Prayer for Moriah

Tomorrow morning (Monday, 12/14) we (Moriah, my parents, and myself) are heading to Hershey Medical Center for Moriah's surgery to remove her AVM. We have to be there by 5:30 AM, and her surgery is scheduled for 7:30 AM. This is an invasive brain surgery to remove the malformation and also the dead brain tissue surrounding it. The surgery is supposed to take about 6 hours total, and then she will be in the intensive care unit until Tuesday. She is supposed to be able to come home from the hospital on Friday, or Saturday, of this week.

Moriah is in good spirits and is staying positive. Everyone is starting to get a little nervous, but that's to be expected. She even said that she was excited, because this is something new. We a great support base, so thank you all for your support and encouragement. Thank you, also, for your prayers! Please be praying for Moriah, the doctors, and our family through this. It is greatly appreciated. God is in control!

War of the World

There are times when I feel like constantly asking people for prayer makes me out to be a "charity-case," but I know that is definitely one of the ploys of the Enemy to keep us from asking for prayer. I've come to better understand that we are in a constant state of war. War for our hearts and souls. As Christians, we have the rest of the world fighting against us. In the words of John Piper, prayer is not our casual intercom, but rather it is our wartime walkie-talkie to God. In looking at it that way . . . I can definitely use reinforcements, everyday.

And to update you all on my little sister, Moriah . . . She goes into surgery to remove her AVM one week from today (next Monday, 12/14). Please be praying for her, our family, and the doctors as we prepare for this. Overall though, Moriah is doing very well and is staying positive. God is in control.


Thank you for your prayers!

Hope

So now’s my time to be a man
Follow my heart as far as I can
No telling where I’m ending up tonight
I never slow down or so it seems
But singing my heart it’s one of my dreams
All I gotta do is hold on tight

There is hope for me yet
Because God won’t forget
All the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see
He’s not finished with me yet

(Wait and See - Brandon Heath)

God is in control.

So it's been a little while, but I wanted to share a little bit of what's been going on in my life lately with you all. The internship with Cru is going great. I love working with the staff and students at West Chester. It's awesome to see what God is doing on this campus! I have been seeing more students get involved than I ever have before. More to come on WC . . .

On a more serious note . . .

Last week, on Wednesday (Sept. 23), my youngest sister (Moriah - 16 yrs) collapsed on the field hockey field during her game and had a seizure. She was taken to the ER by ambulance and doctors began checking her out. She has never had a seizure before, so this was all new. On Thursday the doctors found a blood spot on the back of Moriah's brain, and scarring from older bleeding (some things that shouldn't be there). They placed her on seizure medication and kept her over night again. On Friday they did more tests and found that Moriah has a medical condition known as Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM).

AVM is a very rare disorder, found in 1 in 1000 individuals. When the brain is forming, the blood vessels don't form properly and form a tangle. The capillaries (that connect the arteries to veins) don't form and the blood is transferred straight from the arteries to the veins, not allowing the brain to absorb oxygen from the blood. This also puts extreme pressure on the weakened blood vessels and over time these vessels may rupture and cause hemorrhaging (strokelike symptoms). Seizures are also symptoms, which is what Moriah experienced.

This past Tuesday (Sept. 29), Moriah went to Hershey Medical Center to see a neurovascular surgeon. She found out that this is going to be a longer process and road to recovery than we were hoping . . . Moriah is going back up to Hershey next Thursday (Oct. 8) for an angiogram. For this procedure, the doctor will insert a catheter into a vein in her groin and thread it up to her neck (advances in medicine are pretty crazy, huh?). They will then inject a dye to track the blood through an xray to get a better picture of what they are dealing with.

A week or two after the angiogram, she will have to go back up to Hershey Med. Center for an endovascular embolization. This will again involve a catheter like the angiogram. This time the doctor will inject a gluelike substance to block the targeted blood vessel and reduce blood flow to this area. A week or two after this (end of Oct./early Nov.), Moriah goes back for surgical removal of the AVM. The embolization helps reduce the chance of bleeding during the surgery and can also reduce the size of the AVM. The neurovascular surgeon says that it is riskier for Moriah to live with the AVM than to go through the removal procedure. One risk of this procedure is a stroke. The doctor says, though, that Moriah is at a perfect age to get this procedure.

Needless to say, this is all very troubling for Moriah . . . and has been challenging for our entire family. It's very hard watching someone go through things like this, especially when it is someone you really love and care about deeply. We are resting (or at least trying to rest) in the confidence that God is in control. He loves Moriah and is watching over her. If you could be praying for Moriah, our family, and the doctors that would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your prayers and support.


