27 weeks and 2 days ago Corrie and I sat in a small room surrounded by a curtain and received the news that we had experienced a miscarriage and lost the child Corrie had carried for 12 weeks. It was a feeling of devastation and overwhelming loss. Having seen 2 prior pregnancies to full term without complication, we were shocked by this sudden turn of events. Later that evening an ultrasound was done to confirm the earlier results of blood work. When that screen came on, I saw a little baby that was very much alive.
This afternoon just after 1:36 pm I held that little baby in my arms.
I couldn’t help but think back to that very long night in the emergency room. I’m not saying that God chose to allow our baby to live while others have experienced the reality of miscarriage and death, but I am so thankful that sometimes a doctor’s report isn’t always the final verdict. I’m thankful that I got to hold my 3rd son in my arms today. I’m thankful my wife had a healthy pregnancy and wonderful delivery.
I’m thankful that in our case there was life after death.
Today is a big day for me. We started selling my new book “you’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either” yesterday at Mt. Paran North. Now it’s available to you online. Watch this 3 minute overview of the book if you’d like to get another look at what the book is about. There is a link provided below as well to use for purchase at the forwardleadership store. The total price that you see includes shipping. Order as many as you’d like.
Small Group materials will be available beginning next week. Thanks for joining with us in the cause to re-score people! Happy reading!
The book can be purchased online HERE. Remember, the total cost shown includes shipping.
As I stated in THIS POST we will look each day this week at an portion of some of the chapters in my book “You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either”. You can buy the book beginning next Monday, May 18th on forwardleadership.org.
The chapter today is the conclusion:
The week I was born my maternal grandfather, Paul Lanier, had his first open heart surgery. My dad tells the story that while he was lying on the bed about to be wheeled to surgery he made this statement:
“When you get to this point you realize it doesn’t matter what churches you pastored or how successful you’ve been. When you get here, you evaluate your relationship with God and your relationship with your family. Those are the only things that matter.” (my paraphrase)
This was the same man who prioritized his life with the phrase “God, family, church”. He had an understanding that if he kept these priorities the people that mattered most would fill in his “life sentence” with words like loving, caring, faithful, provider, and more. That was enough for him. Sure enough, when he passed away in the summer of 1995, the days surrounding his funeral were filled with countless tales from his wife, children, and grandchildren about the man he was.
When I think of PeePaw Lanier I think about the time he and I snuck to get ice cream on the way home. Sitting in the only kind of car I can ever remember him driving, a Honda Accord, he said, “don’t tell your mom or your grandmother. They’ll think I’m ruining you for dinner, and I’ll get in trouble.” I remember his smile that day, and the feel of those cheap napkins you get at ice cream shops. I remember that ordinary day.
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I’m not naïve enough to believe that people won’t ever remember your great successes and your terrible failures. Nor do I believe that everyone is living their life right now seeking fame, fortune, and fallen giants or running from sorrow, misery, and utter failure. I understand that people are wired differently. Women are more relational, by nature. The life sentences they use to describe people might sound like “she was Jon’s wife” or “that was Henry’s dad”. Most men are wired to strive for achievement, but not always in unhealthy ways. None of this negates my theory.
What I do believe is that culture attempts to force on us a definition of success and failure that can cause us to live for instant results only. Because of the way culture and society highlights these two extremes of high and low they will always be around.
But that’s not really what this book is about.
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Maybe you’ve reached the top, or hit the bottom. Have you believed the lie? Because of your success, do you believe all the press clippings? With your failure, do you feel neglected, abandoned, or devalued? There’s good news.
You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either. Say that a couple of times out loud. There is value in your life. It has nothing to do with home runs, slaying giants or great success. It has nothing to do with adultery, cover-ups, and mistakes. Your real value to others is found in the ordinary way you treat people on ordinary days. People will remember you, and the way you live determines what they’ll remember.
As I stated in THIS POST we will look each day this week at an portion of some of the chapters in my book “You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either”. You can buy the book beginning next Monday, May 18th on forwardleadership.org.
