What Preparations Do You Need To Make To Be Ready?

The frost wasn't too hard this morning.

We kept the house warm enough. 

My farmer turned the fire on before he left. 

I shudder to think how much propane we have used. 

We need to be prepared. 

As winter looms ahead. 

Wood needs to be cut. 

Air conditioners stored away for the heat of the summer day. 

Screens removed and the storm windows placed. 

All in preparation for winter. 

My freezer is partially full of summer's glow. 

Harvesting some of the bounty for later use. 

Still not quite there with all that needs to be done. 

Some steps; such an effort. 

Grateful for the gift of produce. 

It's like grace. 

A gift. 

Something we don't deserve. 

Our walk with Lord. 

Needing care and tending. 

Just as preparations for winter are imperative, so is the care for our souls. 

The intentional quiet before the Lord. 

Each morning. 

Spending time. 

In His presence. 

He doesn't need our fancy words. 

He needs us. 

Available. 

Still. 

Open.

Ready. 

Will you find that place today? 

Where the holy meets the harsh. 

Where God can breathe into your weary soul.

Where the striving ceases and grace infuses. 

Meet Him there. 

He's waiting. 

Psalm 46:10

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;

 I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth."

Be still my soul. . . 

The Lord is on thy side. . . 

In every change - He faithful will remain. 

In you I rest. . . in you I find my hope. 

The Least of These My Brethren

He sits at my table. 

I feed him.

Physical nourishment. 

We feed him the Word. 

He; the downcast. 

Broken.

Struggling with mental illness. 

Trying to find his way in this world. 

He sits at my table. 

I fight the thoughts that permeate my mind. 

My son. 

Buried deep beneath the earth. 

Not at my table; while this one lives. 

Why? 

My son; a hard worker.

So young. 

A lover of God. 

Gone. 

And here. 

At my table the least of these. 

Matthew 25:40

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you,

 whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,

 you did for me.'

I feed him. 

I pray in my heart for the demons that fill him to be gone. 

To receive the medical help he needs. 

This young man.

Each day a struggle. 

The least of these my brethren. 

I bow to the Holy. 

These days belong to the Lord. 

His will above mine. 

His ways. 

Isaiah 55:9

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I relinquish my heartache and pain. 

I can not carry it. 

The longing too great. 

The pain crushing. 

I step into the work for today. 

Life on life. 

The gospel.

Life changing. 

Hope. 

Keep Our Wicks Trimmed And Burning

I stood in the field and watched. 

Lanterns to remember.

His classmates gathered together. 

Remembering. 

Prayers taking flight.

Each lantern rose higher and higher. 

Lights dotting the already starlit night. 

I wanted to reach out and somewhere find him in the group. 

I longed to see him.
Missing him deeply. 

Each lantern aglow, floating heavenward.
Beauty. 

Peace.
As I gazed around, I wondered, how many know that soul searching peace?

Two men, sons taken before them.

Stepping together through the fiercest of times.

We watched as the Lanterns faded.
Some counting shooting stars.
Quiet murmuring through the field.
Remembering.

Three lanterns pulled together.
I am sure there is some scientific phenomena for this.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Three in One.
We are loved.
In Him we move and have our being for a purpose.

Acts 17:28
For in him we live and move and have our being.' 
As some of your own poets have said, 
'We are his offspring.'

May our light burn slowly and not fade.
We need to keep our wicks trimmed and burning.

Matthew 25:1 &2  25:13
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins 
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. . .
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

His Chains Are Gone. . .. He's Been Set Free

His chains are gone. He's been set free. 

All he knows is peace and more peace. 

It is we, who are left behind that need the prayers. 

We walk the hard road. 

We have walked the year to a different beat. 

Longing for a familiar cadence. 

Not to be. 

Walking the road of grief; blindsided by cancer. 

Uplifted by grace of a community. 

Reminders continually of the strength we need to persevere. 

The unthinkable has happened. 

It has been a year of firsts. 

A year with out my mom a year with out my son. 

A year with cancer. 

I can't imagine a future without Elijah. 

