Hands Headlines Blog

Ask, Seek and Knock

2006-01-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9
[Context of this passage: Jesus tells us to persist in asking Him because He always supplies good gifts. He promises that He is even much more faithful than a good parent who will not give his child a stone when asked for bread.] Read entire passage on BibleGateway - a great place to read the Bible online!

Our kids have a Children’s Bible Songs tape they often listen to (sometimes a little too often on long road trips! :) ). One song – Ask, Seek and Knock - captures the heart of this passage in such a pure and simple fashion. We want to have a child-like faith in asking our Father both for our needs and for His desires to be accomplished in the months ahead. Will you please join us in praying? Here are 3 specific needs. Thank you!!

1. Finding 40 New Partners
In order to move to Orlando, we need to meet about 40 more individuals and families who will partner with us through prayer and finances. This is our full-time focus and faith goal for the next 5 months. This is quite a faith-stretcher for us. Yet, we’re seeking the Lord with an abundance mentality (Eph. 3:20-21) - realizing that He already knows all the people we need to meet! Please pray for us to find these 40 new partners quickly. Could you help us by introducing us to a few of your friends? Email us and we’ll tell you how.

2. Decisions and Timing of Decisions
We will be selling our house this spring, determining how much we can afford (and should spend) in Orlando, searching for a house to buy or build (possibly), researching schooling and home-schooling options and many other things! Please pray for wisdom for we who lack it! And that the Lord’s timing will be sovereign in all these decisions.

3. With Peace
Above all else, pray that we’ll experience much joy and peace from the Lord during the midst of big changes. Pray that peace will dominate our lives as we move forward by faith – not being overwhelmed with any task at hand.

Scouting Trip to Orlando

2006-01-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

To visit our new abode of work and calling, we recently ventured to Campus Crusade’s International Headquarters in Orlando for a 3-day scouting trip. Our vision was deepened, our hearts encouraged and our bodies warmed by the nice Florida sunshine!

We met many of the staff we’ll be working with, including Keith & Kay Seabourn (pictured here with us) who have served with Campus Crusade for 30 years! Keith is CCC's Chief Technology Officer. David will be a project manager on his team.

We spent half a day with a realtor in Orlando doing some early “recon” of neighborhoods. Everyone we know in Florida has warned us: “You are moving to a VERY expensive area!” Somehow, we were hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Yet, as we drove around many varied neighborhoods – new, old, far or near – all of the prices were quite high. Most houses of equivalent size to ours here were from $300K to $350K. Basically double what our home in Mableton is worth! Next time we’ll take the pills for “sticker shock” before we travel down there!

One highlight of our trip was touring the JESUS Film facilities at Campus Crusade Headquarters. This film was produced by Campus Crusade in 1978 and has been used to introduce young and old to Christ around the world. It is the most translated movie in history - over 700 languages to date! Incredible stories of the Lord using the film in dramatic ways were shared. This is one tour well worth the trip if you're ever in Orlando! Also, fyi, you can now download the audio/video of JESUS to your ipod or other handheld device. (click here to learn more)

The photo below shows where the hundreds of translations of the movie are touching the world.

1 Billion Milestone Opens 10/40 Window

2006-01-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

According to this very interesting article by noted Web Researcher Jakob Nielsen, 2005 silently heralded a huge milestone in Internet history: the one-billionth user went online. That means that about 15% of the world’s population (more than 1 out of every 7 people) are regular Internet users. By 2015, it’s expected to grow to 25%. Particularly interesting is the fact that 360 Million of current Internet users reside in Asian countries! (Compared to 230 Million in North America). It’s predicted that in less than 4 years, Chinese speakers will outnumber English speakers on the web!

See the opportunity here? As more and more users quickly come online in places like China, India, Korea, etc., we have an open window to connect with these people – many of whom are hungry for Christ - via the Internet. A decent percentage of people in these countries already search for spiritual content online, and the Lord could swell this number even more if we as technology-and-resource-rich Christians create the right content online to bring them in. Pray with us towards this goal!

For more info see a similar article on the Web Evangelism Bulletin

Happy New Year from the Hands

2006-01-01T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Christmas Season (and the whole year) has come to a close;
Only time left to share with you a few quick photos.

Advent candles, apple cakes, gingerbread and presents. . . hooray!
All helped us celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

Time with the grandparents made it just right;
Even accented by snowfall which made things so bright.

This year in ministry has been very good, yet not without struggle;
And you, through prayer, have played a vital role for which we are grateful!

Campus Crusade featured on ABC News

2005-12-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

Ashley Parrish is just one of thousands of students in the Southeast who went off to college and struggled with her faith. Through Campus Crusade and your partnership with us, the Lord renewed her heart for Jesus and now she's growing alongside other Christians on her campus at the University of Georgia.

ABC's Good Morning America recently did a profile story on "Faith on Campus" and chose Ashley to show how "Many Young People Turn Away from God in College, But It Doesn't Have to Be That Way"

You can read the ABC news article and watch the video from Good Morning America in its entirety (just over 5 minutes) on the ABC site.

Although we don't completely agree with ABC's commentary for parents of students away at college (at the end of the video), the video and article are overall, quite positive towards Christianity and Campus Crusade's activities on campus.

Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership which made it possible for literally thousands of Ashleys to experience life change through the gospel in 2005!!

Oxymoronic

2005-12-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

I drove past this local restaraunt a couple times last week and kept thinking, "What's wrong with this picture?!"

Just had to stop and snap a picture!

Well, Fat Boy could actually have a slight marketing angle here:
"Trying to watch your diet after the holidays? Try our lowfat shake with your double-chili-cheeseburger!"

The New StorySpot

2005-12-15T09:53:00.000-05:00

StorySpot.com has been upgraded, and although there's still some work left to do on it, there are a LOT of cool new features.

This site is a good teaching tool for anyone who wants to learn how to naturally share how Christ has made a difference in their lives. It also presents the whole concept of God’s history with man from a story perspective.

Here's the link: www.StorySpot.com

Here's a screen-shot of the site and few of the new features:

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~ Enhanced writing process, featuring Claire — the animated StorySpot assistant.

~ Authors can select 5 different basic storylines when writing their story and examine Bible examples for their stories.

~ We’ve also added spell checking, a friend-review feature, and even a “Christian-ese” checker.

Update

2005-11-24T20:35:00.000-05:00

Last month we wrote about the Lord’s leading us to move to Orlando to serve in the Global Technology Office. Since then we’ve fielded some questions about the move from a few of you so we wanted to send a quick recap of move details.
This is all we know so far:

~ We’ll be moving sometime in 2006. We don’t know exactly when. Probably not until mid or late summer. Possibly later.

~ Our ministry support level (financially speaking) is significantly lower than where it needs to be to allow us to move to Orlando. We’re trusting God to bring many new financial and prayer partners on our team. This could take some time, and we are comfortable with this possibility. Until our support increases a good bit, we can’t move.

~ Although we are sad to leave the Southeast Regional Office and friends in Atlanta, we are very excited to go where the Lord is leading us. If left to our own whims, we probably would never choose to live in Florida. Yet, by far, we are more eager to live where our calling is rather than live apart from our calling.

~ For the past several years, we’ve sensed the Lord building within us a vision for using Technology to Connect People with the Gospel. The opportunity to serve in this role will fulfill and expand this vision. Ultimately, the result will be that exponentially greater numbers of people will have exponentially more chances to say “Yes” to Jesus and come to know Him.

A new role. Moving to a new place. Meeting new supporters. All of this forces us to move forward by faith, asking the Lord to do what we cannot do. With that in mind, please pray!

By His Grace and Through Your Support,
~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby
www.HandsHeadlines.com
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The Hands

514 Benson Hurst Drive

Mableton, GA 30126
770-944-0036

Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

Or, by Postal Mail - please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail to:

Campus Crusade Contributions

Account # 0438803

100 Lake Hart Drive

Orlando FL 32832

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Click here for the homepage of our website, HandsHeadlines.com

Current Prayer Requests

2005-11-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

Please continue to talk to God on our behalf. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16

1) StorySpot.com Re-Launch
Pray for God to reach millions through StorySpot.com. Due to be re-launched (upgraded from its original version) sometime before Christmas, this exciting website is just one example of how technology can help connect people with the gospel. Its purpose is to give Christians a ‘spot’ online to share with non-Christians a personal story of how Jesus has changed their life. David and a team of CCC staff in Orlando have been working hard to upgrade the StorySpot system. It hasn’t been easy. Please pray for all the technical “bugs” to be squashed and for the system to work effectively. Pray for over 2,500 stories to be shared in 2006.

2) Transition to Support-Raising
David will be wrapping up his responsibilities at the Southeast Regional Office here sometime in January. After then, our full-time responsibility will be to trust God for new support by asking many people to join with us as a financial partner in ministry. Please ask God to quickly raise up at least 30 new individuals and churches who can join us. Then we should be free to move to Orlando.

Fall Family Snapshots

2005-11-24T13:08:00.000-05:00

Well, today is Thanksgiving and we are finally getting around to posting some pictures from September through yesterday.

Perhaps at this rate we'll have Thanksgiving photos posted by Christmas!

For other kids pictures this year, check out :
Fun Family Pics
Miss Andrea's Wedding

. . .Enjoy!

Sept 29: Ready to blow some leaves?

