Seeing the Blessings Despite the Heartache

On Tuesday night I began making my rounds taking some goodies to my neighbors. Sadly, none of us chat very often with one another because we're always running to our jobs or other commitments. Only one of these neighbors lived here when we first moved in. We've seen families come and go in the other homes.

I went over to drop off the Christmas treats with this long time neighbor first. The youngest daughter answered the door, and I handed her the plate and then saw her dad come up behind her. I wished them a Merry Christmas, we made some short small talk and then I left. I thought it was odd that we didn't speak longer because we usually do at this time of the year.

Yesterday, I visited three other neighbors and as I was walking home, I ran into the dad from the night before. He was walking his son's new puppy. His son is 22 and has been married for a little over a year. His bride was diagnosed with brain cancer about a year before they were married. I stopped to meet the puppy and to ask my neighbor how his daughter-in-law is doing. The cancer is back and she may need surgery again. Then he told me that his wife also has cancer. Breast cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes. I couldn't believe it. The news just really saddens me. The whole family is very private and tends to keep things like this to themselves, so I'm not surprised that I didn't know before now. (Hence, I'm not mentioning even first names.)

We continued with our conversation, and he told me how it has been so amazing because they have been able to share Jesus with so many people on this new journey they're on. I told him about another friend of mine who experienced the same thing with her husband as he battled colon cancer for 4 years. Only with God's help could these couples witness to others during such personal, difficult trials.

My heart is very heavy for this family, but I'm trying to concentrate on the miracles that are playing out as a result of their circumstances. God can do anything! Please say a prayer today for this family, but also thank God for the blessings that are coming out of this!

It Was All a Story

Thank you for your prayers concerning the post below, but it turns out to have been a lie. The "victim" made up the whole thing. It sounds as if he may have been under the influence of something. I feel badly for everyone who was affected by his actions. His story worried us all, inconvenienced a lot of people (including interrupting a funeral), and cost a lot of our tax dollars. A SWAT team was called in for Heaven's sake!!! I just pray that this guy gets some help.

Please Pray

As I was sitting here, home alone, I heard a lot of sirens going off. I always say a prayer for whomever the sirens are for when I hear them. They sounded close but not like they were on my street.

I just went outside to get in my car to go to Cooper's first baseball game of the season, and I saw that my block and the next block up from me are closed off. There are police cars and fire trucks everywhere. People are milling around watching. I saw my neighbor and asked her what was going on.

Apparently, someone was shot in a family dispute in the next block. The victim was able to crawl out of his house, but the gunman and supposedly two other people are still inside. This block of homes consists of all old row homes. The gunman is threatening to burn the house down. These row homes don't have firewalls between them. So everyone in that block has been evacuated.

I can't believe the police are letting people stand outside and watch. I came back inside just to be safe. I had to call Eric to tell him I can't get to Coop's game (Coop is at the field already with Eric) and call Sam who is at the mall with a friend and his family. I could walk to Cooper's game, but I want to be here when Sam gets back.

Please pray!

UPDATE
Everything seems to be over with, but I don't really know what happened. I haven't been able to find much news coverage. HA....I wrote that sentence and the NBC news van just drove by!! I guess I'll tune in at 11 PM.

I went out to my porch as one of the fire trucks was leaving (I thought) and was told to go back in my house. At that point, I noticed the police telling everyone to go inside. Our two blocks proceeded to be closed off for about the next 4 hours. Eric & Coop were able to sneak in the back way, but Sam was stuck at a friend's house for a while.

I heard different things from different neighbors, such as the guy escaped; there were drugs involved; and there were chemicals in the house, possibly a meth lab. Like I said, I have no idea what went on. All I know is that my neighbors and I were pretty much held hostage in our homes all afternoon, while the immediate neighbors of this family were ousted from their homes! Thank you for your prayers!

Prayer Request

I have a sad prayer request today. I have been a member of our church choir for a year now. Eric called me at work today because our Pastor called to let me know that one of our choir members committed suicide last night.

I did not know her very well but knew that she had some health problems and was out of work for a while. I've also just learned that she was diagnosed as being bi-polar. She was not married but did have a boyfriend. Unfortunately, he was the one who found her.