The chapter today is about David’s leadership:
“David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”
1 Samuel 22:1-2
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So David’s in a cave with 400 men, and I can wrap my mind around why they showed up. But they stayed. A lot of these men are David’s trusted generals and aides when he becomes King. They fight battles with him between now and then. So, what made them stay? We could say they knew he would be the next king and wanted to be around for that. We could say it was because they had nowhere else to go. We could say that David had an ability to care for and lead these kinds of people in a way that left them fulfilled. Whatever the reason, they stayed, and David
“became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”
1 Samuel 22:2
How does someone become a leader? It’s been said that you aren’t a leader until people are following you. So these 400 men started following David. But what does becoming a leader look like? Is it an event, or a process?
I think it’s a process. If someone were to walk into my office today and say I’m your leader, that wouldn’t make it true. They may have a title or position that declares it, but they don’t become my leader until I submit to their leadership and begin to follow them. So for David to become their leader, there is a process of training, inspiring, and leading for them to get a glimpse of who he is. Is he worth following? He’s on the run for his life, am I willing to be linked to that? Do I trust him? Will I fight for him? In battle, will I risk my life for him? What does he stand for?
As I stated in THIS POST we will look each day this week at an portion of some of the chapters in my book “You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either”. You can buy the book beginning next Monday, May 18th on forwardleadership.org.
The chapter today is about David’s integrity:
Can I be honest? I struggled with the word to title this chapter. I knew exactly what I wanted to say and the Scripture reference that would be used, but I struggled with the right word. I tossed around ten or twelve words. I used a thesaurus. I asked several people, and we landed on know-how. I didn’t even know it was a real word, but it is. And it’s in the dictionary. I think it describes what I want to say better than anything else.
Know-how defines itself. If I were to ask someone, “Do you have the know-how?” I want to know if they know how to do something. I don’t have the know-how to change my own oil, but maybe you do. I do have the know-how to hit a golf ball, maybe you don’t.
What’s interesting to me is that some know-how seems to be instinctive. My cousin Aaron always had mechanical know-how. From an early age he was building things out of other things that didn’t have anything to do with each other. I still can’t really do this. It seemed like an innate ability, almost a God-given know-how.
On the other hand, my ability to hit a golf ball well was neither God given, nor innate. I’ve hit a lot of golf balls poorly to be able to hit some now in the general direction, the general distance I want to hit them. It was a learned trait I picked up by watching and playing with good golfers, and lots of practice.
I think David had some know-how. It comes from a fascinating story in 1 Samuel 30.
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David and his men home. Upon returning to their homes in Ziklag they are greeted with a disturbing reality.
Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
1 Samuel 30:1-3
Their enemies, the Amalekites, had come in while they were away fighting and burned down their homes and taken all their wives and children. This would always be bad, but for men returning home from battle this is devastating news. I’m sure they had planned on coming home to spend time with their children. They probably envisioned sleeping in their own beds. But that was now impossible. These strong men were so overcome with emotion that they wept, “until they could weep no more”.
After David finishes crying for his lost family he begins to get worried. His men are looking for someone to blame. They need someone to pay for what has happened to their possessions and their families. There is talk of stoning David as retribution.
If I’m David, I am ticked off at God. There would probably be some shouting involved in my next conversation with Him. I would probably question His plan for my life. This cannot be what God had in mind when He commanded Samuel to anoint David to be the next king of Israel. He’s on the run for his life. He’s been fighting with the Philistines, another of Israel’s enemies. They have now turned him away. He returns home to find his village burned down, his family and those of his men are missing. Now the guys are talking about stoning him to death.
Where is God in all this?
But look how he responds, “but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV)
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My wife Corrie is the middle child in a family of three sisters. Her mom, Cindy, is a wonderful woman of faith who has spent most of Corrie’s life as a single parent. As most single parents might attest, money’s always a little tight. While the Lord was always faithful and Cindy had good jobs, one income and three girls to feed, clothe and provide for usually meant the money ran out before the month. As long as I’ve known Corrie, she has talked about hearing her mom pray in the little laundry room of their duplex early in the morning or late at night.
Corrie tells of several occasions when the money ran out before the month did and they needed food. She would hear her mom in that little laundry room asking God for help. As Corrie tells the story, there was more than one occasion when they would open the front door to find groceries on the steps. She recalls one Sunday walking out to their car after church to find it filled with grocery bags. You don’t think this affects Corrie’s prayer life?
When money’s a little tight, or the bills keep coming and Corrie and I are praying for God’s provision, she is praying to the God that came through with those groceries. She is praying to a God that she knows can answer prayers. She relies on her know-how.
