I have a back log of ideas floating around in my head however, I also have my final portfolio due for my graduate class today!  I will be glad to have it turned in so I can get back to my really important writing here on my blog.  :)  How dare they work me this hard!  Just kidding, I am on top of my class, it is almost finished and when it is I will have some good stuff for you.  My next class doesn't start until Oct. 6th so I can get caught up.  I have had to make a list of things sparking in my head to write about ,so I won't forget them before I get to write them down.

Okay...I have just dropped my son off at a strangers house, kind of.  William was called earlier in the week and asked to join a rock band.  Aaron says he knows the guys and they are "good kids."  I trust his judgement because he usually is a pretty good judge of character.  These guys are high schoolers, so I was a little nervous about this. 

 However, just last week I was praying that God would give William an outlet for his drumming.  It seems the worship team at youth group has a drummer already, and while he likes marching band it is totally different from playing in a regular band.  Seeing this as a critical time in his life, I hit my knees asking the Lord to intervene and bring him somewhere to use his talent.  Now, God has a sense of humor, as we all know...a Christain Heavy Metal group calls him up this week.  While I am wondering is there such a thing as Christain heavy metal, William is begging to join. His face has completely lit up.  He has a serious glow of excitement about him. Very similar to when Hannah first went to Brazil...he has come alive.  Bill and I talk about it and agree to let him try it. We know and have always known that drumming is in his blood.  We have also known that talent could lead him into places we would never want him to go.  It is part of the gift God has given him.  To reach out to heavy metal kids...I don't know about that one...it is a stretch for me.  Every part of me says...don't you like orchestral music???  Can't you pick something else???  But my mouth says okay we will let you try it...but we have to meet the parents and the kids.  So I go today to take him and two big long haired guys come out.  I am gulping air...but in my head God says do not judge on appearances.  One of the guys comes over and very respectfully introduces himself...then the other does as well.  They are only practicing until 6:30 because they have church...is that okay with me?  Would you like to meet my dad?  Let us help you unload the drums.  I am stunned by this show of normal behavior.  I, of course know that kids are kids and they all are normal underneath the exterior, but I am so quick to pre-judge someone.  I am finding that the lesson in this adventure is quite likely to be for me.  I do not know if it will last or if William will like it but God is definitely on the move and in the business of answering prayers...even if it is ways we never dream of!  Now if you would kindly pray for me and my ears....

There is a crisp feel to the air today...I love it!  Fall is coming.  I can sense it in the clear clean breeze this morning.  I love the change of seasons.  The mountains are the hosts that usher in changes, giving us clues long before the actual arrival of the new season.  I have seen the tell tale signs...sourwood trees are beginning to go red.  They are the first ones to change.  The golden rod is blooming along the roads and in the fields.  The horses in the pasture are active and dancing.  It is fun to watch the changes gradually happen.  Like summer and fall are having a tug of war.  Fall is going to win...  :)  

This blog is an encouragement for some dear friends of mine whose family is currently facing more than one crisis at time.

Crisis arises, family rallies.  Emergency interrupts, friends rescue. Fear strangles, faith resurrects.   Life traumas bring out the best in people.  When all hell is breaking loose, those that love you, come to help.  Family and friends race to their knees on your behalf.  People you have not seen for years crawl out of the woodwork to support and under gird you with kind words. When the battle for life begins, there are cheerleaders in your corner you did not even realize where there.  Others that have experienced the fight before you, come beside to provide the hope that all will be well.  Neighbors you did not know bring your family dinner.  Friends honor commitments you made, and rescue you from not fulfilling them.   It is almost worth the trauma to see this amazing community in action…almost. 

 It is humbling really, to know that all of those people care so much about you and yours.  Perspective changes, as you watch from the bed or chair.  I for one had no idea that there were that many people I had affected in one way or another.  People would send cards that had the most wonderful notes about how I had somehow influenced their lives.  They were well-wishers that prayed, and held my name before the Creator of the Universe night and day…humbling.

  And what about the Creator of the Universe??  He poured out his spirit of peace in the midst of the turmoil that bubbled all around.  He showed his strength in my weakness.  The one that breathed the stars, whispered in my ear gently telling me his secrets and assuring me that he is sovereign.  He drew me closer to his heart and he does it still. 

A life threatening crisis gets our attention. It reminds us that life is a gift, that friends and family matter, and that God is in control.  We become aware of what is important and what is extra.  The little annoyances of everyday fade into the huge picture of who God is.  His love for us…these little tiny creatures…expands in our vision of a Heavenly Father who cares for even tinier details…like the cells in our bodies. 

