A great, classic song, �Come By Here� has such purpose and meaning, along with a powerful message. Here�s an excerpt:

The power of music can be very influential, especially among our youth. Yvonne asked me once what was the one thing that might have had the greatest impact in changing my �live fast and die young with a good-looking corpse� mentality to a new way of thinking, and I believe the answer is listening to Christian music. The type of music that most of our youth today listen to scares me; not only the music and lyrics, but the artists themselves. What the world needs is music with direction and purpose.

Many years ago a friend wrote a song called �Someone Cares,� dedicated to Yvonne and me and our Ministry. Another friend, Wayne Hooper, wrote the music. Our intention was to get this published and have the proceeds go towards this Ministry.

If anyone knows of an artist that may be willing to help us with this, please let us know.

How many times have we said something like, �Thank you, Lord, for this hurdle that I have passed?� Only to realize that we forgot to take off the blinders, and then we fall over the very next hurdle.

There will always be trials and hurdles in our lives, but we don�t have to face them alone. Some will think, �But I don�t have anyone to call on; I can�t think of a friend who can help me with this.� Sometimes we can feel lonely, even in a world of so many, since loneliness does not necessarily mean absence of other people. It�s more of a heart condition.

There is One who wants to fill that lonely place in our heart with companionship through His spiritual presence. He is there to help us over our hurdles, if we will only call on Him.

�The LORDis near to all who call on Him, to all who call onHim in truth.�
Psalm 145:18

�Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.Whom have I in heaven but you?And earth has nothing I desire besides you.My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORDmy refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.�
Psalm 73:23-26, 28

Our neat and beloved Chinese Crested Powder Puff Pug had to be put down recently. The joy we had shared with her I could never put into words. When Jesus brings us to the New Jerusalem, I would hope she is there.

I was amazed recently when chatting with a friend. I had told her that since things had changed with the world economy, we would be having a rough time if not for our Social Security. She asked, what about our speaking engagements? But we do these free, asking only for a �love offering.� The thousands of hours we�ve spent inside prison has all been free. It is a life God chose Don to do. We have pastored churches with no pay. As Don has said, our treasure is laid up in Heaven.

In these times, to make this all work, we really need your help. No, the Ministry will not close. Someone Cares will be around after we are gone and you can put that in the bank.

I remember when we first started and Don had a good job. We really jet-setted it, had lots of everything, but we traded it for �the cattle on a thousand hills.� I think back years ago when I had left the Church and was with Don, who was a man of the world. He drove new cars, wore the most expensive clothes and we went everywhere. He now shops at Goodwill, no longer flies first class, and has no need for a shoulder holster.
Thank you, Jesus!

We really need your help, especially the help that ends with Amen. On June the 8th at 8:00 a.m. eastern time, please join us in a birthday prayer for Don, as he will be 78 years old! No longer as old as his tongue, and a little older than his teeth.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.�
- John 13:34-35

When we all get to Heaven, which I pray is soon, it hurts to think of those we will not see there. Meeting those that are there because of all of us, however, will be a great joy.

I look back on the day I accepted Christ - I quit drinking and smoking and He put a smile in my heart. I think about the really wonderful hours I spent with Yvonne studying the Bible. I had a grammar school education, and was teaching God�s Word all over. I taught as I learned and learned from so very many, including well over 400 hundred different churches around our nation.

An RV and a radio put this Ministry around the world. We spent hour upon hour walking the yards and cell blocks, ministering to and praying for those there, including Aids patients. As All Faiths Chaplains we worked extra hard learning the different religious beliefs we had to supervise. We started A.A. and E.A.N.A. programs in prison, and a massive amount of stop smoking programs. God has always blessed what we have done through Him.

We often sound like we defend the criminal and their crime. Not so. But we have a problem with inmates going to prison as punishment and not for punishment.

Things that do not work are long sentences with no rehabilitation. We have loaded prisons to over maximum capacity and have cut staff. In some cases a dog in a pound has more room than an inmate. Some will never change and will keep the revolving door moving. The penal system and court systems are broken and need fixing.

Pastors should be receiving training to deal with the problems in the Church that college does not provide. There are so many temptations in this world that can lead otherwise �innocent� people to prison, and it would be beneficial if Pastors would educate themselves in these areas that are affecting so many in our society, such as drugs, pornography and alcoholic abuse.

We prayerfully wish we did not have to ask for funding, but we do. The postage increase has added quite a bit to our expenses and we need to raise money to help cover these costs. Tax deductible donations do help donors. Some folks feel that they have to send a lot, but we are telling you that anything will do.

We are grateful that a car has been donated to us, but it sits in California. The cost of a flight there, plus $4.00 a gallon to drive it all the way here will take a flood of dollar bills.

If anyone has any good ideas on how to make this work, it would be greatly appreciated, as the car is really needed. (Thanks, dear friend Michelle.)

When mom answered the phone, there was joy in her voice as she exclaimed, �It�s Jim!� Dad got on the other line, hearing how happy Jim was that finally the road home was short.

�Folks,� Jim said, �I have a bit of a problem and need your help.�

�Anything!� they answered in unison.

�Well, a friend is with me and he has no place to go. He lost both arms and a leg.� Dad said, �I�m sure we can help him find a place. Where is his family? Taking someone in like that would be very hard, with so much extra work and expense. A day or so, but no more. We�ll get back to you - Mom and Dad need to work this out.� The phone went dead.

Several days later the phone rang again, a policeman from the next town was calling. �I have some sad news. We have your son and he is dead.�

�Was that horrible man with him? Did he do this?� the parents asked. �No. It looks like he jumped.�

When they arrived at the police station the policeman pulled back the sheet. �This can�t be our son! He had his arms and both legs!�

Praise God, Jesus takes us as we are.