"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is
now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20, 21.
Lynn has the above verse taped to her computer where she works about 5-6 day
per week. I am sure she has a deeper understanding of this verse than many
of us! God's ways seem so strange to non-Christians. As the notes in my
study Bible say, this is "a classic statement of God's sovereign overruling
of human history to accomplish His gracious purposes."
We were so thankful that Lynn was able to complete her first race by
herself. She was entered in the power wheelchair division of the Hustle for
Hope Race, and she had a host of cheerleaders. Her two Fayetteville, GA
grandchildren, 4 Nashville grandchildren, and two daughters were there to
cheer her on. Thank you to all who supported her in the race to raise money
for Southwest Christian Care. This is a special place that includes a
Hospice, Children's Respite (providing a respite for parents of special
needs children), senior care, and spiritual care. One of the things that
makes this organization so unique is that they provide their services free
of charge. So they depend on donations. It was Lynn's goal to be able to
help them raise money for their ministry. So, thank you again for all those
who supported them with your donations.
Above is a picture of Lynn after the race with her Fayetteville
and Nashville grandchildren. Her St. Louis grandchildren support her, too,
of course, but were unable to attend because of the great distance involved.
You will also see a picture of cousins Isabella and Caleb enjoying the First
Responders' Church Picnic immediately following the race.
Father, we thank you that you are a sovereign God and that nothing happens
to us that has not passed through your loving hands. You have indeed been
good to us granting us mercies far more than we ever deserved. Thank you
for blessing Lynn with a giving heart and one that beats for you. Would you
continue to use her to reflect Christ's love. Thank you for all those who
have encouraged us in our walk. Would you bless your people, Father, and
keep us from stumbling for it is in Jesus' holy name we pray, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
Lynn sipped and puffed her way to the finish line to raise money for Southwest Christian Care. Go Lynn!
Thank you
Lynn and I would like to thank you for your prayers as we travelled the past
couple of weeks. The Lord was certainly gracious to us. We had a wonderful
time in Nashville visiting Julie, Will and family and then yesterday
(Saturday) we traveled to Columbia, South Carolina where Lynn had been
invited to speak to the women of the church. It was a long day beginning at
6:00 AM with two caregivers arriving in order to get Lynn up in time to
leave at 9:00 AM. We were home by about 9:30 PM and into bed by about 11:00
PM. Again the Lord was gracious to us granting us safe travels with no
incidents!
Lynn shared her testimony of God's goodness to her since the car wreck that
left her a quadriplegic. She spoke on the sovereignty of God and suffering.
I believe this was Lynn's best public speaking on this subject and I believe
she lifted high the name of our Lord to a room full of attentive women. I
was proud of her and many women came up to speak to her afterwards.
We had a wonderful time in Nashville with our family. We always enjoy
family times and this was no exception. You can see above a sweet picture of Lynn
with her four Mayfield grandchildren as well as an impromptu scene with
Bella giving her Grammy some sweet loving one morning.
Race Day
Don't forget the race day coming up this Saturday. Lynn is raising money
for the Southwest Christian Care Center in Union City. This non-profit
provides high quality care for terminally ill patients, children with
special needs, seniors, and their families. The Heroes for Hope race is at
10:00 AM at the Lester Road Christian Church 3900 Newton Rd. in Fairburn.
The Heroes for Hope race is a 100 meter race for those with special needs of
all ages. As you know Lynn loves competition, so this gives her first
opportunity to compete on her own since becoming a quad. She will be
driving her wheelchair herself using the sip-n-puff feature. I was telling
a friend of mine tonight about all Lynn's recent activities and I told him,
"I can't keep up with her." He laughed and then I added, "Yeah, she is in a
wheelchair, and I can't keep up with her!!"
Father, we thank you for your great goodness to us. Thank you for blessing
us with safe travels recently. Thank you that you are a sovereign God and
that nothing comes to us but what is sifted through your loving hands.
Thank you that you have given Lynn the grace to tell of your greatness and
mercy and goodness and love even in the midst of her suffering. Grant us
all your peace that passes all understanding. Thank you, also for your
saints that you have provided to us to encourage us on the way. Thank you
for friends and caregivers who attend to Lynn's needs. We thank you for
those who have become Lynn's "hands." Father, forgive us of our many sins,
and help us to live a life that honors you. Keep us always mindful of your
many, many blessings which are new each morning. For it is in Jesus' holy
name we pray, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
Paul says, "...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every
circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Phil 4:11-13.
