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Hello Great Family,

Have you ever asked for God's help and seen Him miraculously intervene in real, tangible ways? I was thinking about this today because God recently met an immediate need for my family in the form of a surprise gift at just the right moment. My phone dinged and there was a Venmo deposit in my account. I had not mentioned the need to anyone but God but there it was right there out of nowhere. Unmistakably God had arranged it, God had managed the details and God made it happen!

This is not the first time God has done that for my family. We fondly remember the times when were serving as missionaries that people came to our rescue at just the right time. The Christian school that sneakily filled my gas tank while I was speaking in chapel; The friends that covered us when we couldn't cover our expenses; Our extended family that donated vehicles and finances all along the way; The girl who came up to me at a conference and gave us a roll of quarters right when we needed quarters to do our laundry and she had no idea that was our specific need. On and on the stories go about God's provision at just the right time.

God has always met our needs. So here is what I want you to know today. God did it and He did it through His people! Every time that we have been blessed it has been because God's people were willing to respond to God's call to action. It is that simple! God prompts and His people respond and real needs are met.

Maybe you have also been on the receiving end of God's grace. Maybe you have been on the supply end of God's grace. Or, maybe both have been true for you at given times. Either way, I thank God for meeting needs both big and small. The biggest need He met was saving us from our sins through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. By His grace and mercy, He is our need meeter!

As I think of all of this, I want to thank you as the great family of Oakwood for stepping up to be God's hand of grace in people's lives. Many of you expressed a desire to help a family in need of a working vehicle with offers of rides, money, vehicles and other resources. I want to give you an update on this current situation... we are still looking for a working, road-safe vehicle and have a couple leads that might fill the need. We will need some financial donations to help us make repairs on any mechanical and safety issues that arise with a donated vehicle. If you want to participate, please put your gift in an envelope and write, "vehicle donation" on it and either bring it to the church office or drop it in the giving station on Sunday.

Thanks again for being a part of God's great family at Oakwood!

God Bless,
P.D. (Psalm 139)