Praise Report

I looked over the frequency of my blog posts throughout the year, and realized that the numbers reflect what typically happens in my life. I start out very eager (some say 'overachieving'), then burnout....and end up barely hanging on.

Sad really, but indicative of many aspects of my journey. I have to say that since meeting Jesus, I make some awesome comebacks in the areas that are most important! He makes the difference between wallowing in despair, and brushing off the bruises to grow stronger. I'm still learning to trust Him in all I do. Some days it is easier than others.

I had mentioned that we were facing some tough trials with respect to Alec's health. He made it through his surgery on November 12, but had some post-surgery infections to deal with. It was physically and emotionally draining to watch him suffer through the discomforts, but I held tightly to God's promise of healing.

He had an MRI scan of his brain last Friday....and on Monday I heard the best news: There are no abnormalities or growths on his brain!!! Praise God! This means that his headaches can be treated with less invasive measures....and we may actually be on the up-swing with Alec's health.

He wasn't too thrilled with the IV, but he sat still and didn't even flinch!

My handsome, brave, little boy is turning 10 tomorrow!

On the same day that we received the great news about the scan, we heard about an unexpected change in our financial situation....which eliminated my fears about fixing our van during the Christmas season.

God has always been faithful to us, and yet I am taken aback every time I see just how involved He is in our everyday life. He does take care of the little things....with a little faith.

Let there be Peace

Arnaud and I have been attending a marriage course through our Church. They needed couples to fill spots, and I thought, 'what better way to prove we're doing it right, than to go and ace this course!'

Wouldn't you know that God was planning to humble us as a couple....again! It seemed after every session, Arnaud and I would be muttering something less than lovable under our breaths to each other. The issues we felt we had dealt with and moved on from seemed to sneak up and pull the rug out from beneath us! Some help this course was!

It wasn't until week 5 that 'praying together' was introduced. Wow. That the first time we prayed together in our little huddled corner, the tension and angst were lifted from our shoulders.

It was as if God spoke to both of us saying, "Let there be Peace." And there was Peace.

We began incorporating walks into our routine again. Something we had given up because of Alec's unpredictable comfort levels with his health issues. The fresh air and beautiful Fall colours seemed to lift everyone's spirits as we shared important (to us) thoughts and ideas with each other.

The children went from bickering every five minutes to laughing and enjoying each other's company. Colour came back into their life as the cool Autumn air kissed their cheeks with the hints of winter to come.

We had a day or two of snow thrown in the mix to remind us of how white blankets can cover even the dirtiest lawns and make them look clean and new.

Let there be Peace.

Sometimes words are hard to find

I've posted about a little girl named Hannah who was very sick earlier this year. A cancerous tumour that weighed almost 1/3 her body weight was discovered in her abdomen, and her heart had been badly damaged.

Throughout the last few months she's been fighting a tough and courageous battle to keep her little body going....but lately it seems the Cancer is having the upper hand.

Her tiny frame is now swollen with retained fluids, and she is in quite a bit of discomfort with a fever. Hannah and her mother have been transported to a hospital far from their home in hopes of finding another treatment that can ease her pain.

The prognosis is not good. It seems the Doctors are at a loss as to what further they can do to help her.

I continue to pray for a miracle. I continue to have hope that God's plans for little Hannah include more years on this earth...and if that is not in His Will, I pray that His comfort is felt by all who know and love little Hannah.

Please include Hannah and her family in your prayers in the next few weeks.

Four years old....a precious life....Lord, bring Glory to the Father through your healing hands, and help those of us on earth understand Your love and Mercy. Let Your Will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven. Surround Hannah in your comfort, and bestow Peace upon her parents. Amen.

On the scale of 1 to enternity...

This is a phrase used quite often by my Mother. I can remember her saying these words when I was a little girl--usually when I was in the midst of a temper tantrum.

Mom would cuddle me in her arms and stroke back my hair, all the while saying, "Sarah, on the scale of 1 to eternity, is this issue really worth getting worked up over?"

When put into that perspective, it's hard to justify any tantrum! Including my adult tantrums...which from time to time have been known to happen in my house.

It's taken years for me to come to a place of Peace about the unfairnesses (yes, I use my own words still!) of life. I spent a lot of time trying to convince myself and others that if you were living your life exactly how God wanted you to, then you would not experience heartache and strife.