October 8:

Getting ready for a bike ride on the Silver Comet Trail near our house.

Go Hokies!!

October 31:

Avery, Toby and Addison decked out for our church's Fall Festival, which they loved. If you don't recognize them, they are Snow White, Freddy Fireman and Sleeping Beauty.

November 23:

Oooooh, Aahhhhh, Christmas Shopping!!
Can you believe all three woud stay this still in a store?? Guess what's playing on the video monitor above my head? It's the Veggie Tales!

Southeast Regional Office

2005-10-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

Campus Crusade's Southeast Regional Office just relocated a couple of miles "down the street" to 120 Interstate North Parkway in Atlanta.

We needed more space as several new staff have joined the office. Praise the Lord for each of the 34 staff (an increase from 19) who are now on site!

The Work:
It took several weeks to break down, pack and move all of the phone and network equipment. The new location - an existing building in an office park - was stripped clean on the inside and then "built out" with new walls, doors, flooring, etc. to meet our needs.

We went the "do it yourself" route with a lot of the technical stuff.

David helped with the low-voltage wiring. Basically this meant stringing over a MILE of the little bitty blue cable you see here up and through the rafters! Can you say T - D - US !!

Bye-Bye Old Office!

Hello New Office! Hello 8ft. ladder for 10 hours a day for about 4 days straight!

Everyone from the office pitched in to help.

It was humbling to see how the Lord provided time, talent, money and tremendous servants hearts to make this all happen. Pictured here is Mike Goodwin, brother of Tom Goodwin, who flew down from Chicago at his own expense to help install the phone system. Mike is a office phone expert.

Steve Blevins, CCC Staff here in Atlanta, also volunteered massive amounts of time. Without his expertise, our wiring job would have quickly turned into a rats nest.

Do we have a dialtone here?? Kris Hodges and Mike Goodwin wait for the phone to ring. Success!

How many computers can you talk to at the same time?

David configures several office computers --->>

On a sad note, about 3 weeks after moving in, the office was burglarized! Yet, by God's sovereignty, only 6 computers were taken. Nothing vandalized or broken. And, it looks like insurance will replace the 6 with newer ones! So, our loss is now our gain!

So, How Do You Really Feel About It?

2005-10-26T13:18:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long post, but this is the full scoop - kind of a chronicle of our thoughts and prayers -about moving to Orlando.

It did not even seem possible:

“God, You want us to live in Orlando?. . . .Florida? You want us to leave behind a wonderful place and a thriving ministry? Leave people and a place we love for a place where we hardly have any friends and a land that just doesn’t seem like home? Move even farther away from an already more-than-a-day trip visit to family and relatives? Move our kids now that we have finally started school?”
“. . .Lord, let’s be serious here, Orlando is definitely a nice place. . .to visit! It’s fine for vacations but I certainly don’t want to LIVE there! It’s too flat, too hot, and they get hit by hurricanes every other month!”
“. . .And, it’s not even the South, Lord! It’ll be like moving to a foreign country! Most people who live there have migrated south from places like Michigan, WisCANson or PITTSburg. They have funnier accents than we do!”
“. . . And, we’ve made good relationships with our neighbors here – several of whom don’t know You or are struggling to know You. Who will be here to talk with them about You if we leave?”

My pleading with God continued. I wrestled with Him over these questions again and again. Yet, the more I wrestled, the more I sensed that in order to “win” the wrestling match I needed to LISTEN to Him more than I needed to clearly articulate my own case to Him. As if He did not already know all of my arguments for staying in Atlanta.
“What, Lord? Oh, You want to remind me of some important things? Yes. . .well, I’ll listen. I need to be reminded, I suppose.”

IMPORTANT THING #1:
It’s all about God, not about us.
Translation: Life in this world is not primarily about what we can do for God (as if He needed anything) but more about Him showing up and being the center of attention. Therefore, everything we do – including where we live and how we serve Him – should be subject to a central focus on Him. Neither home nor nice neighborhood nor thriving ministry nor friends – even close friends and family – should surpass our pursuit of making Christ the absolute, joyful, dominant center of everything. In fact, when He takes His rightful place as the center of our lives, then HE IS our home, our family, our friends, our ministry, and our delightful neighborhood. Our citizenship is indeed IN HIM. (Philippians 3:20)
See more on a related idea from one of our previous posts

IMPORTANT THING #2:
God promises to give us the fulfillment of our deepest desires.

“Delight Yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Often I think that following the Lord is all about subverting what I really want and desire for something that He wants – which is totally undesirable.
Wrong! . . . .So wrong! My misconceptions are:
A) I give my life to God and He makes me do everything I abhor.
B) He wants us to move to Orlando so we will find less satisfaction in life, not more.
Even as I write these words above I see how diametrically opposed they are to the truth.
Who says that God is all about making me do things that are opposite of what I desire and opposite of what I enjoy?
Why is it that I presume that God is so dull and boring and ANTI-joy? Because of my misconceptions, don’t I fear that He will send me to deep, dark corners of Africa (or Florida) to labor fruitlessly and live in pain?

To get to the point here:
I think these things because that’s EXACTLY how the Evil One wants me to think! These are all lies and have been crafted and “fed” to me very well over time.
What’s the truth, then? Jesus told the woman at the well:
“Everyone who drinks of this water (speaking of the physical well) will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I give him (speaking of the spiritual Water of Life) will never thirst.”
Jesus is all about quenching our thirst – our desires, our longing to be satisfied and fulfilled. He’s all about quenching our quest to be content and full of life – full to the brim with joy and enjoyment of life. Our thirst is quenched completely in a relationship with Him.
Yet the problem is that we often choose to quench our thirst with the physical well – the temporal satisfaction of life; man-made enjoyments, man-made comforts, man-made communities and dwelling places, even man-made ministry.
Sometimes we THINK we are satisfied by all these man-made things but then we realize that we’re missing out on true satisfaction. At the heart of these temporal satisfactions is always me, me, me and more, more, more. The focus is always on me and yet I never am satisfied until I get to the NEXT thing in life that promises me more.
When I focus on Christ and see Him for Who He really Is, I am satisfied. I see that HE IS more. Only then can I truly delight myself in the Lord. The backside of that verse happens so naturally when I am truly delighted in the Lord: He will give me the desires of my heart. My desires become His desires when I focus on Him.

Now, this has direct significance on God’s calling us to live in Orlando:
It means that He promises that we will find MORE satisfaction, not less. Again, we won’t find the satisfaction IN Orlando as a place or IN a house or job. The satisfaction and delight will be IN HIM and watching Him work.
Also, it means that life in Orlando will be a joy even if life there is harder or more difficult. Whether or not we find a nice home to live in and find good friends (and these things are not promised to us), the Lord does promise to be our delight!
Only when we walk in faith – trusting in Him, not His blessings – will we find “the better life” – ultimate satisfaction in life.

Not that there isn’t true sadness over leaving behind things that are dear: friends, church home, beautiful and familiar running trails, fun family memories, etc. The people and memories God has put in our lives – He Himself gave us the joy of experiencing these people and this place. So, yes, there is genuine sadness.
Yet, if God has provided all these joys in the past as we moved to Atlanta by faith, why wouldn’t He provide them in even more abundance in the future? Moreover, if God has provided a beautiful eternal home with Him and joys indescribable from being face to face with Him, why would He fail to do the lesser here on earth?
So, as surely as all of the above is true, we’re sure that moving to Orlando is better than staying here. If God has directed us to move there, then following Him will be, by far, the best option.

~ David & Shannon

We're Moving to Orlando

2005-10-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

Say What? . . .Move to Orlando?
Perhaps you’ve heard our big news already or perhaps you’re asking the same question we asked ourselves after first coming to grips with this fact: We’ve sensed the Lord directing us to take on a new position within Campus Crusade for Christ. This opportunity involves moving to Orlando, Florida where Campus Crusade’s International Headquarters is located.
We actually said “NO” to the opportunity initially. It was a really big, difficult decision for us. You can read how the Lord worked (and still is working) in our hearts at this blog post: So How Do You Really Feel About It?

When?

Sometime in 2006. We’re not sure exactly when, because there’s a lot that has to happen before then.

Why?

We want to use technology for the glory of God. Over the last several years, we’ve been involved in developing several technology-based tools in reaching college students for Christ. It’s been a lot of fun and it’s been highly efficient in connecting people with God. The bottom line is: we want to be most effective in a role where increasingly more people are reached with the Good News.

To Do What?

David will be joining the Global Technology Office and serving Keith Seabourn, Campus Crusade’s Chief Technology Officer. Keith and his team are responsible for creating digital strategies to help connect people with the power of the gospel.

Here are some Key Prayer Requests:
BUT FIRST, what has to happen before we move?
~ See the Lord provide a good bit of new financial support.
~ Sell our house here.
~ Find a place to live in a very expensive and fast-growing market in Orlando.

Thank you beyond measure for your prayers during this time. If you have any questions at all, please call us, reply to this emails or click “contact us” at HandsHeadlines.com.

Read about How We Came to this Decision Here: http://handsheadlines.blogspot.com/2005/10/so-how-do-you-really-feel-about-it.html

There’ll be more updates on our move posted at www.HandsHeadlines.BlogSpot.com (this is our web-log, a subsection of HandsHeadlines) throughout the coming months. Since these updates may be more frequent, keep checking this link or subscribe to the feed.

