Never Forsaken

Going Again . . .

2009-02-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

It has been two years since the last time I was there. In about two weeks, I will finally be going again. My husband will be with me again and, this time, we are bringing along our 13 year old son, Joshua. There will be some familiar faces with us: John and Laurie, Dave and Shannon, Debbie and Todd. But there will also be some newbies, too: Matt and Pam, Steve and two Cathy's, Sharon and Tera, Ed and Jennifer. I am excited to see their faces as they view the spectacular places for the first time: the Sea of Gaililee, the Mt. of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb.

Yes, that's right. I am going back to Israel. And I can't wait.

The Lord's Prayer

2008-04-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

My uncle sent this to me. Please check it out. It is a little 2 year old girl singing the Lord's Prayer and it is adorable. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4PQ30VkBk

just had to share. . .

2008-01-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

I think I do pretty well when I give the Lord my attention for my daily scripture reading from the Blue Letter Bible (I'm trying to read through the entire Bible and Blue Letter Bible is helping me). I think I do pretty well when I pause a moment and read a devotional from my Calvary Chapel Pastor's Wives devotional. I guess I felt that my obligatory reading for the day was enough.

Then, I went to the ocean and truly felt the presence of God.

I stood on the balcony outside our room and watched the ocean. I watched the waves come roaring in. I watched the spray of the water shoot up from those waves and in that spray, I saw a rainbow. And as I was standing there, the awesomeness of the Lord washed over me. I started to cry. It was then I realized that I hadn't been giving God my full attention. I felt an urgency for a closeness with the Lord that I seemed to have neglected.

I went to my Bible and began looking in the Psalms. I wanted to read the passage that starts "As the deer pants for living water. . ." and thought it was Psalm 40. I looked it up and found these words instead:

". . .he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."

I paused and looked back out to the ocean. I thanked Him for doing these exact things in my life. I asked forgiveness for forgetting about it.

How could I go about my day and not think about my Savior?

The one who for no other reason than His love for me, took me out of that slimy pit and firmly planted my feet. And because of that, the once for whom I should daily lift a hymn of praise.

I came home with a new sense of awe for my Lord and a determination to include Him in every second of my day, not just the 15 minutes I was giving Him.

What many, beautiful days I have to look forward to.

8 Things That Drive Me Crazy

2008-01-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

My friend, Gina over at curlyqfun.blogspot.com, tagged me to do a blog about 8 things that drive me crazy. So, here goes:

1. MY HAIR! Won't I ever by satsified?

2. Not being able to find my groove. I hate it when my time is out of control and I can't get a routine going.

3. Constipation. Will it ever go away?

4.Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas songs. What drives me nuts is that they start to play them in the beginning of October.

5. Which reminds me - people who start decorating for Halloween in the beginning of September.

6. The fact that my beloved Mariners cannot get to a World Series.

7. I love my children but it drives me nuts that they can't keep their rooms clean.

8. The cat who loves to sit below my window when she is in heat.

There you have it! Hope you got a good laugh :)

Pastor's Wife

2007-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

At Calvary Chapel Marysville, Pastor Dave doesn't have "topical" sermons, but teaches verse by verse through the Bible. But yesterday, instead of turning to Revelation 3, he had us turn to Leviticus where it describes the anointing of the hight priest. Then he had us turn to 2 Corinthians 4 where Pastor Dave taught about the attributes of a pastor. Pastor Dave took a "side trip" from our regular teaching in Revelation to these other passages because yesterday was a special day.

Yesterday, my husband was ordained as a Calvary Chapel Pastor and I became a pastor's wife.

I had a hard time sitting through worship because I was anxious. Anxious to see what this ordaining thing was all about. I was nervous for Chris because I knew he wanted this day to not be about him but to glorify the Lord. I was nervous for myself because I didn't know if Pastor Dave was going to have me stand in front of our entire fellowship.

When worship was over and Pastor Dave began his message, I relaxed a little. His teaching was about the attributes of being a pastor but it was things that the fellowship needed to hear, also. Attributes that we can all develop in our lives.

I relaxed even more when Pastor Dave called Chris up to ordain him. Then I got a little nervous when Pastor Dave brought out the anoiting oil because I thought he was going to dump it on Chris' head and I didn't want his shirt ruined. But then I settled down when Pastor Dave dabbed some oil on his fingers and anoited Chris' forehead and began one of the most beautiful prayers I have heard. I couldn't fold my hands and close my eyes. I turned my body to get a better view, rested my hands in my lap, and watched as my husband was anoited a pastor, just like Aaron would have done it:

First his forehead - so all his thinking can be for God's glory.
Then his right thumb - so all he does can be for God's glory.
Then his right big toe - so God is glorified everywhere he goes.

Pastor Dave then called some men from our fellowship to come forward and lay hands on Chris and continued the prayer.

