***
Hello, sweet readers! It feels like it has been forever! I have been keeping up with our first-ever, year-long, bible series on Colossians but other than that -I have not been sitting in this chair (or --to be honest-- writing in my journal!) much at all lately! But Autumn is almost here and that always means a season of restarting and resetting routines! And that goes along well with our One Word Prompt, so let's go!
This is a Five Minute Friday post... which simply means I set a timer and free-write for five minutes flat on the one-word prompt: BACK
{GO!}
I see the prompt and --yet again... I laugh. This time, however, I realize right away that the laugh is to cover the pull toward tears.
I see "Back" and I feel the pull backward...
In this season, in a few areas of our life, we are witnessing and feeling the whole, "Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"... but some days it feels like WAY more than just one step.
I can really pick among many things to focus on but really --the most urgent and back and forth pull is all around my sweet sister and her beloved husband, Jack.
Many of you may remember that he battled Stage 4 Breast Cancer awhile ago. He lived a full and healthy cancer-free life for several years however we found out a few months back that cancer returned.
And as Cancer tends to be... he's a real {insert All the Bad words here!} and he came back with a vengeance. He is relentless and void of mercy... he robs and steals and kills like the enemy demon that he represents.
I hate him... I've seen his handiwork far too many times than I care to admit and I know I am not alone.
I know many of you, sweet readers, have battled him, too!
For yourself... for your family... for your friends.
He is such a liar but he can be oh so convincing!
BUT GOD...
Let's not forget... But God!
God is near... He binds up the brokenhearted and it's by His stripes that we are healed. --...that we ARE healed.
So we press on... we pray and we dare to hope and we declare the Promises of God and we stand close and lift up arms and we focus our eyes on a Good, Good Father who assures us, time and time again, that He is never late...
But --can we be real for a minute?
Sometimes it most certainly FEELS like He is late.
It FEELS like He is taking His own sweet time...
...like He is not going to come through... like He just may not show up.
I know...
Listen... Y'all know that I am a Crazy Faith kind of girl...
I believe God is still a God of Miracles and I believe He can and will do it!
I believe... (and on the hard days, I believe --Lord, help my unbelief, right?)
We have prayed and we have seen the Hand of God do amazing things...
Before, during, and after Cancer came to play.
We know -in the end-- the enemy gets slaughtered on the field
while we leave on Jesus' shoulders, celebrating the Victory!
We have felt the nearness of our God
and sensed His holy breath fill the room
as we circle around and worship
and we feel the rush of angels
as we gather around to pray and to declare.
We KNOW God is with us... He is for us...
and He is doing a work
--even on the hard days when we can't see it
or feel it or even hope for it...
we know!
We know even though...
even if... even when...
God is still good!
He is still God and
He can be trusted!
(Lord, we believe!
Help our unbelief!)
{STOP!}
So... I didn't really intend to share all of that, but today is one of those 'Help our unbelief' days and we fully believe in the power of prayer!
So, this is Jack on the left with My Honey...
It was taken a few years ago at a surprise birthday party! These two guys are two of the best humans ever,
and while they both married well (ahem...)
They have been friends with each other longer than either of them have known either of their wives
(-- which is Karinna and me, obviously!)
If I can be so bold, I'd like to ask
for your covering, friends!
Pray for my sister, Karinna...
She is my oldest sister and my oldest friend...
She & Jack poured into My Honey and I and mentored and discipled us well!
I have never been around a marriage that so mastered
the One Flesh aspect of growing together!
She is his main support, caretaker, best friend, wife,
and the mother and grandmother to his precious daughter and grandson.
She is carrying a LOT on her plate and she needs healing, as well.
(And rest, and provision, and hope, and grace, and strength,
and... well --you get the idea!)
And of course, I ask you to
Pray for Jack...
He is one of the very best men I have ever met
and we fully believe his work on this side of heaven is not yet done!
He needs healing... he needs rest and for nausea to go away...
He needs an appetite and the ability to gain weight and strength...
He needs hope to arise, as well as all cancer to be gone!
We are praying for a miracle and we believe in
'the Way Maker... the Miracle Worker...
Promise keeper... Light in the darkness...
Our God, that is who You are...'
Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today. Five Minute Fridays give us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about "BACK"!
The FMF lowdown:
The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk about food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second-guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!
