Sweet words and the beginning of our girl processing her story

I just have to write this stuff down!

The past few days Ella has been telling me the sweetest things. They are almost too sweet to be true and I find myself wondering if she is just joking.  It goes something like this...

She gets her face right up close to mine, holds my head in her hands, looks me in the eyes and says, "Mommy, God made you so special to me," and then gives me a big hug.

Today she went a bit further and said, "God made you sooo special to me Mommy, and God made you so beautiful to me."

Are you kidding me? Does it get any sweeter than this?

Lately we've been talking more about her past, the history I know of hers. I've talked about it regularly over the past year or so but she is asking questions and interacting with me more about it so we end up talking about it more these days. I like to share what I know with her because it is her story and I want her to know it from the beginning so she can ask questions as they come up and feel comfortable discussing them with me anytime. Usually she just repeats what she hears from me and says things like, "When I was a baby I was chubby and had chubby lips. Remember that mommy?" This comes from me showing her the few newborn pictures I have of her. I do know she weighed 8 1/2 pounds at birth (chubby for here) and in her baby photos her beautiful, plump lips are so obvious, just like they are now. Love those beautiful full lips. So I say something like, "Yeah honey I remember that about you from the photos I have but we didn't know each other yet then." I go on to talk about who cared for her when she was a baby and who else was involved in taking care of her until we met her when she was two years old. I tell her about the first time we saw her and what that was like. I tell her about saying goodbye to some of the house mommas from the children's home at the airport that day we took her with us to Cebu, and how they cried.

Well last night as she was reiterating this story back to me, she asked me why those ladies were crying. I told her how they were sad because they really loved her and were gonna miss her. And she said, "I was sad too." I asked her why and she told me that she wanted to stay in that place. This was the first time she has shared anything about her experience of the transition to our family. I told her how sorry I was that we took her away when she didn't want to leave and acknowledge that that must have been very difficult for her since she didn't really know us. Then I asked her, "How do you feel now that you're here with us?" She replied, "I'm happy here."

Ella's First Day of School

I know it's strange to be starting school in November but let me explain.  The school year here starts in June and ends in March.  When I looked into putting Ella in preschool at the beginning of the current school year, I was disappointed that I wasn't able to find anything that was only a couple days a week. I did find a school I really liked but it was five days a week and I was just not ready to have Ella away from home that much to start out. I really wanted to transition her gently into something that would expose her to school and get her used to the idea of being part of a class without it being full-on school yet. She wasn't even quite four at the time so I figured school at this point wasn't totally essential, especially if I was intentional about our time together at home and getting her lots of opportunities for social time. Those things so far haven't been a problem.

What I decided was to do an experiment with a little preschool at home. Things just came together so well when I started looking into it. Ella has made some friends in our church congregation over the past year or so. She has really gained confidence socially and the fact that at age four she is more developmentally geared toward interacting with other kids really helps her readiness for this. It's so different from the 2-3.5 year old stage of independent play alongside other kids. So these particular few of Ella's friends are all within just a few months apart. They had no plans for preschool and seemed to also be very ready for something outside the home for a few hours a week (not to mention their mommas!).

We are doing a second semester of the 2012-2013 school year (November to March). I hired a teacher who is a friend in our congregation. I utilized the wisdom and experience of another dear friend Ellen, who was a preschool teacher in Hong Kong for years and is a wealth of knowledge. She has lots of resources she has been willing to share with me as I searched for curriculum to use.

I am using a Montessori at Home curriculum with some other stuff thrown in. It's been really fun learning about the Montessori philosophy and how great it is at nurturing a child's innate ability to learn through play. I also got Before Five in a Row, a literature-based preschool curriculum that I may try out a bit at some point. 

Our class is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 till 3:30 pm. Each of the moms are rotating assisting at each class and bringing snacks.

Today went GREAT! I was SO delighted to see Ella enjoying herself so much. She was eager and interested and participated fully. All five of the children seemed to have a great time. Here are a few shots of our playroom turned classroom and the new students.

Teacher Cherry Ann

Snack time!

