April 8, 2016, marked the one-year anniversary of my father’s death. Tomorrow would have been his 80th birthday. As I reflect on my loss, I want to share with you what I miss most.

One of Dad’s spiritual gifts was intercessory prayer. A day didn’t go by without him lifting me up before the Lord. He was my prayer warrior.

If you are a parent, I want to suggest that the most important gift you give your children every day is prayer covering.

Dad understood the power of prayer and always reminded me that he prayed for me daily and considered it a privilege to do so. Each time I prepared to drive to Kansas on business, he paused and prayed over me, often over the phone. I heard these words often: “Lord, protect Lee Ann every step of the way. May there be no car trouble, accidents, or weather that could cause harm. May your angels hem her in from the north, south, east and west. May her week be productive and continue to bless her practice. Please bring her home safely.” Hearing him pray those words over me was a blessing. His prayers expressed his love, care and concern for me.

If you’re a parent, take time to pray aloud so that your children hear your love for them as you take them before the Father.

Dad cared deeply for my spiritual well being and growth. When I was a child, he centered his prayers on helping me discover salvation in Jesus. 3 John 4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” If you’re a parent, I bet there were times in your children’s life when you wondered if God was drawing them to Jesus. But once your child placed their faith in Christ, you experienced “great joy” knowing that your child asked Jesus to forgive their sin and commit to follow Him.

Pray daily for your children’s salvation until they make their decision for Jesus. No matter how old they are, keep praying for this!

When I made my decision to place my faith in Christ at age ten, Dad’s prayer ministry continued to grow. He lived out the Biblical examples and instruction regarding intercessory prayer. Colossians 4:12-13 states “Epaphras….is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” In Colossians 1:9, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding….” Dad upheld Scripture by praying continually for me.

“Wrestle in prayer” for your children. Ask God to “fill your children with all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

When I became a Christ-follower, Dad and I shared a new bond in Christ. We no longer had just a “father-daughter” relationship. We prayed together, resulting in some of my most precious memories. We shared spiritual intimacy as we expressed our thoughts together before the Lord. I learned more about prayer from my Dad than any other Christian because he modeled it regularly. He didn’t stop with “I will pray for you,” but prayed with me as soon as the need was expressed! He allowed me to hear his prayer before God, just as Jesus did praying out loud to His Father in front of His disciples (John 17) right before He faced the cross.

Pray with your children to build a deeper relationship with them.

I am Dad’s living legacy. I love praying for others. Intercessory prayer is the most important ministry I have because of Dad’s strong influence in my life. As he sowed spiritual seeds in me through prayer, the Lord found many ways to water them so that I could bear fruit for His glory. I believe Dad went to his heavenly home “having no greater joy” than seeing me walk in truth.

If you desire to strengthen your prayer ministry for your children, what would your next step look like? I realize many of you already pray for your kids, but maybe your next step is to pray over them in their presence. Let them hear your heart. Maybe your next step is to find a time when you can consistently pray together to deepen your relationship with your children. For those of us who are single, let’s pray over our family daily. There are plenty of spiritual children in our faith family who can use our intercessory prayer.  

If you have any insights, thoughts or reactions you’d like to share, please locate the Comment box below. I bet some of you have a vibrant prayer ministry for you kids that our readership would love to hear about!

May God richly bless you as you allow your daily prayer for your children to be the greatest gift you give them.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 4.29.16 The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Children appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Knowing how paralyzing fear can be, God’s Word states over 140 times, “Be Not Afraid.” Jesus emphasized that we are free from fear when He said,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

As Christians we face fears and anxieties because it is part of the human experience, and Dad was no exception. Today I share his last two prayer requests from his Intercessory Agreement¹:

“Father, pour into me such levels of grace and love that every trace of fear in me will be completely eliminated from this moment until death and instead that my whole being will be filled with Your joy. I again acknowledge my weakness and that more grace will be needed to eliminate fear in me. I ask You to make me as unswerving and unshakeable as the Rock within.”

God has given us a foundation for dealing with fear, commanding us not to fear. “Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7).  The Lord invites us, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) If I were developing curriculum for a class on “How to Deal with Fear – 101,” these verses would serve as our beginning point. All should learn to take our fears and anxieties to God through prayer and petitions to receive His peace.

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/Dirk Ercken

God never meant for us to live in fear, but rather live with His peace in all circumstances. There was no fear on earth until Satan and sin entered the world. Dad already knew this, like many of you. Yet his prayer reflects a spiritual maturity that I hope to have someday. Based on his prayer, I would create curriculum for “How to Deal with Fear – 201.” It would be based on I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 

Dad understood that fear and love cannot co-exist. His prayer reflected a desire to avoid having fear in the first place. He desired to live for Christ with a heart that soaked in the love of God at all times. If God filled his heart with His perfect love, there would be no room for fear. The perfecting of God’s love in our lives is a process. When we were lost, we lived in fear and knew nothing of God’s love. After we trusted Christ, we found a mixture of both fear and love in our hearts. But as we grow in fellowship with the Father, the fear gradually vanishes and His love alone controls our hearts. An immature Christian wavers between fear and love; a mature Christian rests in God’s love.

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/hxdbzxy2

Photo Courtesty@Shutterstock.com/Brues

Finally, Dad offered his last prayer request:

“I offer my earthly life for causing the primary commandment to love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength, to be fully realized in me. I know that absolute sovereignty will be required to accomplish this, but, since You are sovereign, I have no doubt that You can do it although accomplishing that in me could well be the most difficult task You have ever undertaken.”