I'm just asking for prayer for her family, our church family and my Pastor. I would think that for a pastor, having something like this happen within your congregation would be really tough personally. I imagine he may feel that he failed one of his parishioners. Although, I know he did keep in contact with her and would check in on her. Sadly, our Pastor and her boyfriend both thought she was doing better lately.

Thank you my mighty prayer warriors!

Prayer Request

I would really love to go to the Greater Philly Christian Writer's Conference in August. Since I don't get a pay check during the summer, this may prove to be difficult financially. Please pray that I can attend for at least one day! Thank you my dear prayer warriors! And thank you Susan Reinhardt for your phone call and encouragement!

I Have a Problem

I admit it...this week Facebook has caused me to blog less. I was looking for one friend from high school and couldn't find her. One morning, I was corresponding with another high school friend, and he just happened to mention that he had been in touch with her recently. (I hadn't even asked him about her.) He offered to send me her email. Right after he sent it to me, she popped up on my FB page wanting to be friends. I assumed that this mutual friend of ours told her where to find me. Turns out it was someone else from our high school who saw me on FB and told her that I was finally on. It's so cool that we were both looking for each other.

What's even more neat is that she has been living in Latvia for the past 11 years, so it's very interesting chatting with her. (Her FB page is mostly in Latvian!) Her parents are from Latvia, and I always knew that she and her brother went to a Latvian camp each summer (here in the US). I didn't know where this camp was located. Turns out it is located right here where I live (which is about 90 minutes from where we grew up)! I happened to tell her that there's a Latvian church down the street from me and that I have always thought about her whenever I have passed it. She asked me where in PA I live and the name of the church because she said she may have sung there when she was young. (She has a beautiful voice.) That's when we figured out that I live where she used to spend her summers! And yes, she has sung at that church! I have to say that Facebook makes the world seem very small!


I have also "friended" some of my bloggy friends on Facebook. I saw that they were posting their blog posts on there. Well, this presented a dilemma for me. I wanted to do the same thing in order to network with other writers. HOWEVER, I have never shared my blog with anyone that I actually know in person! My husband and sons know that I blog, but they've never even read anything on here. No one else knows that I have a blog. Right before I joined Facebook, I did send an email with a link to my blog to one of my very dear friends. She's a Christian and was my best friend growing up. I felt safe sending it to her.


What do I mean by safe? All of my friends here where I currently live know I'm a Christian, and I'd say %99 of them are, too. However, my parents, my sisters and my college and high school friends for the most part do not know that I am. (My family probably does, but we never discuss it.) I have been a "closet" Christian to most of these people, therefore, I haven't wanted to share this blog with any of them. I'd also say that none of my high school friends and most of my college friends don't even know that I write. So I've been a "closet" writer, too.


To keep myself "safe" from being criticized about my faith and about my writing, I started up a second Facebook page that is just for my bloggy and writer friends. And in doing so, I have felt like I am denying Jesus.


Today, our Pastor preached about being "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-20). His sermon about being a light to the world was just for me.


You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16


I really have a problem letting my light shine among non-believers. It's something I have to get over in order to minister to others and to obey and serve God. Please pray for me in this area. Pray for courage for me; courage to minister to non-believers whether it be in person or on-line. Thank you my prayer warriors!

Praying When Overwhelmed

As I've gotten older and as I've furthered my walk with the Lord, I have increasingly felt besieged and overwhelmed by the amount of people presented before me who need prayer. Of course, we all need prayer, but there are so many who are facing serious, dire situations who really, really need intercession. Satan has been tormenting them, and he is the one who makes me feel so helpless when I hear each person's story.


I want to pray for everyone but feel that there aren't enough hours in the day to cover each person and situation. Sometimes I just don't even know the words to say or to cry out to our Heavenly Father, and, therefore, I remain silent. Just what Satan wants.


Then I recently read this: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27


We are the saints that this scripture is talking about. And when we are feeling weak, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. God knows what is on our hearts and minds even when we can't speak it. Yes, He does want to hear it from our own lips, but he knows there are times when we are mute due to our human weakness. Thankfully, He has given us the Holy Spirit to do the work or utter the prayers that we just can't seem to do ourselves.


Think about it. As your children have grown, you have helped them when they've gotten stuck. Don't you think our Lord will do the same thing for us, His own children?


