My Brother...

It is amazing how quickly life can change! If you had told me three weeks ago that big changes were coming, I would probably not have guessed what it would be!
Saturday, March 20, the first day of Spring, was looking to end up as a great evening of fun and fellowship with our friends, Steve and Cindy Kearney from Denver. I had just finished playing piano at a local assisted living facility around 2pm, and was just about to head to Gardner to spend the weekend with them, my parents, and my brother Michael and his family as well as some other people. I received a phone call from my mother telling me that Michael had been taken to the hospital with a right leg that had collapsed. I turned my car north and headed there. To make a long story short, Michael was discovered to have Osteo Sarcoma in his right femur. The cancer had eaten away at the bone, and had finally broken on the Saturday as he went to walk up to a birthday party.
At first, we were in denial, hoping it was simply an infection or a hairline fracture left over from a fall he had in October...such was not the case. It was a dark Monday morning after Dr. Kim Templeton told Shawna and Michael at KU Med center, that it looked like bone cancer.
The good news was, all the testing showed it to be confined to the right leg. A whirlwind ensued as Michael went to surgery for a biopsy, and two days later, faced a life altering surgery- an emergency of sorts to amputate the right leg...you can only imagine the sadness one might've felt to see Michael wheeled from the emergency room with only one leg remaining. But, he is still with us!
After nearly two weeks in the hospital, he is at home, and preparing to move into their neighbor's ranch house this week.
Through these past 2.5 weeks, Michael has shown over and over that God is real and in control! His life has been an amazing testimony to so many! Over 100 different family and friends visited him while he was in the hospital. Not to mention the phone calls, cards, emails and Facebook messages. The presence of the Lord was very real to Michael and Shawna throughout this difficult time.
Now he faces upcoming chemo therapy just to make sure any cancer cells which might be floating around undetected, don't remain.
Here is a pic of him on Easter Sunday...he looks great and is depending on the Lord to carry him through.
A line from the hymn, "All the Way My Savior Leads Me," came to me in this difficult time which says..."for I know whatever befalls me, Jesus doeth all things well." I don't fully understand that, but I do believe that somehow, this situation is well! Nahum 1:7 tells us that the Lord is good! I believe that God is good, He does all things well, and through all of this, He has a glorious plan! He has already been glorified and know exactly how to turn this situation into goodness!

Easter Happenings...

I'm so grateful to be part of such a wonderful family! Saturday, April 3, we had a great lunch together, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos! We had 48 people, much good food, fellowship and laughs! Here are a few pictures...I would've had more, but my camera konked out!

Breaking Free

Hello, Friends,
I want to change my template, but am struggling with it! Will have to wait until later when I have more time to figure it out.

Anyway, just wanted to write a short blog about our Ladies' Bible Study. We are presently doing a series by Beth Moore entitled "Breaking Free." Wow! I would highly recommend it. Beth draws from the book of Isaiah, using the scriptures to show that we can be set free from anything! Be it sins in our past, guilt, hurts and abuses from others, addictions, bad habits, you name it! It is exactly what I have personally needed in my life. I have struggled with the basic truth of forgiveness of sins, yet it is really true that Jesus wanted to forgive my sins so much that He gave His lifeblood for me! I give Him glory and honor for that truth.

Are you struggling with something in your past? Is there a sin, an abuse done against you that is haunting you? I would suggest that you run to Jesus and ponder these words...
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

"Nothing Compares..."

I just set my DVD player to play again the song "Shout To the Lord" with the beautiful "Rhapsody in Blue" done by Anthony Burger!! Wow...how could anyone think that we evolved from a monkey? To see and hear this man play for God's glory, how could anyone not see God's handiwork? There is one phrase that I want to bring out..."...nothing compares to the promise I have in You..." Think about that...we could be healthy, wealthy, have position, have whatever our hearts desire, even have the best husband...yet none of that even comes close to what we can have in Jesus!!! I needed this reminder...been a bit blue lately about some different things in my life...none of that lack or perceived lack really matters...if I have Jesus...I have ALL I need!!! "Nothing compares..."to His presence, His peace, His purpose in my life..."nothing compares"...to the wholeness and fruitfulness I can know in Him...praise Him, friend..."nothing compares"...to Jesus!!!!

Excitement on a Friday night!

Last evening, I was here at home for a quiet evening. I was setting at my laptop with my headphones on, watching, of all things, Perry Mason. Love those old shows! As I was watching this old fashioned, crime solver program, a crime of sorts happened here! All of a sudden, a very loud, house shaking event occurred. I began running upstairs to see if my Grandma or her husband had fallen. They came running downstairs thinking that something had blown up down here. Orville ran outside and discovered a pick up truck had smashed into the corner of the house. Our next door neighbor, Brad and wife Nancy had also heard the noise and already discovered the truck and called emergency personnel. I went over to the truck thinking as a nurse, perhaps I could offer help, but the doors on the truck were locked. The man inside was apparently unconscious and his air bag had deployed. Soon, sirens were sounding and an ambulance, fire truck and various other police cars were setting outside. They were able to get the man to unlock the door to the truck and after much ado, placed him on a stretcher. He was awake enough to tell them his name. He was taken to the hospital and a tow truck came to take the truck away. It was totaled! Two local TV stations came by and spoke with us. I even made the 10 pm news! I'm so grateful that no other person was involved in what could've been a fatal accident for someone. God allowed him to hit the house and not someone else.

Promises for Obedience

Recently I began a study of the book of Proverbs. I have been looking at Chapter three. What rich promises we see that will come to us if we listen to "wisdom" (the Lord) and do what His "law" (the Bible) says. Just think about this for a few moments...vs. 1..."length of days and long life and peace they will add to you...find favor and high esteem with God and man...He shall direct your paths...it will be health to your flesh and strength (drink or refreshment) to your bones...your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine." I don't believe in a "prosperity gospel," but there is something to the idea of living honestly and carefully before God and man.
How often when a crime is committed, it is very clear that had the people involved been living a careful life before God, they might not have lost their life or received the ill will of another. Yes, we live in a wicked world and the affects of sin fall on all the righteous and the wicked, yet, I believe these promises give us some general expectation of what our lives may be like if we listen to the Lord and obey His Word!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! A new year is a blank slate, just ready for us to write on. We have a choice as to what we will write, and how we will tell the story of our lives this year. While we can't control all of the circumstances which happen to us, we can certainly control our attitude and responses with the help of the Lord. One thing I plan to do Monday morning, is to get back on track with Weight Watchers. I really like the leader of the Monday morning meeting. She is very entertaining and fun. She told us several weeks ago about an apron that she was given at a past Christmas before she had lost weight. The apron would not fit to tie around her! She was appalled at herself. Now, she is an attractive women who is in control of her food choices. That's where I need to be headed...in control. The holiday season makes "being in control," so hard!!! What do you plan to change in this new year?