Dad’s heart was to glorify God in everything he said and did. He understood that his frailties would get in the way of his desire to fulfill the greatest commandment of all. He determined from the beginning to never stop praising God.

At the end of his Agreement, he showed his humility: “I am exercising my free will now to lay this in Your hands counting on You to carry it out and to leave nothing up to me from here on. I don’t want my human weakness to be given any opportunity to abort and frustrate my desire to glorify You and to be used by You. I am depending on You to arrange and do it all.”

As I conclude this series, I grieve that I lost a humble father who lived selflessly for Jesus. Though I will always miss him, he is with Jesus and I couldn’t be happier for him! I look forward to living with him for all eternity. Thank you for going on this journey with me to honor my father. I appreciate your love and support.

If you were to author an Intercessory Prayer Agreement, what would be one of your ongoing prayer requests? Your thoughts on anything you’ve read are always warmly welcomed below. 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

¹ Intercessory Agreement: Blog Series for each prayer request begins 5.8.15 http://wp.me/p3LmrK-ry through today’s post.

The post 7.3.15 The Heart of My Father: His Last Two Requests appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

If Jesus is the only way to God, what happens to those who’ve never heard the gospel? I hear this question even from Christians. It seems unfair for God to send people to hell if they’ve never heard about His Son, Jesus Christ. Dad ran into this question as well, which not only compelled him to write a book, Without Excuse, but also led him to include a special prayer request within his Intercessory Agreement. Today I continue to honor my father for the spiritual legacy he left behind. If you haven’t read my recent blogs, you need to know that he was willing to lay down his life early in exchange for eight prayer requests he listed in his Intercessory Agreement ¹. Here is his sixth petition:

“I offer my earthly life for making the saving blood of Jesus available to every human being right from the dawn of history to its end in such a way that not a single soul is lost due to involuntary ignorance of Your provision in Christ, an inadequate witness or any other circumstances, i.e., so that all eternal losses occur solely as a result of deliberate rejection of Your mercies in Jesus Christ from a position of full conviction and awareness. As you know, I am personally persuaded that You have already done this.” 

Dad cared deeply for those who were spiritually lost. He didn’t want one person to stand before God on Judgment Day and play the card, “I never heard about you.” He wanted every soul who has ever walked the earth to stand before the Lord without excuse. If people decide to reject Jesus as their only provision for salvation, they need to do it with the full awareness of God’s mercies available to them in Christ Jesus. Dad wanted to rule out the concern, “What about those who have never heard the gospel?”

Dad wrote Without Excuse to engage this question. He begins in the Preface of his book:

“Many challenges to Christianity are based on the failures of Christians and church organizations to bear good fruit, or on futile efforts to discredit the Bible. However, by far the most effective assault, in my opinion, that can be made on Christianity is to accept the experience as professed and the Bible as valid, and then point to the apparent inequality of opportunity to learn of God’s mercies in Jesus Christ – to raise the problem of circumstantial, involuntary ignorance. It is my aim in this book to discover some principles in Scripture which will lay this question to rest.”

Dad’s thesis is that “God does not permit the failures of the flesh to be the deciding factor in the eternal loss of a soul. There cannot possibly be anything statistical about a man’s eternal destiny. Fellowship with God is not a reward for circumstances of birth and exposure to the Word. Invitations to salvation are not by lottery. To present a man with the possibility of condemnation without the clear and present possibility of mercy would be predestination to damnation which is nonsense; there must exist for every man a choice.” The rest of his book is a guided tour of Scripture that support his thesis.

For those who have an itch to hear some Scripture on this question, let me summarize what I understand the Bible to say:

• The Bible affirms that Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6) There is no other name under heaven by which man can be saved. (Acts 4:12)
• God is just. “It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.” (Job 34:12) (Other references – Gen 18:25; Acts 17:31)
• God loves us with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3) (Other passages – John 3:16; 2 Pet 3:9)
• God continues to reveal Himself through His handiwork in creation. (Rom 1:19-20)
• Because no one has been kept in the dark about God, we’re all accountable to Him. (Luke 12:47-48)

So is it true that there are people who have lived and never heard the Gospel? The answer is “no.” If people die spiritually lost, it’s a result of their own actions, and not because of God. People don’t end up in hell because of what they haven’t heard, but rather because of their failure to act responsibly on what God has already revealed to them. We know that God reveals Himself through creation (Romans 1), through our conscience (Romans 2), or through the light of Christ (Romans 3).

Dad already believed that God faithfully reveals Himself to everyone He created. I think that is why he boldly asked the Lord to let those who reject Jesus to do it deliberately and with the “conviction and full awareness” of God’s tender mercies made available through Christ. He didn’t want anyone to buy into the lie of “involuntary ignorance.”

Part of Dad’s spiritual legacy was giving a clear answer to “Does God send people to hell if they’ve never heard about Jesus.” Through his study of Scripture, he landed on a resounding “NO!” And he has thoroughly documented his answer with many Scripture passages in his book.

Writing about his spiritual legacy has caused me to evaluate my own prayer life. I will ask you the same question I am asking myself, “What is one thing I can do to take my prayer life to a deeper level?” I think I need to start prayer with silence and record in a journal the thoughts He brings me. I am so eager to pray for family and friends that I bet I’m not giving enough room for God to let His voice be heard. I think He’s endured many monologues. How about you? 

