Abba, Father

We just celebrated Father's Day, and I have been blessed to have some amazing fathers in my life. My  father, my grandfathers, my father-in-law and my husband are all men who I love to celebrate on this holiday because of the way that they have guided, loved, protected, and cared for me and my children. I got to thinking this year about how they remind me of how God is my Father.

Growing up, I quickly learned that one of my father's roles was disciplinarian. My dad likes to tell people about how early I found out that a sweet little "I love you, Daddy" could get me out of trouble, but it didn't take long before my dad saw through my actions and realized that he had to discipline me. He loved me and he needed to teach me right from wrong. My dad likes to explain the difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline is training one to act a certain way. It can involve punishment, or it can be encouragement, advice, or direction. Punishment is a penalty for an offense committed. Punishment without discipline is a dangerous way to parent. Giving a penalty for an offense without guidance in why the behavior was wrong, what the better choice would have been, and an assurance of love is not likely to succeed in long term behavioral changes. More likely it will cause rebellion. But when punishment is coupled with discipline a child learns from their mistakes and understands why they are being punished. My dad always talked to us when he had to punish us. To be honest, that was the worst part of the punishment for me because I couldn't stand knowing that I had let my dad down. He would discuss with us what we had done, what we should have done, and let us know that he loved us - and then he would hand out the punishment that we deserved. It's not a fun part of parenting, but it's an important part. God is a disciplinarian. Hebrews 12:6 says, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It's because of His love for us that He disciplines us, and He only punishes those that belong to Him. A parent only disciplines their own child. It's a sign that we are children of God when we've been chastened by Him. Sometimes it might be a gentle a prod, a reminder of Scripture, an admonition from a friend or loved one. Sometimes it might be more serious - oftentimes it's the normal consequences of our actions. The difference between God and my earthly father is that my dad eventually had to allow me to go out in the world and not be directly under his authority anymore. I am always under God's authority! The author of Hebrews goes on to say in verse 10, "For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness." I will never be perfect on this earth, but God will always be correcting me to continue teaching me what it means to be holy.

I was born into my earthly family. I belonged to them because of genetics. My father-in-law sort of "adopted" me into his family. I have his name although I don't have his genetics because I married his son. He has always made me feel as if I truly belonged to the Lyman family. God is my Father, not because I was born into His family. I was born a sinner, separated from God. Instead I was adopted through His grace into His family. Galatians 4:4-7 says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." Although I got the name "Lyman" through marriage, I didn't have to earn it. I didn't have to buy it, pass a test, prove I was worthy, or get a degree. Once I married Joel, I was automatically part of the family. In the same way, I don't earn my position in God's family. I didn't have to give my money, prove I was holy, perform any religious rites, or go to Bible school. God redeemed me  when I was still lost in my sins. As soon as I believed in Him, I became His child. This is my favorite part. I am a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Almighty God, Creator of the universe, not only knows who I am, but welcomed me into His family because He loves me. Not only that, but I'm not a second class citizen, but an heir of God! Doesn't that just give you goosebumps? 

Our son is the spitting image of his father. They have the same impish smile, the same twinkling eyes, the same mannerisms - they even walk the same as a friend just pointed out the other day. They share the same DNA. I do not much resemble my Heavenly Father, but one day I will. Every day He is teaching me to be more like Him, but someday our family bond will be apparent to all. In 1 John 3:2 it says, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." When He returns, I will be like Him finally and no one will be able to question that I belong to Him. Sometimes I don't look much like Him, and there are people who could say that I must not be part of God's family because they don't see a resemblance. I hate that. But someday, I will look so much like my Father that there will be no doubt that I belong to Him.

One thing that all of the fathers in my life have in common is love. They love me, they love our family, they love my children. It's love that motivates them to be such wonderful fathers - to care, love, protect, guide. It is love that prompted God to adopt us. 1 John 3:1 says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." It was in His love that He gave His life for us. We didn't deserve it, but He loved us anyway. In 1 John 4:19 it says, "We love because he first loved us." It was His love that drew us to Him. He loved us before He created the world! It was only in response to His love that we loved Him back. 1 John 4:7-8 tells us, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." God loved us because He is love. If we want to look like our Father, we should also demonstrate love. Now, we already read that love doesn't prevent God from disagreeing with us or punishing us. In fact, it's the opposite. God disciplines us because He is love. Our world today doesn't understand that. We can demonstrate God's love even when we disagree. But our love should be so apparent that others can see God in us. 