Family Update

It's about time I give an update on how we are doing, but most of this is about our girl. Ella will be four later this month!  We'll be in the US and Canada with family (we leave in 6 days) and it will great to celebrate together there.  It's our annual furlough when we get a month to travel around North America. We'll be splitting our time between Colorado, North Carolina, Alabama and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Andrey has additional work-related travel to Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Seattle.

These days just seem to be going by fast.  It's been a busy season and I can barely keep up on some things I used to do often, like blogging.  I find myself splitting my time between bringing Ella along in whatever I'm doing in the community and spending focused time with her doing fun things she enjoys.  We may go to play area in the mall or the pool or a play date or baking together at home.  She is such a trooper and doesn't seem to mind joining me on most things I do, although I can occasionally leave her with someone.

In general she is doing great.  She frustrates and delights me every day.  I guess that's the way it is with kids.  It's hard to keep up with all the new things she is doing/into because she is always changing.  I guess that's how things go when you have a healthy, growing child.  I'm so thankful that she's thriving and loving life. 

I am planning a small home school pre-school for her in our home November to March.  I will hire a teacher for two afternoons a week and one of the three moms of the four, four-year-olds will rotate so one of us is here to assist at each class.  I just have to find the right curriculum.  I think this will be a great intro to school for Ella.  Depending on how it goes, we will either continue to home school next year or I will put her in kindergarten in a school I checked out last year and really like. I had considered putting her in pre-school there last year but wasn't ready to put her in 5 days a week.

Ella treasures her time with Daddy more than ever.  This includes a morning walk, evening play time during the week and swimming on the weekends.  She just loves her time with him and can really get thrown off emotionally if she misses out on any of it. 

Heading out for a morning walk

We have seen a real increase in her confidence lately.  She doesn't mind the camera like before and even poses sometimes!  She plays more with other kids and has lots of friends.  One time during a visit to Ana Mae's neighborhood all the local kids were play in a separate room of a bamboo hut.  She really wanted to go in but looked to me for permission to join them. When I encouraged her to join them she flung the curtain dividing the two rooms open and announced to the kids, "Hey guys! I'm here!"

Photo shoot in the garden!

With a good friend, V

 

 

 

Ella amazes us at her fearlessness when it comes to animals.  We recently took in a grasshopper from our garden and managed to keep it alive for about a day, even after Ella tore off one of his legs. She let "Hoppy" crawl all over her.

Ella loves playing with "Ate Rau Rau."  Raulyn is a good friend and watches Ella about once a week. 

 The other day, Ella and I brought a young mom and her baby to the pediatrician for a check up. Ella said sincerely, "Baby going for ketchup?"

Ella is quite amazing at pretending these days. Here she is as an adorable little doctor.

I'm still exercising regularly! I'm not sure what's gotten into me, I can't ever remember a time when I was this consistent.  I've been working out at home with Jillian Michaels five days a week since the end of May and I'm loving it!  I'm getting stronger, I've lost a few inches and pounds and I'm feeling great.  Sometimes when I'm just hanging around doing nothing in the evenings I have a strong urge to get into a plank or do some push ups.  Weird.

Not much is new with Andrey except that he is busier than ever with work. Somehow he still manages to be totally present with us for family time and doesn't let the stress of work get to him too much.  (If I were him I would be one big stress ball and NO fun to be around).  He travels regularly but it's usually for just a few nights at a time which is quite manageable for us.  He is amazing and wonderful and we still get out almost every week for a date night.

To wrap this up, I'll add a few recent photos.

Mud at the beach during low tide (definitely a father-daughter activity!)

Have to watch this girl with the sugar packets!

Still dominates Gerald

Birth Videos and Dreams of More Children

My daughter loves to watch birth videos. Yes, I show her birth videos and you may think that's strange but it happened quite naturally, if you factor in me being a midwife.  Ella does come with me when I do prenatal check ups and she is always there beside me touching the pregnant belly and playing with my fetoscope.  She often prays for babies in the womb with me.  One day I thought I'd show her a water birth video. She was so interested and at one point said, "This is awesome!" We watched them regularly then things began to back-fire.  Ella started to verbalize what she was learning. In the grocery store. In a loud voice... "Babies come out woman's vagina!... Mans don't have babies, only womans! Giving birth is hard work!"

