How do you make it through two traumas in a week?

December started with a fun Christmas celebration with our Bible study group.

Life quickly changed.

Very early on December 3rd, Ed had to go to the emergency room. He had surgery to remove his gallbladder the next morning. We knew that some people had gallbladder surgery as an out patient. So, we were thinking he would go home by afternoon.

Didn't happen. The doctor explained that it was "messy," not a typical removal. He had scar tissue, infection, inflammation, and gallstones. He stayed in the hospital until the 6th.

On the morning of December 9th, my sister called me to say that our dad passed away. He was 87, lived alone, near my sister in Tulsa, but had many health issues.

Ed's recovery has been slow. He went home with a drain tube that didn't come out until the 19th. He was not able to attend the service for my dad.

We talk about what do we want others to say about us when we die - what do I want as defining elements of my life, do I live my life so that others would recognize those things in me?

I had to write the obituary for our pastor to share at the graveside service for my dad. Then my sister and I both shared some personal things. What do I say about my dad? 

My dad had many strong, positive qualities. He also had some challenging attributes.

As I wrestled with how to summarize the father that I knew, I also thought about my own life. What will my children say about me when I am gone? Will my grandchildren have good times that they remember? Will I have friends and family members who will weep when I am gone?

All are questions that deserve some time to ponder for each of us.

The other question is "How do you make it through so much in such a short amount of time - especially at a busy time of the year?"


I made it through because I have HOPE. Hope has a name, His name is Jesus Christ. His Presence sustains me and gives me strength. I made it through because of a multitude of friends and family who have prayed for me and for Ed and for my family.

It hasn't been the Christmas that I expected, but I will never forget it. There have been many times of sadness but many opportunities for joy and comfort as well.

I have sincere gratitude and love for those prayers and comfort.

I pray that your time during this season with your family and friends will be one of rejoicing.

With love, Donna Edwards

DECEMBER 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

Have you ever been somewhere that was so beautiful and so peaceful that you didn’t want to leave?

We have had the opportunity to visit a lot of places where we felt that way – whether it was in the mountains or looking at the ocean or vast vistas of green and flowers. What if you could stay there and never leave, never get old, never get sick, never worry about food or money or kids? Plus you could sit in the physical presence of the Lord God Almighty, your Creator.

That is heaven!

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

But someone did voluntarily leave to come to earth and live and suffer in the same way we do. He did it for us. Jesus left the perfection of heaven and came to this earth, lived as a man, and died an excrutiating death. He did it so that we could leave this earth and sit with Him in the perfection of heaven.

We pray that we never forget THAT MESSAGE of Christmas.

We had a wonderful Day of Celebration. We got to visit with many of our friends and supporters that day. We thank all who came by and all who gave to our day.

We will leave January 9th for another trip to Zambia. John and Darla Holinsworth will be with us to minister at WISDOM Christian School. It is the beginning of their school year. We will be assessing their needs and obtaining school supplies. Our big project is to set up a computer lab in the newly completed classroom building. We have supplies for 10 computers. We will buy furniture for that room and the new preschool room. Besides setting up the computers, we will do trainings with the teachers and some students.

Our containers to WCS are on their way to Zambia. They are supposed to arrive at the end of December. We still need about $7,500 to fund the mission trip. Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for our Zambia January 2018 mission, the barrels to arrive in good condition, and the $7,500 in funds. 

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

DONATE NOW

How to Improve Your Gratitude Focus

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

We often talk to people who had bad home lives while they were children. They have understandable reasons to be angry or hurt about their past.

Their past can be a burden to them for all of their lives or they can change their point of view and be grateful for the moments of goodness that they experienced. Some people had loving grandparents who filled the gaps … or teachers who gave them extra attention …. or churches that gave them hope and friendships.

Be grateful for the good parts of your past.

My unhappiness to often tied to my focus on a negative aspect of my life - a financial difficulty, a harsh boss, a health problem, conflicts with my spouse …..

We all have bad things going on around us. I can choose to let those negative factors dominate my thinking or I can CHOOSE to focus on all the good in my life.

I have to be intentional with my point of view. God has given each of us good times, good people, and most of all - Him.
When I focus on the negative instead of the blessings, I am ungrateful and take the good for granted. I believe I deserve more than I have, life (God) owes me more, or I am not getting my fair share in life.

A deliberate choice to be grateful changes my point of view, my happiness for today, and my hope for the future.

Start Here ….

Start here and start now. Make it a part of your life everyday.

• Look for good things (specific incidents) that happen to you each day and write them down; start a gratitude journal. Maybe it was a kind word spoken to you or a beautiful sunrise or hug from a child/grandchild. 
• Read God’s Word and underline or record God’s gifts to you, descriptions of His goodness, and His promises to the Church. Praise Him for His goodness. Thank Him for His work. 
• Think about each decade of your life. Pick out a happy memory or someone who showed love to you. Write a description of that time or that person. If the people iare still alive, write thank you’s. 
• Single out a negative event in your past and write about something good that came from that event. 

