Thanks from Fran

Fran asked me to be sure to thank you all for praying for her. She's surprised by how energetic and well she feels after breast cancer surgery Friday morning. Actually, this is exactly what I expected for her, and I'm very glad and grateful.

It was difficult to face afresh that our friend Ben is really gone. But it was so good to see his wife and four grown children. They are all so gorgeous, and sweet and tender like he was. I often joke, "Life's uncertain; eat dessert first." But you know what? Life really is uncertain. There he was Thursday afternoon, vibrant and full of life, riding his tractor at his mountain hide-away. The next moment he was pinned to the ground underneath the tractor. And sometime during the air evacuation to the hospital, his spirit left his body. His son was also at the mountain, and found him only two minutes after the accident, so he was able to call for the air ambulance at once. More important, he was able to hold his hand and encourage him.

I'm thanking God for making a way for me to get antibiotics yesterday morning. I'm better already, and fully trusting that my white count will go to a level that allows us to proceed with chemo on Wednesday. Since that is now a 3-day process, the timing is critical.

More than a year ago I read The Red Sea Rules by Robert J Morgan. That's where I found the FROG idea (Fully Rely On God). The other day I got the book out again. Its subtitle is "10 God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times." The author found these "rules" as he studied the experiences of Moses and the Israelites during their flight from Egypt and got trapped at the Red Sea. The first "rule" is: Realize that God means for you to be where you are. In Exodus 14:1-2, the Lord clearly instructed Moses to tell the people to camp on the shore of the Red Sea between mountains on either side--precisely where the Pharaoh's army could trap them. Promise: God will always make a way for his trusting servants, even if he must split the sea to do it. 1 Corinthians 10:13: "You can trust God. He will not let you be tested more than you can stand. But when you are tested, he will also make a way out so that you can bear it." This continues to be our experience.

I'm so thankful for you.

Carol