There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18

This is a challenging passage to me. If there’s no fear in love and I’m afraid of what could happen in the future, then something is deficient in my love for God or my understanding and enjoyment of God’s love for me. The primary focus of the passage is on wrongly being afraid of God’s punishment when Christ has already dealt with what we deserve in dying for us on the cross. But, I think there’s a broader application. According to Scripture, God rules over every circumstance in our lives for good, and if we’re afraid of the future, we either don’t understand the depths of God’s love for us or we’re not embracing and enjoying it in faith. Lord, I pray that I could “have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that [I could] be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:18-19).

I wish there were something that would cast out grief.

Ian continues to make very tiny steps of progress. Recently, Mary was feeding him pizza all chopped up finely with some cheesecake flavored pudding for dessert. He didn’t eat much, but it was more than he had eaten in one sitting prior to that.

Thank you for your prayers.

Steve

Ian seems to be feeling better today, but still not 100%. It might be morphing into a head cold. But, God graciously allows him to sleep through any discomfort.

Thank you for praying.

I’ve been waiting more than two years to write this post. I’ve pictured the title in my head so many times……

Never take life too seriously. Comedic relief.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCOhI1FwIO0

Ian wanted me to ask everyone to pray for his thoughts- that he would be able to think clearly and logically, to be able to keep a train of thought, and that his memory would improve.

These are all things that greatly affect how he communicates to us and how he lives his life.

Also, Thursday is Ian’s birthday. I didn’t tell him that I was doing this, but if you could take the time, please write an email to him about one way that you have been positively affected by Ian’s life- what you have been taught about God through Ian’s life, how your prayer life has been impacted, etc. Please email these to prayforian@gmail.com and include where you are from.

Thank you, always.

Larissa

Here is a great article that our friend Carolyn McCulley put together for her blog and included our story.

I asked Ian what he wanted to say to people reading the blog. (interpretation: Thank you everybody for praying)

Cancer is not in the Bible, but death is. We have ways of forestalling death, even death from cancer. They had the ability to forestall my death a little longer, and I’m amazed that I’m still alive. But, some day my death is going to come. I’m so grateful the Bible teaches me what God did to save me from death. I’m so grateful that I don’t have to be deserving in order to gain Christ.

Brushing so near to death and facing it so near in my future, I now a have renewed interest in asking those of you who read our blog if you’re trusting in God’s solution for death.

Steve