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“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
This is a great verse to meditate on. It is so easy to fear when things do not go as planned or as you would like them to. Although Brian’s back is pretty important as a future builder, God allowed him to start having back issues. At his yearly physical, the doctor recommended physical therapy. During his first visit, Brian was surprised at how much flexibility he had lost. The physical therapist pointed out his extremely tight hamstrings. She gave him in- structions and sent him home. Even though it was hard for him to understand how some of the exercises would help his back, he decided to trust the expert. He has been making the time to do the exercises and it has been a slow healing process. His flexibility has really im- proved and his back is feeling so much better. Those moves he questioned have made an amazing difference. We are thankful that even hough God allowed the back pain He is also strengthening and helping us.
We made many fun memories as a family this month. This year it was snowing when we went to cut down our traditional Christmas tree, but we enjoyed the cookies and hot apple cider even more because of the cold. The kids had several Christmas concerts, programs and recitals. It is fun to watch God increasing their talents and abilities each year. We spent Christ- mas with Brenda’s aunt’s family before traveling to see Brian’s parents and pending the rest of the holiday weekend with them. When we returned to Iowa City we celebrated Christmas with Brenda’s mom. Thank you for the Christmas cards and gifts. Your involvement in our lives and our ministry is a blessing to us!
Fulfilling the great commission together,
Brian, Brenda, Amanda, Luke, Nathanael, and Rebekah