Ups and Downs.  Or is that Hills and Valleys?  No matter…it says the same thing except maybe a little different tone.  We all go through them.  Anyone who says he doesn’t is either a liar or not telling the truth.  🙂  Or (even bigger) is either in denial or outer space.  I am a fairly positive, upbeat person.  I love life and try to find the good in things and situations even when it really appears to be sort of dark.  God never disappoints, even though at times it appears that He doesn’t give a rip.   I have in the past shared some requests with you about the “goings on” of a church in Spencer, IN that I pastor concerning our location as well as the saga of my bike accident. I have had some asking what have been the results of these two situations so I thought I would bring you up to date.

To make a long story short we settled back into the Owen Valley Sports Complex and signed another year’s lease.  They raised our rent but we said we would pay that if Wednesday was included.  We are a big cash cow to them so they said, “Yes” and we signed the lease just last week.  If you go here you will see the research and attempts that were made to find another place in an old,  small town of 3000.  I made that presentation to the fellowship one morning and then made an abbreviated version for two following Sundays.   It was an up and down process…just one of the many we have faced over the past several months.  We have had our youth/worship pastor resign.  We have had people leave over several issues-oddly enough we had one family leave because we didn’t move and one leave because we were talking about it.  Go figure!  But remember the old saying: the sure way to failure is to try to please everyone.  At the same time our offerings got hit hard (as many have) but one good thing is that we did not have a mortgage payment that would have taken us under.  Our whole worship/music team had to be restructured (by me who knows very little about music) 🙂  The great thing is that the people really stepped forward to be involved and after some struggles we are beginning to see joy return (and someone else has taken leadership of the worship ministry…without me even asking!)  How cool is that?

Personally, while all that was going on our oldest daughter had surgery in June and our youngest daughter and her husband were without work (he since December and she since February). But God is good.  Tami’s surgery went well and she started teaching again Monday.  Both Jason and Janna found jobs (Janna started just this past Monday) while Jason has been working for about a month now. I have no doubt that God will bring good and lessons out of it for all.  Jo (my lovely bride) continued to struggle with back issues and then I had my accident.  It has been a wild ride to say the least.  The MRI showed torn muscles in my shoulder and two cysts aggravated by the accident.  The worst of it though is the MRI on the neck that showed some of the disk at C-6/C-7 protruding and pressing against the nerve (think donut having the jelly squeezed out of it).  I have seen an orthopedic doctor for my shoulder and had to stop any rehab because of the intense pain caused by the disk.  The injury has caused me to lose size and tone in my left bicep/tricep, forearm and tingling in two of my fingers.  I saw a spine specialist who is sending me to a pain doctor today for consultation and possible injection of a steroid in that vertebrae.  I will do whatever it takes to avoid surgery.   So…I would appreciate any prayers you may send up for me today as I have the consultation and possible decision for an injection.   I have been riding my bike some (rode 27 yesterday…the longest in a month) because both doctors have told me that I can do no more damage than I already have done (unless I have another wreck).   There is one silver lining in the cloud: the dog owner’s insurance is paying for it.  😉

This has been a rather long post and I am sorry if I have bored you.  I am asking for your prayers (and if you care to contribute to the “Cycleguy Bike Fund” I will send you the address.  All donations will gladly be accepted!) 🙂  What all this reminds me of is the scene from Narnia when they comment about how long winter has been and how Aslan is making all things come to life.  I think you will agree that when times are tough and things appear to be at their worst, it is like winter.  But the thaw comes when God acts and melts the snow and ice and you get to see the green.  I am reading through the Psalms again and 62:2 says, “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Then yesterday’s reading brought me this: “Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.” [85:12] There will be more ups & downs/hills & valleys I am sure of that.  But I also know where to stand.  Now…if the doctor can just get me to be able to lay down in my bed with my wife instead of having to sleep in a recliner.  That my friends is the real bummer in all of this! 🙂  🙂

Any thoughts?  Feel free to add your comments.  I welcome them.  One more thing: check out our new website!!  It is awesome and Ryan (techgeek), Chris and Dan did a fantastic job!  it will improve as time goes along.