So I will take one day at a time. 

We will continue to embrace with gratitude, each moment. 

We will revel in the small things. 

We will share the message of hope with all who will listen. 

My journey is not over. 

Though days I long for it to be. 

I will seek the work still needed to be done. 

Will you make a difference in this world? 

Will a corner be different because you cared? 

If maybe for a moment you stopped;

turned, and gave. 

What a difference we could make. 

It doesn't take a lot. 

It takes a little of us all working together to make a lot of difference. 

We can change the world by offering one nice comment. 

Extending grace. 

One act of kindness a day. 

Elijah's life ended abruptly. 

The course of events changed forever. 

My hopes and dreams shattered. 

My soul weary from grief. 

Through it all one thing has remained. 

We knew where he was going. 

We have a sweet assurance. 

The journey to the cross difficult and riddled with pain. 

But it is the way. 

There is hope.

There is solid ground. 

I will praise my Savior; each and every moment. 

Psalm 43:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? 

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, 

my Savior and my God.

As we sat in the waiting room before the funeral. 

We sang Amazing Grace. 

I missed my mom. 

I longed for my boy. 

Thank you all for walking this journey with our family. 

For loving our children. 

For being the hands and feet of Jesus. 

This song has ministered to my heart this year along with many others. 

I have been set free. 

My sinful soul is covered by His amazing grace. 

May you all know that grace. 

That unconditional love. 

Betrayal And Thanks, In The Same Sentence

The house is so quiet.

Our new family have settled in their home. 

The past week and a half has been non stop crazy with 12 people under the same roof. 

But it was community. 

Learning to live with another. 

Sharing chores. 

Helping. 

Bearing one another's load. 

A practice long abandoned in the name of independence. 

Families drifting apart. 

Help seen as hindrance; dependence. 

I enjoyed the help. 
The common desire to serve our families.
Pooling resources.
Dinner cooked.
More time.
Laundry switched.
I think if they had stayed longer we would have worked a nice system.
Dependence; leading to Independace.

Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;
 he will never let the righteous be shaken.

We are the strongest when we are the weakest. 
When we feel weak. Look up. Give thanks.

Max Lucado says in his book, "You'll Get Through This",
Gratitude always leaves us looking at God and away from dread. 
Gratitude gets us through the hard stuff. 
I Corinthians 11:23-24 " On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it."  Not often do you see the words betrayed and thanks in the same sentence, much less in the same heart. In the midst of the of the darkest night of the human soul, Jesus found a way to give thanks.

Our dependence on God, leads to our complete independance in Christ.
In our hurt and pain, let us find a way to give thanks.

I am Thankful for:

Days of sunshine and warmth
Cool breezes
Books
Coffee
Days spent with my family
Grace as we learn to live with a new family structure
Hope
Encouraging cards in the mail
Clean sheets
Front porch prayers
Visits from friends
Birthdays and celebrations
Our Nations birthday
The Freedom to gather and worship
Moments of sustained Mercy; deep and holy
Being held when I feel like I am falling
Strength for the moment
Living fully to fully live

Searching, Seeking

As I mourn one.

An extra is at my table. 

One who ponders the questions in the night. 

Comes to the barn in the wee hours. 

Wrestling with the heaviness of life. 

Searching. 

So many come. 

Needing.
They seek the solace and rhythm of the barn.

Something deep and rich.
It is truth they seek.

Elijah sought truth. 
His life on this earth plagued with the inconsistencies he saw.
You say what you claim to be, but act as if you knew not.
Wise beyond his years.
Destined not for this world. 
It is a small solace to know he has all the answers he needs.
The unknown plagues him no more.
The one now, that sits at the table; seeks truth in the dark of night.
I pray for him. 
He came, searching, as wise men sought the new King.
God will reveal himself.
He is truth.
He will make a way.
We are kept. 

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, 
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

We Yield, He Works, We Rest

Do you stumble out of bed? 

Is there a longing to pull the sheets over your head and wish the day would go away? 

I do. 