By His Grace and Through Your Support,
~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby
http://www.handsheadlines.com/
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The Hands
514 Benson Hurst Drive
Mableton, GA 30126
770-944-0036

Contributions:
Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail to:

Campus Crusade Contributions
Account # 0438803
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

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Click here for the homepage of our website, Hands Headlines. com

Yard Sale

2005-09-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

We had a fabulous yard sale and sold (or should we say. . .unloaded?) LOTS of stuff!

Our sale was motivated by:

A) Our upcoming move

B) Increasing household hazards encountered when closets or attic was opened and all of our piled up junk would come crashing down on you!

Yard Sale "Before" pic: Staging sale items in the garage.

Customers showed up even before dawn on Saturday!

Yard Sale "After" pic: Just about everything was sold!

Great Anticipation

2005-08-25T13:38:00.000-04:00

Click Here for More Family Pics

Thank you for praying for us over the summer months. We appreciate you so much! A special thanks to you who have prayed for Shannon's mom. Here is an update on her condition.

We have returned home from Colorado after serving at Campus Crusade’s National Staff Training Conference (see photos here). It was a very good experience! What two words would we use to summarize our time?

GREAT

”Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”Psalm 145:2-4 (NIV)

We had asked you to pray for good times with the Lord. Several times during the summer we were impressed with the simple greatness of God. His greatness holds all things together. And, nothing ever exceeds His greatness. Catch a glimpse here of His greatness from "That's My King" - a re-creation of a sermon by S.M. Lockridge.

Amazingly, we are loved by this great God! Perhaps even more amazingly: He uses us to communicate His greatness to others.

ANTICIPATION
We were refreshed and renewed with a sense of anticipation. Through the conference and the many godly staff members from around the world with whom we came in contact, we were reminded of why we do what we do. It became crystal clear when Dr. Steve Douglass, President of Campus Crusade for Christ, described in detail the future direction of our organization:

Help build spiritual movements (of multiplying disciples for Christ) everywhere so that, one day soon, everyone will know someone who truly follows Jesus.

We exist to help fulfill the Great Commission. It is a huge task, yet it is ultimately the Lord’s task. Therefore, it is destined to be fulfilled. . . .Soon, we hope! Citing worldwide church planting and growth statistics as well as many amazing first-hand accounts of people receiving Christ in closed countries, Dr. Douglass said, “I believe God is stepping things up today.”

- View our photos from the conference here.

- View recent fun family photos here.

Serving Him with you,
~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby
http://www.handsheadlines.com/
--------------------------------------------------------
The Hands
514 Benson Hurst Drive
Mableton, GA 30126
770-944-0036

Contributions:
Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail to:

Campus Crusade Contributions
Account # 0438803
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

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Click here for the homepage of our website, Hands Headlines. com

Photos from Colorado Conference

2005-08-24T14:55:00.000-04:00

Some views from the Staff Training Conference:

About 5,000 of our North American Staff plus nearly 7,000 of their children attended the conference. Worship times were rich! Click here to catch a glimpse.

It took several days of hard work to build the stage (above) and prepare lighting, audio and video for the conference.

Dr. Steve Douglass, President of Campus Crusade for Christ, spoke to us several times. His vision for the future direction of Campus Crusade is exciting.

Other speakers included: John Piper, Dr. Crawford Lorritts, Joe Stowell (pres of Moody Bible Institute), Alice Matthews and others. You can actually view the recorded conference sessions in their entirety for free at http://www.csuweb.org/archived.aspx (Sorry, John Piper's sessions are not included here)

Steve Douglass and wife Judy pause for a moment during the conference.

Dr. Douglass is joined by his daughters Debbi and Michele during a special prayer time for parents.

One of our favorite speakers was Dr. Crawford Loritts. He and his wife have been on staff with Campus Crusade for over 25 years. Later this year, Crawford will leave staff to pastor Fellowship Bible Church in North Atlanta. Click here to see more on this.

Crawford Loritts called to Fellowship Bible

2005-08-22T12:57:00.000-04:00

One of the happy/sad moments at the Campus Crusade Staff Conference this summer was praying for and sending out Dr. Crawford Loritts and his wife Karen to assume to pastorate of Fellowship Bible Church in north Atlanta. (Read their press release here)

Crawford is man who sincerely loves the Lord and has left a legacy. If you ever have the chance to hear him speak, it will be memorable for sure!

Update on Shannon's Mom

2005-08-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

Thank you for praying for Shannon's mom, Jerry Lee Eads. This has been a rough summer for her, but all in all we're so thankful for God's extreme faithfulness through it all.

Early this Spring, doctors discovered a 'spot' on one of her lungs - almost by "accident." After several, several consultations, tests and inconclusive evidence on what exactly the 'spot' was, they scheduled a surgical biopsy to remove it in June. During the surgery, they discovered the spot to be cancerous and at that time proceeded to remove the entire bottom half of her lung as a precaution. This is quite a drastic surgery - different from what she expected - and she was in the hospital for two weeks.

Never a smoker, Jerry says it's a mystery how the cancer developed. But, only as God can arrange, the doctors are confident they discovered it (by "accident") at its earliest possible stage of development.

Jerry has written out the story of her ordeal with all the cancer tests, lung surgery and slow recovery below:

Truly Blessed

My story started mid March, 2005 when I, along with several of our friends were all getting sick with a viral infection much like a cold that wouldn’t go away.
I found my way to my doctor’s office hoping mine was bacterial and that an antibiotic would be the “cure” I needed. You see, I took early retirement from Glaxo Smithkline Pharmaceuticals and I had been “sold” on the fact that an antibiotic would fix whatever hurt. Dr. Matt Gangwer informed me that as I had thought, the cold was viral and prescribed a decongestant along with some cough syrup, which I don’t recall ever getting filled.

A couple weeks later, I decided that I had been ill long enough and I found my way back to see Dr. Gangwer again thinking, my temperature may mean that I did need that antibiotic now.
Dr. G. knows me and just to satisfy me, he told me I was still with all the other people trying to kick this bug but that maybe we should do a white blood cell count along with complete blood work and a chest x-ray. I left his office empty handed but pleased that he was working on helping me get rid of the “crud”.

A week passed, and one afternoon, the phone rang and Glen answered to hear that my chest x-ray showed a spot on my right lung and they had me scheduled for a C.T.Scan on April 13th. After a brief scare, I went for the scan and a couple days later, I finally got my antibiotic. The radiologist thought the spot was pneumonia. I took a 10 day regimen of antibiotic and back to Dr. G. for another x-ray. From there, he recommended another C.T. Scan to be sure the pneumonia was gone.

The second scan was on May 13th. This scan still showed a spot but no one knew exactly what. Next, Dr. G. went more aggressive and ordered a P.E.T. Scan which shows any malignancy from the top of the skull to the thighs. This procedure was done in a Mobile that goes to the different local hospitals. They put lots of radio-active stuff in your body and let you set and rest while it goes through you. The scan then should show up the malignancy in a special color so the radiologist can easily recognize the problem areas. I was sure that was my “yes or no” turning point. “Yes”, I need to go further or “no”, it is not anything to worry about…probably just inflammation or scar tissue that has been there forever. My answer did not come back clear. It seems, the scan did not show the right color for cancer but it still shows something there in question.

Dr. G. then referred me to a pulmonary specialist, Dr. Lisa McKinney. My first visit with Dr. McKinney told me for sure that she was a very caring person and would do everything within her power to get to the bottom of this. She set me up for a “Broncscopy” where they go down in your lung with a camera and brush to check the cells around the area in question. This procedure went fine except when she got through, we still didn’t have an answer. Everything around the spot was clean per pathology but she couldn’t get all the way to where she needed to be so we still didn’t have a “Yes or No” situation..

Dr. McKinney’s next suggestion was to have a needle biopsy but I am quite leary of needles and opted to skip that trip. From there, she asked me to choose a Thoratic Surgeon for a second opinion. I choose Dr. Marcus Williams from the East Tenn State University teaching group. Dr. Williams has a wonderful reputation for doing Heart By-pass Surgery and I felt that I could certainly trust him with my lungs and if I should have a heart attack during surgery, the Doc would be right there.

Dr. Williams office was extremely nice and helpful. Dr. Williams was somewhat surprised at all the tests I had done and still not sure what they were dealing with but he told me that regardless whether the spot was malignant or benign, it would need to be removed because it could grow in my lung. The next thing I heard was me saying “just do it”. I am sure those words came from a higher calling.

I was in no way prepared at home or at my job with Necessary Oil Company to be away on medical leave without making arrangements. Also, I had signed up to help at Bible School the next week and it would put them in a bind to look for someone that late. However, Dr. Williams came back with a date on the calendar for the next Thursday, June 23rd approximately 11 a.m.at Johnson City Medical Center and this other voice I mentioned came out of my mouth agreeing to the time and place.

I scurried around to get some loose ends tied up at home and work and called the church to notify them that I was going to be a little “busy” during Bible School Week.
What Have I Done???

We went to bed earlier than usual because we had to be in Johnson City at 5:00 A.M. Friday morning. I walked into the hospital ready to take on the world feeling just super not dreading my surgery but just glad to finally get some closure on this shadow that had followed me since that chance meeting in March and now in June, I felt like we would soon know the “rest of the story”.

