God, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me whatever you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. Into your hands I commend my spirit. I offer it to you with all the love that is in my heart. For I love you, Lord, and so want to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve and with boundless confidence. Amen. A prayer of Charles de Foucauld

Dear NEO family,

Next week at this time we will be in the middle of our Spiritual Renewal Weekend. I had a call this morning like many I have received during January. The caller told me how excited she is about having Susie Shellenberger here next weekend and expressed appreciation for the devotions that have been sent out daily.

There seems to be more anticipation of this weekend of renewal than I have sensed in years. I sense a holy discontent among our District family – we are not all that God wants us to be; some are not abandoning ourselves into God’s hands; some have allowed the devil to have a foothold in their lives through flirting with sin or through bitterness and unforgivenss; there is a growing hunger for God’s life-changing touch on our lives. I don’t know all that God wants to do in me and in our District churches, but I am praying and longing for his life changing touch. For all the details of the weekend schedule, go to www.neonaz.com. Be sure to get your reservations in for the Ladie’s brunch and the Primetimer’s dinner by Monday.

I have been so proud of the churches of NEO as I have seen you respond to the human suffering in Haiti! Thank you for being the church! Elizabeth Johnson sent me the following prayer that may express your thoughts:
Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti. Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power. I pray all this in the name of Jesus!!!

Congratulation to Don and Jackie Engie, staff members at Dewey. Don has accepted the lead pastor position at Norwood, MO Church of the Nazarene.

The blog immediately below gives all the details of our recent District Children’s Quiz. Thanks so much to District Quiz Director, Rachel Bess, and to all the local church quiz leaders and parents who helped our kids study and learn God’s Word. Every participant is a winner!

See you next Friday! Anticipating,

Dave McKellips