Count it all Joy

My mum is one of my best friends. God has given us a unique and incredible relationship from the very start that has given us such a strong bond. Especially during my high school years, she was the one that was always there for me. So, when her and my dad brought us all into the living room one night during my sophomore year to tell us that she had been diagnosed with cancer, I felt like my world came crashing down. To me, cancer was a death sentence. All I could think about was how I would be able to live my life without my mum there, and I couldn’t imagine it.

My parents were quick to explain that they had caught the cancer early, but there would be radiation, possibly chemo, and of course, no one can tell you for sure that everything will be all right. In the midst of my devastation, I watched my parents closely. There was no anger on their faces. They were not bitter, upset, or sad. I could not understand how they could sit there, telling us everything was going to be OK, and that we needed to choose to thank God in this situation, instead of cursing Him. They were truly ‘considering it all joy’ to face this trial, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around it (James 1:2).

I continued to watch in amazement as my mum seized every opportunity that this cancer gave her to talk to people about Jesus. Whether it was at the hospital, going through radiation treatments, or talking to our friends, I never once saw her angry, confused or upset. Her and my dad had taken time to determine in their minds and hearts that God had a purpose for this, and they were going to trust Him through all of it.

This past week we celebrated my mum’s 8^th year of being cancer-free. It is a true miracle to be able to say that, and it brings me to tears just thinking about it. God winked in our lives in a huge way, and I will always be thankful. But even more than that, it’s amazing to look back on that time and see how God used my mum in the lives of so many people that wouldn’t have been possible without her diagnosis. I’m thankful that her and my dad chose to see His purpose through that trial, and showed everyone around them just how great our God is.

by Chloe Lukasiewicz

Daddy's Day

My earliest memory of me and my dad was when I was two years old. We lived in upstate New York at the time, and my dad would drive charter bus groups down to a ski resort during the winter. One day, I was along for the ride with my daddy when nature began to call. I vaguely remember yelling for my daddy when I became stuck after falling into the large adult-size toilet. All the adults on the bus thought it was very funny. 

Being a very shy little girl, my parents say that I would usually hide, hugging my daddy's leg, whenever they introduced people to me. My shyness continued while I was young, but the closer I got to high school; I began to enjoy singing and theatre. I'm sure you can image how hard it was for a shy girl to come out of her shell, so I took baby steps. My senior year, I auditioned for the school musical, and to my surprise and delight, landed the lead role of Cinderella in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical production of Cinderella! Expressing my nervousness on opening night, my dad hugged me and said, "Do your best, and just have fun!" He had given me this advice several times before, and still does, but I felt his genuine love and encouragement towards his daughter in that very moment. Whenever I wanted to pursue something which I was passionate about, he would always be there cheering me to go for it and not be afraid. 

In the last couple years, my dad has become very sick. Since my grandfather, had been diagnosed with Parkinson's, and my dad seemed to have the same symptoms, my family assumed that was the case. My dad's hand tremors got worse and the doctors continued to try medication after medication. Almost a year before my wedding, my dad sat me down and gave me a letter that he had written for me in case something were to happen to him. He wanted me to read it, which was very hard for me, especially to think about losing my dad. You have to know that my dad isn't naturally very eloquent with words, but he is a great people person who is compassionate and caring. His letter was beautifully written and very touching to me.

by Katie Sue Hill

I am so very thankful that God has winked in sustaining my dad's health throughout the past couple years. I look up to him so much, and couldn't imagine him not being there to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day! It has now been almost a year since I was married, and my dad has recently seen me graduate from college, his youngest child graduate from high school, and his oldest daughter get married. We continue to surrender my dad's health into God's good hands, and it's exciting to anticipate celebrating his 50th birthday this year in July, just ONE DAY before my one year wedding anniversary!!! 

I love my daddy. And I thank my Abba, Father, for graciously giving me a great example of a father who loves unconditionally (Romans 8:15).

Happy Daddy's Day!!!

May 2012

July 2012

May 2013

Grandma's Girl

I grew up in a small town with a close-knit family. My parents got divorced when I was young, so my grandparents were especially important role models in my life. I had a special connection with my grandmother. We shared a love of painting, the field of medicine, and later on cooking. She was a nurse during WWII, and through her many stories, it instilled in me a passion to obtain a career in which I could help people in the way she had. So, I went to college to pursue my dream of becoming a physician's assistant. I graduated with a medical science degree and then came back to my town to gain volunteer experience at a free clinic. I would be applying to PA school (a very competitive occupation) during the fall of that year. 

I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering, and I continued to pray that this career path was the direction that God wanted me. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I found out my grandmother had terminal breast cancer. She started to get pretty weak, but was determined to live in the comfort of her own home. I was plagued with a hard decision - do I continue to work towards the goal of pursuing my dream, or did I put that on hold and stay and take care of her? I prayed fervently, and became convicted to take care of my terminally ill grandmother - the one who cared for me whenever I was ill as a child. I knew in my heart where God wanted me, but I selfishly knew that I still wanted to become a PA. If I got accepted to a program this year, and if I turned it down, I knew I may not have another chance. 

I had to believe that God had a plan for this situation. I continued to care for my grandmother, and eventually moved in with her when it was apparent she couldn't perform her basic needs. She continued to tell me how blessed she was that I was there with her. In those instances, I knew I was right where I was supposed to be. I continued to apply to PA schools, and one after the other, I found out I was rejected. I was very disappointed, but at the same time, I continued to believe that God was closing those doors because of my grandmother's circumstances. 

My grandmother continued to get weaker, so we made the decision to call hospice. With the help of hospice and my care, she was able to stay in her own home up until her last living day at the hospice house. It was very hard to lose her, but I also had a sense of peace that I was able to be with her during her last days. 

I still had one school to hear from - Barry University in Miami. I had doubts that I wouldn't get accepted and started to prepare myself to reapply the next year. It was exactly two weeks after my grandmother passed away that I got my acceptance letter from Barry. I felt such a presence of God when I opened the letter and read the news. I believe this was a "God wink". He knew in my heart that this was such a dilemma for me and I needed to just trust him and believe he had a perfect plan. During this time in my life, God gave me two tremendous gifts - the ability to care for a very special person, and the fulfillment of the career path for which I had such a passion. 

by Jenny Call

The Road South

It was one of the worst days of my life. About a week before Thanksgiving, my husband came home on a normal Thursday afternoon and told me he had lost his job. After 17 years at a Fortune 500 company, the IT market took a hit after September 11th. 

The uncertainty of the future for us and Ken's daughter was incredible. Through a series of events over the next 7 months and hundreds of resumes distributed, we ended up moving from a Chicago suburb to Cedarville, Ohio. No one makes a move like this unless it's a God thing! As difficult as it was, I resigned from my position at the church and we packed up. The only door God had opened for us was the road south. 

There were 1,000 God winks in between, like the guy at Ken's new church who let us borrow his enclosed trailer so we could moved everything at no cost, except gas. If we hadn't made this relocation, I would not have been able to spend the last 2 years of their life with my Mom and Grandma who lived near Cincinnati. I was able to visit my Grandma in the Nursing Home and take my Mom to many of her chemo appointments. This would not have been an option if we were still in Chicago.

Sometimes God winks are quick 1 second things and sometimes they take awhile. This one took awhile to be thankful for, but it's a big one.

by Tina Wagner