Pete leaves for Israel tomorrow for 10 days. He is so excited. I have gotten his "surprise" candy at least five times, and he has found it and eaten it. So I got a little more today, and we'll see. He already found it! The Holy Land is usually one of the safest places for American tourists, and I try to remember that when I hear things on the news. I need to get his itinerary so I can email it to Rev. Thrasher - and anyone else who wants to know where he is! Sometimes we look every day to know where he is. And he is good about texting me. But sometimes when he has been gone, it's been good enough to keep everyone alive - literally. We hope this is one of those times where it's nice and calm on both sides.
Sam and I leave near the end of the week to drive to the conference meet with my dad. He will love Nichole Nordeman, Mercy Me, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Beth Moore by the time we get home. We are excited to visit a church there on Sunday morning. It will be a long trip, but we are so excited to see Andrew and his team run. Sam put them in our prayer journal at Sunday School yesterday - "Andrew and his team."
Andrew feels much better, and we thank those of you who have prayed for him. He is still a little bit tired, but he seems to be much much better. He is flying, so his trip won't be as long.
Peter will help me get some of our odd jobs done before I leave, and I am thankful for his willingness to go late at night to get things done. I don't like being in places alone after dark!
Will gets his diploma soon! He won't walk at graduation, but I am so happy for him. I cannot thank his one teacher enough. I know she will be thrilled too. Not all teachers are the same, and God gave us an extra special one to help Will get to this place. Looking back over his entire education, those special teachers made a huge difference and played a part in getting him to this point. I remember his second grade teacher making a huge impact one time with something she said. I told her about it a couple of years ago, and she did not remember it at all. But he does. And I do. It's true that teachers impact more than we know.
Sam had his last reading lesson today for a few weeks. He is doing really well. And I love to sit in the observation room and see him actually learning things. He catches himself, and I saw one time when the light bulb came right on. And he was so excited, and his teachers were too! It's slow, and it will take time; but I can already tell a difference in him. And I think he knows he can actually learn to read. We pray every morning on our way to school, and he knows we have been praying about his reading for years.
I got to meet with a special friend today that I have not seen in forever. She is going through some medical issues - just had surgery for cancer. And now she must decide what treatment path to take. I am praying that her second opinion at Duke will give her peace and clarity. It was such a blessing to hug on her today and to meet her children that I have not met before!
I also feel so thankful that someone else has only one more chemo treatment to go. I don't have permission to share, but I am thankful that God has seen this special person through his journey thus far. And I know He will continue to.
So much illness and sadness. Missing children and young people. Confused and hurting people. People who need the Lord. Our sermon Sunday was on salt and light. Matthew 5:13-16 from The Sermon on the Mount. Pete will get to go where Jesus was when He preached - the Mount of Beatitudes. I want to spend more time praying and being what God wants ME to be on this earth - to be salt and light. To be what He wants me to be. Not what I want to be. Or how I want to seem to people. You've probably figured out by now that I am NOT that person most people want to be like! I think people have started running and hiding when they see me in Walmart! No one strives to live in the sometimes constant chaos of my life. My life is not perfect or orderly or desirable.
I did not get that song "Blessings" when it first came out. My friend Lisa told me to listen to it. Then after a few times of listening, it hit me. The things that DON'T tie us to this world are blessings, because this is not our home. Oh, to be that perfect person who points others to Christ constantly because my focus is constantly on Him and not my circumstances. And not on what others are doing or have. And not how great everyone else seems to be doing on Facebook. I cry thinking of wasted time and opportunities. But because His mercies are new every morning, I still can strive every day to be that light. To be that salt. To be the one He wants me to be.
Okay, the "quick" was a stretch. Thanks for reading this. Thanks to those who pray.
If you want to see track meet results, they should be under Sun Belt Conference. I think there is a championship tab, and you can go to Outdoor Track and Field. Dad and I are not technical geniuses, so we won't be posting pictures from the meet on Facebook! Besides, we cannot do that and time and write splits and cheer. We are just praying for good efforts and a safe trip for everyone.
Love,
Wendi
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