I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:
Crystal Twaddell for #FreshMarketFriday
{GO!}
I see the prompt and --yet again... I laugh. This time, however, I realize right away that the laugh is to cover the pull toward tears.
I see "Back" and I feel the pull backward...
In this season, in a few areas of our life, we are witnessing and feeling the whole, "Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"... but some days it feels like WAY more than just one step.
Many of you may remember that he battled Stage 4 Breast Cancer awhile ago. He lived a full and healthy cancer-free life for several years however we found out a few months back that cancer returned.
I hate him... I've seen his handiwork far too many times than I care to admit and I know I am not alone.
I know many of you, sweet readers, have battled him, too!
For yourself... for your family... for your friends.
He is such a liar but he can be oh so convincing!
BUT GOD...
Let's not forget... But God!
God is near... He binds up the brokenhearted and it's by His stripes that we are healed. --...that we ARE healed.
So we press on... we pray and we dare to hope and we declare the Promises of God and we stand close and lift up arms and we focus our eyes on a Good, Good Father who assures us, time and time again, that He is never late...
But --can we be real for a minute?
Sometimes it most certainly FEELS like He is late.
It FEELS like He is taking His own sweet time...
...like He is not going to come through... like He just may not show up.
I know...
Listen... Y'all know that I am a Crazy Faith kind of girl...
I believe God is still a God of Miracles and I believe He can and will do it!
I believe... (and on the hard days, I believe --Lord, help my unbelief, right?)
We have prayed and we have seen the Hand of God do amazing things...
Before, during, and after Cancer came to play.
We know -in the end-- the enemy gets slaughtered on the field
while we leave on Jesus' shoulders, celebrating the Victory!
We have felt the nearness of our God
and sensed His holy breath fill the room
as we circle around and worship
and we feel the rush of angels
as we gather around to pray and to declare.
We KNOW God is with us... He is for us...
and He is doing a work
--even on the hard days when we can't see it
or feel it or even hope for it...
we know!
We know even though...
even if... even when...
God is still good!
He is still God and
He can be trusted!
(Lord, we believe!
Help our unbelief!)
{STOP!}
So... I didn't really intend to share all of that, but today is one of those 'Help our unbelief' days and we fully believe in the power of prayer!
So, this is Jack on the left with My Honey...
It was taken a few years ago at a surprise birthday party! These two guys are two of the best humans ever,
and while they both married well (ahem...)
They have been friends with each other longer than either of them have known either of their wives
(-- which is Karinna and me, obviously!)
If I can be so bold, I'd like to ask
for your covering, friends!
She is my oldest sister and my oldest friend...
She & Jack poured into My Honey and I and mentored and discipled us well!
I have never been around a marriage that so mastered
the One Flesh aspect of growing together!
She is his main support, caretaker, best friend, wife,
and the mother and grandmother to his precious daughter and grandson.
She is carrying a LOT on her plate and she needs healing, as well.
(And rest, and provision, and hope, and grace, and strength,
and... well --you get the idea!)
And of course, I ask you to
Pray for Jack...
He is one of the very best men I have ever met
and we fully believe his work on this side of heaven is not yet done!
He needs healing... he needs rest and for nausea to go away...
He needs an appetite and the ability to gain weight and strength...
He needs hope to arise, as well as all cancer to be gone!
We are praying for a miracle and we believe in
'the Way Maker... the Miracle Worker...
Promise keeper... Light in the darkness...
Our God, that is who You are...'
Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today. Five Minute Fridays give us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about "BACK"!
The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk about food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the
I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:
Crystal Twaddell for #FreshMarketFriday
Praying, believing and trusting!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, my friend! xoxo
DeleteFriend, this post is so real and honest! It does sometimes feel like God is late. But God isn’t. Praying and believing with you dear friend!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Tara! I know you have been covering us in prayer! We can feel it and we do know God is never late (except when it feels exactly the opposite --but even then, we know!) ;) xoxo
DeleteThank you for sharing from your heart Karrilee. I want to stop right here and pray for Jack.
ReplyDelete- Jolene
Abba Father, We lift up Jack and Karina to you. Please wrap them in Your love, comfort and healing. Please take the cancer completely away. Please work miraculously. We thank You that you are with Jack and Karina. In Jesus name, Amen.
Jo --I have to tell you, you BLESS me so when you always comment with a prayer! We can feel the prayers and are so appreciative of them... of you! xoxo
Delete