Cadenne's First Year: Retrospective

A look at Cadenne's first year in pictures and video. Thanks to Hanssie Trainor of Hanssie Trainor Photography for the birthday cake w/pink frosting and pink, white and gray sweater photos! Hire her! Thanks to the staff at CHLA and our family and friends. Praise God, this season of our life is for His glory alone, with out whom it would have been a terror instead of a blessing.

What I did Last Summer....

Welcome back! Okay, so that is more for me than you. "Just where have I been?" you may ask. Let me 'splain. No, there is to much. Let me sum up. The past year has been extremely challenging. Most of you know about Cadenne and her issues, and the joys of seeing God work in her young life. What most of you may not know is that in January I shut down my struggling business, leaving us in a huge financial mess. I have returned to the automotive repair industry, and business is down. Way down. In all of this, I trust that God is working, whether I see it or not. He has a way of taking me to the end of my own resources and then pushing me a little beyond. The battle between my temporal anxiety and my trust in the eternal God has been huge. It should not be so. I know He is faithful and that His promises are reality waiting to be fullfilled. More than ever before, I think I understand the struggle of the Isrealites as they wondered through the wilderness. I pray that Jesus will continue to build my character (Rom 5:1-5), to deepen my understanding of His pleasure, and to make steadfast my heart. Soli Deo Gloria.

Finishing Strong

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This is the putt that put Tiger in the lead. From one behind to one ahead. This is an example of finishing strong.

Practical CCM

Thats Dedication; The Interview

The night of Zachary and Cadenne's dedication was our communion service. The service usually closes with a time of sharing. Tricia and I shared about our experience with Cadenne. Hope you enjoy the the audio that Tricia refuses to listen to. And yes, that is how the service ended.

Now Thats Dedication...

A couple of weeks ago we dedicated our two youngest kids, Zachary and Cadenne. Here is the audio.

My Thought Today

I am my weakness.

The Return of Cigars and Theology

Yes my friends, it is true. i will be scheduling a C&T night for early next month. If you would like to be on the invite list, just email me. You can find my email in my profile. Our topic for discussion will be, "What is the extent of our cooperation in sanctification". For those who can not make it in person we can webcast. So get in your thinking chair, and think, think, think.

The Weakness of Faith

He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there, and it will move,' and nothing will be impossible for you."

Early on in our journey with Cadenne, I had a fellow believer tell me, "Don't let the doctors tell you what to do. Have faith and pray, and God will heal her."

I have only the faith I was given. Apparently, I was not given enough faith to move much of anything. My faith was not capable of healing Cadenne's CDH. It was not sufficient to move the organs that had pushed their way through the hole in her diaphragm and crush one of her lungs. My faith was not strong enough to supply the oxygen levels needed to keep her off ECMO.

Weak and flailing is my faith. It was only able to provide me with peace of mind, knowing that the fate of my baby was in the hands of God. My faith, feeble as it is, was able to magnify and glorify a God who is more likely to use vocation though providence to work all things to the good of those who love Him, than an instantaneous miraculous healing. It was my small faith that led me broken and poor to His body, the church. Through them, I felt the hands of God minister to my family. It was in this lacking faith that I found great joy in my suffering, wishing that I had been found more faithful so that I could suffer more for His glory.

My faith was unable to move mountains of sickness, poverty, or the broken heart of a desperate man unable to fix his baby and shield his wife from sorrow. My faith was only strong enough to throw myself upon His promises of His faithfulness.

Soli Deo Gloria! It was not my faith that is at work healing baby Cadenne, but the God that gave me my faith!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Note: There is a "virtual cast" for you to sign if you are among those praying for Cadenne. Please leave a comment including your name and local here.

Cadenne Updates

To day there were four updates. Lots of good news.

Update Number One. Update Number Two. Update Number Three. Update Number Four