Black Friday with daughter, sister in law and nieces, 3:53AM - 8:00AM - Wenatchee, photo essay

Thanksgiving 2008

I am not doing a Thanksgiving Pig this year - it was an experience for sure - but not well loved by my family.

I am so thankful for life - all of life. I have been blessed beyond measure by the same God Who died for my salvation, and Who continues to be near and dear to me and my family. This past year has been one of tremendous growth for us and I am so thankful for that. We have a large extended family who have shown to be true as to what a family is.

My mom is alive and well, although very different. My dad experiences great health and is my mom's caretaker. They are a picture of true love and endurance. I pray for them and that their example will impact their large family.

Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good!

Please pray for Drew Vanderhoff, my brave and noble nephew who is serving with the Striker Brigade in Iraq. His wife Rose remains in Alaska as a nurse, while her husband is in Iraq for one year. Please, please remember to pray for both of them.

The Sweetest Lady Alive

My very active mom had a serious stroke on July 9th. She remains unable to care for herself. Her right arm and right leg are not getting any brain signals, so they are useless. She is learning how to get around without them - or shall I say - in spite of them. She nicknamed her dead arm "the Bitch" because it just gets in the way and won't do what she tells it do to.

The GOOD news is that her brain is the same - except for those physical disabilities. Her speech is also effected, and she must think each word she speaks in order for it to come our right. Her personality remains the same, sweet person that she is.

She is truly my hero. While there are many things she could scream about, she remains the sweetest testimony of her love for Jesus. I only hope and pray that if I have to go through anything similar to what she is, that I will be half as sweet as her.

Please pray for my mom if God lays it on your heart - Shirley Vanderhoff - a beautiful woman of God.

Rejoice in Belief and Suffering

The sermon today was one I have heard plenty of times, but somehow today it smacked me in the face. It was in Philippians and how Paul rejoiced in God's great grace in his life - grace to believe the gospel, and grace to rejoice in suffering because of the gospel. I have always heard it said that we should rejoice when we are rejected for the gospel - and while I have many times been set aside because of the gospel, I would not say I have been rejected because of the gospel.....until now. I realize that my family's recent rejection by our daughter was a rejection because of the gospel! I never really finalized that in my mind until this morning. Had we been unbelievers with morals and standards of the world without Christ, she would still be with us. Paul tells us to rejoice when we are rejected and persecuted because of the gospel - that is also from God's great grace in our lives! What a different perspective I have now.

Although I grieve at her decisions, I rejoice in God's grace in my life to allow this. I pray that God will be honored and glorified in how we react and live in the rejection. I also know that God requires much of him who has been given much. To some, the gospel is life and blessing, and to others it is a curse. The only reason that it is a blessing to me is by God's grace. Without His grace, I would revile the gospel also.