So if you're feeling overwhelmed and heavy laden for others or even yourself, God understands and will come to your rescue. He won't leave you "stuck". Satan's super glue is like scotch tape to God. God will easily peel Satan off of our lips and let those prayers flow from our mouths. But don't worry about your silent times. The Holy Spirit is there with groans that words cannot express.

Covered in Prayer

For the past few weeks, I've been reading many different blogs and have made several new friends. Although most of you have not directly asked for prayer, I can see by reading your blogs that many of you need some prayer coverage. Yesterday my head was just spinning as I was thinking of everyone who could use a prayer over some area of their life. I decided to write down in a journal names/blog names of those that I feel need some intercession. This way I can keep it all straight. If you need prayer in a specific area, please let me know!

Now for an update on my ring. We got a call yesterday saying our rings were ready. (Eric's wedding band and my engagement ring.) Also, the jeweler had some heart shaped emeralds to show us. We went over and picked out the emerald we liked the best and a setting for it. It's very simple, but like I said before, I'm not into flashy rings. Plus, for what the ring is representing, I wanted it to be understated. It should be ready in about 7 to 10 days. Unfortunately, my engagement ring wasn't ready after all. We were only able to pick up Eric's wedding band. So I have to continue wearing my fake diamond Avon ring so that my finger doesn't feel naked!

Have a beautiful and blessed Saturday!

This and That and Some Funnies

Oh my goodness! I was shocked to come home from work yesterday and find 11 new comments to moderate! I've never had that many comments at once or even in one day! I feel so humbled and blessed. Thank you so much!

It seems as if it has been raining here in eastern PA forever. I think even our dog has developed a case of SAD! My assistant said the other day that she passed a church sign that said, "Don't worry...Noah still has the blueprints!" I love it when churches get creative like that and can have a sense of humor!

Okay, here are a couple of preschool funnies. We've been helping our 3-year-olds make a Mothers' Day gift. Yesterday we had them color a card and asked them to try to write their name on it. About 5 out of the 18 kids could write their names (which is excellent!). The rest could maybe write the first letter of their name. We really just wanted to see what they could do and then would help them. One little girl wrote Asss! The other teacher and I were just cracking up because it was so innocent but funny! One day last week one of our little boys was in the bathroom singing at the top of his lungs. He was singing, "His name is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, oh He is the King!" I'm sure the "King" got a chuckle out of that!

On Monday, as I was trying to pull down a box from the top of a cabinet in my classroom, my hand was pierced by a staple. Right smack dab in the middle of my hand. It is a little red and hurts a bit. Every time I look at it, I can't help but think of Jesus! It may sound strange, but it's a wonderful reminder to me of what Jesus did for me so that I may have eternal life.

A big thank you to those of you who added my prayer requests to your prayers this week! I completely forgot that yesterday was the National Day of Prayer until Cricket (another VA girl!) over at A Simple Girls Life mentioned it in a comment she left for me. I know it seems as if our prayer lists get longer every day, but it is so needed. We live in a fallen and turbulent world and need to do what we can to lift one another up to God. I love you all for being such vigilant prayer warriors!

And Another Prayer Request

When I was pregnant last fall, my husband didn't want to tell people prior to our 8 week appointment. I think he feared that due to my age I would most likely lose the baby or there would be something wrong with the baby, and he just didn't want friends and family knowing about the pregnancy until we had that first ultrasound. I wanted to tell everyone because I wanted prayer. I obeyed my husband and only about 3 people knew prior to that appointment, so we had very few people in prayer for our baby. (We never did tell our parents about the pregnancy.)

When I miscarried at 8 weeks, I was rather angry with my husband because I felt he prevented our baby from being surrounded with prayer. Well, I just read on another blog about a woman named Erika who is in need of prayer for her baby. She has lost one baby and things aren't looking good in her current pregnancy. Erika is asking for people to spread the word and to pray for this baby. So I am asking that you include Erika and this little one in your prayers today and to pass this request on to at least one other person. You can find Erika's blog here.

Thank you for taking the time to do this. I just don't want to see another family suffer the loss of a child.

Prayer Request

I know that we are all busy, but if you have time today, please go over to Andrea's blog and read her posts about The Blue Box. As a parent of a child with a disability, this outraged me. Please read her posts and pray for Colton. Thank you and may God bless you with a beautiful day!