Monday, February 11, 2013
Thank you...
Tina was much more faithful at writing actual thank you cards than I am so I wanted to post this to say THANK YOU to each and every person who has been there for Tina, Katie and me over the past 4 years. There are no words to describe what your support has meant to our family. For all your prayers, words of encouragement, financial gifts, meals, rides to chemo, babysitting, house cleaning, and on and on...we were blown away by your generosity and how you poured out your love to us in a way that we will never forget.
In case you are wondering how Katie and I are doing...we are doing well overall. God has been so faithful and merciful to us as we are journeying through this valley. He is right there beside us every step of the way, wiping away our tears, carrying us when we are weary and comforting us when we need it most. I hope that this can be a comfort to you as well, knowing that you too can go through anything with Jesus by your side and more importantly in your heart.
aaron
Thursday, December 6, 2012
A new beginning....
When I was a child I used to wear glasses. I didn't like wearing them but I had to in order to see clearly. Eventually I got contacts and that was better but I still wished that I could see without any extra help. Eventually I had surgery on my eyes and that was such a blessing because after that I nearly had 20/20 vision...and yet. At times I still felt like my vision was a little blurry....until one day. I was in the hospital with Tina and because of everything that had been going on my emotions were high and my heart was heavy with sadness. As I sat in the silence staring out the window tears started to fill my eyes. I didn't try to hold back any of the tears or wipe them away and so they flowed freely...and then I noticed something. All of a sudden I could see clearer than ever before. Everything was so sharp and crisp and clear. I realized that the tears apparently caused some sort of refraction in how the light entered my eyes (similar to glasses or contacts). It was in that moment that I felt like God spoke to my heart and I realized that so many times in life our "vision" in clouded by things that really don't matter... and then pain enters our life and brings clarity to that which is most important....those we love and He who loves us more than we could ever imagine...our Heavenly Father.
Update: All of our prayers have been answered! Tina is finally Healed! This morning Tina took her last breath and is now dancing, running, laughing and smiling. I can just picture her running into the arms of Jesus. He runs towards her and lifts her up into the air and then spins her around and around like a little girl. Her hair is blowing, her eyes are glistening with joy, her smile is brighter and more vibrant than ever before. There are no more tears...no more pain...no more sickness. I can only imagine the wonders that she is seeing right now! Oh how I miss her already and yet my heart is at peace knowing that my Tina, my beautiful wife, the loving mother of Katie, my best friend is finally home in Heaven. I am assured of that fact because many years ago Tina gave her life to Jesus Christ and ever since then she has been a shining reflection of His love. Tina leaves behind her a LEGACY of this love that will last forever and so this is not the end...it is a NEW BEGINNING.
I believe with all my heart that if Tina could speak to you one last time from this blog this is what she would say..."Give your heart to Jesus and He will give you life. Do it today. He will heal you like He healed me :)" Love, Tina
Praise be to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
- a messenger of God, a servant of Jesus Christ and the most blessed husband and father in the world:
Aaron martin (husband of Tina Lin Martin and father to Katie Lin Martin).
Update: All of our prayers have been answered! Tina is finally Healed! This morning Tina took her last breath and is now dancing, running, laughing and smiling. I can just picture her running into the arms of Jesus. He runs towards her and lifts her up into the air and then spins her around and around like a little girl. Her hair is blowing, her eyes are glistening with joy, her smile is brighter and more vibrant than ever before. There are no more tears...no more pain...no more sickness. I can only imagine the wonders that she is seeing right now! Oh how I miss her already and yet my heart is at peace knowing that my Tina, my beautiful wife, the loving mother of Katie, my best friend is finally home in Heaven. I am assured of that fact because many years ago Tina gave her life to Jesus Christ and ever since then she has been a shining reflection of His love. Tina leaves behind her a LEGACY of this love that will last forever and so this is not the end...it is a NEW BEGINNING.
I believe with all my heart that if Tina could speak to you one last time from this blog this is what she would say..."Give your heart to Jesus and He will give you life. Do it today. He will heal you like He healed me :)" Love, Tina
Praise be to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
- a messenger of God, a servant of Jesus Christ and the most blessed husband and father in the world:
Aaron martin (husband of Tina Lin Martin and father to Katie Lin Martin).
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Trusting God
Today I had the chance to talk to the youth group at my church and it was such an honor. The message that God put on my heart to share with them for awhile now was about TRUST. Here are the highlights of that message:
WHO should we trust?
- We can trust others in our life that we are close to, but our greatest trust should be in God (Proverbs 3:5-6)
WHAT is trust?
- Trust is accepting God's will for our life, NO MATTER WHAT! (Luke 22:42 and Daniel 3:17-18)
- Trust is not based on how we feel (our feelings are unreliable and too changeable)
- Trust is not based on the "results" of what we pray for (God is not our ATM machine or a genie in a bottle to grant our every wish)
- Trust is not about pretending like we are fine when we are not (we need to be genuine with others and with God)
WHEN should we trust?
- Even when life doesn't make sense (Isaiah 55:8-9)
- Even when life hurts (Hebrews 11:35-39)
WHY should we trust?
- Because God loves His children (Romans 8:8-39)
HOW should we trust?
- Trust is action based and involves taking a step of faith (Saying that we trust but not acting on it is not trust at all). (Philippians 4:4-6)
RESULTS of not trusting God
- We might have false beliefs about God when He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to (e.g. We falsely believe that He doesn't love us, He didn't answer our prayer because we didn't have enough faith or even that He doesn't exist)
- We become isolated from God (e.g. we get angry with Him and blame Him for our pain)
- We hold onto these false beliefs and the lies of Satan about who God is (John 8:44)
RESULTS of trusting God
- We have God's supernatural peace and security (Philippians 4:7)
Update on Tina:
- On October 9, 2012 (my 40th birthday) Tina and I went to her doctor and found out that her cancer was returning despite her treatments. Her doctors told us that she probably had 3-4 months to live
- We cried, prayed, cried out to God, fasted, kept praying and God gave us His peace
- On November 27th Tina started Hospice care here at the house
- On November 29th we were informed that Tina would probably die within the next week
- Today, December 2nd, my faith and trust in God was put to the test as I left Tina at the house to go to my church to talk to the youth group about Trusting God. The nurses could give me no guarantee that Tina would be alive when I got home.
- Although we continue to pray for a miracle, we cry out "Father not my will but Yours be done" and we pray that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would get all the glory in this situation whether Tina lives or dies.
- In the end....in spite of all the pain...we continue to trust God and accept His will for our life... NO MATTER WHAT!
- aaron
WHO should we trust?
- We can trust others in our life that we are close to, but our greatest trust should be in God (Proverbs 3:5-6)
WHAT is trust?
- Trust is accepting God's will for our life, NO MATTER WHAT! (Luke 22:42 and Daniel 3:17-18)
- Trust is not based on how we feel (our feelings are unreliable and too changeable)
- Trust is not based on the "results" of what we pray for (God is not our ATM machine or a genie in a bottle to grant our every wish)
- Trust is not about pretending like we are fine when we are not (we need to be genuine with others and with God)
WHEN should we trust?
- Even when life doesn't make sense (Isaiah 55:8-9)
- Even when life hurts (Hebrews 11:35-39)
WHY should we trust?
- Because God loves His children (Romans 8:8-39)
HOW should we trust?