Moriah . . . I love you!! We'll make it through this baby sister!

Settling In

I moved back into my apartment in West Chester last Saturday (Aug. 22). It's great to be back. Monday through Friday of this past week I had staff meetings with the rest of the WCU Crusade staff. We worked through our strategic plan for the year, training materials, coaching, discipleship, and plenty of other details. I am part of a great team and I am really looking forward to working along side them this year!

The freshmen moved in on Friday, and the upperclassmen started moving back in yesterday. I was able to catch up with a few students and meet a few others, which was nice. Classes start tomorrow. The first week on campus will be a pretty busy one. We are hosting a Freshman Welcoming BBQ on Monday, doing outreach with water ice Tues.-Thurs., and Thursday night we have our 1st Cru meeting of the new school year. I am excited to get this year started and am looking forward to what God is going to be doing on this campus this year!

August Update

Hey all! I just wanted to take this time to say "Thank you," again, for all of your support (financially, prayerfully, and emotionally) throughout the whole support raising process. It is amazing to see how God carried me through this and used this experience to grow me and my faith. As mentioned in my last post, I am now officially a fulltime intern with Campus Crusade for Christ at West Chester University for the year. I am really excited to begin my internship and am looking forward to what God is going to do in West Chester this year. Tomorrow, (8/10), I am heading to Valley Forge for my first Cru staff conference. Next Monday (8/17), I am heading to Raystown Lake for our West Chester Univ. Crusade leadership retreat till the 20th. Should be a great time! After that it's time to head back to WC for the school year. Thank you for your continued prayers!

West Chester Bound . . .

Hey everyone!

Quick update, busy week with MCAT on Wednesday and all. The tentative deadline for raising support, as I mentioned in previous posts, was yesterday. Today, I recieved $3075! Praise the Lord. I then spoke with my regional director for Campus Crusade for Christ and he informed me that I have obtained sufficient support to become a fulltime intern! I still am in need of approx. $3000 for the year, though. So now I am off to Valley Forge, August 10th-14th, and then heading to West Chester after that. It's crazy how things come together and God works things out! But that's all I have time for, for now. Thank you all for your prayers and financial support! It is all greatly appreciated! Stay tuned . . . More to come.

Rico - This one goes out to you, bro! Great job sticking with it and trusting God to provide. Thanks for your prayers. See you in Valley Forge!!

Another Update . . .

As of today we have moved a little bit close to reaching the support goal for the year. Only need $9000 committed. I'm am continuing to trust that God can, and will provide. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Verse of the day: 1 Timothy 4:12 - "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

How you can help.

I still need a significant amount of financial support in order to reach my goal for the year, as stated in the previous post. If you would like to partner with me financially for the year, I'd love to talk with you about that. Email me at jonah.burke@uscm.org. Also, you can visit the following website: http://give.ccci.org/give/View/0620841. This is the website with my giving account. Last, but not least, you can also help by telling others about this and forwarding this website to them. Thank you all, very much, for your help!

One step at a time.

Today we moved another step closer to reaching the support goal for the year. I am now up to 72%. Only $9,500 more to go! The end is in sight and I know that God can pull through. Nothing is impossible. If you read this, pass it on to someone else (forward the link: http://burkehouse.blogspot.com). Your help is invaluable. Thanks!

Final week of support raising.

Yesterday, I spoke at my home church, here in York. I was really nervous to give my talk, but God showed up and pulled me through. The response was good and it was great speaking with some of the individuals after the service. A love offering was taken and I received $1500 from that. The church said that they would match the offering, up to $2000, so that will significantly help in my support raising. Praise God for that! And thank you all for your prayers.

Please continue to pray with me this week, as my support raising deadline is approaching. The deadline is this coming Saturday, August 1st. As of today, I am approximately 68% of the way to reaching my support goal for the year. I still need just about $11,000. I know that God has placed me in this position for a reason and that he has a sovereign plan for my life. I will continue to trust him to provide and guide. Sometimes, God asks us to give up the plans that we make for ourselves and trust in his plan for our lives. He will never ask you to give up your faith and hope, though! Keep trusting in him!

One of my favorite songs (at the moment): "Breaking My Fall" - Jeremy Camp

So easily I fall, So easily you reach your hand out
Quickly will I drown, Know the pulls of all my reason
So easily will I feel, So easily will your peace surpass me
Quickly will I trust in anything I think is worthy

How many times you make the waves calm down
So I wont be afraid now?

