on my heart

i would like share a few things that are on my heart and in my prayers:

*the families that lost their boy scouts at the little sioux boy scout reservation when a tornado touched down last night. i type this as my own two scouts are at camp, sleeping in tents while i have lain awake to the sound of wind and rain beating against my window. they have teased me about my worrying. but now we know that a parent's worst fear can happen.

*bryce, our 11 year old friend, who just discovered that he has stage 4 lymphoma. overnight he has gone from an energetic fun-loving boy to one worn out by chemo treatments that weaken good cells as well as cancer cells. but still he maintains his sense of humor, easy smile, and positive outlook. oh, the lessons i can learn from him!

*anita, young wife and mother of two sweet girls ages 3 and 5, battling colon cancer. she has beat the odds so far. here it is, 2 1/2 years after first being diagnosed and she continues to live. i mean she hasn't been dying, but living all this time, caring for her girls, ministering to others through MOPS at our church, and sharing her testimony of faith and hope in the midst of suffering. her treatment options are limited at this point, only a miracle will do.

*"dee", the young woman who is spending tonight with her precious newborn son, whom she will say "good bye" to tomorrow.

it seems all at once i am surrounded by heartbreak, but through each circumstance i see God at work. our lives, our days, actually, each moment is a gift and we are in God's hands, aren't we? no matter how we try to arrange, plan, and control our lives, God decides. God heals. God gives. and through it all i see courage, love, faith, hope, determination, surrender, and comfort. if you feel led, please pray with me for these hurting people.

everyday gift: God's presence in the midst of pain