I know that not everyone got a glimpse of their heavenly Father in their earthly father. The men in my life aren't perfect any more than I am perfect. They did their best, but they sometimes made mistakes. When we brought home our first child from the hospital, my husband told me that we had to understand that we were going to make mistakes, but we had to pray that whatever mistakes we made wouldn't be severe. Maybe  your dad didn't resemble God at all. Maybe you didn't have a dad around. Even if you never got a chance to experience these things in a human father, you can still experience it in God. 

Happy Father's Day!

Publishing Package

I took a leap of faith. It's scary and it will be a while before I see what happens from this decision. Right now, my writing is more a hobby than anything else. Yes, I get paid, but the amount I get from book sales basically covers the cost of hiring someone to design my book covers. So it was time to see if writing is ever going to be my occupation or will always be a hobby.

In publishing today, they don't accept unsolicited manuscripts - at least not often. You either need to hire an agent or prove yourself by publishing independently. Publishing on Kindle is cost effective, but it's easy to get lost and hard to get noticed. Publishing with a company is expensive, but you get professional services included. I've done Kindle and it was a fantastic way for me to start. When I first put Best Laid Plans on Kindle, it was the scariest thing I've ever done. Here was a work that I had spent years on. I had put part of myself into it. Now, it was available for anyone to purchase, to read, to judge, to criticize. It placed me in a vulnerable position - and I hate being vulnerable.

Readers have been kind to me though. I don't have many reviews, but the ones that I have are positive and any negative comments are thoughtful and helpful. My fears were unfounded and I've become comfortable. I've found that God doesn't let you remain comfortable for very long. Soon He asks you to take another step of faith. I don't know if others have this issue, but God has to prod me into the next step every single time. I like my little comfort zone and stepping out is scary. God pokes me, urges me, send others to poke me and urge me, until finally I recognize what needs to happen and I (tentatively) step forward.

My husband and I had been saving some money for a vacation, but one thing after another happened that made it impossible for us to go. One day, Joel noticed that we had enough saved up for a publishing package from a professional company. He suggested that we use the vacation money for that instead. Right after that, one of the self-publishing companies got in contact with me and was having a sale. It just seemed too coincidental to be ignored. When Joel asked me if I'd thought about it I had to admit that things seemed to be lining up for me to move forward.

Yet, I still hesitated.

I was comfy. I was content. I was curious to see what would happen, and I definitely wanted to hold one of my books in my hand. But just like when I published my first book, the fears rose. What if I couldn't make enough back to cover the cost? What if even with professional help it's nothing more than hobby? What if? So I waited.

Have you ever told God yes, but dragged your feet, maybe almost hoping that He'd get tired of waiting and change His mind? Maybe you tell yourself that you're waiting for a definitive sign - like Gideon with the fleece. That's where I was. I had already told God that I would do it, but I didn't make any move to do it. Finally one day, I sent an email. I told them that I was wanting to publish, but I could only afford to do it at the sale price (and I had dragged my feet long enough that the sale had ended). I didn't realize it at the time, but I was putting out the fleece. If God really wanted me to go on then I would be able to still get the sale price. If not, then maybe it wasn't quite time yet.

Last week, I got a phone call. I normally don't answer numbers I don't recognize, but during Vacation Bible School I do, because as one of the directors the volunteers have my number and may need to get in touch with me. It was Westbow Press. They laid out the package options, talked to me about my genre, told me about the process - and offered me the sale price. Could I doubt any longer that this was the step I was supposed to take? I shocked him speechless when I told him that I was ready and would pay the amount in full.

So as of last week, I officially have a publisher. I will be published by Westbow Press which is a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. If my book does well, either of those companies may pick me up as one of their authors. Having a publisher means that I will have professional help through the publishing process including editing and cover design. I will have marketing for the first time. And I will have physical books! Although I am still nervous, I'm also excited. I know that God has directed my path to this point and I'm looking forward to seeing what He is going to do through this.