- Trust is action based and involves taking a step of faith (Saying that we trust but not acting on it is not trust at all). (Philippians 4:4-6)
RESULTS of not trusting God
- We might have false beliefs about God when He doesn't answer our prayers the way we want Him to (e.g. We falsely believe that He doesn't love us, He didn't answer our prayer because we didn't have enough faith or even that He doesn't exist)
- We become isolated from God (e.g. we get angry with Him and blame Him for our pain)
- We hold onto these false beliefs and the lies of Satan about who God is (John 8:44)
RESULTS of trusting God
- We have God's supernatural peace and security (Philippians 4:7)
Update on Tina:
- On October 9, 2012 (my 40th birthday) Tina and I went to her doctor and found out that her cancer was returning despite her treatments. Her doctors told us that she probably had 3-4 months to live
- We cried, prayed, cried out to God, fasted, kept praying and God gave us His peace
- On November 27th Tina started Hospice care here at the house
- On November 29th we were informed that Tina would probably die within the next week
- Today, December 2nd, my faith and trust in God was put to the test as I left Tina at the house to go to my church to talk to the youth group about Trusting God. The nurses could give me no guarantee that Tina would be alive when I got home.
- Although we continue to pray for a miracle, we cry out "Father not my will but Yours be done" and we pray that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would get all the glory in this situation whether Tina lives or dies.
- In the end....in spite of all the pain...we continue to trust God and accept His will for our life... NO MATTER WHAT!
- aaron
Friday, November 30, 2012
Adversity
There are some days I feel that I could just embrace Adversity with open arms - just trying to control it with God's strength, but other days I just want to kick it in its rear, but I know without those experiences I would not be the strong person I am today. Know that Adversity/Suffering is what gives you character, and character gives you hope...hope. (John 16:33)
This blog was hand written by Tina about 4 months ago, back on August 12, 2012 but it is just now being posted on this blog for the first time. This is the very last blog entry that Tina wrote in her journal.
Written by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: As I am typing this blog for my beautiful wife, tears are streaming down my face not because I am sad but because I am so, so proud of Tina. This blog (although it was written almost 4 months ago) came at just the right time for me. My loving Father God and Savior Jesus Christ knew that I needed to read these exact words this morning. This has been the hardest week so far for so many reasons. This has been a week overflowing with adversity and suffering...and yet, it has also been a week full of hope and joy as I can feel my Lord drawing closer and closer to my side. I will give more specific details next week in the blog but until then please keep us in your prayers. We pour out our Father's love to you.
aaron
This blog was hand written by Tina about 4 months ago, back on August 12, 2012 but it is just now being posted on this blog for the first time. This is the very last blog entry that Tina wrote in her journal.
Written by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: As I am typing this blog for my beautiful wife, tears are streaming down my face not because I am sad but because I am so, so proud of Tina. This blog (although it was written almost 4 months ago) came at just the right time for me. My loving Father God and Savior Jesus Christ knew that I needed to read these exact words this morning. This has been the hardest week so far for so many reasons. This has been a week overflowing with adversity and suffering...and yet, it has also been a week full of hope and joy as I can feel my Lord drawing closer and closer to my side. I will give more specific details next week in the blog but until then please keep us in your prayers. We pour out our Father's love to you.
aaron
Friday, November 23, 2012
Our Donkey
Lord, I ask that you prepare Your words for me. Holy Spirit, speak into me the works and words that lay ahead.
Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. (Psalm 27:7-10)
It seems it is always an uphill battle for the person with faith, while those who decide not to seek this life of struggles stay in the valley of satisfying themselves. I have learned that as a true believer I must walk in FAITH through ALL my struggles and learn to cry, fight my fleshly self and scream as I take 4 steps backwards and 3 steps forward! Ugh. Some days I just want to dismount myself off the donkey God provided for me; however, I know that it was and is a blessing to our family for we are able to be marketing advertisers for Christ from our donkey.
I pray that you too can see the blessing even when your faith doesn’t seem strong enough – know that God will never abandon you. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak and prepare your words and works for others to receive them.
This blog was hand written by Tina about 3 months ago, back on August 3, 2012 but it is just now being posted on this blog for the first time.
Written by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: This week, as in weeks past, has continued to be a roller coaster of ups and downs. Have you ever noticed that life seems to be that way? Just when everything is going "great", you get that phone call or something happens at work or in your family and then you are left wondering "what happened?" And then, just as quickly as the difficult times come, you turn around and life seems to go back to "normal" and all seems to be "well again." Well, this past week Tina has really been struggling both physically, cognitively and with bouts of pain. And yet...in the midst of all that we were able to truly give thanks yesterday for all of the amazing blessings in our life that God has given us. I pray that you too can look for and see all of the amazing blessings in your life that God has given you and that you will hold on tight to Him through all of the ups and downs in this life.
aaron
Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. (Psalm 27:7-10)
It seems it is always an uphill battle for the person with faith, while those who decide not to seek this life of struggles stay in the valley of satisfying themselves. I have learned that as a true believer I must walk in FAITH through ALL my struggles and learn to cry, fight my fleshly self and scream as I take 4 steps backwards and 3 steps forward! Ugh. Some days I just want to dismount myself off the donkey God provided for me; however, I know that it was and is a blessing to our family for we are able to be marketing advertisers for Christ from our donkey.
I pray that you too can see the blessing even when your faith doesn’t seem strong enough – know that God will never abandon you. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak and prepare your words and works for others to receive them.
This blog was hand written by Tina about 3 months ago, back on August 3, 2012 but it is just now being posted on this blog for the first time.
Written by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: This week, as in weeks past, has continued to be a roller coaster of ups and downs. Have you ever noticed that life seems to be that way? Just when everything is going "great", you get that phone call or something happens at work or in your family and then you are left wondering "what happened?" And then, just as quickly as the difficult times come, you turn around and life seems to go back to "normal" and all seems to be "well again." Well, this past week Tina has really been struggling both physically, cognitively and with bouts of pain. And yet...in the midst of all that we were able to truly give thanks yesterday for all of the amazing blessings in our life that God has given us. I pray that you too can look for and see all of the amazing blessings in your life that God has given you and that you will hold on tight to Him through all of the ups and downs in this life.
aaron
Thursday, November 15, 2012
I'm in love with your Boss!
That would be with your Heavenly Father. 1 John 4:8 "But anyone who does not love, does not know God, for God is love." Love is one of God's attributes, but Love (in and of itself) is not God.
Long ago the Lord said to Israel "I have loved you my people with an everlasting love. With an unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself." (Jeremiah 31:3)
Real Agape love is a God like quality that never refers to romantic feelings or sexual love. Only if we have God in our hearts can we have Agape love.
Someone once said "Love is selfless, humble, a service to meet the needs of another person, no matter how lowly or menial that service may seem and no matter how undeserving the recipient is of that love." As a matter of fact, in John 13:35 Jesus said "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples."
I'm all smiles and filled with such joy to be able to say that I am in love with the boss of those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Your boss's love just baffles me most days. For no matter what I do, He continues to love me and not only does He love me, but He forgives me and has told me and shown me the deepness of Agape love He has towards us. A love from deep within. One that is indescribable. A total love that goes beyond the depths of simple kindness or worldy love!
1 Corinthians 13:13 says that there are three things that will endure: faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is Love.
Remember to show others your Agape love as Jesus would - no matter how menial the task or how undeserving the person seems. It is showing them how much you love their Creator and Boss. Whether it be pouring them a bowl of cereal, helping them get dressed, lying them in bed to sleep or putting on their shoes in the morning no matter how exhausted you seem to be. Now that's Agape love.
In Romans 5:5 there are all three members of the Trinity. The Father sent His Son to bridge the gap between us, and the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by His power. See also Acts 1:8
God has given us His precious and bountiful gift of Love! How can we even consider giving Him less than our best?
We have to remember that God is the Creator of all human beings and that means that we were created by Him but there is a difference between being created by Him and being born into a Family.
As Christians we should have an Agape love for our Creator and the only way to understand what that means is to deeply and most intimately seek His Word and His face on a daily basis. Be sure to prepare your heart to receive the opportunities that God will lay in front of you and be open to them.
We should have an overwhelming respect for our Father God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
Our teaching pastor described fear of God as having a reverence, awe and respect to our Boss. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways (Psalms 128:1-6).