The desire to sink into quiet, no schedules, sleep past 5:30, rise to greet me. 

I always feel the need to be moving. 

I have to be accomplishing something. 

Yet somehow I feel as if nothing is ever done. 

I am just treading water. 

I stare into the fog this morning wanting to roll over and just shut it all out. 

I don't want to feel, or work through the day. 

I have an early morning meeting, the kids school to do, laundry, book work, a never ending list. 

We need to be in town for a port-flush for Gary and then back out to get ready for a cello recital. 

There is hay down.

Everyone wants to head in a different direction. 

Once, I excelled at these varying schedules. 

They energized me. 

Now they drag me down. 

My soul longs for quiet; peace. 

I realize a little too late; I have stepped off that gentle walk with God. 

The walk that allows you to step quietly while all rages around you. 

No matter the schedule, the chaos, the laundry, the bills. 

The walk sweet and soft. 

So, I am re-grouping a little this morning. 

It's a busy weekend. 

A strategy change. 

I will step into that gentle walk with God. 

Where all can rage, but the center will be peace. 

He has ordered these days. 

They are beautiful. 

It is He, that does the work in us. 

We yield. 

He works. 

We rest. 

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you 

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Even In the Storm. . . There Is A Promise

The rain falls.

Heavy at times. 

Keeping rhythm on the tin roof. 

Drip. Drip. Drip. 

The beat of a drum. Constant and steady.

A sound I miss dreadfully. 

The missing heavy. 

Deep within; the longing. 

I shut my eyes to listen. 

To the sounds. 

Grief sneaks up silently.
Catches you unaware.
It is all around.

It is rent a Senior Day.
How can it be a year?
It seems like yesterday.

So funny.
So missed.
There is no way around this pain.
It hurts. 
It stinks. 
No matter how I try to shake off the pain.
We step forward.
Trusting, resting, remembering.
Breathing deep.
Knowing the far reaching love of a Savior.

Looking forward to the pictures from today's Rent a Senior.
Hoping fun and joy for all.

The rain continues to fall.
The earth eager for nourishment.
Fields aglow with the greens.
The farmer sends me a picture.

A promise. A reminder.
A covenant made.
A full rainbow.
Stretching right over this farmscape.
It can all fall away and we will still Praise the Living God.
We will cling to hope.

Psalm 43:5
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again--my Savior and my God!



Natalie Grant
This is what it means to be held. . . 
How it feels when the sacred is torn from life and you survive.
This is what it is to be loved and to know that 
the promises was when everything fell we'd be held.

When You're Behind Before The Day Has Even Started

The dishwasher hums because I forgot to start it last night. 

The washing machine whirls because for some reason it stopped full of water. 

Sometimes our water pressure isn't strong enough and it will stop mid cycle. 

So I start the dishwasher, get the washing machine going. 

And I already feel behind. 

There is laundry and a bag to fill.

There is quiet to find and bills to pay; children to teach, a farmer to love. 

We all have the pull of the urgent. 

The feeling of being behind. 

We are defeated before we even start.

Steven Curtis Chapman's song comes to mind. 

Do everything you do, to the glory of the One who made you. 

I Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you 

do, do it all for the glory of God.

He's a genius for writing that song. He gets it.

Intentional living before the throne of God. 

Everything you do today is Holy. Every act. Every choice. 

It is all for His glory. 

Stop. Breathe. Let it all go. 

Give it all to the One for whom we live. 

Every e-mail you send, paper you write,

 diaper you change, business deal you seal. . . it's all for Him. 

I am choosing joy. Every piece of laundry I fold I will give Him glory. 

I will rejoice. 

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made. 

We will rejoice and be glad in it

Look for ways to steal back the joy that has slipped away. Stand. On the solid ground. 

The ground that even when it shakes violently, you are able to remain standing. 

I will choose joy.

I will face the enemy with the Ancient Word. 

This day will be about searching for the joy where it is often not found. 

Seeking for holy in the work that feels the least holy. 

Yielding to the flow of the day; but not bowing to the pressure. 

