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Loving Jesus Without Limits Devotional

I just wanted to jot this from my devotionals to remember it.

I believe there is something-Someone-inside us who tells us there is more to life than sitting in the boat. You were made for something more than merely avoiding failure. There is something inside you that wants to walk on the water-to leave the comfort of routine existence and abandon yourself to the high adventure of following God.

So let me ask you a very important question. What's your boat?

Your boat is whatever represents safety and security to you apart from God himself. Your boat is whatever you are tempted to put your trust in , especially when life gets a little stormy. Your boat is whatever keeps you so comfortable that you don't want to give it up even if it's keeping you from joining Jesus on the waves. Your boat is whatever pulls you away from the high adventure of extreme discipleship.

If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, John Ortberg

Father God,

So often we cling to things that provide a sense of comfort and security, yet these are false supports in our lives. Our real security comes from knowing that we are directly in the center of Your will, even if that means riding the waves of uncertainty. Thank You for promising to always be with us, no matter how strong the storms of life may become. Amen

Completely Blessed, Shannon Ethridge

Feliz Navidad from the ninos

A song I have loved from the first time

This song in one whose lyrics stay with you once you've heard it. It is a song that most everyone can relate to. Today it plays in my mind.

Wayne Watson - Home Free Lyrics

I'm trying hard not to think You unkind
But Heavenly Father
If You know my heart
Surely You can read my mind

Good people underneath the sea of grief
Some get up and walk away
Some will find ultimate relief

Home free, eventually
At the ultimate healing
We will be home free

Home free, oh I've got a feeling
At the ultimate healing
We will be home free

Out in the corridors, we pray for life
A mother for her baby
A husband for his wife
Sometimes the good die young

It's sad but true
And while we pray for one more heartbeat
The real comfort is with You

You know pain has little mercy
And suffering's no respecter of age
Of race or position

I know every prayer gets answered
But the hardest one to pray is slow to come
Oh Lord, not mine, but Thy will be done

Let it be

Home free, eventually
At the ultimate healing
We will be home free

Home free, oh I've got a feeling
At the ultimate healing
We will be home free

Home free, eventually
At the ultimate healing
Gonna be home free

Home free, oh its more than a feeling
At the ultimate healing
Gonna be home free

As I think and pray

So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Return, O LORD!
How long?

And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,

That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,

The years in which we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants,

And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,

And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:12-17

A Christmas Card

Merry Christmas from our Sunday School Class at FBC Garland

Helping Spread the word about a good site

Abort73.com: Abortion Unfiltered

Abort73.com: Abortion Unfiltered

Awesome quote

"Satan had to ask permission to sift Job. The prince of this world is but a pawn in the Lord's plan." -Lauren Chandler

This is an awesome quote to me especially in light of what Lauren and her husband Matt Chandler are going through. It is always an encouragement to see fellow believers face life problems with faith and the strength of the Lord. I pray for the Chandlers as they put their trust in God's word.

For the righteous will never be moved;

he will be remembered forever.

He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is steady;

he will not be afraid,

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

Psalm 112:6 - 8

Follow You. A song to my Lord on my 29th year

Even though this is a bit late I wanted to have a little post celebrating my 29th birthday.

December 4th 2009 I celebrated my 29th birthday. On the way home from celebrating my birthday with my hubby this song was playing. As I listened I quietly prayed this song of rededication to the work of the Lord. It brought tears to my eyes as I see there is so much work left to be done. I thank the Lord for all the blessings He has given me. I pray that He will use me for the rest of my life.

You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.

All my needs you have supplied.
When I was dead you gave me life.
How could I not give it away so freely?

And I’ll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.

Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
Through the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
‘Cause Faith without works is dead
And on the cross your blood was shed
So how could I not give it away so freely?

And I’ll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.
(x2)

I give all myself.
I give all myself
I give all myself….to you.

And I give all myself.
Yes, I give all myself.
And I give all myself….to you.

And I’ll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.

