August 15, 2009

Dear Friends,

Beccy and I are overwhelmed by the abundance of friends like you as well as the many doctors who love and care about us.

I was too sick to actually read a chapter of Scripture and focus on it, but through Psalm 23 God refocused my heart. He made me lie down in the green pasture. I realized that my room in Los Robles was my green pasture – with green plants and beautiful flowers in it – my pasture where God was restoring me.

Each day I asked Christ for a word to focus on and looked it up on the electronic Bible in my iPhone. Each day He gave me the gift of a word… words like strength – on that day I literally felt His strength; and courage – on that day I needed His courage; and in His time He gave me rest; peace; trust; hope. The thing I want to convey to you is that each day I looked at a word in God’s Word, and He literally made that truth come alive in my heart.

The good news is that after 12 days in the hospital, today I’m moving to a new pasture –
our home in Stony Brook – to continue my recovery.

I don’t have the strength to reply to all of you individually, but from our hearts Beccy and I thank you for your prayers, e-mails, cards, and your expressions of love.