UPDATE: Pray for Dieter Zander

Dieter's Home Church Bay Marin is posting updates. CLICK HERE

Pray for Dieter Zander, NewSong Church

Click here for Dieter Zander Updates

Update on Dieter Zander February 5, 2008 6 PM
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Dear BayMarin Family

The following is an update on Dieter's condition as of 6:00 pm

The doctors have detected some swelling in the brain. Some swelling is normal, but the prayer is that it does not increase.

They have also detected a bit of pneumonia. They are keeping him sedated, but are giving him antibiotics. Please continue to pray that the swelling will go down and that he will respond to the antibiotics.

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UPDATE Feb. 5 4:15PM PST
Update on Dieter Zander February 5, 2008
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Dear BayMarin Family

Dieter is at Marin General Hospital as a result of a early Monday morning stroke. As of 2 pm today, this is the report on Dieter's condition.

Dieter has remained stable throughout last night and today. The doctors are keeping him sedated and will giving him an MRI / CAT SCAN sometime today. We will keep you updated as to his progress on a daily basis. Thank you for your continued prayers.


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The text below sent to NewSong from Dieter's Father-in-law, Swede Anderson:


Thanks for your help on the phone just now. I'm Swede Anderson.
Judy and I are Dieter's parents-in-law. We were at NewSong from 1991
- 1994.

During the night Val discovered that Dieter had had a stroke. He could
look at her but not speak. She got an ambulance and they took him to the
nearest hospital, Marin General.

Because it was impossible to determine the time of the stroke the doctors
said they could not use the more benign approach of a chemical injection
that dissolves blood clots. So they had to enter the brain surgically.
Judy's and my guess, based on the timing of various phone calls is that
the operation ran about three hours, this morning early.

Val had tough decisions to make and releases to sign. At present, surgery
having just ended, they are trying to stabilize him and get him to where
he can breathe on his own. They are using blood thinners, too. No
longterm prognosis has yet been given.

Please ask Dieter and Val's dear brothers and sisters there at NewSong to
pray for him, for her, and for the three boys. Conrad and Christopher are
there in the hospital with her. Kyle is in college in Santa Barbara. I'm
not sure how quickly he can come up toMarin County.

Our son Matt, in Houston, is the one Val is contacting by phone as able,
and the rest of us hear thru him. Matt is flying out there
today

Thank you very much.

Yours in our Lord,

Swede and Judy Anderson

Psalm 23 From a Child's Perspective

We have noticed many methods people have used to memorize Psalm 23, including our Just for Girls Bracelet. Read below:

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to
school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.

So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her.

The neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.

The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew. She did this for the whole week.

As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally he said to Timmy, "Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?"

Timmy nonchalantly replied, "Yeah, I know who she is."

The friend said, "Well, who is she?"

"That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy replied, "and her daughter Marcy."

"Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? "

"Well," Timmy explained, "every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!"

Old Testament passages given a detailed look

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth, but that was a long time ago. Now it's time to look again at what the biblical creation account means today, says author Jennifer Devlin.

The six passages explored in the study, released this week by Christian publisher Randall House, include creation, the Ten Commandments, and verses from Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiates and Isaiah.

The 23rd Psalm, the one that starts, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," is a good example of a text used so often that people can forget how fresh it remains, Devlin said.

"The 23rd Psalm has much more applications than just at funerals, but that is the time we tend to pull it out," Devlin said.



Old Testament Passage Book

Beliefnet's Favorite Christmas Gifts

23rd Psalm Bracelet
Like many out there, I often forget to say my prayers. So I was excited to come across this Psalm 23 prayer box bracelet from Laura K Designs. Not only is this bracelet pretty enough to be complimented by envious girlfriends, but each bead represents a verse in the psalm. For example, the green bead helps you remember the verse, "He makes me lie down in green pastures." There's a small prayer box attached so that you can slip a tiny note of prayer inside to remind you of special prayer concerns--or maybe just an all-purpose message like, "Remember to Say Your Prayers!" I think I'll be retiring my WWJD bracelet once I get this. --Sherry Huang

TRAVEL GIRL MAGAZINE GIFT GUIDE

TRAVEL GIRL MAGAZINE GIFT GUIDE Inspired by her pastor, jewelry designer Laura Krämer of Laura K Designs created jewelry that reflects Bible verses. The Psalm 23 bracelet is designed to bring hope, comfort, courage and faith to its wearer. It comes with an inspirational CD, along with a cross charm and prayer box charm. Available in several styles, this classic style is $84.99 at www.psalm23jewelry.com/

Denver Post Christmas Gift Article 12/24/07

Jesus may save, but Christians spendEvangelical buying power is growing, and more companies are answering the call of the almighty ... dollar.
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 12/22/2007 11:52:54 PM MST


Among the items that one could put under the Christmas tree:

• An action figure of Jesus surfing.

