End of Week 4

Yes, the time of this post is correct.  I usually get up and have my Quiet Time now...and I am but God has just laid this on my heart so I am writing.  As most of you know, the Experiencing God study has been a staple in our lives for a long time.  We have taught it about 6 or 7 times now and seen it impact peoples in lives in tremendous ways.  (Disclaimer:  NOT the study, but God working through the study by opening people's eyes to HIS work around them.)  Each morning, I read the Experiencing God Day by Day devotional along with wherever I am studying in my Quiet Time. It reminds me to open my eyes to the way God works around me and not get wrapped up in the things of this world. These are today's verses from that devotional:


You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.'  (2 Chron. 20:17, HCSB)   


As you can imagine, there are many battles going on in our life right now!  Physical, mental, emotional, etc. but to open an email and see these words first thing this morning was such an encouragement to me (Jan)!  I am at a point where I was forgetting to stand still and see, although from day 1 of this season of our life, God has been telling me to "Be still and know".  All the little things go running through your mind, bills to pay, clean the house, buy groceries, what to cook for dinner but still I can't "fix" the big stuff!  We all know that I am a bit of a control freak and I can't control this "thing" that is happening in our life.  But my God can!  This morning He once again lifted the burden off of my shoulders.  My shoulders literally relaxed when I began to think on this verse.  Anyone who knows me well knows that is a miracle in and of itself!  My shoulders never relax!  Right Nancy?  


Tom has had a good 4th week for the most part.  Yesterday was bad but the rest of the week has been fairly good.  Please continue to pray for the pain that he is experiencing to subside.  Also pray that he can rest at night.  He is struggling there.  He has taken off work now so at least he is not having to get up at 4:30 am to go to work.  That has helped tremendously.  Lifeway and his boss have been so awesome about this. (My employer has been great also!)  The cards, emails & phone calls that you have sent are so wonderful.  They always seem to come at the right time to encourage. 


Monday will begin Week 5 of 6 and by the end of the week Layne & Zeke will be here.  Please pray for them as they travel next week.  Layne is now a college graduate with a degree in Elementary Education!  We are very proud of her.


The doctors have not told us if the cancer has gotten smaller from the treatments as they hoped but from all indications everything seems to be going as they had hoped.  Our prayer is still that the cancer will be gone and no surgery will be necessary so we "stand still" and wait.


We love you all!


Jan & Tom