Joy Story

Our Vacation Bible School for church has been occupying a lot of my time and thought right now. My sister and I co-direct the program so we've been plenty busy. I love VBS. I love hearing the kids sing songs, watching them play games, seeing the crafts they've made - to me it's a joyful time in itself. But the best part about VBS is teaching the kids about the Bible. This year our focus is on joy and in our world today where people pursue pleasure at all costs, I think it's important for our kids to distinguish between happiness and joy.

Happiness is fleeting, it's circumstantial. When I'm relaxing by the pool, that's happiness. Or when I see my children do something wonderful, that's happiness. When my husband surprises me with a gift that I've been wanting, that's happiness. All those things make me happy in themselves, but take all of it away. Am I happy in the every day toils of life? Am I happy when my kids can't find their shoes and we're ten minutes late - again? Am I happy when my husband doesn't pick up on those clever little hints that I've been leaving for him? Probably not. I'm probably more tired, frustrated, angry, or disappointed. Happiness is surface level emotion.

Joy is deeper, long lasting. It's internal, not based on what's going on around us. Even while I'm doing my daily routine, I can have joy. When my kids are frustrating me, I can still have joy. When I'm disappointed, I can still have joy. When health fails, there can be joy. When loved ones pass away, there an be joy. When life seems to fall apart, there can be joy.

God created us for joy - both for His own joy and for us to experience joy. Sin obviously messed with joy, but it couldn't extinguish it completely. It still gives God joy when a new name is written in the Book of Life. It gives Him joy when a prodigal son returns. It gives Him joy to welcome His children home to Heaven. On earth, His Spirit can give us joy - it's part of the fruit of the Spirit! We can be identified as believers - unique and separate from the world - when we exhibit a joy that does not come from ourselves, but from God.

We can choose joy. Sometimes God sets something wonderful in front of us, but it looks scary and so we choose not to take it. Yet if we had gone forward, we would have experienced joy that we never even knew. The Children of Israel were on the verge of entering the Promised Land, but it looked too hard and they chose not to go in. Instead of receiving the joy from God's gift to them, they had to wander the wilderness for forty years. We can do the same thing. God will set something before us, but we choose not to follow Him and then we suffer the consequences. We can also choose to have joy in difficult situations. Paul and Silas were beaten and in prison and yet were able to sing. That's joy.

Sometimes it seems like the cost of joy is too much. The rich young ruler turned away from Jesus, because the cost was too great for him. Yet if he had followed, he would have experienced true joy that he would never find in his possessions. God may call us to give more than we feel like we can afford. He may call us to give of our time, or serve someone that we find difficult. Or maybe He takes us away from a ministry that we love to move us to another area of service. It may seem like the price is too high, but if we relinquish it to Him, we will see how much more He can give in return.

The best part about joy, is that joy is found in grace. When Jesus came and sacrificed His life for our own, He bridged the gap between God and man. Now we can have access to God, we h ave the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we have life eternal - if we believe in Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 says, "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." That is something to be joyful about.

Because of that, there is also joy to come. Someday we will be reunited with God. Pain, sickness, death will be no more. We will dwell in a place of beauty and be face to face with the One who created us for joy in the first place. Only then will we truly understand what true joy is. Joy on this earth is impossible without God, but joy will take on a whole new meaning when we finally enter His presence.

This is what we get to teach our children. That life is more that our circumstances. That joy is found even in the most difficult times. That God wants us to experience joy to its fullest. Getting to teach our children about these things - now that gives me joy.

The End and a Beginnning

Have you ever noticed how often the end of something begins something else? Today is the end of the school year for my kids, which means it's the beginning of summer vacation. My youngest is finishing preschool which will lead to the start of her elementary school life. My oldest nephew is graduating from high school and will begin college in the fall.

So many things in life end, but start something new and wonderful. When I ended being single, I started my life as a wife. When I became a stay-at-home mom, I ended my work life (at least for a while). That decision led to my being able to have time to sit and write. And that led to me publishing my work on Kindle. And that led me to join American Christian Fiction Writers. And who knows where that will lead? Even each book I write ends, but leads to the next one. Each task I finish leads to another. Each ministry that God moves me from opens me up for another one.