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

NOVEMBER 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

START NOW! 

One day is not enough to give thanks!

Thank YOU for YOUR prayers and support of LIVING WELL for the last 14 years!

As an expression of our gratitude, we are inviting YOU to join us in A Day to Celebrate! We could not do what we do at LIVING WELL without YOU.

We will celebrate another year of LIVING WELL, November 9th from 10am – 8pm!

Our annual event is:

• To share about our ministry 
• Our only fundraising event of the year

To share, we will have an open house at our office if you would like to come by, say hi, and see where we work. If you can’t make it to the office, join us online as we have live videos posted on the LIVING WELL facebook page through the day and by email. We will talk about what is happening in the ministry.

To donate, you can mail in a check, donate online, or come by our office and leave a donation – our most important single day of fundraising for the year!

We hope you will be a part of that day in whatever works for you!

Gratitude is a life-changing attribute when included in your lifestyle. Don’t wait until Thankgiving Day to be thankful. Start now! God designed us to give thanks to Him and to others. See our last blogpost - happiness and gratitude and ideas on making it part of your life.

Construction of Classroom Building #3 at WISDOM Christian School is almost complete! The roof is on, the ceilings are in, and the final phase of painting is about to begin. For more info and pictures, see the WCS website, www.wisdomchristianschool.com or WCS facebook page.

Our containers to WCS are on their way to Zambia. We will go to Zambia in January to see the new building and set up the computer lab in it. Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for our Day to Celebrate, November 9th.

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

How does gratitude make you happy?

Gratitude bestows reverence, 

allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, 

those transcendent moments of awe 

that change forever 

how we experience life and the world. 

John Milton

The word gratitude is derived from the Latin “gratia,” which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. Gratitude can mean all of these.

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what I receive, whether tangible or intangible. When I express gratitude, I acknowledge the goodness in my life.

In the process, I recognize that the source of that goodness lies outside myself. As a result, gratitude also helps me connect to something larger than me — whether to other people or to God.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

God didn’t say to give thanks FOR everything but to give thanks IN all things. When gratitude becomes a lifestyle, my spiritual health, mental, and physical health are all better.

I will give thanks to You, 

O Lord my God, with all my heart, 

And will glorify Your name forever. 

Psalm 86:12

When I give thanks to God for what He has done in my life and praise Him for who He is, I affirm His goodness in my life and that He is a giver of good gifts. I have hope and intimacy with Him!

God has given every person good things. A failure to recognize His goodness denies the very essence of His character.

Research verifies that grateful people are happier people. God has designed us to be grateful people. When we are grateful, we are at our best.

HEART of GRATITUDE 

Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.  A.W. Tozer

Gratitude starts in my heart. It says that I recognize someone greater than myself; that His will is for my benefit.

I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

Gratitude acknowledges that God has provided all that I have.
Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat.
Acts 27:35

A lack of thankfulness is foolish.
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks …. and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21

A Day of CELEBRATION at LIVING WELL

LIVING WELL is celebrating 14 years of ministry.

Will you join us?

We are having an open house at our office from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm.
Come by and visit with us.
Learn more about what is happening at the LIVING WELL.

This is our only fundraising event of the year! We are not having a dinner this year. We hope to be able to visit more with each person that attends.

We will also have some Facebook live videos that day for those who cannot attend in person.

Address: 6636 NW Expressway, Suite 108, Bethany, OK 73008

DONATE NOW to strengthen families!

OCTOBER 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

NO DINNER!

Yes, that’s right. LIVING WELL is not having a ministry dinner this year.

We will celebrate another year of LIVING WELL well all day on November 9th!

Our annual event is:

• To share about our ministry 
• Our only fund raising event of the year

To share, we will have an open house at our office during the day and in the evening if you would like to come by, say hi, and see where we work.

We will have live videos posted on the LIVING WELL Facebook page through the day and by email. We will talk about what is happening in the ministry.

To donate, you can mail in a check, donate online, or come by our office and leave a donation – our most important single day of fundraising for the year!

We hope you will be a part of that day in whatever works for you!

Of all the issues that come up in marriage or any relationship, the issue of unforgiveness is one of the most damaging. Unfortunately, Christians struggle with forgiving each other when they are hurt. When we truly understand the magnitude of God’s forgiveness for us and receive that, it makes forgiving others easier.

We all need forgiveness. As one author said, Christians should be “professional forgivers.” We often have a hard time giving up our desire to punish another person for the pain we experience. Please read OUR BLOG for more info about the important subject of “forgive vs. punish.”

Construction of Classroom Building #3 is progressing well at WISDOM Christian School! The roof is going on! For more info and pictures, see the WCS website, www.wisdomchristianschool.com or WCS facebook page.