• A doll named "Faith" holding a tiny Bible.

• A piece from the Psalm 23 jewelry collection.

Welcome to the world of Christian retail.

Star of David Charm Psalm 23 Jewelry

Star of David - Psalm 23 is Hebrew Scripture

Recognizing that the book of Psalms is Hebrew Scripture, and after receiving a flood of requests, we will now also offer The Psalm 23 Bracelet with a Star of David charm. We hope this will be an opportunity to build bridges between us and our Jewish friends.

God is very fond of you.

God is Very Fond of You by Laura Krämer

In his book The Wisdom of Tenderness, Brennan Manning tells the following story: Several years ago, Ed Farrell of Detroit took his 2- week vacation to Ireland to celebrate his favorite uncle’s 80th birthday. On the morning of the great day, Ed and his uncle got up before dawn, dressed in silence, and went for a walk along the shores of Lake Killarney.
Just as the sun rose, his uncle turned and stared straight at the rising orb. Ed stood beside him for 20 minutes with not a single word exchanged. Then the elderly uncle began to skip along the shoreline, a radiant smile on his face. After catching up with him, Ed commented, “Uncle, you look very happy. Do you want to tell me why?” “Yes lad, the old man said, tears washing down his face. “ You see, God is fond of me, Ah, my God is so very fond of me.”

At this time, I hope you know the truth that our God is so very fond of you. He is crazy for you. Passionate about you. He beams because of you. You are the apple of His eye. His radiant bride. O, He loves you.

Laura Kramer Radio Interview

Hear Laura Kramer's recent radio interview on WAFG 90.3 FM. November 2007.

http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/EVPI.mp3

Do you DO Halloween Part II?

Halloween, Part II



I received such an overwhelming response to my journal from last week, "Do You DO Halloween?". So I decided to send a follow-up journal to share what I actually did do on Halloween night. As you read through how my night went, I hope you will extend grace where needed and keep the big picture in mind.

I had to come up with something that would shine the light of Jesus to children primarily ages 5 to 12 years old, in order to capture their attention as well as their hearts!

I hope you will enjoy reading what I can say was a very exciting evening for me.

I decided to dress as the Woman at the well from John chapter 4. Actually, I just wore a sign around my neck which said, "Woman at the Well". I'm into simplicity, so that was good enough for me. I set the stage (my porch) with a stool for me to sit on and the big tin bucket down by my feet filled with water bottles was my well. I also had a smaller bucket of candy that I held in my lap. My family prayed for the people we would see and asked God to shine through us that night. With the porch light on and the cool evening air on my face I sat and waited.



"Trick or Treat!"Hello! What are you dressed up as?

"I'm Elvis. I'm a gangster. I'm the Tin Man."

Wow. You guys look cool! Can you guess what I am?

I held up my sign for them to read.

"Woman at the well?"

Have you heard the story about the woman at the well?

"No, what is it?"

The woman at the well was a woman who did a lot of bad things and no one wanted to be her friend until a man named Jesus came along and told her about Living Water.

"Cool, I've never heard that before. Where I can I find that story?"

I'm glad you asked! You can read more about her story in the 4th chapter of John in the Bible. You can look it up on a website. This water bottle has a sticker with all the info on it.

Dropping the water bottle in their treat bags I'd tell them, "This water is good for your body, but Living Water is good for your soul!"

"Cool. Thanks. I'm going to look it up tonight."

I was overwhelmed with the response from the kids. Initially, they just waited for me to drop the candy in their bags after they've said those magic words, 'trick or treat'. Every one of them seemed a little caught off guard when I actually wanted to talk to them about their costumes and enjoy some fun dialogue before going into my "script." I made sure to keep it short since I thought they wouldn't be interested. I never expected for them to actually step back and take it all in! A lot of them actually interacted with me while I was sharing my story. The common interjection was, "Did she fall in the well?"