Boy, was I ever wrong!

It was exhausting keeping that smile on my face as my heart broke time and again with the pain of loss, the frustrations of an imperfect husband, and the failures I faced as a Mother. I would berate myself over and over for allowing my feelings to bubble to the surface, convinced that I was failing as a child of God.

I was unable (or maybe unwilling) to hear God's truth as He gently took me into His arms to ask if my worries were beneficial....on His scale of 1 to eternity. The familiar phrase, with my partial understanding, would help me to brush off the tears and start over again.

Over this last summer God has been working on my heart and in my head about what He cares about in my life. I was never promised a life void of pain and upset, nor a life full of riches (this side of Heaven). The Promise that Christ brought to us was not for this lifetime....the Promise is the reward for keeping our eyes on Jesus during our brief time on earth.

So, on the scale of 1 to eternity:

• I am a baby, still in the womb, awaiting my birth.

• Focusing on the hardships in life distracts me from serving the Lord with Joy.

• I will have all eternity to rest, this life is my opportunity to earn that rest with hard work with God's help.

• Healing comes in many forms, including being called home--where sickness does not exist.

Take a moment to reflect on different stresses in your life and ask yourself, "On the scale of 1 to eternity, is this worth getting worked up over?"

I'm an Auntie again!

Katie, my newest niece, was born on September 14th. A whopping 7 lbs, 11 oz! I'm over the moon happy for my sister and brother in law!

God is Good!

Too cute for (more) words!

What's new?

Last Wednesday was the first day of school where we live. It was the day I planned to regain some of my sanity after a summer full of trials!

I looked forward to some moments of quiet, where I could organize the house without too many interruptions. I'm sure the kids were equally relieved to be around their friends again and back to a routine away from siblings.

When Kalyna returned home from the walk to drop off her older brothers and sister at school, she promptly lay down on the couch and said, "Now I get the sofa ALL to myself!"

Of course, I had to take a picture of the moment.

Alec was not happy to wake up so early in the morning.....but after a nice warm bath, he was eager to head out the door to greet his new Teacher!

Annlise has been 'playing' school all summer long. She kept a better countdown calendar for the first day of school than I did! I was not surprised to find her already dressed when my alarm went off at 7:00 am.

She didn't have to leave the house until 8:15, but her excitement made it hard to keep her in the home for that long!

And here we have Ethan. Yes, he's in a cast. Again. Last Monday he was playing on a friend's trampoline and the friend fell on top of Ethan's knee. It bent sideways. And hurt. A lot.

He's in a half-slab cast until Tuesday, when we'll find out if he gets a full length cast. The Doctor suspects he broke his growth plate in the knee, but we have to wait for the swelling to go down before we can determine that.

What a way to start school, eh?

We were able to get away for one night this summer. We went to an indoor splash park and bought some baked goods from the local bakery. I had to take a shot of this particular dessert that Alec picked out....he has wanted a dog for so very long, but we have family that are allergic to animals....so instead of caring for one, he decided he should at least be able to EAT one.

*ahem* Only my kid.

It was yummy.

Does Eternity scare you?

Depending on the day and the thoughts surrounding me at the time, it scares me.

The funny thing is, death doesn't scare me. I mean, the process of dying makes my skin crawl, but the actual passing-over-to-the-other-side does not phase me in the least. It used to, but God's hand removed that fear....which is a whole 'nother post.

Okay, back to Eternity.

Here's what I know:

There will be no more tears.
No more sadness.
All the loved ones that I miss so terribly will greet me with open arms.
The streets will be paved in gold with diamonds and rubies and all those other gems adorning their edges (or something along those lines).
I will not want to leave this new world where there is no more illness, no more death, and no more anger.
My room will be in a great mansion with more comforts and riches than I'll ever know this side of Heaven.
I will no longer hunger nor thirst, and the sun will continuously shine upon me.

Best of all....I will meet Jesus face-to-face!

How in the world could I possibly be scared of such an awesome place? Here's my train of thought when the uneasiness hits:

Eternity is a loooooong time. What if I get bored?

Seriously. That's the aspect that I can't get my mind around, and thus, it scares me.

Of course, the alternative scares me waaaaaay more than Eternity, so I'll take the risk of being bored over dying a second death!