The last sentence is a favorite Bible verse of many, including Lynn.
Perhaps the opening of this passage has a lot to do with our joy as we go
through life's many trials as well as how highly we esteem God , trust in
Him and have faith in Him especially during the trials and tribulations of
life.
Back to Back Spring Breaks
Last week after Julie Mayfield's family from Nashville spent spring break
with us, we were excited to have our St. Louis connection Jeff and Wendy
Wheeler along with Maddie, Nelson, and Lexi spend their spring break with
us. Both weeks were a joy as we did lots of activities together and had fun
watching the cousins (the Fayetteville cousins: Susan and Todd Browns' Mary
Evelynn and Bella) play together. When the Wheelers were with us, Lynn took
them all to the Georgia Aquarium. Lynn and I had been to the Aquarium
before, but Maddie loves dolphins, so we made sure to get tickets for the
Dolphin Tail show. It was our first time to see this show and it was
fantastic. Lynn enjoyed it at least as much as the children! We were not
permitted to take pictures at the show, but attached is a picture of us all
at the aquarium.
Goal
Lynn heard about a fundraising activity for Southwest Christian Care to
benefit their hospice and program that offers help to parents of children
with special needs. We have been the recipients of so much help and
encouragement over the years, Lynn is happy to have the opportunity to help
others for a change. This Hustle for Hope is Saturday, May 5 and there is a
100 meter event for people in wheelchairs. Lynn's goal is to be able to "sip
'n puff" her wheelchair unassisted for the entire 100 meters in order to
help raise funds for these individuals who are in need. For those of you
interested in this event you are invited to read the information within the
parentheses below, otherwise you can skip that information and continue
reading at the next paragraph. (There is a $15.00 donation for those of you
who would like to sponsor Lynn in this event. You can do this by seeing
Lynn or by going online to www.swchristiancare.org click on "Give", then
"Hustle for Hope", then "Click here to sponsor a Hero for Hope form").
Below is a picture of her going up the street driving her wheelchair without
the assistance of a caregiver. Lynn has been practicing almost every day
for this event. We go out our driveway, turn right, and she sips 'n puffs
her way 100 m up the hill and sometimes back. I think the first day, she
was pretty tired out by the workout, but she is getting stronger and more
used to it day by day. By the way, not everyone is able to drive their
wheelchair using the sip n puff straw. I tried it once, for example while
we were at Shepherd, and I could not get the thing to work!! Also, Lynn has
been taking the grandchildren for rides around our house. They sit in her
lap, and she drives them from the main kitchen area into the living area,
around and back again. They are always relaxed when they are in Grammy's
lap. When she gets into the other room, she usually stops and talks with
them each for a little while and then drives them back. So it is a nice
time for Lynn to be alone with each of the children.
Father, we thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for being with us
in the midst of life's storms. Thank you for your goodness to us. Lynn and
I thank you so much for sending us so many family and friends who have
helped, supported and encouraged us in our journey. We are thankful that
Lynn has the opportunity to help others. May you be gracious, Father, to
others who are in great need and encourage them. Father, we thank you for
our earthly and church families. Would you continue to bless and encourage
them. We are reminded at this time of year of the great cost to you of our
sin. Forgive us of these sins and grant us a faithful walk with you all our
days, for it is in Jesus' precious name that we pray, Amen.
At the end of Holy Week we can all shout: Christ is risen, He is risen
indeed!!
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
At night before we retire, we have been reading from the New Testament.
When we began the book of Philippians last week, Lynn said, "Paul had many
trials and tribulations in this book, but it is known as the book of Joy."
Interesting, isn't it that we can have "joy" in times of trial. Sometimes
we are closer to God in the difficult times and we feel His presence more
keenly then. This particular type of joy is not a giddiness, silliness, or
hilarity but a feeling of closeness with our Savior and these times may be
very difficult-because of the trials-too. We are beginning a series on
suffering at church on Sunday nights. This might be one of God's purposes
for our suffering-and it happens to us all-to bring us closer to Himself.
Transfers
Transfers from bed to the wheelchair and wheelchair to the bed are often
difficult transitions for Lynn. This requires two caregivers and the use of
our Hoyer lift. This repositioning of her makes her feel uncomfortable.
