Consider it pure joy!

Please pray for Melissa.  She has been battling a serious lung infection.  Now she may have abdominal issues.  However, she is most likely not strong enough for surgery.  God is waiting for us to lift up Melissa.  Also pray for her husband Doug and her children.  Do this is in the name of Jesus Christ who intercedes for us everyday.  

Arla and her family are uplifted by your faithfulness to prayer.  And this faithfulness is changing lives.  The Holy Spirit is moving people to pray and seek the Lord.  God is with us!

A friend shared this story and I thought perhaps we could all use a little introspective look at our lives and what is really important.

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad.

I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said— “Honey, I love burned biscuits.”

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides… a burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!”

You know, life is full of imperfect things… and imperfect people. I’m not the best at anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. So…please pass me a biscuit. And yes, the burned one will do just fine! Life is too short to wake up with regrets… Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t. ENJOY LIFE NOW – IT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE!

Life is truly what we make of it.  A stroke brings that all into perspective.  There is no time for wasting energy on the inconveniences of life–like a burnt biscuit.  Thank you to all of you who are loving Arla up close and from afar.  She is not a perfect woman, but her heart has always been in the right place.  Thank the Lord for this legacy she has created in her children and those who know her.   She has always believed that you just have to love people and the rest will all work out.  

Guilt is a thing every parent knows very well.  Guilt that you are not able to parent fully and perfectly. Guilt when you realize you just didn’t have the knowledge to parent effectively in a particular situation.  Guilt when you have to work away from the home to be able to care for your family.  Guilt when you take care of yourself.

There is also guilt when you care for a stroke patient.  It is much like the balancing act of a parent and the guilt comes in waves.   Life as you knew it ceases, while life as it must be marches forward.  You must care for the stroke patient, but you must also maintain the care of your family and work.  You make mistakes.  You learn to be strong in ways you never imagined, and yet you feel as though you cannot do enough.  You continue your daily routine as much as possible, and cheat everyone to make it all work.  You get so caught up in everything you have to do that you forget to pray.  And at times, you must temporarily do what feels like turning your back on the stroke patient to be able to build your reserves back up to fight for another day.

Perhaps our family is not like other families…..perhaps we are very much the same.  We are rattled to our core….BUT….. we are maintaining our daily routines as best we can.  We communicate well with one another, but do not need minute-by-minute reassurance to know our matriarch is doing OK.    Harold is Arla’s rock as he is with her almost everyday.  And the children are playing the role of the foundation.  We make phone calls and contacts concerning medical questions.  We solve problems and maintain blogs.  And all the while we do what we normally do.  It is the role we have been given, and yet, it makes us feel guilty that we cannot be at our mother’s side more often than we are.

Continue to pray that this lethargy that has come over Arla will be lifted.  Pray that God would continue to work in and through Arla for His glory.  Lift up all those who are suffering and need rest or peace.  Pray for those who do not know the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Pray for anyone who has guilt on their heart that they may know that all our efforts are pleasing to God.  And thank God that we live in a country where we can worship as we choose!

Arla just does not feel well.  However, the tests are not producing any clear answers or reasons for her lack of energy and general ill feeling.  Keep praying.  God has those answers.  Her care givers need to look in the right places.  Pray that we may discover why Arla is losing energy and not doing as well as she should be.  Pray for the “issue” to be resolved.

How and when should a person pray?  1 Thessalonians 16 – 18 tells us, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   While many verses in the Bible teach us how to pray, this one covers the important basics.  When one prays, they should praise and give thanks to God.  All we have and all we are comes from our Father.  We should pray unceasingly.  Prayers do not need to be long or even spoken aloud.  God hears our quiet, heartfelt whispers.  If our mind is in prayer and we commune and communicate often with our Lord, He will receive and respond to a prayer that is as simple as “God be with Arla.”  Imagine the number of people and situations you could pray for every morning as you get dressed or as you drive to work in your car.  Every one of us has time to pray.

And so, we bring to you another prayer request.  Please speak the name Dale in your daily prayers.  Pray that Dale may become healed.  Pray for strength and normal blood pressure.  Pray for Dale’s family.  Pray for patience and calm.  God has His hand on Dale and now we must pray.  It is our commandment.  If anyone out there is not used to praying, just say this… “God, thank you for giving us this day. God be with Dale.  Amen.”  It will be a start, and you will feel the power of our God.

For those of you who have been praying for Arla, we have an important request.  When you speak her name in prayer tonight or tomorrow morning, also speak the name Paul.  God will know who you are praying for.  Ask for Paul to begin to become fully aware, less confused, and returned to physical strength.  God wants us to turn to Him, so please do this for Paul.  Thank you!