Four Men Get Serious...
a Woman Encourages
The QUESTION to the MEN...
Then the Four of us got Serious

 ~

THE Question:
What's one important thing you would 
want to tell a young person?

THE RESPONSES:

Man #1... "Tell them to take care of their possessions and don't be unwise in the responsibilities of life"

Man #2... "Tell them about Jesus and not to make the same mistakes I have made"

Man #3... "Despite family failures persevere and place rooted faith in God and serve Him for the rest of your days"

Man #4... I was last to comment I told them I recently got up in the middle of the night to study Proverbs...desiring to help my wonderful grandchildren get Godly wisdom to combat the pressures of life...

 
 

EXCERPTS FROM PROVERBS 1 (The Message)

WISDOM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.. .
Know how to live well

"These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David's son, Israel's king- Written down so we'll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it's going; A manual for living, for learning what's right and just and fair; To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. There's something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn- Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women."

THE FOUNDATION FOR WISDOM...
God is the must

"Start with God -the first step in learning is bowing down to God ; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers. Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don't go along with them. If they say- 'Let's go out and raise some hell.' Oh, friend, don't give them a second look; don't listen to them for a minute. They're racing to a very bad end, hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on. Nobody robs a bank with everyone watching, Yet that's what these people are doing- they're doing themselves in. When you grab all you can get, that's what happens: the more you get, the less you are."

WARNING FOR REJECTING WISDOM...
H ow long will we wallow in ignorance?

"Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts. At the town center she makes her speech. In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand. At the busiest corner she calls out: 'Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance? Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism? Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn? About face! I can revise your life. Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you; I'm ready to tell you all I know. As it is, I've called, but you've turned a deaf ear; I've reached out to you, but you've ignored me. ' Since you laugh at my counsel and make a joke of my advice, How can I take you seriously? I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles! What if the roof falls in, and your whole life goes to pieces? What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing to show for your life but rubble and ashes? You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but...."
Proverbs 1:1-33 (The Message)

MY SUMMATION OF  THE TIME 
FOUR MEN SPENT TOGETHER

It was a very special time that included 
sober  and  meaningful conversation...
Each man is SERIOUS and deeply 
concerned for his grandchildren

My encouragement for myself and each of them...
Spend the rest of our days encouraging and guiding youth as best we can...so we should...
Give it our very best shot now and the days ahead!

My personal goal as a grandfather in my 
grandchildren's lives includes...
teach them PROVERBS like the verses above from
 Proverbs 1 so they can seriously consider living more wisely in the very difficult world we live in daily

 

A WOMAN'S (our close friend) WONDERFUL BRIEF 
BUT PENETRATING ENCOURAGEMENT~
before my surgery to repair my aneurysm stent leakage
 (by God's grace this aneurysm was recently discovered)

"Hi Ted: Our prayers go with you in the morning for your surgery. 
The entire staff has no idea that they are about to be greatly 
blessed by having you as their patient! " Joyce


HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED:
I was deeply inspired by our friends positive expectation 
of my hospital stay...to go along with the outpouring of prayer support 
from family and friends throughout America...WOW

THE HOSPITAL STAY RECAP:
August 4, 2017

4:00 am- Tudi and I left our house 
5:30 am- Checked into Piedmont Hospital at 
6:00-7:30 am- Prep for surgery 

7:00 am- I asked lead doctor to assemble all of the team 
of techs,  nurses, two doctors who would be involved 
in my surgery (about 25-30 during my
 stay )
to gather for prayer before I would be put out at 7:30

7:30 amTwo different  groups and a number of individuals heard 
my 30 second testimony: from a broken home 4×, atheist, 
read the Bible for 2+ weeks...I knew I was a sinner, confessed 
Jesus as my Savior...and as He has been my 
Lord for many yea s ....I wanted to pray for this before surgery...

My Prayer...

"...I thank you God for their dedication and expertise
 to help 
people get well day after day...year after year
...
and God bless them I pray. I now call upon You, 
the Great Physician, to guide them by His Holy Spirit 
through this surgery- in the name of Jesus Christ 
I pray this prayer of gratitude and faith...Amen"

A number of them wanted a wristband and...


3 FUNNY THINGS HAPPENED...
besides normal, courteous responses and one 
patient,  yet irritated hospital staff member 
(these comments reflect normal responses 
when we share our faith in  Jesus Christ)

1-Debbie (about 50 and married) my nurse who was 
much in control throughout my stay privately said to me 
"YOU SURE AREN'T SHY"
...I said "Why do you say that?" She said,  
"Because YOU ASKED ME SO MANY QUESTIONS...
IT WAS LIKE IT WAS OUR FIRST DATE!!!"
I cracked up to the point I was fearful I would damage 
myself through the fresh incision during surgery!


2- Later Debbie also took my wristband and looked at it and said,
"I can't wear this...I'm not a sinner" 
After about a minute she said,
 "On second thought...I WILL put it on!"


3- Lawrence, 
a very outgoing specialist...said, 
"I am not of Arabia but 'I shave ya'"
We laughed and into the conversation I gave my testimony...
Lawrence then quoted some of his favorite scripture...
I saw him often as I was being prepped...
he would always point to the wristband and smile...

...to the believers I met 
my testimony seemed to set them free to be alive in Christ 
in the hospital environment...
Praise the Lord

BLOWN AWAY!

If someone would have asked me before going to the hospital...
"DO YOU PLAN TO PRAY WITH THE MEDICAL TEAM BEFORE SURGERY?...
'YES' WOULD HAVE BEEN MY RESPONSE. 
However, if someone would have said, 
"How many hospital team members do you expect to 
be able to talk 
to individually and collectively about faith
 in Christ?" Perhaps I would have said  "A FEW" -- but not 25 +!!

I'M TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY and AMAZED at WHAT HAPPENED 
over the 7 hours I was in the HOSPITAL! 
Only by His power, grace and mercy...

Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly 
than we ask or think by His power at work within us"


Before surgery:
After surgery:

 
The Body of Christ has been so supportive...
GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU...
PRAISE THE LORD

Ted
Acts 17:28


P.S.-

BOTTOM LINE to these 
WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTERS:

-WB weekly newsletters now number approximately 420 weeks in a row

-I'm often asked "HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW EVERY WEEK?"

-ANSWER...it's all based upon Acts 17:28..."Where I live, move and have my being" (my life's verse). I am a witness and His ambassador every step every day...looking for His open doors. Col 4:2-6

-Each week there is a fresh witness experience meant to encourage you too to look for opportunities to share your precious faith where you walk daily

FOR EXAMPLE...
Recent newsletters have highlighted:

-WHY DON'T YOU GO TO CHURCH? (Based upon my personal interactions with people who no longer go to church)

-HOW TO HAVE A MEMORABLE FAMILY REUNION (recently held in Michigan)

-WHEN BELIEVERS REALIZE THEY HAVE BLOWN IT (repentance is a wonderful benefit to a believer who truly wants to change their ways)


-WHERE DO YOU GO FOR COMFORT? (It is so sad when we go elsewhere for comfort when we have ready access to the God of all comfort)


-WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING COMPLACENT? (Impending danger lurks everywhere and it is so important we are alert to the consequences of being lackadaisical to danger)



for more Weekly Newsletters visit:
www.witnessbreakthrough.org

email:
witnessbreakthrough@gmail.com