Hopefully...

We are recovered. At least Kayla and Lilly seem to be in good health and also good spirits. They were so pitiful yesterday. It breaks my heart to see a child of mine put a cheek on our ice cold wood floors because it feels good. There is not a sight more pitiful to behold.

Erika and I went to church and CARE group as a duo. Erik was wonderful to let me still carry on with the highlight of my week (church) while he was Mister Mom. He also did dishes and laundry. Totally awesome.

I spent about two hours catching up with an old friend last night. This was a forced reunion brought about by too many fried foods at a meal. The friend? Good old acid reflux. He comes around every so often and I awaken(at 1:30AM!) to the joy of vomiting pure acid. This happens less than once a month typically, as I am very careful what I eat for supper, but I am thinking this is probably too often and there is probably something going on all the time and once a month or so, it is just worse. It has always been my theory that this was brought on by all the diet coke I drink-but, since I have not had fizz since fat Tuesday, I am guessing it is something else.

My essay posted in our church bulletin yesterday and I received many compliments on it. I am trying not to become prideful about my writing. I love to write and I always have. I know that it is a gift, I also believe it is a gift most people possess-like art-and it just goes uncultivated. God means for us to communicate with one another. Writing reveals our inner selves and I believe that is as much a part of christianity as service. Too many people just go along in life and never let anyone else "in". They are missing a huge blessing. I hope it blessed someone to hear how God has spoken to me and changed me. I hope they will tune into God more as a result.

One of our elders went to the Middle East and he gave a presentation at church Sunday. He actually went not only to encourage the mission work our church supports, but also to hold the work to some level of accountability. He talked about being totally alone and fully relying on God to meet his needs and also to answer his questions. The entire trip was blessed by God with all details falling into place in such a marvelous way, from getting details without asking to running into a fellow "auditor" on the way home. GOD IS SO GOOD. Even better, the mission work seems to be blessed by God and not fraudulent in any way. This is always a danger in overseas mission work.

I hope God blesses Glen in such a special way for his willingness to serve in this way. I was weepy from the full disclosure of the trip and the tearful way Glen gave God the full credit and honor He deserves!! He also challenged us to be alone with God more often and not always be a part of a group. I feel the same nudgings. It is easy to serve in a group of people-but God is a God of personal relationships. He does not want us always to be yoked with a group. We should each be going out into the world. We certainly need a good group of "iron" to sharpen us, but it is hard to spark a new relationship and win someone to Christ if your always with your "homies".

Please God, let our churches be training camps to reach the lost, not country clubs for the chosen.