'Cause I saw you breaking my, breaking my fall
What am I supposed to do?
'Cause I saw you breaking my, breaking my fall
What am I suppose to do?

How precious are your thoughts?
And many of them, You think about me
Faithful are your ways, I always feel your grace abound me
Quickly will I call, quickly will you answer my cry
Carefully will you bring everything I need in my life

How many a times you make the waves calm down
So I wont be afraid now?

'Cause I saw you breaking my, breaking my fall
What am I supposed to do?
'Cause I saw you breaking my, breaking my fall
What am I supposed to do?

This narrow road I'm walking
This world will try to draw
Your Word will help me fight it
With You I'll face it all

'Cause I saw you breaking my, breaking my fall
What am I supposed to do?
'Cause I saw you breaking my, breaking my fall
What am I supposed to do?

Support Update

Short and to the point . . . As of today I am right around 55% of the way to reaching my support goal for the year. The deadline is drawing near, August 1st, but I am seeing God provide every day. The goal is within reach and I am trusting God fully to provide. This Sunday, 7/26, I will be speaking at my home church here in York. I am trusting God to use this opportunity to bring in significant support.

I ask that you all please join with me in prayer during these last few days. Every day, starting today and ending on August 1st, partner with me in prayer as we finish the race that has been set out before us. It is amazing what is possible when rooted in prayer! Just reading today, Mark 11:22-24 "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours."

I'd love to hear about what God has been doing in your life this summer. Feel free to drop me an email: jonah.burke@uscm.org. Or also if you'd like to hear more about what God has been doing in my life. Thank you all for your prayers!! We're almost there!

Market Commons - Myrtle Beach, SC

At the Market Commons down in Myrtle Beach. Pretty cool place. Restaurants, shops, nice big lake, walking trail with exercise stations, and cool interactive games along the trail.

Let's keep going . . .

This morning I just passed the 50% mark of my support raising! We're getting there. It's cool to see how God continues to provide, even when time is running out and things seem bleak.

I was sitting down with the youth pastor of my church here in York the other day and we were talking about how sometimes we are placed in situations that seem impossible so that God can show us just how big, powerful, and loving He really is. Sometimes we are placed in these situations to get us to step back and realize that, "Hey, I can't do this on my own." These times point us to rely fully, 100%, on God to pull through for us. Right now, I'm in one of those situations. My support raising deadline is August 1st. I still have 48% of my support to raise for the year. The easy thing to do is throw in the towel and give up. It is much hard to give it up completely to God and say, "I'm giving up the control of this situation to you, God. I am trusting that you have a plan for my life and will lead me through this."

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know this . . . God does love you, very much. He will never give up on you, so don't give up on him. He will see you through every hard time, and the good ones too. Today, right now, is the perfect time to give up whatever you are going through to God. Time to "let go, let God." A good visual for this: go get a small paper bag and write "God" on the side. Whenever you have a situation/problem/issue write it on an index card and place it in the bag. This signifies, to yourself, that you are giving whatever it is up to God. Give it up to him in prayer, as well, and thank him for taking care of your problems. He will pull through for you.

About my summer: Things are going great! This summer has been extremely busy, but cool. I've been able to enjoy my self along the way, which is good. Myrtle Beach was a lot of fun! Too bad vacations are kinda over for now, ha. Oh well . . . Still a few more fun things left before summer is officially over! Hope summer is great for you all as well. Stay fly and keep doing what you do. Rock on!

A Mid-Summer Night's Update

Hey Everybody,

Been a little while since I've written, so I just wanted to catch you all up on what's been going on in my life lately. This summer has been incredible so far. Best way I can say it is, "Incredible." Ha. It has been unlike any summer I've been through so far on several different levels. Let's start on the ground level and work our way up . . .

This summer has been a great opportunity for God to work in my life. I have been learning so much about me, my faith, and who God is and how he works. Sometimes the hard way . . . but he is teaching and guiding me. One of the biggest things I have been wrestling with is trusting God completely. Every day is a new opportunity for us to place our worries and cares in God's hands and let him work them out for us. Unfortunately, many of us (myself included) get so caught up in our circumstances and what we can do that we don't ever give God the chance or the room to carry our load. I have noticed that many times my doubts and fears cloud my view of him. Through the course of this summer, I have been able to experience the freedom and peace that comes from placing my life (completely . . . meaning everything) in his hands. Trust me, it's worth it. Just let go, and let God.