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I don’t know if David’s know-how was God given from birth or if was a developed ability. What I do know is that David knew right where to turn when things got bad. Do you? Do I?
How do you respond when the world is falling down around you? Like David, have you lost family members? Have you had friends to turn on you? What did you do? How did you respond?
What do you think it means to “encourage yourself in the Lord”?
As I stated in THIS POST we will look each day this week at an portion of some of the chapters in my book “You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either”. You can buy the book beginning next Monday, May 18th on forwardleadership.org.
The chapter today is about David’s integrity:
“Turn your test over, and begin.”
These words still make chills run down my spine. Tests aren’t usually fun. They are even less fun when we are the test subjects. When a doctor is poking and prodding to find a source of pain or an imperfection. When the personal trainer wants us to do two more sets to see what we’re capable of. Not fun!
Recently my Pastor preached out of Proverbs 17:3 where it says “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.”
He looked at the purpose of the crucible and the furnace for removing imperfections from these precious metals. So to then equate this process to the Lord testing our hearts, we are confronted with the idea that God is attempting to identify impurities in us. But doesn’t He already know?
“would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?”
Psalm 44:21
My Pastor contends, and I agree, that these tests allow us to see the contents of our own heart. We have become so good at hiding, justifying, and twisting our motives, that it takes the heat and pressure of a test to reveal the real “us”. This is where we find David.
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David is standing in a place you and I have been before. He has to decide between doing what’s right and doing what he wants to do. I usually do what I want to do. I seek revenge. I bear a grudge. I don’t love my neighbor as myself. Those things are hard to do, so I choose door number two. What would David do?
“Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.”
1 Samuel 24:4b-7
“Conscience-stricken”. When was the last time that happened to you? This is not the justifier at work in you, this is the moral compass inside each of us in hyper mode with sirens blaring, alarms going off and turning your insides to knots.
David decided to do what was right. He even felt bad for a hint of harm done to Saul. He then explains himself to his men and forbids them to do anything to Saul either. I have to believe this simple act, or inaction, endears him to his men. I think this because of how drawn I am to people when their integrity is revealed.
What’s the greatest example of someone’s integrity being revealed?
As I stated in THIS POST we will look each day this week at an portion of some of the chapters in my book “You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either”. You can buy the book beginning next Monday, May 18th at forwardleadership.org.
The chapter today is about David’s loyalty:
————— Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”
1 Samuel 20:4
David and Jonathan’s relationship is an amazing testament of loyalty. The preceding verses are David talking to Jonathan about the fact that Saul is trying to kill him. Jonathan is standing between loyalty to a friend and his father. What amazes me about this story is Jonathan’s ability to be loyal to them both, even though they are at odds with each other, and David’s loyalty to his “competition” for the throne. In this case Jonathan makes a covenant to David that he will help him avoid being killed. Later we see Jonathan marching with his father to the top of Mount Gilbah in battle, where he would lose his life. But this book isn’t about Jonathan, let’s look at David’s loyalty.
But if my father is inclined to harm you, may the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away safely. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD call David’s enemies to account.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
1 Samuel 20:13-17
This makes no sense. For David, the anointed successor to Saul, to maintain loyalty to Jonathan, and his bloodline, flies in the face of conventional thinking. It was commonplace for new kings and rulers to have all descendents of the former rulers killed. This would put to rest any chance of loyalists calling for the old line to be restored. But David, out of his love for and loyalty to Jonathan agrees to extend kindness to his family. And he makes good on his promise.
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”… “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him (Mephibosheth), “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
2 Samuel 9:1,7
David is now the King. He can do whatever he wants, and he chooses to honor his agreement to a dead man and protect the lineage of his friend. He was following through. He was showing mercy.
He was being loyal.
Why do you think loyalty is so valued in our relationships?
As I stated in THIS POST we will look each day this week at an portion of some of the chapters in my book “You’re not as good as they say you are, but you’re not that bad either”. You can buy the book beginning next Monday, May 18th at forwardleadership.org.
The chapter today is about David’s faithfulness:
Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
1 Samuel 16:19
I try to read the Bible with a dose of present day reality. I want the characters in these stories to feel human, but I can assure you this is not where I would be right after being anointed to be King. Yet this is where we find David. Why? Because he was faithful. There are countless other stories that echo this truth about his life. Here’s one of my favorites:
Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.
