Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart. --Psalm 37: 3,4
Dear Friends and Loved Ones,
In recent months our brother-in-law, Keith Maines, has been teaching the adult Sunday School class at Alma Temple. I have appreciated his love of Scripture and his careful preparation. During fall quarter we studied from the Book of Psalms, and Keith encouraged each of us to memorize a Psalm. Studying Psalm 37 has been a real blessing for me.
This Psalm has been an inspiration throughout all of David's and my married life ever since, at our wedding, Tom Tripler beautifully sang Mendelssohn's lovely recitative "O rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him" taken from Psalm 37. It was a support to me personally this spring when we lost to miscarriage our joyfully anticipated baby.
Such a blow colors one's life. At such a time we find out how much love and sympathy people have to give. Family members on both sides were wonderfully supportive. So many friends offered condolences. Several had particular empathy because of their own experiences. I am well past the age where becoming pregnant is easy or automatic, and so we had to say goodbye not only to our baby but also to our hopes. "Thank you" to all our friends whose love and prayers have helped us to "rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him."
My father said recently in one of his sermons that a sermon would not be very worthwhile if it did not have something for him who was the preacher. I have found in this difficult year that every time I prepared a message the Lord seemed to focus my eyes and heart on words for the hurting and grieving. I have had vivid awareness of so much suffering: some have lost loved ones, some have children who are ill, some suffer from depression, some have grave physical problems. My heart is moved to its depths by the plight of those who are moved to the deliberate discard of their own unborn children. How very much the healing touch of the Gospel is needed in these times.
We covet your prayers for a successful surgery and rapid recovery for Justin, who is scheduled for December 29 for removal of chronically enlarged tonsils, adenoids, and nasal turbinates. These conditions have caused several difficulties with his health, and doctors feel that surgery is the answer, We have been warned that there can be ten days or more of considerable pain and discomfort following the procedure. We ask you to join with us in seeking the healing touch of the Great Physician.
Justin, now sixteen, has greatly enjoyed his third acting course, taken at CU this semester. He has a real talent for expression and has been diligent in development of it. His love of computers is legendary, of course. Since May he has also been a professional ice-cream server (he works at Baskin-Robbins ice cream.) He earned money to take a summer trip to Oregon to visit friends.
Jennifer at age nine is already 5' tall. She loves horses, Bible classes, friends, and pets (we have two cats, an albino ferret--a wonderful pet!, and sometimes a hamster or two; it's hard to keep hamsters when the cats are such fierce mousers. We have had a couple of tragedies in that regard.) Recently she has begun gymnastics lessons, which she delights in. She has also developed into quite a bookworm, to the point where we have put much of our formal homeschool curriculum on hold to make room for her insatiable reading.
David has added to his duties on campus some teaching at the Colorado School of Mines. It has been a busy fall for him!
On June 2 we welcomed into the family our third niece, Brittany Nicole Reiner. She is a beautiful and precious baby and we delight in her. Each of the Wolfram sisters now has a daughter. (Phillip is blessed with four sons.) Also this year, Michael Larue married Sylvia Naya of Spain (where he has been living and working.) David's parents brought back gorgeous wedding photos, which we have much enjoyed.
Speaking of the parents, we are thrilled to have them back from their extended stay in Alabama! In Littleton they are not exactly next door to us, but they're only across town instead of across the country!
We have so enjoyed all your Christmas cards and notes. May the New Year bring you blessing, for as Saint Paul tells us, "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)