Well, surgery became a lot more involved than anyone expected. Dr. Williams recognized that my spot was malignant and proceeded to the next step which meant he would take the lower lobe of my right lung in order to remove the spot completely.

I don’t seem to ever do things the “simple” way. First, I had to have a couple units of blood. Well, I don’t really like having someone else’s blood, but at this point, I couldn’t thank God enough for that someone who had recently donated O-Negative Blood and it seemed to be there just for me. It was from the start of surgery, Murphy’s Law was with me. The first week was a roller coaster to say the least but the worse thing was an upper G.I. problem where I couldn’t eat for a few days, so back to hooking up the ole IV’s again and starting over.
To make a long story short – my hospital stay was 13 days and I lost 15 pounds which I couldn’t afford to loose (I only weighed 105 to start with).

Thankfully, on day 13, I finally got to leave the hospital at 6:00 pm. I was so happy to be home but yet so low on energy that I felt like staying in bed except for the fact that the bed wasn’t comfortable. I could only lie on my back and I have never been a back sleeper (either side will do- but not my back). Most of the time, I sat in the recliner or on the sofa with my feet propped up. I waited for bedtime and once in bed, I waited for morning to get up and try again. Comfort was a former way of life.

One week, two weeks, three weeks and finally four before I actually began to feel like I could be a little independent again and actually felt like doing a few things for myself.
I look back at those days and think how God was taking such good care of me. When my mind wanted to go, my body knew it needed rest and it stopped to rest and to heal. Above all the things that did go wrong, the main thing is how ironic it is that we found that tiny little spot and with all the grief it has caused my physical body, removing it has saved my life from the horror of lung cancer in a more advanced stage that probably would be past the operating stage. There was more to finding that little spot than humans take credit for. Dr. G. told me on my latest visit that he was sure that there was three of us in the room that day that he ordered the chest x-ray and that it showed up just large enough for the radiologist, Dr. Harold Ross, to see that there was a problem.

We have been so truly blessed by the one and only God who has protected us and given us another chance at life to the fullest to serve Him and to share with others my story of
how we have been “truly blessed”.

Special Family Pics

2005-08-20T10:45:00.000-04:00

Fun shots from this summer:

The girls enjoy an outdoor concert in Fort Collins.

Throwin rocks in the river!

Riding 'Sugar' at Papaw & Nana's house

Avery turned 6 in July.

Below are a few scenes from our 4th of July picnic and kids parade in Fort Collins:

Just good ol' summertime fun!

That's My King!

2005-08-19T10:19:00.000-04:00

Possibly one of the most powerful sermons of this century is also one of the shortest!

Dr. S.M. Lockridge (S.M. is for Shadrach Meshach - his real name!) was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, San Diego CA from 1953 - 1993. He entered heaven in 2000.

At the Campus Crusade Staff Conference this summer, we saw a moving audio-visual re-creation of Dr. Lockridge's sermon entitled "My King." Just under five minutes in length, it rivets your focus on our matchless King. Here is a link where you can listen to the audio and read the words to this sermon: http://www.bible-commentaries.com/source/audio/myking.htm We encourage you to listen to it at least two or three times. And worship Him.

You may also purchase an audio-visual slide show (slightly different from the one we saw this summer) for $15 at SermonSpice.com.

Made it to Colorado

2005-06-24T13:36:00.000-04:00

HANDS HEADLINES E-Letter

---------June 28, 2005 E-Letter: ----------------

We're in Ft. Collins, CO for about nine weeks this summer to help facilitate Campus Crusade's National Staff Training Conference. It happens every other summer and it's quite a highlight. 5,000 missionaries; 7,000 missionary kids; 30 Bible classes; 20 Worship sessions; A County Fair for the kids; and a partridge in a pear tree! :)

Here's a chronicle of our trip out here. . . including a quick weekend return to Atlanta for a close friend/neighbor's wedding!

JUNE 1
Depart Atlanta. Minivan fully loaded. Spend the night with 'Nana & Papaw' in Virginia.

JUNE 2
Fun trip to Dollywood with the grandparents

JUNE 3
Spent the night in Greenfield, Indiana at the KOA Campground. Enjoyed a real campfire, roasted hotdogs, gazed at numerous stars. Had a blast with our friends Dave & Lori Vaughan - the new proprietors of the campground. We highly recommend a visit with them if you're camping or just passing through (only 15 minutes from downtown Indianapolis).

JUNE 6
Arrived in Fort Collins!! Home of Colorado State University, home of Campus Crusade's National Staff Training Conference

JUNE 7
After arriving in Ft. Collins, we promptly visited a favorite place: WALRUS ICE CREAM! Possibly the best ice cream on the planet. New flavors everyday. Check them out at www.walrusicecream.com

Here's Toby enjoying his first ice cream cone! . . .and he didn't want to stop with only one!

JUNE 9

Were surprised by a brief hail storm which covered the ground with golf-ball sized hail. Was our new minivan damaged? (see it in the background)
. . . Thankfully, NO.

JUNE 11

We took a Saturday day-trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park - only about an hour from here. It was incredibly beautiful.

. . .And we saw some snow!!

No this is not a scanned postcard. We took this one! This is just one of the many lakes up in the park.

Sweeeeet!

We took a short hike with the kiddos. Toby rode in the backpack.

Seems like he got a lot heavier at 10,000 feet altitude! (and therefore Mom carried him!)

Dad posed for the photos.

Saw some elk, too!

JUNE 16
Flew back to Atlanta for a close friend/neighbor's wedding! 'Miss Andrea' has been babysitting for us since Avery was about 5 months old. Her parents are good friends and live in our neighborhood in Mableton.

JUNE 19
Returned to Fort Collins.

JUNE 26
That about brings us up to date!

Please pray for:

~ A refreshing time with the Lord this summer. Pray for our quiet times and times to read and reflect.

~ Our love for Jesus to grow deeper and for this to translate into a genuine love for people who are lost. (Luke 10:27; Duet. 6:5)

~ Pray for the National Staff Training Conference that it will be a time for renewed vision and strengthening for all our missionaries. They serve on the front lines every day and definitely need to be renewed and equipped.

~ Pray especially for several of our international missionaries (non-U.S. citizens) as they travel to the conference. They probably need this conference more than any of us, yet they risk the most to be here.

Looking forward to what God has in store,

~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby

www.HandsHeadlines.com

--------------------------------------------------------

The Hands

514 Benson Hurst Drive

Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

Contributions:

Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail
to:

Campus Crusade Contributions

Account # 0438803

100 Lake Hart Drive

Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Click here for the homepage of our website, Hands Headlines. com

"Miss Andrea's" Wedding

2005-06-18T17:32:00.000-04:00

It was a true highlight and a real joy to be a part of Andrea & Justin Owen's wedding!

Avery and Addison had been eagerly anticipating being flower girls for months.

The girls love Miss Andrea!

Getting 'rolled' before the big show!

Ready, set, wait!

Practicing standing very still. . .

. . .and not so still!

The big moment with the bridesmaids

Celebrating with Andrea

Dancing with Mr. Justin at the reception

. . .and they lived happily ever after!

Lord Provides Minivan for Hand Clan

2005-05-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

HANDS HEADLINES E-Letter

---------May 21, 2005 E-Letter: ----------------

Q: Did you recently get a Minivan?
A: YES, praise the Lord. It’s a 2000 Honda Odyssey with 78,000 miles. It’s such a blessing and really an amazing story of how God provided it: We were running out of room in our family car (a ’93 Honda Accord) and knew we needed a larger vehicle for our trip this summer. In order to get a minivan, we had to( A) quickly sell David’s truck for needed funds and (B) trust the Lord for approximately $6000 in addition to that. Well, the truck sold in about 5 hours and then we received gifts for over $6000 in just 5 days! After we had the money, we looked to see if a particular van we had seen in the Autotrader magazine was still for sale. When we’d looked at this particular van (the one we ended up buying) about three weeks prior, we thought it would have quickly sold because it was immaculate and very appropriately priced. We called and it was still for sale. Not only that, the owners even lowered the price several hundred dollars!

Q: What did the Lord teach you through trusting Him for the van?
A: Our main prayer was that we would see GOD Himself in the provision more than the provision itself. He did just that. We've been humbled and amazed. People were not only quick to respond to our financial need but they also sent us such great encouragement which gave evidence to the amount of prayer people were lifting up on our behalf. God seemed to say to us, "I've gone to the extreme to make sure you have a wonderful eternal home with Me. Why would you doubt that I would provide such a small gift for you?"

Q: Now, what exactly are you going to be doing this summer?
A: We will be serving on a team of Campus Crusade staff members who “run” the National Staff Training Conference at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado. It’s a huge conference which is held there every other summer. Over 5,000 staff and about 7,000 of the staff’s children will attend! We’ll be driving out on June 1st and will return around August 2nd.

Q: Why does Campus Crusade have their Staff Training Conference in Colorado? Also, why is it so important?
A: Even though Campus Crusade for Christ’s headquarters is in Orlando. FL, Colorado State University is practically the only location in the country which is available during the summers and large enough to host such a conference as ours. The conference is vital for our staff – missionaries who serve on the front lines every day. It’s an environment where they can experience needed refreshing and renewal. The conference also provides Bible and training classes which help them become more effective in ministry.

