Well my friends I have some somber news to share. Our dear friends Kort & Rebecca Herman had a house fire last Thursday night and lost everything.  Well not everything...their lives were spared by our most gracious heavenly Father!!!  It was a scarey night though!!  Apparently there was some kind of defect in their wood burning fireplace (the house was built in 2001 and the previous owners had not used the fire place).  Kort could hear something burning so he doused the fire and could still hear it.  He felt the wall and it was HOT!  He ran to the garage and pulled down the stairs to the attic and saw the fire.  The firemen later said it could have been burning for a couple of hours and he wouldn't have known.  Rebecca & I had gone out to dinner and were supposed to go see a movie, but I wasnt feeling good so we headed home to her house so I could get my car and go home.  When we arrived at her street we noticed smoke and then flames shooting out of the top of her house!  In a bit of a panic we pulled in as Kort and the kids were pulling out of the garage...he was yelling "The house is on fire!!"  (he didn't know there were flames we could see on the outside.)  I ran towards (!) the house to get my car out of the way for the fire dept.  Rebecca, I and the kids pulled around the corner where we could still see the fire.  I think we all thought it would be just in the attic and would be put out.  But it was 0 degrees out and the hoses kept freezing...then they ran out of water.  After about 45 minutes I realised the house was really going to burn and they were going to lose it all.  Kort said for all of us to go to my house.  I had called ahead and had Mike ready to come in our place to be with Kort.  Rebecca and I prayed together and then came to my house where they spent the next 3 days. 

God is so good.  I am so thankful they were safe.  I called our minister JOhn at 7am the next morning telling him what happened, and no lie, that man had a house for them to stay in and people of the church completely furnishing it by noon on Friday.  It was amazing to see God at work through these folks!  Our church family is so amazing!!  They are truly led by the spirit.  On Saturday there were tons of men moving stuff around in the rental house and even more ladies working in the kitchen and cleaning.   By Sunday they had all three children outfitted for the winter.  They are still getting meals every night.  God is so good.  all the time.

But my friends...the true blessing in all this is watching my faithful friends praise God during probably one of the worst times of their lives.  To see them worship in church on Sunday and pray together as a family.  It is truly touching and humbling.  And my friend Rebecca...I know she is hurting...and she is pregnant on top of it...and she is so kind, patient and caring to her children.

What blessings these people have brought to our lives !!!  Mike & I were actually supposed to go away for the weekend for the first time in a year and of course we cancelled.  I am so glad we did too.  I wouldn't have missed helping our dearest friends for anything.  But even more I wouldn't have missed watching my amazing God work through tragedy.  Please keep them in your prayers as they piece back their lives and deal with insurance, etc.

Another family I am also praying for right now is the Sonny & Heather Cummings family.  Sonny hurt himself (cut tendons in his arm) pretty badly at work also on Thursday.  I know Heather said there is also so many blessings coming out of this for their family.  This could mean time off work for Sonny and dealings with insurance, etc. 

An update on my left side pelvic pain.  The ultrasound showed a 5 cm fibroid in my uterus on the same side as the pain.  They are doing a "wait and see" approach and will see me again in 3 months.  I am thankful it wasn't more serious!!  At least for now the pain is managable.

One more prayer request, I have an old friend from high school that passed away at 4am this morning.  Michelle Sawyer McLaughlin passed peacefully away with her family by her side.  She was 39 years old and had faught breast cancer for at least 10 years.  She left behind a loving husband and 2 teenage sons.  May God wrap his loving arms around them at this sorrowful time.

I am feeling a mixture of blessed and humbled this very early (1:33AM) Thursday morning.

Blessings,

Laurie