Let Me Be Like Aaron and Hur...

In Exodus 17 we read of a wonderful miracle in the account of the battle with the Amalekites. Amalek came to fight against Israel and so Moses said to his trusty sidekick, Joshua,"Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” Joshua was to lead the men in battle, while Moses stood on the hill with his staff held up on high.
"Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed." As it would be, his arms became tired! He became tired! He had to set down. But, alas, the Amalekites began to prevail when Moses was no longer holding up his hands! "But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword."
Here we have a wonderful lesson of how God's man, while blessed by God and living in obedience to what God had asked of Him, still needed the aid of others to be victorious in this particular battle. I have personally thought of this account recently as my brother Michael has been going through the most difficult time of his life. Michael has lived an exemplary life and has served the Lord faithfully since a child. This has become the fight of his life!
The past two months have brought not only excruciating physical pain and side effects from the chemotherapy to Michael, but also mental anguish, uncertainty and discouragement. The Lord has allowed me as Michael's sister to come along side him and try to be of assistance. I do want to be a vessel that God can use to "lift up his hands" so that he can come through victoriously.
Other people have been used in this capacity as well in amazing ways. The cards, letters, phone calls, Facebook messages, visits, financial gifts, etc. have all been a part of this effort to assist and help him in this most difficult time. There have been numerous people who have helped them move, mowed their yard and provided meals. As Michael's sister, I appreciate those who have come to encourage Michael and "lift up his hands." Thank you so much! Let's join together to be like Aaron and Hur to help Michael and Shawna through this to a victorious finish!

A Woman Who Made a Difference

In 2 Chronicles 22:10-12, 23 and chapter 24:1-18, we read of the courage of an amazing women, with an unusual name! Aunt Jehosheba was used along with her husband Jehoida, who was a priest in the temple, to preserve a baby, named Joash. Not only did they preserve his life from his wicked grandmother, but they also preserved a child who would become one of the more righteous kings in Judah. What courage it must have taken to hide this child when all of the other children were slaughtered to satisfy the wicked heart of Athaliah, his grandmother! But, Jehosheba prevailed and a few years later, Joash was crowned king at age seven!
God still uses anyone who is willing to be used of Him. Perhaps, like myself, you are not a mother...this may bring tears and sadness to your heart as it has mine on many occasions. But, we need not feel useless or left out! As an aunt, I have a tremendous opportunity to influence the lives of four precious little people, Luanna, Esther, Juli and Karson! I can choose each day to follow Jesus and be an example to them, or I can choose otherwise. I can choose to conduct myself in their presence with a Christlike spirit or not. I can be available to cheer them on as they grow and to be a listening ear if they so desire. There are many other ways for me to do good to them and many others. My life need not be in vain...
In Proverbs 31, we are reminded that "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." May each of us women focus first and foremost on the beauty that need not fade, that of the beauty of Jesus in our lives...

Rest in the Lord

This evening, I sang a song that Steve Green made popular years ago..."Rest."
"Rest, the Lord is near, refuse to fear, enjoy His love.
Trust, His mighty power fills every hour of all your days...
There is no need for needless worry, with such a Savior,
we have no cause to ever doubt, His perfect Word still reassures
in every trial.
Call Him if you grow frightened...call Him, with loving care,
He'll lift your burden and you'll rest, the Lord is near,
Refuse to fear, enjoy His love."

Oh, if only I could really grasp what this means! All, literally, ALL that I need is found in Jesus, alone! Oh, to rest in Him...freed from reaching for earthly pleasures and things that are passing away...oh, to rest in Him, safe from fear and dread...oh, to rest in Him, like a little child, knowing that all will be well while I'm in my Father's arms...
How often, we run around, searching for what we think we need or want, when all the time, it is found in Him!
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." (Ps 37:7)

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!!!!