Three posts in one night!  Whew!  This is just to let a few family and friends know what has been happening with us.

Dale had a test the other day, I actually posted on it earlier.  There wanted a 24 hour urine collection because the previous one seemed kind of iffy and if there was protein in the urine it would mean a biopsy of the kidney – everything was fine!
I had some tests a little over a week ago.  I have had Ulcerative Colitis or UC as it is “affectionately” known for a little over a year.  I had a flare up that started about a month before school was out and it just wasn’t getting better.  I was miserable and not eating.  We did a little tweaking medicine-wise and I am finally getting back to normal. This is my second flare-up and until I was told I had UC I had never even heard of it.  Leave it to me to get something weird.  It is chronic which basically means I have to live with it.  It would seem that certain foods and stressors trigger flare ups but these things differ with each person.  I also did a little reading and it seems that the incidence is much higher in smokers who have quit and that some people are getting some relief from using the nicotine patch.  Learning my triggers is going to be a priority but the patch is going to be on the list of things to try.

What this has meant is that I didn’t get as much done this summer as I had wanted to but I am definitely better and hoping to squeeze as much into the rest of the summer as I can.

We have been hosting a bible study on Tuesday nights at our house and I was loaned an awesome commentary by John MacArthur and I would highly recommend his books – either the commentaries or the bible studies.  Great outlines and scripture references that let you cross reference everything.  It has meant growth for me personally just because in order to prepare I read nearly every day.  Meeting with this group of faithful seekers every week has kept me going. I have started keeping a journal of my study notes and prayers and through it God has been showing me that while I may stress about every little thing, He has been faithful over and over in the big things and I am s-l-o-w-l-y learning to trust. Letting go of control has always been an issue for me (not the only one by any means) but seeing God answer prayers over a period of time makes me realize what a “foxhole” Christian I have been.  When ever things go crazy in my life I am right there praying – asking God to fix this problem and heal that sickness.  I am always a basket of pieces at that point and forgetting that I need to thank Him for all the blessings He has already given me and through looking back at what He has already done, realizing that I have much to be thankful for and that I can fully trust Him to work things out for the best.   If God never answers another prayer, I need to always remember that He loved me anough to send His only Son, to die on a cross for my sin and of all the gifts He gives me – that one is sufficient for everything else.

Amen and goodnight!