Somewhere during that prayer, my oldest son Joshua rubbed my arm. When I turned to look at him, he gave me a smile that told me "that's my dad!" He then grabbed my hand and held it. As I was clutching his hand, Pastor Dave called me up. I paused for a moment because I didn't want to let go of Joshua and I didn't want the focus to change. I smiled at Pastor Dave, gave Joshua's hand a little squeeze and walked up to stand next to my husband. I looked at Chris and as he smiled at me, he put his arm around me. And with that, Pastor Dave opened up the prayer to the fellowship. I felt very humbled and was very touched as I listened to the prayers of our brothers and sisters.

When the final Amen was said, Chris and I walked back in awe to our seats. I was and am amazed at God and how He can take an ordinary carpenter and his wife and use them in His service.

So now, I am a pastor's wife. My prayer is that I can live up to this title and that God may be completely glorified in all I do while I carry it.

What You May Have Never Known

2007-05-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

My friend, Shannon, over at www.blogspot.windscraps.com, tagged me to blog seven random things about me. So, here goes:

1. I am a miracle baby. My parents were told early in their marriage that they weren't going to be able to have children. Apparently, my father had a low sperm count. In those days, there wasn't anything they could do about it. Once they got over their shock, they decided to try adoption. After they immigrated from Holland to Canada, they looked into it. They adopted my brother, John. After they immigrated from Canada to the United States, they began looking into adopting another baby. A girl this time. A few short months after they began the process, my mother discovered that, at the age of 37 (and my father at the age of 39), she was pregnant! On September 11, 1969, after much rejoicing from my parents, I came into the world, a miracle from God.

2. As kids, my best friend, Linda, and I had several goals we wanted to achieve when we grew up. One of those was to go to Europe together. That dream came true in 1987. As a graduation present to the both of us, my parents surprised us with a trip. Just a note here, as told above, my parents immigrated from Holland. My father's entire family lives there. So, in July of 1987, the four of us (my parents, Linda and I) boarded a plane to Holland. We got to see where my parents grew up, got to visit a lot of family, and also got to travel into Austria and Germany.

3. As a teenager, my dream was to one day marry a very rich mechanic named Joe. We were going to live in a beautiful home, with many children and two dogs. FYI: I am very happily married to a doing okay construction worker named Chris. We live in a wonderful home with two children and two cats.

4. My most favorite all time snack is potato chips with ketchup. Just give me a bag of potato chips and a bottle of ketchup and I am a very happy girl. I would also love to help it go down with a rootbeer float.

5. Growing up, I had a hankering for writing. I toured The Herald when I was in junior high to see the inner workings of a newspaper. I had high hopes of one day becoming a journalist.

6. I got my driver's license when I was 16 years old. I learned to drive in an automatic. That is the only kind of car we had because my mom didn't know how to drive a stick shift. I finally learned how to drive a stick shift when I was 36 years old.

7. Random things I am scared of: heights, snakes, spiders, scary drivers, very loud thunder, driving on hills in my stick shift, roller coasters and flying.

Home from Israel

2007-03-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

I came home from Israel last week with a renewed sense of awe for our Lord.

Israel is a beautiful country. Not only because of the landscape and the people but also because of it's history.

I sat in the ampitheater where Paul stood proclaiming the Word of God to King Aggrippa. While sitting there, I had an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea.

I climbed Mt. Arbel where Jesus fed the 5,000. At the top, I had a breath taking view of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked on water.

I tenderly walked into the Jordan River with my husband and I was washed as white as snow while my Pastor baptized me in the very river Jesus was baptized.

I took a tremendous hike up a mountain and saw the caves where David hid from Saul and drank from the very stream the deer panted by.

I stood on the Mount of Olives where Jesus will one day return and firmly plant His feet. The view I saw from there was the Eastern Gate - the very Gate He will walk through when He makes His glorious return.

I walked around the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed the night before His death.

I walked down the Palm Sunday road where Jesus made His triumphantal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.

I stood by what is thought to be Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, where Jesus died to free me from my sins.

And finally, I walked into the Garden Tomb where Jesus victoriously rose again from the dead. And, I tell you, it is EMPTY!! I cried at every site but this is where I cried the hardest as the Lord made Himself more real to me than ever.

I believe I left my heart in Israel.

Israel

2007-02-19T05:57:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to Israel.

I am going to the place where Jesus was born, where He lived, where He died and where He victoriously rose again.

I am going to see His empty tomb and be reminded that my Savior lives.

Psalm 91

Honey, anyone?

2006-08-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

My husband. You gotta love him.

When he gets an idea in his mind, nothing, and I mean nothing, will change it.

His latest escapade: beehives.

Chris has allergies. It never fails. Every year his sinus' get plugged, his nose gets runny, his eyes get watery and the sneezing is never ending. Someone told him that the best thing for allergies is local honey. This is where the "honey mission" began.

He searched high and low for local honey. It took him months. When he finally did find some, it was very expensive, but to him, worth every penny.

The wheels in his head began to turn: why can't I produce my own honey?

"Cora, I'm going to be a beekeeper!!"

This is when the research took over. Trying to find a way to purchase a beehive was no easy task. Until he spoke to Shannon. Gotta love her, too.

Evidently Shannon knew a guy who was really into honey. Had his own beehives, harvested his own honey, even made honey products such as lipgloss.

