Update on Life

Wow, it's sure been a while since I've blogged, and a LOT has happened since then! Three birthdays, the annual ND homeschool convention, 5 of us getting hit with influenza, plus all the regular stuff like piano teaching, projects, homeschooling, housework and everything else!

But the biggest thing that happened was the day we found out my 15-year-old sister Lydia has a brain tumor. It was March 12, and the day before she had been to the doctor because her left side was feeling weak. He recommended an MRI, so we had that done, and that same day - the day before we were to leave for the convention - we got the news. They needed to do a biopsy right away so we could find out what kind of tumor it was, so after coming to the hotel and waterpark with us for one night, mom, dad and Lydia headed back to town for her appointment. Daniel, Ethan and I stayed at the convention to help out so mom and dad could focus on Lydia (Caleb's has a job and lives in town and he wasn't able to come with us). Ever since then life has been crazy with phone calls, e-mails, doctor appointments, pills (ick!), and lots more! We were grateful to find out it is not cancerous, however, it is in a bad spot and is inoperable. It is growing slowly and is affecting Lydia's left side.

So . . . . life feels VERY up in the air right now for us, but God has it all under control. We are trusting in Him, and we have been very much encouraged by Bible verses such as:

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

If you want to be updated on Lydia's progress, please check out her Caring Bridge website! http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lydiakenney

I'm not exactly sure how soon I'll get around to it, but I do plan on posting updates on birthdays, and also the 4th part in the P4C series (I just realized I had only done 3 parts . . . whoops!).  :-) Thank you everyone for your prayers - please continue to pray for wisdom for our family, and that we will all draw closer to the Lord and to each other through this difficult time in our lives.

In His Steps Update

New Photo of Brother Andrew

Here is a new photo I recently received - my camera was temporarily not working right at the moment I wanted a picture with Brother Andrew, so someone else graciously used their camera instead. It was such an honor to meet a godly man like Brother Andrew!

 

The Choice

Do You Have Baggage that Needs Unloading?

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hebrews 12:1

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

Recently I took some notes on Dr. Charles Stanley's message "Unloading Your Baggage" and I thought I'd share them with you here. I'm sure I won't explain it all exactly right, but it was such a good message I wanted to share something!! :-) If you want to watch the entire message, just go HERE.

So here is a list of baggage that people struggle with (and this is by no means comprehensive!) - a lot of it can stem from how they grew up, but still, each person needs to take responsibility for his/her actions.

Low Self-Esteem

Negative Attitude

Indecision

Lack of Concentration

No Self-Control

Suspicious

Rejection

Fear of Failure

Perfectionism

Procrastination

Defeatist Attitude

It's important that you love something about yourself. Not in a selfish or prideful way, but more in the sense that you are happy and content with how God made you.

We all struggle with many sins, but we usually have "The Sin" (as Dr. Stanley called it) meaning, one thing that especially drags us down.

"The Sin . . ."

is the primary area of weakness in your life

is the one you are most tempted with (i.e. you have a hard time resisting it)

is the one you must be on guard for the most

troubles you

hinders relationships to people and God

surfaces when you pray

frequently ensnares you

divides your mind

strikes at your self-respect

Here is a list Dr. Stanley gave of SOME of the top "entangling sins" that we struggle with. You have probably already thought of yours already just by reading the list above! Again, this is not a comprehensive list.

Unforgiveness

Critical Spirit

Jealousy

Greed

Pride

Deceit

Lust

Unbelief

Anger

Bitterness

Slander

Love of Money

Idolatry

And here are some of the consequences of baggage in our lives . . .

Distraction

Divides our mind

Slows the pace of spiritual growth

Causes us to stumble

Disqualification

Destructiveness

So, how do we deal with this baggage that is entangling us? Dr. Stanley shares . . .

ADMIT your problems

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

MAKE a decision to deal with it

Choose to LAY it aside - but not in your own strength (Phil. 4:13)

God has THE BEST plan for your life - run the race with courage, and don't let any baggage weigh you down!

"Discipline, not desire, determines our destiny." - Dr. Charles Stanley

"Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him." - Dr. Charles Stanley

In His Steps Fundraiser

Some people I know are working on pre-production for their feature film based on the best-selling novel In His Steps. Read below to find out more, and to watch part of the movie for FREE online!

"What Is In His Steps?

In His Steps is an independent faith-based feature film, based on the classic novel by Charles Sheldon.  It tells the story of a pastor, a singer, an heiress, and a businessman whose lives are forever and radically changed when they make a pledge to follow "What would Jesus do."

The first half of our modern day adaptation has been completed as a 12-episode web series, which you can watch by clicking here.

When we started developing the rest of the story, after much prayer and consideration we decided to discontinue the web series production, and instead finish the story as a feature length film.  Filming the second half of the story will take place May 20 - June 8 in Montrose, Grand Junction and Norwood, Colorado."

To find out more about Standing Sun Productions, and to read what they need, please visit this link. There's an introductory video to watch (below), and also many awesome gifts you'll get if you choose to donate, so check it out! :-) I think it's super important to be supporting Christian films, whether through prayer (I can't stress how IMPORTANT that is!), donations, or other means, so please consider what you can do to help In His Steps become a reality!

American Pastor Sentenced to Prison

"Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, an American imprisoned in Iran on charges of evangelizing, was sentenced this morning to eight years in prison.

According to the American Center for Law and Justice, Abedini was verbally sentenced in Tehran by Judge Pir-Abassi, known as the “hanging judge,” to eight years in prison for threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches. He will serve the time in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, known as one of the most brutal."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/27/iran-sentences-american-pastor-saeed-abedini-to-8-years-in-prison/#ixzz2Jwg0paSn

So, what can we do to help our brother in Christ? Visit this link on the ACLJ website to see the many ways that your entire family can help Pastor Saeed!! If you can, leave a short comment sharing what you were able to do for him and his family. And remember, prayer may seem like a small thing, but it is one of the most important!