Prayers and Reasons to be Thankful

Hey Everyone--

I wanted to send out a request. Our senior pastor, Rick, has been having some "heart issues" since Wed. He is in the hospital being monitored. There are plans for an angiogram tomorrow (Mon). Please pray for him. He and his wife are supposed to go on vacation in a few days. I have a sense of urgency about his condition. Pray for rest and peace.

Also...My dear friend Melissa, mentioned in my previous update, is still doing great! Even better, actually, than when I wrote about her amazing healing. She now is facing the reality of life as a "normal" person and has a lot of decisions to make. If you think of her, please pray for that. She's feeling quite overwhelmed.

I also previously mentioned Amy's progress. She is even doing better! She has been moved (again!) to a sub-acute facility much closer to her home. She is eating food-getting up in a wheelchair daily-getting real showers-getting dressed! All of these things are very exciting. The presence of her family and friends is such an encouragement to her.

My heart just smiles when I think of how far these two young women have come. Their will to not just survive...but LIVE...is amazing.

Since I have you here, here's some family news...
My family is doing moderately well. My dad struggles with pain due to various ailments. His wheelchair is a great comfort to him as it enables him to be more mobile. The cancer seems to be somewhat under control-although I'm not fully convinced.
My mom is good. She's the hardest worker I know. She is constantly putting others first-taking care of my dad and her mom.
My grandma (dad's mom) passed away on October 9. She was 98 years old. I think two or three blogs ago there are some pictures of her when we visited last summer. Please pray for my poor grandpa if you think of him.
My brother is supposed to return from Iraq next month! Please keep praying for him...
My sister and her husband keep blessing and bringing joy to our family! The day before Josh turned 1- she found out they are expecting another baby! This little one is due sometime in June. I'm so excited to be an aunt again-for the 5th time!

With Aaron's family- we are getting close to the anniversary (Dec. 9) of losing our precious Bryan. There are still no words to express that intense heartache and devastating loss. Aaron's dad and Linda will be with us on that day. I'm glad we will have family with us this year. One of the worst things on that day was being a million miles away from our family.
Aaron's mom, brothers, and Desiree are coming the day after Christmas. We are so excited to see everyone. After two difficult Christmas seasons in a row, we are looking forward to being together.

As for Aaron and I...we are doing well! Aaron's school year is going much better than last year. He is trying so hard to get more sleep and it seems to be helping.
He also was just nominated as an "educational hero" for a regional magazine. There were only 10 selected for the year and he was one of them! We were interviewed yesterday and the magazine story will come out in January.
I was interviewed by our denominational magazine, "Light & Life", a few weeks ago. That magazine also comes out in January. I am in the "Saltshaker" section.

So, Aaron's officially a Hero-- and I'm officially a Saltshaker! I always knew Aaron was a hero, but I never knew I was a saltshaker. :)

So...as Thanksgiving approaches, I'm feeling very thankful for family and friends and good health and that God continues to watch over us and provide for us.

We are giving thanks for all of you and your tremendous support.
We love you all!

Kari