"His name is Jay," Shannon said. "And here is his number."

Chris called Jay. Jay hooked him up. And now Chris and Jay are best friends.

Chris was like a kid on Christmas morning when he brought his beehives home. If I can't find Chris to tell him dinner is ready, all I have to do is go look by the beehives. There he will be, sitting in his chair just watching the bees fly around.

Being the caretaker of two beehives is no easy task. First of all, you have to have the right equipment. Hives, frames, the proper bee suit, honey extractor. Then you have to have lots of knowledge. How the bees work, how to extract the honey, when the bees are most active and when you should just leave them alone.

Now, let me expand on that.

Chris can't leave his bees alone. He will put on his bee suit and check on them. Just to see how they are doing. I have told him numerous times to just leave them alone and let them work. But he won't listen to me.

Sometimes, he goes out there with no protection. When he does this, he runs the risk of getting stung. This has happened on three occassions:
1. He got stung on his stomach.
2. He got stung in his nose. Yes, you read that right, IN his nose.
3. This recent stung was the best one of all: on his eyebrow. Needless to say, in a quick 3 minutes, his entire eye was swollen shut.

My husband. You gotta love him.

Me, Homeschool?

2006-06-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

What is he thinking?

When we started attending Calvary Chapel, I had never met so many homeschoolers in my life. I thought they were all crazy. Why do that when there are so many schools out there. I was the odd man out. This was something you would never catch me doing and I flatly refused to homeschool. Ever!

Today I was looking through our photo album and found pictures of Joshua on his very first day of school. He looked so cute in his brand new school clothes, with his lunch packed and his back pack.

There was just no question that our boys would attend school.

Now, however, that question has been raised in our home. Because of some circumstances, my wonderful husband has decided that it is the best interest of our children to homeschool them.

It took me a while to digest this decision. At first, I just blew him off thinking he was playing a joke on me. After more discussion, I realized this was a true option for him.

Did he ever consider me in the equation? In the beginning, I didn't think so. When I had calmed down, I realized that, of course, he had considered me and thought me able enough to teach his children. I'm sure much prayer had gone into his decision and he felt certain God would equip me.

I can see the beginning of that equipping. He has surrounded me with a wonderful support group of friends, who, at a moments notice, are there to help me. All it takes is a phone call. (Thanks so much, Shannon, Jennifer, Fran and Kari!)

Every other day, I still ask Chris what he is thinking. And I still cry when I get overwhelmed. This is a reminder to bring it to God and talk it over with Him. And when I do, I can see His hand is in it because just a few short years ago, this was something I refused to do. And today, I'm moving ahead at full steam with God guiding me every step of the way. Because with God, everything is possible.

Happy Birthday, Nathan!

2006-03-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Seven years. I can hardly believe it. My baby turns seven on Thursday.

After Joshua was born (see previous post), Chris sat next to me, took my hand and whispered in my ear "I love you so much. If Joshua is our only child, it will be okay."

I just looked at him with my tired smile and squeezed his hand.

Thinking of having another baby was the least on my agenda.

Joshua did come home 10 days after being in the hospital. We enjoyed him so much. And we loved watching him grow.

When he was three years old, Chris looked at me and said "Maybe we can do this again."

At first, I was hesitant. I didn't think I could do that again. Everything about it scared me.

Chris said that we would be more "watchful" this time. Ask more questions. Make sure the doctors were checking everything. Not letting anything go.

And then we started praying.

We rejoiced when God answered our prayer.

His answer was to bless us with another miracle.

The pregnancy went well. I so enjoyed feeling the baby kick. My cousins threw me a baby shower. It all seemed to be going fairly well.

I was nearing my due date and had a doctor's appointment. Chris was with me. Everything seemed fine except I wasn't progressing. Seems the baby wasn't ready to come yet.

Considering my history, the doctor sent me for an ultrasound to measure the baby. After we found out it was another boy, we discovered that he was alreay over 9 pounds! "Let's schedule a c-section."

Those words alone freaked me out. It was the last thing I wanted to hear. I began praying. I just wanted a healthy baby and an easy delivery.

Confident that God would walk us through every step of the way, we scheduled it for the following Tuesday.

I woke up that morning and got myself ready. My friend was over to watch Joshua for us. She had encouraging words for me. My cousins and my aunt called me to tell me that everything would be fine. My mom called and said she would meet us there. My mother-in-law called and said she was on her way.

Chris took me by the hand and we left for the hospital.

I got settled in my room. I put a gown on. They hooked me up to the blood pressure machine. They put fetal monitors on my tummy. They started an IV. The doctor came in to give me a spinal tap. And then it was time to be wheeled into the operating room.

"How ya doin'?" Chris asked.

I smiled at him. "A little nervous, but okay."

I was put on the table and prepped. At any moment, I was ready for the pain or the news that the baby's heart rate dropped. But none of that happened.

GOD IS SO GOOD!!

Soon, my baby boy, all 10 pounds of him, was shown to me. I looked at Chris and he had that dopey "I'm a father" look on his face. I looked at our baby and was in awe at what God had done for us.