This blog was hand written by Tina about 4 months ago, back on July 17, 2012 but it is just now being posted on this blog for the first time.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Recently my mom came into town to help out Tina, Katie and me and it has been a real blessing. Tina and I have now had more time lately to enjoy each other's company and I am loving it. Tina is continuing to struggle both physically and cognitively but as I stare deep into her eyes I am still able to see the same woman I fell in love with so many years ago.
People have asked me at times how they can help out and I always tell them that the best thing they can do is to pray and we are so thankful to have some many prayers covering our lives. In addition to prayer, I have included a hyperlink below to a Care Calendar that was setup for Tina by our friends at church. There are some practical things on there such as bringing meals and sitting with Tina. If you are interested check out the following link: http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=YCQY0988
Praying that you experience the amazing Love of our Father that Tina wrote about, Aaron
Long ago the Lord said to Israel "I have loved you my people with an everlasting love. With an unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself." (Jeremiah 31:3)
Real Agape love is a God like quality that never refers to romantic feelings or sexual love. Only if we have God in our hearts can we have Agape love.
Someone once said "Love is selfless, humble, a service to meet the needs of another person, no matter how lowly or menial that service may seem and no matter how undeserving the recipient is of that love." As a matter of fact, in John 13:35 Jesus said "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples."
I'm all smiles and filled with such joy to be able to say that I am in love with the boss of those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Your boss's love just baffles me most days. For no matter what I do, He continues to love me and not only does He love me, but He forgives me and has told me and shown me the deepness of Agape love He has towards us. A love from deep within. One that is indescribable. A total love that goes beyond the depths of simple kindness or worldy love!
1 Corinthians 13:13 says that there are three things that will endure: faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is Love.
Remember to show others your Agape love as Jesus would - no matter how menial the task or how undeserving the person seems. It is showing them how much you love their Creator and Boss. Whether it be pouring them a bowl of cereal, helping them get dressed, lying them in bed to sleep or putting on their shoes in the morning no matter how exhausted you seem to be. Now that's Agape love.
In Romans 5:5 there are all three members of the Trinity. The Father sent His Son to bridge the gap between us, and the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by His power. See also Acts 1:8
God has given us His precious and bountiful gift of Love! How can we even consider giving Him less than our best?
We have to remember that God is the Creator of all human beings and that means that we were created by Him but there is a difference between being created by Him and being born into a Family.
As Christians we should have an Agape love for our Creator and the only way to understand what that means is to deeply and most intimately seek His Word and His face on a daily basis. Be sure to prepare your heart to receive the opportunities that God will lay in front of you and be open to them.
We should have an overwhelming respect for our Father God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
Our teaching pastor described fear of God as having a reverence, awe and respect to our Boss. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways (Psalms 128:1-6).
This blog was hand written by Tina about 4 months ago, back on July 17, 2012 but it is just now being posted on this blog for the first time.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Recently my mom came into town to help out Tina, Katie and me and it has been a real blessing. Tina and I have now had more time lately to enjoy each other's company and I am loving it. Tina is continuing to struggle both physically and cognitively but as I stare deep into her eyes I am still able to see the same woman I fell in love with so many years ago.
People have asked me at times how they can help out and I always tell them that the best thing they can do is to pray and we are so thankful to have some many prayers covering our lives. In addition to prayer, I have included a hyperlink below to a Care Calendar that was setup for Tina by our friends at church. There are some practical things on there such as bringing meals and sitting with Tina. If you are interested check out the following link: http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=YCQY0988
Praying that you experience the amazing Love of our Father that Tina wrote about, Aaron
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Conquering the Promised Land
The blog below was written by Tina about 4 months ago, back on July 10, 2012 but it is just now being posted for the first time.
God called Joshua to lead his people to lead the nation across the Jordan River to possess the land He had already given Israel. We too need to cross that land and have the faith that Joshua and the people of Israel had. We need to leave our old lives. We need to leave our old lives and have faith that God will continue to fulfill all that He has promised.
God will deliver us from our difficult burdens and we must be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6-7). If we will only obey all the laws of Moses and do not turn away from them, then you will be successful in everything you do.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: It's been a pretty good week overall so far. Although Tina is still struggling both physically and cognitively her resolve to keep pressing forward inspires me. I am so blessed to call her my beautiful bride and like I told her, I would marry her all over again even knowing all of the struggles and trials that would lie ahead. I love you always Tee xoxo - Aaron
God called Joshua to lead his people to lead the nation across the Jordan River to possess the land He had already given Israel. We too need to cross that land and have the faith that Joshua and the people of Israel had. We need to leave our old lives. We need to leave our old lives and have faith that God will continue to fulfill all that He has promised.
God will deliver us from our difficult burdens and we must be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6-7). If we will only obey all the laws of Moses and do not turn away from them, then you will be successful in everything you do.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: It's been a pretty good week overall so far. Although Tina is still struggling both physically and cognitively her resolve to keep pressing forward inspires me. I am so blessed to call her my beautiful bride and like I told her, I would marry her all over again even knowing all of the struggles and trials that would lie ahead. I love you always Tee xoxo - Aaron
Friday, October 19, 2012
Happy Father's Day! - A Beautiful Portrait
The blog below was written by Tina about 4 months ago, back on June 15, 2012 but it is just now being posted for the first time.
My Katiebug is only four years old and I see what a gracious and precious bond that she and her Daddy have, one like I’ve never ever known before – when you see and hear them play. You can hear this angelic laughter and see the love their eyes exchange as they enjoy each other’s company. And yes her Daddy does tea parties, tutus and princesses and he is the King of our house, but Katie also recognizes that Christ is the King over all the earth including our home.
I truly enjoy watching her with her “Papa”, “Papi”, “Daddy”. Whatever the name is for the day you can truly see our Father God’s Bond that they have. I love watching her crawl into his arms, onto his shoulders and when something goes awry I love watching him “save her” and “nurture her” just as Jesus does for us – each and everyday.
I also want to remind you that those without a father today can celebrate too! Cry out to your Heavenly Father and Let Him know your deepest longings… “I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you” – Jesus (John 16:26-27).
You know we as Christians have such a privilege of knowing that we can call on a Heavenly Father even when we don’t have an earthly one and our Heavenly Father loves us and is Faithful to us always and we know when we accept Him into our hearts and ask him to forgive our sins that we will always be assured that we will meet our Creator in Heaven and He will always meet our Father needs! He always takes a personal interest in our cries, our hurts, our heartaches. He loves us so much and loves to hear our laughter and loves to be close to us and near us.
If you’re a “Daddy”, “Papa”, “Papi” and know of someone that needs to hear your words to encourage them today call them up, visit them, love on them!
Love,
Your Abba Father
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Life has truly been a whirlwind of events for us lately and God has proven to be faithful to us every step of the way. I will post more details soon. Praying that you keep your eyes on Christ each and everyday.
- A messenger of God
My Katiebug is only four years old and I see what a gracious and precious bond that she and her Daddy have, one like I’ve never ever known before – when you see and hear them play. You can hear this angelic laughter and see the love their eyes exchange as they enjoy each other’s company. And yes her Daddy does tea parties, tutus and princesses and he is the King of our house, but Katie also recognizes that Christ is the King over all the earth including our home.
I truly enjoy watching her with her “Papa”, “Papi”, “Daddy”. Whatever the name is for the day you can truly see our Father God’s Bond that they have. I love watching her crawl into his arms, onto his shoulders and when something goes awry I love watching him “save her” and “nurture her” just as Jesus does for us – each and everyday.
I also want to remind you that those without a father today can celebrate too! Cry out to your Heavenly Father and Let Him know your deepest longings… “I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you” – Jesus (John 16:26-27).
You know we as Christians have such a privilege of knowing that we can call on a Heavenly Father even when we don’t have an earthly one and our Heavenly Father loves us and is Faithful to us always and we know when we accept Him into our hearts and ask him to forgive our sins that we will always be assured that we will meet our Creator in Heaven and He will always meet our Father needs! He always takes a personal interest in our cries, our hurts, our heartaches. He loves us so much and loves to hear our laughter and loves to be close to us and near us.
