Thursday, April 23, 2009

We had a surprise birthday party for my Mom recently ...

I'm in the pink sweater ... Mom & my youngest sister Kay as Mom enters the room





Mom & some of her grand children and great grandchildren


My sister Rita, Me, Mom, Sharon and my brother Bobby
I have two more sisters and one more brother who decided not to attend




Tuesday, April 21, 2009

We're adding Trish's sister Pam to our prayer list today. Trish wrote:

"They are doing a lumpectomy on the breast today to make sure that they have clean perimeters...she will start Radiation treatments soon. She is my sister that lost her husband to cancer 6 years ago. Pray for her kids and our family...thankfully it is a very non aggressive cancer and was still at stage 0...so her prognosis is excellent... and that girl amazing...her strength holds us all together!"

Monday, April 20, 2009

Another prayer need:

A man named Mike, 41 years old, has been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. He is single and his Mom will be bringing him to her home to care for him. Her name is Wanda. Will you please pray for both of them?

Thank you and God bless.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Precious friends, please pray for Barbara S .... she's in the hospital with fluid in her lungs. Her son is a pastor at my Mom's church.

Also, please pray for Michael ... he's having financial problems and needs to come to faith in Christ.

Blessings to each of you.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Praise Reports:

My Mom's neighbor Madelyn is doing wonderfully. She hasn't had to take any pain medication since she's been home and is thanking Mom and all who prayed for her.

Mr. Hancock is doing exceptionally well after the heart attack and medical staff are surprised he's doing this well.


Other prayer needs:
Bonnie, a young woman of 39 who will have triple by-pass heart surgery soon.

My sister Linda is dealing with severe back pain and thus far doctor's have been unable to determine the cause.

Monday, April 6, 2009


I come from a relatively large family ... I am the oldest of eight children; seven of us are living and one sister died in 1957 of Leukemia. She was four years old and her name was Janice.

Once upon a time I believed we had a tight knit family but circumstances and time have shown me that's not the case at all. I have siblings who no longer talk to one another and until about 6 months ago, I was one who talked to all the others. Then one sister, for whatever reason, stopped answering my emails and phone calls. I wondered what I could have done and then realized, I haven't done anything to her, except try to help when I could.

This division began about 2 years before our Dad died and has continued for 11 years. We weren't all together when Dad took his last breath and we weren't all at his funeral. That will most likely be the scenario when our Mom or one of us dies. I have prayed for reconciliation and restoration but after a phone call with another sister today, I see that's not likely to happen and I'm trying to understand why.

What hurts is that I'm watching a family unit die ... as surely as our Dad did, a part of this family unit has also died and it makes me wonder if we ever had a real bond to begin with. We all have the same parents but apparently that's where the line can be drawn. Siblings don't have to get along, although they should. Siblings don't have to talk to one another, although it would be good if they did. Siblings don't have to be in the same room with one another, although it might be good if they were. Siblings don't have to really forgive, although that's what the Lord commands and would be healing if it took place.

I told one of my sisters today that we carry old wounds and hurts as though they were a gift of some sort. We wrap them in pretty paper and off we go. Before long the wound and the hurt is growing, getting heavy and the wrappings are getting awfully stained, but we don't mind, they're ours, so we'll keep carrying them. Month after month and year after year we carry them until before too long, we can't see anything but this huge package that's blocking our view of everything else.

Oh, we say we forgive those who hurt us, but we want nothing to do with them. We won't talk to them, we'll ignore any attempts at communication and we'd just as soon no one else brings up their name. Is that really forgiveness?

I don't carry the hurt that my sisters do ... I've had my own to deal with. Some have been life-changing ... they shattered my very being and shook the very foundation I thought I had. But after a while I saw the harm of my not forgiving the one who hurt me and knew I had to bury the hurt if I was to be of any use to my husband and my children. Bury it and leave it alone! I couldn't drag it back up, it surely would smell worse than when I put it under the earth if I did that. I had to forgive the offender for what he did. I didn't really want to, but I knew I had to if my life was to ever get better.

I'm seeing that for whatever reason, there are people who can't do that and I'm to show mercy to them, even when they won't speak to me. I will be the best sister I can be to those who will let me; and I will pray for those who don't want anything to do with me. And through a friend, the Lord has let me see that should they come around again, I must open the door and let them in without anger or malice in my heart, because that's what He does with us.




Update: My Mom's neighbor Madelyn is home, doing well and said to tell everyone Thank You for praying for her.

Another prayer need: My cousin Brenda has had a severe kidney infection and has been in the hospital because of it. She nearly died and doctor's believe the infection has permanently damaged one kidney. Would you please pray for a full recovery for her? Thank you!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Please pray for my Mom's neighbor Madelyn. She's having her right breast removed tomorrow due to cancer; also pray for her sister Mary. These precious sisters are in their 70's and have always shared a home and one would be lost without the other.

Also, please pray for Sam Hancock who lives in Indiana, he had a severe heart attack yesterday.

Thank you!

Valley of Vision


Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold
thy glory.


Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter
thy stars shine;


Let me find thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
that every good work or thought found in me
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.

- Valley of Vision -