Jesus loves the little children . . . even Solly

By day's end I was ready to offer up my third-born for adoption.  It was THAT kind of day.  My Solly was crabby, clingy and full of impertinent screaming today.  Blech.

I sure hope he's getting sick.  Yes, you heard me right.  That would at least explain the bad behavior.  If he's NOT sick then there are troublesome days ahead for me and monster toddler boy!

Solomon epitomizes the phrase *busy boy*.  My boy doesn't often sit still.  He only remains stationary for really engaging activities like reading books, dismantling sippy cups or digging in the sand.  Even when reading books he has his limit.  I think he might have ADD.  Seriously.  If he doesn't like the book he slams it shut after only a few pages and squirms his way off my lap to choose another book from the shelf.

So tonight after literally wrestling him into his diaper and jammies, we sat down to read our pile of bedtime books.  He was not so cooperative. Solly slammed several books closed after only a few sentences.  UNTIL we came to the book Jesus Loves the Little Children  that is. 

I sang through Jesus Loves the Little Children  all the way through and Solomon sat quietly and helped turn pages.  And then he opened the cover to read through it AGAIN.  His recent insatiable squirminess highlighted his sudden attentiveness.  As I sang through the book a second time, I couldn't help crying a bit as I realized God was speaking.  Speaking soft soothing words to my weary impatient soul and reminding me of the unchanging truth of His love.  He loves the little children of the world -- even my crabby pants Solomon. 

And so should you, Alicia.

God has given Solomon to me as a priceless gift.  I know that's trite but God hammered me with that truth tonight.  Precious, loved, dear and known by God.  I let those words wash away my frustration.  Why was I irritated and impatient with this beautiful bundle of boy again?

I am humbled again and transfixed by the idea of God's unconditional love.  Jesus loves Solomon regardless of his actions and affections towards him (or lack thereof).  That's such a huge thought.  Especially now that I'm momming it to three little ones.  I so often find my expressions of love wavering up and down through the day as the kids please or displease, upset or delight, fight or make peace. 

Lord, fill me up with your kind of love!

More

Death and pain are all around us aren't they?  The older I get, the more I'm confronted with the truth of life's brevity.

An acquaintance of mine from college just passed away.  She had been recently diagnosed with leukemia, undergone a bone marrow transplant and now she's gone.

I didn't know her much.  In fact I don't remember even having more than a surface conversation with her, if that.  But having been recently reconnected with her on Facebook and following her journey through illness, I kept imagining myself in her shoes.  And I'd click her picture on Facebook and ask God to grant her strength and grace for her trials.

She's got a family with two young girls.  She's my age.  I tear up thinking about the deep sorrow her family must be heavy with in the wake of her sudden departure.

But even in the midst of the mourning, there is much hope.  Hope because this life isn't it.  There is so much more waiting for us on the other side of life! I imagine Jesus welcoming Rachel into His arms and hugging her as she finally rests from her physical troubles. 

This song is ringing through my brain and heart as I remember Rachel's family.  I pray that the truth of God and the certainty that their mom and wife is in heaven will be a resounding comfort.

There is More

This is not the end here at this grave
This is just a hole that someone made
And every hole was made to fill
And every heart can feel it still
How nature hates a vacuum

This is not the hardest part of all
This is just the seed that has to fall
All our lives we till the ground
Until we lay our sorrows down
And watch the sky fall rain

There is more, more than all this pain
More than all the falling down and the getting up again
There is more, more than we can see
From our tiny vantage point in this vast eternity

There is more

A thing resounds when it rings true
Ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer's eve
Your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you can not say why

There must be more

There is more, more than we can stand
Standing in the glory of a love that never ends
There is more, more than we can guess
More and more forever more and not a second less

There is more than what the naked eye can see
Clothing all our days with mystery
Watching over everything and wilder than our wildest dreams could ever dream to be

There is more

My present sufferings

Last night was beyond rough for me. Solomon woke up twice to eat. Prior to that, Chloe also woke up needing consolation from a nightmare (her nightmare subjects are worthy fodder for a separate post). Mere verbal comforting didn't suffice so I crawled into bed with my scared Chloe and tried to sleep.