-Follow You by Leeland

Another Christmas. Another Way to give a gift to Christ.

(click image to enlarge)

What better way to renew your spirit. A mission trip always does it for me.

Go. Give. Grow.

Another one by Selah

I talk a lot about privacy with my kids while I am in the bathroom. The other day I was asking Selah for some privacy.

"Selah may I please have some privacy."

"You have privacy in your tummy mami."

(What do you say to that. I just did not have a response.)

Great Commission Camps

Click here to view this photo book larger

By the way did you know this is an "award winning" album :)

I love this movie quote

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." -Eric Liddell

This quote from the movie "Chariots of Fire" always lifts my heart.

From Art Helping People See God

When I was looking for the little story I posted with Seth's little drawing I "Goodsearched" my way to a great blog posting on art. It was very good reading so I decided to make a link to it as well as post one quote that stood out.

The stakes are high, but art that illuminates the path to God is essential in a polluted age where souls are gasping for the fresh spiritual air. So I end with Annie Dillard advising writers. “Assume you write for an audience consisting solely of terminal patients. That is, after all, the case. What could you say to a dying person that would not enrage by its triviality?”

Follow link to Dick Staub's Art Helping People See God article by clicking here.

God illustrated

This picture drawn by Seth reminds me of the following little story...

A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s artwork. As she came to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.” The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.” Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, “They will in a minute.”

Word of the Day

"It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity." -Frederic D. Huntington

"For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" Philippians 3:18-20

A couple cute stories

Selah

The other day I was telling Selah that she was really beautiful. I told her, "Selah, I think God is making you more beautiful and beautiful each day." She smiled her little shy smile and I continued, "I think that the most important thing though is for God to make you more beautiful on the inside, with gentleness, and kindness. That's what I mean about God making you beautiful on the inside" Selah interrupts me and says, "Yes but not on the backside"

Seth

I am trying to trick Seth around the kitchen table by asking him, "Seth how many monkeys did Moses take in the ark." He looks at me with a quizzical look on his face. "What do you mean Mami? Do you mean to say Noah?" "Ahh, Seth I was trying to trick you, but you are a smarty pants :)"

When a t-shirt is all wrong

I remember walking in the cafeteria in Jr. High and reading a t-shirt that aid "Life is a playground and the person with the biggest toys wins"

I hope the young boy wearing that shirt has figured out that the message on his old t-shirt is absolutely wrong.

1st. Life is not a play ground

A message I heard on the radio not long ago has stuck with me. The preacher said that many times we live and expect our life to be like a playground while in all reality this world is more like a war-zone.

The Bible remids us to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). It also says "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8).

I think in all reality if we were able to see the spiritual dimension of our world we would see the battlefield. Ephesians 6:12 reads "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."

Yesterday as I was sitting across a young girl at the pregnancy center she was sharing very personal things from her life. This young 18 year old girl has already been through so much. My heart ached for her. I saw her hurts, her wounds. We see pictures and hear stories of our soldiers who are wounded in battled some returning home maimed and broken. As I sat there listening, through my spiritual eyes I could have seen a young mamied and broken girl but through it all, I saw a young girl whom God has been drawing to Himself to heal her from her wounds.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

Praise God that in Jesus we can find healing and so much more.

Now, although I know that I have been healed from the wounds I have received from the enemy, from living in a sinful world, and just from following my sinful desires I still bear the scars. Some scars are small and some scars run deep like the scars of Frodo Baggins on Lord of the Rings.

Aside from our life not being a playground, a person with the most toys wins what?

Mark 8:36 clearly states that there is more to life than the stuff of this world when it says, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

Therefore, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

Because I don't do enough

There is a video from Steven Curtis Chapman on adoption. (Click here to view) I love this video, song, Steven Curtis Chapman and his example to us fellow believers.