Blessings,

Lee Ann

¹ Dad’s Intercessory Agreement contained this language: In the hope that it is meaningful and that my earthly life is still at least partly mine to give, I am willing to lay down the rest of my earthly life if You count that of sufficient value that You are willing in exchange to do the things I have listed below:”

Prayer Request #1: The salvation of my children, Gene and Lee Ann. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-ry

Prayer Request #2: The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask for in prayer. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-rN

Prayer Requests #3, #4, #5:

• The release of all Russian saints from prisons and camps.
• The prevention of any further arrests or confinements of Christians in the USSR and the provision of freedom to meet and worship without disturbances.
• Giving the Russian saints and inquirers plenty of Bibles and related literature without fear of confiscation. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-s8

The post 6.19.15 The Heart of My Father: Without Excuse appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Imagine hearing a knock on your door, looking through the peephole, and seeing police on the other side. I bet your heart rate would quicken. What if they have come to report a lost loved one? Perhaps there’s been a crime in your neighborhood and they need to ask you a few questions. Few of us would worry about a house search for Christian literature that would lead to an arrest—unless you lived in Russia.

Today I continue my series on Dad’s spiritual legacy, which includes a lifelong ministry to the persecuted Russian saints. I honor him by sharing three more prayer requests from his Intercessory Agreement,¹ all related to his Russian ministry.

#3 – Giving the Russian saints and inquirers plenty of Bibles and related literature without fear of confiscation. 

I wish I knew how Dad became burdened for the persecuted Russian believers. I’m guessing he became involved through mission work at his church. He started a letter-writing ministry to partner with a fledgling Russian church that needed prayer support, encouragement, Christian literature, and Bibles. Through mutual correspondence, he learned that a Russian Christian church living in a Communist State had to register with the government. In other words, churches were property of the State. The government knew all their activities, the content of their sermons, and the identities of their members. Russian believers who didn’t want to register with their government formed underground churches.

My father learned about Lydia S. through his correspondence. Lydia was a hospital nurse who became a Christian at age twenty-one. She was married with three children and belonged to an underground church that secretly met in members’ homes. Lydia yearned to emigrate to the United States. To prepare for an eventual move, she taught herself English by comparing a Russian Bible with one given to her by an American.

Bibles were hard to come by in Russia. Dad prayerfully determined that he should supply them to his sister church. I’m not talking about regular UPS shipments to Russia. Dad decided in the early 1970s to hand-deliver Bibles by smuggling them into Russia, where he would meet Lydia and her family. He knew the potential dangers of the trip, but his prayer team covered him every step of the way. Dad was particularly concerned about going through customs, but by God’s hand, the authorities never opened his luggage. While in Moscow, he found families who gladly opened their homes to him. Dad’s goal was to remain incognito and minister to the underground church where Lydia worshiped.

The Red Square at Night

When Dad returned home, he decided he wanted to have stronger communications with this sister church, so he learned the Russian language. Imagine a fifty-year-old high school teacher learning Russian as a second language in the evenings. He cared about these Russian saints. He mastered their language well enough that he was certified to teach it at the high school level. Here was his first class of five students:

1988, Dad’s First Year Russian Students

Dad had another prayer request in his Intercessory Agreement related to his Russian ministry:

#4 – The prevention of any further arrests or confinements of Christians in the USSR and the provision of freedom to meet and worship without disturbances. 

As Lydia grew spiritually, so did her conviction to speak out about the government’s unwillingness to let Christian families leave the country. She became known as a “Christian activist,” a “Soviet Dissident,” and a “Refusenik.” “Refuseniks” were people who had applied for an emigration, but had been refused by the government. In fact, she became known as the boldest, most persistent religious dissident in the Soviet Union. She was a member of a Pentecostal sect that was outlawed in the Soviet Union because its members refused to register their churches with the government. She paid a price for being outspoken.

In March of 1981, when she was thirty-seven years old, she and ten other Pentecostal women staged a brief demonstration for the freedom to emigrate. They gathered in the corner courtyard of the Lenin Library across the street from the Supreme Soviet, the nation’s parliament. She held up signs with slogans like “Give us Freedom,” or “Let us out of the USSR.” The KGB broke up the rally and dragged her away while she shouted, “Let me emigrate!” Since this was the first time she had ever participated in publicizing her plight, they released her. However, her name became known among the authorities, who watched her closely.

One night Lydia heard a knock on her door. The KGB stood before her and told her that they were performing a house search. They spent eight hours in her apartment searching for Bibles and anything religious, including a Billy Graham book, Peace with God, which had been translated into Russian. Once they were done, her telephone was yanked from the wall and disconnected. Her family endured these daylong searches twice, scaring her three children. They wanted to arrest her, but when the KGB called their superiors, they were told to “leave her alone for a while.” Dad knew all about these incidents because he was integrally involved in helping Lydia’s church.

This led to one more prayer request found in his Intercessory Agreement: 

#5 – The release of all Russian saints from prisons and camps.

In 1984 there were over 1,500 unregistered Protestant congregations meeting in members’ homes. They kept their membership at forty or less to deflect notice from the government. Soviet law required registration of any religious group of twenty or more who met at a specified worship place. Anyone who was caught faced the possibility of imprisonment. It broke Dad’s heart when he learned from Lydia that many brothers and sisters in Christ remained in prison or camps where they were treated as criminals.