As you can imagine, sleeping with a wiggly cuddly 5 year old in a full size bed does NOT make for good quality slumber.

Due to my severe sleep deprivation, I assumed Solly and I would skip church this morning. He promptly woke up again at 8:30 this morning jolting me abruptly from my hazy consciousness. When I realized he would be awake for the bulk of the morning, I hastened to get us ready to go. Heck, if he was going to be awake at home, why not be awake at church where a loving capable nursery worker could care for him? Where else could I get a much-needed break if even just for an hour?

I'm inexpressibly glad I went. God had a word to speak to my weary soul. As Pastor Begg talked of suffering and glory from Romans 8, my tears trickled. I've never thought my life contained suffering of any kind. I'm healthy, free, have my needs met, and have never been persecuted for my faith. Most Americans would say the same. We have it pretty stinkin' good.

But as I sat there in the pew sniffling I realized I have been suffering these past months. Suffering from sleep deprivation. Before you turn away and regard this post as incidental, consider. Sleep deprivation is a seriously difficult ordeal. Intermittent sleep taxes me not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it's hard. I know these days will pass, I know this baby stuff is full of phases, but it's still hard. It feels like suffering to me.

When I think that the purpose of this suffering is to show by contrast the beauty and lightness of the promise of heaven, then my present sufferings are a bit more bearable. And I know that Jesus is here with me in the muck and mire of everyday sleep-deprived life. It stinks and He knows it. He knows, He cares and He hears when all I can do is cry, "Help!".

I'm not trying to be over-dramatic for the sake of hyperbole here. I hope I never forget the deep and real hardness of these days. I hope I always have empathy for new sleep-deprived moms. I hope I don't ever trivialize the difficulties of the first year of babyhood with trite sayings and passing judgments.

And more importantly, in or out of sufferings I hope the God of heaven will always be my comfort.

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Romans 8:18, 23-25

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. . . . And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Empty

I've been purposely silent on the blogosphere and Facebook this week. This week Matt has gone back to teaching so I've been on my own for kid care, meals and homeschooling. It's been a mad blur. And it's left me empty.

In the midst of the chaos late yesterday afternoon, God gave me a moment of clarity and rest. Believe me, it was less than quiet at the time. Picture it: There I was, holding a screaming baby on my hip while trying frantically to make a bottle, pacifying a 2 year old pulling my legs and asking for a snack and monitoring the pots I had simmering on the stove. Certainly not the tranquil verdant setting for a moment of insight to alight.

Nonetheless, the simple truth hit me again in the face. I'm not doing the work here. I can't possibly be because I'm utterly drained. It's like I'm in slow motion and I'm watching as God's strength flows and works. I'm completely empty. Of strength, of patience, of wisdom, and even of love.

And when I'm totally flattened like that, it's a good feeling. It's not without pain to see the reality of who I am -- a helpless gasping soul who needs to be rescued and buoyed. I need. Desperately. But to be needy is not something to be ashamed of.

When I see how much I need and I glimpse my silly pettiness, God reminds me of that I'm part of something much bigger. That as I blunder and flounder He is working out a grand scheme for humanity. He's in the business of rescuing thousands of souls who are feeling just as lost, tired and needy as I. He's making a kingdom. And I'm a part of that. And someday with the family of God's kingdom I'll sing His praise and leave these cares behind me forever. Ahh.

The extra bonus wonderful part is that I'm in the process of bringing these dear little ones along into the kingdom. That in the changing of poopy diapers, cleaning up messes, and wiping snotty noses I'm serving my children in order to show them what Jesus' love really looks like.

Let Your kingdom come, Lord!

This song says it much better (click "Kingdom Coming" to play).

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"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." [Matthew 6:33-34]

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." [2 Corinthians 12:9-10]

Trying to be thankful

Yesterday was one of THOSE days. You know what I'm talking about.

Solomon was a crab all day long and didn't nap more than 45 minutes at a time. Which meant that by the time I settled down into an activity of some sort (reading to Chloe, working online, contemplating a nap) he was waking up again. And then he was a cranky pants!

I felt frustrated all day long. I know frustration is born from my refusing to let go of my own expectations but try as I might I could NOT shake it.

