The highs and the lows...........

Just had to start this blog with this adorable picture that Gwen just posted of my four little sweeties!  I guess every Grandma has the right to brag, and I am going to brag about these cute adorable faces.  I love that their personalities show in this photo.  I just want to hug them!  How can you feel bad when you look at these faces?

I am still sort of voiceless.  It has been a long, long week, but I am believing that I am getting over this stuff.  Let's face it.  Most people know that Chicago has had some wild and wacky weather this year and this week has been CRAZY!  We had a major dump of snow on Monday (about 6-8 inches), then on Tuesday the sun came out and it was actually "pleasant" (or so I was told. I never left the house).  Then came Wednesday and it seemed fine at first, but then it started raining.  By nighttime there was thunder and lots of rain.  Thursday was so awful.  It just rained - really POURED and the roads and the parking lots were flooded.  The snow was melting but there was no where for the water to go.  And then the wind started.  There was one point when our entire house was shaking.  Today I got an email that really brought clarity to the crazy wind last night.....

This is a picture of the church where I worked for 13 years.  Both of my kids were baptized at this church.  And the email described that this window was blown apart from the brick supporting wall by about a foot at the top of the window.  Thankfully, there were people in the building.  Because of quick action there was no damage to the building, aside from the window. This window has been through many, many storms since 1973.  It even survived the tornado that blew over the church one year.   So this just gives you an idea of the wind! 

So this is sort of the highs and lows of this week.  The highs are those four amazing faces.  The lows are my ridiculous sounding voice and the wacky weather.  But in it all, there has been so much peace.   I have really felt surrounded and covered and I know that this is the result of the many, many prayers of so many.  You know it is during these times when you understand the value of community.  I am so grateful for everyone who remembers me in their prayers.  This week I felt that support.  Even during the winds of sickness and the weather, those prayers kept me strong.  Those winds caused that window to break free of the brick support.  With the prayers of others and the peace of Jesus, I felt solid and strong. 

Thank you Jesus for your love and peace that both fills me and surrounds me.  Holy Spirit, thank you for knitting me into the community of believers and providing so many to hold me up in prayer.   Thank you for preserving this church and providing a quick repair to prevent major damage.  Jesus, thank you that you are the healer!  Continue to bring restoration to my entire body.   Amen