Saturday, April 11, 2015

Saturday's Scribbles

It is another Saturday, and the sun is shining once again.  It has been a roller coaster ride in our corner of the world this past week with weather and with our health.  Snow, sleet, rain, and sunshine have all come to visit, but not stay long.  Today it is calm, and everything is finally returning to normal, which is really a matter of perception, isn't it.  I could reflect a long time on the definition of normal!

Last Saturday Joel was so ill, I knew it had to be God who would get him through Easter Sunday.  Well, God did more than just get him through!  Joel took 5 naps Saturday, used essential oils and aspirin and headed to bed with a fever of nearly 102, hacking, chills, aching, and just plain feeling awful.  He did ask someone to help him with liturgy on Easter since he was coughing so much, but he strongly believed he would be better in the morning.  At 4am he woke up soaked in a sweat as the fever finally broke.  It seems 4am is his time.....that is what time he woke up when he was miraculously healed 3 years ago!  The cough subsided, the fever and pain left, and the energy returned.  We were all amazed to watch him run around on Sunday, keeping the service moving, and preach a great sermon!  Only God!!!  He even went for a walk Sunday afternoon.  Yippee!!

We had a nice time with our daughter and family here.  Enjoyed being with the grands, and I loved having someone to sit with during worship.  I miss that the most on Sunday.  For dinner we had pork and ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fruit salad,  with strawberry shortcake for dessert.  We were able to put deck chairs out and sit in the sun, go for a walk, and enjoy the fellowship with family.  Nice.  They headed home Monday morning and we walked again, and putzed to keep from missing them, but by that night I was feeling a bit off.  Tuesday, Wednesday, and most of Thursday I was under my Woolie (wool comforter) in PJ's, going through a box and a half of Kleenix, and heading to bed by 8pm.  Friday I felt like I was coming back to the land of the living and today I am able to type sentences that make sense (giggle) and go for a short walk.   It will be warm enough to open windows and get the fresh air in and germs out.  Seriously, this has been a challenging season of sickness here and we are so over it!

Now that we have told people we are going to Gold Canyon, we are learning how small our world is as so many winter there or know others who do!  It seems half the Midwest heads to Arizona when the snow is high and the temperatures are low.  Wonder how many visitors we will have?!

Next Saturday Joel and I will be doing a seminar on healing at a Lutheran church in a small SW Minnesota town.  A lot of people in their area battle Lyme Disease and a few wanted to hear our Lyme stories of healing.  It is one of those....a retired pastor heard Joel preach one Sunday a year ago about our healing and he told his daughter whose whole family battles Lyme.  She called Joel, and then she told their pastor......he told the church council and they approved us coming.  We will have a morning session, lunch, then an afternoon session ending with a worship and healing service.  It is both exciting and a bit scary since this type of format is new for us.  We have spoken at a luncheon, and we taught a 9  week Bible Study on healing at a church Joel was doing staff support for last year.  God has given us another opportunity to share our stories and speak His Word on healing. so we will do so.   Yippee.

Someone might be thinking, "Hmmm How can they speak on healing when they both were so sick with influenza.  You may think, see, this proves God does not want everyone well....but even in sickness, we believe God wants us well.  He does not choose who will be healed, and who will not.  He does not punish us with sickness, nor put it on people so it can be used for His glory.  If that is true, why go to a doctor as that would be going against God!  We stand on what we have learned, believe, and have experienced on healing no matter what comes our way.  Sickness does not come from God.  It is the devil who has come to steal, kill, and destroy!  We live in a broken world.......  Enough preaching, now Renee......move along!

Speaking of preaching, I watched a guest speaker at Bethel this past week who made me not only smile but giggle.  She is 84 years young and was such a vibrant woman as she spoke about God's Word and the power within.  With her red hair blazing, she preached in her jeans and turquoise cowboy boots.  What a hoot!!!  I loved it....Seriously, 84 is not so old...come on....how about Abraham and Sarah....Moses.....

I have been reading a couple of light mysteries by Monica Ferris while under the covers this week.  It is all I could manage, but it has helped pass the time and occupy my mind.  I certainly watched less TV and fewer teachings, but ramped up the praise music.  My favorite CD right now is "We Will Not Be Shaken" by Bethel Music.  How did you spend your Easter?

Until next time...........

3 comments:

Pamela said...

I am so happy to hear how God touched Joel on Easter Sunday. We had a blessed day. My husband sings in the choir and my daughter played her violin in the orchestra. The rest of my family were seated either side of me. My husband had to slip out to provide music at another church (we attended the early service) so we could leisurely fix our dinner at my daughters. We had a lovely time just enjoying family and worshipping our Risen Lord!

Sharon said...

So glad to hear that God helped you guys feel better! Sickness is no fun - and yet, if we turn to the Lord, our spirits can rise above it!

I spent Easter with my family. It was the first time I was with them since I moved to the mountains 3 years ago. It was truly a blessing to sit with them as we celebrated our Risen Savior. Afterwards we went out to eat at a seafood restaurant. Yum, yum!!

GOD BLESS!

Anita Johnson said...

I'm glad you are feeling better too. We have friends that just bought a house in Arizona to escape the Wisconsin winter...maybe we will be visiting you there instead of Iowa! Your Easter sounds wonderful, we were with our family too. And I love sitting with them on Sunday morning... I missed that for years!