Happy Anniversary Alan & Abbie!

Today we honor and celebrate the third anniversary of our niece, Abbie and her husband, Alan!

Alan and Abbie were married on June 27th, 2009

Alan serves the Lord as an assistant pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Burlington, Iowa and Abbie teaches in the church's school.

We praise the Lord for His leading them together, guiding them and giving them great joy together.

We pray their day is as special as they are to us.

We love you Alan & Abbie!

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield."

Psalm 5:11-12

Thanks to Susan Stewart for our Pennsylvania Dutch meal!  Susan is from Pennsylvania and wanted to share some dutch heritage with us!

Onion Beef, Buttered Egg Noodles, Baked Corn, Corn Bread & Pickled Cucumbers

Buttered Applesauce Cake

AND

Made in Pennsylvania!

A sweet daily devotional from Susan and her daughter, Arielle (student at WCHS)

Thank You!!

 

Communion Eucharisteo

What a time of thankfulness we had last night at communion.  Life-filling gratitude for the Life-Giving Jesus!  We have so much to be thankful for.  We were trying to guess how long it had been since we experienced the "Grace Brethren" communion...at least 18 months if not longer.  You see the "Grace Brethren" way of communion is 3-fold:
Supper

"got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself."

John 13:4

Foot Washing

"Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."

John 13:5

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet."

John 13:14

Bread & Cup

"and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes."

I Corinthians 11:24-26

Not only are we thankful that Tom could experience this, but that we could do this with our immediate family and our extended church family!  I certainly wished I could have been a fly on the wall in the men's foot washing room as Tom washed Matt's feet...I'm still not sure how that happened!  What a sweet experience for us all.  I soaked in the sound (from the women's room) of the men's voices lifted in praise as they sang hymns and washed feet.  I was honored to wash Sarah's feet and then have Julie Bradley wash mine.  We ladies sang many hymns but the one that spoke to me was:

Verse 3:

Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
 Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
 Power, all power, surely is thine!
 Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Before we left for communion, Tom looked in the mirror and said, "sometimes I see the 'old me' then other times I see the 'real me', the one who can't walk, swallow or breathe."  He didn't use all those words but if you link them together that was what he said even though I'm not sure about the "swallow and breathe" part!  He has the "swallow" part on his mind because Friday we were back at OSU Medical Center for a swallow test.  He passed with flying colors, for which we are thankful, but he has had some bouts of aspirating saliva into his lungs which is why the test was ordered.  We treasure every event...not knowing if it's the last one we'll share here on earth.  We continue to praise the Lord for allowing us more and more events to treasure.

This week we had the pleasure of harvesting summer squash from our garden:

Our first squash,

...with more quickly to follow!

The garden has been so fun for me, but I'm realizing what encouragement it is to Tom too.  Everyday he wants to go out to the garden and "check it out".  We need rain desperately here, however since our ground is so dry it makes it easier to wheel Tom's chair to the garden.  It makes for a bumpy ride but according to Tom it's worth it!  Matthew likes to make the ride an adventure and giving Tom some wheelie's along the way...just for the thrill of it!

This past Friday evening we had the pleasure of going to dinner with Zac's parents, Rich and Elaine Hess, to celebrate a belated anniversary for Zac and Sarah.  What special fellowship we enjoy together with them.  In typical "Elaine style" she came bearing gifts.  This beautiful "A" reminding us Who we serve.  Thanks, Rich and Elaine for a wonderful evening together!

Meals this week:

BBQ Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli

AND

Yummy Brownies

Thank You Daryl & Susana Wicker!

Beef Stroganoff, Spinach Salad & Chocolate Roll

Thank You Ursula Van Kley!

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, Green Beans, Garlic Bread & Salad

Thank You DeMuch Family!

We continue to be blessed and amazed by the outpouring of God's love through His people.  The meals certainly are a blessing.

A Chapter Ends...

Clean Out Crew

Lisa, Matt, Tom, Sarah & Zac

Saturday is the day we decided to clean out Tom's office at the high school.  We awoke to another beautiful day to put sunshine in our hearts and prepare us for the task ahead.  I fixed bacon (from Zac & Sarah's hog) while Sarah made blueberry pancakes to start our day.  The five of us then headed to WCHS to remove any personal belongings, organize and prepare Tom's old office for the new principal...Dr. Buzz Inboden!

Tom gives us instructions!