The teenagers were amazing, too. There was one group that I felt pressed to say a bit more. They were dressed in ugly and wicked costumes. The epitome of evil.

I asked them, "Do any of you even know why we dress up in costumes?" One of the teenagers answered, "Yeah, to scare away the evil spirits."

You're right! I answered and then continued, "...isn't that crazy to think that costumes would scare away evil when God is more powerful than all evil?" They had no response, but at least I planted a seed.

What an amazing night. The night was dark, but with each person who stepped off my porch it seemed as though the night brightened. I know my heart was glowing. Feeling the energy and enthusiasm one feels when being used by God. Many of the parents of these kids were personally affirming to me. Some of them gave me the thumbs up from the sidewalk. Even a few "God Bless You's" was heard as they walked away.

My mind goes out to the different people from that night. One little girl came running back and asked me if the Living Water was about Jesus. There was a teenage girl who came dressed as half angel and half devil she said she would look up the story that night. Then there was the teenage boy who shared that he was a Christian, but had never heard the story, he wanted to look it up, too. And then there was the mother who was talking on her cell phone on the driveway, hung up quickly and came up to ask me to repeat what I had shared with her kids. She listened, not necessarily affirming, but noticeably absorbing my words.

I passed out 51 water bottles that night. 51 kids met the woman at the well. 51 kids had their thirst quenched. Possibly 51 kids will read about the Living Water that only Jesus can provide. 51 kids came and heard the name of Jesus. The Name above all Names. 51 kids were prayed for.

You didn't think I was just going to give them candy, did you?

I hope this inspires you to consider your part in Halloween next year. The woman at the well will be back on my porch next year. How about yours?

WHAT DID THE STICKER ON THE BOTTLE SAY?
WOMAN AT THE WELL

and

LIVING WATER

John 4

Look it up! www.biblegateway.com

Always ask permission before using the internet.

Do you DO Halloween?

Do You DO Halloween?
October 29, 2007

It is this time of year that the ever popular seasonal question arises amongst Christians, "Do you DO Halloween?" I recently received an email from a friend who set out a challenge to me to answer the question, "who or what do I stand for" in regards to the very controversial (for Christians) Halloween holiday. I thought I'd share with you in this journal my expanded answer to that question.

First let me start by saying that I've never been as excited as I am about Halloween as I am this year. Yes, you read that right, I'm excited and looking forward to Halloween night. The night where pumpkins glow with creepy faces, where kids dress up as ugly, scary, evil creatures and screams and shrieks are heard throughout the neighborhood. Why should a Christian woman as myself who devotes herself to the furthering of God's kingdom be enthusiastic over such a celebration of death? Does not the Bible say in 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." And what about in Ephesians 6:12 where a warning of the true reality of what we as believers are at battle with, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places". Have we not been called by Jesus Himself to be the light of the world (Matt 5:14) and to abstain from all appearances of evil as is understood in 1 Thessalonians 5:22?

I will tell you friends that I agree with all those Bible scriptures. But may I go a bit further with you in regards to Halloween. Now I do not love the things of this world, but I do love the people Jesus died for. And you better believe that I am aware of the powers that are at work, which is why I dress in the full armor of God everyday of the year, so that I will be able to stand firm in God's strength and mighty power (Eph. 6:10). I will abstain from every appearance of evil, which is why my kids do not dress in anything that will add to the darkness. And I will be a light for Jesus in this dark world on Halloween night and on every day and night that follows. My enthusiasm for opening the doors to possible witches, goblins and grotesque creatures only drives me to my knees because these are the people who need Jesus. If we were to protest by turning our porch light off and locking our doors we are shutting out the very people who need to know Jesus. In essence, we are saying, "you are not welcome, we don't like you, we are better than you". What a dark night that would really be. I am opening my door, because after all, didn't Jesus come to save the lost. I choose not only to be a light as God has called me to, but to also speak the language of the lost. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul says, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some". No Jesus tracks, no "God Loves You" pencils, no bullhorn preaching. The language of those coming to my door will be all about candy. And I am going to give it to them.

