Coming Down to the Finish Line (or Not)!

Celebrating With the Happy Couple - Mr. and Mrs. Alan Balch

A Beautiful Bride and Her Dad

This last year has been full, full of anticipation and activity. Things really began to move in earnest at around Thanksgiving. I had my usual full house that day and life took off: Christmas with all of its activities, adding an extra person and then two living in our house for a number of months. Kate and Alan's engagement and a wedding to plan, going to Israel to live for four months with many visitors and amazing times. Rushing home, not just for the wedding, but Kate's surgery 17 days before her marriage, and then the wedding.

The Candle that Would Not Light

It has been several weeks since I've written anything and they have been filled with great times and lots to do. When I last wrote, it was the week before the wedding and I was contemplating how I was going to choose to get through that time. Since then, we've had a wonderful wedding. Our house has been filled with bridesmaids, friends and then family (some with
 whom we got to enjoy another week).
We've made three trips to O'Hare International in Chicago (over 1000 miles total) and one to Springfield, IL. I've cooked countless meals, done a little baby sitting, and on and on.

In my last post, I reflected on how to get through all of the busyness, with stress and fretting, or sitting at the feet of Jesus. I'm happy to stay that I managed to stay at the feet of Jesus most of the time, though I had my moments. Key to keeping me in a good place were four verses from Isaiah, verses that I've read many times, but this time I really connected with them and, oh, how sweet they have become to me!




Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted;  but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings  like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

                                                                                 Isaiah 40:28-30

Some Wedding Fun!

It has been an amazing time!  The happy honeymooners are back from Hawaii, my guests have gone home and it seems like I should be spending all of my time sitting in my sunroom and reordering my life, but not so!  I have a few more guests to entertain, a son and daughter-in-law who are moving, my fall Bible study to plan and a few more trips to make. I also need to finish sharing Israel with you. But the Lord has taught me much in the past weeks.  There is only one way to live - Sitting at the Feet of Jesus!  I will continue to work on this and, hopefully, to do so even better and more consistently, because life goes on and, if you know the Lord, you definitely are not on your own.

And Life Goes On!