I post this because I was reminded of how little I do to help the cause of the orphans. I love what Steven and his family do to help orphans throughout the world. Here is a link to his adoption ministry. www.showhope.org

Speaking for the broken and the ones without a voice

A survey by The Alan Guttmacher Institute conducted among women who had abortions found that one in five self-identified themselves as Evangelical Christian.

I am a voice for those who are hurting from the chains of sins from their past. Christ can heal you.

I am a voice for those little people who want a chance at life. God has a purpose for breathing life to you.

To learn more about Abortion Recovey and Post Abortion click here.

From a Satisfied Customer

This story was featured in our newsletter, but the more readers the better :)

While listening to pastor James McDonald preaching on the marks of a Christian I was reminded of why we do what we do. Pastor James compared a satisfied customer of a business who loves to refer others to this great business, to a Christian who loves to talk about Jesus and what He has done for them. He asked, “Are you a satisfied customer?”
Am I a satisfied customer? Most definitely. I am reminded of this passage in God’s Word, So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
I, like Peter, have come to know through faith that Jesus is the Way to eternal life.
This is the reason we do what we do - Proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. While we know that many who receive this letter are fellow believers, we pray that this letter will also be read by those who are not certain that they are experiencing the life they were meant to live. You see while the salvation we preach is about being saved from eternal damnation in hell and to be able to enter heaven in its place, this salvation is about so much more.
Jesus Christ said “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus also said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Becoming a Christian is to accept the words of Jesus by faith. Trusting that He is the Holy One of God, and the only way to God the Father. When you accept, believe, and trust the truths of Jesus Christ then you receive the gift of eternal life. This gift begins on earth as you enter into a personal relationship with Christ, our Creator and Savior. He saves us from the chains of sin that entangle us. In place of sin and death he gives us Himself. His Spirit gives us power over sin and death. We are then able to enjoy a life of hope and purpose. The rewards of being a Christ follower are endless.
We pray that you like us are satisfied customer referring others to Christ. If you are not we pray you soon will be.

In His love, Rebeca Carpenter

A message to my heart in a song

I first heard this song at the Downtown Pregnancy Center's Light of Life Dinner. This song made me cry as it pierced my heart deeply with its message.

I can taste the fruit of Eve.

I'm aware of sickness death and disease.

The results of her choices were vast.

Eve was the first but she wasn't the last.

If I were honest with myself,

had I been standing at that tree,

my mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit.

Things I shouldn't know and things I shouldn't see

Remind me of this with every decision.

Generations will reap what I sow.

I can pass on a curse or a blessing

to those I will never know.

She taught us to fear the serpent.

I'm learning to fear myself

and all of the things I am capable of

in my search for acceptance, wisdom and wealth.

To say the devil made me do it is a cop-out and a lie.

The devil can't make me do anything when I'm calling on Jesus Christ

To my great-great-great-granddaughter, live in peace.

To my great-great-great-grandson, live in peace.

To my great-great-great granddaughter, live in peace.

To my great-great-great-grandson, live in peace, live in peace.

Eve was the first but she wasn't the last.

Generations Lyrics
song performed by Sara Groves in the album Conversations

You can hear this song by clicking on the song title on the music player on the bottom of my little blog site. :)

Quote of the Day

"I've learned that we must hold everything loosely, because when I grip it
tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from
me." -Corrie ten Boom

To Make Much of You

Song of the Day

How could I stand here
And watch the sun rise
Follow the mountains
Where they touch the sky
Ponder the vastness
And the depths of the sea
And think for a moment
The point of it all was to make much of me
Cause I'm just a whisper
And You are the thunder and

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

And how can I kneel here
And think of the cross
The thorns and the whip and the nails and the spear
The infinite cost
To purchase my pardon
And bear all my shame
To think I have anything worth boasting in except for Your name
Cause I am a sinner
And You are the Savior

I want to make much of You, Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used

To make much of You

This is Your love, oh God
Not to make much of me
But to send Your own son
So that we could make much of You

For all eternity

I want to make much of You Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise
That You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life
Take it and let it be used
To make much of You

I want to make much of You
Much of You Jesus

Here we go

I have said it before... When I grow up I want to be like Seth. Seth is my little award winning National Geographic Photographer. Already published on a international website. Maybe someday I will be as great as he is.