Do I DO Halloween? You better believe I do. Because to me "doing" Halloween means opening my door to people to use those few moments to capture their hearts for God in some way before I drop the candy in their bag and they are gone forever. Yes, I "do" Halloween because if Jesus would sit with a prostitute, eat with a cheat, and forgive a thief, why wouldn't I do at least this much in His name.

Christmas Encouragement

Encouragement Definition: Putting comfort and courage into others so they may have the confidence to achieve.
We are so encouraged by the responses and testimonials we receive, the creative ways people like you use their Psalm 23 Jewelry to share their faith or the numerous ways you use the Message of Hope CD to inspire others. But most importantly, how God's Word is being memorized and applied into peoples' lives every day. And through this application more people are coming to know the God we serve. We think that this is a very good thing worth sharing!!
We would like to reply with our own encouragement this Christmas to you because of your response and your faithful wishes bestowed upon us, something we could give to YOU today.... Our pastor, Fraser Venter, gave a wonderful encouraging Christmas message that we'd like to share with you and hope that you too can see the encouragement or "THUMBS UP" (click here) we want to communicate to you.
If we can pray for you, provide you encouragement --a 'thumbs up'-- please contact us. We would love to have that opportunity and encourage you on your walk.
Merry Christmas & THUMBS UP !! (listen to Fraser's message)
Gerhard & Laura Kramer

TV Commercial, Broadcast 2007.

I Don't Have the Joy to Sing...

I Don’t Have the Joy to Sing by Laura Krämer

The Truth hits me every Sunday when I walk into church and take part in the worship time. The Truth hits me when I force myself to sing songs to our God out of obedience, rather than joy. The truth hits when I pull all my energy to internalize every word of every song and the meaning behind the melody. The Truth always hits hardest when I am angry, fragile, depressed…broken. What Truth is that? The Truth that God never changes. That God is holy regardless of the mood I am in. The Truth that God is always worthy of my praise. That God is faithful. That God is present. That God is here with me right now…in the moment that I am living, in the emotion I am experiencing, the situation I am facing. I connect and meet with God during these Sunday worship services. It is the time during the service that I am personally challenged to respond to my God. My participation is vital to my very soul to interact with our holy God while in this structured environment. Regardless of my mood, I choose to worship out of obedience because sometimes it is the only reason I know. Joy is often depleted through life circumstances. As sad as that may sound, obedience is very powerful in the life of a Christian. I tell myself, it is only a season that I lack the joy to sing and therefore, sing because I must. And sad too, are the moments of worship that I focus on myself, because so much anger has festered in my heart that I physically can not utter a single sound. It takes me, I think, too long to come to terms that this was not meant to be about me, it’s about God. And so, obedience kicks in and I muster the courage to finally make a sound, even if it is in the last note of the last song, and I know my God is pleased. And isn’t that the point, to please God? You see, I have chosen to believe the Truth that my God is worthy of praise, and deserving of my adoration regardless of my present emotional status or circumstance I’m facing. There may not be much emotional fluff or Christian clichés around my thought process…but, I want to remind myself again and again the Truth of who worship is for. It is for God. And it is for a holy God who never changes. And that is a Truth that secures me and drives me to worship Him.

The Heart of the Matter

by Laura Kramer

The Heart of the Matter


I held my boy tonight as he slept peacefully in my arms. I thanked God for his health…which has always been good and still is. My mind drifted to the children and families I’ve prayed for this week.

Cody, 4 years old has been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. EDS is a heterogeneous group of heritable connective tissue disorders characterized by joint hypermobility, skin extensibility and tissue fragility. Individuals with EDS have a defect in their connective tissue. It is this tissue that provides support to many body parts such as the skin, muscles, ligaments and organs. The fragile skin and unstable joints found in EDS are due to faulty collagen. Collagen is a protein that acts like glue in the body adding strength and elasticity to connective tissue. In addition, Cody was also diagnosed with a hole in his heart. He will be the first case with EDS to have a specific procedure done to mend the hole in his heart.

Charlotte, 3 years old and always healthy had a virus attack her heart where a blood clot formed and then split off to both her legs. Facing possible double amputation and it is unknown what the condition of her heart will be.

All this within a week.