1 Samuel 17:17-18
These are the verses that describe how David got to the battle with Goliath. He was carrying bread and cheese to his brothers. He was doing what his father asked. A few verses before this it alludes to the fact that David, who has already been anointed King, “went back and forth” between serving Saul and tending his father’s sheep. He was faithfully doing what his father needed him to do.
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I delivered pizzas for several years while I was in college. Still to this day it’s some of the best money I’ve ever made. When I first started the job I wasn’t thinking about the future, I was thinking about not starving to death. So I worked a job where I could make some money and take home free food at the end of the day. However, over the course of those few years I began to get a small glimpse of what God was leading me to do. I had a “Damascus road” type moment, like Paul, while in a chapel service at the college I attended.
I was sitting in the balcony one Sunday night doing homework while a man I can’t remember was preaching his heart out on stage. At some point during the message I looked up from my book and started listening. I don’t think it was necessarily anything he said that got my attention, but I closed my book and started to focus. It was at that moment that I felt God really stirring some things on the inside of me. Now, if you’ve never experienced that it probably sounds like the craziest thing in the world. But to me, it was real. I knew that God was igniting something inside of me that I had never experienced before.
A few minutes later the speaker opened the altars for anyone who wanted to “seek God”. I’m not sure if that’s really what I needed to do, but I needed to step out of my seat and spend a few minutes talking to Him. I knelt beside the right stairs leading onto the stage of the Conn Center at Lee University that night and said these words, “Okay God. I’ll go anywhere you want me to go. I’ll do anything you want me to do. Just show me the way.” I believe those kinds of prayers have been prayed throughout history by individuals really wanting to be used by God. I sincerely meant the words I prayed that night, and knew that God was calling me to a life of ministry. I got up and went back to my seat. The next day I went to class, and then to work to deliver pizzas.
Over the next several weeks I began to get frustrated. How was this what God had in mind for me? When I told God I’d go anywhere, I didn’t mean to the south side of town to make a measly 50-cent tip. Then two things happened that have altered my life.
The first occurred in my dad’s office one afternoon when I was home for a visit. I talked to him about what God was doing in my life, and how frustrated I was that I didn’t know how this could be a part of what God had for me. I remember asking, “How can delivering pizzas help me prepare for ministry?” I’ll never forget his response:
“Just be faithful. You be the best pizza delivery guy you can be. Take the time you have in your car by yourself to talk to the Lord. Listen to good preachers on CD. Practice preaching yourself. Show up to work on time. Work hard while you’re there. When God needs you, he’ll know where to find you.”
Some of you just skimmed over that and kept going. Do something for me. Go back and read it again. I get chills even as I’m writing this now. Just be faithful. I mean, I can’t tell you that my ability to deliver pizzas makes me a better Student Pastor today, but I can tell you that I have preached messages over the last several years that were birthed in that little Volkswagen Jetta driving around Cleveland, Tennessee….
How do you stay faithful when your present surroundings don’t line up with your understanding of what God said He would do in your life (ie. Abraham & Isaac, Joseph, David, etc)?
How’s that for a title? I hope pretty good because it is the title of my first book which will debut next Sunday, May 17 at Mount Paran North and be available online on Monday, May 18 at forwardleadership.org.
The entire book is based on a theory I have about how we score people. We most commonly score them, and reference them, by their greatest achievement or their worst failure. Take David from the Bible for instance. He is most commonly referenced by his greatest day against Goliath or his worst day with Bathsheba. However, this doesn’t really give us a true glimpse of who he is. I contend that David, just like you and me, can be more clearly understood when you total all of his days- greatest, worst, and the ordinary in between. When we refuse to believe the lie that we are only as good as our high or as bad as our low we disqualify ourselves from being used by God based on a criteria that doesn’t exist.
The book begins with a fiction fable of a young man who makes it to the major leagues of baseball and has some instant success. We then re-engage his story 35 years later and learn about his life since those early years.
The second portion of the book looks at David’s high, his low, and 5 other stories that I think shed more light on his character, personality, and nature. Each day this week we will look at an excerpt from chapters in this second part of the book.
It is my hope that these next few days you will begin to see how this theory of highs and lows has corrupted our ability to see potential in the ordinary.
