coffee and let's visit a while........:-))
My husband, Stanley, passed away Feb.16, 2007. His heart just stopped and he went to be with the Lord. He had major medical problems for most of his life, but he never once stopped serving the Lord. He was an inspiration to all he met. I was blessed to be able to have him for a total of 7 years. I knew him for almost 20 years, as we had worked together at our place of employment. During that time, he taught me many things about love, God, Deaf and Ministry. His ministry goes on through his family, his wife, his church and all those whose lives he touched through sign language. He was a sweet spirit, here, on this earth.
My name is Jackie and I live in south-central Indiana,
but am originally from Kentucky.
My husband, Stanley was from Indianapolis. He never moved too far from that spot.
I have 4 grown children and 14 Beautiful grandkids! I have 4 great-grandchildren......two boys and two
girls, James and Nala, born to Daniel and Christina, and a new baby boy, Elijah, born to Dillon, and a girl, Abigail, born to Taleena Jo. My son is now
a grandpa!!!!!
Suzy is Stanley's daughter, and even tho' he is gone, she is still "mine". She is married to Chris and they have 2 girls and 1 boy.....Emily, Kylie and Christian.
My children accepted and loved Stanley very much. They all learned to sign, to be able to talk to him. I love my children very much, and the fact that they accepted my husband, is very precious to me.........
My oldest is Sharon. She is a nurse. Sharon is married to Chuck and they have
1 son, Noah and he is such a joy to us, as he
is our "miracle baby". Sharon waited a long, long
time and God finally answered her prayers with
this beautiful little one.
They now have Lilly, and she is a beautiful little girl. I will tell more about her later..:-)
My son, Rick is a career Navy man and retired in March of 2005. He and his family live in
Washington state. He is married to Josie, who is
from the Phillipines, and together they have 5 kids,
Daniel, Diana, Dillon, (These 3 are hers from another
marriage) Jocylyn and little Rick. Also,
Rick has 2 that live in Indiana with their mother,
Chris and T.J.
Next is DeAnna (DEE). She is married to Shannon
and they have twin sons, Tyler and Taylor, who, by the way, are very good at signing!! They did skits at church to music and signed the music, also. I am very proud of these boys!
Both the boys graduated, this Spring, (2008)and are now in College, so they are not in church as much as they used to be. I am praying they continue in the Lord.
Tyler married his high school sweetheart,Brittany, on September4, 2010. They had a beautiful wedding.
Dee is an excellent signer, also. She and I team-teach a sign class at a local area church. She is, also, a member of our Sign team, SILENT PRAISE.
I am a Born-Again Christian and attend an
Apostolic Pentecostal church. I have put JESUS #1
in my life, both in my personal as well as my ministry......I know that without HIS Grace, I
would have nothing and share this knowledge with
everyone I know and or meet.
My husband, Stanley and I, team-taught a class at
our church in Basic Sign Language. Actually, he was my own sign language teacher!! That was how we got together!! Of course, we knew it was the Lord who arranged it all!! Stanley was
deaf, but could read lips quite well, and had some
hearing, with the help of 2 hearing aids.
I just, this year,2008, changed churches. Transition is hard, but I know The Lord has led me to this church and with His help, we began a Deaf Ministry here. In fact, we have had a couple of Deaf friends come to services. My church is...Highland Village Church, Bloomington, In.........pastored by Bro. and Sis. B.Andrew King.
We have several signers, now, who have learned through our basic sign class, that we have in the Fall, every year. We sign all music, even if there are no Deaf there. Because if there is a visitor, there, they may know a Deaf person and they can let them know we sign here!
Our Deaf Ministry, and Sign team, is called "Silent Praise". We do a lot of traveling around to other churches to spread the Word through our signing music. We currently, have 14 members on our team. I am working on making a page for the team, so people will know when and where we will be.
We learned a lot through my marriage to Stanley, about the deaf community. We try to incorporate what we learned into our church's worship services.
The Deaf are a world that is, largely, ignored by the "hearing" world. Little things that we take for granted, are often missed by the Deaf people.
Like Bible stories and jokes and little "sayings" that make no sense, but we, as hearing people, understand them. Sometimes, it is hard to explain what they mean....As interpreters, we have to interpret all we hear and that includes the jokes, too. Our Pastors, sometimes, tells funny stories, and when the whole church is laughing, the Deaf look to us, to explain what is so funny.
