the Centrist

Dear Friends and family;

Hope this note finds you and your family well and our Florida friends drying out. We have had some awesome prayers answered (see below). But first let me share some gardening tips:
Wet Seasons and Roses …
This has been a particularly wet summer in WNY. When I added the irrigation (from the sprinklers) it encouraged the three dread fungi … white powdery mildew, rust (almost always present on hollyhock so keep these plants separated), and black spot (but not as bad as the other two). No matter the fungicide I have not been able to keep up with these maladies in some gardens. My advice is to water roses only at the bottom of the plant (leaving the foliage as dry as possible

… roses love their leaves dry and ‘feet’ wet) and remember these wonderful plants are the best of the perennials. Once infected the leaves will fall off, collect, and destroy them. The plants will soon grow new foliage and begin to provide new blooms … do not panic and cut down the canes, that stresses the plant and you may lose it. The good thing about roses is that when disease hits if you treat and wait within a month it will recover and provide years of pleasure.

Musings from Marilyn: The Middle of the Bible:

Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 117
Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible??
A: Psalms 119
Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible??
A: Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118
Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Q:? What is the center verse in the Bible??
A: Psalms 118:8

Q: Does this verse say something significant about
God’s perfect will for our lives?
The next time someone says they would like to find
God’s perfect will for their lives and that they want to
be in the center of His will, just send them to the
center of His Word!
Psalms 118:8?
‘It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.’
Now isn’t that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?
When things get tough, always remember… Faith doesn’t get you around trouble, it gets you through it!
God Bless You…

Request from Amerasian Child Find
Clint is a friend and frequent contributor to this site. He is the head of the Amerasian Child Find Organization dedicated to re-uniting Amerasian children with their American birth fathers. This organization needs funds for DNA testing … could you possible help? Here is the website:
www.amerasian-childfind.org
chaines@amerasian-childfind.org

Answered Prayer:

Brother Pat has improved. His kidney and liver tests have both returned to normal levels. He, Lord Willing, will be home on Thursday.
Dr. Rich is improving. He still has his ventilator tube in, but is telling everybody he wants to go home!
Cousin Bob is also improving with several fractures in his facial bones, all of his ribs and collar bones fractured, and a punctured lung. He is still in pain, but improving.
Marilyn has improved and has been back to ‘normal’ since last Friday.

Prayer Requests and Updates:

Pray that the invasion and brutality perpetrated on the nation of Georgia will not spread and stop … keep praying
Our grandson Scot is now in his 5th (out of 13 weeks) of basic (Marines Paris Island) please continue to pray for him and his success. Also continue to pray for his maternal grandfather (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Should you wish to send him a note of encouragement, let me know and I or Marilyn will send you his address.
My good friend John B has developed high blood pressure, please pray that it can be controlled … he has improved.
My friend and personal physician Dr Hal P. has developed metastatic bone cancer, pray for healing and comfort. He is presently going through chemo. This is his second bout with cancer … no change.

One of my prayer partners, Ron (wife Judy) just returned from Cailf. (prison ministry national meeting) and both caught the flu bug. Judy has developed complications, please pray for her to recover quickly … she has recovered and is on her feet once again!
Pray for the Hooker family. They lost their son, Kelly, suddenly (31 years old).
Please continue to pray for Anita, Greg, and Mark and their families (our neighbors who lost their husband/father).
Sister Jane and niece Rhonda for medical problems
Cousin Doug for cancer and radiation treatment … no word on radiation treatment
Unity for our family
Tolerance, Christ’s Love, and Understanding for our families, friends, and enemies
Son Rand and wife Erin, as well as niece Cassy and husband Tom for a long happy and prosperous life centered on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Niece Rhonda has some new medical issues (eye), please keep praying for her … no change she has debilitating headaches
Upcoming marriage – Julia and S (Labor Day weekend)

Bonnie Erbie (author accusing Christians of being knuckle draggers), prayer for salvation.
Brother Les, Parkinson’s as well as several other health problems and our sister Valarie (main care giver), please keep praying. Les has fallen twice in the past week but has not suffered any permanent damage.
Pray for wisdom and spiritual guidance in rearing children for our family as well as the renewal of the nuclear family
Pray for spiritual wisdom for America’s leaders; our troops each evening at 9:00 pm. every night
Pray for our nation and President and for civility in upcoming election. Pray that slander and mean spirited methods stop and that hatred is not met with like hatred.
Nephews John and Ryan – Ryan in Iraq and John in Virginia (both in the Navy)
Please continue to pray for health issues for five of our nieces, especially Jenny who has the same disease as Marilyn.
Pastors: Dan, John (pray especially for his ministry), Tom, Lyell, Steve D, Ben, wisdom for all leadership at Yates Baptist, Whittikers, Neil, and Steve T for their ministries, ease of stress, and courage to spread the gospel

Clermont Sunday School
Praises:
Ken L said that he called his dad Sunday morning and he was going to church!
Marilyn D is getting better (toe infection).
Wanda S said she got word that over 1200 ladies accepted Christ at the recent Women of Faith conference!
Dave H’s father’s eyes are much better. He can drive now!
Prayer Requests:
Debbie H asked prayer for Jose, a Direct TV installer, who came to their house. He is separated from his wife and family, has anger issues, and needs salvation.
Delrose B asked prayer for their extended family for God’s intervention in marriages and for wisdom in decision making.
Wayne D asked prayer for a friend.
Garry S asked prayer for his neighbor, Ron, who is separated from his wife because she left him. He is having a hard time.
Bill K’s nephew’s daughter, Ashley D, will have surgery for lymph node cancer on Sept. 2 in St. Louis.
Debbie’s nephew David, 36, is homeless because of substance abuse. Pray for his mom, Carol (Debbie’s sister) also.
Continue to pray for Marilyn D and her toe infection.
Daphne’s brother-in-law, Denzel W, had a stroke. Sheis still waiting for her eye surgery. The doctors keep putting her off.
Mike C’s father, Earl, has a spot on his lung. He already has had cancer in his jaw.

Tim's Garden ... Moetvia

Twila S asked prayer for Randall J, a pastor at 1st Baptist Orlando, who has leukemia.
Debbie H asked prayer for Bell Shouls Baptist Church because their music director died suddenly.
Chuck K is suffering from severe pain in his back.
Praises:
Women of Faith conference this past weekend was wonderful.
Wanda and Garry’s son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Mary Beth, may be working things out in their marriage. Please continue to pray for them.
With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, you just might be a liberal if…

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,

Dr B