Obviously, I’d love it if you’d buy the book or accompanying small group material beginning next Monday, May 18. If you have no desire, I still encourage you to connect with us this week.
I hate waiting. If I pull up to a restaurant and people are standing outside, I pull off. If I can pull through a parking lot or take another route to avoid sitting at a red light, I go that way.
Recently I have been doing a lot of waiting.
As many of you know, 3 weeks ago today, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer. After receiving the news on that Friday morning, we had to wait until Monday morning for surgery to reveal the full extent of what we were dealing with. Since then we’ve had to wait until mom can get healthy and strong in order to begin chemo therapy.
My wife, Corrie is 9 months pregnant. At her last appointment on Monday we were told she could go any day. Today is Friday…still no baby. So we’re waiting.
Several weeks ago I finished my first book manuscript, and submitted it to the publisher for printing. I am told I should have it in my hands sometime next week. So I wait.
I’m going crazy. I don’t like to wait. How about you?
April 26, 2009 at 4:50 pm · Filed under Family, Personal
As you probably already know, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer this past week. Upon learning of the original tumor in her colon my dad called and asked me to come to Ohio as soon as I could get there. I caught a direct flight just 3 hours later and went straight to the hospital. My brother arrived a few hours later. When he arrived he hugged dad while dad cried. Jason never said a word. He just held him. He was just there.
Over the next few days several other family member arrived.
On Monday, a number of pastors from around Northern Ohio, where mom and dad serve, came to the hospital to sit with us during surgery.
Surgery didn’t go as we expected and we received unexpected news about the location and progression of her cancer. I called my wife, Corrie, and asked her to get to Ohio as soon as she could. I just needed her to be with me.
On Tuesday I received a call about 11 am from my Pastor. He asked if I was at the hospital. I said I was, and he informed me that he and our Administrative Pastor were in the lobby. They had flown up that morning, rented a car from the airport, and driven to the hospital just be with me and my family for a few hours. They spent some time with my mom, and took me to lunch before catching a later flight back home.
Throughout the week some of our closest friends called to tell us they were on the way. Some just showed up at the hospital and surprised us.
Some of dad’s colleagues and pastors helped pick people up from the airport, bring us food at the hospital, brought food to the house, came to sit at the hospital, or called to check on us.
As I type this, some of mom and dad’s friends just left, and another couple is planning to arrive tomorrow…just to help!
Some of the people I mentioned said profound things. Others prayed incredible prayers. Some of them sat in the quiet of mom’s room to give one of us a break so she wouldn’t be by herself.
This week, more than ever before I discovered the power of presence!
April 18, 2009 at 6:03 am · Filed under Family, Personal
Yesterday (Friday) was a dark day in the history of our family. My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Below are updates as information changes. Feel free to bookmark this page and check back or subscribe to it in your RSS reader so you get updates. Thanks
UPDATE #1: (Saturday morning)
Surgery will be on Monday at 8am. We don’t yet know if the cancer has spread, infected other organs, or been isolated, though doctor felt confident he could get the tumor. He will also run tests on her lymphnodes and blood to see if and where it has spread. We should know those results within 5-7 days after surgery.
Update #2: (Saturday evening)
We received several good reports on mom today. First, the upper GI scope revealed no tumors or abnormalities in her stomach. The CT Scan showed the same in her liver and lymphnodes. This doesn’t mean there isn’t anything there, but that there aren’t large masses. On a microscopic level they may show up after Monday’s surgery. Thanks for all the texts, Facebook messages, and calls that mom, dad, Jason, and I have. Thanks also for understanding if we can’t get back to you right away. More than anything it’s comforting to know we aren’t alone. Thanks for your prayers.
Update #3: (Sunday afternoon)
Mom is doing well today. We had another conversation with the doctor, and we are continuing to prepare for surgery. We watched the internet stream from the Mt. Paran North service where Pastor Mark led the congregation in prayer for mom which was a huge blessing to us. We also watched Rivercity to hear Jason preach. The Lord’s presence filled the hospital room where mom, dad, and I were. If you are looking for specific prayer requests, I would ask that you pray for peace and rest for mom and dad. As you can imagine, and some of you have experienced, the waiting causes your mind to think a lot of crazy thoughts. Our faith is strong!
It’s not just words…our family of minister’s have prayed these kinds of prayers for people for years…we believe God is going to come through on our behalf.