After four years of requesting a visa to emigrate to the U.S. and being denied, Lydia tried to resign her Soviet citizenship by sending in her “internal passport.” The internal passport is the primary identity document for any Russian citizen fourteen years of age or older. The KGB took notice and summoned her to their headquarters. She knew that this could be the last time she ever saw her family. She packed her bags, and her family prayed over her as she left her home. When she arrived, she received a “warning sermon” and was sent back home.

Lydia still wanted to emigrate. Dad, along with many other Christians associated with the underground church, continued to pray that Lydia and her family would be allowed to come to the United States. When Dad learned that her chance increased if she had relatives here, Dad adopted her!  Now Lydia had a connection to the United States. She made another request to emigrate, and they finally let her leave. From the Soviet Union’s vantage point, by allowing Lydia to leave, they were depriving Moscow’s unregistered Pentecostal Church of one of its strongest leaders. I gained a Russian sister! She moved to Austin in November of 1985 with her family and lived with my Dad and brother for six months before they found their own apartment. Lydia’s family eventually moved to Massachusetts. Once they left, we lost contact with her.

Lydia, second on left, with husband, kids, and mother

As I reflect on Dad’s ministry to the persecuted Russian saints, I take away this key principle from Dad’s legacy: If we’re going to be involved in any ministry, BE ALL IN. Dad’s heart was in it from the beginning. His ministry began through letter writing and getting to know his brothers and sisters in the Pentecostal church. As his love for them grew, his level of involvement grew. He went from praying for more Bibles to delivering them himself. As the years went by, he wanted to be more effective in his communication with them, so he learned the Russian language. Finally, to help a woman who risked her life by criticizing her government, he adopted her to give her and her family a home to come to in the United States. He was loved not only by Lydia, but multiple Russian families he discipled.

Dad with Lydia and other Russian Christians

Lydia with her kids and friend

Lydia, far right, with other Russian friends

Lydia with Mother, husband in middle, and friends

Another Russian Family

Dad’s Birthday Celebrated by Russian Saints April 30, 1981

Today I offer a reflection question. As you consider the ministries you’re involved in, are you “all in?” If not, what could you do to step up and commit? If you’d like to share your thoughts, please comment below.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

¹ Dad’s Intercessory Agreement contained this language: In the hope that it is meaningful and that my earthly life is still at least partly mine to give, I am willing to lay down the rest of my earthly life if You count that of sufficient value that You are willing in exchange to do the things I have listed below:”

¹ Prayer Request #1: The salvation of my children, Gene and Lee Ann. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-ry

¹ Prayer Request #2: The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask for in prayer. http://wp.me/p3LmrK-rN

Other Resources:

Utica NY Daily Press, 1986-1763, 3-8-1986

Gettysburg Times, 12-21-1984

http://upi.com/4758152

The Ukranian Weekly 1981-12

The Ukranian Weekly 1982-31

The Miami News, 3-8-1986

The Miami Herald, 7-7-1984

The Austin American Statesman, 5-29-1986

The post 6.5.15 The Heart of My Father: The Persecuted Russian Saints appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

~ Matt 28:19-20

My Dad took the Great Commission seriously. He didn’t read it as a suggestion, but as a commandment, just as the Lord presented it. Dad had a heart for the spiritually lost. He felt a burden to pray for them regularly and share the gospel as opportunities arose.

In my last post I shared the introduction of his Intercessory Agreement with God that he wrote on May 14, 1983. He was willing to give up his life in exchange for answered prayer on eight requests. I shared the first prayer request, the salvation of my brother Gene and me last week. [Read It Here] Today, I want to continue honoring my father by sharing his second request. He wrote,

#2 – The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask you for in prayer. 

I wonder how many lost souls his prayers represent! He prayed for unbelievers for over sixty years. If he knew you before you became a Christian, there’s a good chance he interceded for you. As I reflect on this part of his spiritual legacy, there were three ways that Dad was intentional about reaching the lost:

He wrote a book, Without Excuse, to reach a lost family member.

Uncle Gene was our genius in the family with an IQ of 160. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and worked at the renowned Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The Lawrence Labs exist to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of our nation’s nuclear weapons through the application of advanced science, engineering, and technology. Uncle Gene was an atheist. As a scientist, he claimed there was no empirical evidence for God.

Uncle Gene with Mother and Lee Ann

Out of a love for Uncle Gene, Dad wrote a book to show him that God in His infinite wisdom revealed Himself and made Himself plain to all of us.  As it is written in Romans 1:18-20, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are WITHOUT EXCUSE.”

Every Sunday Evening He Met with a Prayer Group

When we think of small groups in which we gather with other Christians, most of us think of bible study groups. We come together for the primary purpose of studying Scripture, while we use prayer to open and close our time. We often pray for the needs of the people in our class if time permits. My father, on the other hand, attended a prayer group, in which the primary focus was prayer.

Dad brought me to one of his gatherings when I was in my twenties. He had prayed with the same nine people for nearly twenty years. As a first-timer, I came to listen and silently pray in agreement with the requests that members lifted to God. I heard the grief and the tears expressed over loved ones who didn’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I began to understand the power of prayer, the intimacy of sharing our hearts through prayer, and how it deepened the walk of my fellow Christians.