As my dad used to say, 

"Chin up, shoulders straight, fly right"

Everything we do today will be for the Glory of the One who made us. 

When The Snow Piles High And The Drifts Impassable

Pushing through the dark. 

Looking for the light. 

Holding tight the truth. 

Letting go the fear. 

Wondering how this new life works. 

Digging deep for strength.

Resting in the One.
Reaching for Hope.

This journey continues to stretch me to the fullest.
Each day, I seek to rest not in the what if's, but in the what I knows.
When all is shaking around me, there is a calm.
An assurance so sweet.

The snow piles high and the drifts impassable.
The wind howls.
But yet the farmer presses on.
The cows are milked.
The rhythm of the day continues.
It is that rhythm that misses a beat; all so wrong.
But still we press on.

We bow our head in humble submission.
We bend under the weight.
But we will not break.

2 Corinthians 4:8
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
 perplexed, but not in despair;

Today I push the memories aside and linger at the cross.
I wait with expectancy of what will come.
I lean into the pain.
I embrace the journey.

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand. 
All other ground is sinking sand. 
I pray you can take the time to listen to the words of this song.
Because in my world there is no other place to stand.
And I long for the day when He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found.
dressed in His Righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

The Partner That Brings Grace To Your Movements

Sometimes I just want off this road. I've said it before. To me it seems hard.

 At each door there is pain and heart ache.

 It's another journey to process and move through. There is a dance while moving through pain. 

The movements can be stiff and awkward. 

Or they can be smooth and graceful.

When you walk hand in hand with a partner skilled in guiding the way; the movements become fluid. 

I want things to be fluid. I long for movements that are graceful. 

What is it that creates the graceful out of the chaos?

Who called order into the cosmic disorder?

And don't we all long for order? Don't we long for things to be in its place?

(Ok. So it's a stretch for me to go that far)

But we long for there to be order. We want things to be nicely wrapped and organized.

 And when our dreams are shattered and life throws a curve ball we recoil. 

We question the chaffing and uncomfortable. 

Yet through these times the hand of the Lord is manifested the most. 

It is through these times that our character is refined.
We are taken through the fire. 

Our dross is removed.
We can't see the ultimate product but we know that it will be grace endowed.

What is this grace? Can we understand such a gift?
Philip Yancey in his book "What's so Amazing about Grace," says,
 “I would far rather convey grace than explain it.”

Are we open to receive such an extravagant offering?
I don't have answers. I am left with many questions.
Yancey also points out that,
"Any discussion of how pain and suffering fit into God's scheme ultimately leads back to the cross.” 
Even when there is this offering; many refuse the partner skilled in guiding the way.

I have chosen a life surrendered to the skilled partner. I lean into the difficult moves and twists and turns.
 I am unfamiliar with the routine and music.
 I have no choice but to let the master lead the way.
I hope when all is said and done; it will be a beautiful dance. 

We are promised dancing on the streets that are golden.
And what a joyous celebration that will be.

When The Wind Howls, How Will Your Structure Stand?

The temperatures have warmed. 

The wind howls, creating a recipe for an icy landscape. 

With each gust, shutters pull from the house, the tin loosens on the barn's rafters. 

I wonder just how long it will be before they are torn from their structures. 

The constant berating; weakening the structure unless careful attention is taken. 

These needs have been set aside as flooding, death and cancer cry for the immediate. 

The effects of neglect apparent. 

Integrity of structure compromised. 

Sometimes the end doesn't seem in sight. 

It is the big picture that frightens and causes us to recoil. 

Yet somehow as the focus from the big picture shifts to smaller snapshots; 

life becomes more manageable. 

We map out the plan for the day. 

Just today. 

We approach it bathed in prayer, poised for battle and resting in Christ. 

Ephesians 6:10-12

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Each day. 

Each step. 

All for the Father. Not for us. 

Redeemed. 

Ransomed.

Restored. 

"I am, holding on to you. I am holding on to you

In the middle of the storm I am holding on 

I Am'"

Do You Have A Hope And A Future?

We stopped at the Diner on the way home. 

