Chris' Letters - July 12th

These are letters I sent to Chris in 2006. My deepest regret was that I allowed myself to slip away from writing them to her. There are over 10 original letters I wrote to her. I hope there will be more. Whether she is able to read them or not, I will continue. These letters are raw and uncut. They are real. And if I hurt anyones feelings it was because I was not brave enough to confront what I said. Chris however did on Sunday October 14th, 2007 what I could not do. So, Chris, this is for you:
- October 15th, 2007

Good Morning! I had a good day yesterday. It was boring and long, but it went by a little fast. Ten and a half hours of kids is more than enough for me! Today it is 8 more hours of trying to manage sixty kids. I haven’t been able to sit and spend as much quiet time as I want, but last night was pretty good. I was able to read another chapter out of a book I am reading by Andy Stanley. I also cannot get Psalms out of my mind. I am trying to dissect each Psalm and for some reason, I have the urge to reread Psalm 2 and 3 over and over. One of the things I discovered yesterday was that I was very jealous. Lately I have had the mindset that God owes me. He owes me for the pain, bad grades, etc. Sometimes I see something in people that I wish that I had myself. How selfish, eh? I’ll expound more on it later. I just wanted to get the thought across that when we are jealous, we are usually thinking God owes us. And when we are jealous we may treat those who are better off or have things that we don’t have differently.

So I was defiantly looking at Psalm 3 last night, and I love a few things about it:

Psalm 3
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
Selah [a]
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift [b] up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah
Just a few observations that I saw noteworthy! See you in the morning! I am off to work!!

Chris' Letters - July 11th

These are letters I sent to Chris in 2006. My deepest regret was that I allowed myself to slip away from writing them to her. There are over 10 original letters I wrote to her. I hope there will be more. Whether she is able to read them or not, I will continue. These letters are raw and uncut. They are real. And if I hurt anyones feelings it was because I was not brave enough to confront what I said. Chris however did on Sunday October 14th, 2007 what I could not do. So, Chris, this is for you:
- October 15th, 2007

So now it is July 11th! You kind of get a two in one deal today. I hate to start things on odd days, even ones just seem to be holier! HA! So how has your day been? Did you spend the morning chasing Laura, or did you spend it with God. You probably did both…which is okay, you just need to tie Laura to a string in the backyard and just let her go free for awhile. She should enjoy that. Make sure to leave some water and food out for her as it does get a little hot. Alright, I am just kidding….maybe. Sometimes all you need to do is just watch Laura and see God in her.

Anyways, today, while goofing off with the kids at work, they decided to capture me, tie me up, and then put me on the scooters. Of course, I helped them with all of this, but it was funny to watch them capture me with hoola-hoops, and tie me up with jump ropes. So they created a cage for me and let me “sleep”. Of course, there were a few that tried to rescue me, but I just lied there waiting for someone to fully untie me. What caught me off guard was when one of the girls said that I needed a companion. Wow. I thought of the Great Story. About how we all long for something more, that in the Great Story we are the captured ones waiting to be rescued. The companion is the one in the Great Story that stays by my side at all times giving me encouragement. Amazing! We all long for something bigger and greater and want to be rescued.

Numbers 10:9
When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies.

Psalm 31:2
Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old (ahem…young) age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Timothy 4:18
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

He is and will rescue you. He is our rescuer, defender, fortress, strong tower.
We are the rescued ones!


This song is called “Rescued Ones” by Robbie Seay Band from their album “Better Days Ahead”. They traveled with David Crowder Band and played at Lee last spring.

Well….dangit…I couldn’t find the lyrics online, and I was too lazy to type ‘em up. So here is “Every Season” by Nichole Nordeman. Which talk about the seasons we go through in our life…summer, autumn, winter, spring. Enjoy!
----
Every evening sky, an invitation
To trace the patterned stars
And early in July, a celebration
For freedom that is ours
And I notice You
In children's games
In those who watch them from the shade
Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder
You are summer

And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come
You are autumn

And everything in time and under heaven
Finally falls asleep
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation
Shivers underneath
And still I notice you
When branches crack
And in my breath on frosted glass
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter
You are winter

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season's change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me



Now go…listen to your music, read His Word, speak to Him, spend time with Henry and Laura…I’ll see you in the morning….that is if you decide to sleep till noon, which you shouldn’t, because I’d be VERY jealous!

