Time for the weekly sermon notes. We had ZOOM church this morning with the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, Montana – sermon preached by Rev. Steve Hundley
As you know, if you’ve followed my blog for a couple of weeks or more, I listen intently to the pastor’s message and I take notes in poetry, tying to capture the essence of the message. Here is today’s attempt:
Steve titled it, “Vocational Temptation” I re-titled it “A Heart to Comply” Read on and you’ll see why.
“My brother made me do it!” That’s my excuse and I’m stickin’ to it! We rolled tires down a quarter mile hill I was dared to hit a cow. Could I do it?
Yup, the tire hit the cow. The ow hit the ground with a thud. Oh my! The cow landed hard – Topped over and bam! Hit the mud!
I got punished big time for it. I was told not to hurt God’s life. Yet later, I saw my dad kill a cow – And heck! He didn’t think twice!
There must be differet standards For different kinds of behavior. Temptations effect each differently. Temptations weren’t new to our Savior.
He can identify with the Christian Who goes to the club to play golf Instead of going to church that day – And excuses himself with a cough.
It’s not hard to give in To the temptations around us. When we do, don’tcha know God doesn’t punish or ground us.
God understands we’re mortals Who are prone sometimes to neglect The things we know we ought to do. He gives us time to repent and reflect.
Jesus went from being told by a voice That God is proud of Him, God’s Son, To being a man in the wilderness Tempted by the devil – but God won!
For 40 days and 40 nights the devil Tempted Jesus to give in to him. But angels were there, and scripture, too. Jesus didn’t let God’s light grow dim.
The light of God shone brightly As Jesus resisted the devil’s invitation To become more than He already was – To rule the whole universe and all creation.
The Lord is asking us today To resist the temptation to forego His Word and do something wrong. Instead, live in God’s Love – Let His light show.
Lord, let my life be consecrated To You, my Savior, and may I Use the gifts You’ve given me With gratitude … and a Heart to Comply!
Amen.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek Have a super rest of your Sunday. Hugs to you!
What is your power source? Where do you get your ideas?
Today’s sermon on ZOOM with the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, Montana, preached by the Rev. Steve Hundley attributed our power source to (well, what do you think a minister would say?)… God Jesus Christ’s teaching The Word Scripture Of course!
But, beware!
Steve began his sermon today with a children’s message. He shared this (paraphrased by me, of course):
My dad was a forester. He used to cruise the timber to decide what to cut and what to leave to keep the forest healthy. He usually went with a fellow forester – a guy who was not known for his great sense of direction. They would head out in different directions, and when it was time to regroup, my dad told his partner that he’d call out. “You answer,” he told him, “and I’ll call again. Back and forth until you find your way back.”
But, what happened was an ole hoot owl responded back to his partner when he called out, and he followed the direction of the owl. It got him way off track. When my dad realized what was happening, he honked the horn of the truck, and finally the two men were able to reconnect and head for home.
Moral of the story: Listening to the wrong voice can get us lost. We need to listen to the voice and teachings of Christ in order to stay on the right path.
Wrong! Extravagance doesn’t need to mean outlandish. It can be thought of as abundance.
Extravagance is Abundance of some good food – Okay if it’s shared!
Extravagance is An abundance of pure love – Beautiful when shared
Extravagance is The overflow of blessings – Lovely gifts from God
Life is extravagantly wonderful!
When the night sky touches your soul, When other bloggers touch your inner core, It’s a sign of the extravagance of others That keeps you longing for more
In his “Keys to Living Life”
Today, January 24, 2021, Rahul Gaur wrote a blog so powerful that I HAD to share it. First I tweeted it. I have never shared someone else’s blog by tweeting it before. I have reblogged a few. This one is so impactful that I need you to click on Rahul’s name and go to it. See it for yourself. It is extravagantly beautiful! Here are a couple of sentences that particularly touched me:
“The soul is the lost intuition and the listening switch of your body. When you need to see things beyond as they are, to see things as they were meant to be, you listen to the orchestra of your soul.”
I listened with my soul to today’s sermon
Sermon by Rev. Steve Hundley at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church Ennis, Montana
Thy Kingdom Come
“Thy Kingdom Come” is a political statement – Except we believe in a heavenly kingdom.
It’s not a worldly kingdom. It is “THY” kingdom come. Let God’s Kingdom reign, Not MY domain – not MY will.
As a pastor, I am sometimes Guilty of saying, “Look at me!” I do the “my” and not “Thy” message And have to learn to lose self.
We all need to learn to be De-throned … and let God’s Kingdom be the focus. Peace, reconciliation & hope are God’s.
