Truly Amazing Grace

Paul & I went to see the movie Amazing Grace and were very blessed! We can highly recommend this movie. It's about William Wilberforce, a godly man who abolished the slave trade in England. His life is truly provoking and inspiring. He loved the Lord passionately and served Him wholeheartedly, giving his life to the calling the Lord had for him. He struggled with serious health issues and endured intense political opposition. His wife was a match for him in every way, providing the encouragement and support he needed to heed the call of God on his life. What a great example for us!
John Piper has an audiobiography online that's great, and I hear there's a couple biographies which we will seek to read. Also, Focus on the Family has done a dramatization of his life (their series are always excellent).
Go see the movie!! It's wonderful!!
Paul & I thought the actor for William looked like Bob Kauflin! :)

Come and Eat!

My honey made (well heated up my) homemade chicken soup and DID make a delicious spinach garlic tomato saute thingy for dinner. I was sitting here with the laptop and said I had no appetite. He beckoned me to eat anyway. I obeyed submissively and as soon as we gave thanks I inhaled the delicious dinner. My dormant taste buds started to live again!
My coherent meditation on this is that even when we don't feel like eating. we must for our health. Even more importantly, even when we don't feel like reading the Word, we must for our spiritual health! Sometimes it may feel like taking vitamins and sometimes it may be a gourmet experience, but either way we need the Bread of Life!

awfully sick

Well, the miracle didn't happen..meaning I did get the flu most likely from my sweet husband! This is truly the flu and I hope no more! My fever was gone but now is back which makes me suspect an infection of sorts may be brewing somewhere in my body. Pleasant, huh?
Amazing, the truffle chocolate kisses I so enjoyed last week (you've gotta try them-they're regular kisses wrapped with dark chocolate) taste awful to me right now. Interesting that our health affects our appetite and taste buds so much. Made me ponder the spiritual side of this a little bit, but not enough to write anything coherent about it.
I'm rejoicing right now though because I just heard that my friend Briana is on her way home with her new baby Isabella!!!
Praise the Lord!!
We have two pregnant ladies in our church and I think it's the best way to grow a church!!

Valentine's Blizzard?

We're readying for a big storm that's predicted to bring about a foot of snow! It's about time. It's good timing for us, since John & Mary are down with a nasty virus and we're not going anywhere anyway! Paul introduced the virus to our family and is now in Gaithersburg for a pastoral counseling course at the Pastors' College.
We did get away to celebrate Valentine's Day early, thankfully. We stayed at a wonderful Hampton Inn in Portsmouth NH and thoroughly enjoyed our time in spite of Paul's nasty cold (thank God for medicine!). I guess it will be a miracle if I don't get this thing!
Happy Valentines to all you love birds out there..enjoy your man! I can't wait to see mine on Friday!

Micki

Today is my very dear friend Micki's birthday. (She's the cutie on the right.) I thought it fitting to honor her.
Proverbs 17:17 says "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
This verse reminds me of Micki's friendship and character. I am so blessed by our relationship. Micki's Dad was a pastor and so she has a real sensitivity to the challenges and the blessings that come with this call. God has graced her with the gifts of encouragement and wisdom, and has brought me so much good through her! She asks great questions and follows up to see how I'm doing in areas I'm struggling with.
Micki has been there through all the trials and changes that we've experienced in our church plant. (I must add that Jeff, her hubby, has been a HUGE source of encouragement and help for Paul in the ministry at King of Grace.)
Micki makes my laugh and helps me to enjoy life :)
We often say the reason God put us 30 minutes away from eachother is because we'd spend way too much time hanging out and getting nothing done but fun! I still wish we lived closer though!
Micki has had chronic migraines for 16 years now. Sometimes they're so severe she can't get out of bed for several days. I've never heard Micki complain about her suffering and am amazed at God's grace in her to sustain her and use her to serve again and again (another gift of hers is serving). I pray that God grants her the gift of healing from these headaches this year!
I could go on and on about this amazing friend; my comrade and sister. I thank God for you, Micki!!! Thank you for loving at all times. I want to be more like you. I love you!!

‘Whate’er My God Ordains in Right’

by Samuel Rodigast, is the title of Bach’s favorite hymn. I learned on Sunday from our guest speaker, Jared Mellinger, that Bach had 20 children, of whom 13 died. In the life of one who suffered so much loss, this hymn speaks of great faith in a good and great God.
In our day of comforts and convenience, we do well to prepare for inevitable suffering personally and corporately. Yet ‘we want to live our lives more aware of Christ’s suffering for us than our own suffering.’


Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.