Trent

Chris' Letters - July 10th

These are letters I sent to Chris in 2006. My deepest regret was that I allowed myself to slip away from writing them to her. There are over 10 original letters I wrote to her. I hope there will be more. Whether she is able to read them or not, I will continue. These letters are raw and uncut. They are real. And if I hurt anyones feelings it was because I was not brave enough to confront what I said. Chris however did on Sunday October 14th, 2007 what I could not do. So, Chris, this is for you:
- October 15th, 2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 10th, 2006
Good Morning Chris! Well, it may be afternoon or a day or two from now when you read this, but all the same! I’ve been in a lot of pain for awhile with all that has happened to my church, friends, you, and other things. God has been patient with me and has allowed nights of bitterness and anger when needed and days of sorrow when the clouds came. Lately, I have clung to Him again. I just can’t shake Him off! Haha! It’s been hard the third time round, Chris! I felt the second time you had cancer that no one was being serious. I was convinced that they though that since you got through it the first time, the second time would be easier. Well, we all were fooled and then the third round came. I bet God is amazed at how many times He has to use you to get just a few of us to pay attention. I’ve finally pushed a little time to reflect about my walk with God and how much you have helped me in life. We were sorting through books and my mom wanted to get rid of a few, but I quickly snatched the Boxcar Children, How to Eat Fried Worms, and James and the Giant Peach. By the way, How to Eat Fried Worms is going to be in theaters soon. I may take Laura to see it! I hope to be in Laura’s life, what you where and still are in my life!  So, in the time God allowed me to be on my own and deal with the junk I had, I learned a lot. It is so rare to come to the realization of how great our God is, and then realize that we still can’t being to realize how great He is! Jared Heard, a pastor from California that I love used the illustration of a fish bowl with two fishes in it. The fish think that the only world is the world inside their water bowl, and that is all. They can’t see beyond the glass and think that there is nothing else. Immediately when I understood that I looked up and imagined the building, sky, clouds, and then spacing breaking apart and revealing the brightest light and then my mind couldn’t begin to imagine beyond that. A little me and a BIG Him. Most of us and most in our family I don’t believe has seen what I’ve seen, they need a little help, and I think you are the best answer! Mom has had a rough time as well dealing with the reality that God may call you home, I have finally come to grip with the thought and know that like Rick Pearson said, either way, WE WIN! YOU WIN! I WIN! It’s a powerful statement, and you may need to re-read it over and over again. We win Chris. We are not limited to this world for we were not made for it, and most of us live under the illusion that life is within this world when our lives exist beyond it!
You helped me so much when I was dealing with Rick Pearson, and now it seems Rick has been helping me so much with dealing with you! So, from now on I am going to do my best to send daily messages to you. You are not asked to reply, and you are not asked to daily read them, you’ll just need some ink. I don’t want to post in your guestbook for that it your space and the people you’ve inspired. Your journal on there is inspiring and enriching so many lives. Every word you say is being soaked in by those who have and have not centered their lives around God. Every word that comes out of your mouth God has made golden, never take it for granted. So here we begin with my first bit of encouragement….a day late.

Your Nephew and Brother,
Trent


I thought the best way to start out was with a Bible verse, but then I was at Rick Pearson’s site and found his first joutnal entry hoping you would find encouragement!

By Rick Pearson from the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Northside Hospital, Atlanta, GA
08/07/05

A way to express the newness and fear of what I’ve been through in the past couple of days is something I’ve found hard to explain. Lots lead up to two days ago, but when Leukemia was the new battle, things changed. Not in my heart or in my mind- God has truly been constant in holding me high- but the unkown procedures, and the weight of being chosen to be someone whom God has chosen to do something powerful through is staggeringly sobering. I’ve often wondered about what it must feel like to be a great apostle who suffered to carry God’s word and hope to places. I think I’m beginning to feel the weight, and for now at least, I will accept the task of bringing hope to a cancer ward.

The support has been the most humbling thing I’ve ever known. To see a world of people who have impacted my life, and in some minescule way have been touched by mine, all pull together to support me and make God famous is my breath. Then at the end of the day, there’s the three of us: Me, Great Big God, and the wonderful woman who became my fiance yesterday! No one will ever be able to adequately be told or read about the rock that Suzanne has been to me. Her words and prayers are always in perfect time with where my heart is- or needs to be. When all is said and done, she will be the one who gets me and lots of others through this.

Today I stand on how important it is to realize that my suffering is sharing in Christ’s to develop a truer open faith:
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, Your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” - James1:1-2


A sound has been constantly repeating on my iPod lately and it is called “You Never Let Go” By Matt Redman on the Passion ’06: Everything Glorious CD. If it seems familiar, it is because it is Isaiah 40.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Chorus:

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

Chorus: (2x’s)



Now you need to listen to the song! Keep lighting the path for people! Talk to you tomorrow!

- Trent