I have also been learning what it looks like to be a more godly man. Where have all the men gone? Our world has such a twisted idea of what a man looks like. It's pretty sad . . . God has been using my situations and people in my life to break down the images I thought a man should look like. This has been tough at times because I feel like I've been doing a pretty good job at living out a godly life. I've been living as a godly man, right? It's hard to lay down my pride (our pride, as men) and humble ourselves. The thing is . . . yes, I have been striving to live a godly life, but it is a constant/continual pursuit. As long as we are human and on earth there is no finish line. There is no "Congratulations, you have now reach the status of godly man." No . . . Christ set the example, and it is one that we will never fully live up to. No matter how hard we strive. God has blessed me by bringing a beautiful, young woman into my life. God has been using this young woman, whom I am dating, to help me understand more about what it means to live as a godly man. Pretty cool! Ha.

Moving onto the good ol' area of support raising . . . ha. Well, it's still going. I am slightly over the half-way point. The process of raising support is still slower than I was hoping, but I am continuing to trust God to provide. Good news . . . I am now over 1/3 of the way to reaching my support goal!! It has been amazing to see how God continues to provide. Last weekend I had the opportunity to sit down with a few individuals and share a little bit of my life with them and they shared their lives with me. It was so encouraging to hear about what God has been doing in some of these individual's lives. Sometimes we feel it is so hard to see/feel God working in the world around us, but if we would only take a moment to slow down and be still, we would see God's hand at work. Yesterday was the first day of my last full month of support raising. The next few weeks are the final "push" for gathering contacts to partner with me financially in this ministry. Sometimes when the chips are down and our situation seems almost impossible, that is when God says, "Cool . . . my turn to run the show and amaze you." Keep trusting God to provide, no matter what you're going through. He hears our prayers. No prayer is ever uttered in vain. That's reassuring. Isn't it? Thank you, Lord.

Well, I hope summer is going well for you all. I'm praying for you. I hope that you will all continue to partner with me in prayer as well, as my support raising deadline is surely approaching. Thank you for all of your support! God bless!

And Happy 4th of July! Be smart and safe. And have a great holiday weekend. Myrtle Beach is calling my name for a few days, ha. A week with most of my family and Kearston. Sounds good to me. Catch you all when I get back . . . Peace.

Just do it.

And when you least expect it . . . God pulls through and answers prayer!!

Sometimes it is by the steps, and even the leaps, of faith that we can truly see and experience the power and awesomeness of God. God has provided us with the Holy Spirit, to guide our steps and encourage/empower us along our journeys of faith. The mysteries of God we will never fully understand . . . We can know, however, that things don't happen through coincidence, but rather through a plan carefully orchestrated by the God of the universe. Reflecting on my last post . . . Rom. 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." If you have a few minutes, read all of Romans 8. Pretty powerful, encouraging words.

For those of you who are waiting, hoping, and trusting God to answer prayer . . . keep holding onto that hope! Keep waiting patiently! He will provide. I know it can be difficult to trust God fully, especially for the things we cannot see. I have wrestled with this in my life too (read a couple posts back). Continue pursuing after God and he'll meet you half way. I'm praying for you.

Acknowledgements : Thank you Nike for your quality words of encouragement!

Sit back and relax.

Hey everybody, sorry it's been a couple days since my last post. Pretty busy week, but pretty good. Towards the end of the week, though, I started getting a little overwhelmed by the whole support raising process. I was looking at the deadline, the small amount of support I have raised so far, and the amount of work between now and Aug. 1st. And that's when I was like, "Yikes!" Ha. Crazy how much more complicated things get when we begin to focus more on our problems/situation and less on God. Why stress over things that are already under control? A little while back at Providence (the church I attend in West Chester), someone used the quote: "It's not 'God, look how big my problem is.' But rather, 'Problem, look how big my God is.'" - ? This week I found myself boxing God in and not giving him control. Sometimes we just need to take some time to sit back and relax, and let God do his thing. Ps. 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God . . ." So whatever you're going through, know that God is in control and "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him . . ." (Rom. 8:28).

But yeah, how are you all? I'd love to hear how your summer is going so far. Feel free to shoot me an email (jonah.burke@uscm.org) or facebook message.

Memorial Day

Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend! It was nice to spend some time with my family on Sunday for a cook-out. Went to the parade near my house Monday morning as well. Five dozen doughnuts + some family + a parade at 9:00 am = a good day! Ha. It is also important to remember those who gave their lives so we may live freely today, and those who are putting their lives on the front lines for us today. Many people forget what these days are actually set aside for . . . Got a few more "yes's" this week, in terms of support raising! So that's good. Gotta keep on trusting God to keep providing. Frito Lay (my job for now) is treating me pretty well. Keep reading along and praying, and thanks for your support!