If you’re a “Daddy”, “Papa”, “Papi” and know of someone that needs to hear your words to encourage them today call them up, visit them, love on them!
Love,
Your Abba Father
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Life has truly been a whirlwind of events for us lately and God has proven to be faithful to us every step of the way. I will post more details soon. Praying that you keep your eyes on Christ each and everyday.
- A messenger of God
Friday, October 5, 2012
"I'm too young!"
The blog below was written by Tina about 2 months ago, back on June 13, 2012 but it is just now being posted for the first time.
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:6-8
"Go get up and get dressed. Go out and tell them whatever I tell you to say....For see today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall." Jeremiah 1:17-18
I know my life is in the hands of our Creator and I know that I have nothing to fear and when my desperate times come I must remain loyal to God regardless of the circumstances. Over these past couple of weeks I have had several partial seizures which have caused significant weakness on the left side of my body and the enemy has tried to hold captive negative thoughts in my mind about always being in this condition. But I know that God's Son died on the cross for all my sickness and diseases and promised to restore all my wounds; therefore my hope and strength is in Him, no matter how bleak my circumstances look.
I don't believe that I posted details about how difficult it was for me right before surgery in February 2012. Many days I couldn't read, write, listen to others speak to me, listen to music or TV. My eyes were very sensitive to light; therefore I basically sat or laid down all day, every day for two months. This was difficult because I couldn't play with Katie knowing that she might trigger my seizures given the above symptoms. The enemy used those times to tell me that my tumor was growing and I would soon pass away.
Yesterday came to that point again, however I did not allow myself to enter nor stay in those thoughts. I know God's promises. He is my strength and when I am weak He is there to lift me up high on wings like eagles. Isaiah 40:31
Encourage someone with your Creator's words. Tell them that God has equipped them for all that He has created them for. Let them know that they have the strength God has promised them. Let them know God is giving them His words to speak to others for His direction in their lives.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Everyday people ask me how we are doing. I always appreciate their concern although I usually don't know how to answer that question. Unless someone has experienced it firsthand, I just can't seem to find the words to describe what this is like. For example, in the update section following her blog 2 weeks ago I was praising God because Tina had not had a major seizure in over 3 months (it was back in early June that she had her last one). Well...24 hours after writing that update Tina had 2 major seizures on a Saturday morning while hanging out with Katie and myself. I was saddened and disappointed to say the least. There were no words for that moment...and yet even in that moment I found myself able to praise God in spite of this setback. I was able to praise God in spite of the apparent irony. I was able to praise God in spite of my feelings. I was able to praise God simply because He deserves my praise and I love Him no matter what! So you can see why it is so hard for me to put into a few words how we are doing. I still don't have the words....and I am still praising God :)
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 1:6-8
"Go get up and get dressed. Go out and tell them whatever I tell you to say....For see today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall." Jeremiah 1:17-18
I know my life is in the hands of our Creator and I know that I have nothing to fear and when my desperate times come I must remain loyal to God regardless of the circumstances. Over these past couple of weeks I have had several partial seizures which have caused significant weakness on the left side of my body and the enemy has tried to hold captive negative thoughts in my mind about always being in this condition. But I know that God's Son died on the cross for all my sickness and diseases and promised to restore all my wounds; therefore my hope and strength is in Him, no matter how bleak my circumstances look.
I don't believe that I posted details about how difficult it was for me right before surgery in February 2012. Many days I couldn't read, write, listen to others speak to me, listen to music or TV. My eyes were very sensitive to light; therefore I basically sat or laid down all day, every day for two months. This was difficult because I couldn't play with Katie knowing that she might trigger my seizures given the above symptoms. The enemy used those times to tell me that my tumor was growing and I would soon pass away.
Yesterday came to that point again, however I did not allow myself to enter nor stay in those thoughts. I know God's promises. He is my strength and when I am weak He is there to lift me up high on wings like eagles. Isaiah 40:31
Encourage someone with your Creator's words. Tell them that God has equipped them for all that He has created them for. Let them know that they have the strength God has promised them. Let them know God is giving them His words to speak to others for His direction in their lives.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Everyday people ask me how we are doing. I always appreciate their concern although I usually don't know how to answer that question. Unless someone has experienced it firsthand, I just can't seem to find the words to describe what this is like. For example, in the update section following her blog 2 weeks ago I was praising God because Tina had not had a major seizure in over 3 months (it was back in early June that she had her last one). Well...24 hours after writing that update Tina had 2 major seizures on a Saturday morning while hanging out with Katie and myself. I was saddened and disappointed to say the least. There were no words for that moment...and yet even in that moment I found myself able to praise God in spite of this setback. I was able to praise God in spite of the apparent irony. I was able to praise God in spite of my feelings. I was able to praise God simply because He deserves my praise and I love Him no matter what! So you can see why it is so hard for me to put into a few words how we are doing. I still don't have the words....and I am still praising God :)
Friday, September 21, 2012
Distinct Tools
We must trust that God has imparted/bestowed to us the power that He wants us to have to do His will in our lives. It seems now more than ever I have to really embrace that God is using me as a tool in His ministry in individual and markedly distinct ways. Just as he called Jeremiah to confront and correct the nation of Israel in the divine call that he had received (Jeremiah 1:8). Tasks in life can seem daunting especially when we don't trust that the Lord has equipped us with all that we need.
Recently there have been moments that I felt I wouldn't rise to the task God was calling me too, even though I believed and knew that God wouldn't give me more than I could bare with His help.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: We have definitely had our share of ups and downs lately. Praise God, Tina still has not had a major seizure since earlier in the summer. She has however been struggling with extreme fatigue and weakness on the left-side of her body which makes it very difficult for her to do even ordinary daily activities like dressing and walking. This is complicated by the fact that for most of the day she is home alone because I am back at work. As a result she has had several falls lately. We are working with the insurance company on getting an aide to come out to the house for most of the day. Please keep these things in your prayers. Despite all of these challenges she doesn't complain or groan about her circumstances. That is truly amazing to me and inspires me to face each day with a grateful heart as I intentionally focus my attention on the blessings the Lord has given me. I hope this will inspire you to do the same :)
Recently there have been moments that I felt I wouldn't rise to the task God was calling me too, even though I believed and knew that God wouldn't give me more than I could bare with His help.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: We have definitely had our share of ups and downs lately. Praise God, Tina still has not had a major seizure since earlier in the summer. She has however been struggling with extreme fatigue and weakness on the left-side of her body which makes it very difficult for her to do even ordinary daily activities like dressing and walking. This is complicated by the fact that for most of the day she is home alone because I am back at work. As a result she has had several falls lately. We are working with the insurance company on getting an aide to come out to the house for most of the day. Please keep these things in your prayers. Despite all of these challenges she doesn't complain or groan about her circumstances. That is truly amazing to me and inspires me to face each day with a grateful heart as I intentionally focus my attention on the blessings the Lord has given me. I hope this will inspire you to do the same :)
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Filling in the gaps...Agony or Ecstasy
Many times we face agonizing circumstances when we tend to want to do things our own way. We take our struggles and dilemmas into our own hands. Those are the times we can make our circumstances unbearable, just as the Israelites did in Judges 4:3 when the army of Sisera took over and oppressed them for 20 years.
The ecstasy of God comes in when we allow His eternal beams of light to shine into all our dreams, hopes and desires that we once thought were gone, as His unfailing love punctures into all the gaps in our hearts.
A few months ago it seemed like the enemy tried to surround my mind and thoughts with negativity and oppression, but God always reminded me of Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.
