Happy New Year?

Yes, it is.  My joy meter is off the chart.

Learned today that my friend, Becky Lynn Black, you know the gal who I visited over a year ago?  Her book http://direct.energion.co/becky-lynn-black

is now available in Spanish and soon, in Chinese! If you want to be blessed, and encouraged by this gal's story and her faith in God during trials/cancer, you really should order it and read it!!

Finally, I got around to ordering it today.  I was there, in her bedroom, while she dictated to her daughter. A few chapters, like maybe 6 and 7?  My mind is fuzzy, but when I read it, I'll remember.

I witnessed my friend’s body, being taken over by cancer, but I heard her precious voice brimming with joy, peace and punctuated by such laughter, while she remembered her life in Ethiopia, her marriage, taking Dave to Ethiopia for the first time and life with Jesus, her Lord.  Oh how she loves Him!  Her memory was so sharp, I was amazed!!

She had a strong desire to get it finished before she passed away and she did!  You did it Becky Lynn!

I know when I read it, I will cry.  I will be able to hear her voice you know?

She suffered greatly, but she loved God in it. There is something beautiful about
a person willing to accept their suffering and praise Him through it. The world doesn't understand it.  Christians want to have it "make sense" or for God to give them "reasons." Like if we had those reasons, then we'd say, "Oh, ok God.  Now I get it."  No, if we did have those things, then we'd argue it all the more. By nature, we want to be in charge..

 Today?

I miss my friend.  Early on, we "met" via email. Turns out we had a cancer connection.  Her encouraging words filled my in box!  I was then able to meet her face to face.  That's when I heard her tell her life's story to her daughter. I could learn so much more from her if she were here on Earth..
We spoke of going to Ethiopia together, if "the Lord willed." she would say. What a blast that would have been you know?

Yet--God has her with Him. She is in His presence.  One day I will see her again and we will spend eternity together.

This is the hope I have because I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ.
He is our reason. My reason. Becky's reason.

For living, for dying, for suffering, He is our reason.

Going in to a new year, remembering my friend, excited to read her autobiography, waiting for the snow to get deep enough to snow shoe in,
beginning school Monday, and  loving my sweetheart of 30 years--

I am grateful.

Here is Paul motivating us as believers, to have an eternal perspective:

"For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
while we look not at the things which are seen,
for the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal."
II Corinthians: 4:17,18


One more:
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure 
and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.."
Hebrews 6: 19


Happy New Year!

God is faithful,
even in suffering,
even after death,
even during living,
He
is
faithful,

Bonnie