Q: Hey Kids! How do you like the new minivan? And, what have you been up to recently?
A: We love our new minivan! Some of our friends have already gotten to have a ride in it with us! Last weekend was Toby’s 1st birthday. He had cake! And it was also the weekend of our big dance recital. Pictures are on our website!

Grateful for you,

~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby
--------------------------------------------------------

The Hands

514 Benson Hurst Drive

Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

Contributions:

Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail
to:

Contributions

Account # 0438803

100 Lake Hart Drive

Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Click here for the homepage of our website, Hands
Headlines. com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Birthday and Dance Recital Weekend

2005-05-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we celebrated Toby's 1st Birthday! Also, on top of that, we attended Avery and Addison's Dance Recital - the culmination of their hard work all year. It was a joy to watch!

Enjoy the pictures:

btw, if you want to order the photo portraits taken by the professional photographer (not these above, taken by non-professional me!), here's the links for . . .

Addison - http://jackreece.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=2444672

Avery - http://jackreece.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=2444669

Minivan for Hand Clan

2005-04-21T20:51:00.000-04:00

This post is one small section of our personal website: http://www.HandsHeadlines.com - Visit there often for more updates. Thanks!

Finally, we admit it: we need a minivan.
Although we really enjoy our Honda Accord (what can beat its 34mpg!?) yet, as a family car, it is getting a little cramped. Especially on long trips.

~The Kids in Our Current Family Car – a 1993 Honda Accord with 180,000 miles. Although they’re normally very content back there (Toby isn’t showing it), we’re simply running out of room.

This summer we have the privilege of serving over 5000 Campus Crusade missionaries at our National Staff Training Conference (we served on this special Conference Team in 2003 as well). What this means for our family is packing up everyone (and our stuff) and driving out to Ft. Collins, Colorado for nine weeks! Hence, a minivan sure would be nice.

We’re trusting the Lord to provide the money for a used minivan. If there are extra funds available in our Campus Crusade donations account (currently there aren’t), we can request additional salary to cover the purchase.

As the Lord directs and enables you, would you consider giving a special gift of $1000, $500, $350 or any amount to help meet this need? If only 12 people gave $500 each, our need would be met.

As always, we appreciate you sharing this need with us in prayer. It will be exciting to see how and when the Lord responds!

If the Lord leads you to give, there are several easy options:

>> You can give right now online at our secure donation’s page: https://give.ccci.org/give?Action=ViewDetail&Desig=0438803

>> Give by phone (credit card) - Call toll free 1-888-CRUSADE (888) 278-7233

>> Send check by mail to
David & Shannon Hand
514 Benson Hurst Dr.
Mableton, GA 30126

>> There are other alternatives for giving (some tax-deductible, some not), just contact us at (770) 944-0036 or http://handsheadlines.com/contact.htm

Above all else, please pray for:

~ A relatively quick purchase of a good, used minivan.

~ We’ll be traveling together over 3,200 miles this summer as we drive to Colorado to serve on the Campus Crusade National Staff Training Conference Team. (We’ll share more on this in our next prayer letter)

~ We leave for Colorado in late May – for 9 weeks. Our desire is to have a minivan before then.

~ To procure some funds, we just sold David’s truck for $3600.

~ After using the above funds, we estimate we’ll still need roughly $6000 (depending on the purchase price of the van).

~ What kind of minivan are we looking for?
Used; Reliable; Clean; Able to last another 6 or 7 years; 1998 – 2002 year model; Between 60,000 to 95,000miles; Seating for 7 or 8

Gratefully yours,

David & Shannon

This post is one small section of our personal website: http://www.HandsHeadlines.com - Visit there often for more updates. Thanks!

Redemptive Stories

2005-03-25T14:40:00.000-05:00

http://redemptivestories.blogspot.com

I'm launching a new Blog called Redemptive Stories. You can check it out by clicking the direct link above.

It'll be a topical blog. Basically an ongoing series of short articles, stories, and commentary exploring personal redemptive stories on the web. Mostly some snippets from my journals over the last few years of developing StorySpot.com.

Please help me spread the word about this if it interests you.

http://redemptivestories.blogspot.com

Avery Publishes First Book!

2005-03-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

Since Avery loves to color and create her own stories, we recently got her one of those do-it-yourself kits where you fill out the pre-made book pages and send it in to the company. Then in about 4 weeks, ta-dah, your child receives his/her very own hardback book complete with author credits and everything!
Avery's book is Adventure on Blackberry Mountain. It features herself, Addison, Toby and Papaw and Nana on an epic adventure to pick blackberries and escape from a hungry black bear! (They do escape, of course, and even end up sharing blackberry pie with the bear!)

Is There a God?

2005-03-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

HANDS HEADLINES E-Letter

---------March 15, 2005 E-Letter: ----------------

Hello again! This month is so full of happenings that there’s not space to print all of them. Click these links to read more about: Student 2 Student Update (100 people trust Christ through this strategy in which students commit to be intentional about praying for friends who don't know Christ and sharing the gospel with them); We Do Disney; Kids Update; and more. The story below was adapted from WorldWide Challenge – an excellent magazine published six times a year. Let us know if you’d like a subscription. We’d be glad to have it sent to you!

Just Browsing

"Is there a God?" Patricia Calderon typed into her computer. Ask Jeeves, The Internet search engine, boasts the ability to find the answer to any question. This was just one of many search engines Patricia frequently used to find all kinds of information, from news to music. But could it really tell her about God?

The first site she opened was www.EveryStudent.com, an evangelistic effort by Campus Crusade for Christ. She blinked in amazement when she saw the first article. It was titled, "Is There A God?"

"It freaked me out," she remembers about looking at the entire list of articles. "Every single question I had, it was all right there."

She started reading, frozen to her computer. The minutes turned to hours: She read about knowing God, and she read about how to become a Christian. "When I read that God doesn't care about us praying lofty, spiritual words, He cares about our hearts, it was so freeing. So I just prayed, 'Yeah, what it says on the screen, God, I want that; I want to know You.'"

Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of online Americans use the Internet to perform spiritual and religious activities, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. But Patricia's story is an example of how God is using the Internet to reach young people today. Over 2,000 of the 300,000+ visitors to EveryStudent.com have indicated that they have placed their faith in Christ just in the last few months. This does not include over 800 visitors from closed Muslim countries who visited the Arabic version of the site and indicated that they also trusted Christ!

It was early in the morning when Patricia invited Christ into her heart, with tears streaming down her face. At 2:49 a.m., she sent an e-mail to Ana Arias, one of 60 Campus Crusade staff members (including David) equipped to respond to emails through the EveryStudent.com site. At this point, Patricia was preparing for her freshman year of college at UC-Davis and she feared that something might happen to her mom after she moved away. "If I pray hard enough," Patricia wrote, "do you think she'll be OK?"

Ana e-mailed back the next day, assuring Patricia that being honest with God about her fear was a good thing, that she should give all her fears to God and trust Him with the future.

Patricia's next step was college, and one of the first people she met was a student involved with Campus Crusade. She now regularly attends Campus Crusade meetings and actively talks about her faith with non-Christian friends.

Thank you for the part you play in seeing the lives of students changed for Christ!! Your investment is reaping eternal rewards.

~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby

--------------------------------------------------------

The Hands

514 Benson Hurst Drive

Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

Contributions:

Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail
to:

Contributions

Account # 0438803

100 Lake Hart Drive

Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Click here for the homepage of our website, Hands
Headlines. com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Student 2 Student Update

2005-03-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

In our February edition of Hands Headlines (E-Letter), we told you about Student 2 Student - a strategy in which students involved in Campus Crusade commit to be intentional about praying for friends who don't know Christ and sharing the gospel with them.

Our students around the country have been praying for the Lord to bring 50,000 of their peers to Christ through this strategy. This is quite a goal of faith! Yet, it has been fun to see reports of how the Lord has been using it. Very recently we received word that a milestone has been reached: 100 students have now trusted Christ!

We've posted a downloadable pdf file (you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software) to view this file) with the stories of the first 25 people who have come to Christ. You've got to read these stories. But don't just read them - praise God together with us for what He is doing. And we can expect God to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Eph 3:20)!

So let's begin asking for 200!

And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. [Acts 2:47]

Prayer Items

2005-03-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

Please continue to lift us up over the next few weeks and months. There's no doubt we need it!

There are a few specific requests below, but we always enjoy praying through Scripture, so we've given you a few passages you can pray for us. We always know we pray according to God's will when we pray His Word!

Thanks!

I pray that David & Shannon will delight themselves in You, Lord, knowing that You will give
them the desires of their heart.
--Psalm 37:4

O Lord, remind David & Shannon continually that You alone are their strength, and that it is
You who allows them to accomplish any high and lofty goals.
--Habakkuk 3:19

O Lord, grant that David & Shannon remember often Your deep and abiding love for them,
knowing that they will ultimately be victorious spiritually because You died for them.
--Romans 8:37

Lord, I ask You to help David & Shannon to confess their sins before You, remembering that
You are faithful and just and will cleanse them from sin and forgive them for all
unrighteousness.
--I John 1:9

O God, let David & Shannon always be confident in approaching You, remembering that You
hear their prayers when they ask in accord with Your will. May they always pray this way,
with confidence.
-- I John 5:14-15

As always, pray for our time alone with the Lord. We yearn for and are challenged to find extended quiet time.
Pray for Shannon as she homeschools Avery while caring for Addison and Toby, too.
Ask God to support us with encouraging relationships and that He would use us to reach our neighbors.
Pray for David as he responds to emails from www.EveryStudent.com It's obvious that many of the students who submit a question to the site have very limited knowledge of the gospel or have been misinformed. There seems to be a real openess with many of them.