I don't know about you, but I am not someone who looks forward to change. I hesitate. I drag my feet. I'm scared. I don't want to leave behind what is comfortable for the frightening unpredictability of the unknown. Yet when I look back I can see all the wonderful things that God has granted me that wouldn't be possible if something else hadn't ended.

I'm sitting on the brink right now. My husband and I have decided that it's time to for me to pay for a publishing package and put KW Consulting into print. We have the resources for the first time since I began writing. It's time for me to take the next step.

But that next step looks mighty big. I can't see beyond it. What if I can't climb that step? What if I get up there, but fall backwards? I could get hurt.

Then again, what if that step leads to another? What if moving forward in faith is the answer to my prayers about my writing? I could sit here and keep doing what I've been doing - and that will get me the same results I've always gotten. Or I could follow this new path and trust that God is going to guide me and take care of the results.

Why do I assume that when life is changing that it's going to be bad? What I'm really saying is that I don't trust God with my life, my career. I'm telling Him that I want control. I ask for His leading, and then sit where I'm at wondering why He doesn't answer when all the time the path is right there in front of me waiting for me to take that first step.

When you look through Scripture, God was undeniably present when He asked His people to step out in faith. Joshua walked around Jericho, but God brought down the walls. David had his sling, but God defeated Goliath. Daniel stayed faithful, but God closed the mouths of the lions. Peter climbed out of the boat, but God kept him from sinking. Esther went before the king to plead for the lives of her people, but God prepared the way. Over and over again we see that when God's people take the road that He has placed before them, His presence is there and miracles happen.

What is God placing in front of you that seems just too scary? Is something ending that you want to continue, and you are gripping it with both hands until your knuckles are white? Let it go. Let God take your hand and lead you to the next thing for you. Are you standing at the beginning of some journey, and you are too afraid to take that first step? Move forward and watch God take care of the things that you can't. If it is truly where He is leading, He will be there.

Comparing: Mother's Day Edition

Last fall I wrote a blog about making comparisons. A couple months ago, I did a devotion in my women's Bible study on the same topic. Apparently, God's not done with this topic yet. I fall into making comparisons so easily. I know from the feedback I've gotten from other women, that they have the same struggles. The one that hurts me the most is watching women criticize each other about the choices they make as a mother.

From the day you find out that your expecting a baby, life is filled with choices for that child. During pregnancy it's: what should I eat? What should I avoid? Can I exercise? Can I exercise too much? Which hospital? Which doctor? What about pain medication? Home birth? Midwife? Is this normal? The amount of information is overwhelming, too. Books, blogs, articles, friends, family - everyone has an opinion and sometimes it feels like no two are the same.

When the baby is born, there are new questions. Breast or bottle? Should I go back to work or stay home? What about co-sleeping? Vaccinations? And it doesn't stop as the child grows. Organic food? Fast food? Both? Is that possible? What about schooling? Home school? Private school? Public school? What about extracurricular activities? How many should I have them involved in? Which ones are the best for promoting health or intelligence or both? Honestly, it's enough to drive a woman insane.

We are inundated with information. We read, we ask, we think, we pray - and ultimately we make a decision about what we think is right for our family. We develop opinions that we deeply believe in. Then we look at other moms and *gasp* they aren't doing things exactly like we are! How could they choose any differently? After all, we've done the research. We prayed about the decision. Don't they know that they will ruin their children's lives if they do it that way?

The bottom line is this. Most moms want what is best for their families. Most moms are doing the best they can day in and day out.Most moms simply want their children to be healthy and happy, and they are doing what they can to achieve that goal. Yes, they've probably done the research, too, but they have a different background, a different perspective - a different child, and that led them to a different conclusion.

When my first child was born, I started as an on-demand feeder. I fed her whenever she seemed hungry, yet when I took her in for her doctor's appointment, she wasn't gaining weight. My family for some reason has difficulty producing breast milk. I never had a surplus. I never had the ability to pump and have stored milk in the fridge. The doctor told me that she was grazing and by doing that she wasn't allowing my milk to come in fully and therefore she wasn't getting the best nutrition. She advised that I wait at least two hours between feedings. So I did, and my baby was healthier after I became a timed feeder. Yet, I know that were moms who felt I was terrible for making my baby wait. They'd hear me tell her that it wasn't time yet, and they'd give me looks of disgust. What a horrible mother! They didn't understand my history, my situation. I was just trying to do what was best for my child - just like they were.

