Prayer Request
April 15th, 2008
This is my aunt, Janet, who is nearing the end of her tour in Iraq. She emailed the family asking us to pray for her for what sounds like a serious physical problem, so I am passing this request on to you all, her brothers and sisters in Christ, family, and friends. She’s due to come home around May 23rd. Please pray her home!
Thank you.
~ Donna
In No Particular Order…
December 13th, 2007
I haven’t disappeared, and here’s a post to prove it. I just got home from work and decided tonight is the night to forget everything I should be doing, make a cup of tea, kick my feet up, and give the keyboard a whirl. Rick cut himself back early from work this afternoon to take Bren to the high school basketball games in town (she’s taking pics for yearbook), so it’s just the dogs and me home at the moment. If you can’t make sense of what I write, don’t worry—it’s me, not you. (By the way, why didn’t anyone tell me Christmas is in 12 days?)
Life in our house has been a bit strange lately because we are dealing with a few things that have cluttered up the path our normal thoughts and emotions travel down. It’s nothing too serious, it’s just that feeling you get when life begins to change and you realize something’s different. All of a sudden you’re making all kinds of adjustments, trying to get comfortable with the new circumstances. That’s where we are. I’m not to the point where I want to share what’s going on—maybe in the near future.
Somber Day
April 16th, 2007
It was a sad day watching the coverage of the shooting at VT today. When I dropped Bren off at school I hugged her a long time then watched as she entered the school. I then parked in the teacher’s parking lot and let my fear out in tears and prayer for a few minutes. Sometimes I just need to stop and let the Lord remind me I can trust Him completely with my baby.
Talking with my mom always makes me feel better too :)
Thanks for your email Dylan.
Now, Where Was I?…
February 15th, 2007
Seattle.
Our five days in Seattle were a whirlwind, made much more enjoyable by a little red Mustang rental car. I grinned like a teenager when the guy handed me the keys. Sports cars never did much for me visually, but those engines….Now I know what the fuss is all about.
Cancer.
Spending hours every day for three days in a cancer treatment hospital was very sobering. Bald heads. Weak bodies. Hopeless expressions. Fear. Angels in white coats. The level of care and compassion in the hospital staff was a bit of a shock to me after a lifetime of militalry hospitals. It was amazing to see and feel.
Friend.
Leah and I got to know each other better, as women who share a hotel room for a week are likely to do. She is strong and funny and insanely clean. I love her more now than I did a week ago. Leah and her husband returned to Seattle on Monday and she underwent a double mastectomy yesterday. We, along with others in our church family and her mother, are helping to take care of their four children while mom and dad are away. Please pray for Leah’s quick recovery and safe return home to her kiddos.
Bren.
Sigh. This week Bren hurt someone she cares about in order to obey God’s word (2 Cor 6:14-15). It was a test in believing God at His word and trusting Him completely for the outcome. It was, and continues to be tough. Knowing she did the right thing hasn’t made the knot in her stomach and ache in her heart go away. We’ve been praying together daily, asking that God will bring glory to Himself through this, because all she feels like she did was make a young person bitter.
Music.
Rick, Bren, and I, along with Bren’s friend Rachel, attended this concert in Fairbanks on Saturday. Perfection. Amazing. Beautiful.
I missed you.
Blessings.
21efAlice In Wonderland Is Creepy
January 18th, 2007
Auditions for the high school production of Alice In Wonderland began today which had Bren in a bit of a state. I was glad we began the day with bible study at the chapel, as hearing great teaching from God’s word has a calming effect on her. Bren felt the audition went well and is looking forward to attending the second session today after school.
(For some reason, I have never liked Alice In Wonderland, even as a child. It was just too weird for me then, and it still is today. Tell! Is there a story that creeped you out as a kid?)