Part of this is understandable. I often toss and turn a bit when I get into
bed in an attempt to get comfortable, but Lynn is unable to move herself, so
she must instruct others on how to position her for comfort. She has
phantom pains and sometimes she feels crooked in the chair or bed even when
she is not. If you feel so led, we would appreciate your prayers especially
for these times.
Spring Break
We were pleased to have our Mayfield family here with us last week during
their Spring Break from school. Lynn wanted them to have a good time while
they were here. The pictures below show the two youngest (Luke and Caleb)
both riding on Grammy's wheelchair, then the four of them (Emily, William,
Luke and Caleb) giving Grammy some lovin', and finally a picture of Grammy's
treat for them by taking the four Mayfields with their cousins, Mary Evelynn
and Isabella Grace on a "shopping spree" at Target! What a blessing to have
them here with us this week and to watch the cousins have so much fun
together!
Thank, you, Father, for your goodness to us even in times of trials. In
fact, it is in these trials that we seem to draw closer to you. Forgive us
for that Lord. Help us to count on you for our daily bread and forgive us
of our many sins. We thank you, Father, for giving us your church to teach
us and to comfort us in our walk with you. May we walk with you each hour of
every day. Father, we thank you for all those you have given us to
encourage us in our walk. May you use us to encourage others. Grant us
grace to live for You each day, we pray, in Jesus' holy name, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10
Lynn and I have been reading together a few verses from Ephesians in recent days just after we get Lynn into bed for the night. I have been reading these verses from Lynn's old Bible that she used and studied from prior to her injury. It is well marked up! It always astounds me that when I read a passage, she will sometimes recite a part of it from memory or make a comment about it, and these are the exact passages she underlined or circled in her Bible over 6 years ago! The above passage is one such example.
Grace is an amazing thing and we have begun studying it in our men's Tuesday morning Hungry Old Geezers (HOGS) Bible Study. The words of John Newton's great hymn explains it much better than I ever could.
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.
The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.Through many dangers, toils and snares...
I have already come.
T'was Grace that brought me safe thus far...
and Grace will lead me home.
When we've been there ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.
God's word is also an amazing thing so full of hope in times of trial. You know that when Lynn woke up 7 weeks after her injury, the first thing that came to mind were the comforting words of scripture from Psalm 139-the shortened form: "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." verse 16.
Lynn's faith in the Lord and His promises and her trust in Him have NEVER wavered. I do not believe she has ever even questioned why this happened to her. She has admitted that this is not something she would have chosen, but I know she would also NOT choose to be outside of the will and care of her Heavenly Father!! She has remained strong in the faith, and I believe this is because the Lord has been gracious to her. He has given her grace for every trial. So thank you, Lynn for showing all who watch you the testimony of the Lord's grace and goodness in your life.
Below is a picture of Mary Evelynn and Isabella Grace helping get Grammy ready for bed one recent evening. They LOVE being caregivers and are so eager to help. Little Isabella's fingers are so small, I had to help her get the gloves on. I think I was able to help her get her gloves on in something under 5 minutes (that's each one!!).
Many of you have joined us and encouraged us in our journey or, as Lynn calls it, our assignment from the Lord. Our prayer for you tonight-Sunday night, comes from Ephesians. This one is bracketed in Lynn's old Bible with several words underlined in red.
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 34:14-19 In Jesus holy name, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
"Come and listen, all who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for
me....but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer." Psalm
66:16, 18
What a wonderful testimony the believer has. The Lord has heard his
prayers, and he can tell others what God has done. Lynn and I generally
read a Psalm each night before we go to sleep. This is usually the first
thing we do after the caregivers have gone and we are finally alone again in
our home. The Lord has granted us another good day together. He has cared
for us and carried us safely and healthily through another day. We are
together. We are home. God has been good to us. Of course, these things
do not have to happen for us to be thankful for what God has done. One of
my favorite verses is from the end of Habakkuk 3:17:
"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation."
We are thankful to have the gift of family with their frequent visits. We
are thankful for our church family and for the many ways they encourage us.
Thank you SO MUCH for the wonderful meals you supply for Lynn and me EACH
Sunday. We enjoy them so much-yummy!!
The pictures below show Lynn driving Isabella around the house. This way,
Lynn can be alone with the grand children for a few minutes. They will go
into the other room, stop and talk, and then come back so her sister can
have a turn. Also, you will see Mary Evelynn sitting on Grammy's lap while
she colors in her coloring book, I love the way the grand children love to
be with their Grammy.
