Day Eighty-four

Place your faith in God, not religion.  Ask yourself honestly if your allegiance is simply to good moral habits and churchy routines, or if it's directly to God. Rather than placing your faith in believing and doing what's right and then relying on your own efforts to try to accomplish it, place your faith in God, trusting Him completely to lead you and empower you to follow where He leads you.


Invest in relationships over rules.  All of the world's religions except for Christianity urge their followers to try to climb a stairway to heaven, striving to please God through their own efforts.  But Jesus showed us that God is reaching down to us with His love, and that's the only way God and people can truly connect.  Recognize that, even though you're flawed, you're also forgiven.  Accept Jesus' invitation to live a life of freedom by pursuing a relationship with Him rather than trying to follow religious rules.


Just do what you can.  Religion constantly pushes you to do more, but you can't ever keep up.  By contrast, God calls you to simply do the best you can with the opportunities He gives you to grow as a person and serve other people.  So release yourself from the pressure of religious agendas and make yourself available to God, just doing the best you can for Him each day and trusting that He'll use your efforts to accomplish His will. 
 "Breaking the Rules: Trading Performance for Intimacy with God"   Live It


Ryan did well today at the hospital!  Mirjan got there at 8:00am (give or take ELT measurements), and got everything in order.  I left work about 9:30, and Ryan was in the prep room playing on the iphone.  He then went and drove the scooters for another 30 minutes.  He thought it would be fun to play hide and seek with me, so he did.

When it was time for him to go in, we walked to the end of the hallway with him, prayed over him, and told him we would see him soon.  Mirjan and I then went to the waiting room for about 1.5 hours.  Here is a picture of her in the courtyard as we waited.

After a while, Mirjan said she had to go to the bathroom, but didn't want to be gone when Ryan came to.  I told her to go, and sure enough, the nurse called us.  I went back and Ryan was just waking up.  The nurse then promptly informed me that "mother" was taking my place by Ryan's side. :)  So, she came in, and I went back to the waiting room.  Shortly later, Ryan was wheeled into the recovery room.   We were there about 20 minutes, and he was cleared to go.   Mirjan took him home, and I went back to work.

The nurse called the house this afternoon and talked to Elise.  She said that the CT scan looked great!  Thank you, Lord!   She said that Ryan didn't need to come in tomorrow, but he most likely will need a transfusion next Friday.  Mirjan said she is going to do a directed donation for him.   The nurse also said that they will call tomorrow with the MRI results.

Father, thank you for watching over Ryan today during the treatments at the hospital.  Thank you for great results from the CT scan! Your healing power continues!  I am thankful and humbled.  I ask that you continue to provide strength and comfort for our family and heal my little boy.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.