Today is May 31.  2007.  I have been a little busy over the past year.  Not much time to update. 

I do want to assure many of you that I do actually read your sites.  I just don't update mine.

I wanted to let everyone know that Genevieve will have a tonsil and adenoid - ectomy on Friday.  we are not sure of the time yet, but we will have to be at the hospital around 6:30 am.  She did not do well when we had her pre-op blood drawn so please pray for her.  She does not want to be poked any more (it took three tries before they could get the blood draw finished).  It looks like I will be going to the hospital while Glenn stays with the others.  Not really looking forward to this at all.  Much prayer will be appreciated.  I will update on Friday.

For those of you who may question the reality of God or his ability to give us strength in times of sorrow or bless us through the people around us, I want you to hear what our lives have been like over the past few weeks.

So I have had some folks request an update from the Goldsmith family.  God continues to be unbelievably amazing in our lives.  Many of you know that my father passed away several weeks ago.  He had been on oxygen for several years after being diagnosed with emphysema.  He had a difficult summer but was doing somewhat better when he fell in the garage hitting his chest on the bumper of the car.  Although at first it looked like he was going to be fine, he rapidly began to deteriorate 48 hours after the fall.  Zach, my nephew, called at 4:00 am on Monday morning, October 24 to say that Dad was failing quickly.  I had wanted to wait until everyone was awake and we could all go together, but something made me tell Glenn I needed to go right away.  I am so thankful I did.  I made it to the hospital about 30 - 45 minutes before he died.  He knew I was there, and although he couldn't verbally respond by the time I got there, as we talked he would look at me and nod when I told him about Braxton learning to spell and Layton trying to ride his two wheeler and Genevieve trying to keep up with her brothers.  I was able lead in prayer as he died.  A moment I will never forget.  God gave me great strength as I drove my Mom home from the hospital and helped her begin to make funeral arrangements and throughout the rest of that week.  I never would have thought I could have held it together or been at such peace about my father's death, but knowing that he knew Christ and was no longer struggling to breathe was the peace God gave.

  Several Saturdays ago a friend came over with a friend of his (try to follow this) to help Glenn figure out what was wrong with the upstairs bathtub.  It was leaking.  Not only did these guys figure out the problem, but they bought the hardware to correct the problem.  As if that wasn't enough, they were also going hook up the sink that goes in that bathroom, however they realized the sink had actually broken during on of the many moves it has been through.  They replaced the sink (and added a new vanity cabinet!) and would not take any reimbursement.  All they asked is that we help when we are needed.  God is alive and good and working through the lives of his people. 

This week another friend has been helping Glenn prepare a very large closet located on the top floor of our house to become a laundry room.  They have run the electrical lines, the venting pipe, etc.  When it came time to move the washer and dryer to the upstairs he and another friend excused themselves saying they needed a part from Lowes.  They returned with a new washer and dryer saying they didn't think ours would last long enough to even put upstairs.  We have had them quite a while and they were not new when we got them, but to take it upon themselves to buy us a new pair is nothing but God's work. 

When we were away for my father's funeral recently friends came in our house and cleaned it top to bottom even doing the unbelievable mass of laundry left behind as I was sorting through clothing.  I can't tell you how awesome it was to be able to come home and not have to face the mess I had left.  At the end of a very emotional week it was one of the greatest blessings I have every received.

Wait, I'm not finished...
Braxton, in an attempt to become the next  X-games star, was riding his bike down the sidewalk next to the ampitheater (for those of you that know Winona).  He was going too fast on an incline that was too steep, flipped his bike twice landing hitting his head on the sidewalk with no helmet.  Remember he is only six.  This resulted in a lot of blood and a good size gash on his head.  Once again we saw God's blessing.  He only needed 2 staples to close the gash, and there were no other injuries.  He landed on his head, on the sidewalk with no protective gear and there were no other injuries.  God is good

Eight days later we found ourselves back in the ER with GEnevieve.  My darling daughter had climbed up and gotten her allergy medicine, gotten the child proof cap off and ingested better than an ounce of the medicine before her brothers, who by the way were standing there watching her do this, came to get me.  Poison control sent us to the ER.  We had to get the charcoal drink in her somehow (ice cream and chocolate syrup work very well for this) and watch her.  The concern was she could slip into such a deep sleep that she would forget to breathe.  At ll:00 pm the doc said she was fine and released us.  Again God's protection is amazing.

Life is sometimes very hard, but in those times God blesses.  Maybe not in ways we see or are comfortable with, but he blesses.  Other times His protection is so clear and evident there is no way to deny He is real. A familiar passage in Proverbs says, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will make your paths straight."  Not smooth, but straight, leading to Him, His comfort and His blessing.  He is real, He does exist and He has a plan for all of us.