Och Aye ("Oh Yes") Janette is Okay!

Friends,

A quick blog because I'm pretty tired.

Janette's surgery went well today. They were able to go in laporoscopically (with the little cameras through three "keyholes" that make it easier to heal up) and remove her gall bladder. They found a golf-ball sized gall stone, and a bunch of little gall stones having a disco and karaoke night in her gall bladder.

They broke up the party and disbanded the disco, much to the dismay of the little gall-stoney people, and Janette is now recovering in the ward.

I went down and was able to spend some time with her.

Any of you who know Janette will understand that she just doesn't like to be in hospitals. She left the same day she had Zoe in Oregon City. . .

Well, today, she tried doing the same, but had a bout with nausea (aka the pukies) and the nurses said,

"och aye, why don't ye coom on doon tomorra mornin ta pick up yer wee lassie."

And I said, "okay," since that's the correct response to a nurse when they tell you to do something.

Its late and I'm going to bed.

Thanks for all your prayers. Keep em comin'.

Hopefully, Janette will be home tomorrow at some point, able to rest in a quiet flat the size of a doghouse with two fighting children and a whiny husband.

Nurse: "Och aye, lassie, ye might wanna stae here at the hospital for a wee while, eh?"

Janette: Did I just hear the sound of disco music. I could swear I heard the sound of disco music.

Nurse: Och aye, that's just the wee morphine ye have runnin' in yer veins.

Janette: The little gally stones. They're comin' for me!

Nurse: Dinna ya worry yisself aboot it. Take this and sleep tight.

Janette: Okay. Mmmm. This is good, it tastes kindof like lskjf oim ff s ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................................

Huggin' on Sister Jenni

IMG_0110, originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Our sister Jenni visited us last week.

This is a picture of us huggin' her.

We had a great time with her, and we really like her "friend" Matt.

We are soooooo glad Jenni came to visit and we will pray to Jesus to keep her safe this fire season when she's fighting forest fires. We'll also pray for Matt, who is a smokejumper. Cool! We wish we could jump out of planes!

Love to you all,
Lily and Zoe

What You Don't See In the Picture. . . .

IMG_0828, originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

When Jen and Matt visited a week ago, we borrowed a car for a saturday and drove up to Loch Lomond and Trossachs national park. It turned into a beautiful day, and we had a great time!

What you don't--can't--see in this picture are the things behind the scenes, under the surface. Some of them are. . . .

• That Janette has a bad gallbladder with a gallstone the size of a golf ball. She is due for surgery this friday to remove the gallbladder. Keep her in prayer!
• That Dustin quit a long trip to Norway that is part of his Master's course (would have left today) to stay home and make sure the fam was in good shape and MOST IMPORTANT--Janette was taken care of.
• That Lily is reading "chapter" books now, and getting better every day.
• That Zoe has finally recovered from her bout with pneumonia and wakes up every morning with so much energy, we're inventing a plug-in so that the rest of us can run off of her!
• That Dustin recently led music at a special quiet prayer time during our weekend Church "House Party"--a retreat away in the hills west of Edinburgh.
• That thanks to some of you, we continue to have breakfast, lunch and dinner on the table. Your care for us really, really matters during these days far away. Thank you!
  

Pray Saint Patrick's Prayer With Us. . . .

Happy and Blessed Saint Patrick's Day!

He was a man of the Spirit and God's Call.

We prayed His prayer to start our morning. . . . Here it is if you would like to join us. PRAY IT OUT LOUD!

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

Pilgrimage to St. Cuthbert's Isle -- A Small Prayer Island Off of Lindisfarne (Holy Island)

IMG_0013, originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

(First of all, for real info. on this island, you should google it or look at the links on the right column)

I had my first pilgrimage experience three days ago. I was granted the blessing of traveling for the day to Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, with my friend Colin as guide and friend Paul as, well, friend.

All of middle and southern England were brought to faith in Jesus in the 4th and 5th Century by Celtic missionaries who left the isle to share their faith. There is a causeway from the mainland to the island that falls underwater during high tide!

We are standing under the cross in a little concave (where the "prayer hut" used to be) on a smaller island. Saint Cuthbert used to leave Holy Island and cross to the smaller one to pray. He was renowned for preaching, prayers, and healing miracles. People came from far and wide to have him pray for them. He could go out to the prayer island when the tide was out, and people couldn't get to him when the tide came in.

As we walked across the mussels and seaweed and slick rocks and sand, the wind that flew like a knife across the North Sea from the Arctic cut my face, and the snow and sleet bit into my eyes. We could hardly see where to walk, and then I remembered . . . . Colin had told me that Saint Cuthbert was known to stand in the water and pray, sometimes up to his neck!

Although I didn't wade in the water, I asked for Colin and Paul to bless me on the island.

They did, and although no heavens opened, I felt a peace and strength in my sonship and calling. I prayed that God would grant me the grace to carry His god-spell (old English for "good news") back. . . . across that narrow causeway and into the world He loves. I believe He is faithful. He will carry our little family where He desires.

Thank you, Lord, for your saints of old who were faithful to you, and available to your call!

Dear friends, keep us in your hearts and prayers, as we do for you. . . .

Snow Day!

STA60046, originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

Just as we thought Spring was here, we got hit with a small snow storm.

It snowed all morning and melted all afternoon.

Just enough time to make a snow man after school!

Do I Have Something On My Face?

STA60007, originally uploaded by dustkunkel.

What's that?

Something on my face?

Naaah.

I don't have anything on my face. . . .