God’s Kingdom is not attainable On our earth. It is not! Utopia here in our world Is not within our reach.
No earthly political order Will ever be the Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom is like a seed. It’s like a net in the water.
The seed one day will sprout. The net will gather fish. God’s work on earth is extravagant, But the Kingdom is elusive here.
The Kingdom of God is at the door. It takes eyes of faith to see What lies beyond the threshold. It is there though we see it not.
When we say “Thy Kingdom COME,” We might more easily say GO. Go from You into me… God’s Kingdom lives in each of us.
It’s an awesome fact that The Kingdom of God is in you. We must not lose hope or faith And we must not live in satisfaction.
Never be satisfied with what is. Only when we submit to God’s Kingdom Does it really COME. So care! Care for the poor; release greed and pettiness.
It’s liberating to know when We turn our lives and our futures Over to our Extravagant God – We’ll see His Kingdom coming into the world.
Amen?
“Listen to the orchestra of your soul.” Rahul Gaur Keep you ears open to soulful listening… Thank you, Rahul, for your blog. Thank you, Rev. Steve, for your message. Thank You, God, for your Kingdom of Love.
This is the image I put on the front of this week’s church bulletin:
Sermon topic: “Listening for God.”
If you’ve followed my blog for a week or more, you know that Sunday afternoon’s blog usually is devoted to sermon notes from this morning’s worship service at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, Montana – sermon by Rev. Steve Hundley.
Today’s sermon, “Listening for God,” was based on the story of Hannah, Samuel, and Eli as told in 1 Samuel 3:1-20 and John 1:43-51.
Listening for God
Sermon by Rev. Steve Hundley Poetic notes by Jan Beekman
I was known to be able To sleep through anything. I inherited that trait from my grandma. You could sing At the top of your lungs And she would not awake. That’s a trait I retained Through most of my life’s daybreaks.
But later in life I found I would awaken at midnight And be unable to go back to sleep. I couldn’t nod off, try as I might. And in the wee hours I find The bad things seem worse. They magnify in the darkness. Sleeplessness is a curse!
So, how must it have been When Samuel heard God’s voice In the middle of the night – Must’a made him puzzle – not rejoice! His mother, Hannah, also Heard God’s voice when barren. He told her she’d give birth, So she promised her babe she’d be sharin’.
When her baby, Samuel, was born, She kept her promise to God And gave her child to Him By delivering him to Eli’s sod. Samuel grew up in the church. One night Sam heard the sound Of a voice calling out his name. He went to Eli in a running bound.
Eli told him it was God Calling him to listen and hear. It took courage to listen and accept That it was the Lord speaking clear. Samuel’s whole life changed that night As he suddenly became a man. He learned to listen without fright And obey God’s voice… just as we can.
There are lots of voices we hear In our nights that lack sweet slumber. Are we listening to the true voice of God Or is it somebody else – or thunder? While we wake to the world’s troubles, Sometimes it’s hard to discern and hear The Word of God – and live what He commands. Declare our willingness, and know God is near.
There is grace and hope knowing When Samuel listened, he changed From a boy to a Man of God – And his future was rearranged. Take courage and respond with “Speak, Lord, your servant is ready To hear and respond, and live out Your words to me. Keep me steady.”
Amen
Eli assured Samuel it was God speaking to him.
There were a couple dozen of us tuned in to this ZOOM church service today. Thank you for joining us via this blog I pray you are tuned in to hear God’s voice, too.
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
A Bible verse from our son, Ty, today
To be sure your steps Are on the path the Lord sets Embrace Listening
… and practice obedience! Here’s one of the hymns we sang during our ZOOM service this morning:
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow. Have a great Sunday afternoon/evening.
Sermon Notes from today’s ZOOM worship service of the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church Delivered by Rev. Steve Hundley Poetic notes taken by JanBeek
One With Us
Have you ever spoken honestly And in the process provoked A person to anger? Perhaps you even joked
About what you said. You’re trying to be forgiven. Be careful what you say and do. Beware the life you’re livin’.
Jesus was with a crowd Of sinners at the Jordan. What had Jesus done to need Forgiveness? What secrets hoardin’?
Sometimes we find ourselves Guilty by association. So Jesus had reason to be Thought a sinner by the Jewish nation.
John the Baptist, however, Knew Jesus was sinless. So he didn’t want to baptize Him. But his protest was winless!
Jesus was determined to be Baptized by John, even though He was sin-free. So we wonder, Why did He need it? Want to know?
He wanted to be baptized In order to be One with us! Like Him, we need to be One in Christ and eliminate fuss!