Happy birthday, Nathan Samuel.

SEAHAWKS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!

2006-01-26T08:27:00.000-08:00

Enough said.

Pancakes and Candlelight

2006-01-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

This morning, Nathan, my youngest son, was awake for about 5 minutes when he groggily asked me, "Mom, can we have pancakes for breakfast?" My son is a pancake-a-holic!

I hated to break his heart. "Sorry, honey, we are running late for school. Gotta have cereal."

I was then given the saddest face I have seen in a long time. "Maybe you and daddy can make them for dinner."

He perked right up. "Yeah, good idea!" and he was down the hall in an instant to confirm this with his dad.

I got the cereal for him and our day continued as normal. During the course of the day, I called Chris to remind him that Nathan and he had an appointment at dinner time.

At around 2:40 that afternoon, I sat in the van waiting for the boys at school. Joshua, my oldest son, came running in out of the rain with his regular greeting: "Hi mom. Got anything for me today?"

A few moments later, Nathan appeared, skipping down the sidewalk in the rain with a look of sheer joy on his face, got in the van and greeted me with "We are having pancakes for dinner!!"

Joshua chuckled. I smiled. "We sure are. Let's go home."

"I just know dad's home already."

To his disappointment, however, Chris wasn't home yet and Nathan had to keep himself busy while waiting.

When Chris finally did come home about 45 minutes later, Nathan was ready to go. Unfortunately, Chris was wet and tired and in need of a break.

"You need to wait, Nathan. I want to sit and have a bath first."

"Okay." Nathan replied sadly. However, this did not dash Nathan's spirit. While Chris was relaxing in the tub reading his book, Nathan had put his pancake dinner plan into motion.

"Mom, I need the Bisquick."

"Okay, I'm coming." I went into the kitchen to help Nathan and saw that in preparation for his dad, Nathan had gotten the frying pan, a spatula, a mixing bowl, a mixing spoon, butter, 2 eggs and an apron and put it all on the counter.

I got the Bisquick down and handed it to Nathan.

"Thanks, mom."

During all this, to make another long story short, Joshua and I had to run into town for a quick errand.

"I'm leaving." I told Chris through the bathroom door.

My expectation on returning home was Chris still in the bath with Nathan sitting by the door, patiently waiting for him.

Joshua and I arrived home to a completely darkened house.

My son, in all his excitement, and my husband, not wanting to squash it, had put on their aprons, set the table with 4 plates, forks and knives wrapped in napkins (which I was told Nathan had done by himself) and pancakes piled high on a plate. All this with 2 candles burning in the center. It was the most beautiful candlelight dinner table setting I had ever seen.

"Here's your chair, mom." Nathan informed me, right at the head of the table.

"Thank you, Nathan. You did a fantastic job."

I smiled at him and he smiled right back at me with that 6 year old grin I love so much. It was the best dinner I had in a long time.

Walk With Me

2005-10-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, we had some friends over one Sunday afternoon. We had just finished a wonderful meal together and we were sitting on the couch comparing our full tummies. My friend, Debbie, came up with what she thought was a fantastic idea.

"We need to work off some of this food. Let's take a walk!"

I just laughed at her. "No thank you."

"Oh, come on."

I looked her square in the face and told her in no uncertain terms: "I hate walking."

It is that simple. I hate to go for walks. It's not my thing. I won't do it.

Do you know what I started doing on Monday? I started walking. After I get home from taking my kids to school, I get my walking shoes on and walk around the neighborhood.

When I am walking, I can hear the river rushing and I take a look around. I see God's wonderful creation. I look up and see a beautiful blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds. I look around and see trees with red and orange leaves. I look down and see little creatures that only God knows why He put them on earth.

This leads me to say a little pray of forgiveness for not appreciating God's world more. This leads me to say a pray of thanks to God for letting me live in such a wonderful area. This leads me to say a prayer for my family. This leads me to say a prayer for my friends. This leads me to say a prayer for situations in my life. Finally, when I reach my house, I say a prayer of thanks for giving me the blessing of being able to take a walk.

Walk with me. You never know where it will lead.

Cannonball

2005-08-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

I remember it like it happened yesterday. The two Green children (Lukie wasn't here yet) were over at our house for a sleepover. The two of them along with my sons, Joshua and Nathan, were soon off on an exciting adventure while Chris and I worked in our basement. About an hour later, the kids came running up the road yelling to Chris. We think we heard the word "racoon" so Chris went to check it out. About 15 minutes later all five came scurrying into the house. Three of them were holding creatures. Not just any creatures, but three of the cutest, tiniest kittens you have ever seen.

"The kids thought they saw a racoon. I think it was the mother cat. They chased it away so they could rescue these kittens."

And rescue them, they did. Right into my home.

"Aren't they cute, mom?" Nathan asked me.

"Yes, honey, they are adorable."

"Can we keep them?" Joshua, the animal lover, asked me.

"We should probably bring them back to the mom."

Chris then informed me that the mother was long gone and the kittens were now orphans.

"It's up to your father."

I looked at Chris. He had a silly grin on his face. It seems a plan was hatched before I knew it and was now being played out.

