Dear friends and Family,
Heading back to Israel next week for the Robotics Competition with 14 others including Jessica! We will need your prayers for our trip: letting our light shine to those who do not yet know the Lord, great attitudes in traveling and competing, fun with our Israeli friends, health and safety for the 15 of us. The enemy has tried his best to get us down but we are persevering. Bob will not be going this time and I will miss him!!!!! On the home front everything is looking great!
May you find in Him your peace and joy and rest.
Here is the latest blog from Dan & Ashley:
tuesday, february 22, 2011
The New Year
Yes, we do know that it is half way through February and we are just now blogging about the new year. That is just how life is right now.
Back up to Christmas: we were blessed to have our families come to Southern California to celebrate a few days after Christmas. Since Lise and I worked all of the holidays, it was so refreshing to make our own holiday celebrations. What a wonderful way to start the new year!
Dan has started back at UCI to finish his teaching credential. He is BUSILY doing his teaching event (TPA) and student teaching. He is training in a middle school in Garden Grove, teaching algebra and geometry. From what he says, he will like being a teacher but does not like the process of getting there. The next few months will be just as crazy as the last couple have been. The "light at the end of the tunnel" is June when he gets his credential, though Dan will have to take one more class in July to be officially done. Then, we hope and pray that God opens doors for Dan to find a job.
Ashley is now working days on the oncology unit. It is a fairly stressful and busy unit, though in a different way than her last unit was. The patients are more complex, which means Ash is learning a lot. God is also providing lots of opportunities for her to give spiritual care and take care of the whole patient and their whole families. The hospital is busy right now, so there have been quite a few long days and extra days...which makes for one tired Ash most of the time.
All that to say, the Howens are ready for a break soon, but are pushing through like always. We are praying that we will be able to make a trip up for Easter....hopefully.
On the cancer front, Dan had a CT this month that showed us good news. The tumors have not grown and his liver is healing from all of the abuse it has been through. At this point, we are waiting to schedule the 2nd ablation until after Dan graduates. The surgeon and oncologist feel it is safe to wait since the tumors are not doing anything scandalous.
That should about sum it up for now. Dan and Ashley are busy and tired, but learning and growing. God is good; He is in control.
Please pray with us that God will continue to protect us and give us the endurance to keep on the path He has set us on.
Food for today:
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars ;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
