The Quest Continues

"The Quest" continued today, with the addition of the villainous character Sheik Abuti.  Our friend Javier put a great spin on this character, and Mommy had a fun Jafar costume for him too.  Meanwhile, our heroes are trying to figure out who kidnapped Professor Wisenheimer, and what is that this strange medallion is trying to tell them.  

Oh yeah, and Daddy delivered the message.  It went really well this morning at KidPak.  Madison was brought on stage for one illustration, and it was all just perfect, really.  How blessed we are to have those cast members too - it set the stage for such a fantastic morning with great videos, skits, and a message all tied to that bottom line of the morning.

The rest of the day was a bit of resting, eating, and watching another wonderful rain shower descend upon us.  Things cooled off a bit after that.  We played some LEGO Indiana Jones video games, and a bit of this other older game that Madison has been into, "Kelflings."

We've been cleaning out some areas lately, moving a lot of stuff downstairs with the idea of clearing out the house some.  This means saying goodbye to some toys, like Madison's old kitchen or various toys that she's willing to pass along.  We've made some room, and now we're starting to do a bit of redecorating.  Hopefully we can have something great in the dining room soon, and beyond that of course.

Of course, there's so much other stuff going on right now.  It's a funny balancing act.  For example, do we send Madison to two classes of ballet, two times a week - that's the required amount for the intermediate class, the next one up.  But what about piano?  And what about those swimming lessons we desperately need her to sign up for?  And yes, there's the looming surgical procedure for Mommy.  And so on.  We'll tackle all the other issues as we need to.

Tonight we started the next book, which is number three of the series for Elsa and Anna.  Madison is enjoying it already, though she was rather upset that the last book series was over with.  If only that was the biggest thing to get upset about in the world, right?

Speaking of which, here's another entry in the healing-themed devotional that Daddy has been writing for Uncle Dave lately.  Each day, we post one of these on his site, each one written by Daddy.  It's coming along pretty well by this point…

Colossians 4:14 NIrV "Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, sends greetings."

The book of Acts is filled with remarkable testimonies of those healed by God's power! Yet with so many dramatic healings going on, why does Paul still call his dear friend Luke a doctor? The answer is simple: Luke actually was a doctor.

The greater question is this: why even need a doctor? Why would Luke still identify himself as a doctor, when there were so many miraculous healings taking place left and right?

Again, the answer is simple: because we still need doctors! It is God who gives us the talents and abilities - and the desires - to do certain jobs. And just as He did with Luke, God has given many people today a gift of helping others get well through medicine, therapy, and good advice.

Don't refuse their help, just because you want your healing to come a certain way. In Isaiah 55:8, God tells us, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. And your ways are not like my ways." Just because you're expecting and believing to be healed one way, God can and does still use doctors.

True, you shouldn't look down on doctors, but don't look down upon yourself either. It's not because of a lack of faith that the clouds didn't part, with doves flying down to personally hand you your healing. No, the answer is much simpler: God may have a different plan for you.

Perhaps He needs you to be there in the doctor's office to be a light unto the world. Or maybe your condition is what brings family and friends back together again. Or possibly you'll never know the reason. The important thing here is to trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

And that just might be the kind of advice Dr. Luke would share as well.