I just love that place. 

2 different strangers, now friends, sent gift certificates so we could go. 

It seems to be a good place after the hospital. 

The booths bring comfort. The coffee;  hot and delicious. 

The food; just perfect.

We talk. We make plans. 

It's the we that is so exciting. Recently I have done most of the talking. 

(Ok, so, I usually do most of the talking)

But this time he shared too. It was wonderful. 

We talked about plans for the Spring. 

A plan.

Things that need to get done. 

A future. 

The needs for pasture as Spring is right around the corner. 

Hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

" For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, 

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

We hold on to that hope. 

We cling to the promises. 

We do not know what the future holds. 

But we know who holds the future. 

This journey is riddled with pain and uncertainty. 

I ache for it to be different. 

Yet we are equipped to walk every step of the way. 

One day with Christ is better than a thousand elsewhere. 

Through your pain; can you see hope? 

Through the joy; do you see the future? 

I hope so. 

Will I Ever Be Whole Again?

I just want off this road. I don't want to live without our son. We invest so much in our kids.
 We thrill at their successes and mourn at their losses.
Our days are ordered around their life as we watch them become all they can be.
Our family is a unit. Each with it's unique function; making us whole.
Our dream is for them to be all they can be in Christ.
We long for them to make this world a better place.
To bring change to this hurting world.
To be Jesus to the lost. 

To share hope. 

And when that dream is dashed; torn from you. 
We don't feel whole any more.
There is a huge void.
People say oh, you're healing.
I want to say how? How do you heal from losing your son?
What does that mean?
Where do we go? How do we move forward?
I think that we never heal. Things just change. Nothing can ever take the place of your child. 
There will always be a piece of you missing. Every moment of every day. 

Time continues its march. 

The days pass by. 

Birthdays, holidays.

All moving on. 

I continue, as if in a fog; though that fog has begun to lift. 

Ever so slowly. 

The veil pulled back just enough to make it through the day. 

And it's hard. 

I don't want to face each day without him. 

Everywhere there are reminders of his life. They are sweet reminders.
Yet they are reminders of all that is gone. Each time I drive by the accident site, another reminder.
 I gather all these reminders.
 I hold them tight.
And I remember to walk into the promises God has laid out before us.
I want to see beauty from these ashes.
I am broken. A part of me will never, ever be the same.
I am weak. And it is in that weakness that He is strong.
It is where His extravagant grace is manifested.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, 
for my power is made perfect in weakness." 

He will never leave us nor forsake us. 

I will continue to pray as I pass the accident site. 

Each picture I see I will remember to praise God for the time I had. 

The gift given; for only a time. 

As the memories come flooding in, I will remember, this is not our home. 

We are destined for heaven. It is there that we are complete.
It is there that there will be no heart ache and no more pain. 

I don't know why God took our son. I don't know why Gary has cancer. 

But I do know that we serve a living God.
I do know that we have been carried by the wings of prayer from this community,
from friends and strangers. We continue to be cared for in so many ways.
So even when I am broken. When I long for things to be different.

I will hold on tight.
And I will offer my broken hallelujah. . . 

Hush; Be Still

Hush

Be still

Wait

 And see 

New life

Springs

 from the old

There is hope

there is joy

It waits

 Hush

Be still

Wait
And see

The Lord

He is able 

He is mighty

Hush
Be still
I am not quiet.  I walk heavy. My husband reminds me; often.
He though scares me out of my skin; Repeatedly.
Quiet, not my companion.
I am reminded throughout the day to hush and be still.
The day is chaotic.
Visitors amidst my planned cleaning event.
Interrupted in the sweetest of ways.
A reminder that my Agenda is not the Lords.
No matter how I try to plan.
 He will bring about His desire for the day.
He will write my to do list.
The laundry will pile up.
The dishes remain in the sink.
The piles of book work still on the floor.
But the door to this farmhouse is open and the kitchen table full.
And at that table sits;
The blessing of a United States Marine. 
A glimpse at what I am missing, yet pride that another took the step.
He has come to visit; and I am honored.
Before that a visit and conversation with a sweet friend.
The commencement of the de-decorating of Christmas while the chaos flows.
Plenty of Coffee and tea. 
And the reminder to hush, and be still;
even while the busyness rages on.
Hush and be still.
Visit.
Hush and be still.
Embrace the interruptions.
Hush. Be still.
Because God is in all the pieces of the day.

Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

Be still and know that He is God
 Be still and know that He is faithful. 

Be still

The Question I Don't Want To Answer

I know the question is coming.
It always does.
It is how we converse. But it is the question I don't know how to answer.
One I don't want to answer.
I meet a new friend.
Our daughters standing next to each other in the concert.
While we sit next to each other.
Since we have been homeschooling, there are a fair amount of students and families
we do not know anymore.

How many children do you have?

I pause.

I don't know how to answer this question.

Sometimes I just say 6;
the oldest is married and we just had a grand baby.
And the conversation moves on; because babies are cute and safe.

But what do I do with the question?
How do I answer?
How do I stuff down the searing pain, the tears that threaten to overflow.
The memories that come flooding forward.
The sinking feeling, the reminder;
he is gone. 
I stumble through the answer and share; We have 6 and one is with the King of Kings. 
Taken this summer.
The conversation ends.
It really is a stopper.
What do you say to someone who has had a child torn from this world?

Ironically the last song of the concert is Dance in the Graveyards.
Musically this song is a masterpiece.
The harmonies spectacular. The drumming uplifting and inspiring.
Elijah would have loved it.
Maybe he already knew it. . .but I can't ask him. 

They got so much right in this song. 

"All of us meant for the fire"

We are sinners. Bought with a price through the blood of Jesus
destined to live with Him forever.

"And when I die, I don't want to rest in peace, I want to dance in joy, 
I want to dance in the graveyard"

So while I don't know how to answer the "question".
I do know that I want to dance in the graveyards. 
That one day death will be conquered. That Christ will return and
He will take us home to live with Him Forever. There will be no more pain and sorrow.
All our tears will be wiped away.
And this is a promise.

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or 
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

And we will dance for joy. 

Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing; 
you removed my sackcloth 
and clothed me with joy,

Our reunions will be oh, so sweet.
Longing for that day with all my heart.

And we will:
"dance on the streets that are golden, the glorious bride and the great son of man,
From every tongue and tribe and Nation will join in the song of the lamb"

To Despair is to Turn Your Back on God. . . Day #9 of Thankfulness

To despair is to turn your back on God.

                                   -Marilla Cuthbert Anne of Green Gables

If I despair. Not only do I turn my back on God but I take away the hope that he has promised. 

Will I only take the good in this life and not the bad? 

Though it seems like the bad has tipped the scales.

But has it? 

Who am I to decide what is enough?

John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

God himself is no stranger to the death of a son. 

He himself bore the pain of the sins of this world.

For me.

For you. 

And with every breath I have left I will praise Him.

Take a moment if you will. . .to listen to this to the end. 
John Piper finishes the video with powerful words for all of us. 

 The Lymphnodes they took, are cancerous.

Another bout of bad news in the litany before us.

Another battle to face. 

A battle we enter tired and worn.

And though you slay, yet I will praise you

Though you take from me I bless your name.

Though you ruin me.. .still I will worship. 

Because. It's not about me. 

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, 
but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, 
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Day #9 of Thankfulness

I am thankful for:

Cousins who stop in to visit just at the right time

Another cousin that had planned to visit so we don't have to be alone-

even before we knew the results

And yet another cousin-across the miles that breathes the Word into my soul

A faithful God forever

Nothing to fear He has it all covered

Even in death. . .there is life

Hope

Sisters in laws that will never let me go

My farmer 

 another journey where God can manifest his grace in so many ways

My mom who said, "My cancer has become a blessing"

My children who face adversity with such resolve and grace 

This community, while even in the waiting, reminds us of how close they are

God's word, it is never failing

We will walk step by step in his grace

Praising God for His presence in our life

Psalm 107:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.