He is Risen!!

Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. - Luke 24:5b-7 

I am so thankful for the hope in Christ! Life is hard but I serve a God who has
a plan and keeps his promises. No matter what happens in this life I can focus on the cross and know that if He could bring something so beautiful and  wonderful out of the cross... then He can bring something beautiful and wonderful out of what I'm going through.

We saw the radiology oncologist last week. The good news is that Mike's
bone scan and CT scan were clear and we are praising God for that.  Now we just have to make a decision about treatment. Because he is relatively young he is not happy about the side effects treatment offers... so we are praying
for God to show us the best plan of action.

This week has been our Spring Break and it hasn't seemed like much of a break instead it's been a week filled with doctor visits and such. There is hope though... the end is near.  This is always the time of year that I start
looking forward to the end of school.  I love homeschooling my children more
than anything but this is the time when we do testing and feel the pressure of finishing well. So I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer.

The other nice thing about Spring is the break in the cold wet weather. I am
ready for the household joint issues to level out. It can be wearing on me to always have one of the children in a state of discomfort. With everything else
going on I am having the worst time keeping my emotions under control. It
seems like I am always on the verge of tears.

See I am not strong, I really am not... thankfully I don't have to be.  I am resting in my Fathers strength. I need Him to show me His ways , to help me see the big picture.  Just like the cross He can bring beauty from this pain. He never wastes a trial, pain, or tear.

Trials.....

It's been a long week.  Tonight I held Hannah at bedtime while she cried as her heart was breaking for two young boys... and her own father and I had no words to console her.

Last Sunday brought news that a former colleague had been murdered by her husband who then ended his own life.  Their young sons were 
in the house. Poppet being close in age and tenderhearted has felt an immense burden for the boys.

Also on Tuesday we received the results of Mike's biopsy.  Three out of the 12 samples they took are cancerous. His Gleason score was 7~
fairly aggressive. So it has been a long emotionally draining week.  On Wednesday Mike had a bone scan since he has had some persistent lower back pain to see if it has spread. On Monday he has a CT scan.

Twice this week I have been asked by my children now...why doesn't God just come back for us.  Cody has not had a good week pain wise and so after Wed. nights study of Ezekiel he said, " I just wish Jesus would come for us I'm tired of being in pain and now worrying about dad....".  Hannah's question tonight "if God could let something that bad happen to Miss Amanda then what will happen to Daddy?" And me I finally cried.

All week I have been fighting crying I think I was afraid if i started I might not stop. That and I really hate losing control... and if I'm crying I don't feel like I'm in control.

So we could use your prayers.  And I'm clinging too and encouraging my children to cling to the fact that although we live in a fallen world full of evil,  sickness, and pain that we are only still here because God loves us so much that He is still drawing men unto himself and the promise "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed " 1 Peter 1:6 & 7