Today share with those around you how they can live in Agony or Ecstasy by going against the will of the Lord...or following His leading.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Tina recently found out that the cancer has remained stable, I.e. it has not grown larger or smaller in size. We are thankful for that and continue to place our hope and trust in the Lord...no matter what. Please continue to pray for her energy levels as she is very fatigued and weak lately which has resulted in her falling several times...but if you know Tina you know that whenever she falls she gets right back up :)
The ecstasy of God comes in when we allow His eternal beams of light to shine into all our dreams, hopes and desires that we once thought were gone, as His unfailing love punctures into all the gaps in our hearts.
A few months ago it seemed like the enemy tried to surround my mind and thoughts with negativity and oppression, but God always reminded me of Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.
Today share with those around you how they can live in Agony or Ecstasy by going against the will of the Lord...or following His leading.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: Tina recently found out that the cancer has remained stable, I.e. it has not grown larger or smaller in size. We are thankful for that and continue to place our hope and trust in the Lord...no matter what. Please continue to pray for her energy levels as she is very fatigued and weak lately which has resulted in her falling several times...but if you know Tina you know that whenever she falls she gets right back up :)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Who Am I?
I recently had a friend that was upset and deeply disappointed and hurt because they were not invited to an event that they felt they should have been privy to.
I suppose as human beings we think we are number one! We constantly think of only ourselves. We want to feel like we are important. For us women, we want to be the prettiest and most stylish. For you men, you want to be the champions, the winners, associated with the elite and higher class.
Now back to the story about my friend. After a day of sulking and mulling over the situation, they finally spoke to Christ about changing their heart and outlook on the situation so as not to become bitter or angry....and Christ's response to them was "I'm not invited to many occasions to which I wish I could be invited to."
Well that seemed to end that conversation quickly and quietly. It quickly dissipated and suddenly an overwhelming peace came over my friend as they realized that the Lord of the Earth cared to know their name and feel their hurt (as it says in the song by Casting Crowns entitled "Who Am I").
Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done, Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are. I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind...
I just thank God that regardless of what sin I commit, whether it be pride, anger or bitterness that He always watches over me. So who am I to feel that I have the right to feel like I should be privy to certain situations when my God isn't even invited? Although He is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent He is not always called upon.
I pray that you will bring the struggles you are facing today to our Savior's attention and call upon Him for His forgiveness and help.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: We have been doing better lately. Tina has had fewer large seizures over the summer and she is getting stronger with the help of some in-home occupational and physical therapy. We are so thankful for all your continued prayers and for the Lord's grace and strength He gives us each and every day that we call upon Him.
Current prayer needs: I am going back to work on Monday and Tina's mom will be going back home in 2 weeks. Tina hopefully will be receiving some support from a home health aide but that will only be for 1 hour a day. Please pray that Tina will continue to get stronger and more independent so that she can take care of herself during the day (going to the restroom, walking without falling, getting something to eat etc...). Please also pray for my family in Georgia as they are grieving the loss of my younger cousin Adam who recently died. I have so many wonderful memories of our childhood summers together and he will be missed dearly, although it warms my heart to know that he and my younger brother Jeremy are now hanging out in heaven.
I suppose as human beings we think we are number one! We constantly think of only ourselves. We want to feel like we are important. For us women, we want to be the prettiest and most stylish. For you men, you want to be the champions, the winners, associated with the elite and higher class.
Now back to the story about my friend. After a day of sulking and mulling over the situation, they finally spoke to Christ about changing their heart and outlook on the situation so as not to become bitter or angry....and Christ's response to them was "I'm not invited to many occasions to which I wish I could be invited to."
Well that seemed to end that conversation quickly and quietly. It quickly dissipated and suddenly an overwhelming peace came over my friend as they realized that the Lord of the Earth cared to know their name and feel their hurt (as it says in the song by Casting Crowns entitled "Who Am I").
Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done, Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are. I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind...
I just thank God that regardless of what sin I commit, whether it be pride, anger or bitterness that He always watches over me. So who am I to feel that I have the right to feel like I should be privy to certain situations when my God isn't even invited? Although He is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent He is not always called upon.
I pray that you will bring the struggles you are facing today to our Savior's attention and call upon Him for His forgiveness and help.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Update: We have been doing better lately. Tina has had fewer large seizures over the summer and she is getting stronger with the help of some in-home occupational and physical therapy. We are so thankful for all your continued prayers and for the Lord's grace and strength He gives us each and every day that we call upon Him.
Current prayer needs: I am going back to work on Monday and Tina's mom will be going back home in 2 weeks. Tina hopefully will be receiving some support from a home health aide but that will only be for 1 hour a day. Please pray that Tina will continue to get stronger and more independent so that she can take care of herself during the day (going to the restroom, walking without falling, getting something to eat etc...). Please also pray for my family in Georgia as they are grieving the loss of my younger cousin Adam who recently died. I have so many wonderful memories of our childhood summers together and he will be missed dearly, although it warms my heart to know that he and my younger brother Jeremy are now hanging out in heaven.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Uniquely Yours
A while back Aaron and I watched a cooking show called "Food Network Star". At the end of the show the judges consider all the chefs and their abilities and ultimately who is the chef that will move on from the panel of competing chefs.
Apparently we missed the beginning of the episode where each of the chefs presented their "style" of what their cooking show might look like. At the end of the show one of the judges commented to one of the chefs that they weren't really sure who the "genuine person" of this chef truly was considering that he portrayed one personality on stage (a rapper) and a different one when presenting his dish in a casual outside environment, i.e. he was a different person. Upon being questioned, it seemed he had struggled with this same issue his entire life. Of "who he truly was" he mentioned that he didn't genuinely know who he truly was as an individual.
In Psalm 139:14, David writes "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...". You see, God wove us together before the beginning of the Earth; all of our days were ordained for us; however, we must choose what Romans 12:2 says by not "conforming" to what we think this world wants us to be for we were created to be unique. Allow God to transform you into the unique, wonderful and individual person He created you to be (Psalm 139).
Don't allow yourself to conform to what you feel others want or to what others perceive that you should be. If you live your life in this way you'll always feel as if you have a void that you need to feel.
For you are one of a kind. You are special. You are unique. Only you can be you. When you deny who you were truly made to be, you deny God the opportunity to shape you to be "uniquely yours" in a powerful and mighty way.
Share your unique talents and gifts with others today. Maybe then they can discover their own unique and individual selves and not feel as though they have to conform to the ways of this world.
Update: Tina has been doing a little better overall the past few weeks, e.g. less seizures and fewer symptoms but she still struggles with very limited mobility, weakness and other cognitive/physical difficulties. I am writing this, Tina is getting chemo at MDA. We just got the results today that the cancer has remained stable, i.e. it hasn't regressed or progressed. We were hoping that it would have regressed more but at the end of the day we remember that Tina's health and life are in the hands of her Healer and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Apparently we missed the beginning of the episode where each of the chefs presented their "style" of what their cooking show might look like. At the end of the show one of the judges commented to one of the chefs that they weren't really sure who the "genuine person" of this chef truly was considering that he portrayed one personality on stage (a rapper) and a different one when presenting his dish in a casual outside environment, i.e. he was a different person. Upon being questioned, it seemed he had struggled with this same issue his entire life. Of "who he truly was" he mentioned that he didn't genuinely know who he truly was as an individual.
In Psalm 139:14, David writes "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...". You see, God wove us together before the beginning of the Earth; all of our days were ordained for us; however, we must choose what Romans 12:2 says by not "conforming" to what we think this world wants us to be for we were created to be unique. Allow God to transform you into the unique, wonderful and individual person He created you to be (Psalm 139).
Don't allow yourself to conform to what you feel others want or to what others perceive that you should be. If you live your life in this way you'll always feel as if you have a void that you need to feel.
For you are one of a kind. You are special. You are unique. Only you can be you. When you deny who you were truly made to be, you deny God the opportunity to shape you to be "uniquely yours" in a powerful and mighty way.
