Praise Report

Hello faithful viewers! I know it's been a while since I've updated, but as usual I've been keeping a pretty hectic schedule. There was VBS, and rehearsals to attend, Jordan's Trunk Party, and just every day life. But all is well.

I do have a "PRAISE REPORT"! Thank God for his healing power and virtue. So last week I woke up on Thursday morning with a rather odd pain in my right ankle. At first I thought it was the regular morning stiffness, but as I started moving around in preparation of work I noticed that the main was intensifying. So, I went on to work and my foot/ankle was pained ALL day. By the end of the day I was miserable! It was so odd because I had no idea what I had done that had caused this pain. So i called the doctor's office and after waiting for 30 minutes to talk to the nurse, they basically told me to take an aspirin and put ice on my foot. She also suggested that I come into the "Walk-In Center" because the doc might want to take some xrays, just in case some serious damage had been done. So after work Jen drove me to the doctor's office. To make a long story short, they didn't take x-rays and they prescribed me medicine (surprise! surprise!) and sent me on my merry way. I was still in a LOT of pain. I decided not to take the medicine, mainly because I didn't see the point; if it were a sprain I would just have to endure the pain until my foot healed itself. The medicine wouldn't "heal" whatever it was anyway, it would just mask the pain.

Anyhoo, I went to work on Friday and it was still REALLY sore and paining me. After work, it was our first rehearsal (after a few months) for the Young People choir, so i had to go to Joliet. By the time I got home Friday night my foot was in a lot of pain. The pain lasted all night into the next day. Saturday, I got up and tried to go about doing my several tasks (mainly laundry), and was having a difficult time because I could not really walk on my foot. The pain lasted well into the early evening. When I could hardly bear the pain anymore I bowed my head and asked God if he could take away the pain. I knew I had so much to do, and so little time to do it (Saturday's go so quickly, and next thing you know it's Monday and BACK TO WORK!). Do you know that God completely healed the pain in my ankle!! It was amazing to me. Gradually the pain went away. By the evening it was almost as if the pain was never there! Then words to the song came to my mind, that says "Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what NEEDLESS PAIN WE BEAR! All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer."

Isn't it the truth. We'd rather grin and bear things, grit our teeth and try to outlast the pain, rather then just taking it to God in prayer. What a valuable lesson I learned from the almighty God!

In other news, the weekend will be here before you know it and we'll be taking Jordan off to school. He's going to Southern Illinios University, Carbondale (SIUC). It's been really something seeing him pack up all his stuff, getting ready to leave. I REALLY hope he does well, it will be my constant prayer (second only to the prayer that he be saved!). Anyhoo, we're going down to Carbondale on Friday, and after a few of us are going on to visit some saints in TN. That should be exciting. I'm actuallay glad to be able to get away.

Speaking of Jordan going away, he got some pretty cool stuff! One of our neighbors and her daughter bought him an IPOD!!! For real! And a 30 gift card for i-tunes. I'm like, wow! Cool!!! I won't be envious, but I am really impressed. (I want an ipod!!!) That was the most cool gift he received, but the saints really bought him a lot of nice, practical items.

AND! Speaking of school, I resume my courses at Columbia College on September 5th. (OH BOY!) I'm looking forward to it. I really believe God is giving me an opportunity to finish my degree and I am ever so thankful. That's another testimony in itself of how God has worked things out on my behalf. I selected my final courses today. It will be challenging because, for the time being, I have to maintain a full time schedule at work. However I was able to take classes on Monday evening as well as Saturday morning and afternoon. So it doesn't conflict with church or work. So thank God for that.

Well, that's about all that's going on in my life. If anything interesting should happen i'll be sure to stop by and let ya'll know! Until then, keep the faith!