who can walk alongside him while he's gone.
6) Pray for Jamie and their boys, Samuel and Jacob and their new baby due in August. Samuel, especially, is having a hard time with his daddy being gone.
7) Pray for his parents, Lee & Renee' who are also dealing with him being gone.

These were Jamie's words when I asked her how we can pray.... "pray for strength, joy, and focus for Aaron. For strong leadership, growth in his faith, witness, and protection. The boys and I for focus, strength and joy -- that we would accomplish what God has for us to do. Thank you!"

Thank you all for praying!

PLEASE KEEP OUR FRIEND, AARON, IN YOUR PRAYERS!

GOD'S MOTIVE -- ALWAYS HIS GLORY!

Have you ever pondered why God would WANT to save us from our sins?

In the study I'm doing with a couple of ladies on Tuesday nights, we are in the thick of this discussion right now. God had no need to save us! He already has the world and all it contains (Ps. 50:9-12). He doesn't need anything, since He Himself is the source of all things (Acts 17:24-25). Man has no merit! Our body, reason, emotions, and will are all polluted by sin. None of us can love God in a worthy manner; we cannot glorify God in every thought, word and deed and all men prefer self to God. We are spiritually dead, morally corrupt and unable to change ourselves.

Praise be to God, that for the praise of His own glory and for the great love with which He loves us, He chose to make a way. It is all for the sole purpose of bringing glory to God! May we esteem, worship and enjoy Him as God in every detail of everything we do every single day. If something I'm doing is not bringing God glory, then I am not fulfilling the purpose of why I am here.

QUOTABLE QUOTE

“I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” – William Booth

PRAISES & REQUESTS

1) Rose: She is doing well! I have decided to do a study called "Journey Into the Gospel" available for FREE download here with her when we meet on Tuesday nights. (The book we are currently studying with our kids, "The One True God" is also available for free download on that same page, along with several others...) "Journey Into the Gospel" is taking us on an in-depth look, through Scripture, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for her strength to fight her temptations to drink, a job for her, and the fact that I feel I need to talk to her about a difficult issue this coming Tuesday.

2) Our friends, Aaron & Jamie. Aaron left for deployment to Iraq this past Tuesday. He will be gone 400 days. Jamie is home with their two boys and is expecting their third the end of August. Separation is obviously the most difficult part of this all. Pray for safety for them all, but also that God will use this time for His glory, and that He will be their constant companion and encouragement during this time.

3) Bible study was amazing this past Thursday!! I so love it when the room is full of attentive people, and distractions are kept to a minimum. We had several new people (both from the street and not), and had some great opportunities for prayer ministry at the end. Please pray for us to have wisdom and discernment as we pray for the people coming in and their needs. We are facing some things that are very difficult, and we want to be sure to deal with it appropriately. Praise God that the battles are not ours, but His!! All glory to Him!

MEXICAN CHICKEN AND RICE

I needed a quick dinner tonight and came across this recipe. Thought I'd share it.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 in. pieces
1 med. green pepper, chopped (or various peppers)
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 T. canola oil
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. salsa
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1/2-1 tsp. chile powder (opt.)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet saute chicken, peppers, and onion in oil until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are crisp tender. Add corn, broth, salsa, salt, chile powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice. Cover, remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand (covered) until cheese is melted. Serves 6.

PRAYER

Prayer. Prayer. Prayer. I always know when God is speaking because things bombard me with wave after wave when He is trying to get a point across.

Karen sent this link for us to watch this week. It was very powerful, even at 10:30 at night when I watched it. The focus on God's sovereignty when we pray is what hit me strongest, also the phrase "Pray Big and Pray Bold" stood out to me. I desire to watch it again when I'm not so exhuasted because I know I missed a lot of really good things in there!

In church we are finishing up the book of Ephesians, and so we are in chapter 6 concluding the passage on the armor of God. What does Paul wrap that whole book up with, but a focus on prayer. Pastor Wayne's sermon this morning spoke volumes to me. Here are just a couple of the outside thoughts that weren't even a part of his major outline, so this doesn't even scratch the surface of what he spoke about:

* Prayer is an expression of our dependance upon the Lord. God is bringing us to that place of dependance.
* Our knowledge of and relationship to God is measured by our prayer life.
* We need to pray for spiritual protection, strength and healing.
* In the passage, Paul gives one purpose for praying (there are many elsewhere): Supplication for the Saints.
* Pray for boldness and pray without ceasing.
* Our primary focus in prayer should be spiritual matters.

God spoke volumes to my own heart. I need to pray. I need to pray more. I need to pray differently. I need to pray! As soon as it's on-line, I will try to remember to post the link to this message. Seriously, it is one that I think every believer should listen to and maybe more than once!

I have been thinking about posting prayer requests on here on a somewhat regular basis. God is doing some great things here in our very small rural Montana town, and I want to share the answers to prayer, along with various things we would really appreciate prayer for as we try to reach out to people here proclaiming the Gospel. If God leads your heart, please join with us in lifting these things to Him. On the same token, I want to do just as Paul asks, and pray for the Saints. If you have any prayer requests, please feel free to leave them in the comment section for me to pray with you for, or send me an e-mail: evanorder@msn.com. It is my desire to do this for you as well.

PRAISES & REQUESTS!

1) Rose from the shelter. She is back in Hardin and has a home, but after 10 years of living on the streets, she is learning how to live again. I believe the Lord has done a work in her heart, however, and I'm very excited to be some female fellowship for her and show her more of Jesus through His Word. I will begin to meet with her on Tuesday nights with Barb, another lady from our study. Please pray that God will guide us in our discussions, and that He will lead us to what He wants us to study from Scripture with her. I want to focus on spiritual matters, because then, I believe, the rest will fall into place.

2) God is answering some personal prayers in my own heart. I have been asking Him to show me the sin in my life that I don't even see and to cut it out of me so that I may reflect Jesus more clearly. Ps. 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me." I want to bring Him glory in all things, but I will say, this has been a very painful process for me, of which I am still very much in the middle of it. Cutting hurts. Without going into any more details, please also pray for JOY to return to me. I believe God will bring me to a new height of joy following this season (which I'm sure will be followed by many others like it -- sanctification, right?), but currently, life has been difficult and I long for that joy to return.

3) New people coming to support the Bible study. This has been a burden of mine for months now. With our good friend Aaron leaving for Iraq (another prayer request), we are losing a lot of support there. But, I just heard this morning of 3 more people possibly wanting to drive the 45 minutes to come join the study! Praise God! (but I'm still praying for more!)

4) Last, but certainly not least, the Thursday night study. Pray that the Spirit of God would change stoney hearts into hearts of flesh that will respond to Him (Ez. 36). That God will reach in and call each of these people to Him. That He would set people free from their addictions. That He would change mine and Evan's heart just as much each and every time the Word is open. That Evan would be a vessel used to clearly speak the Word of God. That our family would be protected from the attacks the enemy tries to destroy us with, but most of all, that God would receive glory and honor in all things!

This post is getting pretty long, so I'm going to leave you with these for now. Again, please allow me the privilege to pray for you as well!

REMEMBERING JOSIAH TODAY

It's been 3 years today since we lost our little baby boy at 15 weeks gestation. God has used this hurt in my life many times over for me to connect with others on a level I never could have without having gone through this loss. For this, I am thankful. Even out of horrible situations, God always brings good!

Isaiah 55:8-11
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow fom heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

You will never be forgotten....

(To read my whole story, click on the label: Josiah)