"What we judge to be tragic- the most dreaded things that could happen, I expect we'll one day see as the awesome reason for the beauty and uniqueness of our life and our family."

-Keep a Quiet Heart

Tomorrow we leave for the weekend to go to Marky Persson's wedding in Virginia. Ian said today that he is looking forward to getting away. Needless to say, there won't be much activity on the blog. Hopefully Ian and I will be spending lots of time by the hotel pool!

Have a good Memorial Day weekend everyone.

Larissa

I like to think that Ian is feeling better. Today for the first time we worked on Ian writing on a white board again. He did so much better than he ever had before. He was working on it for about half an hour. He actually didn't throw the marker down this time and he was able to move his hand to find the board and then write on it for awhile. He was just moving the marker around and making little scribbles, but he was moving his arm farther away from his body than he has in the past. And when I asked him if he wanted to keep doing it, he said yes- twice. He was so concentrated and intentional. It was really encouraging to see him focusing on something like that again.

We also did the communication board and he got the first answer right. It's been a long, long time since we've been able to do that.

Thank you for your prayers. This is a long and wearying road. I often wonder how we will ever make it another day in this trial. And that's not even from Ian's perspective. But, there will be grace.

Larissa

hide away in the love of jesus.

ian has been making good progress during his work-outs with bill. also the other day when his friend called, he held the phone to his ear for quite awhile. usually we hold it for him, but this time he didn't need help. even little things like that must be encouraging for him.

i miss that face.

come hopeless hearts. do not despair. hide away in the love of jesus.

for ten thousand joys await you there.

Only Comfort in Life and Death?

Question: What is your only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

- The Heidelberg Catechism, Question # 1

Happy Mother's Day, Mary!

The Holy Places

Have you often thought about how amazing it is that we can pray to God? Hebrews 10:19 says,

"Therefore brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus..." 

The verse keeps going, but someone who lived under Old Testament Law would have to stop there: 

 "Enter the holy places? Me? That's only for the High Priest, and even he does it with trembling. I have no business in the Holy Places of the Tabernacle. The only person who could enter the holy places with confidence would have to be perfect."

They would have a hard time believing they could come boldly before a Holy God. But if they backed up a few verses, they would understand:

"For by a single offering [Christ] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

We have no right to pray. In ourselves, we have no good in us that would prompt God to listen to us (Romans 3:23). But Jesus offered himself as a living sacrifice so that we could be considered by his perfect life, so that we could have the right to pray! 

Ian's had kind of a boring week this week. Ian's never had a problem staying entertained, so it must be hard now that he can't. Let's pray with confidence God would heal Ian!

-Ben

The Life of Grace is the Dawn of Immortality

John Newton, the author of the Hymn "Amazing Grace," said concerning the dawn:

"The day is now breaking: how beautiful its appearance! How welcome the expectation of the approaching sun! It is this thought that makes the dawn agreeable, that it is the presage of a brighter light; otherwise, if we could expect no more day than it is this minute, we should rather complain of darkness, than rejoice in the early beauties of the morning.

Thus the life of grace is the dawn of immortality: beautiful beyond expression , if compared with the night and thick darkness which formally covered us; yet faint, indistinct, and unsatisfying, in comparison of the glory which shall be revealed." 

-Ben