Story Stops Killer

2005-03-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

Since I helped created StorySpot.com, I can't help but comment on this:

Ashley Smith shared her story with Brian Nichols. God used it. He surrendered.

The whole scenario was quite amazing, but what I find most interesting is that God directed Nichols to a woman with a story - precisely the story he needed to hear. Nichols went to a seemingly random apartment complex, confronted and held hostage a seemingly random woman.

Ashley said, "Most of my time was spent talking to this man about my life and experiences in my life, things that had happened to me."

Four years prior, Ashley's husband had been murdered. She was at his side when he died.

Recalling the painful details of that day must have moved Nichols. Beyond that, Smith went on to connect the dots for Nichols - showing him that God could redeem his horrible crimes and involve him in a much grander purpose:
"And I just talked with him a little more, just about -- about -- we pretty much talked about God ... what his reason was, why he made it out of there.
I said, "Do you believe in miracles? Because if you don't believe in miracles -- you are here for a reason. You're here in my apartment for some reason. You got out of that courthouse with police everywhere, and you don't think that's a miracle? You don't think you're supposed to be sitting here right in front of me listening to me tell you, you know, your reason here?"
I said, "You know, your miracle could be that you need to -- you need to be caught for this. You need to go to prison and you need to share the word of God with them, with all the prisoners there."

Wow. The power of story. Ashley shared how God changed her life. And then invited Nichols to enter into The Story by allowing God to change him too.

Atlanta Hostage Knows Jesus?

2005-03-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

After reading the transcript of what Ashley Smith said to reporters yesterday, I think she does.

Smith was held at gunpoint for several hours by Brian Nichols - the man who killed four people after escaping from guards before his trial in an Atlanta courthouse Friday morning.

Authorities had no clue of his whereabouts until early Saturday morning when Smith called police after Nichols let her walk free from her apartment.

Why did he not harm her after killing others? Why did he even choose to approach Smith at her apartment complex in a very populated area? And why did he let her go - knowing she would call police - and then surrender himself without incident?

My pure opinion says that only God could bring such an amazing end to such a violent beginning.

According to Ashley, Nichols become very calm after several hours with her. Not that she wasn't scared to death, she did want to gain his trust, so she engaged him in conversation. She stated, "But after we began to talk, he said he thought that I was an angel sent from God. . . .And that he was lost and God lead him right to me to tell him that he had hurt a lot of people. And the families -- the people -- to let him know how they felt, because I had gone through it myself." Ashley Smith's husband had died four years earlier from stab wounds - himself brutally murdered. She spent much of the time sharing her own story with Nichols. Obviously the Lord used her story to impact him.

And, check this out: She also read him passages from the Bible and a devotional book called The Purpose Driven Life!

Ashley Smith said, "He needed hope for his life. He told me that he was already dead. He said, "Look at me, look at my eyes. I am already dead."
And I said, "You are not dead. You are standing right in front of me. If you want to die, you can. It's your choice."But after I started to read to him, he saw -- I guess he saw my faith and what I really believed in. And I told him I was a child of God and that I wanted to do God's will. I guess he began to want to. That's what I think."

That's what I think too, Ashley.

The full transcript is online at CNN.com. It's pretty amazing.

Sharing Online

2005-03-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

George Barna released a report in January entitled Survey Shows How Christians Share Their Faith In it was this comment:

"Young adults are much more likely to share their faith through ongoing discussions with friends and through e-mail and instant message conversations than are middle-aged and older adults...They are less likely to engage in means that their generation finds offensive, such as street preaching or moral confrontation. The early signs suggest that the emerging generation the Mosaics, who presently are in their early twenties down through early childhood will continue along this vein. Ministries seeking to prepare people to effectively share their faith in today's society would advance the process by enabling young adults to carry on knowledgeable conversations about the substance of the Christian faith and how it affects all dimensions of a person's life. The ability to relate biblical principles to current issues and personal struggles that is, to interact beyond the level of simply "getting saved" will be crucial for the future of effective outreach efforts."

I see two things here:

1. We need to continue to train youth in relational evangelism...continue with the basics...train them up...show them how the Gospel penetrates their lives daily (this mission will never change)

2. We need to continue (begin?) training youth in how to use the internet effectively for ministry. This also includes providing effective tools for ministry to happen.

* Copied from Rob Williams’ effective web ministry notes site: http://eministrynotes.blogspot.com/2005/03/sharing-online.html

"all manner of group consciousness"

2005-03-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

A wise man, grandfather, and long time neighborhood friend, Mr. Hammond, recently made an observation on our current family dynamics: "Two kids give the family 'feel,' but the third one brings all manner of group consciousness and operational strategies!" Shannon and I have repeated this to one another several times already and it certainly is true!

Look Mommy! It's Gone!

2005-02-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

Avery lost her first tooth last night. She actually pulled it out herself. We seem to have misplaced the tooth now, so this photo is good evidence!

good ol' charlie brown!

2005-02-25T11:15:00.000-05:00

We Do Disney

2005-02-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

We returned safely from a long anticipated vacation to Orlando. We did Disney. Four days, four different parks. Met all 6? princesses, plus Donald, Mickey and others. Toby's favorite was Pooh. The girls loved every second of it! They even got picked by Belle to be in a small "show" on stage. We got three Mickey Mouse balloons (yes, the BIG kind) and stuffed them in the back seat of our Accord with all three kids for the ride home. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of that!
What a blast! We were joined by Shannon's parents. We all thouroughly enjoyed the time!

Welcome

2005-02-04T13:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Hands Headlines - our personal blog designed to give you a quick porthole view of our lives and ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ.

This is a subsection of our personal site - HandsHeadlines.com

Student 2 Student

2005-02-02T14:14:00.000-05:00

HANDS HEADLINES E-Letter

---------February 2, 2005 E-Letter: ----------------

The final week of December, 2004, hundreds of college students from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi gathered in Atlanta for Campus Crusade's annual Christmas Conference. These five days were designed to help students grow in their relationships with God and to equip them to make an eternal difference on their college campuses.

One afternoon during the conference, we invited several local students up to our hotel room for a "cookout." We roasted hot dogs and s'mores! Toby didn't get to eat any, but he loved the attention! It was good to connect with these students who all live quite close to us (in north Atlanta) and hear what the Lord was teaching them. We didn't set off any smoke detectors, either!

Speaking on 2 Corinthians 5:14, "For the love of Christ controls us..." Dr. Crawford Loritts, a 30-year Crusade staff member, challenged those at the conference to live out what this verse truly means about our identity in Christ. Because of who we are as children of Christ, we are compelled to share the gospel with others. When we share Christ we are being who God made us to be.

Over the next few months students from the Atlanta Christmas Conference will be participating in "Student 2 Student," reaching their campuses for Christ together. Each student who attended the conference has committed to be intentional about praying for friends who don't know Christ and sharing the gospel with them. Please join us in praying that 50,000 college students across the nation would accept Christ this semester as a direct result of hearing the gospel from someone who attended a Christmas Conference. This would be equivalent to each student in the United States who is involved in Crusade seeing one person come to Christ through their personal evangelism.

Thank you for the part you play in seeing the lives of these students changed for Christ!! Your investment is reaping eternal rewards.

~ David & Shannon + Avery, Addison & Toby

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>> The Hands
514 Benson Hurst Drive
Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

>> Contributions:
Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail to:

Contributions
Account # 0438803
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

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Click here for the homepage of our website, Hands Headlines. com

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Danny McKinney - A Tribute

2004-12-13T14:15:00.000-05:00

Transitions are never easy. This one won’t be easy for Danny and Christy, nor for us. Especially not for me.

Although several staff members have had a profound “shaping” experience on my spiritual development, I can not think of a guy on staff who has had a more direct, personal influence on me than Danny. Perhaps I have benefited from his influence more than any other staff member for such an extended period of time.

I’m extremely grateful for his leadership, friendship and encouragement to me in ministry over the last 12 years.

When I was a student at Georgia Tech, Danny arrived on campus with his cowboy boots, Mississippi license plate and his immutable mustache! His simple, country-style presence was slightly out of place in Tech’s urbanized environment yet hardly a student did not welcome his very polite, upbeat, faith-filled yet perhaps slightly naïve (in a good way) attitude. He made his home in a dilapidated 1930s era house called the “Mansion” which had been rented out to students for years. (It was later demolished as Danny will recall with relish as Georgia Tech gave the old campus a facelift in preparation to host the 1996 Olympics.)

Danny lived with four Tech students and had a dramatic influence on them. Several of them went from being marginally involved with Crusade to finding themselves serving as student summer project directors and new staff members within just a couple of years. I know for a fact that all of his former housemates now live with a life-long view of discipleship.

