2.21.2012

SEMPLE JOURNEY

   IF YOU ARE a sports fan, then you know what Lin-sanity is, but for those who don`t regularly keep up with sports, Jeremy Lin is a professional basketball player for the New York Knicks. He has suddenly burst on the scene to lead the team to a string of victories, and he is the first Chinese-American to star in the National Basketball Association. (Yao Ming was from China, but Lin was born in the USA.) His ancestral homeland is Taiwan, where many Chinese fled after the Communist took over China. However, his father`s people had been there since 1707.

    JEREMY IS A CHRISTIAN. (His personal testimony can be heard on You-Tube.) His great grandfather had been led to receive Christ a hundred years ago by missionaries to Taiwan, and Jeremy is very open to tell the world that he is a Christian. His Chinese ancestry is causing quite a stir in mainland Communist China as well as Taiwan. The government-controlled press in China plays down his Christian faith, but the Chinese people are beginning to find out. Even some government officials are basking in the glory of this star athlete. Estimates are that there at least 1,000,000 professing Christians in China, but there are restriction on sharing their faith. Lin will be a great encouragement to them, and an influence for Christ that the government will have a hard time restricting. Through his platform in New York, his basketball skills, and his strong Christian testimony, many Chinese young people will be favorably disposed to hear the Gospel. The government may restrict Christian witnessing, but our God is greater and has no restrictions!

   WHEN WE VISITED our oncologist last Tuesday, my blood pressure was so low (78/55) that he decided to put me back in Baylor Hospital again. It was probably caused by a combination of chemotherapy and dehydration, so I received non-stop IVs for about three days. When my BP crept back up above 100, I was allowed to come back home. Our daughter Jenene and her husband Ken came down to stay with us in the hospital. The week before JoNel and Stephen came down and stayed with us, Jim and Becky had come before to stay, Jon and Jill are always here helping on a moments notice, and Jan comes down from Paris every weekend. God is so good to give us such a wonderful, caring, unselfish family! Our grandchildren are always checking up on us and seeing about us. Of course dear sweet wonderful Betty takes such tender loving care of me 24/7. Please remember to pray for her! Our great host of friends are such an encouragement to us. Thank you all for your prayers.

   DON`T TELL ANYBODY, but Betty will celebrate her 80th birthday on the 19th of March. She is the youngest octogenarian you have ever seen! The family is planning a big birthday bash for her on March 17 at Jill and Jody`s house. No one deserves it more. She was a mother to 6 (I said 6!) children, a Pastor`s wife, and she was the Children`s Director when we had a growing bus ministry of several hundred little children! That was one of the greatest works our church has ever done; the number of children`s departments tripled, she enlisted dozens of compatible workers to staff the organization, and the whole children`s area was remodeled and redecorated with attractive bright colors. OH, and did I tell you that she had a full time job as home maker with 6 little children, 6 teen-agers at one time, sent them off to college, planned 4 daughters weddings, sewed innumerable bridesmaids dresses, and time has failed me to tell you of much, much more. Tribute to whom tribute is due! The half has never been told about this wonderful dedicated Christian woman.