Pray for Kate

My heart is so broken for my friends in Arizona, Aaron and Holly McRae. They are church planters out in Pheonix and their little girl, Kate, has just been diagnosed with a massive brain tumor in her basal ganglia. She is undergoing a MRI as I type this to determine exactly how large it is and if it has spread to her spine. Please pray for little Kate, who is only 5 1/2 years old. She is so scared as are her dear parents. Pray for her sister Olivia and her brother Will. They are going through a terrible time right now. Pray for healing for Kate and for strength for Aaron and Holly.

If you want to follow this beautiful little girl's story, the website is www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

The family is updating everyone by this website while they go through this horrible experience.

I know we serve a BIG GOD! He is able to shrink this tumor and make it easily operable. He is able to make it go away completely. But more than anything, He is able to hold the McRae's in His mighty hands and shelter them during this storm.

I Pet 4:19 Trust in the God who made you!

Please join me in praying for this family.

A Mighty Fortress

"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you." I Pet. 4:19

I have read this chapter many times and never noticed this verse. And it is such a powerful verse! It sticks out now because I know so many believers suffering right now. People that are unemployed and unable to pay their bills, women are have lost babies, marriages that are falling apart, family members that are dying. My heart is breaking for these people. But God gave those that are suffering a special word through this verse. He says if you're suffering and it is something He allowed to happen as part of his will, then keep living for Him. Keep doing what is right. Keep obeying him and looking to him. Trust Him because he's the one that made you. Why should you trust him? Because he will NEVER fail you. That's a pretty amazing promise. That promise makes suffering a little more bearable.

He is our mighty fortress.

"A mighty fortress is our God. A sacred refuge is Your name. Your kingdom is unshakeable. With you forever we will reign. "-A Mighty Fortress, Christy Nockels.

Faithful..

God is so faithful. I'm so thankful for his consistency and stability. Our life is not consistent these days.. and not really stable.. but I have a Father who is both of those things! Yesterday, the pastor preached on the Fear of Unemployment. We are experiencing that and have been for a couple of months. But it is so amazing how He continues to provide for us. He really is the Great Provider! There are days when I worry about how I'm going to be able to finish school without a job, and how will I finish school while I work a job that isn't Builder's Fireplace? But, I was reminded yesterday that He holds my future and He wouldn't have led me back to school if He didn't intend on finishing the work that He started there.
God is GOOD!
If there is anyone that reads this, I hope they will pray for our family, Pray for our finances. Pray that God will continue to provide for us and meet our needs. But pray for all the families out there that are struggling. There are so many that have been affected by unemployment. Pray for God to provide for them as well.

On a different note, Yesterday I discovered Fifer had become infested with fleas. YYUCK.. so I spent all night ridding him of those nasty things.. today I only found one on him so I think they are starting to disappear.. Hopefully they will not come back. I think he may have become infested with them on a recent playdate.. One that will never happen again! YUCK YUCK YUCK
I still feel like I have fleas crawling all over me.. EWWWWW

A New Stage of Life

Next month I will turn 27. And I'm starting to feel old. I know that I'm not old, but sometimes I feel like it. It is interesting how much has changed in my life in the past several months. I went back to school. I got a sweet puppy. I got temporarily laid off from work. And as of yesterday, I am permanently laid off from work now. Business just is too slow for them to have me back in July. This was not surprising for me but it still made me really sad. Not just for the obvious reason that we are officially poor now, but because I worked there for almost five years. It was like the end of an era. So much of my life is changing. I'm a student now and sometimes I feel like my future is up in the air. But even when everything around me continues to change ( and I HATE CHANGE).. I can find some peace in knowing that my Lord never changes. He is always the same. His love for me is always the same. His provisions continue. His mercies are new every morning. I can be sure of my future because I know He is in control of my future. There is a Matt Redman song that says, "Praise you, the God of our yesterdays, Praise You, the God who is here today, Praise You, our God as tomorrow comes. So whatever lies ahead Whatever roads our grateful hearts will come to tread You'll be there, Lord We will fix our eyes on You And know that there is grace enough to see us through You'll be there, Lord You'll be there in the struggle You'll be there in the fight You'll be there all the time .." God is so good. I'll praise Him through all the struggles and be thankful for who He is!