I was scared. The strength these parents, these mothers are beyond me. And frankly I will always want it to be that way. I don’t want to learn of a new strength by my boy becoming ill or hurt….My spirit reminds me that it would draw me to a new awareness with God, that He makes all things good for those who love Him. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t want that trial. When I started reading the emails from subscribers on our website, I quickly saw a pattern that many people were comforted by the 23rd Psalm. The comfort was needed because of how they were grieving a loved one’s, illness or death. I didn’t understand this grief and I didn’t understand their loss. I haven’t experienced it. And even if it means becoming able to relate to another person in order to bring them to Christ…I still don’t want to experience it. I’m not willing. I’m too scared…too selfish…I used to think through this ministry God was going to prepare me for something awful and then it would be my turn to be comforted by Psalm 23. Forgive me Lord, but I don’t want to ever need that kind of comfort.

So, where do I go from here? Where do I go in my own spiritual journey? Do I cling to my boy in fear; do I cling to my son in desperation? Can I enjoy life with him if I am always looking at his sweet peaceful face wondering if something will go wrong with him tomorrow? Is there sanity in thinking through all the “what ifs”? Is there joy? I fear the only way would be to detach from life, to go numb and not feel anything. But is this joyful living? Is this following my life motto of “choosing life”? What is the answer? Where is the reasoning? Where is the balance?

I keep thinking about the sound of Danielle’s (Cody’s mom) voice on the answering machine. Strong. She’s never doubted her faith in any of Cody’s medical trials. She’s been strong and courageous. I’ve been impressed with her and inspired by her. Knowing full well that Cody has a purpose in his life. And she is willing to accept wherever that purpose will lead him. She has released her boy to her Lord. Maybe that is the difference. I cling to my boy instead of my Lord. No wonder I have such fear. My boy is bright, beautiful and amazing, but he is not and can not be my Life Source. My son has no power to take away the fears in me like God’s Son can. My grip has been tight on Samuel, when I should release my grip and hold tight to my Savior. Profound and True. Yet, easier said than done. Where do I start? Perhaps I start with accepting that this is a process…

And what about nursing my 2 year old son? Is nursing a part of that process? Has nursing enabled me to continue to cling? I told my husband tonight, that it is times like these that I don’t want to stop. Because what if something happens? I would be able to nurse and everything would be better. Emotionally is what I was thinking, but reflecting on it now, I sense a personal power in nursing my child. That maybe continued nursing will prolong anything “bad” happening to him. Perhaps nursing has jeopardized my choice to release him to God. I’ve never connected those things together before. I’m barely willing to do so now. Even though sometimes I’ll talk about weaning Samuel, it’s really all talk. The truth is I can’t picture myself stopping. This is an extension of my mothering. This has in some ways become my identity. One I’ve become proud of. There is no better moment that I love looking at my son completely content when he is nursing. It brings such an incredible peace to me.

I recently read the book, “How My Breasts Saved the World” by Lisa Wood Shapiro. This is the author’s first hand experience of the trials of breastfeeding her baby. I never understood why the author named her book that. But in my own personal reflection maybe that is the stance I’ve taken. My nursing is a protective shield around my boy…in other words, my breasts have power. Maybe that power is meant to come from somewhere else…most likely from Someone else.

This is my journey.

This journal was originally written in November 5, 2005. A whole year has passed and I would like you to know the current status of Cody, Charlotte, Samuel and myself.

Cody had his heart surgery. In layman’s terms the hole in his heart was mended. The surgery was a success and he is doing great. He still has and always will struggle with the affects of EDS, but to know this at a young age will help him not go through any added pains. To learn more about Ehlers Danlos Syndrome log on to www.ednf.org



Charlotte had a rough go for awhile and a year later her heart is functioning at a strong 60%. It has been tough on the family. They have relocated to a new home and Charlotte was in isolation for a time as to not have additional virus’ attack her. Her legs were saved, and only have a small limp in one of them.

Samuel weaned in June 2006, which was 7 months after the writing of this original journal. Of course my fear was that he and I would suffer emotionally from the disconnect, but the timing was right and he and I were both ready. My Samuel is an emotionally happy and confident 3 year old!

And as for me, I’m still on the journey. Learning to trust. Learning to let go. Learning to live without fear. My newest challenge will be the birth of my new baby due December 5, 2006. And so the journey continues…