It's Great To Be In Atlanta

It's Great To Be In Atlanta...

because my favorite Saucer Magnolia trees are blooming fully, forsythia too is in full bloom, but BEST OF ALL, I'm here with our kids and grandkids...they're all such an encouragement to me and just plain fun to be with. We've done the typical fun stuff you do with 8 and 11 year olds, baseball practice, quiz bowls, movies, a stop at Chick-Fil-A for milkshakes. Last night was pizza with their small group and Kent leading...it's good to be in the Word with them and see how God leads their lives. SUPER BONUS was getting to read Kent's new book; he's done a great job, I had about 120 pages left to read yesterday and had planned to do it in installments during the day but I was so hooked I stayed in my PJs after everyone was gone to school and work til I finished ...way past lunch time.

In a few days I'll meet my honey in Dallas as we head to CA for a week to see those kids in a drama presentation they've been working on for months. As far as we know, Sue's not had any adverse reaction to the PICC line and meds it contains. We're praying for the meds to really kick in even sooner than is expected and that she will benefit greatly.

Reading today in Joshua I was really set to thinking as I saw Joshua commanded to be strong and very courageous...carefully follow all of the Lord's Word, so that he WOULD BE successful and the Lord WOULD BE with Him. It's repeated to him multiple times in the 1st chapter of Joshua. I then thought of what Joshua's task was and taking that grumbling bunch of Israelites into the Promised Land seemed somehow a much bigger task than my 'to do lists' that send me into such a frenzy so many days of my life. THEN I realized God's instructions are the same for me as they were for Joshua...'look at Me and what I've shown you in my Word and trust Me' , not your list, not yourself but look to Me. A good reminder that I need often.

It's good to be with you all as you read our news,

M.

How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, all creation sings how great, how great is our God...

those praises and more resounded in our house Tuesday about 11am when we had finally confirmed that Sue's PICC line would go in even though we expected no medication going in for a day or two. BUT GOD gave us a wonderful RN at the hospital and she, along with the person responsible for the gift of Rocephin, worked it out so Sue could have her first dose at the same time....administered by me.

But one of the coolest things was after we got the 11am phone call we all sat us down and talked..and God really ministered to all our hearts about what was going to happen, how it might or might not change life for Sue in the months and maybe years to come and how, much as we love Sue, the bottom line still is HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. The kids response was wonderful. Why, I thought, when they're such great kids anyway, do they have to be a part of this purifying suffering yet as Dana and Sue both reminded me, we don't want to turn down a chance for God to work in each of our lives.

It has been a hectic time beyond belief. Because of the way the drug is coming to Sue there were a lot of 'puzzle pieces' we had to put together and Sue and I especially felt great spiritual warfare the 24 hrs before the PICC Line went in but each time I just couldn't find another ounce of energy (or sometimes one more tear...one of the rare times I was weepy), God was there. It was a real demonstration of I John 4:4 'greater is He that is in us, than he who is in the world.'

Thank you all so much for your prayers; I was at the point that I didn't even have time to call people for extra prayer and instead was begging God to have people pray for us.

I'm heading home in two days and so looking forward to home..especially seeing my honey.

maxine