Mom, Pop, Joy and I came to Birmingham yesterday after church, and Mom had her surgery this morning. Everything went great! The Dr. said he was pleased with the outcome, and she did very well. Needless to say, we are so thankful and greatful to God for bringing her through this safely and ready to heal.

My Mom is a very important part of my life and she has helped mold me into who I am today. It’s funny how sometimes when I am saying something or doing something, I’ll think, “This is just like Mom!” Now, I am not like her in all ways…she’s a terrific cook, and I think a kitchen is a waste of of perfectly good space! She is a godly woman and has a heart for missions and a passion for the Lord. She gives unselfishly of her time to others, and thinks of herself last. She has mentored and served as an example to countless younger women in our church. She loves to play and act silly and do silly things. Her grandchildren adore her and she treats them all as if they are the most important person in the world. She and Pop are as in love today as they were when they were newlyweds. They take care of each other so sweetly. Her children truly do…”call her blessed.”

She’s gonna fuss when she reads this…but I’ll take my chances with her…I’m a little bigger. 🙂 I love you, Mom…and I am proud to “take after you!’ Now get well…we’ve got some shopping trips to take!

” In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ” 1 Peter 5:10
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Friends, our miracle did not come today. We were prepared and ready. Alex had a new shirt, tie, and pants…and they were pressed and ready to wear. However, this was not God’s time, and even though we are so disappointed, we are claiming the verse above. God does not make mistakes, nor is He late to perform His works. And even though we were ready to see a great work in Alex’s life, it was not in His time. Do I think we were wrong to ask and expect a miracle? No, I think we are to be ever looking and planning for Him to step in and make things better. Am I angry, because He failed to work? Not angry, a little sad. I do have a mother’s heart and want so desperately for my boy to be whole. But, I KNOW this…God cares for me and my feelings, and He cares for Alex. He WILL work His plan. And Alex will be healthy. I will stand and testify to you today that God is great and powerful and His way alone is perfect. And, though I am anxious and impatient…and want healing now, His timing is always right..

I am humbled that so many of you prayed for us with tender hearts…watching and waiting with us. Our prayers were heard and are held by the Lord Himself. Thank-you for standing with us, and offering your support. God is good and He blesses us daily with the people He chooses to put in our path. Thank you for being one of those blessings.

In His Love,

Tonja

” ‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to them; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.” Jeremiah 33:6

The Easter Lily has long been a symbol of the new of life of Jesus. By itself, it stands as a Resurrection symbol and is often depicted in works of art as such. The Lily reminds us that all the events of Jesus’ life point to His death and resurrection. The flowers are shaped like trumpets, proclaiming the good news of the resurrection of Jesus. The lily is also a symbol of new life which springs from a bulb that seemed to be dry and dead; again a reminder of Jesus

Well, actually, my plans for Easter include church…and that’s about it. As soon as church is over, we are heading up to Birmingham to prepare for Mom’s surgery, early on Monday morning. We covet your prayers for her, She should do very well and be able to return home in a few days.
I will stay with her Monday and Monday night, but plans are for Pop and I to return home Tuesday evening. Then Joy will stay until she comes home. Of course, this all depends on how well she does. Please pray for travelling safety, and quick healing for Mom!

And this is my handiwork for the day. My friend, Tina, came over this morning and we began phase 2 of ‘Operation Organize Tonja’. Today we completely emptied 2 storage rooms, then, sorted, organized, boxed, taped, labelled, and stacked approximately 150 boxes!…OK, it may have just been 15…but it felt like 150! And I forgot…DISCARDED!!!!! Yes, my friends, I have purged my storage rooms, and now they look soooooo good. And the best part is, everything that is in there now has been sorted and it moving with me. Believe me when I say, my next garage sale should be terrific.

As I shared with you before, it is very hard for me to throw things away. I tend to hold on to all the little pieces and trivia of our lives. And, there is always a good reason for keeping the things I do…at the time, but when I see most of the things again, I wonder why in the world did I keep that!?! I am trying to work on this…and I am getting better. I can really see how I have kept things that were not worth keeping, and only added to the clutter on our home.

Tina, is my task master…and I mean that in the nicest way. It is not an easy job to keep me on task at anything…and especially when it’s something I would rather not be involved in. But, bless her, she gave up her Good Friday vacation day to labor all day at my house. That’s a real friend!

We accomplished much today, even though there are about 6 more boxes I have to go through on my own. Then, after one more work day, much shorter than today…we can mark the sunroom …”DONE!” Only 8 more rooms to go! Good thing I have 9 more months, huh?
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PS. My boxes are double this size…and all contents are neatly labelled. Not that I’m bragging, or anything…I’m just saying……..