Grandma is smiling!

Stephen Parker Strauss was born on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 (the day before his due date) at 6:39 p.m. Mark and Amy are happily adjusting to a very new normal. We thank God for a safe birth and healthy baby.

                                                                             5 days old

June 11 Reflections

Early Wednesday morning, I grabbed my Bible and hymnbook and headed to the cemetery about a half hour away. I hadn't been there since the burial service and wasn't sure how I would react. I'm sure your prayers made a difference.

It was a beautiful morning and a recent rain had greened up the grounds nicely. I sat on a mat beside the marker and prayed through hymns and read I Corinthians 15 for little over an hour. It was a comforting time with the Lord, a quiet peace held my heart. Considering that I'd polished off a full roll of TP in the preceding three days, it was quite amazing that I only needed one Kleenex in that hour!

One hymn that struck new meaning for me was one of Steve's favorites: And Can it Be? (And he always sang it with gusto.) The verses depict God's work of salvation, but as I read verses 3 & 4 I pictured Steve leaving his cancer-wracked body of death and entering the throne room of God, radiantly dressed in Jesus righteousness!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray; I woke - the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, thru Christ my own.

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God shouldst die for me!

Another thought that struck me during that hour...How then will I live? It's sobering to see your name written on a grave stone. I don't know what year will be etched in that stone below my name, but I long to finish well. May God grace us all with an urgency to throw off everything that hinders and...entangles us and...run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

W.I.D.O.W.S.

Early one morning I was lying in bed asking the Lord to help me get over this word. I was still choking on it, my whole body tensing whenever I anticipated the word coming out of someone's mouth. Even now, when I check the circle for Marital Status on a form, there is still the thought, "This can 't be real."  It wasn't in the plan to be in this category of women.

But here I am - a widow.

"Lord, help me re-frame this word." I mused on it throughout the morning and settled on this: Widows are women  "Walking In Dependence On a Wonderful Savior." How quickly I relax now and even smile as my mind shifts to this acronym. The dark sadness of the word is replaced with comfort and security.

And that comfort lifted my heart as I spent a week in Chicago at the end of May, the last of my grief-processing trips. I walked down memory lane on the campus of Trinity International University (where Steve did his doctoral studies) and our church nearby. I relished blessed re-connections with many friends and extended family. My Wonderful Savior fed and restored my soul in different ways with each visit.

And now I'm back in Dallas - no more trips planned. But there is a big upcoming event - Amy will be delivering our first grandson sometime in the next two weeks or so. Amy is definitely hoping it will be sooner than later!

Mark & Amy

Thank you for your prayers for them, Cara and Mache, David and Ryan and me as we anticipate this Wednesday, June 11th - Steve's arrival day in heaven.