We'd like to say that this week was more of the same, we're both doing well, etc, but sadly it's not true. Last week we found out that Chris' PawPaw passed away which was difficult for us both. Of course we are sad to not have him around anymore, but we are relieved that he is in a better place and his health has been restored. The past two years had not been easy for him or the family, so at last peace and healing can begin. We love and miss you PawPaw - Rest assured that you have made an unforgettable impact on our lives...
Upon returning to Dallas, we discovered that Katie's grandmother had been taken to the hospital in Waco, resulting in our heading right back out of town to be with her. She was not in good shape, but has since been tended to and hopes to go home today. Please continue to pray for her to regain both physical and psychological strength...
Seeing as this has not been the best of weeks for us, I feel it even more important to end on a positive note. We finished our book this past week, and here are some encouraging insights:
"...those most conscious of another world have made the most effective Christians in this one."
"Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the ninety-nine will read the Christian."
"Our wounds and defects are the very fissures through which grace might pass. It is our human destiny on earth to be imperfect, incomplete, weak, and mortal, and only by accepting that destiny can we escape the force of gravity and receive grace. Only then can we grow close to God. Strangely, God is closer to sinners than to 'saints'. (By saints I mean those people renowned for their piety - true saints never lose sight of their sinfulness.) As one lecturer in spirituality explains it, God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again, making a knot - and thereby bringing you a little closer to Him. Again and again your sins cut the string - and with each further knot God keeps drawing you closer and closer."
