Today, I am thankful for all of my family: here in USA, in Russia, and around the world!

These are foster children that Dianne and I visited on a couple of our trips to Russia

Today, I am remembering the two Thanksgiving Days that Dianne and I spent in Russia ministering to the kids in orphanages there. The children had so little to be thankful for, but they were so anxious to give and to share.

Experiences I will never forget: the one little girl who insisted that I should take her bean bag doll as a gift... and the little one who persisted that I should hold her gloved hand as we road on the train, because she had gloves and I did not.

On one of our Thanksgiving Day visits, we were at the Luga Orphanage, about 4 hours south of St. Petersburg, and Dianne told the children about eating pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day. The children had never heard of such an unusual thing, and asked her to bring pumpkin pie on our next visit. Dianne didn't forget. The next time we traveled to Russia, she took the ingredients for a pumpkin pie. She tried to make the pie at a small flat in Luga, and the stove would not cooperate... so she ended up making pumpkin cake. The kids loved it anyway!

On another Thanksgiving Day, when Eva Эвелина Птуха was working as our coordinator and interpreter, we went to Misha's (Eva's husband) Mom's flat for a wonderful feast. Misha's Mom wanted us to feel "at home" on our Thanksgiving Day... and we did! Of course, Thanksgiving Day is not celebrated in Russia.

Today, I am thankful for all of my family... my family here in the USA and in Russia and around the world... all of my Big Family. I am thankful to the Lord that He gave His life for me and all of my family so that we can spend eternity together!

Dianne's studio: without the fabric and work tables... a sad song without a melody

Dianne's studio, after removing work tables and most of her fabric

     Every time I look into Dianne's studio, the pain of deep loss flows through me.

     The studio is so empty now, without her work tables and the storage cabinets brimming over with fabric that she had collected over the years.

    Dianne and I used to call that tile area in front of the fireplace our "dance floor".  Yes, we actually danced there a few times... before we installed her work tables over the tile area.

     Now, the dance floor is empty again... and I am so empty without her in my arms.

     

How do we embrace God's purpose and provision in suffering? 25 classic and contemporary answers.

For any Christian going through mourning and grief... or a journey of pain and disappointment... I would recommend Be Still, My Soul, a collection of 25 classic and contemporary readings about the Christian experience with pain and suffering.

This is definitely not a "surface" read.  It's real meat for those who want to look directly in the face of tragedy and disappointment... for those who are asking the question: "Why is God allowing this in my life?"

I will share a few thoughts from one of the articles in the book, written by A.W. Tozer:

"It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.

"Without doubt we of this generation have become too soft to scale great spiritual heights.  Salvation has come to mean deliverance from unpleasant things.  Our hymns and sermons create for us a religion of consolations and pleasantness.  

"We overlook the place of the thorns, the cross, and the blood."

If anyone is reading this article, and would like a copy of the book, but cannot afford to buy it right now... email me and I will send you a copy.

Thank you for joining with me on my journey through grief!

Can I have enough faith to say: "Thank you, Lord, for breaking my heart?"

Is it now the time for me to thank God for breaking my heart?

God spoke to me through His servant Oswald Chambers... from yesterday's devotional in My Utmost for His Highest...

"Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, “Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.” If God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?"

Thank you, Lord, for breaking my heart. Now I reach for the grip of that pierced hand. Help me, Lord, to arise and shine!