Back in Touch

It's good to be back in touch with you. I won't write much this morning, because yesterday afternoon I posted a fairly long update with some details about our celebratory weekend in Washington DC.

Lisa had collected letters from many friends from our Michigan days (some of them now living elsewhere in the world) and had bound them beautifully as a 69th birthday gift for me. My heart is in my throat even now as I think about all the encouragement and blessing I received from reading those letters. One friend included all 8 stanzas of a hymn by John Newton--a hymn that has strongly marked her life. I'll quote the last two stanzas here:

No strength of our own,
Or goodness we claim,
Yet since we have known
The Savior's great name;
In this our strong tower
For safety we hide,
The Lord is our power,
The Lord will provide.

When life sinks apace
And death is in view,
This word of His grace
Shall comfort us through;
No fearing or doubting
With Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting,
The Lord will provide.

Blessings,
Carol

P.S. How Lisa ever managed to contact everyone and pull this collection together, on top of working, finishing grad school, and planning all the gourmet meals and parties for the weekend I can't imagine. Thanks, Lisa.