"Yes, we can keep them."

"HOORAY!!!!" was the response I got from all four kids (even though two of them weren't even mine).

Two of the kittens were black and white and the other one was entirely black. It was decided that the black one belonged to Joshua, the male black and white one belonged to Nathan and the female to me. We promplty named them: Cannonball, Jesse and Annie, respectively.

As stated before, these kittens were too young to be taken from their mother. So I took to feeding from a little bottle. First Cannonball, because he was the runt, then Jesse, then Annie.

A few weeks went by and Jesse and Annie gained strength. But little Cannonball didn't seem to be growing as fast as his siblings. Joshua was like a mother hen with her chicks. He was very protective of Cannonball and was spending every waking moment with his pet.

One night Joshua asked me if he could sleep with Cannonball. I told him he had to be very careful as Cannonball seemed to be a little sick.

"I will be VERY careful. Thanks, mom."

Joshua came to get me the next morning. "Mom, Cannonball isn't breathing. Something's wrong."

I went to check. Sure enough, Cannonball was laying on his side, his mouth slightly open and his breathing was very shallow. I called Chris right away and he informed me that he probably wouldn't make it through the day. I had the awful task of giving Joshua this news.

"Maybe he'll make it." he said with hope in his voice.

"Let's make him as comfortable as we can." We put him on the little kitty bed and put a towel on him. We laid him on my bed and closed the door. Joshua checked on him throughout the day.

"I think he's dead, mom."

"I'll go check." When I checked on him, Cannonball was gone. I came out and told Joshua, that sure enough, he was dead. Instantly, Joshua came into my arms and cried the hardest I have ever seen him cry.

When Chris came home later that day, we put Cannonball in a box and gave him a proper burial. Joshua made a cross and put Cannonball's name on it and put it on the grave.

We lost Jesse later on in that same year. It didn't seem to affect Nathan the way losing Cannonball affected Joshua.

That happened a little more than two years ago. We still have Annie and although she was suppose to be my cat, she is now known as the family cat.

The other day I was dropping off Nathan at Shannon's house so Zac could babysit him. Joshua was at another friend's house.

I must insert here that Joshua and Tera, Shannon's daughter, are friends, although they wouldn't admit it to you. I also believe that they have a soft spot for each other that they wouldn't admit to, either. They go to school together and attend the same church so they see each other often.

"Cora, come here. I want to show you something." Tera, Shannon's daughter, said to me.

I went over to where Tera was sitting. I peeked in the box she was gesturing at and saw seven adorable kittens. Appears that Lucy, the Calvary Cat as we call her, had yet another litter of kittens. She picked up the one that was all black and showed him to me.

"I talked to my mom about it and she said it was okay but I needed to check with you. I would like to give Joshua this kitten as a replacement for Cannonball. I know Josh was pretty sad when he died."

I just looked at her. I was struck by her sensitivity.

"Why, Tera, I think that would be a wonderful idea. Joshua will be thrilled." She gave me a smile as she handed me the new Cannonball for me to hold.

And thrilled he was. Tera told him the good news when we came back later. He was literally jumping up and down, thanking Tera over and over. In six weeks, Annie will have a new friend to play with.

Whether he knows it or not, Joshua has a very good friend in Tera. One day he will come to really appreciate the friend God has given him.

Strengthening Me

2005-07-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is just too overwhelming for me.

I forget God is control and knows what He is doing. I forget that His plans for me are all laid out. I forget that all His intentions for me are for good. I forget He loves me.

Sometimes I just forget that He is there.

It takes me a while to remember what God is all about. He allows things in my life to help me gain perspective. He allows things in my life to draw me closer to Him. He allows things in my life to strengthen my faith. He allows things in my life so that I may rest in Him.

And when I do remember, I go to Him in prayer.

Then I find peace.

James 1:2-5
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him.

Uncle Andy, Part 2

2005-07-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a prayer on my lips for my Uncle Andy.

At 8:00 I knew he was at the hospital.

At 10:00 I knew he was heading into surgery.

I said another quick prayer.

At 11:30 I wondered where my phone call was telling me everything had gone well.

I said another quick prayer.

At 11:45 I grabbed my phone to call my cousin.

I put it down and said another quick prayer.

At 12:05 my phone rang.

I grabbed it and said hello.

It went dead. I had lost reception.

I quickly ran to the land line.

It rang and it was someone else.

My heart beating, I quickly ended that conversation.

I said one more prayer.

I called my cousin.

She quickly filled me in.

"The surgery went really well and he is doing great."

I started to cry.

"Don't cry. Want to talk to Aunt Gerda?"

Aunt Gerda came to the phone.

"Hi. Uncle Andy is doing great. They got everything. They checked him out and the cancer did not spread. Uncle Andy is going to be just fine."

I cried some more.

"Don't cry, sweetheart."

"I'm sorry. I'm just glad he's going to be okay."

Aunt Gerda started crying.

We ended our conversation with a promise that she would call me later.

I hung up.

Crying, I thanked God for what He had just done for my Uncle Andy.