I am so thankful that the kids wanted to and could go with us to make the job a little easier and much more fun!  We packed boxes of pictures, diplomas and mementos from the years.  The boys carried items to the car and shredded some documents while Sarah was patient with Tom as she lead him through his many files.  I organized, filled trash bags and removed more paperclips than I could count from many papers!  We were able to complete the job in two hours.  Trust me there was plenty of laughter, some sadness and really a good family memory as we worked together as a team.  Tom's attitude also made it easy...he is absolutely the BEST!  He has been amazingly strong through ALL of what he has had to endure.  We treated ourselves to Dairy Queen on our way home...we can always find a reason to get ice cream!

Matt makes us all laugh as he imitates his dad!

Matt said he'd like to sit "officially" in this chair one day...we'll see how God's plan unfolds!

"The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You support my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;

Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.

 I have set the Lord continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will dwell securely.

 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

 You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."

Psalm 16:5-11

So this "chapter" comes to a close...we are SO thankful for the previous chapters that have gone before that make this such a beautiful story.

Yesterday we traveled back to the OSU Medical Center for Tom's 6th infusion of Avastin.  We didn't get in right away but once we did they moved quickly and we were home in record time!  The nurse shared with us that another patient who was there earlier was also getting Avastin and ended up waiting 4 hours!  When she went down to the pharmacy to see what was going on she remembered Tom was coming in and would need Avastin too, so she told the pharmacist while he mixed the one he should go ahead and make another one!  So one person's wait became our expedited trip.  I asked the nurse if the other patient who was getting Avastin was a GBM patient and she said "no", they are using Avastin as a clinical trial on patients with Melanoma!

The biggest thrill yesterday was when we got home we were greeted by the fresh aroma of an extra clean house!  Sarah surprised us and cleaned when she got home from her job!  What an awesome blessing.  Matt informed me that he "helped"...before he left for work he did carry all the belongings we brought home from Tom's office to the basement.  Thank you Sarah and Matt...my heart is full, light and so appreciative.

Happy Anniversary Terry & Kelly

Dad, Mom, Kelly, Terry, Lisa & Mike

1987

We want to celebrate and honor my sister, Kelly and her husband, Terry on their 29th wedding anniversary.  What a blessing to have them so close to us here in Columbus.  What fun we have had over the years celebrating life together.  Terry and Kelly chose to home-school their five children through the 7th grade and then they entered Worthington Christian Schools.  Tom was fortunate to be the principal of the four girls through their high school years.  It is with great sadness that Tom will not be in the Principal's position as their youngest, Zac enters into WCHS this fall as a freshman.  We do plan to cheer him on as a student and participate, as the Lord allows, in Zac's activities and as he will be on the soccer field, basketball court and either running track or bases on the baseball field (still to be determined) since both sports he excels in but unfortunately he will need to decide between the two spring sports.

1989

Tom and I have had the great privilege of "following" in Terry and Kelly's footsteps as they have led the way in marriage, child-rearing, accepting son-in-loves and aging with grace.  They have led well in grace and with godly character and we are better people because of them.

1994

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

Genesis 2:24

2011

Thank you, Terry and Kelly for being there for us through the years...loving us, sharing with us, supporting us and praying for us.

We love you both and pray God's continued blessings on your marriage!

Love, Tom & Lisa

Saturday night we were blessed with a delicious meal from Beth Beatty.

Stuffed Shells, Home-made yeast rolls, chopped salad

AND

Individual Mini Cheesecakes

Thanks Beth, not only for the great meal but your friendship too!

Father's Day 2012

T-bones on the grill!

Shrimp Cocktail for a special touch!

Fresh Berry Salad...add some baked potatoes & rolls...

more calories were consumed than any average human being should at one meal!

Special cards, words, gifts and time with family make for a great father's day!

Happy Father's Day!

If you have been blessed by God to be a father...stop and thank Him now!  Tom and I want to stop and thank our father's for being the best dads ever!  We also stop and praise the Lord for His allowing Tom to be a father to Sarah, Matt and now also Zac.  What an awesome picture of Christ we, along with our children, have because God allowed each of us to have godly dads.

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it ... Dad

- Author Unknown

"I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings of old,

 Which we have heard and known,

And our fathers have told us.

We will not conceal them from their children,

But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,

And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done."

Psalm 78:2-4

I wanted to share with you that last weekend when I went upstairs to retrieve a suitcase to pack for our trip to Michigan I was reminded that I hadn't packed a suitcase in exactly a year!  (Except for the few items I would throw in a bag to take back and forth to the hospital when Tom was there.)  I reminisced about our last trip.  We left the beginning of June to fly to Florida for a month of memories.  It was while we were in Florida we celebrated last Father's Day with Tom's dad (top photo of collage) and Sarah and Zac had given Tom his first deck of Skipbo cards.  Sweet memories.  Tom continues to be the "Skipbo King" and it is a huge part of our lives with many games played each day.