If Jesus was willing To step down and be One With all of us sinners, Who are we, when all’s said and done?
We are all sinners, invited To come to the river, too. Be one with our brothers and sisters. I’m all for it. How about you?
The sermon was inspired by the scriptures: Acts 19:1-7 and Mark 1:4-11 which were eloquently read to us by our pastor’s wife, Elaine, from Eugene Peterson’s “The Message Bible”
ACTS 19 1-2 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?”
“We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?”
3 “How were you baptized, then?” asked Paul.
“In John’s baptism.”
4 “That explains it,” said Paul. “John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptized in John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.”
5-7 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.
MARK 4-6 John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.
7-8 As he preached he said, “The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.”
9-11 At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”
God of all mercy, in our baptism You have marked us as Your own; You have given us a new identity and made us part of the body of Christ. In doing so, You have called us to rise to new life and live together in community. However, we have not been faithful to Your call. We have forged our own identity and held to destructive habits. We confess we have failed to welcome others, and broken our bonds with our brothers and sisters, and served ourselves more than You. Forgive us, we pray, for the sake of Christ, our Savior.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: John 1:12
Hear the good news! God said to Jesus, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with You I am well pleased.” We have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weakness, who has been tempted as we are, yet is without sin.
In Christ’s name we may draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, and there find mercy and grace to help in time of need.
As forgiven sinners, may we go out into the world and make a positive difference. May we…
If you have not heard former Republican Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s You Tube message today, I recommend you click on the link here. His message, reinforcing the need for UNITY in our USA, is quite powerful. God Bless Arnie! We all need to step up in support of Democracy as he has done!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. If you missed my last post, “Embrace God” with Steve Hundley’s Pastoral Prayer, I invite you to go to it. Like Arnold’s speech, it is a powerful message.
Trying to decipher John’s Interpretation of Christ’s birth Is like trying to grasp smoke. He says God’s Word created the earth.
And he explained that the Word Was the Light and the Life – – – Rejoice! He speaks as John the Apostle And switches to a heavenly voice.
John strips away the layers covering The original Word of God to earth. He helps us hear with spiritual ears The meaning of Christ’s unusual birth.
The Book of John is ethereal As he shares God’s creative power. He emphasizes that saying is doing Words are like a bud that produces flower.
So, when we say something, We need to think of the impact Those words have on others. Words spoken ripple out – no taking them back!
Just as God’s Word has the power To create light out of darkness, Our words also have the power To create beauty out of starkness.
So, a lesson of John’s Gospel Is to warn us: Watch what you speak! If you speak untruths carelessly, The results will not be what you seek.
Life and death are in the power Of the tongue – – – We eat its fruit. If you want your daily meal sweet, Use your tongue’s power for Truth.
The Word became flesh and made His home among us – He appeared In the form of our Savior, Jesus. Start here – Start where darkness was cleared.
Be Light for a Dark World.
Everlasting God, remind us again that Your Son is the light of the world, the way, the truth, and the life. Lead us by your light and truth. Looking for Jesus, let us find Him knowing that it is He who has come looking for us.
Today’s sermon by Rev. Steve Hundley at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, MT dealt with that subject… the virgin birth. He titled it:
Conceived by the Holy Spirit, and Born of the Virgin Mary
It’s a stumbling block for many To think of a baby born of a virgin… The idea can seem like a fairy tale. It can be a pill too big to swallow.
Some people believe Christ was Half God and half human. Only One who is fully God Can atone for our sins.
Only one who is fully human Can experience our suffering and pain. So many deny Jesus’ duality: Jesus was born divine and became human.
Philippians 2:7 “But made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
This verse is our first statement of faith: He found Himself as human And humbled Himself. He chose to be dependent on humans.
Jesus could not have been born Without that simple peasant girl; And He suffered all the human pain And a cruel and painful death.
It’s a gigantic leap of faith To fully believe the virgin birth. But, take comfort in knowing Even the disciples had trouble.
Even though they walked With Jesus on this earth, They had trouble believing He was the Holy Son of God.
The initial act of faith Is not that total belief. The initial act of faith Is to invite Jesus into your heart.
When your own life is changed By the love of Christ in you, Then your faith will grow; You will share that faith with others.
Jesus sees the pearls in the dust. Not what we are, but What God intends us to become. In Christ, our faith can help us get there.
We don’t begin as full believers. We begin as that dependent manger child. We begin looking for a Teacher of Wisdom, And Jesus, the Holy Son of God enters.
Let Him walk with you. Let Him help your faith to grow. When it comes to faith, The heart is one step ahead of the intellect!
