early.

awakened

in night.  got jan

up. we ate klondike bars....

and cried.  oh, i don't want to

lose jan.  praying for jan's healing.

we get impatient with each

other, sometimes.  don't know

why.  it's friday again.  i am driving

home today....and jan's dear

friend is caring for her over the

weekend.  i hate to leave her.

"Jesus, Jesus...how i trust Thee.

how i've proved Thee o'er and o'er.

Jesus, Jesus...precious Jesus.

oh, for grace to trust Thee more."

brandt is three hours

later than west coast.

he called last night

from fire station.  such

a good talk.  i put it on speaker

phone so jan could enjoy.

i don't think there's a co-

dependant bone in jan's body.

me?  i'm always trying to keep

the world happy.  i think it's

the most difficult part of our

relationship.

i received probably the most

scathing comment of my career

a week ago.  that i pity myself.

that i feel sorry for myself.

do you celebrate

the glory of the risen Savior?

do you realize that we all have

blind spots?  do you long to be

more like Jesus?

i do.

oh, i do.

God's truth is marching

on.  and i've learned there is

a thread of truth in every

criticism.  must go.

may we pray for each other

today.  and march to victory.

brandt and colben

i saw the beauty of Jesus

today.  when a lovely lady

came to jan and me while

we were pumping gas.  she

had no money, but her eyes

were glistening.  when we spoke

the name of Jesus, the sky lit to

a clear, pure blue.  and we helped

her a little.

jan and i stopped at her

favorite little dress shop,

and we told the sales' clerk

that one could feel the warmth

of shining love when we reach

out and touch the fingertips

of God's vast grace .. 

and she said her heart yearned

for that.

i have been with jan

while tom and their son, nash,

are at a 60.2 mile race.  had

to call an ambulance for jan.

found out with latest catscan

that my bones did not fuse in

my foot so surgery is a must.....

BUT...

"bless the Lord,

oh, my soul,

and ALL that is within me....

bless His Holy Name...."

"He has done great things...

He has done great things...

He has done great things..

bless His holy Name.."

we have been eating

chocolate eclairs.  and

pinkleberry frozen yogurt.  and

lots of gummy bears.

"But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. 

Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble."
~ Isaiah 33:2, NLT ~ Isaiah 33:2, NLT

if we don't cut back on sugar,

mercy will be our war cry.  smile.

my fast, hurried, disjointed blog

yesterday was done with a good heart.

i so wanted to give you

something on a lazy, easy, saturday

morning that would inspire you

to pull on your running shoes of

life....and watch God surprise you

with answers to prayers, and glorious victories where you

needed them most.  

however, tom asked me to drive

him to the train station in sacramento..that would take him

into the city (san francisco)

where he would meet nash for

their flight to europe....and nash's

62-mile race in the alps. jan is

too ill to drive, and i'm taking

care of her some of this time.

so....

i was sitting on my bed.  still in

p.j.'s. writing almost as fast as

a jet breaking the sound barrier.

racing.  heart in earnest as i said....

but the outcome was tacky...and

hard to follow. please don't judge

me. i had the blog posted before

reviewing it.  dashed to my car

in my p.j.'s. drove almost an hour

to tom and jan. and made it to

the train station in time.

it is dark outside.  jan's asleep.

and i had to find this blog (yesterday's) because i instinctually

felt it wouldn't be worthy of God's

assignment.

i'm too sleepy to give you

what i want to share, but i will.

bottom line, the Race is all

about love.  God's beautiful heart

living in us.

today is the Sabbath for most

of us.  enjoy Jesus. lay your

burdens down.  sing and clap

and raise your hands in praise.

let's celebrate the easy and difficult,

knowing God is using it all to

build us in the faith...and help us run this glorious, difficult Race 

so that Jesus will be glorified,

and we'll cross the finish line

to the glorious City.

until later.

asking forgiveness.

i love you.

today,

i go to jan's

until her friend

flies in from cleveland.

tom is travelling with nash

to europe, where nash has

trained hard for a 50-mile

race in the alps. tom is the one

who planted the running bug

in all of us.  i'm praying for

nash (a gruelling feat).

august  30.

some people are created to run

long distances; others, sprints.

if we have knee problems, we

usually must drop out of at least

long-distance pursuits.

following Jesus is so much like

running the races.   it is never

a part-time effort.  it takes constant

focus and dedication.  we fall.

get lost now and then.  get pushed

and shoved.  hurt. sometimes,

there are injuries along the way.

but Jesus calls us...

to run and win.

to hold onto His joy even

when the wind and rain

are beating us..and pushing us

around.  to trust Him even when

someone pushes us off the

path when we get distracted.

fellow warriors,

keep your eyes on the course.

when it's extra rough, cry out

to Jesus. the Author and Finisher

of our Race.  always stop, if you must, to help a brother or sister.

in difficulty.  we are never to

focus attention on ourselves.

our faces toward the Son. the

breeze and sweet aroma of His Presence is what keeps drawing

us.  what is our joy.