I am deeply grateful to my father for introducing me to prayer groups. I have a Prayer Ministry team that gathers at my office every Thursday. It is the most cherished time I spend with fellow Christians, joining in agreement over a variety of kingdom issues. This prayer time deepens my relationship with them, and it deepens our relationship to God.

I wonder what would happen if all bible study groups across our nation became prayer groups for a month. How refreshing it would be to change the focus of our gatherings and increase our intimacy with one another and with the Lord. If I had a magic wand, I would make that happen. It’s a completely different experience and worth the time to do it. There is so much power in prayer.

He maintained a list of those who were spiritually lost and prayed for them regularly

Dad taught me to keep a list of those who appeared to be spiritually lost. Although we don’t have the ability to judge anyone’s heart, he encouraged me to record names as the Lord burdened my heart. It sounds so basic, but over the years I have learned that many of my Christian peers don’t keep a list. Maybe this is a “Dad” thing, but I find it valuable. I keep a Word document that I update as needed.

Dad’s spiritual influence in the area of prayer facilitated my growth as a Christian. I am deeply indebted to him. I can’t help but wonder if on April 8^th, the day he died, if God honored Dad’s Intercessory Agreement. Dad was willing to lay down his life early in exchange for “The salvation of every soul I have ever asked You for or will ever ask you for in prayer.” 

Would you pray in agreement with me that every soul that Dad prayed for will discover salvation in Christ before they die?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 5.22.15 The Heart of My Father: Lost Souls appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

When you need prayer, who do you count on to pray for you?  If even one person comes to mind, consider yourself blessed beyond measure. For me, that person was my father. His spiritual legacy contained intercessory prayer at its core.  He was my top prayer warrior.

Dad believed in the power of prayer and faithfully prayed for my brother Gene and me on a daily basis. He considered it his highest privilege and responsibility as a parent to cover us in prayer. Like most parents, Dad wanted to see his children healthy and happy. He wanted us to succeed in whatever career we pursued. But Dad’s prayer life focused on our spiritual well-being. He subscribed to 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the light.”

Can you imagine a parent praying over you on a DAILY basis? I realize many of us pray for our loved ones when certain events or circumstances arise. Dad certainly did that when Gene and I faced challenges. However, Dad deeply desired that Gene and I would know Christ as our Savior. Isn’t that what all Christian parents want?! Sure it is. We want our loved ones to know Jesus and enjoy a love relationship with Him for eternity. Dad wanted us to discover our purpose in God’s kingdom and live our lives serving Him.

He was so committed to praying for our salvation that he was willing to give up his life in exchange for our salvation. You read that right. He was willing to lay down his life in return for our salvation. How many of us are willing to offer our life in exchange for an answered prayer? I’ll be honest. I have never offered God my willingness to give up my life for anything or anyone. Dad knew it was a win-win for him, as it is for all Christians. He understood that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8). How did I know that he was willing to die for me and Gene in exchange for our salvation?

Dad wrote an Intercessory Agreement with God on May 14, 1983. At that time he was 47 and divorced. He was living in Austin teaching at Crockett High School. I was out of college working my first job, and Gene was a senior at the University of Texas. I found the document in one of his files after he died. Here’s the opening of his Intercessory Agreement:

“I know and am very grateful that, as your child, I am not my own, that I am bought with a price. Because of that I understand that You are already absolutely free to take my life to Your glory at any moment, and that this agreement will in no way alter that. If Your desires require my life, then I happily lay it down without reference to anything but my eternal life in You, my Father. I will never cease praising You and thanking You for my redemption in Jesus Christ and the incredible heritage You have given me in Him. However, You evidently still allow human free will to operate to some extent in areas of the lives of Your children. There do appear to be some choices within a calling from You. In the hope that it is meaningful and that my earthly life is still at least partly mine to give, I am willing to lay down the rest of my earthly life if You count that of sufficient value that You are willing in exchange to do the things I have listed below:”

#1. The salvation of my children, Gene and Lee Ann. Dad listed seven more prayer requests that mattered to him the most, and I’m going to share them in time. Each request reveals his heart and how closely he walked with God.

Dad’s intercessory prayer ministry has shaped who I have become. I won’t fully appreciate his prayer covering over me until I get to heaven, but I know I miss it now! I believe that I am becoming the woman God created me to be in Christ Jesus because of his faithfulness to pray for me daily. His legacy lives in me, and I am committed to carrying it on. I have prayed daily for my family members for years. As I pray, I quote many Scripture passages that will help them grow spiritually, just as Dad did for me.

I now have the opportunity to make a powerful difference in the life of one precious young lady, my goddaughter, Serenity.

Serenity is a striking young lady with an adorable personality and a beautiful spirit within. She is finishing her freshman year at Texas Tech University. I have the privilege of being a godly influence in her life. I want to do for her exactly what Dad did for me, and that is to pray for her daily, focusing on her spiritual growth.

Dad committed to pray for us daily, but his intercession went well beyond his children! I look forward to sharing more of his legacy in the weeks to come.