Still not feeling to great, after dropping Bren off at school I came home and napped, waking up when Rick returned home from work a bit early. He had a dinner to attend in town this evening so we didn’t go to church. I was feeling ill and Bren had a lot of school work to get done, so we laid around the livingroom; she working on a paper, and I on my bible study lesson. At around 8:45 p.m. we turned on the t.v. and AI was on. We watched a bit but ended up switching the channel to watch Top Chef. It was unbearable listening to all those awful singers audition. They weren’t worth enduring, even for the ocassional halfway decent voices. I second Keith’s sentiments big-time!
Tomorrow is going to be busier than today was. Bren has her class at the college in the morning then will spend her afternoon at the high school for drama and more auditions. I invited two friends over for dinner tonight (Thurs) and haven’t a thing in the fridge to eat, so I will be doing some grocery shopping and housework to prepare for them. One of the gals, whose husband is deployed to Iraq, has a little boy that she’ll bring with her. I hope he likes the poopers. I look forward to talking with the ladies and getting to know them better.
I’m so thankful that God keeps us even when we are so busy and our minds are far from Him for a time. I pray I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in the midst of the busyness so at the end of the day I don’t have that feeling of having missed Christ. He’s here with me; I don’t have to miss Him!
He Is Lord Over All
December 8th, 2006
Thank you all for your prayers. I know God hears.
My mom gave me the news last night when I called her on our way to church. I did my best to push it into a closet in the back of my mind so I could hold myself together during worship. There is a lot going on in the lives of our family members, some of it very bad, some a bit grevious, and one in particular is a cause for great rejoicing. A family member has been going through great trials physically and the Lord has used that in her life to draw her to Himself.
I pray the Lord will draw Justin close so he will be able to make it through the horrible days that lie ahead of him.
O, thou Father of my spirit,
thou king of my life,
cast me not into destruction,
drive me not from thy presence,
but wound my heart that it may be healed;
break it that thine own hand may make it whole.
~From The Valley of Vision: The Cry Of A Convicted Sinner
Bren’s correspondence courses arrived on Monday. We ventured out into town on Tuesday to pick them up and stopped by the college to inquire about a sign language course being offered for the Spring semester. Bren has been wanting to take sign language for quite awhile, and now that she’s studying at home she has time to do so. We received permission from the instructor for Bren to take the class, so we went to town this morning and enrolled her. I now have a highschool freshman that thinks it’s pretty cool to be taking her first college course, especially since her friend Rachel from church, who is also homeschooled, is enrolling in the class as well.
The chickie is also staying very busy with drama class these days as they are getting ready to put on a production next week. Bren has been staying after school every day to help the instructor. We arrived here too late for Bren to audition, so she’s been working on the set, make-up, running errands for the teacher, and standing in for kids that don’t show up. She loves theatre.
While in town today we stopped by Barnes&Noble to pick a CD I ordered, Shadow of Your Wings: Hymns And Sacred Songs, by Fernando Ortega, my favorite artist. Bren and I were so overwhelmed by the beauty of the music that we worshipped the whole thirty-minute drive home. Bren, who told me before I put the CD in that I wasn’t allowed to cry, cried all the way home. This CD is a soothing balm for the spirit and I highly recommend it. If you have never heard Fernando, check out his website and have a listen. (And as a side note, the CD is less on his website than what I paid for it at B&N).
My compulsive book-buying will come to an end someday, but that day was not today. I have to give great big kudos to the buyers at this particular store, as the Christian/religion section has a very good selecition of books worth reading. I finally got a copy of The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, and Luther The Reformer, by James M. Kittelson. This latter find has caused me to change my reading plans and dive headlong into the biography of this great man. Oh joy!
I spent the remainder of our evening reading over the introduction to Bren’s science course with her, and setting up her lesson plans. She’s going to be a busy gal, but welcomes the work without having to put up with all the garbage. I can see a difference in her demeanor already.
24eeRequesting Prayer
December 7th, 2006
Please pray for the woman’s recovery from head injuries she suffered as a result of this accident. And please pray for the driver, Justin. He’s my cousin.
Thank you.