When the long day wore into evening I was spent. After yet another fussy period when I KNEW with all my mommy being that Solomon was exhausted, I stopped trying to multitask. I put on my flip-flops and took Solly for a long walk in the warm summer air.

Holding my curious baby boy and soaking in the quietness of the summer night I finally stopped regretting the day. I forced myself to stop looking at the "wasted" day and to think instead of the many tangible things I have to be thankful for.

I've been harping on Chloe lately about how fortunate she is. I explain and explain how privileged she is for being healthy, having a loving family, and living in America. But all I get is blank looks in response. I feel like I've reached official mom-status now because I totally get Ralph's mom in A Christmas Story when over a plate of unappetizing food she says, "Children in China would be happy to have that!"

I also get why she wears an apron all the time. I have used spray-n-wash on my clothes every day of my life since bearing progeny.

But I digress.

The clarity of the night and removal of distractions helped me focus on the big thankful things. And even though I didn't feel like it, I spoke truth to my lying emotional heart.

Truth is, I'm healthy. I have a husband who loves me, treats me well and makes me smile. My children may be fussy, annoying, needy, or dirty but they're mine. And they are alive without illness. Truth is, God loves me. The God of the universe. That's huge. I have friends. Good friends that I can be real with and laugh 'til I snort with.

When Solomon and I got back from our walk, he was still awake but no longer fussy. I laid him on the floor and just played with him. Our shared laughter was good therapy and a great reminder to me of the healing goodness of God. That despite my wanderings and self-imposed frustrations, God can wipe it all away in a moment. Through the simple joy of a baby's laugh.

This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad today. And tomorrow too with God's help!

What are you thanking God for today?

Songs for Good Friday

These songs are rolling around in my brain today as I think about the immense love of Jesus for my wayward soul. Thank you, Jesus for being obedient to death, even the death of the cross.

The Power of the Cross




The Criminal on the Cross




How Deep




The Gospel Song


By His Wounds

Freedom

As Memorial Day weekend is upon is, tonight I find myself meditating on the idea of freedom. Admittedly I'm not much of an American patriot. Granted, like most folks I tear up when I sing God Bless America (which we did at church this morning) and I am deeply thankful for the incredible sacrifices our soldiers are making overseas. But I certainly don't think there is anything inherently special or magical out the U.S.A.

I'm pondering freedom. Not just the freedom to live in safety, speak without fear, and worship openly (though I am VERY thankful for those freedoms and the American lives cost in defense of those rights). But I'm thinking more tonight of the spiritual freedom I have in Jesus.

In our church the last two Sundays the pastors have hammered on this essential nature of the gospel of Jesus. That we can do NOTHING good enough to earn a place in heaven. Nothing. And though I'm certain most Christians would ardently agree with that simple truth, I'm not sure we live that way. I know I don't! I often trust in and even boast in the outward good works I do to serve and invest in my family. And then I find myself running fruitlessly like a hamster in a wheel thinking I must do more, be better, try harder. In the midst of those pressures I hear Jesus beckoning, "Rest, my child. Sit at my feet, stop your busy-ness and be here with me."

The gospel says I'm free -- not just from the penalty of sin (which I honestly don't think about most days) but also from the pressure of trying to be good enough. What a heavy burden it is to try and try all your life to be good enough when good enough can never be attained. For what is "enough" good to satisfy a totally perfect and holy God?

Pastor Begg this morning shared this paragraph written by Charles Spurgeon who sums up this idea powerfully:

The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing short of the Lord's work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is he who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; but this is our confidence, the Lord who began will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do. [Morning and Evening, May 23]

I'm so thankful that Jesus has freed me from the pressure of being good enough for heaven. Of course that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to do good (hello, Ephesians 2:10) and to make an impact on my family, my community and my world for Jesus' sake. BUT I can rest knowing that at the end of my life my eternity doesn't depend on whether the good stuff outweighs the bad stuff. Jesus died so that I get a free ticket in (and you KNOW how I like all-things-free).

And that freedom gets me excited!

Thoughts for your Good Friday

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. - 1 John 4:10 [NASB]

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory




Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

How Deep the Fathers Love for Us - Fernando Ortega

Do you resolve?