If you are a parent, I hope Dad’s legacy inspires you to pray more deeply for your children if you aren’t doing that already. Children are a precious gift from the Lord, and we have the honor to care for them through daily prayer. Do you have a special prayer for your children that you don’t mind sharing with us?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 5.8.15 The Heart of My Father: Praying for His Children appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Wednesday, April 8^th, 4:30 pm, the charge nurse at Dad’s care facility called to inform me that Dad was having difficulty breathing, and they had called an ambulance. I wasn’t alarmed. Dad might be having an allergic reaction to medication, which could be easily treated. He’s been taken by ambulance in the past for chest pain and was quickly stabilized. The doctors diagnosed and treated him for atrial fibrillation, discharging him with a prescription to regulate his heart rate.

I felt confident the doctors would evaluate him now and help him breathe easier and decided to go ahead with my scheduled oil change at 5:00 pm. Within five minutes, while the car was up on the rack with no oil in it, the ER physician called me.

“Miss Penick, I am Dr. Li. I’m caring for your father in the ER and need to confirm that your Dad’s “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) directive is still active,” he said.

“Absolutely,” I replied.

“Your father is experiencing severe respiratory distress. When we follow DNRs, we typically don’t intubate a patient. In the meantime, we will do everything possible to keep him comfortable, but I consider this an end-of-life situation.”

Dad might be dying, and my car was sitting on top of a rack. I called my brother Gene to alert him of Dad’s predicament and got his voicemail. The oil change was about done when Dr. Li called me a second time at 5:30 pm.

“Miss Penick, are you okay with us inserting a central line for your father?” he asked.

“I have no idea what a central line is! Is this something that sustains him, or comforts him?” I asked.

“A central line is basically an IV in the neck, and I think it would help regulate his blood pressure, which should make him more comfortable,” he said.

“If it keeps him more comfortable, then by all means do it,” I said. “The main thing is that he does NOT want procedures that artificially sustain him.” I called Gene and left another message with the latest update.

The car was ready, so I took off into traffic that was barely moving. Rush hour. It took me 45 minutes just to get to the toll roads where I could go 80 mph and bypass most of I-35, which is always congested. As I began my trek to the hospital, my phone rang again at 6:30 pm. This time it was Dr. Patel, another attending ER physician.

“Are you on your way?” he asked.

“I am trying to get there as fast as I can,” I replied. I explained that I was stuck at a service station waiting on my oil change and then was delayed by traffic. “I live in far north Austin and the hospital is fifty minutes from here using the toll roads.”

“I need to tell you that your Dad does not look good, and it is my recommendation that we let him go.”

“What exactly does that mean?” I inquired.

“We are using a bi-pap machine to help him get more oxygen. Once we remove the mask from his nose and mouth, he will have to breathe on his own. He may go in a few minutes, or it may be a few hours.”

“My Dad is more than ready to go. I affirm your recommendation and hope I get to see him before he dies.” I thanked him for the clarification and told him that I was on the road and would get there as soon as possible. I left a third message for Gene to let him know what the doctor recommended and my support of it.

I finally got to the hospital around 7:15 pm and rushed in to find my father. A male nurse led me to an open room that was divided into three sections by thin curtains. I found him with the bi-pap mask still assisting him with oxygen while gasping for each breath.

“Can my Dad hear me?” I asked.

“He can. His level of consciousness is reduced, but his eyes met our eyes when we asked him a couple of questions, so he is aware of what’s going on.”

I stood by his gurney and told him I was here. His eyes tried to move toward me. For the next fifteen minutes, I held his hand while giving him words of encouragement, interspersed with kisses on the cheek. I assured him that I was here to stay and would not leave his side.

The nurse explained three different numbers they were watching on Dad’s monitor: blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate. The key metric was the respiratory rate, which was the bottom number on the monitor. It reveals the number of breaths taken per minute. While his oxygen mask was on, he was taking approximately 75 breaths a minute.

Since the nurse knew Dad was dying, he offered to move Dad into a real room where we could close the door and have privacy. That was 7:30 pm. He suggested that we turn the bathroom light on and leave its door open and turn the room light off to create a more dimmed, peaceful environment. Before he stepped out of the room, he silenced as many alarms on the monitor that he could and removed Dad’s mask. As I watched the monitor, his number of breaths trended downward. It dropped from 75 to 60 within minutes of the oxygen mask being removed.

Since I didn’t know if I had five minutes or three hours, I started loving on him. I poured words of affirmation into his heart. I told him to be prepared to hear from the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I affirmed his gift of intercession and how I coveted the daily prayers he said for me over all of these years. I shared that God used him as my greatest influence in helping me find salvation in Christ. I applauded his faith. He never blamed God for the many difficult life circumstances he endured. I reminded him regularly how much I loved him. I promised to take care of Gene and that we were going to be okay. I assured him that he had my blessing to go.

I felt led to start praying over him. This is what Dad modeled for me over the years. It didn’t matter if we were on the phone, or face to face. If he heard a need or a request, he would stop our conversation and say, “Let me pray with you right now while we’re talking about it.” It was my privilege to minister to him through prayer. I prayed for the “peace that surpasses all human understanding” to fill his heart, mind, soul, and spirit. I asked the Lord to grant Dad’s wish to take him home. I thanked God for blessing me with a godly father whose life was an example of great faith.

Before I knew it, twenty minutes had elapsed. I looked at the monitor, and Dad’s respiratory rate had dropped significantly to the low 30s. I knew that Dad wasn’t going to last much longer. I believed it was important for him to know his children were with him. I told Dad that I was going to call Gene and try to get him on the speaker phone so that he could hear his son’s voice. I tried Gene one more time, and he answered.