Wednesday Night Worship
November 23rd, 2006
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. ~ Psalm 92:12-15
We had a wonderful time of worship this evening despite the small number of us. I love it that God’s family can come together – many or few – and be so blessed by offering thanks and praises to God as a church.
Since we didn’t have a piano player tonight we chose hymns we knew well and sang heartily to the LORD. After a message on Psalm 103 from our pastor, we shared praises, concerns, and prayer requests with one another. Following prayer we enjoyed time talking over coffee and dessert.
I was especially moved tonight when this handsome gentleman, Al, gave praise to God that he is feeling better than he has in quite awhile. Al has been in a lot of pain for a long time, doctors unable to find the source. I had not approached Al to introduce myself, so I did so tonight and was so glad I did. I love him and his lovely wife already. If you would, please pray Al’s body will continue to heal.
Our pastor and his wife returned home safely from a missions conference in Florida yesterday and it’s good to have them back with us. After Rick serves the troops at the dining hall in the early afternoon (we will have an early meal there as we do every year), we will go to the pastor’s house for awhile.
Our Decision
November 20th, 2006
He who walks with wise men will be wise. But the companion of fools will be destroyed. ~ Prov 13:20
We have prayerfully decided to homeschool Bren and are completely peaceful and confident in our decison. Since we have a few years of homeschooling behind us the decision wasn’t a difficult one to make, but we didn’t want to assume it was the right thing to do without thinking and praying more about.
The confirmation we are making the right decision was given to us by way of the sermon yesterday morning during worship. The pastor preached on being set apart as God’s people, being diligent to remain uncorrupted in this perverse generation; how bad company corrupts good morals. Occasionally I would sneak glances at Bren to see if she was taking it all in and she would smile back at me.
We have a busy day ahead of us, beginning with going to school to withdraw Bren and cleaning out her locker. I’m not sure how it will go as we need to find out if Bren can attend her drama class today through Wednesday, and next Monday. She is teamed up with a guy to perform a scene from Arsenic and Old Lace for a grade, and his grade depends upon Bren, so she needs to be there.
Right now Bren is thrilled with the prospect of being able to get enough sleep every night and having the time to do things she used to enjoy, like cooking and baking and reading for pleasure. She’s also hoping to get a volunteer job. To her, life seems better already.
I appreciate all the words of support and all your prayers. Thank you.
Praying for Discernment
November 18th, 2006
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil. ~ Proverbs 4:23-27
Our sunrise this morning is at 9:32 and sunset will be at 3:33 p.m. We lost 7 minutes of daylight yesterday and will lose 6 more today. Pretty soon our daylight will consist of an orange glow peeking over the horizon for just a couple hours before darkness resumes. Of course all that changes – albeit slowly – after the winter solstice. Meanwhile, I have a strong desire to sleep buried in a comfortably warm bed most of the time. My body yells at me, “It’s dark, go to sleep!”
So, what am I doing up at 8:30 on a Saturday morning? Our friend Kent called this morning to ask if Rick wanted to ride with him to the men’s breakfast at church. Bren answered the phone in her room then came in and crawled into bed with me. She didn’t get to sleep until 3 a.m, so she’ll be out for several more hours. Friday night is the only night she can stay up as late as she wants, so she takes full advantage.
1f6bIt’s Always Time to Pray
July 31st, 2006
Update: Thank you to those who prayed. The interview went “very well”, according to Rick. The Boss complimented him on his resume and said it was going to be a tough decision because all three applicants are very well qualified for the job. What pleased Rick was that The Boss said he would call and let him know of his decision, so we won’t be left hanging like we were after the last interview. Now we wait.
Read the rest of this entry »Avoiding a Toxic Spill
July 17th, 2006
It’s a hot, hazy, humid Monday, perfect for hibernating. Summer makes me so grouchy and I really have to guard my thoughts and attitudes. I need to submit my heart and mind to my bible study and prayer before I decided to sit and write. It’s much easier preventing a toxic spill than cleaning one up!
