A Day of Rest

The yard sale went well yesterday. It was especially a great time to connect with friends we had not seen for awhile and several of our folks from Southwood. The distance award goes to some very dear friends who drove up from Annapolis, Maryland. It was great to get things cleaned out. The attic is looking almost usable. More yard sales to come.

We are both very tired from three full days of treatment and all the work for the yard sale so are making this a day of rest and staying home. Our daughter Kara was phenomenal is helping us get ready and helping with the yard sale itself. She gets the supermom award and all of our affection for being a beloved daughter. I had my first bout with nausea yesterday but it finally passed and I didn’t lose anything. Our son ended up at Underwood’s ER yesterday because of a bad case of strep throat. I was hard not to jump in the car and rush to the hospital to be by his side. He has certainly been by my side for the last nine months. Dottie and Bethany along with Jen were able to be there. I feel like my legs have been cut off. He now has some meds and is resting in his new apartment.

I was refreshed again early this morning by Ken Boa’s teaching in Romans 5, especially the first verses:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, {2} through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:1-5)

And these comments and aphorisms that he picked up from Vance Havnor:
You come into your hope in times of adversity, when your options are few. The easier things are the harder it will be to embrace a biblical hope. God may use severe mercy to take away foolish aspirations. He uses times of many alternatives to forge our convictions, or at least how it should be. Hope is forged in pain. Hope in God’s promises never disappoints.

Vance Havnor aphorisms:
- A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing
- Worry is the dark room in which negatives develop
- You can’t be optimistic with a misty optic
- God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called
- When the outlook is bad, we still have the uplook

Be encouraged today by the greatness and goodness of God. May you allow Him to keep a firm grip on your heart. As a faith assignment, take Romans 5:1-5 and each day ask, if this my truth and reality, what would happen if I allowed my life to be conformed to this truth and reality?