One of the best things is when I'm exercising and sweating and grunting from the Jillian Michaels-inflicted pain in my quads and Ella does for me what she observed in birth videos - wipes my forehead with a cloth, brings me water saying, "I know, Ella help you!"

Then things started getting annoying.  Anytime we are in a shallow pool, she wants to act out a water birth.  She'll say, "I know! Ella catch your baby out!"  Sometimes she mixes up the words push and pull, which is hilarious.  We have taken a break from birth videos for a while, as I got really tired of pretending to have a baby all the time and her asking me constantly to watch another birth video. Seriously! The girl was becoming obsessed!

There was one side effect for me.  I watched so many natural birth videos there for a while that I became especially committed to the idea of having a home water birth, when my time comes! Not sure I could try it another way!

Some of the birth videos have older siblings at the birth and I fantasize about having Ella present when I'm in labor someday.  I really, really want to have a baby someday.

I'll update you on that topic. I mentioned a few months back that we might adopt again. Well, (in my best Southern accent) that just ain't goin to happen!  It's disappointing and relieving all at the same time.  Disappointing because while I hope for a biological child, I also hope for more adopted children.  I really love the idea of having two Filipino children but as of now, that doesn't look likely.  Long story short, on paper we seemed eligible to adopted domestically from the Philippines because we've lived here for 5 years but in reality we are unable to obtain some of the requirements to prove we are residents.  It took us months of research to learn that it's just not going to work.  Every door we pushed on didn't open.  Our research began to wane when an immigration officer, after he told me there was no way to get the document we needed, laughed at me and said, "What? You can't produce!?" I left his office crying.  That was my low point.

Relieving because we don't have to go through a process that is way too complicated than it needs to be, especially for Americans for some reason, and we don't have to put ourselves at the mercy of an unpredictable court system after we receive a child, and I won't have to be grounded, not able to travel outside the country during the process.  Honestly, the process we went through for the inter-country process was way simpler, not simple but simpler, and standardized.  Even attempting this domestic adoption process was a massive headache. Getting information was SO difficult. Oh the relief!

So for now, we are (still) hoping and praying for a miracle pregnancy.  I believe it will happen, I just don't know when.  I have recently been encouraged by a few things.  The timing of me hearing these things is all God, if you ask me.

We recently were with a friend during Sunday morning worship and we were encouraged to pair up and pray for each other for what we deeply desired to see/receive from the Lord.  Me and Andrey paired up with our friend who was with us, a British guy volunteering in Cebu for a while.  Naturally, Andrey and I shared our desire for a baby.  This guy got so excited and then told us his family's story.  His parents tried for 16 years to have children.  At one point they had received a prophesy that they'd have a son.  Soon after they were pregnant with a girl.  A few years later they had a son, our friend who prayed with fervor for us to experience a similar miracle.  Yes!

A week later I was at the chiropractor having an adjustment.  We casually chatted about nothing on this topic when he told me that his receptionist's sister was told she could never have children but became pregnant at age 45.  Apparently she just learned she is pregnant again!  At age 48!

So I did a little internet research and found records of lots and lots of woman in their 40s and 50s having babies, many of them their first.

Not that I plan on waiting that long, it does help expand my understanding of what is possible. I may be 37 but I still have lots of time!  I will not dwell on my age. I will dwell on what I know is possible.

It's a good thing I'm getting so fit - because after all, "giving birth is hard work!"  I will be ready!

Ana Mae, No More Pain

There is just no easy way to put this.  Ana Mae went to be with Jesus today.  I was with her and her family when she passed from this life to a much better one this afternoon.  She had declined rapidly since I saw her yesterday.  Yesterday she was in pain, similar to the pain she's been experiencing for months, but she could move her limbs and even sat up to drink water to take medicine.  I honestly thought she had months left and I had planned to figure out the best way to care for her over the next while.  When I arrived this afternoon (we had planned to bring her to hospital) she was paralyzed, eyes rolling in the back of her head with labored breathing.  The family decided to keep her at home. 