Update #4: (Sunday Night)
Dad has written an open letter HERE. I encourage you to read it. We are believing that God will show Himself mighty in the morning at 8am. Thanks to those of you who will be joining with us in prayer!
Update 5: (Monday 8:30 am)
Mom has been taken back to surgery. We aren’t supposed to hear anything for several hours. Our spirits are high today and we are believing God for a miracle!
Update 6: (Monday 4:30 pm)
On Monday, April 20, 2009 Kathy Isaacs had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in her colon. Upon completion of the surgery we were notified that the tumor was removed, but an aggressive chemo therapy treatment within the next few weeks will be needed. Our family will have a long road ahead, but we are optimistic that Kathy, with God’s grace, will come through with a greater story to tell. We need and appreciate your prayers and support. We are receiving your emails, however please direct all phone calls for the next few days to the Northern Ohio State Office (330-668- 9995) As you can imagine we are unable to respond to all the messages and calls, but please know how much the Isaacs family appreciates them all.
Update #7: (Tuesday 12 pm)
Mom is doing so well today recovering from such a big surgery yesterday. She’s been up walking around, and her spirits are up. We’ve seen some of the doctors already today. We are still waiting to see the oncologist in the next day or so. Mom plans to start blogging and providing facebook and twitter updates soon to communicate with well wishers and prayer partners. I’ll give you those URL’s and addresses when she begins that.
We just met with the Oncologist to hear the pathology report. There really was no new information. He confirmed that it was Stage 4 Colon Cancer that had spread and not another type of cancer. She has one of the most common types of Colon Cancer which was encouraging for us because it allows us to make use of a larger base of knowledge and testing. She will go home in another few days and then continue the healing process from her surgery. Within a few weeks, once she has healed enough, she will begin chemo therapy.
Though no brand new information was revealed, we were encouraged by the confirmed information and the proposed therapy to follow.
We appreciate all your prayers to this point, and ask for continued prayers for strength in mom’s body and her healing!
Here are the words mom asked me to type on the wall of the Facebook prayer group that was started for her:
“This is day 3 after surgery. I’m on the mend. Thank you for your prayers. You are so kind for joining this group, and praying for me. The doctors and nurses have been wonderful, but some of their reports haven’t been what we wanted to hear. But you and I know that God is ultimately in control. I am still believing for healing. If God chooses to do that through Chemo Therapy, so be it. I ask for your prayers for strength to do that. I don’t believe the Lord’s through with me yet! And I can’t wait to tell the story.”
Mom got to go home from the hospital today. I have come back home to Atlanta, so dad’s giving the best updates over on Forwardleadership and through the Facebook prayer group (which just passed over 2300 members…wow!). I’m going to stop the updates on this specific post, and resume writing new posts, some of which will be about mom, her journey through chemo, and our family’s journey with her. If you choose to follow along with me, you may want to change your bookmark or RSS subscription to MY HOMEPAGE. I started with THIS POST today.
Thanks again for all your prayers, comments, and support!
-Jeremy
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God is with us!
We woke up today to find enough grace for today. I trust that God will do the same each morning!
April 16, 2009 at 2:27 pm · Filed under Church, Humor
Here is the latest promo video for my brother’s church. Obviously they were inspired by LifeChurch.tv. The devil is a good friend of ours. Very funny. He serves as the Mission’s Pastor at Trinity Chapel here in Atlanta.
I realize this isn’t a job board, but I thought I try to tap into our growing network.
I am in the process of acquiring resumes from people interested in our Middle School Pastor opening at Mt. Paran North in Marietta, GA. This is a full time position that reports to me as the Director of Student Ministries. The position will be filled by the first week of July at the conclusion of this year’s Middle School summer camp in Myrtle Beach, SC. At that time our current MS pastor will be leaving to launch a traveling preaching and worship ministry. If you or someone you know might have interest feel free to pass along my email address jeremy at mtparan dot com.
This is my personal blog. Most of what is written is my opinion, observation, original thought, or things I find interesting somewhere else. While I am employed by Mt. Paran North, the things expressed here are not endorsed or necessarily accepted by Mt. Paran North or it's leadership. So don't go sue the church because you don't agree with something I write. Just post a comment and tell me I'm an idiot. It'll just be better for all of us.
