passed in a frenzied blur...did I mention that Emo attended an evening VBS with a neighbor, who also attended our VBS? This resulted into kids taxied back and forth between the two families, meals eaten quickly...a sleep-over...tired kids...and lots of VBS crafts (what do you do with those??) Add in a Nate-ster who was not feeling well, very clingy and had to be carted to the pediatricians office a few times this week...then as thrilling as it is that our Pastoral search committee is on the home stretch with their work, that results were a harried me (read: not at my best to meet and impress new people...this is all about me, right??) involved in lots of meet-n-greet festivities with our pastoral candidate and his lovely family. Oh, there is all the husband-turned-seminary-student-drama at our house. The result is one "me" with her head screwed on crooked!!
I know you're probably getting tired of hearing how busy things are around here, but quite honestly, that just seems to be the theme of late...may be the theme for years to come for all I know.
Anyway...to re-cap...oh, wait, I probably already did enough of that ;)
VBS was awesome, Christ led some kids to give their hearts to Him, snacks went over quite well, there was lots of laughing...a little drama (and you know what I mean, not the skit on the stage)...teenagers with hollow legs wandering into the kitchen that we couldn't seem to get full... some throw-up, tummy-aches, skinned elbows and a twisted ankle (did I mention that S and I shared the responsibility of VBS Nurse/band-aid applier?) and I got to hang out with some REALLY neat women in the kitchen and chat...and lots of work...typical VBS stuff. If you want more: see the cool website, complete with pictures.
Which leads me to this morning, the busyness is on the downhill stretch. There are two events today...a men's breakfast and a women's lunch at church. My breakfast casserole is in the oven, and I'm on the computer. I've finally slowed enough to let my thoughts be filled with a suffering friend, a fiesty spit-fire of a moma-person God graciously provided for me...and her coming battle with cancer.
A few years ago, the very first time we met to get to know each other better, she asked me point blank..."where are you in your spiritual walk--a mountain top or a desert?". No one had ever asked me a question like that before...it threw me off balance...I expected us to chat about families, careers, maybe even how we'd come to know Jesus...but "where" I was spiritually...hum, no one had ever even seemed to care enough to get that right out in front...let alone the first thing. It spoke volumes to me, and I can't tell you how many times over the last few years I've turned to her when I was struggling and needed reassurance that God is/was in control!
I've worked hard at being compartmentalized about this news this week...I even said out loud, "I can't talk about this right now...things to do and I don't have time to cry". This morning I can't stop the thoughts or the tears...I mean, I have prayed for her this week...prayed for her family...I've actually been praying since she told me two weeks ago she was having some tests, for what her doctor thought might be a hot gallbladder. She asked, "Would my gallbladder make me feel this bad"...I quickly said, "sure", but was filled with nagging unease. My prayers have been more of the quickly whispered, "Please, Lord, NO, not THIS, not NOW".
She is a survivor...Breast CA in 2005 (ish)...her Dad died earlier this year...she's had a year full of "stuff", but is quick to say and to remind this young chick, "God is on His throne". The cancerous tumors on her liver didn't surprise Him, and honestly didn't surprise me...and I think she had a nagging suspicion as well.
Thoughts of what to do, what to say...how to respond (cause we always want to "do" something when met with the suffering of others) fill my head, what her family needs, how to encourage our mutual friends...and we wait for more tests, treatment plans...and to see what the God of the universe is going to do with this chapter of His Story.
And for now, I keep moving forward...and make Broccoli salad...Women's luncheon is only 2-ish hours away...
~as I rest between the Paws of the True Aslan...
I know you're probably getting tired of hearing how busy things are around here, but quite honestly, that just seems to be the theme of late...may be the theme for years to come for all I know.
Anyway...to re-cap...oh, wait, I probably already did enough of that ;)
VBS was awesome, Christ led some kids to give their hearts to Him, snacks went over quite well, there was lots of laughing...a little drama (and you know what I mean, not the skit on the stage)...teenagers with hollow legs wandering into the kitchen that we couldn't seem to get full... some throw-up, tummy-aches, skinned elbows and a twisted ankle (did I mention that S and I shared the responsibility of VBS Nurse/band-aid applier?) and I got to hang out with some REALLY neat women in the kitchen and chat...and lots of work...typical VBS stuff. If you want more: see the cool website, complete with pictures.
Which leads me to this morning, the busyness is on the downhill stretch. There are two events today...a men's breakfast and a women's lunch at church. My breakfast casserole is in the oven, and I'm on the computer. I've finally slowed enough to let my thoughts be filled with a suffering friend, a fiesty spit-fire of a moma-person God graciously provided for me...and her coming battle with cancer.
A few years ago, the very first time we met to get to know each other better, she asked me point blank..."where are you in your spiritual walk--a mountain top or a desert?". No one had ever asked me a question like that before...it threw me off balance...I expected us to chat about families, careers, maybe even how we'd come to know Jesus...but "where" I was spiritually...hum, no one had ever even seemed to care enough to get that right out in front...let alone the first thing. It spoke volumes to me, and I can't tell you how many times over the last few years I've turned to her when I was struggling and needed reassurance that God is/was in control!
I've worked hard at being compartmentalized about this news this week...I even said out loud, "I can't talk about this right now...things to do and I don't have time to cry". This morning I can't stop the thoughts or the tears...I mean, I have prayed for her this week...prayed for her family...I've actually been praying since she told me two weeks ago she was having some tests, for what her doctor thought might be a hot gallbladder. She asked, "Would my gallbladder make me feel this bad"...I quickly said, "sure", but was filled with nagging unease. My prayers have been more of the quickly whispered, "Please, Lord, NO, not THIS, not NOW".
She is a survivor...Breast CA in 2005 (ish)...her Dad died earlier this year...she's had a year full of "stuff", but is quick to say and to remind this young chick, "God is on His throne". The cancerous tumors on her liver didn't surprise Him, and honestly didn't surprise me...and I think she had a nagging suspicion as well.
Thoughts of what to do, what to say...how to respond (cause we always want to "do" something when met with the suffering of others) fill my head, what her family needs, how to encourage our mutual friends...and we wait for more tests, treatment plans...and to see what the God of the universe is going to do with this chapter of His Story.
And for now, I keep moving forward...and make Broccoli salad...Women's luncheon is only 2-ish hours away...
~as I rest between the Paws of the True Aslan...
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