Stretch Marks

God continues to "stretch" us and I found it quit humorous when a dear friend said that our stretch marks are "like badges of Christ's faithfulness. We don't always like the way they look or feel - but they remind us of God's faithfulness - mostly."  Just like God...He met me where I needed this morning.

"This is why I tell you:  Don't worry about your life,

what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body,
what you will wear.

Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing?"

Matthew 6:25

"Jesus says that if you are rightly related to Him and obey His Spirit that is in you,

God will look after your feathers."

"My Utmost for His Highest"

-Oswald Chambers

"Good will come to a man who lends generously and conducts his business fairly.

He will never be shaken.  The righteous will be remembered forever.

He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord."

Psalm 112:4-7

"Give up the illusion that you deserve a problem-free life.

Part of you is still hungering for the resolution of all difficulties.

This is a false hope!  As I told my disciples, in the world you will have trouble.

Link your hope not to problem solving in this life but to the promise

of an eternity of problem-free life in heaven.

Instead of seeking perfection in this fallen world,
pour your energy into seeking Me:  the Perfect One.

It is possible to enjoy Me and glorify Me in the midst of adverse circumstances.

In fact, My Light shines most brightly through believers who trust Me in the dark.

That kind of trust is supernatural:  a production of My indwelling Spirit.

When things seem all wrong, trust me anyway.

I am much less interested in right circumstances

than in right responses to whatever comes your way."

-January 26

"Jesus Calling"

-Sarah Young

Okay Lord, I think I'm getting it!  Yet, more:

"Do not worry about your life...Do not seek what you should eat
or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind."

Luke 12:22, 29

"Accumulation of wealth is a popular defense against fear.  Since we fear losing our jobs, health care, or retirement benefits, we amass possessions, thinking the more we have, the safer we are...

We engineer stock and investment levies, take cover behind the hedge of hedge funds.  We trust annuities and pensions to the point that balance statements determine our mood levels.  But then come the Katrina-level recessions and downturns, and the confusion begins all over again...

If there were no God, stuff-trusting would be the only appropriate response to an uncertain future.  But there is a God.  And this God does not want his children to trust money...

Scrooge didn't create the world; God did.

Psalm 104 celebrates this lavish creation with 23 verses of itemized blessings:  the heavens and the earth, the waters and streams and trees and birds and goats and wine and oil and bread and people and lions.  God is the source of "innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great...These all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season" (vv. 25, 27).

And He does.  God is the great giver.  The great provider.  The fount of every blessing.  Absolutely generous and utterly dependable.  The resounding and recurring message of Scripture is clear; God owns it all.  God shares it all.  Trust Him, not stuff!"

"Live Loved"

-Max Lucado

Isn't it awesome that God allowed me to start my day with those truths?  I thank Him for the sweet reminders that He is absolutely generous and utterly dependable, what do I have to fear?

Many of you are wondering how our meeting with WCS Superintendent and Human Resource Director went yesterday...well, it was all very informative and mainly the start of a long process.  I have my research cut out for me.  We know that a meeting like that is hard for them also.  We pray that God will continue to give us all wisdom as we venture down this rocky path together.  To say the least I tried the best I could to "keep myself together"...I lost it a little bit, but for the most part I was okay.  Tom was better, but you knew that already...he really has the peace of God that passes all understanding.  We both were so thankful that Zac and Terry could be there to support us.

As I "clicked" the "publish" button on the previous post, I realized I forgot to mention several things:  First of all I realized that our new niece, Jessica did NOT celebrate a birthday in January, but she will in April!  Better early than late!

Secondly, I never updated you on Tom's MRI...I do not have an "official" report, but I did speak with the neuro-oncologists nurse, Julie, who confirmed that Tom's scar tissue makes it very hard to differentiate between infection, swelling, and tumor regrowth.  She said we are on the right path and the antibiotic is doing its trick and we need to just continue doing what we're doing.  We are taking this as good news and praise the Lord for His hand upon Tom.

Thirdly, Sarah encouraged me to sign up to go to our church's women's bible study, Tapestry, again.  I am so excited to join her and my sister's in Christ on Thursday evenings to study God's Word together.  I am so thankful that our son-in-love, Zac will be here to stay with Tom.  It will be good for me to get out and for the "boys" to have male bonding night!  Tapestry begins the first Thursday in February.

Delicious Lasagna Feast

Thank You, Judy Lanning

Pound Cake

One of Tom's favorites!

I remember in college, Tom would return back to campus after a weekend

at home with his mom's pound cake, a favorite.

As for the meals this week we were blessed Tuesday night by Judy Lanning and her amazing lasagna before we headed to MVNU to watch Matt and the Cougars defeat Taylor University!  What a fun game we enjoyed along with good friends Jerry & Sue Seiter and Doug & Carylee Meyers.

Jerry & Sue Seiter

Doug & Carylee Meyers

Thank you for the continued cards & prayers!

Chicken Tetrazzini compliments of Becky Chodzin

Thank You, Becky...it was delicious!