Our containers were picked up to ship to Zambia! Pray for the funds to cover the expense of the shipment ($1500) and the safe arrival. DONATE NOW

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for the funds and shipment of our containers to WCS.

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

September 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

Hmmmm ....... could this be a failure to communicate? This ad is a funny example of misunderstanding in communication. 

Can you think of a time when a misunderstanding in communication became a serious problem? It happens between individuals and in families. It happens in business. It happens between governments.

We can’t begin to tell you how many times that we misunderstand each other every week. We often tell people, “We finally learned to communicate, but now we can’t hear each other.”

We can laugh about the subject, most of the time. But misunderstandings can be very serious in any relationship – most of all in marriage.

We all want to be understood, but how much do we want to understand the other person? Our blog [click here] delves into the realiites of understanding versus misunderstanding in communication.

We are packing the containers to ship to WISDOM Christian School. We are shipping enough donated monitors and keyboards to equip 10 computers. We also have lots of books and school supplies because of generous donations from many people. We still need about $1500 for shipping the containers and for purchasing 10 Raspberry Pi computer parts. [Raspberry Pi is an inexpensive, basic, and small computer, perfect for use in 3rd world countries.) DONATE NOW

Construction of Classroom Building #3 is progressing well at WISDOM Christian School! The walls are up! For more info and pictures, see the WCS website, www.wisdomchristianschool.com .

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for the funds and supplies for our containers for WCS

AUGUST 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

“I want to buy a new sofa.” “We can’t afford it.”

“I booked us a vacation to Mexico.” “How are we going to pay for it?”

Any of those encounters sound familiar?

How often is money the source of marital conflict?

Why do couples get a divorce over finances?

Our letters have included teachings about marital problems and solutions for the last couple of years. Money is one of the big ones, especially in the early years. [see our posts on Money: Concur or Clash]

Recently, we met with the Marriage and Family team that we lead at our church. We went around the group and shared what we did to make our marriage strong. Several couples cited managing their money as a top attribute.

For us, many years ago, we concurred on a spending plan. That step was one of the easiest and most helpful that we have taken, releasing some of the tension of in our relationship. We have seen the fruit of following the Lord in agreement!

Why would anyone NOT want to seek the Lord about their money?

What we have seen most often is that: 

1) they believe it’s their money and they decide how to spend it,

2) they don’t want anyone telling them what to do with their money, not their spouse or God,

3) they don’t have the relationship with Him to know how to do that, and/or

4) they don’t have the self-discipline to make a plan.

Construction of Classroom Building #3 is underway at WISDOM Christian School! We are also packing containers of school supplies and computer equipment to ship next month. For more info, see the Facebook page for WCS.

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for the funds and supplies for our containers for WCS [$1200].

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

JULY 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

Every mission trip packs bags full of emotions from joy and delight to heart wrenching compassion.

We experienced great joy and delight in seeing:

• The kids at WCS again – how they have grown, and their enthusiastic greetings
  
• How well the school is doing
• The team work together and seeing their gifts and talents emerge
• God at work through the lessons to touch the hearts of many children with the message of Christ 
    
• The joy of the kids and the team members as they interact
• God at work in the hearts of each team member
• The attendance of the parents/guardians and community at the end of the week, when the kids sang and presented the puppet show
• The aspirations of the Children of Wisdom for their future
• The enjoyment of the kids while participating in all the activities of Camp Wisdom

Heart wrenching compassion came as we saw/heard:

• The stories of some of the Children of Wisdom who are living in very dire situations (see some stories in the days to come at the WCS website) 
• The children who aren’t in school and hang around in the community
• The poverty in the community 

In Zambia, we are constantly reminded that strong, godly, intact families are so important there and here. Back in our office, we continue to fight the good fight to preserve and strenghten families with homes that love and honor Christ.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12

Another exciting development is WCS classroom building #3! We met with a contractor and are negotiating details to begin construction of another classroom building. It will have two regular classrooms, a computer lab, and a smaller classroom for a kindergarten class.

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for our wisdom as we offer God’s healing to couples.

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

MAY 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in the little things is a great thing.

 Hudson Taylor

We want to thank YOU for your faithfulness to pray for us and to support us. We strive to be faithful with our time, our resources, and our devotion to the Lord and to each other. Please continue to pray for the Lord to supply wisdom and provision for us.

It’s amazing the way little things can become big things, whether it is in our home, in the work place, or with friends. A small maintenance task in your home left undone can become a major problem. Forgetting a special day in the life of a family can cause great hurt. Leaving an encouraging note for a family member, friend, or co-worker can buoy spirits and create special bonds between people.

What does it mean to be faithful? It means that someone is reliable, trustworthy, steadfast, and devoted; that they keep their word and are dependable.