I don't have any official resolutions for the new year but I do have some large goals that I hope to achieve with God's help. Here are my top three:

1. Read my Bible regularly. I downloaded a schedule for reading my Bible in a year that I'm excited about. Instead of just plowing through from cover-to-cover, this reading plan has me reading a few chapters in various genres of the Bible each day.

2. Exercise consistently. We just purchased a one-year membership to a nearby gym/pool and I aim to get there 4 times a week. I'm not doing anything major yet. Just walking the track at a fast pace for now. It's an extremely kid-friendly place and only 3 blocks from my home so I have no excuses!

3. Eat more celery. Well, not just celery really. My goal is to be a wiser snacker. And to make sure I eat healthy and well at meals so I don't go wild with snacks. By eliminating chocolate and chips from my pantry and stocking the fridge with celery, cottage cheese and yogurt I hope to take control of my snacking habits.

How 'bout you? Do you resolve anything for 2009?

Anyone goin'?

It's hard to believe that next weekend is the truewoman08 conference already!

The truewoman08 conference is a Bible-based conference being held in the Chicago area next weekend with speakers such as Nancy Leigh DeMoss and John Piper. John Piper is my all time favorite Christian speaker so I'm pumped! Nevermind the fact that I'll be escaping the demands of caring for two children for 3 entire days. I can not even comprehend the enormity of that fact right now but I am eager to sleep late and use the bathroom by alone. :)

I'm going with some gals from my church. Anyone else attending? According to the website, 6,000 women have registered and are attending. Let me know in the comment area and hopefully we can meet up and have a bloggy good time!

A cheese blessing

Some days, God really makes me smile.

Late this morning Chloe and I ran out to get a few groceries. Grocery shopping always takes longer with a toddler and before I knew it my stomach was growling for some lunch.

Since I'm trying hard to avoid cheap fast food I quickly considered my lunching options. What I truly craved was a few protein-packed slices of salami paired with a morsel of cheese.

We approached the deli counter and as I asked for various meats my mind raced. Would it sound silly to buy just one piece of cheese to go along with my salami? Is that even allowed? Will the deli lady think I'm trying to mooch a free piece of cheddar if I ask?

As we finished our order, I asked for a piece of cheese for Chloe. Our local grocery chain gives free cheese to little ones and Chloe looks forward to that cheesy goodness every time we shop.

Lo and behold the deli lady hands over Chloe's cheese and it's a little thicker than normal. Two slices were stuck together! One for me and one for Chloe. God is so good to care about even my silliest desires. Thanks for that tiny blessing today, Father!

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" [Luke 11:9-13]

The comfort of Scripture

Do you ever feel that the Bible is written specifically for you? That God gives you a special message that is exactly applicable to your situation and feelings? It's refreshing when God does that. Like a big glass of water to my soul after a long thirsty day.

Yesterday was a particularly rough day for me. Matt was in an allergy fog all day and his constant pill-popping made him even more unlike himself. So I was on full-time kid duty and laundry duty while he napped and tried to do a few projects with my dad (he's visiting right now).

I usually slump after supper time; the day and my intermittent sleep from the night before catch up with me in the early evening. Last night was no different. Since Matt was feeling so lousy, I got stuck with doing the huge pile of dinner dishes while my dad took Chloe for a walk. Then my pop and I took the kiddos to run a few errands and gave Matt some quiet time. After the kids got to bed I folded laundry with my dad until 10:30 while we watched the movie Rocky Balboa. I did some Narnia reading and at 11 something I exhaustedly picked up my Bible for a quick psalm.

I recently began reading a psalm before bedtime. Since psalms are usually short I don't have to focus my tired brain for long. And they're jam-packed with encouragement. Last night I was drained completely from the day and though I longed for sleep, I was restless. As C.S. Lewis aptly observes, "It is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are the longer you take about getting to bed . . . " (The Silver Chair, p.47). I turned to Psalm 3, which reads as follows:

O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah

But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

Ahh. That was just what I needed, Lord. Thank you! You are the lifter of my head the author of my joy. You cause me to sleep and to wake again (at 3:30 a.m. thanks to Clive) and you truly sustain me.

What Scripture has been your source of strength lately?

