Category Archives: Faith

If he left the grave behind, so will I

Christianity, Faith, Life

If the stars were made to worship so will I
If the mountains bow in reverence so will I
If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I
For if everything exists to lift You high so will I
If the wind goes where You send it so will I
If the rocks cry out in silence so will I

My favorite part of that song.
The accurate depiction of the state of my free will combined with God’s sovereignty. If the oceans roar Your greatness, you can bet I will. If EVERYTHING exists to lift you high, that includes me.

It’s a surrendering of my will and my worship, as well as an admission of my purpose in His creation, to demonstrate His greatness, and you can bet my life exists to bring him glory whether I submit to his will or not.

On a hill You created
The light of the world
Abandoned in darkness to die
And as You speak
A hundred billion failures disappear
Where You lost Your life so I could find it here
If You left the grave behind You so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done
Every part designed in a work of art called love
If You gladly chose surrender so will I

Happy Easter! If he left the grave behind, so will I!

And for now, and later, in Glory, if the sum of all your praises and mine still fall shy…
Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times!

Our Jewel

Faith, Family, Health, Life

Jewel made it through major surgery today. 8 screws later, her upper femur is now, once again, firmly attached. It’s been a rough couple days/nights, but Jewel is and always has been a champ.

Due to some fibrous dysplasia in her bones, it fractured while doing some routine 7-year-old dancing/running. The doctors have warned us for a few years that it was a potential possibility but that you can’t keep kids from being kids, and well, I’m thankful for doctors who know what they’re talking about and know what they are doing. I’m so very thankful for UNC Chapel Hill and their professional and top-notch care.

And we’re supremely grateful for our friends and family members who have poured out their prayers and support to us and our children. Joseph said today was “the best day ever”, so he must not be missing us too terribly.

And because of the possible outcomes, I can’t describe the gratitude for our loving Heavenly Father, who by his grace, has been with us and Jewel the entire time and allowed this outcome, a successful and “uneventful” surgery.

When they pulled her back to the OR, away from us and our our ability to do anything more for her, Deuteronomy 31:6 came to my mind, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” — and I held onto that promise for Jewel.

We couldn’t be in there with her, but the keeper of the stars, the one who ordained this surgeon’s passion for medicine umpteen years ago so he’d be ready for this day, the one who designed the subatomic structure of her bones, and the one who loves her beyond even my capacity to understand… he was there with her. She was and is in good hands.

We’ll have some weeks of recovery, and there will be some rough spots, but for now, I’m feeling thankful to be thankful. Love that girl. ❤️❤️❤️