My good friend Tabitha joined me today.  We anointed Ana Mae with oil and prayed.  We worshiped.  We invited God's presence and peace and rejected fear.  Ana Mae tried to speak at one point but wasn't able to.  I could see her trying to focus her eyes on me and the others around her.  I just held her hand and we told her how well she had done, how brave she is and how Jesus is here and she is safe.  We prayed with her family to surrender her to the will of God.  We began to take communion together when her breathing became very slow and each breath became a gasp.  Then she sighed with a slight grin on her face and was gone.  She was surrounded by her grandmother, parents, sisters, aunties, classmate and cousins.

About ten minutes before her last breath a verse from Romans popped into my head and I felt the Lord was saying that he was going to bring good out of this, for this family and for this community.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

I really did not expect this to happen and so soon.  I had hoped for healing till the end, but despite my lack of understanding about why and how this happened, I saw God's grace in this - the timing and quickness of it.  There is some comfort in knowing that her suffering is done and did not drag on for months. 

We hope in the Lord not because we are sure we will get what we want.  We hope in the Lord because he is good, faithful, powerful and loving. 

Thank you for caring for Ana Mae from near and far, for praying and for sending money.  It is nice to know the family does not have to stress about money right now on top of their great loss.

Ana Mae's MRI result

I've been dreading writing this post for the past two days.  We got news of Ana Mae's MRI result on Saturday.  It's about as bad as it can be.  Cancer in her brain.  Cancer in her spinal cord.  Cancer all over her liver.  I hate cancer!

Doctor says he believes the progression of the disease went like this:  From the nose to the brain, across the blood-brain barrier to the spine and then to the rest of her body.  There is narrowing of her spinal cord and a compression fracture in her thoracic spine. This explains the pain in her back and her difficulty walking.

At this point further treatment would be palliative only, or treatment can be abandoned and supportive care can be given.  Ana Mae and family will meet with the doctor tomorrow to discuss these options.

I honestly did not expect this.  It is quite a shocker for me as I know it is for Ana Mae and her family.  As tempting as it is, we must not give up hope.  It is not up to the doctor to decide how long Ana Mae will live.  Until the Lord tells me something different, we will continue to pray for complete and miraculous healing.  I am not willing to accept that this is God's will for Ana Mae.  We will press in and pray intensively over the next weeks.  Please join us in asking for revelation, wisdom and breakthrough as we pray.  Let us not be discouraged but ramp up our prayers and exercise the authority afforded to us by Jesus' death and resurrection to overcome the power of the enemy.

As you pray if you get any insight or words of encouragement, please send them along.

Ana Mae - Treatment Resumed

Here's the latest on Ana Mae:

She was discharged from hospital on Friday. She was admitted for the day at a different private hospital on Saturday so that we could access their blood bank and she could receive the blood transfusion. Everything went well with that. She seemed to be feeling better so her doctor resumed her treatment.

I saw her this morning at the cancer center where she received radiation and chemo today. Tomorrow should be the last radiation in this round and next Tuesday will be the last chemo. We have just enough money to cover the remaining treatment after paying for the hospital admission and blood transfusion last week. We always seem to have just enough, for which we are very thankful for.

Ana Mae still complains of weakness and pain in her legs and lower back. The x-ray she had last week did not show any structural damage from the fall she had a while back.  The doctor says we need to rule out anything affecting her spinal cord and gave us a request for an MRI to be done next week.  She will also need another CAT scan next month to check the effect of her treatment on the cancer.  We're not sure yet where the money for this will come from but we are trusting God for it. He has provided everything up to this point so I'm not going to worry about it.

Thank you for your help on behalf of Ana Mae.  Please keep praying with us for complete and miraculous healing and for the on-going cost of her medical care.