Uncle Andy

2005-07-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Chris, I and the boys were invited to my aunt and uncle's house for a birthday celebration for my cousin. I gladly accepted the invitation because I always enjoy my Uncle Andy and I don't get to see my family very often any more.

Most of my mom's side immigrated from Holland to the United States together. They settled down in Everett within blocks from each other. They found a church to attend nearby. I attended that church with my folks, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and my cousins. Chris and I were married in that church and our boys were born into that church. A few years after Nathan was born, Chris and I decided to change churches. We are now happy members of Calvary Chapel Marysville :) I digress. . .It was a tough decision, but it was the move God had us make. As we left the church, we also left behind my family. I don't get to see them on a regular basis anymore, so I always happily accept any invitations to family get-togethers. Especially ones at Uncle Andy's house.

My folks took me camping when I was kid. We always went with Uncle Andy, Aunt Gerda, Jeannette and Jodie. We always had a good time. Uncle Andy would let us get away with anything and he could always make me laugh. Whether he told corny jokes or told the story of the Three Pittle Ligs, I was always in stitches.

I grew up practically living at their house. I was invited to come spend the night, hang out for a day or they would take me on one of their adventures. I loved being around my Uncle Andy.

One very fond memory I have of Uncle Andy is the way he would greet me. He would hold out his arms and yell "CORA". Then I would hold out my arms and yell "UNCLE ANDY". Then we would run to each other and give each other a big hug. He still greets me that way today.

I rushed Chris out of the house Sunday so we could get over there so I could give him one of my big hugs. When we got there, I didn't see him right away and began to visit with other uncle's and aunt's. I started up a conversation with his wife, my aunt, and his two daughters, my cousins. I don't recall exactly how the conversation came about, but I remember my aunt asking me "you mean, you don't know?" I looked from her to my cousins and asked "know what?"

"You really don't know?"

"No, I don't. What is it?"

Aunt Gerda told me. "Uncle Andy has prostate cancer."

I felt like a semi truck ran me over. "What?" I had to sit down.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I thought your mom would have told you by now."

"No, mom hasn't told me. What is going on? How long have you known?"

"We have known about three weeks. He is going in for surgery on the 25th."

Just then, my Uncle Andy decided to step up to me. I was doing fine until I saw him. "Oh, Uncle Andy." And I started to cry.

He put his arms around me in one of those wonderful hugs I love so much. "It's okay. They caught it early enough. All the odds are in my favor. I am going to have surgery and I am going to be just fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, dear, I'm sure. I am going to be just fine."

I left that day giving him another big hug, telling him he was in my prayers and that I love him. Very much. And I look forward to the next big hug.

I am going to leave my Uncle Andy in God's hands. I trust that God knows what is best for him. I have faith, that no matter what happens, God's plans will be fulfilled.

But, if you remember, will you say a prayer for my Uncle Andy?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSHUA!

2005-07-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today my oldest son, Joshua, is 10 years old. It truly is an amazing miracle.

The first time this baby idea came up was over a Big Mac at McDonald's. We were discussing our friends and the baby they would have soon and the question came up "when are we going to have a baby?" It took us many Bic Macs, hours of talking and days of prayer to finally conclude that this was the path God was taking us down.

I took a test the day before Thanksgiving and sure enough, we were pregnant. We were ecstatic. We went to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy. My due date was set for July 27. We took lamaze classes. My friends threw a baby shower for me. We went to Sears and picked out a crib along with sheets and the cutest comforter. We didn't find out the sex because we wanted to be surprised. We even chose names, again, over Bic Macs. If it was a boy, his name would be Joshua Daniel.

As time went on, however, I noticed that my ankles were swelling. It got so bad that I couldn't even wear shoes. I had to wear sandles. Along with that, my fingers were swelling and I took off my wedding ring for fear of having to eventually cut it off.

We went to the doctor and he wasn't very alarmed because everything was normal. My blood pressure and my urine was all normal. He sent me home and told me to come back in a week.

When I came back, I was swollen even more and the doctor did the normal tests. He came back and told me he wanted to draw some blood. As it turns out, my urine contained protein, my blood pressure was literally sky high and the blood tests came back with the news that I had toxemia. This is a disease that only pregnant get and the cure is to deliver the baby. I was three weeks away from my due date, so my doctor called a specialist. Because of my blood tests and my blood pressure, the specialist told my doctor to get me to the hospital and quick. This baby needed to be born.

Off I went. Alone. Chris was at work as we weren't anticipating having the baby that day. I frantically called looking for him. I finally got a hold of him and he came right away. Meanwhile, I was being hooked up to machines and given medicine to start my labor. I was very relieved when Chris got there. We were excited to finally meet our baby.

As the hours went, things weren't progressing as well as they should. The specialist came in and informed us of the situation. I was very sick. The baby's heart rate was dropping and he was getting very sick. Labor was not progressing as fast as the doctor would like and the situation was getting very serious. To avoid anything very drastic happening, an emergency c-section was required.