For now...
I have a photography website.

Click on link to check it out. becphotography.weebly.com

Art as ministry

I have been reading this great little book on homeschooling. Totally recommend it. It's called Christian Homeschooling Foundation & Practice by Christian Liberty Press

In the section titled A Biblical View of Culture, Art, and Technology I underlined this long section

"Every gift should be used to reflect the wisdom of its Creator and imitate the beauty and usefulness of His creative work. The humanistic worldview sees culture, art, and technology as existing only for self-expression, human enjoyment, and selfish vanity. The non-Chrisstian uses culture as a way to revolt against God and glorify himself He thinks that he can create out of nothing something totally original. When man creates, he is not creating something absolutely new, but merely discovering a potentiality which has existed from the beginning. Its proper use becomes a blessing form God for the benefit of men, while its misuse becomes a curse for the destruction of men."

This section (which I pretty much underlined the whole passage) goes on to say

"the student should be taught to enjoy art and produce technology that reflects the glory of God's creation and ministers to others.

So I hope the pictures I create reflect God's glory and minister to those who come across them.
Thank you.

From Seth to Papi

A little gift from one boy to another. We were pretty impressed with his artistic ability. Drawn by Seth age 4.

Love letter from my hubby

So thankful for God's love manifested to me through my amorcito Tim. (Click to enlarge)

Quote of the Day

Dr. Paul Rees said, If you want a picture of success as heaven measures it, of greatness as God views it, don't look for the blaring of the bands on Broadway; listen, rather, for the tinkle of water splashing into a basin, while God incarnate, in a humility that makes angels hold their breath, sponges the grime from the feet of His undeserving disciples.

Good for the heart

this picture is like medicine to my heart

("This is a picture moment. Let me go get the camera"-Papi
So glad he did.)

reason #27

Another reason I love my Mac. Fun Picture time.

Verse of the Day

"It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them." Psalm 44:3

May the light of your face shine upon me. For I am loved by you.

A song on your birthday

self portrait on our Mac

self portrait on our Mac

self portrait on our Mac (My little misternary)

Photo taken in our little cabininn (My sweet boy)

My dear little Seth turned five today. He is a sweet, creative, caring, intelligent, curious, musical, silly, shy at times, cuddly, and tender hearted little boy. I love him so much and am so very glad God thought of him. I pray that Seth will grow up to be all that God created him to be. I pray that I will be the mother God wants me to be to this little boy. Lord I dedicate this boy to you again today. I remember that He is in your hands. I ask that you will help us both to continue to grow in You. I entrust his life to You.

Here are the lyrics of a song I dedicate to my Sethsito today:

I'd like to remember
I'd like to know all you are
I'd like to know everything you'll be
Where will you go? What will you do?
When the world's right in front of you

When I think of how slowly life passes by
Then I'll blink and you're growing
No longer a child
What I can do, to capture this moment in time
Is to sing you a lullaby

I like to watch you dream
I like to touch your face
I like to hold you in a sweet embrace
When will you laugh? When will you cry?
When you need a special place to hide

When I think of how slowly life passes by
Then I'll blink and you're growing
No longer a child
What I can do, to capture this moment in time
Is to sing you a lullaby

When I think of how slowly life passes by
Then I'll blink and you're growing
No longer a child
What I can do, to capture this moment in time
Is to sing you a lullaby

Artist: Plumb Album: Blink Title: Blink

Mission Trip Announcement

Click on image to enlarge.

When kids get in the way, Repent.

More of my mind from the last video posting.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6: 4-9

As I was picking up toys in the kids room for the umpteenth time that day I had one of those moments where your thought kind of just take you away to a place where you can hear a word of correction and direction from the Lord. Believe me that I am not one to say that God spoke a new word to me, but actually that He was reminding me of something he had once told me already through His word. It was something I needed to be reminded of though I did not even know it at that time when I was doing a menial task.