Wrestling
Mary Evelynn likes to get on the floor with me and "wrestle." What she
means by the word "wrestling" is that I lie on the floor on my back with my
arms and legs down. Mary Evelynn backs up, runs up to me, leaps in the air,
bends her knees and then comes down on my stomach with all her weight on my
stomach. So, of course, I try to catch her on her way down, tighten up my
stomach muscles (such as they are!) to allow for a not too painful landing.
Then as she backed up to repeat this feat I bent my knees up to protect
myself a little. Then she said the funniest thing. "Pop Pop, put your
knees down. You could hurt somebody." I just rolled over in laughter.
"Come on, "Pop Pop, let's do it again!!"
Father, we thank you for your goodness to us. We have seen times when we
did not know how we could go another step or what that step would be. Yet
you knew and you brought us on to the other side with a future. You have
given us hope when we did not know where it would come from. You have given
us others who have come along beside us to help us and encourage us. You
have given us the greatest gift and that is Yourself. Thank you, Father for
loving us, the unloveable. Thank you for your great goodness to us. May you
grant us a faithful walk with you all our days. Forgive us of our many
sins, we pray, in Jesus' holy name, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
During recent worship services, the subject of suffering has occurred several times. From what I have observed, all of us suffer from time to time. Due to some well meaning friends and the "health and wealth" gospel that some preach, I think there is a danger for the Christian to think that we should not suffer, that if we suffer, it is because we lack faith, do not know how to pray correctly, or there is some unconfessed sin in our lives. Now those things may be the case. We might suffer because of some sin we have committed. David certainly had to suffer as a result of his sin with Bathsheba, but I also know that the Bible teaches us that we live in a fallen world and that since sin entered the world, we will all experience the results of our fallen nature. Some sin, though is not a direct result of some sin in our lives. Did you know that we might experience the flight of a longtime "true" friend, false conviction, even sentences that are not based on fact? If you expect not to suffer for such things just look at Jesus who had to suffer, as He, Himself, taught, "...the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again." Mark 8:31b
Many wonder about human suffering, why we have to experience it, what is the best way to get through it, etc. I had been reading Bonhoeffer's book Discipleship. In his chapter on the Sermon on the Mount, in which he discusses the subject of suffering (common to all believers), he states, "The community of disciples does not shake off suffering, as if they had nothing to do with it. Instead, they bear it. In doing so, they give witness to their connection with the people around them. At the same time, this indicates that they do not arbitrarily seek suffering, that they do not withdraw into willful contempt for the world. Instead they bear what is laid upon them, and what happens to them in discipleship for the sake of Jesus Christ. Finally, disciples will not be weakened by suffering, worn down, and embittered, until they are broken. Instead, they bear suffering by the power of him who supports them. The disciples bear the suffering laid on them only by the power of him who bears all suffering on the cross.
Susan said that Mary Evelynn was looking at some old pictures of her "Grammy" who was holding and playing with one of the older grandchildren before her injury. Mary Evelynn said Oh, look at that Mommy. Susan said, does that make you sad, Mary Evelynn? "No, not at all. I am just so happy that Grammy was able to do that at all. Wasn't that wonderful? And in heaven, she will be able to do that again." Oh, the simplicity and faith, and even wisdom of the little ones!!
Soon after Lynn's injury we had a nurse tell us that we would soon be able to have a "quality of life again." I can assure you that Lynn and I feel that we do have a quality of life. We have some great times. The Lord has certainly blessed us beyond what we could have imagined. How is this possible? It is by grace from our Heavenly Father. Sing the hymn with us:
Great is Thy Faithfulness
"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Look at the pictures below with Lynn watching a movie on her iPad with Isabella on her lap, and again some nice snuggling time with Mary Evelynn. Yes, the Lord has been good to us.
Thank you, Father, that in the midst of our suffering, you are with us. You never leave us or forsake us. Thank you that you have blessed us in so many ways. We thank you especially for your love for us, for your grace, mercy, and compassion. Thank you for a supporting family, friends and church family. Bless us, Father with a faithful walk with you each of our days. Keep us from stumbling we pray, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and family
 "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16
Waking Up
Yesterday Jamie preached using the above verse for Sanctity of Life Sunday.
