Praying for Friends

Today has been quite a day in the friends department. I am reminded how important it is to truly get on my knees daily and pray for my friends. For wisdom, for protection, for strength, and that God will use them and guide them in their daily lives. I had three encounters with close friends today going through three totally different personal situations that brought me to tears. It seems to be a reoccurring theme right now. Many of my Christian friends and family members are struggling with one thing or another. It is an opportunity for us all to remember how important prayer is. To pray without ceasing.

I was recently diagnosed with a tumor in my ear. It is called a glomus tumor and I am told that most of the time they are benign. I was experiencing a pulsing sound when I would go to sleep and so I finally got it checked out. My GP referred me to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doc who then ordered a CT scan. With the CT scan he was able to see it was a tumor that looks to be about 6 1/2 mm. right behind my ear drum. He then informed me that it is a very rare type of tumor and that I was his very first patient with this condition. But, being very humble, he explained that he didn't feel comfortable operating on me and that he would prefer that I go to Stanford. I saw my Stanford doc this week and we are scheduled for surgery on May 13th.

When I first got the call from my doctor after the CT scan that it was a tumor I was shocked and worried more than I have ever been in my life. I have never really thought about death and this made me think about all the "what ifs."What if I die on the operating table? What if it isn't benign? What if they make a mistake during surgery and cut the nerve that controls all the muscles in my face and the left side of my face is left looking like I had a stroke (which is a risk)? Most of all I was worried about my newest little one being only 4 months old and having to leave her all day! But then...I prayed. I prayed for peace and I prayed most of all that God would use this situation for His glory. I can honestly say I am at peace. It is in the Lord's hands.

I so desire to be a positive example to my children so that they can learn how to respond to crisis in a godly way. They are watching our every move as parents and are learning how to act the right way or the wrong way. They will have crisis in their lives, which is unavoidable, and I need to teach them how God wants us to react in a crisis. God can use everything (good or bad as perceived by us) for His glory. I am not being fake. I am telling them I am scared, but I am also telling them that God has a plan and He has never let us down. We need to trust in Him for everything. We need to pray. It seems like that is all we can do sometimes and yet it's the most important thing we can do.

So...don't forget to pray. Pray without ceasing. Talk to God. Tell Him about your day, your worries, your fears. Thank Him for all He has blessed you with. Your family, your friends, your home, your job, everything. Ask Him to show you what to pray for and how you can be a blessing to others. Finally, don't forget to pray for your friends.

Hello

Hi,
I am so excited to start journaling my days with my wonderful family. I have been reading other home schooling blogs for several months and have gleaned so much from them that they have inspired me to start my own. I love the idea of having a place to record our days and I hope this will be a way for me to stay motivated to organize our pictures and happenings. I hope this will also serve to be an encouragement to others in our home schooling journey and to learn how the Lord is leading us. Until I have another free moment...