Wind beneath my wings

This morning I received a text message that was so encouraging to me. It planted a smile on my face for the rest of the day, even now as I'm typing this up too, ha. It said the following: "'But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.' Isa. 40:31 . . . Hope implies trust and patience . . ." How awesome is that? This is a promise from God to those who place their hope in Him. To those who TRUST in Him and remain patient for God to do his work. God promises to be the wind beneath our wings and wants to carry us as we soar. He promises to walk along side us through thick and thin. He will be our strength.

Still moving along, slowly but surely. God is providing . . . ! Just received another financial commitment last night!!


PS - Thank you!!

A "little" thing called trust.

Ya know . . . it's pretty crazy how we sometimes ignore the important things, even when they're right in front of our eyes. We often get so caught up in what we're doing and our own efforts that we forget our true focus. Taped to my computer is the following verse, Prov. 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." It's right in front of my face, everyday! Guess what I've been struggling with lately? . . . Trusting. In a time when I should be relying on God the most, I've been concentrating too much on my own efforts and circumstances. In some areas I haven't even been really giving Him much consideration at all. Raising financial support in a "struggling" economy can be a rather daunting task, but God will provide. I was just reading today, Isaiah 30:15 "In repentence and rest is your salvation, in quietness and TRUST is your strength . . ." I realize that I have some learning and growing to do, and as I drove around on my forklift at work today, I was praying that God would change my heart to trust Him more. I also realize that I haven't been doing the greatest in trusting others, and for that I apologize. I know that God wants to a great work in my life and I am seeing that the more I trust Him, the more He can work.

No matter what you're going through, keep your trust in God. He will bless you for that and you will experience more of what He has to offer you. He has great plans for you! And guard your heart!! Don't let the doubts and fears of this world mislead your heart.

Ministry Partner Development

As I mentioned in the first post, this summer I must find people to partner with me in my year of ministry at West Chester University for next year. This involves people supporting me through prayer, emotionally, and of course, financially. Already, God has been raising up prayer and emotional support and it is great to have that force behind me. And trust me . . . I need it. The process of finding partners to support me financailly, though, has been going a little slower. As discouraging and frustrating as it can be sometimes, I know that God has brought me to this point, even (and maybe even especially) in the midst of a "struggling" economic time to show that He is bigger than money and all the monetary "struggles" we face. I have already begun to see my faith being tested and stretched as God is wanting me to rely on Him completely. I know that He will provide and need to put all of my trust in Him. Don't believe that God can pull through in the midst of a recession? Well, He's done it before . . . Check it out, 1 Kings 17: 7-16. Thank you for your continued support!

Here and there

For those who do read this . . . sweet, ha, but as you can tell I'm not too regular so far in putting up new posts. First full week of summer was a little busy, but I'm going to try to start posting more regularly now (Key word "try"). So keep checking up and reading, and thanks for your support.

Happy day after your mother's

It's always nice to let Mom know just how much she is appreciated. Even though yesterday was technically "Mother's Day," I try to let my mother know that all throughout the year. Do you really need a designated day to let someone know how much you love them? Nah . . . should be all the time. But anyways, it was nice to spend a beautiful day with my family and get some quality time with Mom. If you get the chance this week, show/tell someone else their appreciated. And you can even tell Mom, again . . . I'm sure she won't mind.

West Chester Graduation

Last Saturday, May 2nd, I walked across the stage to receive my diploma (cover) after sitting for a mere 3 hours. This walk was long awaited, but seems to have come way too soon. Am I really a college graduate already? Yup . . . pretty sure I am. Geez, where does the time go? I spent the next few days reflecting on my years at West Chester University and taking some time to "debrief." Now it's time for summer. In the past several months, God has made a few changes to the plans I set up for my self. I was intending to graduate from West Chester and go directly to medical school. Presently, I have received letters from 9 of the 10 med schools I applied to . . . all "no's." About 2 months ago, the Campus Director for Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) at West Chester University challenged me by saying: "If you get 10 'no's,' you come back here and work with me for a year." Welp, God has been pointing me this direction for some time now, so I am now working as an intern for Cru at West Chester. Along with the nice sunny days (even though we haven't really had any yet) summer brings a few adventures as well. I am now embarking on the journey of raising support to work as a Cru intern this fall. I am looking forward to what God will be doing this summer as I gather a team of partners to come along side me in my ministry at West Chester University. Well, here goes . . .