Happy Anniversary Terry & Joyce!

Terry, Joyce, Tom & Lisa

2012

Today we celebrate and honor Tom's brother, Terry and his wife, Joyce on their 33rd anniversary!  They are celebrating in South Carolina with their whole (-1) family (16 of them) at Tom's brother, Tim's lake house.  What fun they will have making special memories and celebrating life to the fullest at a "kicked back" pace.  We wish them them the best memories this life has to offer.

The Beautiful Family of Terry Anglea

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth."

Psalm 127:3-4

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband;"

Proverbs 12:4a

"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

I Peter 3:7

Terry & Joyce:  thank you from the bottom of our hearts for modeling a godly marriage before us.  We are blessed to have you walk a few steps ahead of us so that we may be wiser because of you.  We love you SO much and trust the Lord will continue to lead and guide you as you faithfully serve Him with pure hearts.

We love you,

Tom & Lisa

Our first garden tomato!

Tom being silly as he poses in his new glasses!

Thursday nights dinner...Coke, Sloppy Joes, Chips, Strawberries & Cookies!

What a treat for me to get to meet Melanie Watts...Tom had the privilege last August to meet Melanie when she enrolled her son into WCHS.  She is a breath of fresh air, her bubbly personality and obedience to Christ made my day!  We also got to meet one of her twin daughters, Courtney, who also started this last fall at WCES with her sister Caitlin who just completed third grade!

Thank You Melanie!

Sarah & me ready for "Garments of Praise" Fashion Show

Our church hosted this special event to help raise support and awareness for a great ministry for women who have been incarcerated.  What a fun evening we had together.

The decorations and food were amazing!

Enjoying my zinnias this summer!

Happy Anniversary Jason & Hannah!

Today our niece, Hannah and her husband, Jason celebrate their 10th anniversary!

"And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment."

I John 3:22-23

We congratulate them on 10 beautiful years and pray that they will continue to fall more in love each day as they follow Christ and serve Him together.  God has blessed them with two precious sons and another little one (I'm praying for a girl, but know God knows best) due in November!

C

Cousins at Hannah's Wedding

Matt, Luke, Leah, Sarah & Rachael

(amazing how you change in 10 years!)

I have to share what a crazy day yesterday ended up being!  I wasn't going to do laundry, but I decided to go downstairs and throw a load in (God prompted me).  When I got downstairs I heard this weird noise...I turned toward the water heater and saw a small "Old Faithful" erupting from the top of the water heater.  Water was spraying everywhere.  Our basement is crammed full of "necessities" AND all of Zac and Sarah's house goods too.  Plus when my parents moved to Florida we accumulated more "things".  So...I'm thankful that Sarah had just gotten home from work and Matt hadn't left for work yet so they were a big help getting things moved and cleaned up as we discarded wet boxes, set things out in the sun to dry and called Elden Deskins to come to our rescue, again.  We are so blessed to have him at our beck and call as household maintenance issues arise.  He was able to find the problem, go get the part and solve the problem.  A fan and dehumidifier are running in the cleared out area and we thank the Lord for His prompting me to go downstairs before the damage was any greater.  These situations make me miss the "Old Tom" more than any of you could probably imagine.
Can I ask you to pray for us as we prepare to go clean out Tom's office.  Tom and I had a sweet conversation yesterday about this.  He will go with me (and I've asked for one or all of the kids to go with me to help too) as we remove his personal belongings from the office he has called "home" for 18 years.  He continues to tell me this is a "new chapter" that God has written for our lives and He will give us the strength we need as we meet Him on each page He writes uniquely for us.  I know He will give us the strength but I'm still asking for your additional prayers too!
Also, today we will go pick up Tom's new glasses.  He has had many eye changes since the very first surgery when he lost his right field cut.  These glasses will be a huge prescription change from his current glasses plus adding bi-focals.  We pray that he will adjust quickly and that they will possibly help him with his reading too.  I will post pictures as soon as my handsome husband gets his new fashionable frames!!

Delicious Baked Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Corn Casserole, Salad

AND

Fresh Fruit for Dessert

Thank you to Gerry Whinnery for blessing us with such a yummy meal and for being such a blessing to Sarah as her Bible Study leader...we appreciate YOU!