My friend once loaned me a book called, Help! I'm Being Intimidated by the Proverbs 31 Woman! by Nancy Kennedy. In it, she decides to become the Proverbs 31 woman one verse at a time - with hilarious results. The end result is that we all are trying so hard to be the wife, the mother, the woman we know we need to be, and God gives us grace for the mistakes we're bound to make. What did the "virtuous woman" do? She took care of her husband, fed her family, worked, tended to her family's needs, supported her husband, gave to the needy, prepared for the future, feared the Lord. Isn't that what we're all trying to do? If God can give us grace as we struggle through this life, can't we offer grace to one another?

A Timely Bible Study

Sometimes it "just so happens" that you start a Bible study that seems to have been written specifically for you to help with the particular time of life you are in. Those are the moments that I stand amazed that God cares enough about me to orchestrate even such a small detail of my life. I took an Old Testament class in college (I always forget if it was in Ruth or Esther), but my teacher said that the phrasing in the Hebrew is like saying, "Now it just so happened that it just so happened . . ." meaning obviously that it didn't "just so happen", but had been arranged by God. Those instances where I can clearly see God arranging for things to happen just blow my mind.

In my church we have a large women's Bible study group that meets from September until November and then January until March or April. Then there are Bible studies offered during the summer, but they are usually much smaller groups since people are on vacation or busy with other ministries or some other reason. This year we finished in March and then in April they began to study Jonah by Priscilla Shirer. My sister asked me if I was going to do it and I decided to go ahead (although it sneaked up on me and I was not mentally prepared for the first week). I am so glad I decided to do this study. I didn't know how badly I needed it.

She starts off by talking about the "interrupted life" - those times where everything is going just fine, but then all of a sudden something happens and you now have something to handle that you didn't see coming. Jonah was a prophet to Israel and he was comfortable with his life there. Then God decides to send him to Ninevah.

My life was going just fine. Then my dad and my grandpa came down with health problems - severe health problems. I already talked about what happened to both of them in my last blog, so I won't restate it now, but it hit me out of nowhere. And the timing was certainly not what I would have picked. I'm getting ready for VBS. The kids have a million end of year activities. Life is too busy, too complicated already. Yet, here we are.

How do I deal with these interruptions? Do I run away? Pretend they aren't there? Trudge forward, but grumble to myself? Or do I lean on God and follow where He leads? Honestly, I always wish I could just tuck my head in my shell and wait for the storm to pass, but that's not practical. At times, I've outwardly obeyed, but inwardly I'm grumbling and complaining. And when I do go forward how often do I pull back against where God is leading, because of fear? Much too often, I'm afraid.

In the lesson I worked on yesterday, she talked about how in chapter 3 when Jonah is sent to Ninevah the second time, God didn't lay everything out in front of Jonah. He was told to go, and then wait for what God would tell him later. I so badly want to know everything before I step forward in obedience. It hit me that if I had known what we were going to be going through in this season of life, it would have been overwhelming. It would have been so discouraging to get all that information at once. Instead, God let us only know what was necessary at the time.

In my journey as a writer I can see where this happens, too. If I had known that after writing six books, I would still be unpublished (self-published), I'm not sure I would have even begun. Last month, I sold one book - one - the whole month! It can feel like I'm working hard, but going nowhere. Yet, I know that God has put these stories on my mind and the opportunity to pursue writing. It just doesn't happen in my time. To be honest, it may never look like what I picture it being. But God only gives me a little bit at a time and asks that I follow Him in faith that He has a plan for me.

Right now, that plan has included a new chapter. I joined the American Christian Fiction Writers. It's a group where published writers and unpublished writers come alongside one another to teach and encourage each other. I've joined an email loop of courses to learn more about writing and publishing. This month I'm learning about using Facebook, a course I desperately need. I'm looking forward to seeing where this leads me.

