Belated love story

I told you I had a story from Valentine’s Day (here) ….
Well, here it is.

As usual for a Thursday I was working but I needed to get some things at the store for a dinner I was hosting Friday night so I left from work about 10 a.m. or so to run to the store. The Valentine’s aisles had been picked over really well and I looked over with amusement at the card aisle:

There was a bunch of guys climbing over each other to get a card (here) for their special someone. I saw no women – they tend to be better at planning ahead (not all but most I know).

That’s when I really started thinking that Valentine’s is blatant reminder that I am single. Many friends and family members over the years – and some complete strangers – have felt the need to share with me over the years my need to get married, to have children.

But I really enjoy being single, most of the time. My friend, Kevin (here and here), a missionary in the Philippines (here), is one of a few people I know that call Feb. 14 Singles Awareness Day.

As I was shopping, I picked up some tulips (here) – one of my favorite flowers, even though I’m allergic to almost everything – as well as some food items I would need the next day.

I went back to work and had a productive day and left work to go to class.

As part of a special treat for our class, Mrs. Cindy Bush, who recently lost her husband L. Russ Bush (here), brought in treats.

Dr. Bush is well-known on campus and in Baptist circles. He was admired by many. I never had him for a class nor had I actually met the man. Mrs. Bush always came into her husband’s classes at least once a semester to bring treats to the students as well as to get to know the students her husband was teaching.

What a wonderful tribute to a life of giving … that even after her husband’s death on this earth, Mrs. Bush chooses to serve others.

May God bless her ministry.

Stay tuned for more stories in the coming days.

Next week I’ll be highlighting the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (here). I hope to post daily blogs to highlight missionaries who are serving on the field.

On a roll

Sometimes you are present and sometimes you're not ... that's just the way life goes. Being a full-time student, I do my best to make it to every class on time and somewhat alert and prepared. Most of my professors take roll by sending a sign-up sheet around the room for us to put a check by our names.
As I was celebrating Single Awareness Day yesterday (a.k.a. Valentine's Day), I went searching around blog world for new updates. I found my blog had been added to my my blog friend's Blogroll. Dorcas Hawker has added me to her people list. It's great to be loved or at least read.
My friend Kevin has a post about Single Awareness Day. Check it out. He's also written a book.
I have a special story about yesterday but I need some time to formulate it -- as opposed to this obviously well-written, well-thought-out post. ;)

Pray for Kenya

From Bert Yates, missionary in Kenya:
Nancy and Bob Calvert have worked for many years with the Maasai.
This is Nancy’s view of how to pray for our local problems and another story of how Kenyan Christians are responding as God’s ambassadors:

Please continue to pray for peace in this country…the larger issue is the tribal strife that is building in the hearts of the common man. Even if a conclusive agreement were signed today…the amount of resentment and anger against people from other tribes will take a long time to resolve.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been driven from their homes and are living in make-shift crowded camps are asking to be moved to the “ancestral homes.” The problem is that one tribe's ancestral home is often now the home of another tribe. The threat of more unrest hangs heavily in the air.
Bob has been meeting with Maasai Baptist pastors and they have chosen to help the IDPs by giving firewood, a daily need in the camps. Today, Bob and some pastors filled up the trailer and dropped off a load of firewood for the IDPs at the Tigoni Police Station. The Red Cross and other volunteers were just beginning to hand out the evening meal and needed dry wood to keep the fires burning. They were grateful for the gift from the Maasai Christians.
This is important on two different fronts. One is to show the love of Christ and give a small testimony. The second is to show that not all Maasai are like those who recently chased other tribes out of a nearby town with bows and swords, but some love Jesus and want to be His hands and feet to the hurting of Kenya. Forgiveness is a choice first, but then can be a l-o-n-g process. This will be particularly true in view of the level of passion, attacks, and retaliation we've seen expressed across the country...We pray God will receive glory in this - only our great God in His power can turn a conflict so devastating and evil into good for His glory.

Now for an update: The group that made the survey trip to Kisumu returned to Nairobi safely, but exhausted this morning. Pray for them as they process all the information they received and plan their response. Join them in praying for the IDP’s at Mbale (near Kakamega) who have been waiting over a month at a police station for a lorry (large truck) to take them to Nyandaura. Pray for hundreds of IDP’s from Naivasha and Nairobi who are arriving daily into all parts of Nyanza Province. They are not moving into camps, but into the homes of relatives, friends and well-wishers, often swelling households beyond coping abilities.

Thank you once again for praying and for the assurance that we have lots of prayer power for the new praises and requests we share, Bert Yates

Newsletter

For the January (belated Christmas) newsletter, check out my web site, www.diannacagle.com. Click on newsletter above to go there.
I think I have managed to send it to everyone on my mailing list (e-mail and snail mail). I apologize if I left someone out.
Part of the newsletter will be updated because a change has occurred.