“Gene, have you had a chance to listen to my voicemail messages?” I asked.

“No, I just got home from a long day at work,” he said.

“I am at the hospital with Dad, and I need you to listen to my messages and then call me back so I can put you on the speaker phone and let you talk to Dad.”

“What’s going on?!” he asked. I knew Dad could hear, so I scrambled for words that didn’t sound so morbid. “His health is failing. I really need you to listen to your recorder and then call me right back.”

“Can you step out of his room and fill me in?” he asked.

“Gene, I can’t. I’m not leaving his side. Please call me back after you listen to your answering machine.” Gene agreed to call me back.

My phone rang at 8:00 pm, and Gene was ready to speak to Dad. I put him on the speaker phone and turned up the volume so that Dad had every opportunity to hear Gene’s voice one last time. Gene took a few minutes to share how much he loved him and how much Dad meant to him. I thanked Gene for talking to Dad and told him I would call him later. Feeling relieved, I looked at the monitor and his respiratory rate was in the 20s. Dad was cold and clammy from the lack of oxygen, and the color was gone from his face.

I decided to sing hymns to my Dad, but discovered that I only knew the first verses of most of them, and that was it! So I took advantage of the iPhone and Googled “popular hymns” and pulled up some of Dad’s favorites. I sang through Amazing Grace, Great is Thy Faithfulness, and How Great Thou Art. I looked at Dad’s respiratory rate on the monitor, and here’s what I saw:

The military time stamp showed 8:19 pm. Dad was about to slip into the arms of Jesus. I pulled up When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and sang it to him. While struggling with tears off and on throughout the hymn, I felt strengthened on the last verse:

“Were the whole realm of nature mine that were an offering far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, m-y-y ALL.”

As soon as I landed on “my life, my all,” I looked at the monitor:

He entered into his heavenly home at 8:22 pm. Dad, you gave your life, your all, to the Lord. I couldn’t be more proud to call you my father. I love you.

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 4.24.15 My Last Hour With Dad appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

Thanksgiving has passed, but it’s never too late to say “thanks” to you for choosing to read my blog. I know your time is valuable. Through your encouragement to “keep writing” over the last three years, I have grown as a writer, and you deserve credit. I thank God for you!

Photo Courtesy @Shutterstock.com/newcorner

I especially want to thank you for responding to my request for input about my Dad. I wasn’t sure which course of action to take regarding his dental hygiene. You blessed me with thoughtful replies, sharing your own struggles in caring for your parents. One of you took thirty minutes of your time to call me and then prayed over me and Dad before hanging up the phone. Wow! Since you took extra time to provide your input, I want to share the progress I made with your help and God’s grace.

First, I never heard from the administrator at the two-week mark. You reminded me that the Director of Nursing oversees the care on the floor, so I called her. Linda is a gracious, sweet lady who showed concern for my Dad. She understood my need to know that Dad was getting help at least once a day with brushing his teeth. More importantly, she was quick to investigate whether or not Dad was receiving regular dental care from the staff. She didn’t try to hide anything.

“Lee Ann, after I learned that your Dad had eleven cavities, I went back to my staff to see who was helping your Dad with brushing his teeth. I discovered some deficiencies I wasn’t aware of,” she said. “I have implemented an action plan to ensure a caregiver brushes your Dad’s teeth twice a day.”

“Linda, I am thrilled to hear that!” I said. “You have so many residents who need care, how do you know if your aides will follow through on the task required?”

“I have set up AccuNurse alerts that go to my CNAs (Certified Nurse’s Aide) twice a day,” she answered.

“What is ‘AccuNurse?” I felt ignorant.

“It is cutting-edge technology that provides voice enabled point-of-care to our residents,” she answered. “Picture headsets worn by employees taking a food order in a drive-thru setting. They hear your voice through their headsets and take your order. In the same way, our caregivers on the floor wear these headsets. This software allows us to set up a profile for your Dad in our computer system, and we can list all the care your Dad requires each day. Throughout the day, CNAs respond to instructions they hear through their headset. For example, they might hear, “It’s time to give a bath to a resident in room “x.” We can also set up special alerts to highlight certain parts of the care plan, like dental hygiene, which we did for your Dad,” she said.

“In other words,” I said, “your CNAs hear a voice command in their ear bud to assist my Dad to brush his teeth, and they respond to it. Then they speak into the microphone to document that they performed the task without having to write it into a paper chart later.”

“That’s right,” she said.

“That sounds like a wonderful tool. But doesn’t there still need to be review function?” I asked.

“Yes, but you won’t see ‘dental hygiene’ separated out. Our system includes dental hygiene in his general care plan,” she said. “But let me say this. EVERY employee at our facility knows that our caregivers must brush Mr. Jones’s teeth twice a day – even the janitor. If you learn of any employee who doesn’t know this, please let me know!!” After sharing a good laugh, I showered her with my heartfelt appreciation for all she was doing for Dad.

The Lord brought a swift solution for my Dad through your words of wisdom. Our family is no longer concerned that nurses are neglecting their duty to brush his teeth. Many of you gently reminded me that nursing facilities are short-staffed. They are doing well to bathe, feed, and dress their residents. It’s easy to forget how hard these caregivers work. They are the unsung heroes doing the unpleasant tasks with a servant’s heart.

