Claimed, gathered and sent

Being in God's will does not mean that one escapes hardship and pain. There are two in particular in our seminary community that need prayer. The first is a spouse of a classmate, A. S. She was scheduled for back surgery, but during pre-op testing, nodules were discovered on one of her lungs. She had the lung surgery and is now home recuperating, but will still be having the back surgery later this month. Thanks be to God that the nodules were not cancerous. She has a long haul in front of her however. Secondly, yesterday I learned that during the break between semesters a classmate was in a car accident resulting in a shattered ankle and broken femur. She's out of the hospital and in rehab. Once we find out which rehab facility it is, some of us will be going to see her. She will not be able to return for the Spring semester. Please keep her in your prayers for a speedy recovery. Thankfully, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God!" flickr picture

When I left for Christmas vacation, I was suffering from fried brain syndrome, as were my fellow seminarians. The time away was filled with renewed mental and physical resources, renewed relationships, and renewed commitment. We spent Christmas with my daughter and granddaughter (at left). Grace has grown so much in such a short time. A particular highlight for us was seeing Grace in the Christmas pageant at church. She was an angel. There was also a toddler who was one of the shepherds. As he followed the other shepherds up the aisle, he was sucking his thumb and clutching his blanket. He was too cute. Shortly after arriving in Rochester, I talked with a pastor friend (he married us just over 5 years ago) and he asked me to preach for him. The congregation is small, but delightful. I had a wonderful time. Since Amity has been with Ray (Sept.), she has not wagged her tail much at all and has sometimes looked rather melancholy. This has changed dramatically and it seems the impetus for ...