Another possible step that I've been discussing with my husband is publishing the KW Consulting series as an anthology in print! That would be huge! I have to admit, that step sort of scares me, but it might be an option now where it never was before.

God is guiding and directing, and though I only get to see small bits and pieces of the big picture, I'm excited to see where He is leading. I know that wherever He leads is where I'm supposed to be.

** An update for those of you who have been praying for my family, my dad is doing very well. He will have a CT scan sometime next week to see how things are looking internally. My grandpa had his surgery today and the cancer was contained to the kidney and they don't expect complications. Please pray for his recovery. We still don't know long term what we will be looking at.

A Lengthy Absence

My posts have been non-existent lately. I'm so out of it that even sitting here right now, I'm staring at my screen and my mind is blank. I wanted to update you on what's been going on, why I've been so negligent. Yet my brain feels drained. Life took an unexpected turn (or several) and I feel like I'm sort of muddling through the best I can right now. So here's what's been going on. 

It started with a good thing. My family used spring break to get away and take a vacation. We took our kids and my mother-in-law and father-in-law and went to San Diego where we visited Legoland, Sea Life, the beach and San Diego Safari Park. It was a fantastic trip and a wonderful time of relaxation and fun. I think God knew we needed to rest up before we got hit with what was to come.

We got back just in time to celebrate Easter. We went to the Good Friday service and participated in our Easter pageant in the choir. It was a blessed time celebrating our Savior's death and resurrection, but in the middle of all this, things were happening.

The Saturday before Easter, my dad went to the hospital in a lot of pain with gallbladder issues. Seemed simple enough. Get him in, have the surgery, send him home, everything's back to normal. Or maybe not so much. My dad's gallbladder was basically rotting away which was causing the liver and pancreas to become infected. Several days in the hospital trying to get the enzyme levels under control while dad was in the most pain he's ever felt in his life followed. Finally he was able to have the surgery and we rejoiced thinking that he would be home soon. He was supposed to leave April 6th which was my parents 37th wedding anniversary, but the night before they did a CT scan and told him that he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Turns out that when a gall stone blocked the pancreatic duct, the enzymes did what enzymes do and they started digesting protein - only the protein they were digesting was his pancreas. Only about 30-40% of his pancreas remained healthy while the rest of it was dead. On top of that, he had a blood clot that they needed to watch. After 25 days in the hospital, my dad finally got to go home today. During all this, I have been visiting my dad in the hospital nearly every day, helping wherever I can, but mostly just keeping him company as he sat in that hospital room day after day.

On top of all this, before we went on vacation, my grandpa had gone to the hospital (at our insistence) about a large bruise on his stomach that he had from coughing. After several tests, they determined that it was simply a large bruise. However, the MRI showed something of concern. There was a mass on his kidney. They decided it was worth investigating further. While I was on vacation, I got a call from my grandma. It was cancer. The frustrating part of that diagnosis is all the questions that have no answers. There are steps that need to be done and no one seemed to be in a hurry to get through them. I suppose that's a good thing. They don't feel like it's a severe or urgent case. But when it's MY family member, it can't happen soon enough! So Grandpa went through the tests - heart tests, renal tests - and he finally has a surgery date. He will have his kidney removed on May 3rd - and we won't know what the next steps will be until the surgery is completed. 

Besides all this, there have been the normal things that fill up life - church, school, ballet, gymnastics, choir, etc. And the occasional special event to add to the busyness - a tea, meetings, practices, dentist appointments. And this is the time of year where life picks up pace a little bit anyway with end of the school year activities and getting ready for VBS (my sister and I co-direct our church's VBS). So my life has not been boring lately. 

I have been able to sneak in some writing. I'm getting close to finishing the Christmas novella for this year. My focus has not been on my book though and right now, much of my writing will be for VBS. But, progress has been made, and I'm grateful for that.

I would like you to pray for my family right now. It's been rough. I think we're all a little worn. I know that there are others worse off than we are, but it still isn't easy. We're thankful for so many things - thankful that my dad is home, thankful that he wasn't in much pain once the surgery was completed, thankful that Grandpa's cancer was found now and not later, thankful that things are progressing to have it taken care of - God has blessed us even in the midst of our storm. We're not out of it yet so continued prayers are very much appreciated right now.