I'm still here......

Thank you all for sweet comments and emails. Life has been crazy this fall. I wrote about what has been going on and how quickly life takes a turn here.

My father-in-law is back in Intensive Care. He aspirated last Thursday and is again battling for his life. Today is a critical day because doctors will need to take him off of the ventilator.

I am coming to you, my prayer warriors to boldly come to His Throne, crying out to Heaven on our behalf! Please pray:

That LES WILL CONTINUE BREATHING ON HIS OWN! He was up to 50% last night.....please pray that he will be able to completely breathe on his own. Pray for his lungs. Pray they would be strong.

PRAY FOR HIS KIDNEYS. He had so much poison running through his body that his kidneys shut down. They are working so much better, but need to improve even more. He has about half of the toxins out of his body. Pray for this poison to be removed.

PRAY FOR HIS STRENGTH AND HIS FAITH. Pray that he puts all of his trust in God right now.

Those(Les) who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They walk and not grow faint.

Pray Psalm 46, 91, 121 over him.

Les is more than an overcomer in Christ Jesus (and he is! He loves the Lord). No weapon formed against Les shall prosper. He that is in Les is greater than he that is in the world.

Please pray the blood of Jesus over Les. Remember, "by His stripes, Les has been healed."

Please pray for his wife, Barb, and the five boys and their families. We NEED your prayers.

God is so good. The week before this happened with Les, Brian and I had gone to New Mexico. Brian had a work conference to attend and I was able to go. It was such a time to be with the Lord, experiencing His beauty and creativity, glory and awesomeness through nature. We breathed in His glory as we sat by the Rio Grande and at the foot of a mountain. The resort specialized in relaxation and I have never felt so rested. Looking back, it was like God was preparing us and strengthening Brian and I for the road up ahead. Thank You, Lord!

Here are some pics:

In the blink of an eye....at Laced with Grace

Do you ever find that life "happens" in a blink of an eye? I wrote about this at Laced with Grace and wanted to share it here.....


Have you noticed the beauty of fall lately? In Iowa, the leaves have become, almost overnight, a brilliant palette of golds, reds, oranges, and shades of green.

And, it has happened in a “blink of an eye.”

In fact, some trees are already completely bare- leaves turned, died and fallen to the ground in a crunchy blanket covering lawns.

In my life recently, I have seen two major changes- in the blink of an eye.

Two weeks ago, my sweet father-in-law suffered a massive stroke and is now fighting back to regain some sense of “normalcy” in life. He is having to relearn basic behaviors, including speech. Life has changed completely for our family “in a blink of an eye.”

The other change I was privileged to witness was a sweet, young girl accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. She attended a women’s retreat where I was the speaker. She began the weekend separated from God and left the retreat a NEW CREATION in Christ Jesus! Her life will NEVER be the same, and it happened in the blink of an eye.

Both examples remind me how important RELATIONSHIPS are in our lives.

Our family has rallied around my father and mother-in-law, all gathering around to help and support during this hard time. Family has never been as important as it is now. Life has taken on a whole new “preciousness.”

The sweet young lady who was welcomed into the Family of God, became a Christian because someone had taken the time to invest in a relationship with her. Her friend had been sharing the Gospel with her and brought her to the retreat.

Life happens quickly. We never know when things will happen- both “good” and “bad.” Life changes in a “blink of an eye.” Jesus tells us that the most important thing in life is to “love God and love others.” (Mark 12:29-31) Our relationship with God and with the people who He puts in our lives is so very important. It is so important to not waste the time God has given us, because life changes “in the blink of an eye!”

Father God, I praise You! You are awesome…glorious….so good! Lord, help me to always remember that life happens so very quickly. Lord, help me to prioritize my life and my time. Keep my eyes always on “the main thing”….always keeping YOU first place in my life. Open my eyes to see the importance of the relationships you have blessed me with. Help me to honor You in all my relationships. Give me a “Kingdom perspective” in all areas of my life. Thank You for the reminder that life can change, just as the fall leaves on the trees, “in the blink of an eye.” Praise You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Freedom!

Join me at Laced with Grace today where I will be talking about FREEDOM!