I hope each of you had a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Thank you for helping me. In case you missed it – I thank God for you!

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 11.28.14 I Thank God For You appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.

If your father lived in a nursing facility, wouldn’t you expect someone to assist him with brushing his teeth? Here’s what I discovered with my Dad, and then I need your advice.

Photo Courtesy@Shutterstock.com/Jan Mika

My father sees his dentist three times a year. During his last appointment, we discovered he had ELEVEN cavities that will cost a total of $3,400 to fill. How could that happen if he is brushing his teeth daily? I visit Dad twice a month and often notice his teeth are not clean. I’ve dismissed it assuming the aides would help him brush before bedtime.

Two days after hearing from the dentist, I called the head nurse at the home. I informed her of Dad’s eleven cavities and asked if Dad was receiving dental hygiene. I received a polite, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Not the resounding, “Yes, every resident in our care gets help with their dental hygiene,” that I was hoping for. Her response made me wonder if the staff might drop the issue if I didn’t continue to pursue the issue.

The following day I decided to join Dad for supper to see if I could get some answers. I also wanted to meet with the head nurse to gather more information about Dad’s dental hygiene. After dinner, I broached Dad.

“Dad, who helps you brush your teeth each day?” I asked.

“I religiously brush my teeth twice a day,” he said. I listened with disbelief.

“Let’s go to your room so I can watch you brush your teeth,” I suggested.

“Okay,” he said. I wheeled him into the bathroom only to discover there was no toothbrush or toothpaste by the sink.

“Dad, where do you keep your toothbrush and toothpaste?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “They should be around here somewhere.”

I left him in the bathroom while I looked around his room. I found his unopened prescription toothpaste with extra fluoride sitting on a small counter near his bed. Across the room is his chest of drawers. I rummaged through his drawers and found a toothbrush in its unopened package in the top drawer, which he can’t reach. Apparently, a staff person put it there. I removed the toothbrush from its package and returned to the bathroom feeling victorious that Dad had what he needed to brush his teeth.

I then noticed a logistical problem. The sink was too high for someone in a wheelchair! How was he supposed to rinse and spit if he couldn’t lean over the sink? To make matters worse, I couldn’t find a water cup or anything for him to spit into. Moreover, nurses were scurrying in and out of rooms to help other residents, so I was hard pressed to get any help.

Dad was willing to persevere through these roadblocks. I put the toothpaste on his toothbrush and handed it to him, but he struggled. Instead of using his arm to create a brushing motion, he kept his arm still and moved his head to make his teeth rub against the toothbrush. I put my hand over his hand to encourage him to move his arm instead of his head. Since there was nowhere to spit, he swallowed. (I hear your groans from afar.)

I approached the head nurse. She was standing in the hallway by her cart filling small plastic cups with pills for residents, but she was willing to talk to me.

“Who handles the dental hygiene for my Dad each day?” I asked.

“Whoever is putting him to bed should be helping your Dad brush his teeth,” she replied.

“So how are you making sure that an aide is doing that?” I asked. “Do you require them to initial a log that indicates the task was done?”

She didn’t give an answer, and I could tell she didn’t want to continue the conversation. She wasn’t going to admit possible neglect.

I headed back to Dad’s room realizing there was a strong chance that dental hygiene wasn’t happening for my Dad. Two days later I decided to write the administrator to express my concern. I informed him of Dad’s eleven cavities and the $3,400 cost to fill them. I reminded him that Dad is in a nursing facility outside of Austin because that’s where he can afford care. His cash reserves are not plentiful. I asked him to share the protocol they follow to make sure residents are getting help with their teeth. Second, I asked him to assure me that he is implementing an action plan to make sure Dad will get help to brush his teeth daily going forward.

I received a prompt reply. He forwarded my email to the Director of Nursing to address this issue. He indicated that I would hear from her while he was on vacation, but that didn’t happen. Two weeks elapsed, and I never got a response on protocol or whether staff implemented a specific plan to assist my Dad.

I sent a follow-up email to the administrator requesting an update, including excerpts from the Admissions Agreement I signed for Dad in 2012, lending support for my position that Dad should be receiving help with basic dental hygiene. It’s been ten days with no response. I will wait four more days to give him a chance to reply.

But now I’m facing a crossroad and need your input. I feel tension between seeking accountability versus letting it go because it already feels like a losing battle. I can’t prove that Dad’s cavities were due to lack of dental hygiene. I want a simple result. I want to know with certainty that someone is helping my Dad brush his teeth daily. In the meantime I am working through some “what-if” scenarios:

• If the administrator doesn’t respond at the two-week mark, do I write another email and give him the benefit of the doubt, assuming that he has been conducting an in-house investigation, and ask what it revealed? If it appears that Dad did not get the consistent care he needed, should I ask the facility to pay at least half of his dental bill?

• Do I accept the possible reality that many facilities do not assist their residents with dental hygiene, which may be a norm in this industry?

• Do I talk to an attorney, which I don’t want to do, but may have to do? Dad’s resources are limited, so that doesn’t sound viable.

• If I seek accountability, can they decide to turn my Dad away and ask him to find a new facility for care because they don’t want to deal with us?

Being an advocate for parents who can’t defend themselves is harder than I thought. If you were in my shoes, how would you advocate for your Dad?

Blessings,

Lee Ann

The post 11.14.14 I Need Your Input appeared first on LAPenick's Blog.