Prayer in a Square

A dear friend from the Middle East days and I reconnected this week. It is funny how when you hear from someone you haven't seen in a while it just gives you such a sense of family - that knowing that no matter how long its been since you talked it just doesn't matter, you just begin where you are now.

She has a picture on her website that when I saw it I was totally captivated by it, it was exactly how I feel. So I just wanted to share it - people often ask how are you, this picture is how I am. Totally dependant upon prayer, boxed in by His love and yearning to hear from our God, submitted (or at least I try to be) to hearing from Him. I am sure if I move out of the box of His protection I will be overwhelmed.

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever"
Psalm 73:25-26

It is well with Chris

Just heard from Chris, he had an appointment with the surgeon who as Chris says "messed up my leg". Praise You Lord, the report was very good. Everything was healing very well, even some of the concerns about mobility - Chris is having trouble with getting some of the muscles to work properly - was not a concern. They will be completely restored by the power of our God. We will rest in that truth. But it is always wonderful to have man confirm what we believe God has already accomplished.

Thank you Lord for Your blessings and mercy to us ~ Dawn

It Is Well With My Soul

Two Must Reads

A girl I knew from many years ago sent me an e-mail and recommended this book, I must say it is amazing. I highly recommend it.

The Shack by William F Young





Susan Sakka, a friend of mine was on a rabbit trail on the internet and came across the original text of this book written in 1859. It was in old english and difficult to read so she found out it was rewritten in modern english a couple years ago. The vision of this young girl is truly amazing. If you want to get excited about Heaven, and want a fire lite for saving the lost, this book will inspire you.

Nine Days in Heaven by Dennis and Nolene Prince

Major Change

Starting yesterday John is working from home. The effects of the continued Chemotherapy on his body have made going into work very difficult, he has problems writing, reading and often difficulty with speaking. This is of course a major change for us, but we are looking at it as a opportunity. An opportunity for John to get healthy physically, the last couple years of not feeling well have kept him from basic exercise, so we will be trying to slowly do things like walking and the elliptical strider we have in our house to build endurance. Also it will be an opportunity to press into spending time with our Lord as well as helping more strategically with The Way, the church plant we are part of.

It may seem discouraging for John to stop working, but we really feel it will be a time of opportunity. We are standing firm on believing for the complete restoration of John and Chris. We will not give into looking at the circumstances as negative, but will see the circumstances as leading us into a new phase of our lives which will open doors that would not have been available before.

A friend gave me this quote she heard from Chuck Swindoll,

"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised
as impossible situations"

We thank all of you for your continued prayers and support. We serve a good God and even if things do not happen in the way we would like them to, it does not diminish the fact that our God truly is GOD.
Blessings ~ Dawn

Oops, wrong product

Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to keep my house clean. It gives me pleasure to clean it all in one day, then I feel like I have accomplished something. Usually I like to clean on Monday's, so today after Chris finally woke up, I set to work. First I vacuumed, then cleaned bathrooms (always such fun) and then I thought, I'll not only vacuum the hardwood floor, I think I will polish and clean them too.

Well we have quite a bit of hardwood flooring. So I got out my hardwood floor cleaner and set to work. After I was done it looked really shiny, I thought wow this floor really looks nice when it is polished. So I tip toed around it, trying not to step on it until it dries. I waited and waited, touched it and realized it feels kind of oily. I didn't remember it being so oily last time I did it, and it was not drying. Hum, so I went to the spray bottle I used and guess what? It was not the polish for the hardwood floor but the furniture polish. Now, let me assure you, they are not the same thing. So I had very slippery oily floors, and was not to sure how to get it off. I am still working on that actually. I have tried to soak it up on swiffle dry floor dusters, clean it off with another floor cleaner and well I hope it eventually dries off. What a mess - and I only have myself to blame. Humbling really.

Only Passing Through

I have just started a new study by Beth Moore called "Stepping up", a study of the Psalms of Ascent. It is such a timely study for me. I am doing it along with 3 other ladies who have been my rock through all of the trials over the last year or so. One of the statements Beth makes is:

"We need to change perspective, that whatever we are going through is not where we are staying, we are only passing through"

Oh Yah! That statement really speaks to my heart. We are only passing through, this life, these trials are only temporary, and believe me I can not wait for the time when I can see the end result, either here in this life or in heaven.

Chris is struggling through this week. It has been difficult as the combination of the chemo and radiation has taken a heavy toll on his body. Today he had a nose bleed that would not stop for a long time - I was almost worried we would have to go to the hospital. But after calmly praying over him, it did stop. His blood counts are very low - so he is what we call a boy in the bubble. We have to be very careful to keep any source of infection away from him and then to top it off he has had a fever. So we have been trusting our God, and for me praying for the "passing through" of this trial.

The good thing for today was doing the study, hearing and really being excited to move into a new level with the Lord, and seeing God restoring Chris, answered prayer for the fever and nose bleed. Might seem like small things, but it is a delight to acknowledge the Lord for His provision.
~ Blessings, Dawn