I do understand a little more, as sometimes, when we were with several of Stanley's deaf friends, they signed so fast, I did not understand all they "said". I know how frustrated I got, so therefore, I understand how the deaf feel in our hearing world.
I used to get nervous, when we would go to another church, because I always interpreted for my husband, but , it was such a normal part of my life, that I did not worry about others watching me. We were at a restaurant, once, and there 9 Deaf and 2 hearing people..WHAT FUN!! That poor little waitress....:-))..........Others were watching the signing and I am not longer nervous. It is a major part of my life and I love it!!!
I have had people come to me after a service, and tell me how much they enjoyed watching and what a blessing it was, even tho' they don't understand "sign".
I have a very dear friend, In Az, who signs music and we visited her in the summer of 2002, and it was awesome to watch her sign the music. She has a very "Poetic" way of signing and I loved watching her. She did the music, and I signed the sermon....GREAT teamwork, Judi!!!!! :-)
God blessed us through this ministry and I will continue to do His work, as long as He allows me to be on this Earth. My Husband has gone Home and his work is finished. Now it is up to me and others to carry on and I will do so to the best of my ability and through the blessings of the Lord, as he grants me the grace to continue.
We had a lady, in my old church, who was very hard of hearing. She is learning to sign, and she told me she didn't realise how much lip-reading she was doing, until she learned to sign. She said she didn't know she was missing so much......... Her telling me that, blessed me so much..we both were crying...........Thank You Jesus!!!
Right now, we only have one man who is able to interpret, and he just happens to be my son-in-law! :-) More men are needed, for the men's things..........conferences, breakfasts, etc.etc........I went to a men's prayer meeting and interpreted but I felt a little out-of-place............LOL......
We have some deaf friends who attend a little country church, in Ky, that has no interpreter. The man is extremely hard-of-hearing, so he helps his girlfriend to understand, with what little he hears and, also, reading their lips. So, we had been going down there often, so they can enjoy the services with me as their interpreter.
We are praying someone develops a burden to learn sign so they can start a Deaf Ministry there. I love that little church....the people are so sweet and they make us feel very welcome when we go there. !!!!
UPDATE!!!! there are, now, several learning to sign there! Praise the Lord!!!!!
It is a little over 2 hours drive for us, so it is not bad....in fact, the drive is beautiful.....Some of the road runs right along the Ohio River and what a gorgeous drive in the Summer!!!! 'Course, I won't drive it in the Winter, since I have no desire to slide right off into that water! LOL
So......God is expanding my Ministry and I love it.......I am retired, now, so I have more time to do some traveling. I teach several classes each week, and there are several churches that have new Deaf Ministries, coming from learning to sign with us and it humbles me and makes me feel so good, to know we are doing a good work for Jesus Christ. I know, with all my heart, that I am doing what the Lord has called me to do........there is a whole world of Deaf people who know nothing about the Lord..we need to reach them in these last days........
In October, 2004, and again, in October 2005, we had a week-end Deaf Revival, at our church, with Bro. Kenneth Rowan, from Kansas. He is an awesome preacher who just happens to be Deaf.....What an annointed Man of God he is!!!!!! His wife is "hearing" and she does voice interpretation for the ones who do not sign.
Then, October, '07, we had Bro. and sis. David Rouleau, from Michigan, come for a weekend Deaf revival and it was awesome. God is so good!!! The Rouleau's are the Michigan District Deaf Ministry directors. She is "hearing" and she does the voicing for him as he preaches.
Then in October 2010, we had Bro. and Sis Rowan come to Highland Village Church for a weekend revival...AWESOME!
~~ My Testimony to the Power of Prayer ~~
In March, '99, I was very sick and in the hospital.
The doctors told my children......."if you have
anything to say to your Mom, you better say it
now. Unless something happens in the next hour,
you will lose her."
I had blood clots in my lungs. Also, my blood
pressure had "bottomed out", which means..I had almost
NO pressure!! Well, I didn't realize just how
sick I was! I couldn't understand why my girls
were so upset, I thought I had brochitus, or maybe,
pneumonia! Little did I know, I was about to see
God in action!!!
My daughter, her husband, his brother, and their
assistant pastor, Bro. Jim Langley, prayed for me
and I felt such a peace come over me. I wasn't
afraid and I knew I would be ok.
