The sobering reality is that she suffers in silence and with a smile.  She has, to a large extent, an “invisible disability”.  Her buoyancy is inspiring; her smile never ending.  She’s determined to overcome, persuaded that through it all that God has a plan and she endeavors to live for him and glorify His Name.

Thanks for caring, Dave

I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side.

The One who reigns forever – He is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side.

Chris Tomlin – Whom Shall I Fear (Burning Lights)

Irene took no prisoners today and bounced back, running many errands and accomplishing several items on her “to do” list.  Her comment this evening, as she reflected on the day, was that she trusted God to empower her moment by moment for the tasks at hand. Irene is scheduled for her three month visit and blood tests at UCSF on Thursday. Thanks for caring, Dave

A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space and time, usually with transference of energy. A mechanical wave is that which propagates through a medium due to the restoring forces it produces upon deformation. There also exist waves capable of traveling through vacuum, including electromagnetic radiation and probably gravitational radiation. Waves travel and transfer energy from one point to another, often with little or no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium (that is, with little or no associated mass transport); they consist instead of oscillations around almost fixed locations.

I’ve often used the WAVE metaphor as it relates to Irene’s experience with chronic, 24/7 nausea since June of 2007.  We’re now using a 1-10 scale for me to better comprehend how debilitating the unrelenting nausea is at any particular moment.

WAVES are illustrative of Irene’s nausea experience.  There are smaller waves, like a ripple, and there are colossal waves like the tidal wave.  Irene’s nausea comes in random WAVES …. but the OCEAN OF NAUSEA is ever present, and the waves persist like a rising and lowering tide.

How she courageously faces this challenge with a buoyant attitude, strong faith and a smiling face are inarguable evidences of His enabling Holy Spirit.

Wikepedia’s WAVE description is very apropos: A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space and time, usually with transference of energy.

Irene’s experience with NAUSEA certainly fits that description but after facing it for nearly two years it is also in a category of its own.  It’s difficult to truly grasp the reality of what Irene deals with 24/7.

Caminando con Fé

Dave

Today, Irene insistently and joyfully prepared a romantic, candlelight, delicious gourmet dinner and dessert which we relished at dusk, overlooking the stormy Monterey Bay.  She could definitely put Rachel Ray out of business!!!

Irene’s nausea remained at a low roar with fatigue being the most menacing factor of the day.

Shirley Churchill, once again, selflessly served Irene for about 2 hours this morning, working on physiology techniques designed to promote body function.  It never ceases to amaze us that Shirley and Ken trek to Aptos from their Menlo Park home, almost on a weekly basis, and have done so for more than a year!!!

On this Valentine’s Day, we hope that YOUR heart is warmed by HIS heart.  As the King of Courtship, God longs for a dynamic, fulfilling and joy filled relationship with the one reading this update.  He seeks every one of us with an incessant pursuit ….

We pray that you are comforted with the reality that He is preparing a place for us in His Heavenly House …. a house that doesn’t need maintenance, a house that isn’t subject to the elements, a house with many rooms and one that will endure forever.

Trust in God, trust also in me.  In my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going to prepare a place for you.  I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1b-3

From the HEART of our home …. to yours,

Dave

God has faced more rejection than any other person who has ever lived.  This fact is particularly striking in the account of a son who demands an early inheritance from his father and ultimately squanders it.

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on]]> REJECTION is, perhaps, one of the most challenging issues that we may face in life …. and all of us have faced rejection in some way, shape or form.  Most of us long for ACCEPTANCE, connection, community, and strong family relationships, going to almost any extreme to avoid rejection and division.

God has faced more rejection than any other person who has ever lived.  This fact is particularly striking in the account of a son who demands an early inheritance from his father and ultimately squanders it.

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ “

Luke 15:11-31

So, how do you and I face the rejections in our life?  I see at least 4 elements of God’s heart illustrated in this passage.

1. The father saw him coming …. my interpretation?  He was watching for his son’s return.
2. The father was filled with compassion for him …. my interpretation?  He longed to help his suffering son.
3. The father ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him …. my interpretation?  He was willing to affectionately demonstrate his love toward his son.
4. The father, quickly deducing a repentant heart, accepted his son and celebrated his son’s return to the family with a feast …. my interpretation?  Unconditional love, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation cover a multitude of sins and allows a relationship to move forward.

The HEART of our Heavenly Father fills scripture from Genesis to Revelation.  God longs for a relationship with each of us.  Although we also have the gift of “free will”, His desire is not that we would use that free will to reject Him, but, rather, to ACCEPT Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

Our hope and prayer this Christmas season is that you would see Him for who He is by accepting the gift of His Son and being fully reconciled to Him.

Caminando con Fé

Dave

It was sooo good to see the both of you and a nice suprise to get to see Jocelyn!!

We were encouraged and trusting God to continue to be with you each step of the way. You really are amazing….your strength and His light shining through you and Dave is such a testimony and we were Blessed to be with you!!!

We Love You,  Phyllis and Jack