Later, as a new staff member myself at Georgia Tech, I had the privilege to live with Danny. Our living conditions weren’t much improved over the Mansion. At least we had central heat and air (unlike the Mansion), but our bachelor house décor included little more than ratty-looking donated couches and plastic dinnerware. Ah, but that did not stop us from seeing good times roll there! Although his work ethic was unparalleled – often Danny would wake and leave the house before 7am even on the weekends – he had a love for “hang-out” time and also for practical jokes.

Most people who know Danny will attest to the fact that he is never afraid to think outside the box or to dream big with ministry plans. Danny has shared with us several times the story of how God gave him the vision to trust Him for a city-wide ministry in Atlanta. Keep in mind that this was sometime in the early 90’s – a couple of years before the concepts of Catalytic were mainstreamed or even viewed as mildly popular amongst staff. Danny says that one day as he was driving down the interstate in the heart of Atlanta, looking at the skyline, it was almost as if God said, “I know this is a big city, but there are students all across this landscape who are waiting to hear. . .and I want to reach them!”

From that point on Danny pursued this vision and began to operate on a whole different level. Knowing that he could not accomplish a city-wide strategy alone, his early steps were to develop the right people to work directly or indirectly in accomplishing very broad strokes of ministry. Sometimes his methods were unconventional, yet he practiced a deep love for people and developing his staff on a high level.

When I married Shannon in 1996, I left the then newly-formed Atlanta Metro Team to join the ministry at NC State where Shannon had served already for two years. In 1998, we felt the Lord leading us to return to Atlanta and serve under Danny’s leadership together. It’s not too common these days that campus staff get to move to a different region – in my case twice. Yet, Danny kept the door wide open for us to come back and join the team in Atlanta. If it weren’t for him, then I doubt we would have been allowed that rare freedom.

On the Metro Team in Atlanta, Danny encouraged students and staff to pioneer technology-based strategies for reaching students with the gospel. His entrepreneural approach helped spark and develop several passions I currently have in the world of ministry and technology – specifically www.StorySpot.com

When he makes mistakes, Danny’s actions reflects humility and teachability. His integrity is a hallmark character trait.

I know all this makes it sound like Danny on this high untouchable leadership plateau, and that he has few if any faults. He would be the first to admit otherwise. And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me admitting a few for him, too: J

Danny can’t spell worth a flip. He thanks the Lord everyday for his Microsoft Word spellcheck – it has saved his can on several occasions when typing an important email.
His grammar ain’t that good either (hey who am I to talk?).
When faced with situations where he has to spend extra money to repair something or accomplish a task he could do on his own, Danny usually would rather eat asphalt than pay someone to do it.
He’s a spendthrift ( a nice word for tightwad! ) and he can be hardheaded, too.
Often Danny thinks out loud. . .and he mumbles when he does. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Christy, I don’t see how you put up with this!

I didn’t want this to end up sounding like a eulogy, so I will end on the lighter notes. But in all seriousness, Danny, thank you so much for your labor and friendship! Where would I be without you? The Lord has used you to leave a legacy through your ministry with Campus Crusade. I speak for many when I say, “we’re deeply blessed because of you.”

May God continue to richly bless your family, peers, associates at Camp Highland and the camp kids through your life.

~ David Hand

www.HandsHeadlines.com

October 26, 2004 Prayer Letter

2004-10-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

HANDS HEADLINES

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>> The Hands

514 Benson Hurst Drive

Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

>> Contributions:

Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail
to:

Contributions

Account # 0438803

100 Lake Hart Drive

Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

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Click below to visit the homepage of our website, Hands Headlines. com

October 26, 2004 Newsletter :
I (David) spent my first year with Campus Crusade in eastern Europe – in Czechoslovakia, trying to reach out to English-speaking university students there. A good percentage of students there – perhaps a little over half – speak English, and one student named Tomas had particularly good English skills. Tomas and I became friends over that year. Yet, Tomas remained an atheist. He would always come to all the meetings and most of the small group Bible studies we had – even as an atheist – and he would always leave our meetings saying something like, “You still haven’t convinced to believe in God.”

That was in 1992. Communism had fallen in Czechoslovakia at the end of 1989, so Tomas had gone through most of his academic life being taught that there is no God.

The day before I left Czechoslovakia after having been there a year, Tomas came to me and said, “you know, I would like to stay in touch with you when you go back to America but I also want you to know that I think I will never become a Christian.” I told him that I would pray for him anyway and would still keep in touch.

Tomas and his family in Slovakia, 2002

Over the next few years, Shannon and I had the privilege to help send several teams of Campus Crusade staff and students back to Slovakia. And we would always tell them to go and visit Tomas. And they did! Year after year he got to hear the gospel. After a couple of years, one team came back after a summer trip and said that they had given Tomas a Bible and that he had started to read it. Then, about a year after that, another team came back and reported, “Guess what!? God broke through to Tomas. He prayed to receive Christ with us!” We, of course, were overjoyed but I asked, “What was it that caused him to believe? He always would say he wasn’t convinced.”

The team said, “he just told us one day that the stories about Jesus in the Bible all just seemed to really connect with him. Tomas just stopped and thought: If all these things are true, then the real question for me is: is God trustworthy? And Tomas said that, over time, God had convinced him that the answer was ‘Yes.’”

The best part of this story is that, today, Tomas is now a staff member with Campus Crusade for Christ in his country. He is being much more effective in doing what we had only prayed to do: reach students who, like Tomas, have so many doubts about God. Just about six months ago, we got a letter from Tomas including a picture of a young man named Juraj (Yur – Eye). It’s exciting to see how the gospel can change one person and then so quickly spread to hundreds of others.

Juraj (pronounced Yur-Eye)

Here's Juraj's Story:

"In my family, Christian traditions have always been very important. However, I never understood their true meaning. I went to church regularly but my idea of God was very vague and false. I always tried to live a good and morally perfect life. I was sure that soon I will be able to overcome the shortcomings I had. But the opposite was happening. I kept finding new and new faults and negative traits in myself, and in spite of all my honest and great effort I was not able to deal with them.

As a college student, I went to an English language camp one summer to improve my language skills. This camp was organized by Campus Crusade for Christ. I met many people there who were much closer to my unreachable ideal of a “good life” than I was ever able to get to. I didn’t understand why it was so. They said they were Christians and they had a personal relationship with Jesus. I didn’t understand that either.

“Why, I am a Christian as well, and I go to church and believe in God just like they do,” I kept saying to myself. This experience was so strong that two years later I decided to go to another English camp. The same thing happened again but this time I was intent on finding out what I was missing, what I had to do to become like them. I found answers to my questions and shortly after I returned home from this camp I trusted Jesus as my Savior and gave my life to Him.

Four years have passed since then. Many things have happened in my life and the Lord has led me through many paths. However, one thing has radically changed. I realized that I am sinful and that I will have to deal with temptations and failures all my life. But thanks to Jesus I have been cleansed of all my sin. I can stand before my Creator as His child, clean and flawless. I still desire to be better but I know that the path of sanctification does not lead through my own efforts but through my trust in God and fulfilling His will in my life.

During the first few years after my salvation, my spiritual growth was closely connected with the ministry of Campus Crusade. Here I learned to take my first steps with the Lord and how to grow in my faith. After graduating from college I returned to my home town. I found a new spiritual home in a small evangelical church planted not long ago. The Lord led me to this place where I can not only receive and grow but also minister and be a blessing to others. Currently I am actively involved in youth work in my church and my town. It is my desire that many of these young people may get to know and receive a similar undeserved grace that I received and that those who already know the Truth may further grow and be involved in proclaiming the Kingdom of God."

God was faithful to change Tomas. Tomas then helped reach Juraj. Now Juraj is influencing dozens of youth with the gospel!

The gospel changes lives and it is a message worth communicating well. Thank you for your support!

--------------------------------------------------------

>> The Hands

514 Benson Hurst Drive

Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

>> Contributions:

Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail
to:

Contributions

Account # 0438803

100 Lake Hart Drive

Orlando FL 32832

Online Contributions: HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER PRAYER REQUESTS

2004-09-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

1. Consistency in the Word. Pray for Shannon and I find those cherished "niches" of time to steal away with God. We are just as subject to a hectic crazy world as anyone. With Toby still getting used to "wake up at dawn" time, we don't always have opportunity to spend time with Jesus in the morning. Ask the Father to smooth out all of our schedules and that He would really meet us when we open His Word. Pray for His joy to be full in us.

2. Neighborhood Bible Study. Shannon is helping to lead a Beth Moore study for some women in our neighborhood - Jesus, the One and Only.
It's being hosted by a good friend, Karen Daniell, another woman in our neighborhood. Just the fact that this has gotten off the ground is an answer to prayer, but continue to pray for life change through the study.

3. StorySpot.com Growth and Expansion. Pray for David as he trusts God for the future direction of StorySpot. It seems that the Lord would have it grow to impact many people for Christ. Yet, in order for it to grow, more manpower resources and finances are needed. Developing these resources takes precious time. Pray that God would make His direction clear and that David would not lose heart.

No Damage from Hurricanes

2004-09-16T14:52:00.000-04:00

Here in Atlanta, Ivan and Frances haven't produced a large amount of damage. Some power outages, but maingly just a LOT of rain.

September 1, 2004 Prayer Letter

2004-09-01T14:50:00.000-04:00

HANDS’ HEADLINES

>> The Hands
514 Benson Hurst Drive
Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036

>> Contributions:
Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail to:

Contributions
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando FL 32832
Account # 0438803

Online Contributions: www.HandsHeadlines.com/give.htm

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Why Reach Students?

