the season

I'm not gonna lie...this has kinda been hard season week.  Matt left Sunday, and this big old week was looking awfully daunting, and thankfully I didn't know all the challenges it was going to bring.

Long stories short, and I should have asked this days ago, but would you please be praying for Lily?

Ever since some really awful staph infections a few years ago, from time to time she'll get really randomly placed and painful infections, and starting Monday and for the first time in a long time, she has a painful infection right inside her nose.  By today, her nose, eyes and top lip are so swollen and so bruised that her face has actually changed shape, and her nose is all black and blue.  Not messing around, our doctor went straight for the powerful antibiotics, and I'm so thankful to have her (the doctor) and the antibiotics needed (thanks to same doctor), but...they are really tough on a little belly, so on top of fever, pain, swelling and infection, she's incredibly nauseous and has no appetite and is by today weak and in pain and struggling.  She missed almost the entire week of school, which was review week, and finals are next week.

She's been on meds for several days now, but so far we're not getting our "turn"...please be praying for poor dear girl.

It's all been magnified greatly by Matt's absence.  Nora and Sofie live in the moment, and if the moments without dad are still fun, they're having fun.  But Lily is our thinker, and all she can do while she naps and is in pain is think about how Dad is so far away.  Thank you for your sweet prayers, and for all your prayers this week as we've been carrying extra load without him.

Matt, on the other hand, has a bad cold, but is having a wonderful, "refreshing and relaxing" time.  His work at Houghton went well, and he's now in Lexington, was a part of a big signing and photo shoot thing for OMS Theological Education + Asbury Theological Seminary partnership, and now is a part of this Francis Asbury Society gatherings, where he's heard some amazing speakers and spent time with lots of other men and women in higher theological education, and even with some dear college friends.  He loves winter, he loves Kentucky, he loves Bible people...Matt's in heaven.

Meanwhile, EBS continues to just be a really special place, and a really ongoing ministry.  There are little things everyday that encourage and touch my heart, like the student's response today when one of our first year guys learned of the murder of his sister this morning, like the fun community that's blossomed through Christmas soccer season again this year.  There are also little things everyday that remind me why we are here...little disappointments when people let you down, struggles and burdens the students are carrying that I can't do anything about, some not so great choices that sum up the sin problem and make you feel back at square one.

What grace grace our Father has.  Square one is right where He is.

The girls and I started our advent reading tonight, and the author really painted a picture of how intense the brokenness, and how GREAT the grace of Jesus' perfect coming...I'm so THANKFUL for that coming, our only Hope, the only shot at Light...in a broken place in a broken world loving a broken family with all the pieces of my broken self.

Glory to God.

Here's some pix from the week:

I always love English 3.  Mostly because we are actually communicating IN English :)  Also cause they're lovely friends.

Sofie and Sam, watching one of the games.

Granny came to sit with Lily for a bit, but Lily was passed out, so instead she spent an hour making popsicle stick guitars with Sofie.  

Fourth year ended up taking the Christmas cup on a penalty shot

Leme turned 33 this week, and we had a fun pizza night with he and his lovely wife Guesica, with the Edlers, Jodenel, the Heckmans and Bernard.

This is Nora explaining to me today in passionate detail why these see-zors are HER see-zors, and that I have my own see-zors, and so she's not going to give them to me, but she "really like to cut cut cut!"  Yikes.  We all see where this is going.  

And this is Nora walking Sofie to school today.  Nora never gets to go, and with some child-care issues this morning, she was SO happy to slow down the whole precious process with us :)  These two have such a special relationship...I LOVE them.

On my way to school, I also passed this motorcycle, who was transporting another motorcycle.  And a passenger.  I was impressed.  There is some proverb about how lacking things makes you creative, but I can't think of it right now...single parenting Friday night fry brain.

Keep on, faithful family!