To clarify, Stacy mentioned below in yesterday's posting is not the same Stacey who's blog link I have on this page. Stacy in the blog is a 32 year old woman who has a two year old daughter and a grieving husband who is battling a brain tumor. The prognosis is not good. In fact, the Doctors were not expecting her to make it until Christmas, much less the end of January. She's been in the Hospital for the last 2 if not 3 months. Most of the time when I've stopped in to visit her eyes have been open, but rolled back ... or open, but not really seeing what is going on in the room. She will occasionally focus on your face. Shortly before Christmas, I stopped in to visit and there were about 4 or 5 other people in there visiting as well. She was awake and seemed to actually be engaged in the conversations. I walked over and smiled and sat down next to her and looked her in the eyes and asked what I could do for her. She had an immediate response: "Nothing." I just nodded and said "Ok".

But I still stopped in to see her. There is a woman who sits with her who is a friend of the family, Joyce Self, she is always cheerful, always talkative, she always calls Stacy her precious little baby girl.

I can't imagine what Charles, her husband, is going through. But I can bring him before God, so I do.

This evening, we started our winter Bible Study on Romans. Tonight was just an introductory session, and it went pretty well, I think. We're using Mark Olson's book, put out by Smyth & Helwys (http://www.helwys.com/abs/index.html). First book that I know of where I'm footnoted ... or rather, endnoted ... Fourth chapter is about the ethical implications of salvation vis a vis food sacrificed to idols and various and sundry other Jewish law issues ... The subtitle to the chapter is "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff". Mark was teaching the book as he was writing it last year while still at Thalia Lynn Baptist Church in Virginia Beach (http://thalialynn.com/indexw.htm), and I was attending those classes. I happened to summarize the discussion with that phrase, and Mark tagged it. He is now Pastor at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC (http://www.snydermbc.com/").

There's visiting to do tomorrow, thankfully I'm relieved of the responsibility to prepare a sermon for Sunday, since Leslie (my wife) is getting to preach. I suspect that, once they hear her, they'll want to hear MORE of her, which is perfectly fine with me!

For the unseen or unnoticed riches you have graced us with, we give you thanks, O God. Help our ingratitude turn to knowing and returning, and acknowledging, and giving thanks in all things.