Being faithful to your wedding vows is highly valued by your spouse. Being faithul to do your job thoroughly is valued by your employeer and colleagues.

Our Lord tells us to be faithful to Him and to His Word. Let love and faithfulness never leave you. (Proverbs 3:3) He says that it will bring favor from Him and from other people. Faithfulness is a respected quality even in our culture today. For more on this topic, see this page about faithfulness versus infidelity.

The Lord has been very faithful to us. Besides His care for our everyday life, He has been faithful to supply wisdom as we counsel, to raise up a wonderful Zambia Mission team again this year, and to provide for our needs every day.

We are in our last month of planning and preparation for the June mission. Our theme this year is “Follow Me” and is centered on Peter, the disciple, and his relationship to Jesus. We can all identify with Peter many times in our lives. He is an interesting Bible character to study and teach about.

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Pray for our Zambia team and the WCS kids and teachers in preparation of the June mission trip.

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.

APRIL 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

Debt is a huge issue in our culture.

The average household that has credit card debt owes $16,000. That number is $27,000 for auto loans, $48,000 for student loans, and $169,000 for mortgages. Some people are trying to pay off their personal debt. Others consider themselves to be “debt free.” 

Imagine having a debt so large that you could never pay it off. And the debt has a deadline. If you do not pay it off by the deadline, you will die. What do you do?

Some people would run around trying to get enough money to pay off the debt, even though it was insurmountable. Others would try to borrow enough money. Some people might think that they are persuasive enough to talk themselves out of it. People of high position might think that they are too important to pay the penalty of death.

We each have a personal debt that is too large for us to pay – it is the debt of sin.

 

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

First, we have to acknowledge that we have sinned and have a debt to pay to be able to receive Christ’s forgiveness. We have to admit that we can’t pay the debt and we are not good enough to escape its penalty. After we receive the forgiveness of our sin, then what do we do? 

We trust Him. We look forward to that day when we will stand before His throne, repeating the wonder that He died to save our souls. Yes, we will trust Him today, and forsake the foolish pursuits that used to consume our lives. We will stop condemning ourselves for past sins. We will relinquish the shame we’ve harbored for so long and we will abandon our self-absorbed efforts to make ourselves worthy. We will turn from our sin, we will trust him, and we will sing. We will sing and, “Praise the One who paid our debt, And raised our lives up from the dead.” John Piper

We pray that you will receive His forgiveness and praise Him as we focus on His death and resurrection during this Easter season.

We are meeting, planning, and praying for our next mission trip to Zambia in June this year. If you would like to give to this mission, DONATE HERE. We are still praying that the Lord will provide the remaining $5,200 to fund the mission costs at the school.

Thank YOU for your prayers and support as we work with couples and as we support and develop WISDOM Christian School in Zambia

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray for our June mission trip.

FEBRUARY 2017 Letter LIVING WELL

Thank YOU for your prayers!

We just returned from our mission trip to Zambia. The mission was very successful!

Pastors Marriage Enrichment Conference:

• The pastors and their wives responded very positively to the Biblical teachings that we brought them, even when they went against their changing culture. 
• Marriages in Zambia are at an interesting juncture. Many of the people were born in a day when their fathers had more than one wife. At this time, polygamy is not common in Zambia, especially in urban settings. Their culture is very male dominated but that is also changing. Even though Christian men may have only one wife, many of them still operate with the idea that the wife has the same status as their children and their possessions. 
• They are now recognizing God’s admonition to live with oneness in their marriages. They are still seeking to understand how to live that out. They expressed their need and desire to learn how to do that. The beauty of sharing Biblical truth is that it is clear and applicable to every generation and culture. Please pray that these couples can implement what they learned and share the truths with their congregations.

WISDOM Christian School:

• What a blessing to visit WCS as the new school year is beginning!
• We saw the food service crew cook and feed 3rd & 4th graders one day and the 1st & 2nd graders on another day. The children are getting some form of protein in every meal. Currently, the children get one lunch per week. As funding increases the lunches served will increase.
• We got to open the barrels that we shipped at the end of October. Everything arrived in good shape! The teachers were excited to get the school supplies and many books that we sent through YOUR donations. 
• We met with two contractors about another classroom building, which we will begin as soon as the funding is complete. We need about $20,000 at this time.

The CHILDREN of WISDOM are excited about school. We can’t wait to go back in June and bring more friends!

Is God calling you to go with us?
We will finalize a team by the end of February. Please contact us ASAP if you are interested in going!

We are also preparing for our 6th annual Together Forever marriage celebration on February 24. It will be a great evening of food, photos, door prizes, and laughter! Please join us. See pcbc.tv/events for more info.

February is a month of love and Valentines Day, see more on LOVE AND ROMANCE here!

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Praise for a successful mission.
Pray for God’s people for our June mission trip.

The water that I will give him will

become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source, not a life style.