Share your unique talents and gifts with others today. Maybe then they can discover their own unique and individual selves and not feel as though they have to conform to the ways of this world.
Update: Tina has been doing a little better overall the past few weeks, e.g. less seizures and fewer symptoms but she still struggles with very limited mobility, weakness and other cognitive/physical difficulties. I am writing this, Tina is getting chemo at MDA. We just got the results today that the cancer has remained stable, i.e. it hasn't regressed or progressed. We were hoping that it would have regressed more but at the end of the day we remember that Tina's health and life are in the hands of her Healer and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Forgiveness....Part 2
After typing Tina's recent blog entitled "Forgiveness" for her I realized that God put something on my heart to add to it...
Recently I have been teaching my daughter Katie about the concept of forgiveness and how Jesus forgave all of our sins and as Katie likes to put it "He takes all of our bad stuff away when we ask Him too". Well, the other morning I confess that I allowed myself to get upset because Katie kept calling out again and again for my attention but I was busy helping Tina so I raised my voice and told her to wait. A few seconds later I raised my voice again, this time not in anger but in an attempt for her to hear me since she was halfway across the house. I called out to her and told her that I was sorry and to please forgive me. There was a slight pause and then I heard a small angelic voice say "It's ok daddy." A little while later I was helping her brush her teeth and I asked her again to please forgive me for yelling at her and to my surprise she smiled and said "Daddy....don't you remember this morning??" At first I was puzzled because I remembered what I had done wrong...but then I remembered what happened afterwards. "Ohh do you mean that I don't need to ask you to forgive me again because I already asked you to forgive me this morning? She looked up at me and sweetly smiled and said "Yes, of course Daddy." The concept of forgiveness made perfect sense to her at the age of 4. And Jesus said "unless you become like little children you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:3
Have you ever been there before? You do something wrong and then you ask God to forgive you but for some reason you feel like you have to keep asking for His forgiveness. Well I have been there plenty of times, especially when I feel like I have "really blown it". This moment in time with my 4 year old reminded me that when we come to God and ask Him to forgive us that He does so willingly, graciously and immediately. So my encouragement for you today is... when you ask Jesus to forgive you, immediately receive His forgiveness, ask Him to help you from doing it again and then leave your burdens at the cross where they belong.
Update: Tina has had one seizure and a lot of fatigue and weakness this past week but she has not had any serious side effects from the new chemo. Praise God! We are so grateful to Him for each and every day He blesses us with :)
- A messenger of God
Recently I have been teaching my daughter Katie about the concept of forgiveness and how Jesus forgave all of our sins and as Katie likes to put it "He takes all of our bad stuff away when we ask Him too". Well, the other morning I confess that I allowed myself to get upset because Katie kept calling out again and again for my attention but I was busy helping Tina so I raised my voice and told her to wait. A few seconds later I raised my voice again, this time not in anger but in an attempt for her to hear me since she was halfway across the house. I called out to her and told her that I was sorry and to please forgive me. There was a slight pause and then I heard a small angelic voice say "It's ok daddy." A little while later I was helping her brush her teeth and I asked her again to please forgive me for yelling at her and to my surprise she smiled and said "Daddy....don't you remember this morning??" At first I was puzzled because I remembered what I had done wrong...but then I remembered what happened afterwards. "Ohh do you mean that I don't need to ask you to forgive me again because I already asked you to forgive me this morning? She looked up at me and sweetly smiled and said "Yes, of course Daddy." The concept of forgiveness made perfect sense to her at the age of 4. And Jesus said "unless you become like little children you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:3
Have you ever been there before? You do something wrong and then you ask God to forgive you but for some reason you feel like you have to keep asking for His forgiveness. Well I have been there plenty of times, especially when I feel like I have "really blown it". This moment in time with my 4 year old reminded me that when we come to God and ask Him to forgive us that He does so willingly, graciously and immediately. So my encouragement for you today is... when you ask Jesus to forgive you, immediately receive His forgiveness, ask Him to help you from doing it again and then leave your burdens at the cross where they belong.
Update: Tina has had one seizure and a lot of fatigue and weakness this past week but she has not had any serious side effects from the new chemo. Praise God! We are so grateful to Him for each and every day He blesses us with :)
- A messenger of God
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Forgiveness
Those who seek God's forgiveness are spared eternal judgment.
Remember that God speaks to you not only through your times of prosperity but through your times in the desert. Many times it is in the desert that you draw nearer to Him. For it is then that you seek and cry out for Him the most. For we require His love and mercy. It is in His righteousness that you will be restored.
I love the song lyrics to the song "At the foot of the cross" by Don Moen. He so elegantly speaks the truth about how we should portray Jesus. He says "trade these ashes (our sins) in for beauty, and wear forgiveness like a crown."
The next lyrics portray an image to me about the entirety of our existence when he says "coming to kiss the feet of mercy, I lay every burden down." All of our filth and unrighteousness is forgiven by Christ. He allows us to give up our burdens and forgive others as He has forgiven us, as Christ sees us as beautiful and precious to Him. We too should see others through His eyes no matter the circumstances. "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)
I know it isn't always easy; however, we must remind ourselves that Christ does it for us on a daily basis. We aren't Christ, be we were made in His image.
Life can be hurtful, discouraging and dreadful at times but always remember...Forgiveness is needed to bear the burden off our shoulders and onto Christ's. For that is why we must "lay every burden down at the foot of the cross".
Blog was composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
Update: These past few weeks seemed to have been more difficult than usual. Tina has been having more seizures than usual (several a week) and she is very weak on the entire left side of her body. Her last MRI showed that the Avastin appears to be still working by shrinking the tumor overall, however a small portion of the tumor has crept over to the other side of her brain (across the midline). Due to this, her doctor recommended that she start a second chemotherapy medication this weekend in order to be a little more aggressive in the treatment protocol. The medication is called Temodar and it is supposed to have much milder side effects than other chemo agents. Please continue to keep us in your prayers: Tina - meds will continue to kill the cancer cells completely with minimal to no harmful side effects and that her left side would get stronger and NO more seizures, Katie - she will continue to remain bubbly and filled with the Joy of Christ as God continues to protect her eyes and heart during this, me - God will continue to give me the strength emotionally, mentally and spiritually to care for my family, all 3 of us - that God would continue to allow us to bring Him glory through this trial. Love, Aaron.
Remember that God speaks to you not only through your times of prosperity but through your times in the desert. Many times it is in the desert that you draw nearer to Him. For it is then that you seek and cry out for Him the most. For we require His love and mercy. It is in His righteousness that you will be restored.
I love the song lyrics to the song "At the foot of the cross" by Don Moen. He so elegantly speaks the truth about how we should portray Jesus. He says "trade these ashes (our sins) in for beauty, and wear forgiveness like a crown."
The next lyrics portray an image to me about the entirety of our existence when he says "coming to kiss the feet of mercy, I lay every burden down." All of our filth and unrighteousness is forgiven by Christ. He allows us to give up our burdens and forgive others as He has forgiven us, as Christ sees us as beautiful and precious to Him. We too should see others through His eyes no matter the circumstances. "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)
I know it isn't always easy; however, we must remind ourselves that Christ does it for us on a daily basis. We aren't Christ, be we were made in His image.
Life can be hurtful, discouraging and dreadful at times but always remember...Forgiveness is needed to bear the burden off our shoulders and onto Christ's. For that is why we must "lay every burden down at the foot of the cross".
