A New Decade of Life...What will it bring?

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones; and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~
Yesterday I turned 60 years old. The picture above is of me when I was only about 10 months old, just getting my start in this big old world.  I look at this picture and I wonder, what was going on inside that little mind of mine?  Did I have any clue what my life would be like?  Did I even care? Probably not, as long as my immediate needs were being met...a dry diaper, good baby food and bottles, a nice warm bath and someone to hold me and rock me when I was sleepy or afraid.  That was all I really cared about at that time...and I really didn't worry about it at all.  Afterall, what could I do about it anyway?  I could cry, scream, throw a fit, but that was about it.  I was totally dependent on my Mama and Daddy to take care of my daily concerns, and apparently they carried through with their responsibilities quite well.  I prospered and grew up in health and happiness.  I was a very happy baby, child, youth, and young woman.  When my parents' time of responsibility for me came to an end, my loving new husband took over my care.  He helped to provide my daily necessities as we worked together to provide an income and home for our eventual family. Then the cycle began all over...it was my turn to take care of my little ones and provide their every need until they were able to make it on their own.

Now I am sixty years old, and although I am still thankfully enjoying my good health and "sound mind" (?)...I realize that the day is coming when I will probably become dependent again, only this time on my own children or others who are able to provide that care as needed. But even then, who will really be the One taking care of me?  Will it be my children, or the nursing home, or some other agency?  Or will it be the ONE Who has been taking care of me all along? The same One Who was there when:

"my inward parts were being formed in the covering of my mother's womb...the same One Who knew all about my frame  when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth..."
The same One Whose "eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed...and in His book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them!"  The same One that knows me today, Who searches my heart, and tries me, and knows my anxieties; He knows if "there is any wicked way in me", and He "leads me in the way everlasting."  (see Psalm 139)

Yes, I know that I can look forward with great confidence for my future as I know my Lord and Saviour is already there, guiding, protecting, saving, and loving me, just as He always has, and just as He always will...for He says He is the "Alpha and the Omega", the "Beginning and the End" (Revelation 1:8)...and again He says in Rev. 1:17-18 ~ "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore." 

Therefore, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow...because He lives, all fear is gone...because I know He holds the future...and life is worth the living, just because He lives!"                      (Bill Gaither...song: "Because He Lives")

Amen! And Praise the Lord!!! 

Who Holds the Keys to YOUR LIFE?

 Revelation 1:9-18 and Psalm 118:13-21 Read all these verses, but in particular Rev. 1:17-18 "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive FOREVERMORE. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

Psalm 118:13-21 "You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the LORD helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly...  I SHALL NOT DIE, BUT LIVE, AND DECLARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD. THE LORD HAS CHASTENED ME SEVERELY, BUT HE HAS NOT GIVEN ME OVER TO DEATH! Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them. And I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise YOU, for YOU have answered me, and have become my salvation!"


Lord, we claim this by faith today on behalf of our son Matthew...in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen!!!

How comforting these words are to me today...  As many of you are aware, our son Matthew has been diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor.  This week he will most likely be going to see specialists in Boston to determine the course of treatment.  Our first reaction to all of this was shock, confusion, and amazement.  We are still in shock, but I think we are all ready to start fighting this thing!  Satan has been trying destroy our son since before he was even born...

• While in the first trimester of my pregnancy, my body threatened to miscarry...but God intervened and we got through that.
• At the seventh month of pregnancy, I developed a kidney stone. At first the Dr. thought I was going into labor.  Thankfully, the kidney stone delivered itself instead of the baby.
• In the eighth month, Matthew was born, 3 weeks early.  He was jaundiced and had respiratory distress. It was a very difficult labor. The Dr. told my husband that he most likely had some major problems, either Down's Syndrome, or Hydrocephalis on the brain.  Neither was true.
• At eighteen months, Matt was hit by a car and suffered a skull fracture and concussion.  He miraculously recovered in record time and it was only by the grace of God that he was not injured more severely.  My husband was attending Bible College to prepare for the ministry at the time. Satan tried to derail us through this incident, but it didn't work.  We went on into the ministry anyway.
• At age seven Matt fell down a flight of stairs and hit his head...scared us all senseless, but the emergency room Dr. pronounced him just fine and very lucky.  God was there all the time.  BTW, we were in Seminary at this time, preparing further for the ministry.
• Somehow he got through adolescence without too many incidents...His guardian Angel stayed close by watching, I am certain.
• At age eighteen, Matthew was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  He had to have surgery to resect the majority of the tumor, and a radioactive iodine seed was placed on the remainder to dissolve it over the course of a year. Had it not been for the miraculous intervention of a dear friend at the exact right time prior to this surgery, calling the Head of Neurosurgery at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, the wrong procedure would have been done, and Matthew's memory may have been destroyed in the process.  God was there supervising and guiding the Dr. and Matthew came through with flying colors and went on to college that fall.  He had some residual short term memory issues, and, as a result, was not able to complete college, but he went on to have a successful career as a draftsman anyway.
• A year later another tumor appeared in his brain.  The radiologist report stated that it was large and possibly inoperable.  He was sent back to Detroit for surgery. While we waited in the pre-op holding area for the surgeon to take him to surgery, the surgeon finally appeared in her street clothes, disconnected Matt from the IV, removed the halo that was bolted into his head, and said, "I have good news for you...Matthew does NOT have a tumor!"  She really couldn't explain what had happened...but we all knew...God was there...again....  
• A year later Matthew married his lovely wife Nicole and lived a wonderful, healthy life...with the exception of a ruptured appendix on return from their honeymoon. The poison traveled up the shunt tube that remains in his brain, and was close to entering his brain before they could do the surgery. He was rushed to Maine Medical, where he stayed for several weeks recuperating on extremely strong antibiotics.  He fully recovered after about six weeks of antibiotic therapy.
• A few years later Matt and Nicole brought Noah Matthew Steiner into the world.  A beautiful, healthy, extremely bright little boy! (9 lb. 13 oz)
• Now, at the age of 37, Matt has been diagnosed with this serious, rare, aggressive cancer.  My first response was..."God has already performed so many miracles in Matthew's life...is there a limit on how many miracles one person can have? Is there a limit on God's mercy and grace?"  So many people have responded to this question that there is NO limit on God's love and mercy and power to heal and save.  I believe that with all my heart...Matthew's life has been one of great praise and a testimony to the power of God to heal and work miracles in the world today.  Satan does not want that message to go forth.  Why he has chosen to pick on Matthew in the way he has is a mystery to us...but Satan is a defeated foe. He cannot win...Jesus Christ has conquered death by His resurrection from the dead...so whether Matthew lives or dies physically...his life and his testimony continues on for eternity.  Through Christ, we are all victorious over death and the enemy of our souls. 

Psalm 118:22-24 says: "The stone which the builders rejected (Jesus Christ) has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 

This is the day the Lord has made;

We WILL rejoice and be glad in it!"

Lord, "I will praise YOU, for YOU have answered me, and have become my salvation."

Amen.