Back to the business at hand!

Hi everyone. My, but it's been a long while since I've posted anything. The hurricane threw us off track for a while; it was three weeks until we got our power back, and another week to get the Internet connection working again. (OK, but that was over a month ago, where have you been since then?)

Well, life has a way of just moving on, doesn't it? My job was not affected, my church survived remarkably well, my home came through unharmed. (praises to God for all this!) But much other stuff was going on. Right around Labor Day, my dad was hospitalized with a stroke, and he is still recovering, more from the damage to his self-image than anything else. My grandmother, who is in late-stage Alzheimer's, had another accident at home, leading to another hospitalization, and the family's decision to commit her to a nursing home for around-the-clock care, which is simply beyond our ability to provide. This in turn required the family to hire an attorney to "tidy up" Grandma's estate, and assist with the application for Medicaid assistance to pay for nursing home care. The family has designated me as liaison to the attorney and financial planner, and so I have spent literally weeks digging, sorting, and emailing bank info, insurance, deeds, etc. etc. etc. (It is more than a little disturbing, even somewhat morbid, to be going through the personal papers and affects of a person who is not yet deceased.)

All of this has had an affect on me which I had not anticipated, nor even considered, but which I am profoundly grateful for...I find myself turning toward the Lord more and more, praying with greater consistency, meditating on His great providence in how things are working out, marveling at the immeasurable grace He bestows upon us (and feeling saddened at how often that grace goes by unnoticed and unremarked on, even by me.) I have a renewed sense of the urgency of communicating His glory to as many people as I can, with every means at my disposal: my service at the local church (driving the van to pick up kids for church, helping to lead worship in the choir, leading a small-group study in my home); openly sharing my faith with people I work with, as the chance arises (and it arises a lot, if my eyes are open to it!); and stepping out on faith to enroll in college-level bible study courses at a local college , which offers tuition-free classes in a distance-learning setting, which I can easily fit my schedule around. (Yes that wording is deliberate..I am beginning to re-evaluate how I set my priorities in life.)

I have written before about the blessings of being used by God to do His work...the key to receiving those blessings is to stop delaying and get on with it! So, with fresh determination I set out to do just that...and I ask for your prayers, that I may be faithful in my commitment, and truly be useful and used according to the purpose He has for me. I will continue to post updates, and I ask that you, Gentle Readers, would help keep me accountable, and inquire about my progress if too much time goes by without any news. I will be blessed by your concern and your support.

Thanks to all, and may God's grace cover you in all you do.