Gramma update

Whew! It's been a long few weeks, hasn't it? Feels like forever since I've blogged or even turned a computer on.

Chloe and I were able to spend 10 days in Milwaukee helping out with grandma. The fantastic news is that grandma is almost 100% better! Turns out she didn't sleep for several days on her trip to China and that threw her into a delirium. After 6 days in the hospital, with the help of some powerful sleeping and calming drugs grandma's back at home now getting her rest and getting back to normal.

Though it was a rough and tiring time, I'm so thankful that we were able to go and help out! (Many thanks to my mom who used her frequent flier miles to get us there so quickly). Chloe was quite a trooper and even though I reverted to mommy-survival mode (increased passy-use and lots more tv than usual) it was a blessing to have her along. A two year old can be very therapeutic.

I'm also overwhelmingly thankful that God heard our prayers by healing my grandma and bringing her back to us safely. She's an incredibly special lady to us and to God.

Thanks to all of you who prayed!

Anyone have a private jet and a visa for me to borrow?

Please join me in prayer for my dear gramma. She's in China right now on vacation and is suffering from some sort of infection or virus. I wish I could just hop on a plane and be a medical advocate for her!

We're finding out the details slowly and still unsure of her condition. Please pray specifically that she'll be able to see a doctor asap while in China and that they'll be able to give her appropriate medicines.

Thank you! As you can imagine, we're all feeling very helpless right now. But I know that my gramma is cradled in the Lord's hands and I trust Him for her safety.

Health updates

I have GREAT news to report on both my sis-in-law, Beth, and my friend's baby girl, Charis. Much thanks to all of you that prayed for them! God has answered the prayers of many and has healed in truly miraculous ways.

As for Beth, she's gone through one round of chemotherapy and her body is responding well to the treatment. She's had a few bad days where she needs to take it easy and rest, but overall she's very upbeat and energetic. During our family trip to the zoo, she was so incredibly positive and sociable it astounded me! She still has 4 more rounds of chemo (the next will be on Wednesday) so keep on praying that God will grant her strength of body and spirit.




Baby Charis' story a truly remarkable one. I won't go into all the details of her surgeries and ordeals in the hospital but it's a genuine miracle to see how God protected this sweet little girl. The heart transplant went extremely well and though the heart she received was bigger than anticipated (it came from an 18 lb. baby), that turned out to be a very good thing. Charis' new heart is incredibly strong and beats quickly. In fact, it began beating on its own as it was sewn into her body! Charis is home now after only 4 weeks in the hospital. As you can see from the picture at left, she's a healthy looking gal! She looks like any other regular little 1 month old. Charis has to be given 15 meds a day and her family has to be extraordinarily careful about germs and illness as she'll be taking immuno-suppressants for her entire life.




I can't thank you all enough for praying with us! I'll keep you posted on both of these precious ladies.

Prayer Updates

Much thanks to all of you praying out there for my sis-in-law, Beth and my friend's baby girl, Charis. God is proving Himself good and faithful in both their situations! Here's the latest:

Beth
Beth's surgery went well on Wednesday and she's recovering quickly at home. The surgeons removed 8 of her lymph nodes and after biopsying them discovered that only 2 were cancerous! Also, they found that of those 2 that contained the cancer, the cancer hadn't "broken out" to spread to other organs of her body. That's FANTASTIC news! It changes the picture tremendously and makes the outlook much more positive. There's still a chance that there might be small areas of cancer somewhere in her body that haven't been picked up through scanning so she'll still be doing chemotherapy in about 3 weeks. Pray for her recovery from surgery and strength for her body before chemo begins.

Charis

(Update from Aaren, Charis' mom) Thank you so much praying for our baby girl! Charis was taken to the O.R. at about 2:30pm yesterday (Thursday). Of course, there was a lot of prep work to be done before the heart arrived. The donor heart arrived at about 5:00pm. We received word about an hour later that the new heart had already begun to warm and beat in Charis while still being sewn inside of her chest. Most often, they have to do procedures to cause the new heart to begin beating. The new heart is bigger than her heart, so it started beating a bit too vigorously. They gave her some medicine to lower the blood pressure. I won't give all details, but everything went smoothly and she was taken from the O.R. at about 10:00pm. They never had to put her on echo-mo--a machine that would pump blood for her nor did they have to put her on a lung machine. God is good!

