Friday, April 18, 2008

Prayer as a Calling!

Prayer as a Calling!

Dear Friends in Christ,

This blog is a call for prayer. Debbie Upham, friend, friend of Christ, wife of Andy, mother of Ryan and Megan, lay speaker, passionate leader of youth, a shining star in a world of need, is in need. Debbie has been diagnosed with a treatment-resistant form of cancer, and without a dramatic change in the progression of the disease has been given a year. This blog is a call for prayer.

Rosemary and I met Debbie and Andy when we joined Fairview United Methodist Church in 1997. Breaths of fresh air, they were returning from leading a youth trip to Mexico. Debbie was in school finishing her veterinary degree. Andy was working as a counselor. Fast forward and Debbie is a vet working in Boonville. Andy is a counselor at Coyote Hills Christian Children's Home. Ryan and Megan are their two wonderful children. Faith is strong. Faith is being lived out in every facet of their lives. Debbie is forty. Debbie has cancer. This blog is a call to prayer.

Youth director. Admin Council. Admin Chair. Little Bethlehem. Sunday School. Disciple Bible Study. Wiseman. Shepherd. Christian Believer. Liturgist. Pulpit Supply. Vision Task Force. Planning Workshop. All in all, I have 14 pages of Google Desktop Search that mentions the Uphams. Faithful leaders. Faithful followers. Faithful Disciples. This blog is a call to prayer.

22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24 So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-25) This blog is a call to prayer.

13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (James 5:13-16) This blog is a call to prayer.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rick

See "Debbie Upham Updates" link to the right for Andy's reports on Debbie's progress.