Quick Ana Mae Update

You're prayers have helped. Ana Mae is feeling much better.  The results of the tests that were done came back normal except for her low blood counts. The doctor said she could go home later today if the blood transfusion went well but we were not able to find blood in her type.  I drove around most of the morning and went to four blood banks but no one had type A+ or was willing to share it with us. I learned that the private hospitals prioritize the blood for their patients only, so since they didn't have any "extra" and because Ana Mae is in a different hospital (which has no blood bank), we couldn't get it from the private hospitals I went to.  So we brought 3 healthy-looking males with type A+ blood to the hospital this afternoon for screening as potential donors and all three failed the hemoglobin test.  Darn.

So as of now, we just need blood. If we can't find more potential donors in the morning we will see about getting her transferred to a hospital with it's own blood bank so we can access the blood there. After the transfusion she can be discharged. The plan is to see how she does at home for about a week and during that time the doctor will decide how urgent or necessary it is to have her get an MRI in order to see if there has been any metastasis to the spine or brain. More time for us to pray!

Urgent Prayers Needed for Ana Mae

I saw Ana Mae yesterday at the cancer center after her 33rd radiation treatment. As of then she only had 2 more radiation treatments and 2 chemo treatments left in this course. She was supposed to have her weekly chemo after the radiation session but begged the doctor to let her do it the next day instead. She was very upset and crying and clearly very agitated and uncomfortable. She had recently developed a nagging cough.  Her skin on her face and neck is burned and her mouth is full of ulcers, which are side effects of radiation therapy. She has reason to complain. The doctor agreed to let her postpone the chemo till today.

The plan was for her to come back this morning for her second to last radiation treatment and her second to last chemo treatment. A few of us from our congregation were going to visit by the time she got back later this morning. When we arrived Ana Mae's family told us that she refused to go for treatment today.

We went inside and saw her lying down, clearly very weak, in a lot of pain and emotionally distressed. Her mother told me that she hasn't eaten much since yesterday. Ana Mae told me through tears that she couldn't sleep last night, that she has pain in her back and legs and is unable to walk. She still has a cough.

We prayed for her and she seemed to settle and experience peace. The pain lessened. I helped prop her up so she could take some cough medicine. 

I called the doctor and informed him of her situation and he told us to bring her in to be admitted. He will stop the treatment for now and wants her on fluids and close monitoring in hospital. We brought her in and they did some tests. She needs another blood transfusion.

The doctor told me there is a possibility that due to the toxicity of the cancer cells, some may have leaked to her spinal cord and/or brain. He said it's called micro-metastasis and if this is the case it would not look good. The good news is, it might not be micro-metastasis. We don't know that that is the case right now. In fact, she had a fall several weeks ago that may explain the pain in her back and legs as she has been complaining of such pain since then.

Please join us in praying for:

• Every cancer cell to be gone. 
• His peace to surround her and comfort her.
• Resolution of any back/leg pain. 
• Continued provision for her medical bills (I have a couple hundred dollars left)

Last Sunday morning my friend in our congregation talked about the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18.  What I learned is carrying me through this week.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

I always thought this story was about justice and couldn't necessarily be applied to praying persistently for other needs or wants. But in the first verse, Jesus' reason for telling this story is clear - to show them (his followers) that they should always pray and not give up. Other translations say they ought always to pray and not lose heart. The other part that stuck out to me in a new way was the last verse about when Jesus comes back, will he find faith on the earth?

And this is how I am challenged to exercise my faith this week. To pray and not give up and to not lose heart. Even when I am tempted to give in to discouragement and therefore pray less and with less faith because I have not yet instantly seen what I have asked for.  No.  I will not be limited to pray for those things that seem possible to my limited human mind, knowing that God's thoughts are higher than my thoughts and his ways higher than my ways and knowing that nothing is impossible with God.

I also know that Jesus said, "All who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these..."

We know that Jesus went through towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he sent out the 12 disciples and then the 72 it says he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

The results are up to God but I must do my part and pray for healing.

So join me! Let's not lose heart but keep praying with faith in our loving and powerful God. 

Firsts

Andrey and I find ourselves in a place we have dreamed of being in for a while.  A place where we have a bit more time to ourselves and with each other and have more of an overall balance to our family life.  It has always felt far off until recently and then what feels like suddenly, (even though it's been very gradual) we are here.  We've had several firsts in the past few weeks.

