I was walking through our kitchen the other day, and noticed the sun shining in through our curtains in a way I had never seen before.  I tried to figure out how this happened, and it never really made total sense to me.  I guess the folds in the curtains were just right, but still the fact that no other window was affected by the light must have meant that the clouds were aligned just right over the sun so that only this section of our windows was catching its rays.  Anyway, this is what I saw on our kitchen floor:

Some might call me crazy for even noticing, even thinking that maybe God was sending love from Nick and Adrienne, but I don't really care.  This tiny gift that came from the sky was enough for me as December 2011 ended and we braced for yet another year of living in midst of our grief.I share these pictures as a reminder of the fact that in this life there are going to be a lot of things that happen that will cause us to have a downward look (illness, rejection, loss, pain, sadness, hurt, etc.), but even in the act of looking down God can speak from above.  He is omnipresent, which means He is in your upward worship and He is in your downcast spirit, He is behind you, before you, beside you, above you, and YES, He is below you............

Trust Him in the good times and lean on Him in the bad times.

While Nick was fighting cancer, we met many wonderful families on the same road of cancer.

One family in particular became very close to us.  You might remember praying for Jenna as you prayed for Nick.  Jenna won her fight with leukemia, and she is doing great!  We are so happy for them about this!  However, not long after their life became somewhat normal again, Jeff (Jenna's dad and prayer warrior), was diagnosed with ALS.  His journey for the past couple of years has been heart wrenching,and we received word yesterday that He has been called home.  Maybe the hearts on my kitchen floor represented Nick meeting Jeff again, or maybe they were just God's reminder that His love goes in all directions.  Whatever the case, I believe wholeheartedly that the light shining in my kitchen windows was met for me and for you, so I am sharing it today as I share some of Jeff's words with you  that he penned several months ago.

I want you to see in living color what it means to think "UP!" even when you're looking down.....Here are the words of Jeff along with his photo after the ALS had begun to transform his firefighter figure into a wheelchair laden man of God.

"it was the best of times, it was the worst of times....,"

Charles Dickens was so right.

"There is nothing good about my life."  my 9 yr old daughter said that to me one day in 2006 as she lay in her bed at NCH fighting leukemia.   I don't know my reply, I was so stunned.  it was the low moment of my life.  still is.  no 9 yr old should ever utter such words.

now this 49 yr old feels tempted at times to utter the same words...almost.  shame.

I weep for my old life.  I can't remember it.

I no longer walk, I barely can talk, or eat.  most of my food goes thru my tube.  mmmmm!

Gina does EVERYTHING for me----praise.

but,  this is not the end.

W. CHURCHILL said in 1940 after the ENGLISH Defeated the  Germans in the  BATTLE OF BRITAIN, knowing that final victory still lie years ahead,   "this is not the end,  it's not even the beginning of the end,  but perhaps it is the end of the beginning."

don't know how long I'll remain on this earth. but I know it's not the end.  not even close!  it is only the end of the beginning of my everlasting life with CHRIST!    Then will the good stuff begin!  And never end.

Are these times your best?  is this life on earth all there is for you?  80 years or so....or 5 or 10 or 49?
I pray not.  like the flower these times will one day wither and fade away.
I sometimes feel sorry for myself, my life now.

But I must deal in Gods truth not feelings.       

HIS promises far outweigh MY pains and sufferings.  AMEN.

come to CHRIST, know HIM.  Serve HIM.

trust me, the best is yet to come.
PRAY FOR US.

I STILL BELIEVE......

Please keep Gina and their three daughters in your prayers today along with Charlotte and Martha and so many others who face each new day thinking "up" but with many reasons to look down.

If you find yourself looking down today, please know God is there with you.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan,

the heights of Hermon-from Mount Mizar.

Psalm 42:5-6