Blog was composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
Update: These past few weeks seemed to have been more difficult than usual. Tina has been having more seizures than usual (several a week) and she is very weak on the entire left side of her body. Her last MRI showed that the Avastin appears to be still working by shrinking the tumor overall, however a small portion of the tumor has crept over to the other side of her brain (across the midline). Due to this, her doctor recommended that she start a second chemotherapy medication this weekend in order to be a little more aggressive in the treatment protocol. The medication is called Temodar and it is supposed to have much milder side effects than other chemo agents. Please continue to keep us in your prayers: Tina - meds will continue to kill the cancer cells completely with minimal to no harmful side effects and that her left side would get stronger and NO more seizures, Katie - she will continue to remain bubbly and filled with the Joy of Christ as God continues to protect her eyes and heart during this, me - God will continue to give me the strength emotionally, mentally and spiritually to care for my family, all 3 of us - that God would continue to allow us to bring Him glory through this trial. Love, Aaron.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Secrets
The time is coming when everything will be revealed. All that is secret will be made public. Whatever you have said will be heard in the light and whatever you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear (Luke 12:2).
You spread out our sins before You, our secret sins, and You see them all (Psalm 90:8).
"Can anyone hide from Me? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and the Earth?" asks the Lord (Jeremiah 23:24).
So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, He will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due (I Corinthians 4:5).
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all of creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Lord I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).
Many of us are living the life that the Samaritan woman lived in John 4. For she had deep secrets that lied within her soul. After Jesus asked for her to "Please give me a drink" (John 4:7) she was shocked that a Jew was asking or even just talking to her for Jews in those days looked down at the Samaritans (because they were considered to be a mixed race). Jesus then promised her that He would quench the thirst deep within her soul. He tells her to "Go and get your husband". She tells him "I don't have a husband" and Jesus replied "You're right, you don't have a husband. For you have had five now and aren't even married to the man you are living with now" (John 4:17-18).
Jesus brought up this woman's past, however regardless of what she had done He loved her and offered her eternal life. The Samaritans in the town believed Jesus was the Messiah because they heard Him themselves, not just because this woman told them about her testimony.
Once she knew her testimony had been exposed, she was set free from all her secrets.
In my own life I know I have had secrets that had held me captive for years. I once read "You're only as sick as your secrets. If you have a list of secrets, you are really sick."
Over the years I have learned to let go of many of my secrets for they fiercely hindered my relationships with some of my dearest and loved friends and they truly burdened my heart, but once I let God's flashlight shine in the deepest crevices of my heart, I allowed my deepest secrets to be my life's saving grace.
Today allow God to relieve you of your burdens. Allow Him to give you the courage to open your heart to those things that are hindering you. Allow Him to expose your deepest secrets to help you set yourself free and bring you closer to Him, for He is your ultimate saving water, just like the Samaritan woman. God is omnipresent (all places), omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing).
Share these thoughts with those around you. You may help someone set themselves free from being captive to their deepest secrets.
Update: I have been really fatigued lately and my physical strength on my left side has been weaker than usual. I have also had a few more seizures since last week. Not really sure why. We just got an MRI done yesterday and we will get the results on Tuesday. Please keep this in your prayers. Recently we were reminded that despite any difficulties we may face in life we need to always start our day by looking unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and He will give us the strength that we need for that day.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
You spread out our sins before You, our secret sins, and You see them all (Psalm 90:8).
"Can anyone hide from Me? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and the Earth?" asks the Lord (Jeremiah 23:24).
So be careful not to jump to conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether someone is faithful. When the Lord comes, He will bring our deepest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. And then God will give to everyone whatever praise is due (I Corinthians 4:5).
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all of creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Lord I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).
Many of us are living the life that the Samaritan woman lived in John 4. For she had deep secrets that lied within her soul. After Jesus asked for her to "Please give me a drink" (John 4:7) she was shocked that a Jew was asking or even just talking to her for Jews in those days looked down at the Samaritans (because they were considered to be a mixed race). Jesus then promised her that He would quench the thirst deep within her soul. He tells her to "Go and get your husband". She tells him "I don't have a husband" and Jesus replied "You're right, you don't have a husband. For you have had five now and aren't even married to the man you are living with now" (John 4:17-18).
Jesus brought up this woman's past, however regardless of what she had done He loved her and offered her eternal life. The Samaritans in the town believed Jesus was the Messiah because they heard Him themselves, not just because this woman told them about her testimony.
Once she knew her testimony had been exposed, she was set free from all her secrets.
In my own life I know I have had secrets that had held me captive for years. I once read "You're only as sick as your secrets. If you have a list of secrets, you are really sick."
Over the years I have learned to let go of many of my secrets for they fiercely hindered my relationships with some of my dearest and loved friends and they truly burdened my heart, but once I let God's flashlight shine in the deepest crevices of my heart, I allowed my deepest secrets to be my life's saving grace.
Today allow God to relieve you of your burdens. Allow Him to give you the courage to open your heart to those things that are hindering you. Allow Him to expose your deepest secrets to help you set yourself free and bring you closer to Him, for He is your ultimate saving water, just like the Samaritan woman. God is omnipresent (all places), omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing).
Share these thoughts with those around you. You may help someone set themselves free from being captive to their deepest secrets.
Update: I have been really fatigued lately and my physical strength on my left side has been weaker than usual. I have also had a few more seizures since last week. Not really sure why. We just got an MRI done yesterday and we will get the results on Tuesday. Please keep this in your prayers. Recently we were reminded that despite any difficulties we may face in life we need to always start our day by looking unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and He will give us the strength that we need for that day.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Miracles
Every miracle begins with an act of faith. We must be obedient to the acts God calls us to, even though we may not see the end solution. We must also not underestimate the power of faith.
I once read that "faith is the step between promise and reassurance." I do believe that God requires us to trust Him to remain faithful to the promises He has given us.
We as believers may wax and wane when we don't seem to receive what we thought would presumably occur. However, God says that His ways are "higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-10)
Many days I thank God that His ways are always higher than my ways. For the days I take those steps of faith I see God's miracles. Whether big or small, there is always one there.
When I stand back and look at my life and see my little girl and the love between Aaron and me; I just thank God and stand in awe of His perfect miracles.
Share your faith and everyday view of the miracles that God has placed in your life. Maybe someone in your world needs the empty void in their life to be filled with your words of encouragement and hope. For that gift of hope will return to you in full measure, pressed down and shaken together to make room for more. (Luke 6:38).
Update: I am continuing to remain stable over the past few weeks. I have only had a few seizures which I think were due to me being overly fatigued one occasion and forgetting my meds on another occasion. Despite those minor setbacks I am still hopeful that I am getting better every single day. Please pray that I am able to push myself to regain my strength and physical abilities without overdoing it and causing a seizure. Aaron and I continue to be totally amazed, overwhelemd and humbled by the generosity and support of our friends, family and co-workers. We love you so much and pray that God returns a thousand fold blessing to each and every one of you in the ways that you need it most.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
I once read that "faith is the step between promise and reassurance." I do believe that God requires us to trust Him to remain faithful to the promises He has given us.
We as believers may wax and wane when we don't seem to receive what we thought would presumably occur. However, God says that His ways are "higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-10)
Many days I thank God that His ways are always higher than my ways. For the days I take those steps of faith I see God's miracles. Whether big or small, there is always one there.
When I stand back and look at my life and see my little girl and the love between Aaron and me; I just thank God and stand in awe of His perfect miracles.
Share your faith and everyday view of the miracles that God has placed in your life. Maybe someone in your world needs the empty void in their life to be filled with your words of encouragement and hope. For that gift of hope will return to you in full measure, pressed down and shaken together to make room for more. (Luke 6:38).
Update: I am continuing to remain stable over the past few weeks. I have only had a few seizures which I think were due to me being overly fatigued one occasion and forgetting my meds on another occasion. Despite those minor setbacks I am still hopeful that I am getting better every single day. Please pray that I am able to push myself to regain my strength and physical abilities without overdoing it and causing a seizure. Aaron and I continue to be totally amazed, overwhelemd and humbled by the generosity and support of our friends, family and co-workers. We love you so much and pray that God returns a thousand fold blessing to each and every one of you in the ways that you need it most.
Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Rainbow Promises
Overall we all have our ups and downs. We're human by the way. God has been so gracious in sending support our way in many shapes and forms.
