This is our precious granddaughter Katelynn Joy Pelton. This picture was taken with a cell phone then sent to another cell phone before being sent to our gmail account. The picture had to be 'doctored' by picasa first so were hoping we got the lighting correct. We are hoping to get better pictures soon without any guesswork involved. I can hardly wait to see and cuddle her in person.

David & Diane Mahin are now Grandparents

Today, November 9, 2008, at 6:43 PM, Eastern Time,David and Diane Mahin became Grand Parents. Earl & Melissa (Mahin) Pelton became proud parents of a little girl. Her name is Katelynn Joy Pelton. She weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces,and was 20 1/2 inches long. She came via C-Section due to Melissa coming down with preclampsyia (toxemia). Both mom and baby are doing well. The hospital stay could be as long as 3 days. We'll post pictures here as soon as we can. Also, It is absolutely thrilling to become grandparents.

Memorializing the life of Rev. Ray Satterfield

The sad news came to us late last night, Friday, November 7, 2008, of the sudden passing of a mighty man of God, Rev. Ray Satterfield. He was only 55. He had been pastoring the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania, since 2004 and was an inspiring influence upon all who knew him.

He was completely given to God, and fully dedicated to the work of the Kingdom. Specifically, Friday night, he had just enjoyed a basketball game in a Family Night gathering, spending time interacting with fellow believers in the gymnasium of the Indiana Wesleyan School. He was just the type of person to reach out -- not just to his church but to anyone who could benefit from a touch of the loving hand of God. What a tremendous example of Christian grace! He really blessed people with with the vibrant love of God.

Please pray for the Indiana, PA, church while they will be staggering at the loss of their much beloved pastor.

The following link will lead you to the church's website (where we got the above picture) and, if you feel lead, sign their guestbook and leave your notes of prayer and condolence.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeqge6t/indianawesleyanmethodistchurch/index.html

Here is a copy of the first email I received late last night concerning Ray's death ...

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Dear Christian friends, We are asking for earnest prayer for the family of Rev. Ray Satterfield. He collapsed after playing basketball this evening and was not able to be revived, even though nurses were right there instantly. Paramedics came very quickly after; shocking the heart did not bring him back. Pray desperately for his wife, Melodie and children Pamela and Jordan along with their spouses and children. Husband, father, and grandpa is gone. What a loss ! Some of you know of Ray because you have attended our Marriage Retreats. We think Ray was probably 55. He was such a wonderful pastor to the folks at Indiana Wesleyan Methodist Church, Indiana, PA. Pray for this church as he was loved dearly. Satterfields are the type of people who are "totally pastors." Our daughter and her family attend this church and are very shaken. A lot of the church families and friends from the area were there at the Christian School gym for a "Family Night", which had been organized to get some of the young families together once a month for fellowship.

Kathy ChurchillThe Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11

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Viewing will be at the Lefdahl Funeral Home in Indiana, PA, on Monday from 2:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The funeral will be on Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at the Indiana Wesleyan Methodist Church.

Please pray for all involved.

Till next time -- thank you for visiting MAHINALIVE

My Online Presence is expanding

I cannot give all the details right now but my occupation of my little niche on the web is soon to expand. I sure am glad that Google provides SO MANY SERVICES for free.

When my next venture is completed I will give you the web address so you can see where my time recently has been spent. Till then, thank you for visiting MAHINALIVE.

This is the Church where David is pastoring now. It is located, literally, on the outskirts of Miltonvale right in the middle of the most beautiful of country settings.
The most recent Wednesday Evening Prayer Meeting had 22 in attendance; so that seems to be the core of the congregation. We have had as high as 40 for a Sunday School attendance since we've gotten here in early July, 2008. We can count on high 20's to mid thirties for our usual Sunday School attendance.
This picture was taken in late March of '06, so that accounts for the snow on the ground. The sanctuary lays east to west with an abandoned house to the north (to the right out of the picture) and a nice hayfield on the south side of the church ( to the left of the picture) that the church actually owns.
There used to be a Christian Day School that was operated in the Sunday School wing but it was closed in either '04 or '05. All the kids of the church graduated from high school so naturally the school had to close. Presently, two families of the church have school aged children, James and Jodi Randel, and of course the Pastor's family but we would need a few more families with grade school aged children before the school would be reopened. But, then, homeschooling is cheaper than operating a Christian Day School. So presently, the library is simply being used as a resource center.

Douglas and his Knife

Yesterday, September 24, a minute or two before 5 PM, CDT, Douglas was whiling his time away with a utility knife.  (Where he got it is beyond me).  He was cutting a plastic lantern cover and somehow ??? the knife slipped and inadvertently plunged into his left thigh.  It didn't hurt for a couple of seconds but then he looked to see why his pant leg felt wet and immediately realized he had 'daggered' himself.  Well, will spare you the bloody details but it was NOT a pretty sight.  It took just a couple seconds for his sock to start changing color too.  Quickly, wife was called onto the scene and preparations were made for a trip to the nearest ER; no less than 18 miles away.  (Clay Center, Kansas)  

Dad:  but Doug, this is Wednesday night and I need to start prayer meeting at 7 PM.  

Doug:  I'm sorry Dad, I didn't do it on purpose.

Mom:  Should you stay here for prayer meeting?

Metricia:  (18 year old daughter) NO, You're his DAD after all.

Dad: Doug, You're 14.   Aren't you, you know, a little grown up for this kind of thing.

Doug:  I'm sorry Dad, I didn't do it on purpose.

The wound doesn't want to stop bleeding.  It lays wide open, when its not being held shut,  to a length between 1 and 2 inches.  I looks as deep as it is long.  Its depth, more than its length, puts  all witnesses into a repulsed shock.  The Pulpit Supply committee is called and yes, they'll cover the pulpit for the evening.

So, faithful pastor misses a Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting for a daggered 14 year leg.  HMMMMM.  Wonder how many other pastors ever had to wear the same 'boot'ineer.

2 'inside' stitches, plus 4 surface stitches later, thanks to the Physicians Asistant, Don, who conducted himself with excellent skill and humor, we pulled away from the Clay County Hospital at 7:10.  Dicharge papers did not include some of the doctors admonitions of Extra Math, English and Dishes.  (Believe Doug is REALLY sorry about this accident, now)

So all night last night and all day today, Doug has owned the front room as his bedroom, so as to spare him the long flight of steps upstairs to his bedroom.  And OF COURSE, he doesn't like that much at all since he naturally has to keep the living room more clean than his bedroom.

Just another reason why we call this website

MAHINALIVE

Melinda leaves on Missions Trip, September 5, 2008.

Today, September 5, we saw Melinda off to South Dakota on a sort of missions trip.  Dean and Marcia Grant, the ones taking Melinda with them, live right next door to us and they are serving as PR folks for the Society of Indian Missions.  The Grants are holding a revival and doing some house setting for Dick and Carrol Lee, missionaries to the Sioux Indians.  The Grants and Melinda will also be visiting other Holiness Indian Mission works around that same South Central part of South Dakota.  They'll be gone for 3 1/2 weeks.  Diane and I are glad Melinda has this opportunity to see the Indian Mission field first hand but it was hard to see her leave.  The boys took Melinda's departure so hard Metricia volunteered to pay for gas for a trip to Concordia just to get out of the house.  It ended up that she spent nearly all of her Miltonvale Manor paycheck on her brothers ... so now I'm suspecting that she really wanted just to shop instead of just get out of the house.  She is turning out to be quite the real lady.

 

Please pray for the Grants and Melinda.  

More Later.