No Other Way.....

Once you have known the peace and love of God our Father and Jesus his son, there is no other way to live......

As you know, we have been hit by this financial crisis just like everyone else. It feels as though we gain one step and lose two. It can be extremely discouraging when the battle feels steep and long.

Yet, I've reminded you that God cares and that we are his children. I've reminded you that you can do this and that there is nothing to fear. I've also told you that I will be fighting along with you to preserve our character, our integrity, our faith and our ability to have fun as we continue to fight through this.

The question remains....can the Jansen's live what they preach?

Well....there's a new wrinkle to the Jansen saga. And yes!... We can weather this new storm with a renewed energy and a desire to make the best of it. Just today Ron kissed me and reminded me that we will get through this together. "What Satan may have meant for bad...God will turn into good. Besides, even more readers will be able to identify with us."

The hardest part of any struggle is when you feel like you are giving your very best and yet it feels like the onslaught of problems continues to grow.

So what happened Debbie?

Thursday morning, Ron came home from work and decided to do a good deed for our neighbor. He slipped on some ice and had a really bad fall. We rushed to the emergency room and found that he had two broken bones. As always, they referred him to an orthopedic surgeon for casting. Unfortunately, the surgeon said it was worse than we thought.

He will need surgery to repair the damage. Three bones were broken and all the ligaments and tendons were pulled away from the outside of his leg. The surgery will require a plate and four screws. He will be confined to the couch or bed until February 19th. It will be much later than that before he can walk around with crutches. He will need another surgery in four months to take the plate out.

I've tried to find silver linings to this problem. Things like - since he is stuck at home, we will have more time together and we will save money on gas. It's not as easy to find silver linings in other areas.....but they are there. Ron's trip home from the surgeon was extremely painful. Some very dear friends were there for every step, doing all they could to help. Our children have been over every night just to check and be sure we are doing okay. Many people have called or stopped by with prayers.

The body of Christ is an awesome thing to watch. They have renewed our hearts and helped us to continue to believe that everything - even this - is under his watchful eye and in his loving hand.

I hope you will continue to read this blog and see how God takes us through this. I am confident that it will be a fantastic journey. Thank you for your prayers,

God loves you,

Debbie