FRIENDS

These past couple weeks have been very difficult for our family. Less than two weeks ago, my stillborn granddaughter, Orie, was born. Before that time and since, Tom, my husband, has been feeling increasingly unwell. After 3 visits to the local ER, today he was admitted to the hospital diagnosed with congestive heart failure and pneumonia. It indeed has been a stressful time.

Dealing with these things is not easy. However, as I reflect, I realize how much support and strength has come from my friends. I am so blessed to have wonderful friends around me, with whom I can share my difficulties and burdens.

Thank you, Lord, for friends.

Pennsylvania

Tom and I had a wonderful trip to Pennsylvania last weekend. The purpose of our trip was to visit our good friends, John and Linda. Since we were in the area, we arranged to have supper with Vern and Meredith Bosserman. Vern had been our pastor for several years when we were all much younger...so we met at the Olive Garden in Harrisburg for supper. Their second daughter, Laura and her almost 2 year old, Abby, joined us for supper.

Vern wanted to show us the church they recently built for their congregation of 3-400 on the outskirts of Harrisburg. It is lovely, and it so amazing that this congregation was built up "from scratch". They have 15 acres there and are happy with the opportunities that owning land brings to a congregation. The church is called New Hope and is Brethren in Christ. http://www.anewhope.org/Default.aspx

Then we moved on to Carlisle where Linda and John live. John is continuing to fight the enemy he is up against, that being ALS. We were amazed to witness the courage he demonstrates so clearly. He engages in conversation with his special keyboard, with which he spells words which are then spoken by the machine. He indeed is a man of quick wit and it was great to interact with him although he is no longer able to speak. I enjoyed spending time with Linda, with whom I have been friends since our teen years. We met at NCC, went through Nurses' Training, dated our husbands together, raised our children together, went to church together, and after Linda branched out into a new career, Pastoring, they moved away to Carlisle. It was so good to be together and to share deeply as we have done so many times throughout the years. She is Pastor of Congregational Care at the Brethren in Christ Church in Carlisle, so yes we were at another church. It is a thriving congregation with over 1000 attending 5 different services and they have begun the first phase of a building program which will take them over the next 20 years. The church has been very supportive and helpful to John and Linda during these challenging times. http://carlislebic.org/

Like I said, it was good to get away. It is good to be in connection with long-time friends. They are all very special.