(1) With the technical help of a gentleman named JJ, the two recent one hour radio programs I hosted on the theme of Divine election are now posted. You can access them by clicking I’ve been putting some thoughts together and posted an updated article here earlier this morning.

(3) Ligonier has some SUPER deals today in this week’s $5 Friday sale here. I especially recommend the Far West Area Conference 2008 DVD series. It was my privilege to attend this Conference and for today only (starting at 8 AM EST), the normal price of $44 is slashed to $5. Remember, if you decide to purchase material, you can claim a further 10% discount on these and on ALL Ligonier products (as a reader of this blog) by using the coupon code EGRACE10.

(4) Please keep our evangelistic outreach to Kerala, India in your prayers. Update here.

(5) “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” If every soccer goalkeeper would take a class in physics, they would all know that a penalty kick isn’t over until the ball has come to a complete stop or is safely cleared from the vicinity of the net. The latest goaltender to learn this lesson was Loris Angeli of Italian seventh division club Dro. During a shootout in a playoff game against Termeno to decide which club would be promoted to the sixth division, Termeno’s Michael Palma watched his shot ricochet square off the crossbar and land several meters in front of the net. But after falling to his knees in disbelief and watching the opposing goalkeeper run to his teammates in celebration, the ball took a wicked bounce backwards and slowly rolled past the goal line. The referees watched it all transpire and after having a few words with each other, they decided it was a good goal. Termeno’s goalkeeper stopped the following shot, sealing the victory and their club’s promotion to the sixth division.

(1) Thank you to all of you who have been praying for my mother (after reading last evening’s post here on the blog). I am just back from my second visit to see her at the hospital. My mother seems to be stable but the medical staff are concerned that her heart rate is very erratic and sometimes very low. She is now fully admitted and so might be there a while, but she has not heard anything at all about what they think is the root cause of her alarming symptoms. I didn’t get too much sleep last night so will try to get a couple of hours now. Thanks once again for your prayers. They are appreciated far more than you know.

(2) I have received amazingly positive feedback from the two radio shows I did this week (including the emotionally tough to do one last night). You can hear both programs (for the next month or so) by going to the link the shows are not titled but can be heard by clicking on the links for the May 24 and May 26 programs.

(3) Ligonier has some great deals today on some excellent material in this week’s $5 Friday sale here. The book “What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace?” by Rev. Richard Phillips is especially recommended. Remember, if you decide to purchase material, you can claim a further 10% discount on these and on ALL Ligonier products as a reader of this blog by using the coupon code: EGRACE10

Without being overly dramatic.. the hour radio show tonight was one of the most difficult hours of my life.

23 minutes into the show, a message popped up on the computer monitor in front of me, informing me that my mother was desperately sick and had been rushed to hospital. That is all I knew. I had to do the rest of the show (37 minutes) not knowing any more than that.

From what I understand, my mother did not wish to go to the hospital because of financial concerns but the gentleman staying with us (Jim) insisted – she was very delirious and was vommiting profusely and so he phoned the emergency 911 number and the ambulance and medical people came and tried to stabilize her.

Jim tells me that they found her blood sugar reading to be 40. I understand that if it goes as low as 20-30, you’re dead, so it was definitely a borderline life and death situation. I thank God for Jim, who is recovering from a stay in hospital himself – I had only picked him up from hospital earlier this afternoon. If he had not been present at my home and had not called 911, perhaps my mother would already be dead.

I had no idea of the details – just had to keep on going with the radio program because it was a live show and it would let a whole lot of people down if I just walked away. I was like a soldier who needed to stay at my post until reinforcements arrived (or in this case, the show finished).

Hopefully some of the things I was saying on the show made sense. I felt the Lord’s presence upholding me and even giving me a heavenly boldness to speak. I give the Lord all the praise, for it was certainly Him giving me the strength to do the show. Each moment I was silently (and then in the commercial breaks, not so silently) asking Him to help me keep my focus on Him and the task at hand, even though my heart was torn up over what might be happening that very moment with my mother.

I write this very quickly having just got back from the radio station. I am having a very quick hot cup of English tea (PG Tips) and will now set off in the car to go visit my mother in the hospital.

I write this post in haste to ask if you would kindly pray for my mother. I would appreciate that so very much.

Much love,

John