Pastoral Prayer
by Steve Hundley
We have run our yearly race to Bethlehem, O Lord, and many are tired from what has been a very difficult year. We know that You did not mean it that way, but intended for Your Son’s birth to bring us peace and joy and renewal, and a sense of togetherness that comes from this season of love and giving.
In the stillness of this moment we turn our hearts to You as the needle of a compass points to True North. Amidst all the tension of this year, may You remain at the center, calling us to hope and to clarity of purpose. On the eve of a new year, give guidance to us and the nations of the world, as we seek to find our way out of this pandemic. Incline our hearts to modesty, honesty, and compassion. Let us be tender to all of those in need, especially the young, the old, the tired, the poor, the sick, and all who are struggling just to survive.,,
So many have died these last 10 months, O Lord. Hold in Your arms those who grieve, whose spirits are distressed by the loss of loved ones, or jobs, or homes in all of the uncertainty that surrounds them. Speak to us in our worship, we pray, in something heard or seen or felt, that we may go from this place of worship with a renewed sense of Your presence in our lives.
Let the months before us bring rest to a weary world and hope to millions who continue to dwell in darkness. Use us who wait before You to accomplish Your will, through devotion and imagination and love. We pray this prayer in the name of Christ our Savior… Amen
May you, my dear WP friends, find the peace, comfort, hope, and clarity of purpose for which we pray.
This describes my purpose! I will declare His coming and live in modesty, honesty, and compassion.
How about your clarity of purpose?
Thanks for visiting JanBeek. Don’t forget to comment below. I would love to hear about your Sunday and your purpose. Hugs!!
Today’s sermon was titled, “Responding to God’s Call.” Luke 1:26-38 was the scripture passage. Mary responded with such grace and faith. Listen to Rev. Steve Hundley’s message at today’s Madison Valley Presbyterian Church -recorded through Jan’s poetic filters.
Responding to God’s Call
Luke described the coming Of the Angel Gabriel to Mary. Many artists have been inspired To depict the scene; they’re varied.
Some created majestic scenes With mountains and waterfalls, But that wasn’t the vision recorded. It’s a simple scene when God calls.
Gabriel doesn’t ask permission. He simply tells her what will be, The Bible says she was perplexed. More in shock, it seems to me.
Whatever plans Mary may have had, God comes and intervenes. Like Mary, God has plans for us. Listen to this story; hear what it means.
We can plan our lives carefully, But often we’re face with interruptions. Unexpected events order our future; Often they keep us from corruption.
God’s plans always exceed ours. But still, we have questions galore. Unlike Mary, we ask for clarification. We want to understand more.
It’s not every day an angel appears And announces what’ll come next. But often life chooses us And leaves us totally perplexed.
In real life, we have choices. We can say yes or shout NO! We can become stoic and look away; We can be stubborn and refuse to go.
When God throws us curve balls, We might become angry and defensive. We might throw our hands up And become bitter; but that’s expensive.
It costs us our peace of mind. It takes away unexpected joy. If Mary had been so inclined, It might have cost her that Baby Boy!
Let it be to me according To your Word, O Lord, my Christ. When You send Your instructions, May I say “Yes!” without thinking twice.
Nothing is impossible with God. Tune in! And play along!! Amen
There may be an angel standing by your fire, sending out signals and you’re unaware. There may be a message blowing in the wind, and you can’t hear it. There may be an assignment God is giving you, and you don’t know it. Tune in! Listen up! Play along!!
Jan with Great-grandson, Xander
Notes during the Pastoral Prayer today:
“God came into a troubled world. Come again, Lord Jesus, For we, too, are troubled. We need You.
We are suffering. Pain is taking its toll. Come and bring power and healing To those who are hurting.
Bring comfort to those Who have lost loved ones. Come again, Lord Jesus. Bring deliverance.
We wait for You.”
Amen
Every heart is longing for our King Whether they know it or not. Let your light shine. Sing! Play along!!
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. Have a blessed Sunday. See you tomorrow. HUGS!
Today’s sermon by Rev. Steve Hundley at Ennis, Montana’s Presbyterian Church was titled, “Swept Up in the Current of God’s Love.”
In my typical fashion, I listened and took notes in poetry to capture the message as I was received it.
I like this image for today’s bulletin cover because the message as I pondered it was: “Listen for the angels’ announcement. Listen with your heart, and Be swept up into the realms of JOY!”
Based on and reflections from Luke 1:39-55
Mary rushed to tell Elizabeth The anticipation of Jesus’ birth. But Elizabeth already knew it… Elizabeth knew it? How on earth??
Mary felt a song swell up And bubble over inside her. She sang acceptance and praises. Elizabeth beamed beside her.
