1. December 27, 2008
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We hope you have all had a blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas. For many people, the holiday season is difficult because
they are missing loved ones who have died of an illness. We know some of these people personally and have the deepest
sympathy for their loss. We try to speak some words of comfort, but we know that our prayers to the One who comforts is really
the best thing we can do for them. Some people feel a great sense of loss many years after the death of a loved one and the
holiday season just renews the pain of that grief all over again. For others, the loss is so recent that they struggle even to think
of their first Christmas without that person in their lives…if they celebrate it at all. An empty chair at the dinner table is just
another reminder of the hole that’s been left in their heart.
Sadly, we know that in the aftermath of the death of a loved one, strained family relationships can develop. We are seeing
marriages broken and families torn apart because they were not prepared spiritually for this or any storm of life. So, instead of
looking to the Lord for help and drawing closer to each other, a wedge is driven into the crevice of their sadness and they find
themselves in an even deeper valley. Please pray for Psalm 23 Ministry as we share God’s word and try to show God’s love to
these people and let them know, at the time and in the way that God wants us to, that there IS hope for their shattered lives.
We know that a right relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to having real joy despite even the most tragic of circumstances
and we can only pray that they open their eyes and see that He is the light that illuminates the path through the valleys of life.
“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105)
Over the past few months, we have attended several funerals. You may recall from our last newsletter that we told you about
Justin Bath, a young man battling leukemia. While we are sad to report that Justin lost that battle, we are thankful to be able to
share some good news as well. First, we were told that Justin was able to confirm to his mother that he had accepted Christ as
his Savior. So, we rejoice that Justin has won the war. He is now with Jesus and cured of his disease! Secondly, we learned
that some Little League teammates of Justin’s younger brother got saved when their coach shared the testimony of Justin’s faith
in the Lord with them. Please pray for Justin’s family as they are still having many great difficulties in dealing with their loss. We
were blessed to see the 23rd Psalm printed on Justin’s memoriam card, so we are encouraged that perhaps God was able to
use us in some way to impact this family for Christ. We have continued to reach out to them and hope they will look to the Lord
for help and find peace in His promises.
Another funeral we attended was that of an infant. The sorrow was heavily felt that day, but the Lord showed His providence
once again. We learned that some estranged family members were able to see the beginning of healing in their relationships
with each other as a result of the sudden illness that ended this child’s short life. We continue to pray for restoration within this
family and for the salvation of those who heard the gospel message presented so beautifully at the memorial service.
We also lost a dear sister in Christ this past month. She had survived with an inoperable brain tumor for nearly a year past
when the doctors said she would live. She spent most of that time at the Hospice House where her family ministered to her and
worshipped the Lord around her constantly. They witnessed to a gentleman there who was also at death’s door and saw him
gloriously saved before he too passed from death unto life everlasting. We believe this man’s salvation was one of the reasons
the Lord allowed her to live with this tumor for so long. Another reason we now know is that God has opened a door for further
ministry there. The many visits that were made by our church family allowed us to discover that the nursing staff at the Hospice
House was very receptive to our ministry and are welcoming us back, introducing us to more of their patients. Please pray that
God richly blesses this new opportunity and allows us to see many come to a saving knowledge of Him.
Each month we hope to share the story of someone to whom we are ministering. We are still looking for the best way to post
updates about these individuals so that you can visit our website and be more specific in your prayers for them. We hope to
.

2. have something up and running by January 15th. Keep checking back at www.Psalm23Ministry.org or if you received this
newsletter by email, then we will let you know when the website has been updated with this information. To start the year off,
we would like to introduce you to three very special people with whom we have had extensive contact throughout 2008. We had
hoped to be a blessing to them. But, we feel that they are the ones who have been a blessing to us instead.
Meet Billy Parson. Mr. Parson knows the Lord as his Savior, but he has lung cancer and has
had a lot of ups and downs with his chemotherapy treatments. Mrs. Parson has had some heart
troubles related to the stress of dealing with her husband’s illness. No matter how Mr. Parson
feels physically, he always seems to find the strength to smile and joke or talk of his concern for
others. He has told us that he’s not afraid of death, but like many of us could concur, he doesn’t
want to live just to suffer and be a burden to his family. We have had the privilege of sitting in
the waiting room or going in with Mr. Parson to have his treatments. He never fails to tell us
how much he appreciates the visits, cards and phone calls and says, “You’ll never know what it
means to me.” But, the truth is, we know that what we do is really just a very small gesture, but
it’s the Lord that turns our insignificant work into a big deal in the eyes of those He allows us to
meet. We know the Parson’s would appreciate your prayers for God’s guidance, comfort and peace as they fight this disease
and face the medical decisions that come with it.
Meet a very special young lady we will call “Katherine”. She has undergone surgery for a cancerous tumor and a very long
period of sickness from chemotherapy. Despite all these efforts, the cancer has returned and the doctors have told her she will
need further treatment. This is a difficult decision for her due to the severity of the side effects of those treatments. But, our
primary concern for her is regarding her spiritual condition. She professes to be a Christian, but she sometimes expresses
herself in ways that leaves us wondering. She is very outspoken about her belief in God, but shares more about being taken to
church as a child as her testimony than about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. What is amazing to us is that she is so
bright and positive…not just about her illness, but she constantly faces demeaning words and neglect from those who are
closest to her and still manages to rise above it. But, even as tough as she tries to appear, we know that she has shed many
tears in private. Please pray for us that we might be a witness to “Katherine” and those around her.
Finally, meet “Joe” Whisnant, a man who has been like a second father to Tom for many years
and his wife, Betty, who has been like a mother. These dear “silver saints” have been faithful
servants since they were very young. “Joe” has just completed many rounds of radiation and
chemotherapy treatments for cancer that affects his jaw, neck, esophagus and lung. They have
had to travel back and forth from Duke University for the last seven weeks and even had to miss
their church’s annual Christmas play for the first time ever. We know this has been a difficult time
for the whole family, but they have sensed the prayers of people all over the country who are
lifting them up before the throne. We are so thankful to the Lord for His goodness to this family
and are glad to know that they have held fast to their Savior’s unchanging hand throughout some
very trying times. We consider everyone who is part of the family of God as our family, but Tom has a bond with the Whisnants
that makes this illness especially personal to him. The Whisnant’s were instrumental in raising the money Tom needed almost
25 years ago for his bone marrow transplant. So, “Thank you, Betty and Joe!! We love you and are praying you through this!”
Thank you, dear friends, for all you do for us. We hope that you will pray for the spiritual needs of these people and their
families. Please also remember to pray for us as we try to listen for the Lord’s guidance in the words we say and the spirit with
which we attempt to communicate God’s love for them. We encounter so many different situations and family dynamics in this
ministry and always start to feel so inadequate to say or do anything to help them. But, then we remember that it is our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ, who will do the work if we will only get out of the way and let Him work through us. May God richly
bless you as you continue to serve Him faithfully in the coming New Year.
In His Service,
Tom & Terry Shuford