I don't remember much after that. The nurses were in a very big hurry to prepare me for the surgery. I remember a lot of scurrying around and looks of concern on my loved ones faces. They had to push me ahead of a woman who's baby was breach and I remember being wheeled into the operating room.

To say the least, the c-section did not go off as planned. I will spare you the details, but I remember being in a lot of pain. At one point, I remember seeing my baby for a split second before they took him to the "baby emergency room". They informed me it was a boy. I think I smiled. The next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room with Chris sitting beside me, holding my hand and telling me how much he loved me. He asked me if I was in pain and I said yes and I recall him yelling at nurses to get me some medicine. I don't even remember if I asked how the baby was doing.

Sometime later, after the medicine kicked in, Chris began to tell me how our baby was doing. He was in the baby intensive care and he was very sick. Chris went to see him at one point and he just lay there, with all kinds of iv's and an oxygen mask over his head, making a kind of whimpering sound. I asked if I could see him. This part I remember very clearly. The nurses wouldn't let me out of bed yet, so they wheeled my bed into the NICU. There was my baby boy. All 8 pounds 13 ounces of him (remember he was 3 weeks early; a big boy!). I lay there crying, wanting desperately to hold him, but not yet able. I reached out my hand and stroked his face. In that very instant, he stopped whimpering and relaxed. A baby knows his mother's touch. I laid there like that for about 15 minutes or so before I had to go to my room and get some rest. I told Joshua I loved him and allowed them to take me to my room.

It would be two full days before I saw my baby again. During that time, my mom took polaroid pictures of him and brought them to me. I held those pictures close to my heart and looked at them every minute. Also during that time, the doctor from the NICU came to see me. Chris was working at the time and I was alone in my room. He came and told me that Joshua was out of the woods and that he was going to be fine. He should grow up into a healthy boy with no after affects. I thanked him and waited for him to leave the room. I asked him to shut the door. The tears flooded out of me. All I could do was cry and thank God.

I was finally well enough to go see Joshua. As Chris pushed my wheelchair to the NICU, I actually felt nervous. I hadn't seen Joshua since that first day. He pushed me close to his bed and I saw him laying there. "Do you want to hold him?" the nurse asked me. "Really?" I answered. The next thing I knew, I was holding my baby boy for the first time. Let me tell you, there is nothing like it.

A week later, Joshua came home. He did all the normal baby things: sleep, eat and poop. Today, he is a strapping 10 year old almost as tall as me. He loves broccoli and hates green beans. He would rather be playing sword fight with his brother than read a book. He pitches for his little league team. His best friend is his dad with whom he loves to do anything with. He has a love for the Lord that grows every day.

God is good. And I amazed at what He can do. He knew what was coming our way that day and He gave us the strength to get through it. It was a terrifying experience, but God knew what He was doing and I don't regret the outcome.

Happy birthday, Joshua. I thank God for you.

Hair Perfectionist

2005-07-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Cora and I am a hair perfectionist.

The first step is admitting it.

If you know me, you know how I am about my hair. Every strand has it's place. I will spend hours to get my hair to look just the way I want it. Even if it takes washing it 2 or 3 times. If you see me, don't touch my hair. I hate the wind for the simple fact that it blows my hair around and messes it up. I've had friends tell me to loosen up and let my hair be free. But I can't. I just can't. My hair has to be perfect when I walk out the door. Not a hair out of place.

My hair has been blonde most of my life. As I am getting older, though, it is getting browner. I have always liked red hair. I always thought it would be fun to have red hair. A friend of mine gave me red hilights and it looked pretty good. In fact, I liked it so much, I thought it would be fun to become a red-head. So, I had my fried dye my hair red. What a mistake! More like orange. It was hideous. So, I asked her to please fix me. She tried, bless her heart. She said we should bleach it to get the color out. So we did, twice. Nevertheless, I was now a bleach blond with red hi-lights. I begged her to go the store with me and help me find a color to cover it up. We picked out a beautiful color. Only it didn't do a thing. I was left with bleach blonde hair with red hi-lights mixed with a little brown. By now, I had taken up my friend's whole day and felt I should leave her alone. I left her house to go home looking in the mirror at every stop light and stop sign to see if maybe it would change a little before I got home. No luck.

My husband and kids were very gracious to me when I got home as were my friends at church the next day. I didn't accept their compliments very graciously as I just wanted people to leave me alone. For those of you out there, please forgive me for my rudeness on Sunday.

That night, my friend came over to my house to play cards. As she was leaving to go home, she told me she was going to the store and wanted to know if she could pick up another color for me so we could color it again at her place the next day. With a huge smile, I accepted her offer.

Needless to say, when I got to her house the next day, she was ready for me and we colored it yet again. The end result is a color pretty close to my original color.

So, let me tell you a few things that I have learned through this experience: don't be a hair perfectionist as it will rule your life; it's okay to let your hair loose and let the wind blow it; they say the messier the hair, the better; my husband loves me no matter what my hair looks like (even if it is orange).

Here's the greatest thing of all: God made me a hair perfectionist and He loves me!