Well, after being in the Progressive care Unit
for 2 days, they sent me home because..and I
Quote.........."They couldn't find anything
Wrong with me!!"!!!!!!!
Praise the Lord!!! He healed me and I have been
telling everyone since that day!!!
Then, In October,(2004) I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer.....after a routine Colonoscopy, during a normal yearly check-up. I had no problems, or trouble, so it was quite a shock when the dr told us what he found! I had several polyps and a large tumor. Well, we were devastated, to say the least!!!!
So, In November, just a few weeks later, I had surgery to remove the tumor. It was bigger than they thought, so the surgery was a little more involved that they thought. BUT>>>>>>>by the Grace of God and an excellent surgeon, I am Cancer free and no bag on my side!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!!!! I do not even need to go through Chemo or radiation, either!!! God sure is good-huh????
I believe God touched my body........They did a CT SCAN of my abdomen, Pelvis, and Liver, looking for more Cancers.......and found nothing. But let me tell you why I believe they found nothing!!
My husband knelt and prayed for me every night for several weeks, before the surgery. You have to understand how hard it was for my sweet hubby to kneel down by the bed.......He had a very bad back......DJD and his spine was, basically, crumbling. He had 2 major surgeries on his back, incuding a "fusion", and no more could be done. He, also, had Cardiomyopathy and his heart was pumping at about 18%. So it was difficult for him to get down on his knees.
One night, as he prayed, I felt a "heat", like a heating pad, radiate from his hands over my stomach. I know, in my heart, that God touched me that night!!! The next day, I had the CT SCAN and they found nothing!! WOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!! SO>>>>>>>when you hear someone say that God
doesn't heal......you tell them to come and
talk to ME!!!!!! I am living proof of the
Power of prayer and the Mercies of our God!
UPDATE!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!! After going through all that....in Feb,2005, I started having some problems. I called my doctor and he ordered a couple CT scans. They showed some lesions on my liver, suspected to be cancer spread from my colon. Well, if it is in your liver, you are pretty well finished, you know..if you are lucky, maybe 6 months to a year..maybe......
Well......Praise the Lord!! The church prayed, as did many many friends, and then, they ordered another Scan. This time a PET SCAN...kinda like an MRI but it takes about 3 hours to complete. It said......................NORMAL LIVER BACKGROUND...NORMAL BODY SCAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Do you remember the old time Pentecostal churches?? Some would have a pair of crutches, or a Cane hanging on the wall, from a "healing"....
Well, my pastor took copies of my test results...before and after...and put them on the board for all to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have PROOF of what God has done for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MORE HEALING!!!!!!
I have had COPD for almost 20 years. I smoked for many years, before the Lord delivered me from that and saved me. This caused a lot of damage to my lungs. I, also, worked in a factory for 32 years, and who knows what kind of stuff we were breathing in there!
I have had pneumonia several times, every year for several years. In January, 2010, I was in the hospital, again, and this time, it was very bad. In fact, so bad, that they sent me home in the care of HOSPICE. If you know that word, you know that meant I had less than a year or so, to live. I was put on O2 continuous, 24/7 and , needless to say, I hated that! I was embarrassed to go out in public with that tube on my face.
I came home and began to make arrangements for my funeral and getting my "house in order", as they say. I prayed continuously, to make sure there was nothing standing between me and HIM when HE decided to come and get me. July 22, 2010, I was at the National Deaf Evangelism Conference, at Calvary Tabernacle, in Indianapolis. At the end of service, several people came over and began to pray with me. I felt the Holy Ghost come over me, and I removed my O2 tubing and have not used it since! THANK YOU JESUS!!! My HOSPICE nurse, Tricia, and my home health aide, Vera, are both Christians and they were so happy for me!! HOSPICE signed me off their program because I am "too healthy" to remain in their care!! I know I still have some COPD, but I, also, know that The Lord touched my lungs enough to not use the O2 and that is enough for me! I believe HE was testing me, because I had made the statement that I would NOT sign with that tube in my nose! But, when I decided that no matter what happens, I will still serve HIM and do what I know HE has called me to do, thne, He touched my lungs and gave me my breath back.
WHAT A TESTIMONY I HAVE NOW!!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!
A DEAF CHILD'S PRAYER