.

when we fall,

we must get up.

keep the rhythm.

shut the noise

of dissenters out.

sing.

what a choir.

everyone running toward

the goal in Christ Jesus.

don't allow mud and rocks

to defeat you.

when we've finished our

course...and see Jesus face to

face...all our trials will be over.

Victory to the One who Is

and was and will forever be...

our Song and Hope.

no more sorrow. no more crying.

in the sweet by and by.

just you and me and Jesus.

our children who left us early

in our arms. friendships rejoined.

i'm thinking of

each of you today...

praying for you.

"it will be worth it all when

we see Jesus..."

the beautiful, little family i've been with a lot...

trying to assist the ill

mother of six...

invited me to dinner

tonight.  yummm.

steak on the grill. watermelon.

real mashed potatoes. zucchini

and portobello mushrooms.  it

was really lovely. at 9:30p.m.,

as i drove home, a light

flashed on the dashboard.

something about checking tire

pressure.  what if a tire flattened

on a dark country road?  i was

alone. one gas station a road over.

Jesus is so magnificent.

opening doors for me to share

Him.  on days when i need and

i yearn to speak His Name.

"Jesus, please give me the

perfect person to help me."

a young guy is pumping gas.

big truck.  "sir, can you help me?"

another guy walks by.

"hey...can you go in and tell them

to turn the air on?"

he gets behind my wheel.

backs the car to the air pump.

pulls out a little flashlight.  grabs

the gauge. pumps perfect level of air in.   

two back tires.  job done.

for him, as easy as breathing. for

me, it might as well have been

russian.

"hey! i don't know if you know

Jesus, but i  love Him. i count on

Him. when i drove in, i simply asked

Him to give me someone to help."

"and nate, Jesus hand-picked

YOU.  here's a little cash...and thanks.

remember! God LOVES you! " his

smile is wide.  my eyes are shining.

it's all about that Name.

dance with me.

listen to the choir and the birds

in the trees and the oceans roar

as the tireless Lord of the

universe goes about His glorious

duties of the day.

and as we,

inspite of setbacks and hardships,

respond to Him.  singing our hymns

and watching...waiting....for every

moment Jesus gives us to speak

love and show mercy.   there is

a River...that never shall run dry.

come, Jesus, come..

run, River, run.

"the lines have fallen to me in

pleasant places; yes, i have a

good inheritance."  psalm 16

it's been one of those

days that doesn't fit.  where

i knew i was an inconvenient

traveller.

i had my catscan on cd  to

deliver to my orthopedic surgeon.

on time. almost there when i

suddenly became filled with

anxiety, and pulled into a gas

station...to use the restroom.

instantly, there was a swoosh....

and diarrhea poured out of me.

the bathroom was only for

personnel.  i stood there..white

pants...in disbelief and utter

humiliation.  the salvation army

was across the street.  the

place where some angels reside.

crying, a woman led me to a

bathroom.

missed my dr.'s appointment..

went to Jan's to strip and wash,

but she was busy on the phone...

and i was in the way. an inconvenience.

"Jesus says, and we know that all things work together for good...

to those who love God and are

called according to His purpose."

romans 8:28

i know this is alittle raw to talk

about.  to have the entire market

stand around, staring at me....

and i can't move.   but..

if Jesus tells us it all works

for His good, then we must

believe.  even on crooked,

lopsided, seemingly misplaced

days we never want to remember.

we must just take life as it comes.

trust God and move on.

"all to Jesus, i surrender.

all to Him, i freely give.

i will ever love and trust Him...

in His Presence daily live....

"i surrender all ..

i surrender all. all to Thee,

my blessed Savior.  i surrender

all."

"Lord, i give up all my own plans

and purposes; all my desires and

hopes, and accept Thy will for

my life.  i give myself, my time, my

all utterly to Thee to be thine forever.

fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. 

use me as Thou wilt.  send

me where Thou wilt.  WORK OUT

THY WHOLE WILL IN MY LI FE

AT ANY COST, now and forever."

betty scott stam, missionary

with God's help,

i surrender my life to Him.

my feet and His answer for their

healing.

i surrender my children, who are

His magnificent gifts to me. they

are my life.  my dreams come true.

oh, may they always know how

much Jesus loves them.  that they

are shaped for greatness in

His Kingdom.

i surrender jan, and her cancer.

i praise You, Lord, for all the victories these past six years.

and praise you for what the future

holds. i can surrender because

You are a trustworthy God.

because of Your awesome power,

i surrender my neighbors to You.

every potential opportunity to

love them to You.

and

i surrender

my comrades...

my fellow warriors...to the Race

we must run.  to the mountains

looming ahead and the sorrows

You may ask us to walk through.

"glory, glory hallelujah..

His truth is marching on!!!!"

there's a sunrise for you

this Sabbath weekend.

watch for it.  i love you!!!   ann

colben