Sharon,
    I will pray for your friend and that if she doesn't know Christ God will
use you as a witness to her.  That could be why things are working out for
her to live with you.  You with God's help may be the one to show her the
way to Christ.

Amy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Hooley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2006 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: a living sermon illustration


> Kathy and all,
>
> that reminds me of when my great uncle Willard died in church.  We teens
> were in Sunday school when someone came and told our teacher something was
> wrong.  I don't know if he/she said exactly what it was; I was sleeping, a
> naughty naughty thing I've done for years.  We stayed in our class longer
> than usual.  Then I remembered the teacher saying, "we might as well go
in."
> Walking to my family's pew (my parents were gone at the time so I was
> staying with my brother's family.), I heard short snoring sounds, and
> someone, a nurse, said, "Willard, can you hear us?"  Another one of my
> brothers "happened" to be there.  he rarely came to church.  he was a
member
> of a volunteer emergency team.  I think maybe some of them came to work on
> Willard.  The ambulance came and took him away.
>
> Later, I was told what happened.  Uncle Willard stood, holding his bible
and
> testifying about Jesus.  Suddenly, he fell back onto the bench.  My
brother
> asked him if he was all right.  he said he was and continued his
testimony.
> he collapsed again, this time for good.  I don't know whether he died
> immediately, at the hospital, or when.  Church service was ended.  this is
> as close as I've come to someone dying.  I've often wondered what it is
like
> to hold a dying person's hand as he/she slips into eternity.
>
> And speaking of dying, one of my friends from Daybreak plans to come live
in
> my house.  Her name is Tawney, and she's about my age.  She told me that
> only 18% of her liver is functioning.  She went through kidney failure
> twice.  she is a diabetic.  She also has osteoporosis.  Two or three years
> ago, I think, she had a stroke that has affected mobility and speech.  She
> says she has a brain injury.  I'm not sure if she is talking about the
> stroke, but whatever it was, it has also affected her mind.  I don't know
if
> this was the cause of her mental illness, bipolar.  She had to learn to
walk
> and talk again.  I've heard someone talking with her about reading the
> bible, and, although I didn't hear all she said, it sounded positive.  I
> talked with her about the praying that I do with Phil, and she din't judge
> me, but said that prayer is relaxing.  So I don't know if she's saved.
With
> her health the way it is, it sounds like she could die in the not so
distant
> future.  Please pray for us, and for her, that we will be good witnesses,
> and that she will hear God's voice of salvation and healing.
>
> I still apreciate this list, and for Vicki and Phil's work in bringing us
> together.
>
> God bless you all!
>
> Sharon