Hello Great Family,

I'm sure I've told you my story about having an extreme tooth ache. I was in so much pain and my regular dentist could not find the source so she sent me to a oral surgeon. Now I did know the difference between a dentist and an oral surgeon so I looked it up and according to the internet, "A general dentist is a primary care provider for overall oral health, handling cleanings, fillings, and root canals. A dental (or oral) surgeon is a specialist who completes an additional 4 to 6 years of surgical residency to perform complex procedures like jaw realignment, facial trauma repair, and complex impacted wisdom tooth extractions." Now you know too.

I was full of fear heading to the appointment. My journey so far had been filled with excruciating pain. I did not want any more pain but the pain I already had was bad enough to want something to change. So I went to the appointment.

This Sunday, we are following up on last week's sermon about the giant of anger. I will be preaching about giving forgiveness. You might be experiencing some pain when it comes to events that have happened to you in the past. Some of you might be so traumatized by a hurt that you don't want to even think about forgiving the person who hurt you. I want to encourage you to be here Sunday. It might be difficult, but the result could set you free from the pain you currently carry.

My appointment with the oral surgeon went great. They knew exactly how to fix my problem and did it without causing further pain. I was so relieved that I gave the doctor a big hug before leaving (I've never done that before or since).

This Sunday is your chance to leave with a lighter burden and a peace that brings a freedom you might not have experienced in a long time. Come... and bring someone else with you that needs a little help in this area.

As we begin to wrap up the, "Giants Must Fall" series (we still have the giant of addiction to cover), I want to invite you to offer a suggestion. Is there a giant that we have not discussed? Please feel free to contact me with a request to tackle another giant before we end this summer series. You could email me your thoughts at pd@oakwoodcc.org.

God Bless,
P.D. (Psalm 139)