This is a very special verse to me. After seven weeks of being sedated, I
woke up and Doug began telling me the story of what happened. It was a big
shock at first, but this verse kept me calm knowing that the day of the
injury was also ordained for me before time began. I know God gave me this
verse because it hit me so strongly right after I found out the news. I am
very thankful for this gift from God. It was also a great reminder of our
sovereign God. There are many people who question the sanctity of life
depending on their condition. Therefore I am very glad my family felt
called to take care of me and never gave up on me. All of this is a good
reminder to me that we all are made in God's image and have great worth in
God's eyes no matter our limitations, handicaps, illnesses.
Bella's Birthday Party
Our vibrant Bella has celebrated her third birthday all weekend. She is a
great joy to us and has quite a personality. I wish you could have seen the
look on her face when the waitresses at Chick-fil-A started to sing to her.
As we were all siting around having a birthday dinner on Sunday after church,
Mary Evelynn said "I love this-having all my family together-Mommy and
Daddy, Sissy, Grammy and Grandpop, Grandma and Papa. We are all together"
Then on Monday Doug and I went with Susan and the girls to "Jump 2 It" in
Peachtree City. All of our grandchildren bring us great joy. The picture
is of Bella in her birthday dress made by her Mother.
Whate'er My God Ordains my God is Right, holy His will abideth. Thank you,
Father for your sovereignty over every aspect of our lives. Thank you for
children and laughter, family and friends and all the other good gifts you
choose to give us. We don't deserve any of them, but in your goodness you
allow these things in our lives. Help us to grow closer to you every day,
to seek your holy will in all we do, and to be diligent to teach the next
generation about you. I love you, Lord. In His name, we pray, Amen.
Love, Lynn
When Lynn and I were reading this Psalm tonight at bedtime, Lynn reminded me that she had claimed this verse when we had made our move from Mississippi (where we lived for 25 years) to the Atlanta area. I know this move was hard for her for a number of reasons. We had wonderful friends that we were leaving behind and a wonderful church family. You know, we still have those wonderful friends and that church family, and we have made wonderful friends here and have a wonderful church family here now, too.
Loss
Various events at church today helped me solidify the main topic for this newsletter. Everyone has suffered loss at some time in their lives. I remember when my father died about 16 years ago. Other than my wife, he was my best friend, and we had spent some great times together on visits even though we lived over 1,000 miles apart. He had battled cancer for seven years, and even though I knew his time was getting short, it was still a shock to me when he passed away. Lynn knew I was hurting and she told me that while I lost my earthly father, I still had my heavenly father. You know, it might sound strange, but that did comfort me. I still had my heavenly Father!
The holiday season is hard for lots of people because it marks another anniversary of the passing of a loved one. We had our whole family around us this Christmas, and now that the season is over, we feel a loss since they are no longer with us. Members of our church family have just lost their father or grandfather. Physical loss is hard. Thank you, Brian for finding the scripture I was looking for regarding the Lord's taking away Ezekiel's wife. "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a strike; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead...So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded."
I remember how I reacted when I learned of Lynn's condition after the accident. And for years, at certain times, I would weep, tears would run down, and I would sigh out loud and even in front of people. And to be honest, when I speak about this in public, even now I sometimes weep especially when talking about how God's people have been so good to us. Lynn told me tonight that when she would have bad days, a couple of times, she recalls that she felt the Lord's presence in the room with her, that the Lord's comfort was that strong. The Lord gives His people strength and grace to handle the trials of life. When we pray that He will give us peace that passes all understanding, this is what we mean. As Matthew Henry says, the Lord has given us our creature comforts and He maintains ownership in them and can take them away when He pleases. "We may the more easily bear an affliction if it find us in the way of our duty; for nothing can hurt us, nothing come amiss to us, while we keep ourselves in the love of God."
Hope
As we sang in our service last Sunday, Another Year Is Dawning
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.
Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.
The pictures below show the children playing games with Grammy, reading with her, etc.
Father, we thank you for your grace that sustains us in difficult times and trials. Bless Michael and Jan and their families in the loss of their father. Would you provide them with comfort during this difficult time. Would you also comfort all those who grieve for their lost loved ones at this time. Would your grace prove sufficient for them. Father, thank you for the ways you have blessed and encouraged Lynn and me over the years. Thank you for those you have sent to minister to us. Would you bless our family, friends and church families who have been so gracious and encouraging to us. Father, help us to live a life that honors you and reflects your great love to us. Forgive us of our many sins, we pray, in Jesus' holy name, Amen.
Love,
Doug and Lynn and Family
(click the pictures to enlarge them)
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