I will not fear

Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)
Chris Tomlin

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light

Whom shall I fear

You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though troubles linger still

Whom shall I fear

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises

You are faithful
You are faithful

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises

You are faithful
You are faithful
You are faithful

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The song of Hope

   This morning I ran outside, not too happy with life. I was pretty frustrated at the whole fact that I'm sitting here at home, working a job that half the time I have a hard time enjoying and I'm stuck with no "dream" to live.  Three of my siblings were off living their childhood dreams when they were 19 and then there's me "stuck at home," I bluntly asked God "when do I get to live my life?"

Then I stopped dead in my tracks. I heard a chickadee singing the song of spring. Tears sprang to my eyes. How selfish am I?? This little bird was singing in the bitter cold. I could see my breath and feel the raw sting of the wind nipping at my cheeks, yet this little fell'er sang as if he was the happiest thing alive!! 

  I turned to finish my trek whispering "Jesus help me be like that. Help me sing the song of hope and help some weary traveler on this journey. Help me sing my heart out for the audience of One. Help me sing even if my life isn't what I thought it would be."                                                            

  That little bird didn't know I was listening yet he sang as if he had the attention of a thousand fans. I mean really what bird sings in December??  All I can say is that God told him to sing. "Jesus help me sing like that when you whisper 'sing' I wanna sing like that even if it's in the bitter days of December.  Even when I think no ones listening.  I wanna sing...just...like... that.

       I just want to do a quick update on my Dad.  Thank you guys sooooo much for praying over last weekend!!!!   Dad felt good the entire weekend and was able to get around and do lots of fun stuff with the family.  As you can see, we were all having a good time!!! :):)

He still has some pain but continues to work and do things as he has the energy to do so.

Yep.....I love these crazy people!!!:):) 

    Please pray for my Dad tonight....it seems that his side affects of  radiation is catching up with him or something.  He was very exhausted today and he had some nausea and possibly a slit fever.  I know in my last update on him I said that he was on his last week of radiation but then I found out I was mistaken and he still has this next week of radiation in front of him.  Mom is not sure what we should do about his treatment tomorrow.  I guess pray that he will recover enough tonight to so that he can finish his radiation.  We'd rather not string this process out longer then necessary.
   Another thing is....this weekend all my married siblings are coming home and just pray that this next weekend he would feel ok without to many side affects.  It would be so nice for him to be able to enjoy his family without feeling sick.  Thank you you guys sooooo much for you prayers!!!!!  

Glorious Unfolding

Steven Curtis Chapman

Lay your head down tonight

Take a rest from the fight

Don’t try to figure it out

Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart

‘Cause I know this is not

Anything like you thought

The story of your life was gonna be

And it feels like the end has started closing in on you

But it’s just not true

There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding

Just you wait and see and you will be amazed

You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over

So hold on to every promise God has made to us

And watch this glorious unfolding

God’s plan from the start

For this world and your heart

Has been to show His glory and His grace

Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of

His unfailing Love

And the story has only begun

And this is going to be a glorious unfolding

Just you wait and see and you will be amazed

We’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over

So hold on to every promise God has made to us

And watch this glorious unfolding

We were made to run through fields of forever

Singing songs to our Savior and King

So let us remember this life we’re living

Is just the beginning of the beginning

Of this glorious unfolding

We will watch and see and we will be amazed

If we just keep on believing the story is so far from over

And hold on to every promise God has made to us

We’ll see the glorious unfolding

Just watch and see (unfolding)

This is just the beginning of the beginning (unfolding)

I think it's time for another update.  We are on the last week of treatment!!!! Yeeeeaaaahhhh!!!!!! {Happy sigh....sad smile.}
   Dad has definitely made some progress. He has moved to using a cane now and hes pretty much not even touched his walker for the last few days.
   He experiences the side affects form his radiation\chemo off and on.  He faces tiredness probably the most.
   Thank you  for all your prayers!! The journeys not over but I'm soooo thankful for the happy changes!!:):)

    I was driving home from the hospital when I let some of my questions out.  "How do you hope when you can see reality?"   Everyday since then I've groped for the answer.  I've wondered what hope is made of? If there really is an end to hope?  Is there ever a time when you just plane run out of hope? Some times it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimer in stead of brighter.  

    Then this morning I opened my Bible I started reading Psalm 71(esv).  "In you, oh Lord, do I take refuge...Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come...for you are my rock and my fortress...Rescue me, O my God..." I turned the page, "for you, are my hope ..."

I stopped.  I jerked up till my face was 2 inches away from the page and I stared.  I read it out loud.  I looked up, seeing nothing, just trying to get my mind around it.  So, simple, so true, so undeniable and completely unarguable.  How did I not know this before?? 

     I kept reading, I thought my revelation for the day was done. Then my eyes glanced over another verse. "But I will hope continually."  It was an invitation...it was like God looked at me and went, "Well I showed you hope, now are you going to accept it?? If you believe it, then are you going to use it?? Now that you know that there is hope are you going to hope??"  Words seemed no match to what i wanted to say, all I could do was repeat the words in the verse, "I will hope continually." No matter what happens in the future I will hope...because He is my hope.  Facts and reality can stare me in the face, "But I will hope continually."   I have no hope...except Jesus!!  

I thought this song pretty much sums it up. 

 

Hope in Front of Me 

Danny Gokey

I've been running through rain that I thought would never end

Trying to make it on faith in a struggle against the wind

I've seen the dark and the broken places

But I know in my soul no matter how bad it gets, I'll be alright

There's hope in front of me

There's a light I still see it

There's a hand still holding me

Even when I don't believe it

I might be down but I'm not dead

There's better days still up ahead

Even after all I've seen, there's hope in front of me

There's a place at the end of the storm you'll finally find

Where the hurt and the tears and the pain all fall behind

You open up your eyes and up ahead there's a big sun shining

Right then and there you realize, you'll be alright

There's hope in front of me

There's a light I still see it

There's a hand still holding me

Even when I don't believe it

I might be down but I'm not dead

There's better days still up ahead

Even after all I've seen, there's hope in front of me

There's a hope still burning

I can feel it rising through the night

And my world's still turning

I can feel Your love here by my side

You're my hope

You're the light I still see it

Your hands are holding me

Even when I don't believe

Oh, I've got to believe, I‘ve got to believe

I still have hope

You are my hope