Monthly Archives: January 2012

TUCKED IN

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

Saturday was really a typical January day. Cloudy and not really cold or hot.

I was OUTSIDE most of the day in Los Angeles. Walking next to me was a young mom. She was pushing a stroller. Her four year old daughter was CLINGING to its side. The stroller was covered with a pink blanket. I asked if I could take a peek at her baby. She proudly pulled the blanket back and announced “Her name is Zaylah”.

Zaylah was fast asleep.
Completely OBLIVIOUS to her surroundings.
So TINY and TUCKED in.
Perfectly content.
What a PICTURE of PERFECT PEACE. .

We continued talking and found a place to sit down. Zaylah has been sick lately. She can’t seem to keep her milk down. She has a hard time digesting it. Zaylah’s mom is concerned about her health and growth. Her mom had to WAKE her up to feed her. Once she was awake, she started to cry. She was hungry. She got fed.

She cried again. She had a dirty diaper. She got changed.
She depended on her mom for everything. She is only four months old.

Typical mom.
Typical baby.
Not a typical place.

I met them downtown LA, on Skid Row.
Nowhere to call home, they live at a homeless shelter.
Surrounded by chaos.
Humanity at its worst.
Zaylah; a precious GIFT of new life, was stuck in the middle of that MESS.

It got me to thinking about us, the Church.

The Church here is not really COLD or HOT. It’s kinda lukewarm.
The Church here is completely OBLIVIOUS to its surroundings.
The Church here is so TINY compared to the population.
The Church here is happy to be TUCKED IN; with its own programs, seminars, conferences, retreats, bible studys, life groups, youth groups and concerts.

We too have been sick lately.
We have to be WOKEN UP to be fed. And we can’t feed ourselves.
We have some Bible knowledge and we don’t digest it.
We need to digest milk and start taking down meat.
We need to grow up.

When we are dirty, God will change us.
All we have to do is cry out.
He will hear us and come to our rescue.
He will take out His box of wipes and clean us up.
Every time we make a mess. 1 John 1:9

Because HE LOVES US.
He wants us to grow.
He wants us to be healthy
He wants us to get OUTSIDE. And tell others about Him. Matt 28:19,20
He wants us to be that PICTURE of PERFECT PEACE.

He placed YOU, His precious GIFT of new life, in the middle of a MESS.
He placed YOU, surrounded by His MIGHT, in the middle of Chaos.
He placed YOU, with His POWER, around humanity at its worst.
But YOU are not stuck there by a mistake.
He expects YOU to make a difference there.
He expects YOU to provide HOPE because of what Jesus did for YOU.
CLING to His side. Hold onto His stroller for the entire walk.

And Don’t make Him spit YOU out. Rev 3:16

Get OUT there Church.
Be the Hope.

PRAY FOR: The Church here to recognize that their Influence is Great because He is Great.

PRAY FOR: Craig as he continues to meet with key contacts in Sacramento.

PRAY FOR: This Saturday Assemblyman Mike Morrell will be our guest at several meetings. He will speak to key civic leaders and Christian groups regarding the economic and moral disaster California is facing. If you’d like to attend please just reply to this e-mail and let me know and we’ll send you the details.

PRAY FOR: Me and my health. I have a Heart Ultrasound/Stress test scheduled for the 24th.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Bed 5

By shellyhuey | Uncategorized , Victory Update

I got to spend about 8 hours in the Emergency Room at a hospital in the mountains on Wednesday December 28th. The Emergency Room was very small…only five beds. One doctor. I was in Bed 4.

Each bed had curtains for privacy. All the curtains were closed. I couldn’t see anyone. However, because it was such a small room, I could hear EVERY conversation. I could hear every patients symptoms.

I heard PANIC in their cries for help.
I heard ANXIETY in their desperate tone.
I heard FEAR echoing off the walls.

From the drug addict to the ski accident, the doctor remained calm. He heard all the detail. His demeanor and tone never changed. He was in control. He was patient. He KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. He gave answers to each patients concerns. Sometimes it was things they didn’t want to hear. I could hear treatments being given and diagnosis being made.

No cell phone. No reading material. No TV.

This was EPIC. A live soap opera was being broadcast before my very EARS.

Half way into my stay, Bed 5 became occupied. A 90 year old woman was wheeled in. She lived alone. She was feeling dizzy a few days ago and passed out and fell. She could not STAND because of the pain in her hips. She could not WALK. She could not SIT up, the pain was too intense.

I never got to SEE her. But I was allowed to HEAR who she was.

Bed 5 didn’t complain about her pain. Even though it was excruciating.
Bed 5 didn’t complain about living alone up on the mountain. Even though she just moved there and knew no one.
Bed 5 didn’t complain about being hungry. Even though she hadn’t eaten all day.
Bed 5 didn’t complain about all that was being done to her.

She was poked with needles and prodded with instruments. Told that, “this might hurt”.

Eventually, her personal doctor arrived. That doctor told her she broke her tailbone.
Then her doctor prayed with her. The multiple conversations in the other beds stopped.
I know that everyone heard that doctors prayer.

Then the lady in Bed 5 prayed.
The drug addict, the severe flu victim, the broken arm skier, the panic attack teen,
the doctor, the nurses, ALL heard her pray.

Bed 5 thanked Jesus for holding her in the palm of His hand.
Bed 5 thanked Jesus for catching her when she fell.
Bed 5 thanked Jesus for being her friend and never leaving her.
Bed 5 thanked Jesus.

Outloud. The entire time. Despite her circumstances. Phil 4:4

Everyone heard. No one spoke.

I was in tears. The Holy Spirit was thick in that FEAR filled place.
A frail 90 year old broken body was ministering to an entire Emergency Room.
Fear left. Joy came in. So simple. So fast. So God.
The atmosphere in the ER was literally changed.

Over her life, She learned.
She learned to thank Jesus.
She learned to thank Him.

In everything.
For everything.

Don’t wait till your 90 to be a saint.
Don’t wait till your life is almost over to rejoice.
Don’t wait till you can’t SIT, STAND or WALK anymore.

Now is the time to learn.
2012 is the time to start thanking Jesus.
In everything. For everything.

Unload your PANIC, ANXIETY and FEAR.
Onto Jesus.

He KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. Thank Him for that.
He will take it. All of it. Believe that He will.
And the walls of your life will echo with joy.
And the cries of your voice will be rejoicing.
And the atmosphere of any room you are in will literally change.
When people HEAR who you are because of Jesus it will be EPIC.

PRAY FOR: The Christians here to HEAR the voice of the Lord every morning through His word.

PRAY FOR: The Pastors here to LISTEN to the Holy Spirit in the midst of their pain, fear or anxiety.

PRAY FOR: The church here to Rejoice as a Body, so the Lost and Broken can HEAR.

PRAY FOR: Me Craig and I went on a two hour hike and I had severe, sharp chest pains. That’s why I got to spend time in the ER. Long story short, it wasn’t a heart attack. Still looking into it. Thank You Jesus for the ER!!!

Any comments…. Please email me @ shellynotw@gmail.com