We watched as they walked down the hall with all of her equipment. We were told we would be able to see her in about a 1/2 hour. Ten minutes or so later, two folks from the surgeon team informed us that there was more bleeding in the chest cavity than they wanted to see, so our Surgeon was going to clean out the chest cavity and see what was causing the bleeding.

An hour and a half went by, our Surgeon came personally to tell us that he had cleaned everything and found a small leak in a line. He used one stitch and everything seemed under control. He told us that we should be able to see Charis in about a 1/2 hour.

Several hours passed, finally the nurses remembered that we were waiting and came to find us. I cannot describe to you the scene that awaited us, but I pray none of you ever have to see your child in that condition. I actually felt faint and could only stay about 15 minutes. Jason wasn't feeling much better!

The next 48 hours after surgery are really a minute by minute watch and concern. So far the reports have all been good. This morning they took her off the medicine that caused her body to essentially be paralyzed. She is moving a little bit on her own, even though she is still fully sedated. So we continue to wait and pray.

Another urgent prayer request

This afternoon a good friend of mine's newly born baby girl will be undergoing heart transplant surgery. (For those of you who might know her, her name is Aaren [Krause] Lepien - she was my roomie and teaching buddy for a few years).

As most of you out there are moms, you can imagine with me what a soul-wrenching experience this is for my friend Aaren and her husband. Please join us in praying for baby Charis!

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." [James 5:13-16]

Happy to be home

After 7 days away, spent at 3 different locations and 30 hours of driving, we are extremely HAPPY to be home! I thought about titling this post, "Honk if you hate driving through Chicago" but my overwhelming jubilation for being home won out. [Chicago did indeed contribute greatly to our 30 hours of driving though . . . grrrrrrr. Seems that God is really pounding away at teaching us patience when it comes to traveling.]

I'm past ready for a nap, so I'll make this update short. My sis-in-law, Beth is doing much better! After a multitude of tests and scans, her cancer picture is looking much more optimistic. She'll have surgery tomorrow (please pray!) and then will begin chemo the following week when she's recovered a bit from the surgery. As it looks now, the docs can't see that any cancer has spread throughout her body; it's isolated to her breast and lymph nodes right now. So chemo is still an important step here to hit the cancer in her lymphs before it spreads.

Though we were all weary, it was a true joy to have all the Horns together again. Pictures and stories to come. Thanks to all who were/are praying!

Leaving bright and early

Many thanks to all who are praying for my sister-in-law's healing! After a week of diagnostic tests and a consultation with her coordinating oncologist, things are looking positive. The cancer seems to be contained (for the moment!) but they are still headed towards surgery and chemotherapy.

Tomorrow at 4 a.m. (yawn!) we'll be hitting the road for Wisconsin with Matt's folks. We're so very ansy to get there and give our love and hugs and support! Though we'll all only have a few days together, I'm sure they will be packed as the cousins enjoy playing together and all the Horn siblings tease each other and revel in family memories and time-worn stories. This reunion will be the first in 5 years that all the siblings and family have been together in the same place at the same time. I'll be sure to post pictures when we get home and the excitement dies down!

Please continue to pray for our family - especially Beth, Sam, R.D. and Ashton. I'll be an absent blogger this next week. I can't wait to share good news with you all of how God's grace and goodness prevails in these events!

Please join us in prayer

By now many of you have already heard the news of my sister-in-law, Beth's diagnosis of cancer. Please join us in prayer for her healing and for God's grace and strength to flood her and her family.

This week has been filled with daily diagnostic tests to see just how far the cancer has spread through Beth's body. Most of these tests have come back with positive results, praise the Lord!

The entire Horn extended family will be convening in Milwaukee during these weeks to support Beth and to spend some much-needed reunion time together before her treatments get rough. Matt's folks flew here to our house a few days ago and we'll all drive to Wisconsin together early Tuesday.

We're clinging to the promises of God and seeing His goodness in this. Thank you in advance for your prayers!

Psalm 38:15 "For I hope in You, O LORD;
You will answer, O Lord my God."

James 5:14-15 "Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him."