My Prayer Right Now
July 15th, 2006
Lord, may no gift of yours ever take your place in my heart. Help me to hold them lightly in an open palm, that the supreme object of my desire may always be You and You alone. Purify my heart—I want to love You purely. ~ Elizabeth Elliot
Faith — Not Desperation
July 14th, 2006
I should be sleeping, but I don’t want to go to bed. Laying in bed with my mind quiet forces me to think about the possibility that we may not move, that we will have to stay here. Bren just came into the office a little while ago to talk about it. She wants to move just as badly as I do. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled onto her rosey cheeks as she talked about leaving these past few difficult years behind her. She longs for a new start among people who know nothing about her. I know how she feels because I have been feeling the same way for over a year now.
It certainly is a battle of the heart and mind to choose to remain submitted entirely to God’s direction and purpose for us as a family when we want something this badly. I get mad at myself for praying in desperation and want rather than in faith. My life, all of a sudden has become all about ME instead of all about HIM. Lord, forgive me.
Discerning the Will of God
July 8th, 2006
Wow, the timing of this message was perfect (God’s timing always is!) as I grapple with wanting something (Alaska) so badly that I teeter on the edge of allowing myself to block out the necessity of praying ...in Jesus’s name as I make my requests known to God. This daily devotional I subscribe to appeared in my Inbox this morning.
The primary condition for learning what God wants of us is putting ourselves wholly at his disposal. It is just here that we are often blocked. We hold certain reservations about how far we are willing to go, what we will or will not do, how much God can have of us or of what we treasure. Then we pray for guidance. It will not work. We must begin by laying it all down—ourselves, our treasures, our destiny. Then we are in a position to think with renewed minds and act with a transformed nature. The withholding of any part of ourselves is the same as saying, “Thy will be done up to a point, mine from there on.”
~ Elisabeth Elliot, in A Lamp For My Feet ~
If you would like to read the rest of this devotional or subscribe to Gateway to Joy, click here.
Crazy for Alaska
July 6th, 2006
What a difference a day makes.
Just over a week ago we found out Rick did not receive an assignment to a place we all wanted to go to. It’s always a bit disappointing to be let down when your hopes are high, but we settled back into our normal life quickly, content to stay where God has us right now. Bren said to us Maybe God said no because there’s something better out there for us. Better indeed!
This morning when Rick went in to work he applied for a job in….Alaska.
40
July 1st, 2006
The entry I made in my prayer journal on my 40th birthday, June 15th:
Lord, thank You for
- My life
Your love and grace
Your mercy & forgiveness
Your salvation
my husband and daughter
allowing me to be a mother
Staying Put
June 27th, 2006
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~ Psalm 37:4
Emotions ran on high in our house today. After almost three weeks of waiting for word on whether or not Rick was accepted for a position at a place where we really wanted to move to, he found out he didn’t get the job. And what made Rick feel worse is that no one bothered to call or email to let him know. In the civilian world that may be the norm, but in the military, that is totally uncool. But I can see now that the delay in our receiving the information was something God used for our spiritual advantage.
Wait a Minute…or 10,000
June 21st, 2006
Waiting is hard. Trying not to sulk while I’m waiting is even harder.
We are again at this marvelous juncture in military life called Limbo. Rick has applied for a job in another state, had a phone interview, and now we are w – a – i – t – i – n- g for The Call.
The best thing to do while waiting for something is to pray and take a nap.
I’m outta here.
I Should be Sleeping
May 31st, 2006
...but I’m not, so I will blog. In bullets.
—After weeks and weeks of sleeping all day and being up all night (this started while we were both sick), Bren and I are finally sleeping at night (well except for me on this particular night) and living like normal people while the sun is up.
—We went to JC Penny for a shirt for Bren. I left with a new dress (50% off), a pair of much needed capris, and a blouse (also 50% off), and Bren and I both came out with new haircuts. But no shirt for Bren.