A Good Deed

2005-06-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

I woke up one morning to the sound of a man talking. It was the newsman telling me the latest goings on. My alarm clock is set to the local news station. I like to catch up on the news, weather and sports before climbing out of bed to start my day.

This particular morning, the newsman had a startling story to wake me up with. He was telling me of two children's bodies being recovered after missing for a few days only to find out the father of one of them had taken them and murdered them both.

I crawled out of bed with a sinking feeling. How did we get to a place in this society where father's kidnap their own children and kill them? Are there any good people left out there?

I went about my day. I was driving down a road on my way to the local grocery store when an interesting scene caught my eye. I was passing a school. It must have been recess, because the kids were out playing in the fenced play ground. I watched as a ball came bouncing over the fence into the street.

I then noticed an old pickup pull over to the side of the road. A husky looking man with tattoos emerged from the truck. My defenses went up and I thought he was going to give those kids what for. Instead, to my amazement and delight, the man picked up the ball and threw it back over the fence for the kids. They gave him a smile, a wave and a big thank you and went back to their playing. The man smiled and waved back, got in his truck and drove away.

It warmed my heart to see a good deed done and I realized that we needed more husky men with tattoos in the world.

How about you? What good deeds have you done lately?

John 3:16

2005-06-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's a passage we all learned as kids. We were forced to memorize it. We can recite it at a drop of a hat. But have you ever stopped and considered what the verse is actually saying to us?

For God so loved the world
This is the great truth that motivated God's plan of salvation. He so loves the world - that in itself is amazing. Look at the world, the people in it, the things that are happening. I look at myself and say "how can God love me, a sinner who constantly stumbles?" But it says so right here: God so loved the world. That is you and me. 1 John 4:10 says "This is love: not that we love God, but that He loved us". We have done nothing and yet God loves us.

that He gave His one and only Son
Isaiah 9:6 says "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

God freely gave us His Son. He was sent down from perfection to earth to become human so He may live a life in the flesh as you and I do. Hitting his thumb with a hammer or stubbing his toe. He felt pain like you and I. He became human so He could suffer and die for you and me.

Romans 8:32 says "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

If God gave the supreme gift of His Son to save us, He will certainly also give whatever is necessary to bring to fulfillment the work begun at the cross.

Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

that whoever believes in Him
This is referring to you and me. You and me who are sinners, you and me who are undeserving, you and me who stumble, you and me who are everyday asking God's forgiveness for the sin we have done. You and me who are believers. Believers in that Jesus Christ bled, died and rose again so that our sins might be washed away. And it is that simple: just believe.

And all that for what??

so that you shall not perish but have eternal life!
And that right there is the goal. We shall not perish because death is not an ending for us but rather a new beginning of eternal life in heaven with Jesus Christ where we will no longer have sin, pain or sorrow. Where we will no longer stumble, but live in perfection with Jesus Christ, boasting in His glory.

So, memorize it. Recite it. And along with that, tell the glorious truth of this magnificent verse.

Taking a break from God

2005-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Sitting at home with my family one night, I was trying to have a conversation with my husband, Chris, about an issue that was getting me very frustrated. The kids were constantly interrupting us and the phone rang. I ended my phone conversation with my friend in frustration realizing that I only had a few minutes to eat dinner as I had to be at Bible study soon. Rushing a good bye to my family, I headed out the door.

While I was driving, my frustration grew even more as I realized that I was on my way to lead a group of women in a Bible study; a study of turning from darkness and walking in the light and I was feeling very inadequate about it.

As I got to a stoplight, I figured out what I should do. Waiting for the light to turn green, I said out loud, in a loud voice, "I need to take a break from God". That was it, the solution I was waiting for.

Not even a second went by when something instantly popped into my head: "I will never take a break from you". That was God instantly responding to me and telling me, not reminding me, but TELLING me that He will never leave me. It was a reminder of Deuteronomy 31:6 that tells us "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

I went home after my Bible study anxious for Chris to be awake so we could talk about this. Chris doesn't sleep well when I am not there. He can't fall asleep until I get home. But, when I got home that night, he was fast asleep.

When we did talk about this the next day, he told me something. He said at about 8:15 that previous night, he was sitting on the couch falling asleep. He could not keep his eyes open. So, he decided to just go to bed. As he was laying down and getting comfortable, he felt that God was telling him that everything was okay and he could just go to sleep.

God was working in my heart, telling me that He would never leave me and reassuring Chris that He is working on me and not to worry.

I never took that break that I was so sure I needed. Just the opposite. I reached out to God in different ways and have felt His presence ever since.

When you feel like life is just too much for you and you think you need a break, reach out to God. He promises that He will NEVER let you go!

I have arrived!!

2005-06-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I finally did it! Here I am blogging, of all things.

The hardest thing about starting this blog was picking a name. I thought about it a long time and with a friend's help, I (we) came up with Never Forsaken. The Lord has brought me through a lot over the last 2 years and one thing I learned through it all is that He will never leave me or forsake me. As many times as I tried to run away, God was always there welcoming me back with wide open arms. God has been my one constant in all things!

He won't leave or forsake you, either. Cry out to Him and He will be there waiting for you, too, with wide open arms.