Trauma also opens our eyes to see how blessed we are and gives us eyes to see others who are not.  Sitting in a waiting room with a loving husband at your side, makes you aware of the woman across from you without one.  Having visitors come and sit with you at a chemo lab shines a spotlight on a person that rode a bus to get there.  A man throwing up in a trashcan in the next chair over breaks your heart to pieces because he is all alone.  Everything looks different after a crisis.  It is as if God puts his eyes in your sockets so you can see past your own blessings to his compassion.  You realize there is a light in you, which glows from the inside out.   It attracts others to you and your family.  They are drawn by the love that you share with each other. They see the sharing of the burden of life, and you can almost hear their thoughts, “Is there such a thing as that kind of love?  Could I ever have what they have?”  Now when you see those questions on the faces of those all around you, your heart leaps to share the answer.  A kind word and a smile begin to open their hearts to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there is something to this love they are witnessing.  The words you write, or the phone call you share can change someone’s whole way of thinking.  It is then that you realize that the crisis you have survived had a divine purpose. 

The bible says that all was created to display the Glory of God.  The blind man was healed, the lame walked, the sick got well, and the dead were resurrected.  People watched from a distance.  In awe and with hope they came to seek him…asking the unspoken questions, “Is this for real?” and more importantly “Do you love me enough to do it for me? Am I important?”  They longed to find him then, and they are watching still.  They will see him there in the hospital, hear him in your words, and feel him in your hugs.  Even now in your crisis…He is displaying his Glory.

Drats! Another UTI....I was so hopeful that I was dealing with it herbally.  I am on antibiotics yet again...after this round I will go on a low dose long term (12 weeks) version in hopes that will handle it once and for all.  DRATS!

On the brighter side...it is pouring down rain!  Is rain really a bright side???  Anyway, I love it.  We needed it so badly.  Thank you God for rain.

It is a day that we all wish we could forget, but we cannot.  We wish it had never happened, but it did. History changed 6 years ago today.  Even now, we still grapple with the enormity of what happened that day.  The images will not ever be erased from our memories.  For me, this year, I feel quiet…a reverent kind of quiet that mourns but does not weep.  The weeping has past. The nightmares are over…at least for me.  I am sure that the families still have them.  They remember the phone calls and the numb days of horror following.  Wondering, walking and waiting for some word from their father or brother or daughter.  Knowing that they were not coming home but hoping anyway.

 Hope. It is a word, which causes us to keep moving. Maybe…it could be…might…someday…in the future. Words that show us hope is still alive, the flame still burning.   For our country, hope calls to us, inviting us to a bright future free from terrorist threats.  It reminds us not to forget the loss of the innocent as we pursue the future. Finding our way back to innocence is not possible, but hope says we can overcome the thief that took it away.  We can trust that God is bigger than it all, and that with him hope springs eternal.  He is the spark of hope within us that never dies.  He urges us to move forward into his plans and purposes. The day…we will never forget.  The spark of hope for the future, we will carry with us always.

Last night this new name of God caught my imagination. I want you to close your eyes and think of a bottle of bubbles. (Stay with me a minute) Remember back, to how you blew through the wand creating big bubbles along with lots of smaller ones.  Remember the delight as you chased and tried to catch them.  A few breaths and there were hundreds of bubbles floating in the air…like a summer shower. 

Today children still love bubbles, and I do not like to work in a nursery that is not stocked with a large bottle of them. Toddlers come in crying, but after a few breaths, the giggles bubble up (pardon the pun).  Suddenly, their problems are forgotten as they relish dancing in the downpour. All of them react differently…some pop them, some gently catch them, and some just stand in awe and watch.  It is fun to be the one blowing the bubbles, the source of their delight.  I have been known to blow so many I made myself dizzy!

I bet you can see where I am going with this…God did that, only with fire and light!  He did not need a wand, he simply blew and the stars of all sizes were created…billions and billions of them.  On a clear night, when we look into the sky, we stand in awe. Our problems seem small after this gaze into the heavens.  The stars are huge, bright balls of light hanging adrift above our heads.  From a distance, we do not understand the massive size of them, but some of us have chased and tried to catch them.  We call these people astronomers.  The pictures that their telescopes have sent us are amazing.  They show us things too huge to comprehend.  They show us the glory of God.  We are the children who stand and watch with wonder.  He is the God who delights in creating them for us, and then delights in our delight! I can almost hear him say, “You like that one…wait till you see this one!”  Is it any wonder the universe is expanding so fast!  He longs to share his magnificent beauty with us, and it is his joy to create it.  

The speaker on the DVD, used the pictures from space to show us some of the wonders of God.  Along with the stars, he showed us galaxies and beautiful whirlpools of light.  Thirty-one million light years away is the Whirlpool Galaxy. Within the center is a black hole that is in the shape of a cross.  At the end of our known universe…a cross…isn’t that just like God?  He is crying out, “I am here!”

On the second DVD, he talked about the miracle of the human body.  The complexity and the intricate design are unbelievable.  We are each walking, talking, and breathing miracles. Within the miraculous design or our bodies, there is a cell adhesion molecule that is present in the very first cell that forms when are conceived.  It is called Laminin. You guessed it; the formation of this molecule that holds our cells together, is in the shape of a cross.  At the beginning of life…a cross…God is truly amazing.  He whispers, “I am here too, inside of you, holding you together.” 

Revelation 1:8- “I am the Alpha and Omega”, says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the ALMIGHTY.”  Did you think that the Alpha, Omega thing was just a figure of speech?  I did too…until now.  Once again, all of creation declares his glory…because the Almighty Star Breather made it so!