We don’t think of God exploding Into our lives this season. Our upside-down world seems to forget The JOY, the Message, the Reason.
The story of Mary and Elizabeth Reminds us of the glories of the event. To make Christmas more meaningful, We need to focus on the love sent.
Mary and Elizabeth didn’t make the joy. They WERE the joy – growing in them. God’s presence exhibited the miracle. The peace and JOY of God began then.
We’re not the master of all this. The grace and love are gifts. We’re the grateful recipients. With Jesus’ birth, the world shifts.
The angels announced the Savior. The vulnerable baby was born. His life changed our destiny. No longer are we lost or forlorn.
Mary’s Magnificat is a message To all of us to be steady – Steady for Christ’s coming. Listen with your heart – be ready!
Be prepared to be swept away By the current of God’s love. Be prepared for that Bethlehem baby Who came to save us from above.
Thanks to Elaina for our Nativity gift which arrived at our doorstep today!
Yes, the angels announced that heavenly Baby Who came down from God to us. Now we’re awaiting the angel Who’ll announce an end to all this fuss.
No, Reverend Steve didn’t add that last stanza to his sermon… but I just couldn’t help myself! Don’t you love that COVID angel? No?
Ah, come on… let’s add the need for a freedom announcement.
Freedom from the pain of this pandemic. Freedom from the need to wear masks, socially distance, stay at home, and isolate.
Can you read the mask’s label? “Coughy filter” Hah! Get it??
Bob & I are wearing our masks whenever we go out. Are you?
Don’t let this Coronavirus get to you…
Don’t take to the bottle to try and drown the pain!!
Make wise decisions!
Keep your eyes and your ears tuned to the Holy Spirit and be ready to be “swept up in the current of God’s love.” Jesus’ birth is the reason for the season – And the grace and hope He brings will keep you swimming in love and joy. Believe!
JOY comes in the morning! My friend, Lisa Glines, sent me this sunrise picture this morning.
The following poem came from Lisa yesterday as I was waiting for Bob’s angiogram results.
“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Jaime and Kathy played the piano and keyboard as Jim played the saw for some special music this morning.
I always imagine that saw being the only instrument some old cowboy had on hand in some distant days gone by… and learning to eerily try to play a tune on it must have been quite an interesting pastime!!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
I hope you enjoyed these tidbits of my Sunday. Bee safe! See ya tomorrow. Bee well!!
It’s that time of year again. “Bah Humbug!” declared Mr. Scrooge. Our sermon today started on that same note. See my poetic notes below.
Rev. Steve Hundley Madison Valley Presbyterian Church Ennis, Montana 12-6-20
“Here We Go…”
“Well, here we go again,” The woman spoke with regret. The Christmas season has arrived – We must prepare lest we forget.
Prepare for peace on earth – Prepare for goodwill toward men. But will we feel the peace? Will there be good will again?
This year seems so very strange. It’s hard to enter with trust The coming of the Christ Child. But trust and hope we must!!
God’s chosen people felt The same worn-out feeling of despair. They wee caught in the wilderness, Feeling God was no longer there.
In this time of pandemic, We’re tired of this quarantine. The pain and struggles continue. What does all this mean?
Are we caving in to hopelessness? Can’t we remember God is good? We must live hearing His promise And believe He’ll save us as He said He would.
If we have ears to hear And we have eyes to see, Know God’s message, “Here we go anew,” Is meant for you and me.
God has the power to get us out Of this situation we’re in. Believe! Have faith in God. Carry His hope. Carry His light within.
Share that light with others. Walk in His way and then you’ll know The peace and trust Jesus brings. “Here we go anew!” Let it glow.
Advent is about preparing room For something new at our place. So stay alert and wait with faith. God is coming in Christ – Clear a space!
Amen
Our friend, Jim Forsberg, sang this beautiful song today in church, accompanied by his guitar (sung here by the marvelous Susan Boyle). The words are so beautiful. Be sure to click on that link and enjoy.
Prayer of Confession: “Merciful God, always with us, always coming: We confess that we do not know how to prepare for Your Advent. We have forgotten how to hope in miracles; we have been distracted by the challenges of the past nine months. Forgive us, O God. Grant to us the simple wonder of the shepherds, the intelligent courage of the Magi, and the patient faith of Mary and Joseph that we may rediscover the good news of the child born for us. Amen”
Merry Christmas, my friends. Happy Advent. No “Bah Humbug” here!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. I pray your Sunday was a lovely one.
Thanks for all your love-filled comments on the “Dogs in Heaven?” post yesterday. My friend, Fran appreciates all your prayers.