60 MILLION There are approximately 60 Million university students in the world today. They represent about 1% of earth’s total population.

THE POWERFUL PERCENT In less than 10 years, virtually every sector of society will be controlled or influenced by today’s university students.

URGENT NEED It is estimated that less than 7 Million of the 60 Million university students will get to hear the gospel even once this year.

WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY Marketing studies show that college students tend to solidify their loyalties, social habits and beliefs before age 25. I.E. Most college students develop long-term lifestyle patterns during their college years. Following Christ is one such lifestyle pattern we desire for students to develop

Hands Headlines .com Upgrade
Recently we’ve added several things to our personal website: Tons of Stories, Detailed Contribution Info, Family Photos, and a Weblog. Note that we will regularly post our Prayer Requests in the Weblog.
Check it out at www.HandsHeadlines.com

Back to Campus: University students around the world have just begun a new school year. The early fall is prime time to meet new students on campus, initiate friendships and dialogue on spiritual topics.

David and Shannon Hand
Reaching students in the Southeast,
Sending students to the world.

770-944-0036 (H) www.HandsHeadlines.com

Family Outing to MAYFIELD ICE CREAM FACTORY!

2004-08-16T14:44:00.000-04:00

We had a very fun time touring the production line.

This is a great place to take the kids if you ever need a "break" from the road on I-75 north of Chattanooga. The tour takes about a half hour. And it ends in the ice cream parlor! EVERY flavor Mayfield makes is available!!! Big scoops for $1.

Outside is the biggest dairy cow ever to be cast into metal!

Avery begins Kindergarten via Homeschool

2004-08-10T13:56:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe that Avery - our oldest daughter - is now 5 and ready for kindergarten.

After much prayer, searching and many conversations with homeschooling parents, we decided to homeschool Avery - at least for this year. Then after we made the decision, we had a seemingly bigger decision of deciding which curriculum to use. Do a quick search online, and you'll discover that there are not dozens, but hundreds of different homeschool curriculums to choose from. Can you say . . . "a liiiitle overwhelming!!" Most of them are Christian based curriculums, so that is good, but the choices within Christian homeschooling are vast.
Avery seems to be very excited about it, and we think it will best suit her learning style to be homeschooled - at least in the short run.

1. Please pray for Shannon - Avery's primary teacher. It takes time to teach and just prepare the lessons (and games and crafts that go along with them). Time is short in a house w/ 3 kids. And ask the Father to give her insight into how to best present the material to Avery.

2. Ultimately, we desire for Avery to use her reading skills (she is already reading a little) to read and understand God's Word. Pray that she will have a desire to read and listen to God's Word early in life - and that she will have a desire to know Him more through the Bible.

Thank you! ~ David & Shannon

July 29, 2004 Prayer Letter

2004-07-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

HANDS’ HEADLINES
July 29, 2004

770-944-0036 (H)
www.HandsHeadlines.com

David and Shannon Hand
Reaching students in the Southeast,
Sending students to the world.

“Mommy, Daddy! . . . Look!!” How often we hear this exclamation from our daughters who both love to color and make crafts. They are so excited to have us “come see what I made!” We are eager to value their handiwork. It gives them and us joy to appreciate anything they have made.

In the Bible, there is a familiar story about a man named Zaccheus who also exclaimed, “Look!! See this!” He was responding to Jesus after He had showed him great kindness and brought salvation to his soul. As the story goes in Luke 19, Zaccheus was a wee little man who climbed a tree to observe Jesus as He walked by one day. It’s easy to think of this as a trivial story. However, its implications for your partnership with us in ministry are profound. What do we learn about Zaccheus that applies to us and you?

1. Zaccheus experienced a joyful life change through Jesus. He received Jesus gladly – into his home and into his life. He realized (as we should) that Jesus came to set him free from sin. He couldn’t contain his gladness as he saw that he had a fresh start – a brand new life to live.

2. Immediately Zaccheus was eager to demonstrate to others Jesus’ amazing love. He looked around and saw that God had already given him something he could use to do Christ’s work: he had money! Zaccheus said, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor." He saw giving money as a grand opportunity to imitate Jesus in His work! If Zaccheus was only interested in giving mere recompense for his crooked actions, he would have offered to pay back only the amount he had obtained dishonestly. Yet, he went far beyond that and gave it joyfully.

3. Zaccheus realized that Jesus had taken remarkable initiative to go out of his way to come to his house – and to save him. Why would Jesus, after so many instances of healing sick people and helping poor people, choose to spend time with a loathed, wealthy-by-corruption, seemingly worthy-of-little-attention tax collector? There was a reason Zaccheus had to climb the tree to see Jesus beyond the fact that he was a small man: he was a social outcast. No one would even give him any position on the street! Tax collectors were simply odious to the common Jewish society of the day. They were considered traitors and vile sinners. And, Zaccheus also knew that he was a sinner. He knew he needed Jesus because his great wealth could never fulfill him nor make him socially acceptable. Before Zaccheus did one thing to deserve Jesus’ love, the loving Redeemer went to him and changed him from an outcast to an insider – openly welcoming him into His Kingdom.

Many college students today also seem relatively well off – the elite – on their way to controlling the financial world. Yet, many of them are spiritually impoverished. Jesus wants to go to them. He wants to bring radical change to their lives so that their minds, passions and resources are redirected towards showing His love. You help facilitate this process of Jesus going to them through your prayer and financial support. Thank you for seizing this opportunity to help change the world through reaching college students.

David & Shannon
+ Avery, Addison & Toby

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Contributions:
Please make checks payable to “Campus Crusade for Christ” and mail to:

Contributions
100 Lake Hart Drive
Orlando FL 32832
Account # 0438803
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The Hands
514 Benson Hurst Drive
Mableton, GA 30126

770-944-0036
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Hands Headlines.com

Diapers

2004-06-17T13:49:00.000-04:00

All of my techie friends will like this: I just calculated how many diapers we have used in our house to date: no less than 9,500!! With at least a couple of years worth more to go.
And yes, praise the Lord for disposable diapers!

Anyway, just a thought.

David

March 29, 2004 Newsletter

2004-03-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

Technology. For many people, this word describes a mixed bag of thoughts and emotions. On days when the “Check Engine” light illuminates on our dashboard or our computer screen reads, “A Fatal Error Occurred,” we grimace with frustration. On other days, technology is our best friend and we sing its praises.

The bottom line is that technology is a tool. Tools are not an end unto themselves, but can help accomplish a great deal of work. Any tool that helps connect people with the Gospel is valuable.

History has shown that the Lord can use certain tools to trigger a tidal wave of people being drawn into His Kingdom. Six hundred years ago, one such tool was (and still is) the printing press. Today, we believe another such tool is the Internet.

God is already using the Internet to draw students to Himself. One of Campus Crusade’s many websites – www.EveryStudent.com - was developed as a place online for seeking students to investigate who God is. Take a look at just a small sample of the emails David has received from students visiting this site:

Seeking and Searching

-----Original Message-----
From: ---------@hotmail.com
>College: tameside
>Is there a god? and if so i would like you to show me if you have any
>kind of proof! Also where is heaven....is it just make believe passed
>through the generations? and what religion are you? Please write back

-----Original Message-----
From: -------@devuyst.com
To: david.hand@uscm.org
Subject: question
hello, I'm a 21 year old student from ny state. I've just finished
reading the article "Is There a God" and had a couple questions about it.
It is very hard for me to explain what I'm talking about but I feel an aweful emptiness eveytime I think about my life and what has caused me to live the way I do. I, for some reason, can't bring myself to go on without investigating these things. Thank you for your time and I very much respect and appreciate the website.

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul
To: david.hand@uscm.org
Subject: Get Personal - EveryStudent.com
how can you believe in something so blindly? if I told you that there is this book I found about how your religion was wrong would you believe me? I think not. so why are you so sure that there is a god, because the Bible says so? someone could have made the whole thing up and you can't prove that someone didn't. maybe what happened to you, you did you self. how about you give yourself some credit. there is no absolutes in life

-----Original Message-----
From: virgi
To: david.hand@uscm.org
Subject: Get Personal - EveryStudent.com
hi david
i think u are in a wrong illusion.let me tell u there is nothing like god
if so then he is not worthy to be called as god. he is sooooooooopartial.even some men are better then him.i am in a mess and i saw u in www.everystudent.com.
well u too can't help me , but still iam struggling with god a lot , ineed some help,i don;t understand him .hope u can help me
16 yrs old
iam from india
hope u contact me sssoon

Don’t these students sound thirsty for God? Once again, these are all people who freely initiated with us after visiting a website. What an opportunity and privilege to reach students with such significant spiritual questions!

Did You Know?
• 57,000 people visit EveryStudent.com each month
• Google.com – an Internet Search Engine – receives about 200 million requests a day for information on just about everything.
• By 2005, Web users outside the U.S. are forecast to make up 700 million of the total one billion users.
• Currently, countries in the Asia-Pacific region comprise over 50% of all DSL (high speed Internet) users.
• In 2003, Campus Crusade saw almost 10 million people accept Christ in one Asian country

THANK YOU for your vital prayers! Please keep them coming.

David & Shannon