Why I have not written in forever....

So I was going to write story after story on here over Fall Break but then my Fall Break did not go as planned. My mother explains it well in her weekly update that she sends to the grandmothers.....

Lara's RA meeting for Wednesday night was cancelled, so she was able to leave NC State for her fall break around 2 p.m. Wednesday, meet her Grandmother and C.P. in Hickory at J & S Cafeteria for dinner around 5 p.m., and arrive home around 6:30. Lara went out to eat and dancing with friends Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, Lara took Ellie the dog to run on the Parkway trails. She parked just off the entrance ramp up onto the Parkway where four other cars were parked. When she returned to her car, the front passenger window had been completely broken out (Brent and I returned to clean up all the glass yesterday) and her purse had been stolen. It contained her cell phone, camera, driver's license, Visa card, SECU debit card, $25 cash, school RA keys, Social Security card that she was returning to me to put back in the safe deposit box after filling out papers for her job, Geico car insurance card, Cigna health insurance card, AAA card, and as Lara reminded me, a brand new pack of chewing gum I had just given her. She was in tears as she and Brent called the police and Park Rangers and returned to the scene to file a report and check to see if her purse might have been thrown out somewhere nearby. I began calling to cancel the credit card, debit card, and cell phone service.

To make a long story short, Lara got a new driver's license Thursday afternoon, and went to the Social Security Administration to order a new card on Friday afternoon. I called Geico, Cigna, and AAA to replace the cards. Brent immediately called to order a new window for Lara's car, which won't arrive until next Thursday. Lara has been driving my car and will get a ride back to school tomorrow. She then plans to ride back to Asheville with Zach and Amy next weekend to pick up her car, which hopefully will be repaired in time for her to take it back next Saturday or Sunday.

Lara has borrowed Brent's digital camera for a project in her education class that is due on Monday. Of course, she lost all the pictures she had on her camera and all the photos she had in her wallet. Her purse was a gift from her friend Caroline from Indonesia. Her wallet was a gift from a missionary friend in the Philippines. I had an extra cell phone because I had just renewed my contract, so Lara is re-programmed on a new phone with the same cell number. One of the hardest things for Lara is she will have to pay about $168 for NC State to re-key the master keys for her dorm and all the other RAs. The residence hall staff waved her room key fee (~$80 I think) and the emergency lock core change fee ($150) because she e-mailed them the police report. Even though there was nothing in her purse that identified her dorm name, the information could be gotten off the internet because all Lara's other personal info was stolen. Lara was very upset about having to pay the $168 on top of everything else, but we are just thankful that no one was hurt and that all this is just "sad stuff" that happens in this world. We encouraged her to learn important life lessons and move on.

AKA: NO PICTURES FOR A WHILE.

Christ the King

Christ the King is the church I attend while in Raleigh. I visited this church both my freshman and sophomore year, but in the end regularly attended different churches. This year, however, Christ the King feels like home, really meets me where I am, and I can see Jesus living in multi-colored members of the church. Let me give you a glimpse...

Tuesday evening Shannon Dod, a young mom to her two adopted boys (one Chinese with down syndrome and another little boy from India), died after fighting cancer for 14 months. Her memorial service was yesterday and today in church the pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 1: 3-7, which talks about how suffering brings God's comfort and then how anyone who has experienced suffering and God's comfort is now equipped to comfort others.

After the service we sang the song "It is Well with My Soul", and as we sang I watched Shannon's husband in the mist of his grief. He was sitting with their little boy who has down syndrome in his lap helping him to follow along with the words of the song, as any normal parent would do, and as her husband sang, though he was also crying, he was proclaiming the words "It is Well with My Soul...". Despite his suffering, he has found hope and comfort in the Lord.

This is evidence of Jesus. And this is why I go to Christ the King.

"It is Well with My Soul" Horatio Spafford, 1873

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.