Each day is a personal day from the Lord for His word has given us countless promises and when we seek His face and search for an intimate relationship with Him He will pour out blessings we cannot contain.
One of God's eternal promises to us was that He would never again flood the Earth to destroy all flesh (Genesis 9:13-15). The rainbows we see after the rain are a constant reminder to us to be encouraged and hopeful that no matter what vain imaginations the enemy tries to throw at us, God backs His promises and keeps us from the fiery darts of the enemy. For God is always our eternal rock (Isaiah 26:4b).
This morning God truly gave me a supernatural peace. These past few months have been quite difficult and exhausting, e.g. being in the hospital, recovery and many days of downs both emotionally and physically. BUT, God's rainbow promises have kept us going. "Lord, grant us peace, all we really have is from You." (Isaiah 26:12). I can't tell you how many times we prayed this prayer.
In your moments of desperation cry out to God, "Lord, You are my strength and my song. You have given me the victory over this situation. You are my God. I will praise You. My Father's God, and I will exalt You!"
I pray that you lean on God's rainbow promises today. No matter how difficult and bleak circumstances look, know that Jesus is right there with you, walking with you. I challenge you today to find other rainbow promises He has given us and share those with others.
Update: I have still had my ups and downs over the past several weeks. Due to a change in my meds I had quite a few seizures last week and had to go into the ER over the weekend. But they changed my meds and this week I am doing better.
- Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
Each day is a personal day from the Lord for His word has given us countless promises and when we seek His face and search for an intimate relationship with Him He will pour out blessings we cannot contain.
One of God's eternal promises to us was that He would never again flood the Earth to destroy all flesh (Genesis 9:13-15). The rainbows we see after the rain are a constant reminder to us to be encouraged and hopeful that no matter what vain imaginations the enemy tries to throw at us, God backs His promises and keeps us from the fiery darts of the enemy. For God is always our eternal rock (Isaiah 26:4b).
This morning God truly gave me a supernatural peace. These past few months have been quite difficult and exhausting, e.g. being in the hospital, recovery and many days of downs both emotionally and physically. BUT, God's rainbow promises have kept us going. "Lord, grant us peace, all we really have is from You." (Isaiah 26:12). I can't tell you how many times we prayed this prayer.
In your moments of desperation cry out to God, "Lord, You are my strength and my song. You have given me the victory over this situation. You are my God. I will praise You. My Father's God, and I will exalt You!"
I pray that you lean on God's rainbow promises today. No matter how difficult and bleak circumstances look, know that Jesus is right there with you, walking with you. I challenge you today to find other rainbow promises He has given us and share those with others.
Update: I have still had my ups and downs over the past several weeks. Due to a change in my meds I had quite a few seizures last week and had to go into the ER over the weekend. But they changed my meds and this week I am doing better.
- Composed by Tina and typed by Aaron.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Cruise Control
Several years ago there was a song about Jesus taking the wheel. Do you remember that? Well, whether or not that was one of your favorite songs I imagine that it may have caused you to stop and think. "Who is in the driver's seat of my life?" Over the past several years this question has come to my mind many times, especially lately. If you are anything like me you like to feel like you have some control of your life and what does or doesn't happen to you. Well I have learned that while I do have some limited ability to steer my "ship" through the "seas of life", ultimately I have no control of the winds, waves and weather. Only God is in charge of those! To some this idea may seem frightening or discouraging but for me it brings a reassurance for two main reasons.
#1 God loves me. Since I have asked Jesus to come into my heart, this has been a reality to me. Just like the song I sang as a child still echoes in my mind. I know that Jesus loves me because the bible tells me so.
#2 God is in control. Like the verse in 1 Chronicles 29:11 so clearly states, God is Lord of everything. "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."
Therefore, if God loves me and He is in control of everything...I can choose to sit back, relax and trust that He is guiding and directing everything in my life for my good as I release control to Him and cruise through the "seas of life". This isn't always easy but with God I can.
Update: Overall Tina has been doing a little better over the past 2 weeks since she started her Avastin injections although she has been having a lot of difficulty with sleep again due to the steroids she has been taking. Continued sleep deprivation (as you may have encountered) affects every area of your life and it has been causing some difficult side effects for both of us, but God has been faithful to rejuvenate us and give us His supernatural strength to carry on. Please pray that her sleep gets better and we will also be praying that God gives you His supernatural strength when you need it as you release control of your life to Him.
- A messenger of God
#1 God loves me. Since I have asked Jesus to come into my heart, this has been a reality to me. Just like the song I sang as a child still echoes in my mind. I know that Jesus loves me because the bible tells me so.
#2 God is in control. Like the verse in 1 Chronicles 29:11 so clearly states, God is Lord of everything. "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."
Therefore, if God loves me and He is in control of everything...I can choose to sit back, relax and trust that He is guiding and directing everything in my life for my good as I release control to Him and cruise through the "seas of life". This isn't always easy but with God I can.
Update: Overall Tina has been doing a little better over the past 2 weeks since she started her Avastin injections although she has been having a lot of difficulty with sleep again due to the steroids she has been taking. Continued sleep deprivation (as you may have encountered) affects every area of your life and it has been causing some difficult side effects for both of us, but God has been faithful to rejuvenate us and give us His supernatural strength to carry on. Please pray that her sleep gets better and we will also be praying that God gives you His supernatural strength when you need it as you release control of your life to Him.
- A messenger of God
Friday, March 30, 2012
Life's instruction manual...
Have you ever tried to put something together without using the manual. Guys are notorious for this. We look at the parts in the box and then at the picture on the box and assume we got it. Well, this happened to me about a week ago. A dear friend of ours came over to hang out with Tina while Katie and I went to a Daddy/Daughter dance (it was awesome by the way). When we got home our friend left only to return a few minutes later with a flat tire. "I got it", I said as I walked out to her car. About 30 minutes later as I was laying under her car I was feeling a little frustrated and had to ask her to help. She got the manual and it turned out that I was missing a crucial part. After I located this missing part the job was done in about 5 minutes.
This reminds me of life. So often in life we (myself included) go around saying "I got it" only to wind up feeling frustrated later. But it doesn't have to be that way. God gave us an instruction manual for life. It's called the Holy Bible. If we will admit that we need help and turn to His Word we will find that we will find the answers to life's questions and that even when life is frustrating we don't have to feel that way. So, if you are feeling frustrated today by life's challenges take some time to pick up the best instruction manual ever written, God's Holy Word. If you are not sure where to start, I would recommend starting in John (New Testament) as well as Psalms and/or Proverbs (Old Testament).
Related verse: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness..."
2 Timothy 3:16
Update: It has been about 1 week since Tina had her Avastin treatment and she will have another week sometime late next week. She appears to be doing better at times although she is still struggling with extreme weakness on her left side, shakiness, some sensitivity to light and sound and difficulty sleeping through the night. But...we still keep looking to God and His word for our comfort and for direction and guidance for our lives.
- A messenger of God
This reminds me of life. So often in life we (myself included) go around saying "I got it" only to wind up feeling frustrated later. But it doesn't have to be that way. God gave us an instruction manual for life. It's called the Holy Bible. If we will admit that we need help and turn to His Word we will find that we will find the answers to life's questions and that even when life is frustrating we don't have to feel that way. So, if you are feeling frustrated today by life's challenges take some time to pick up the best instruction manual ever written, God's Holy Word. If you are not sure where to start, I would recommend starting in John (New Testament) as well as Psalms and/or Proverbs (Old Testament).
Related verse: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness..."
2 Timothy 3:16
Update: It has been about 1 week since Tina had her Avastin treatment and she will have another week sometime late next week. She appears to be doing better at times although she is still struggling with extreme weakness on her left side, shakiness, some sensitivity to light and sound and difficulty sleeping through the night. But...we still keep looking to God and His word for our comfort and for direction and guidance for our lives.
- A messenger of God
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