Andrey and I had our first overnight without Ella, a whole 24 hours!  We celebrated our 10th anniversary by staying in a hotel in the city (and got upgraded to an extra nice room!) while Ella had her first sleepover at her best friend Tessi's house.  She did better than we expected.  She didn't show the least bit distressed by us leaving and was totally fine when we returned.  She seemed to have a really great time.  Andrey and I are were amazed at how smoothly things went... and so happened to have the most amazing time away together.

The other night Ella woke early in the night when we both were still up.  For the very first time instead of calling for me she called for Daddy.  I waited for her to change her mind and ask for me.  Not only did that not happen but Daddy brought her back to her room and got her back to sleep and in bed!  Unheard of.  So great. 

Last week I put Ella to bed and decided to try to see if she'll get to sleep without me in the room.  This has never gone well.  But on this night she surprised me.  Could this be the beginning of not having to wait till she's asleep before I exit?

Last weekend Andrey and I saw a movie... in the theater!  First time that's happened in two years. We saw the latest Batman movie and enjoyed some wine and chocolate that we brought in.  Yep, you can do that here.  It was sweeet!  The wine and chocolate, that is - I didn't care much for the movie.  Date nights out of the house rock!

When Ella chose to go on a rather high zipline off a mountain over the ocean with her Daddy during our recent trip to Palawan, I saw it as indicative of how far we've come as a family in less than two years.  We feel like all the time and energy not rushing her into things has paid off.  She is secure and confident (and quite brave!) and is very attached to both me and her Daddy.  And the bonus? Andrey and I are really enjoying dating each other again. ;-)

Miracles Abound!

Thanks for praying for Ana Mae!

As of today we were out of money but in the last day I have miraculously received 32,000 pesos! The family received 10,000 pesos from the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office yesterday. These together add up to enough to cover the next two weeks of treatment - all but 1 radiation treatment and 2 chemo treatments remain after that! We are only short 15,000 pesos to complete her treatment and I have no doubt the money will come in when we need it. 

AND... just minutes after an unexpected donation was left at my house an hour ago, I received a text from Ana Mae's sister about the latest CT result - More than 60% of the cancer is gone. From her nose down to her neck, the cancer is gone, there is only cancer left near her eyes.  I will have the chance to speak to the doctor myself on Monday to confirm this and to get some more details.

Join me in doing a HAPPY DANCE in celebration of God's loving faithfulness and care for Ana Mae and for hearing our prayers and for answering so quickly and timely.  I am blown away and in awe of his power and goodness. You are good, Lord, and all praise and glory goes to YOU!

Thank you for taking part in these miracles.  God is using you!

Ana Mae, 20 Treatments In

I saw Ana Mae today.  The difference in her appearance is remarkable! 

A few days before she started treatment (June 18)

After 20 of 33 radiation treatments,
3 of 7 chemo treatments (July 18)

This week's treatments have been paid for but as of the end of this week, there is no more money.

Please join us in prayer for the following:

1) Complete and miraculous healing for Ana Mae

2) That the CT scan she had today shows better than expected progress and will result in a better prognosis

3) Financial provision so she can continue and complete her treatment.  Ana Mae's sister is going to another government agency tomorrow in hopes of receiving some help.  So far, they've only received 2,000 pesos ($48 USD).

I admit, I'm worried.  I'm a bit stressed about the money.  I am close to tapping out my own resources and ability to be of practical help.  Oftentimes I'm presented with something within my ability to act - I just have to pray and decide whether it's the right thing to do or not.  But in this case, what I'm able to do isn't nearly enough.  This is beyond me and I really have no idea how the Lord is going to move but I believe he will.  It is uncomfortable but I know it is a good place to be because when we're desperate and willing to stake our lives on the faithfulness of God and not on our own abilities or resources, that is when we see the Lord move is mighty ways.

When we chose the bit about not worrying in Matthew chapter 6 for our discussion this past week with this family and community, I had no idea I would have to work so hard to apply it myself.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Now is the time to pray with faith in our Mighty and Loving God.  I look forward to sharing what he does. Those who hope in the Lord will not be disappointed.