Friends to the End

In spelling the word "friend", I've always told my elementary students that the word "end" is at the end of the word "friend", because a "friend is true to the end".
This past weekend, our "wedding weekend" for our younger daughter, this truth rang true for us.
At the end of the day, the end of the reception, the end of the dance, the end of the celebrating, a group of Downs friends and relative-friends were true "to the end".
Facing the task of undecorating 34 tables, these friends were there to help carry, organize, load, and even bring back to Downs all of the boxes and sacks full of glass and tin and flowers and candles. Some took tuxedos back to the motel for us, some carried floral arrangements on their laps back to the motel, some loaded their vehicles with the items since our cars were full of gifts, some loaded gifts into our cars. Some even drove back to the church to get our daughter's car, which we had forgotten to drive to the reception ourselves.
And they did it cheerfully and willingly.
So, here's to our friends to the end...you're the best! (And we owe you one!)

Excited

We're excited, because this weekend is our younger daughter's wedding. After a year of planning, we're ready to celebrate! This afternoon after school, we will head to Topeka to begin our "wedding weekend".
As we celebrate with friends and family, we will be mindful and prayerful for those who would like to be there, but won't be able to. We will be praying for Jon, our 20 year old cousin, who is in Rapid City South Dakota hospital recovering from head trauma from a serious accident. We will be praying for Sam, our brother-in-law, who will be in Sterling, CO at his home dealing with ALS; and for my sister, Karen, who is caring for him. Karen is our honorary pianist for the wedding; although she will not be able to play the chosen songs for the wedding itself, she will be playing those songs in Sterling on her piano that day.
We're so thankful for the Lord's care upon all of us, and we praise Him for this wedding weekend.

In the Trenches

The book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10-18 tells us that we are in spiritual warfare...that we fight not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil.
I think about this as we pray for other people (intercessory prayer).

'Trenches" were first used in warfare in the First World War. The soldiers were ordered to dig trenches to stop the enemy from advancing any further. Much of the time the trenches were close to the enemy, and the method of attack was to 'go over the top' of the trench and charge at the opposing trench.
As Christians, we need to dig into our prayer trenches.
As the battles around us are ongoing, we need to stay in those trenches and use our prayers to charge at the opposing trench.

As we pray for my cousin Jon, who is in critical condition following a serious automobile accident, we need to dig into the trenches in prayer as he lingers between death and life.
As we pray for my brother-in-law, Sam, who has ALS, we need to dig into the trenches to pray that the Lord would touch him physically and spiritually; for strength and grace for my sister as she cares for him.
As we pray for Jon, our 25 year old friend fighting the battle against cancer, we need to dig into the trenches of prayer for him and his parents.
As we pray for another twenty-something friend who battles spiritual battles that are threatening to tear apart his life, we must dig into the trenches and pray for spiritual healing for him.
The list for each of us goes on and on.

We cannot let up. Our family and our friends are depending upon us to help them fight their battles. Many of these battles are lengthy and tedious. We must "stay the course" with our prayers.