Dorm Ministry

After teaching at Central Christian two years, Mr. Grubbs asked if Mary and I would consider being dorm parents to the girls that came to the school from other communities. I said we would pray about it. When I asked Mary what she thought, she cried. I told her to just ask God what He wanted us to do. After some time that summer, she said it would be OK. That's what I loved about Mary, she so much wanted to please. They moved in the principal's house over a large basement, and were just completing the project when school was scheduled to start. Mary was 8 months pregnant with Roger. What a time to begin a new venture. The girls lived in the basement and in a room over what had been the garage. We had about 12 teenage girls. I thought girls would keep their rooms neat, but I was so wrong. Mary said I told you. At first we tried to keep our place and their place. We soon realized we needed to approach it as their home. They really needed parents. When God began to show us how to minister to the girls, we had a good ministry in their lives. We still have a good relationship with some of those girls. We learned a lot about raising girls. God surely was preparing us. Thank you Mary for being willing to get out of your comfort zone. I know it was not easy with the birth of our firstborn. And a year later Julie was born. It was not easy, but we did see fruit in those 4 years in the girls dorm.

PROGRESS

Tomorrow will mark 8 weeks since the surgery on my knee. Having looked at this experience as God's purpose for good, I want to give a progress report. I am out of the brace most of the time and have been able to walk a mile. I am able to sleep quite comfortably now. I see some good things that are results to this point. I have lost 13 pounds and purpose to keep that down. I am monitoring my blood sugar and am close to where it should be. Mary and I are more consistent on our devotional life and reading through the Bible this year. Those are some tangible things. I am trusting that some of the spiritual results will become evident such as patience, compassion, more zeal for the Lord and more sensitivity to God's Spirit. Though this was a painful experience, I again see that God works all things together for good.

LET THE PROCESS GO ON

I did have surgery on November 19 and they found that I had tore things up significantly. They restructured my ACL, repaired my meniscus and something with my MCL. I am now over three weeks after surgery and involved in therapy. I have a leg brace that I wear 24-7 and probably will till the end of December. I guess the knee is doing well, but I have had digestive problems along with recovery and have lost 18 lbs. That's good, but not the best way to do it. The first couple of weeks after surgery are kind of hazy. The hardest part for me physically is sleeping or try to with this brace. Harder than that is being set aside and not able to take care of things like I would like to. It’s a blessing that it is happening in the winter.

In college days I memorized from James 1 in the Phillips paraphrase. When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. I have tried to look at this experience in that light. The thing I am trying to focus on is the Let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed. I do want to learn the lessons God intends me to learn. I think it important to look at life's experiences as his schooling. He is always at work to conform us to the Lord's image. I am sure that God wants to teach me patience and how to behave when things are out of my control. God is good and I do choose to accept the things God has for me.

DEALING WITH PAINFUL SITUATIONS

When I began this blog, I intended to do it chronologically but then things pop up that need to be addressed. Tuesday, November 3, 2009, I went with Brady Sult in a box truck 440 miles to northeast Missouri to haul their household goods back to Kansas. I prayed and felt clearly from the Lord that I should help him. When we were nearly loaded, I slipped somehow and got in a tangle with a hitch affair on the truck. The result was that I tore things in my left knee very severely. I am now looking at surgery and probably a slow recovery.

For many years I have been blessed with reading how Andrew Murray faced a difficulty in his life. It seems appropriate for me as I face the uncertainties of my situation.

He was staying where Amy Carmichael could observe his life. She said she wanted to see if his life was as good as his writings. She said when something painful came into his life, he was quiet before the Lord for a time and then he wrote the following: "First God brought me here, it is by His will that I am in this difficult place, then He will keep me here and help me to behave as His child, then He will teach me the lessons He intends me to learn, and finally He will bring me out again, how and when He knows. Let me say, I am here by 1. God's appointment - 2. In His keeping - 3. Under His training - 4. For His time."

I am claiming that prayer and perspective for my days ahead.

Our Firstborn Girl is 40

Julie was a beautiful baby. She was born in the days when they didn't let fathers into the delivery room. It was a painful time waiting for her birth. At last I heard a baby cry. Julie was here. The nurse had to carry her by me on the way to the nusery. She turned away and would not let me see the baby. This was getting a little much for me. I didn't know Mary had told her not to let me see that we had a girl. She wanted to tell me. At last I was able to see this beautiful gal with lots of dark hair.
Julie was always on top of things. When she was about Malia's age (her oldest girl), she was watching our gas gage on a trip to Colorado. She started to warn me that we were going to run out of gas. Guess what, we did! Julie you have been a joy. We are grateful to God for trusting us with such a special girl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

GOD BLESSED US

Our firstborn, Roger, turned 41 yesterday. You will be amazed how fast those years go by. Mary had always said she wanted a dozen babies. I really hadn't thought a lot about how many children I wanted. I know we were both committed to having the children God purposed for us. When John was born(#6), we believed our quiver was full. We have been so grateful for our wonderful children.

Over the years, we had our share of criticism for the size of our family, but we were more interested in God's plan for our family.

Mary was blessed in her pregnancies by not suffering morning sickness. She also was not limited much in physical activity. The night before Roger was born, we walked/ran to the bowling alley a mile away. On the way to the hospital in the morning, we drove around the block several times. We were so new at this and Mary didn't want to be sent home. She looked so "unpregnant" that when we walked in at 6 a.m. they wondered what they could help us with. When she said, "I think I am ready to have a baby", they went into action. Son Roger was born at 11:57 a.m. (just in time for lunch)

He has been such a blessing to our family. He has also been a good role model for the 5 siblings that followed him.

We were very happy for his arrival but he sure changed our life. He was colicky and always hungry. This was a new kind of living.

We are forever grateful for our children and consider them a gift from God. One's family should be the centerpiece of one's ministry.

NO GOOD THING

I just returned from 5 days of fishing in Manitoba, Canada, a very special birthday present from our son Roger. This was something I always thought would be a special thing to do.

Psalm 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." Satan will tempt you to think, If I follow the Lord and serve Him, I will never get to do the things that would be special to me. In addition to serving the King of Kings, He will add those things that are in your heart. There have been things I have pondered that would be special but have never asked for them. Among them, visiting Quito, Ecuador, from where the gospel was introduced to me, a cruise to Alaska, and fishing in Canada. I consider these to be some of those "good things" which had been in my heart. Don't ever think you will come up short by giving your life to serve the Lord. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.