Marsha's Blog

Thanks everyone for your comments last week about your ‘dangerous prayers’. It’s amazing how much all of our lives have changed in just a few days, because of this crazy virus.  Fortunately for us, last week we had really good visits from both kids and families, before Australia cinched down the ‘social distance’ suggestions even further.  We have been just about completely cut off from everyone these last few days. Except of course, for necessities.  And for that, we are thankful that Tony’s radiation is considered ‘necessary’, meaning that once a day (except weekends), we can comb our hair and take the 20-minute drive to the hospital.  By now, we have finished the first week, so that’s five treatments down and only 34 to go! So far, as expected, he has no side effects or discomfort.  The doctors are warning of a little fatigue syndrome coming up soon, but that just means an excuse to take a nap! We are VERY thankful for this and will keep you posted. But back...

Once a long time ago, Tony and I were members of a pretty exciting prayer group.  A lot of the things we experienced were amazing, and challenged a lot of our ideas and traditions. Looking back, I think that was some of most spiritually-growing times we have ever known.  Fast forward now to the present.  I’ve grown weary reading the Old Testament over and over in my ‘Read thru the Bible’ plan, so, even though I still find some parts great,  this year I decided to give the OT a rest and do some of the quick devotionals that are also listed in my phone’s Bible reading application. Anyway, I picked a short devotional plan put together by a man named Craig Groschel. He’s a pastor, and recently Tony was privileged to hear speak, thanks to the generosity of our son.  Tony was so impressed by him that I picked one of his plans called “Dangerous Prayers”. It’s good, but I confess that, as I read, I remembered those days from long ago. Because, you see, our group ...

Hello everyone, surprise! It’s me, Nicki. I know, I know, I’m sure you were expecting to hear from my mother, but I thought I’d take it upon myself to intervene and tell you about the latest writings of my parents before they get a chance to down play what I’d like to think are two of the greatest stories ever lived. The book is called  Weaving Sunlight: God’s Tapestry of Two Lives.  And I’ll start the way my father would: “Hold onto your britches, cause this is going to knock your socks off!”  The story starts with two love birds from two separate worlds, Colorado and Texas. My mother was born to Robert and Genevieve Smith in 1950, two years after my father. My father came into the world quickly and at the demand by his mother Jody, as she held the nurse in a death grip, that he would in fact be a boy, and so no other paperwork would be required. You’ll have to read the back story to get the rest of that hilarious experience.   Now fast forward to the ye...

So there we sat, Tony and I and our new baby, Trevor.  I was 25 years old.   “I’m sorry to tell you this, but the melanoma you had last year appears to have metastasized into your lungs.  You may not have long to live” We drove home in a stupor and started worrying.  We were to come back for ‘further tests’ in about 4 days, when they could fit us in. I remembered stumbling around the house carrying my newborn. Yes, Tony and I were strong in our faith and certain God was in control, but just what that meant, we weren’t sure.  All I could imagine was a young hunk widower on a seminary campus, interviewing a sea of eligible girls looking for an instant family…….. Friends, (Bob Gierhart to name one) dropped by to pray with us. That sorta made it even more real and I began to be almost hysterical.  But finally Tony and I were able to   really   get down to some serious prayer.   The next morning we took more tests and suddenly they...