There are two men that I know who cling to God in every circumstance.  Life has been difficult for both of them.  I have been thinking of them lately. The shift in my life because of cancer was dramatic.  Thinking of life and death issues forces you to a place of sober reflection.  It is a hard place to be.  My friends both know that.  Each of them has been suffering from a deadly disease for years.  I cannot comprehend that really.  My illness was a nuisance for several months…really about a year.  To live with pain and the promise of death hanging over you cannot be easy in any way.  Ongoing hardship is the fire in which character is built.  How can anyone stay in that kind of fire for so long?  Like Job’s friends, I think that it would be easy to curse God and die rather than to continually battle for each breath.  Yet like Job, these men believe the words, “though he slay me, yet I will trust him.” 

My friend Brian has a heart condition.  I do not know the specific details other than that he should have been dead years ago.  He has been “resurrected” too many times to count.  He can tell you what it feels like to be in the presence of Jesus, because he has been there.  His attitude could have been bitter to have been dealt this ailment at such an early age.  He chose the positive instead.  Not knowing the future causes us stress, but to not know if you will be alive tomorrow?  That is a completely new level of trusting God for each breath.  Brian has lived with that question each day, for years.  Until recently, he was not a candidate for a heart transplant…but technology caught up with him.  Yesterday he had a heart transplant.  Today I heard that it is beating on its own.  What a miracle that is!  Imagine being shut up in your house for years, and suddenly being able to live a normal life.  What a gift that will be!  My prayers are with him and his wife as they embark upon this new journey of health.

My other friend has ALS…a terrible degenerative disease takes over your body slowly.  Frank is in a wheelchair now, with a breathing machine. (By the way Frank, you kind of look like a jet pilot! 🙂  He has to have help to do most everything.  He could choose to rage at God, but instead he worships him.  A worship leader that lost his ability to play but still he leads worship…with his life.  He creates worship CD’s with Christian music he picks custom for those of us that are in need.  I listened to these CD’s during my chemo.  He knows just the right songs for tough times.  Even with his limited ability, he has found a way to create worship. 

These two men are amazing.  They have chosen to live fully despite the suffering.  Depending on God to carry them is the source of their strength.  They cannot be stopped from reaching out to others in need.  It is the mark of Christ that is indelibly stamped in their hearts.  When I complain about work, I need only to think of my friends.  God smiles when he sees their lives, because they remind the rest of us what is important. They point us to him. You guys are a blessing!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend.  I haven’t even turned on my computer this weekend…it was a nice break. 

On Labor Day each year, our church has a kind of festival in the park.  Cars of all makes and models fill the parking lot for the annual car show.  There are inflatable games and slides, a climbing wall, and a multitude of vendors selling food for their organizations.  Bands perform, along with a choir made up of members of area churches and the pastor gives a short message just before the fireworks show.  It is a wonderful way to spend the holiday.  Each year more and more people from the community attend.  This year was no exception.  The crowd grew more as each hour passed. 

In the midst of the crowd I saw a beautiful thing, unexpected in such a mass of people.  An older couple from our church in their mid to late 80’s, was strolling across the parking lot hand in hand.  I do not exactly know why that sight so caught my eye, but it did.  I watched them, holding hands like two teenagers in love.  They were in no hurry.  The companionship and comfortableness of the relationship was evident for all who happened to notice them.  They talked to one another as if they were the only two people around.  The smiles reached to their eyes with a twinkle, which showed that even after spending a lifetime together, they were deeply in love. It was obvious that they had a deep and intimate knowing of each other...joined by their love for the Lord.  It was refreshing to see.  It lifted my spirit to see such love shining forth. Contentment radiated. 

I happen to know this couple.  I know some of their life story and a few of the hardships they have faced.  It is a testimony of the power of love.  Each year, since I was the preschool director at our church, the woman has taken my hands in hers, looked me in the eyes and sung the birthday song to me. The ever-present twinkle in her eye sparks to life as she sings.  She just radiates the love of God.  Her positive attitude is catching and she spreads joy wherever she goes.  To watch her husband hold her hand with tender affection well into their eighties was such a blessing to me.  It was a beautiful picture of a lifetime romance that touched my heart.   

As anticpated, my test today came out well. IV was in in one stick...that never happens.  My colon is clean as a whistle...literally.  No polips, no blockages...he will see me again when I am 50.  Good news twice in one week...I am getting spoiled!  This was my last test for a while as far as I know.  My next visit to the oncologist is not until November. 

At the hosptial today I was remembering all the medical stuff of the past year.  I hated the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach going in.  It was very familiar, I was glad to have forgotten it and didn't like the rememberance at all.  It did however make me think of all the people still walking through those doors each day.  The ones still having chemo or surgery or tests because of some illness attacking their bodies.  I said a prayer for them as I laid on that bed today.  My proceedure was short.  I was groggy for a couple of hours.  I feel fine now.  I am so grateful for my health.  I am blessed beyond belief to have caught my cancer early.  God is so good to me!!