Sorta been down...

Okay, found the camera...PTL! Jordan on the other hand has strep throat and is taking an antibiotic, but not really feeling that well. He has been having dizziness because he has an ear infection which has made him a little scared not having really experienced it (dizziness) before. At the time of this post he will take his third dose of the antibiotic, so hopefully tomorrow he will feel better. I didn't find the camera in time to take any pictures of the football tournament.

The last couple of days I have been feeling kind of down myself, and the distance from here in Costa Rica to my family feels huge at this time. Thankfully, I feel better today. I think it is just part of the grieving process and the fact that last week would have been Mom's birthday. Though I would have to mail a card weeks in advance, pray, cross my fingers and hold my breath that it would get to her on her birthday in time; I certainly missed the chance to call home, which is what I have always done on her birthday even when we lived in the States, and say Happy Birthday and remind her how much I loved her!

One thing she did always teach us kids when we have faced difficult situations is to always focus ourselves "up", so I have been spending a lot of time focusing on Him, who is able! I've spent more time in prayer, reading the Bible, listening to music and instead of focusing on something that makes me feel sad, focusing on something that makes me feel happy. Oddly, it is the one thing that my Mom and I had most in common, cooking and baking, though she would tell you, "I don't know where Sherri learned to cook because she never wanted to spend time with me in the kitchen when I wanted to teach her". That is true! But, what she didn't know is that I did spend time watching her! Yesterday, I spent the entire day cooking and baking for my family which brings them as well as me a lot of pleasure.

Here is a verse of a song that echo'd in my mind as I played worship music in my kitchen yesterday while I was cooking and baking.

"These sufferings,
This passing tide.
Under your wings,
I will abide.
And every enemy,
shall flee.
You are my Hope and Victory"!

He continues to work in my life and without Him, I am nothing.

"I was made to Praise You" the song

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away a new Christian artist by the name of Rich Hodge, came to our home church in Syracuse, NY. He was accompanied by his young daughter, Sierra, and they were traveling together from church to church. Unfortunately, at the time of the concert Rich had cancer. He has since passed away. Back then his testimony and this song, "I was made to Praise You" had a significant impact on my life as a Christian and how I viewed myself in relation to God. I bought his LP (that's how long ago it was folks). It is a worship song that I have continued to hum while cleaning, sing while rocking my kids when they were babies and just ponder from time to time. As a tribute to his testimony and his family, our daughter, Heather, was given the middle name, Sierra, after his daughter. The words to this song are on my Facebook and Elizabeth L. left me a note about it. I draw a tremendous amount of strength from this song still today and I thank the Lord for the imprint that it has had on my heart. As I shared with the short-term children's ministry team from Threshold Church out of Charlotte, N.C. last night; my biggest prayer request through this is that it wouldn't be about me, and that it wouldn't be about the cancer. My prayer, is that it would be about Him.