This Week on the Island

Hello.  It's been a while.

I know I have blogged several recipes, but it's been a while since I've blogged about what's been going on the island.

We just recently got back from a great family vacation at Disney World.  I'll be blogging about that later.  The officer worked so hard for five month (actually longer than that) so we could have an amazing, memory-making, relaxing time.  It was so fun.

We came back from Disney World and the next week my Uncle Frederick died.  He had been battling cancer for a while.  We had gotten word that Hospice has been called in while we were in Disney World, so this was not completely unexpected.  

My Uncle Frederick was a strong godly man.  When I was in junior high and high school my Uncle Frederick and Aunt Jeri made such a big impact on my life.  I looked at their family as a model for what God had intended for a family.  My Uncle Frederick worked hard to provide for his family.  He spent time with his kids.   He loved his wife very much.  He would seek God's will for his life and his family.  He had a great knowledge of the Bible.  

My Aunt Jeri was a nurse part-time, but she stayed home and homeschooled her five children.  She is the first one who showed me what you can do with a coupon.  :) For some reason she didn't mind a loud tween/teenager being around her children.  I got my first glimpse of homeschooling and I knew I would want to do it when I had a family.

My Uncle Frederick had been sick for a while, but there had seem to be some hope he could recover.  Through it all my Aunt Jeri was by his side.  Love in action.   To the very end, he pointed everyone toward God.  At his funeral, several people spoke about him.  There were several common themes.  He was a great dad and loved his family.  Most of all he loved God.

During this same time my Uncle Frederick was battling cancer, so was my mom.  She was diagnosed with cancer back last November.  You can read about her journey here.  She is doing really well right now.  She has made it though her 33 rounds of radiation and two rounds of chemotherapy.  She has yet to have her scan to see how she is doing after all her treatment, but she is doing well.  She was a trooper through the whole thing.  She had some bad days, but I saw God renew her strength daily.  She and Papa Bill went to Disney World with us.  I had thought there might be a time when she might be able to physically make the trip, but she was able to be come with us.  It's been an interesting five months.  

I read this recently:
 

The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God cannot keep you, where the arms of God cannot support you, where the riches of God cannot supply your needs, where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you, where the Spirit of God cannot work through you, where the wisdom of God cannot teach you, where the army of God cannot protect you, where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you, where the love of God cannot enfold you, where the mercies of God cannot sustain you, where the peace of God cannot calm your fears, where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you, where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears, where the Word of God cannot feed you, where the miracles of God cannot be done for you, where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

– Author Unknown