Hello, friends. I have to apologize for letting so much time go by since my last post (or, more accurately, Mom's last post.) Most of my free time lately has been devoted to wedding planning and house organizing, and since this is Mom's blog I haven't felt like I should be giving a play-by-play of those happenings. This past weekend Mom was able to visit and celebrate with me at my wedding shower, and all I can say is that it was an indescribable blessing. Grant and Deborah and the kids were with us for most of the time as well. Mom and I got to sit and talk, shop for and decorate my new home, and celebrate God's gift of a fresh start for John and me.

Update on Mom's health:
Mom continues to exhibit such strength of character. She is working hard at eating and drinking regularly and gaining back some of the weight she lost. Although often fatigued and still struggling with pain, she puts all of that aside to support us and celebrate with us. We all recognize that each day is a gift. Please continue to pray for her as she is still taking a break from chemo, that she will be strengthened and remain in stable health so she can enjoy the wedding next month and upcoming vacation time with Dad.

I felt compelled to share a portion of someone else's blog, which I stumbled upon this morning while researching a church for a friend. I was so captivated by the faith of the writer, Larissa, and her fiance, Ian, who suffered traumatic brain injury four years ago and still faces a long road of rehab. I hope her words minister to you as much as they did to me.

Jun 30, 2009

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

I was reminded again tonight through this song of how lost we can feel in our trials, griefs, sadness, confusion. It so often becomes unclear of what we are supposed to do, how we are to respond. Many of us are in situations that we can't change so not only are we in situations that we don't necessarily desire, but we don't always know how to correctly respond to them either. I don't want Ian's life to be like this, and I don't always clearly know how we are to respond since he hasn't been healed yet. And then the rare times when I am thinking clearly, and do feel like I know how I should respond, I'm too tired to act on that truth anyway.

God gently reminded me and reminded Ian through this song that God is always our vision. Whether we are waking or sleeping, understanding or confused, thinking clearly or swallowed by sadness, he is our light. He will continue to be our vision- it's not dependent on us or our response. God promises to be with us, whether we feel that He is or not.

This life is very, very hard and many, many people are travelling the broken road as wearied and tired bodies. Ian's road has been much more broken than I could ever have imagined. This man that I love dearly is severely afflicted and there is nothing that I can do to fix it. I can't heal him but how I desperately wish I could. But we have to press on, and hold fast that God is our vision and that he somehow will strengthen us to finish this race well- whether we feel like we can or not- and we'll try to laugh along the way. He will be our vision leading us to heaven.

http://www.prayforian.com/