Let me go back a little bit to what had been going through my mind a few weeks and days ago. First, I had been thinking about our upcoming mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico. We have taken our kids down on this mission trip from the time they were still nursing. I was thinking about how we might be growing in our leadership of these trips and might need to reconsider taking our kids along. You see kids really slow us down. (If you've ever seen us trying to get somewhere, like from one place to the next, you will know what I mean.) Plus I can't really just lead something perfectly well when I have a toddler on my hip. I was thinking that if a new person from a new church would join our trip they would see how completely disorganized our trip seem to run (and how I live my life like a chicken with its head cut off about 97.8% of the time). So yes I was thinking that if I was going to be an efficient missionary group leader I better check my kids off at Grandmas' before I boarded the van to worldwide evangelism.

Then to further convince myself of how children get in the way of missioning I conducted a test (not on purpose). You see I had this great mission project idea about asking our Sunday School to join us in raising money to buy school supplies for a refugee family with 7 children. Then I invited any of them to join us to go shopping for these kids: we would take the refugee school age kids to Walmart and find them school uniforms, and children were invited to join us (as our kids would be going). Finding the right size uniforms while corralling my three little ones was harder than expected. "Mami, I need to go to the potty." "Mami, I am hungry." "Selah come here." "No. Seth don't do that." "Stop bothering your sister" I hope you get the picture. It was an adventure. I was getting pretty tired as were the kids.

So I came home from the missions project feeling like things didn't turn out the way I expected them to and that maybe next time I should consider finding a babysitter so that I look like I am managing my missioning a little better.

Now you find me sitting on the floor picking up stuffed animals, shoes, and balls off the floor. God reminds me of Deuteronomy 6 and how I need to be teaching my kids about loving God and loving people. And I got it immediately. Yes Lord, sorry. I was wrong. I think... what better way to teach my children but by my example. Yes, children do slow us down, but hey maybe we are moving too fast. I think about how my children have so many times opened the door for me to start conversations with complete strangers. I feel that sometimes my children have helped me be more approachable. A child will bring a smile to a face. Sydney will go around Walmart in a cart saying hi to everyone she meets. I could come back from my missions project and tell my kids what happened, but it wouldn't be the same as if they had been there.
I feel that somehow America today has programmed me to believe that kids just get in the way of things. That small thought multiplied is what has caused the adoption of abortion as a viable option to reign in our society. You hear even Christians say "Oh we are not ready for kids" "We can't afford kids" "I want to get settled in my job before I have kids" "We want to travel and enjoy ourselves before we get bogged down." All of these thing have the same underlying selfish and faithless thoughts of the world.

The world seems to be screaming at me, "Woman get a job, get a ministry, get a hobbie that will free you from the ever draining task of motherhood!!!" Now I am not saying that you have to be with your kids 24/7, believe me I know there are times when a break from the kids is a necessity. But I think we need to be spending as much time and effort to pass the faith to our children. Oh how God has pleaded with us in Deuteronomy. "THIS IS IMPORTANT PEOPLE" "YOU HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY" "TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT ME" "PLEASE TALK TO THEM ABOUT ME."

I sit corrected Lord.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another." John 15:12-17

Jesus, help me to love my children. Help me to teach my children your ways. May they learn it through my words and through my actions. Help me to lay down my life for my children. May my children be the fruit I bear and the fruit which abides in you. Lord you gave up the glory of heaven to come to earth and die for me. Help me to carry my cross and follow you. Thank you for the love and strength that you give me to walk each day. In Jesus name, Amen.

