Two Years

What a beautiful day it was today in Springfield, Missouri!  So different than this day two years ago.  Across Missouri and Illinois, it rained harder than I have ever seen it rain all day long that day.  It seemed to me that heaven was crying out over the evil act that was committed against Mon and Dad so early that morning.

I knew I wanted to be here today.  I called my brother, Dave a few weeks ago and made arrangements to stay with him.  He made an appointment for us to talk to the lead detective on Mom and Dad's case this morning.  After a reassuring talk with the detective we took some flowers to the cemetery.  This evening we went to the annual service that is conducted every year at this time for crime victims.  There is a lovely garden that is set aside to honor victims.  Last year at the ceremony there was a paver placed in honor of Mom and Dad.  This year there were more that were memorialized.  As I spoke with the sheriff afterward,
he expressed that he would like to see the day that there would be no more victims to honor.  Unfortunately, we live in a broken and fallen world.  Evil will continue.

Although not a good picture, it was taken April 24, 2011, less than 24 hours before Mom & Dad were murdered

In many ways it seems like just yesterday that I was visiting with Mom and Dad but in other ways it feels like it was a lifetime ago.  So much has happened since their murders.  It is a stark reminder that life does go on despite the tragedies that occur in our lives.  I know that Mom and Dad would want us all to continue to live our lives to the best of our abilities but more importantly, they would want us to live our lives for the Lord.  Our obedient lives bring glory to God and nothing would thrill Mom and Dad more.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (The Message)

 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

I miss you, Mom & Dad!  

Bones

A few weeks ago I wrote about my granddaughter, Zemirah's, birth and how her little arm was broken between her elbow and shoulder during delivery.  They did not cast it.  The doctors just said not to put her arm through her sleeves and try to keep it immobilized against her chest.  Every once in a while she would move it and it would make a popping noise.  It was quite nerve wracking!

A few days before Easter I was talking to my brother, Stephen, about it.  I was stressed about work, the baby, bills - about life in general.  He prayed with me and gave me some good advice about allowing God's peace to prevail within me.  He said he would have his healing team at church (which he is a member of) pray about Zemirahs arm the following Saturday morning which also was the day before Easter.

That Saturday morning Stacie was getting the kids ready to go to Sarah's home for our annual Easter egg hunt and family get together.  While she was tending to Zemirah, she stretched the broken arm out and up over her head!  Without a broken arm that is pretty unusual for a baby to pull her arm above her head and especially a broken arm!  I would like to remind you that her name means joyful songs of praise to the Lord. 

A little bit later Stephen texted me and said that while the prophetic and healing team was praying God revealed that the enemy was coming to make our joy weaker.  He encouraged us to stand firm and do not receive this from the enemy.  If we did so we would see the impossible happen before our eyes.  I knew without a doubt that Zemirah had been completely healed that morning. 

The following Monday she had another appointment with the orthopedic doctor.  He took new x-rays of her arm.  He told Stacie that he could not explain it but the x-rays showed a completely normal bone with no break at all!  Praise God!

Ezekiel 37:1-7 (The Message)

God grabbed me. God’s Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Master God, only you know that.”
 He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!’”
God, the Master, told the dry bones, “Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!”
I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone.

With God, all things are possible!