Hindsight

At 25 I felt my life was in crisis. Life wasn’t turning out as I expected. I was still single and living at home. Every other woman in my family was married with at least one child at age 25—or younger. I came to realize that if I wasn’t content with who I was on my own, I’d never be able to find contentment in a relationship. I stopped looking for a relationship and grew content with the idea I’d always be single. I moved out on my own and handled everything on my own. A few years later God surprised me with Keith's declaration of love.

Now I can see that God used that “delay” in getting married to teach me the independence that’s helping us survive now. I know how to manage our finances, run the house, buy cars, repair cars, hire service people, etc. When Keith died, my life didn’t fall apart because Keith had knowledge I didn’t have. We worked as a team, and throughout our marriage responsibilities shifted back and forth between us. Whatever needed to be done, either of us could step in to do it. We often joked that between us we made a complete person—meaning together we covered all the bases.

So I’m thankful my years as an independent single woman prepared me for my years as a widowed single parent. What was a crisis at 25 is a blessing at 46.

-Ellen Beene

Words of Comfort

“Go before”, “hold”, “strengthen”.   Those were the words running through my mind as I searched my memory, and then my online search tools for words from His Word to comfort my baby girl.  Many of you have already joined us in praying for our 16 year daughter Hannah.  Following knee surgery last June for a torn meniscus, Hannah has been working to rejoin her basketball team and to run track in the spring.  However, her pain has not subsided as expected.  A MRI last week revealed the reason why - Hannah's knee is not healing, it is deteriorating, rapidly.  Her doctors see no good course of action, thought action must be taken.  We will see a specialist in Chicago on Monday.

Hannah loves to move, to run fast, to jump, work hard and sweat.  It has always been a joy to watch her.  She also is in love with her Savior.  She knows where to take her joys and her frustrations.  She shares those things with her family and friends, but she knows as humans we may fail her, and that her Savior never will.  She is looking for the mercies He is already showing in this trying time, taking note.  She is grieving over the losses but anticipating His works. 

God has knit Hannah together so marvelously, and you, and me.  Hannah’s knee contained a meniscus that is unusually circular and thick, and her femur, where it enters her knee joint, is flattened rather than the usual rounded shape, variations that worked beautifully together until she was injured.  These variations are also what is challenging to her doctors... she needs a meniscal transplant, but she is not a good candidate because of her unusual anatomy.  Those are the facts from our perspective.  The marvelous truth, however, is that Hannah’s Lord God is privy to a COMPLETE perspective, to all of the wisdom, to all of the power, to all of the mercy, and to all of the love needed to deliver Hannah however He chooses.  What a delight to live as a daughter of such a God, with out fear in spite of sadness, with hope in spite of pain. Thank you for joining us in lifting Hannah up to such a God, and to Him be all the glory.     

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear, then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. You will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I... The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:8-11

-Laurie Newman

Certainty=Peace

Four years ago,I began teaching night school at Holloway. There was then, and is not now, any doubt in my mind that my job is God ordained.

Fast forward to tonight. Students were still streaming into the building when I noticed our principal and secretary sprinting across the parking lot, shooing kids inside with obvious urgency. As we watched, the loud speaker came on and we were told that the campus was on a "Code Red" lockdown. Translation-- there is very real danger at hand and we are to take every precaution possible.

We lowered the blinds, locked the hall door, turned off the lights and all crouched behind my desk. The new county policy is to fight anyone who comes in the door, so I handed out all the "weapons" I could find-- a stapler, wood bathroom pass, keys, and some kid's wooden Beowulf project (where was the big metal 3 hole punch when I needed it?). I would be lying if I wrote that I wasn't afraid, but the overwhelming feeling that came to me was that I KNEW I was in the right place-- regardless of what was going to happen.

What a sweet reminder of the snuggly goodness of being smack dab in the middle of the will of God. At that point, I truly didn't know if I would get to shop for prom dresses with my little girls one day or celebrate my 37th birthday in a few weeks, but I did know I was exactly where He planned for me to be this afternoon. I was with those kids for "such a time as this."

God is good-- all the time... even when we are in danger because of where He has placed us.

-Stephanie Morgan

A Thanksgiving Tradition

Each year from November 1 to Thanksgiving Day, our family keeps a Thanksgiving Journal. Every day each person in our home—including guests—lists at least one thing for which he or she is thankful. On Thanksgiving, we read everything on the list. For several years, we just kept slips of paper in a basket on the kitchen table, but a few years ago we started keeping the list in a journal. Now we can look back over previous years as well as this year.

-Ellen Beene

Take Time For Yourself

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly approaches, taking time for yourself can be a difficult task. 

Transporting kids to soccer practice, ballet lessons, football games, school functions, dental appointments-- OH MY!  Making sure your family has groceries and clean laundry, working your day job, making time to spend with your children, spending a little time with your spouse, and attempting to stay SANE can be daunting!  If you set aside a few minutes each day for YOU, accomplishing these tasks may be a little easier. 

Here are some things YOU can do for YOU:

Put a sign on your bedroom door that reads, "Gone for 10 minutes".  Make certain that you explain to your children and spouses that YOU need this time to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.  No one is to interrupt YOUR time! 

During that time:

*Open your bible and meditate on His word.
*Draw a bubble bath and relax
*Exercise
*Turn on some music and dance-(No one is watching!)
*Call a friend
*Paint your fingernails

Remember....if you don't take care of YOU, who will?  Women work really hard and often put others first.  Won't you make today a day that YOU take time for YOU?

--Jill Kelton

Free Worship Songs

Go here for free MP3 worship song downloads.  They post a new song the first of every month, and you can keep downloading the older songs too.

Enjoy!

It Is Well