It's not Science at all and prayer request

Yesterday I was at the pregnancy center talking to Dana, DPC nurse, and a fellow volunteer about some pretty sad stories of people with cancer, one who had passed away recently and another person, a very close friend of Dana's, who is rapidly declining in health. And still another recent client who is pregnant, with possibly terminal cancer who is now having to make adoption plans for her children because she is a single mom. As they were talking I had a knot on my throat. Sickness and death seems to be right around the corner from everyone. The Bible says that our life is but a vapor so this news should not come as a big surprise, but it does.

As I listened to the stories I wondered how I would handle cancer and death. With my blog obsession I recently came across the story of David Wensel. His wife is a totally cool photographer. They both are awesome Christians who are going through the battle of cancer. David was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and may or may not have about 10 years to live. I have read some of his posting since they received the news and this section of one of his postings really stood out to me...

3. It's not Science at all.

The reason I am telling you all of this is because by reading this, you have expressed interest in following God's story that happens to include me. (And thinking about it like that, this story already includes you too - hope that's cool) But if I were to leave out specific parts of this story, you might miss an important plot point that God is sharing. So by not telling you that I may (or may not) have 10 years to live, I would be holding back information that God thinks is important for this story. So, we move forward together with full disclosure. Cool?

It's somewhat difficult not to lie in bed after receiving news like this and begin to wonder where I may fall on the 'Oligo Bell Curve O' Survival'. These verses have been such a comfort to me:

"My *tumor was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be."

- Psalm 139:15-16

* ('Tumor' was definitely tossed in by me. I think it's a funny addition. Originally was 'frame')

How freaking beautiful is that writing, not to mention what it actually means!

I'm so glad that God knows me more than Dr. Awesome knows me. While I openly appreciate Dr. Awesome for his knowledge and passion to save lives, he simply didn't know about my tumor until he saw it on an MRI. God knew about this tumor from the beginning. While case studies anticipate life-spans, dietitians predict results and doctors offer scientific reasoning, I trust God knew exactly how many days I had on this earth before even one of them came to be.

It is so comforting to know that God has (for some time now) been designing this new thing in my life. And He is currently orchestrating the climax of this story for His benefit, not mine. If I were to live my entire life with this type of understanding, with this clarity, what type of person would I be? How would I treat people differently? How much more often would I kiss my wife?

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." - Psalm 90:12

-David Wensel from I may (or may not) have 10 years to live, June 24, 2009.

I pray that I like David will hold steadfast to God's word and His promises whatever comes my way.

Now the real reason that I decided to write about this is that I just received an e-mail from a couple in our Sunday School who just received news that the husband Kevin has colon cancer. Kevin has battled cancer before. Here is a copy of the e-mail I received...

Today, Kevin and I found out that he has cancer again. This time he has colon cancer. I am still a little shocked that this is happening, but am asking for your prayers right now. Kevin has a consult with the surgeon on Monday and will hopefully be scheduled for surgery on Wednesday of next week. It is not yet known how aggressive the cancer is, so we do not know yet if he will need Chemo, radiation, or both. Please pray for our family as we have another challenge to face. The power of prayer is so strong as we all know. I have prayed that the Lord gives me strength and guidance through this time. Thank you for all your love, care, support and prayers.

In Him,

Angela

Please be in prayer for this precious family as well as David and Amy. There are so many people who are hurting. Praise God for those who have Christ in their life helping them through the hard times. Pray for those who are hurting and are without Christ that they may seek for Him and find Him.

September Abundant Marriage Missions Project

Thank you to Abundant Marriage for making this mission project possible. Here are some faces to put with the stories.

Big sister Sharon and little brother John

Making new friends

Jesus loves the little children

Exploring the apartment complex

Landen and the blue drink

One very cute missionary

Danny boy

Holly and Kathryn helping Esther find just the right size

Tim and Danny

A full shopping cart and we hadn't even started shopping :)

Esther playing peekaboo with Landen

reading one of their new books

Jada (a beautiful young missionary)

Danny
missioning is hard work

Thinking about Mexico Mission Trip

Quote of the Day

"Statesmen... may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand"
-John Adams

2009-08-19

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