http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/index.htmlHot News!enCopyright 2007 Renee DeLorenzo2008-08-13T22:45:10-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:50:02 -0400renee's journal2008-08-13T22:45:10-04:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-7
15 years ago today, August 13th, my mom passed on from this life to the eternal. She was a wonderful woman that never had the opportunity to meet my husband or children. (I had just turned 22 at the time.) Even today, I do so miss the fellowship I had with her. She would have been 80 years old at the end of this year and probably my best friend. This entry is in loving memory of her - Norma (Trude) Cook - my mom. November 26, 1928 - August 13, 1993]]>renee's journal2008-06-28T22:08:07-04:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-6
When life gets tough, I find myself wanting to withdraw. To hide out in a corner until things calm down. When Zach was a toddler he would always reach for his stuffed animal, turn it face out, stick his finger in the tag and rub his nose with the tag while he sucked his thumb. He would usually seek my lap while calming himself in this peculiar manner, and it brought instant peace. We haven't found what brings us that instant peace yet. The kids and I are trying the relaxed, ease-into-it type of integrating into the community here. But since we have now all outgrown our silky tags and blankets, we are searching for ways to calm our minds even when we can't control the world around us. Don't get me wrong, Pearl River isn't a bad place to be. It's more of this year being so full of changes and transitions that have thrown us out of our zones and we haven't recovered yet.

Vacation Bible School just ended. Towards the end of the week, while the kids were racing from one event to the next, I tentatively struck up a conversation in the foyer. A kind lady there kept talking until I got comfortable enough to get a chair and join her. The next day her husband came in and I had the opportunity to talk to him for a while too. Russ and Eleanor have quite a few years on me and a lot more experience. What a joy it was for me to get to know this couple. My first blog entry on these pages was talking about the older people in our lives and how they have so much wisdom that we haven't tapped into. The truths that they have experienced for themselves and not just heard or read about are worth listening to. Though they would probably not label themselves that way, talking with Russ and Eleanor this week put a spark in my life again. A spark I was needing.

(Thank you, Lord, for even the little things you do in our lives.)]]>renee's journal2008-01-28T19:10:15+03:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-4were indeed waiting upon her return)

This was one of those emotional weekends – in the midst of all the turmoil here in Kenya, everyone had pent-up stress until they safely arrived at the retreat. Then with the first worship songs, the dam burst on us all. I think I cried for the first 24 hours. During that time, lyrics from the worship songs kept jumping out at me: "I will not be afraid, I will trust in You." "Blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering, though there's pain in the offering, still I will say, blessed be Your name." "Break me, Lord."

And my thoughts went something like: "I am afraid, but I want to trust in You." I'm not sure what God has in store for us next, but we are willing.

I returned yesterday and today received an e-mail from another friend who is battling to keep a beloved foster child. She wrote: "I often find that praise and worship songs speak so strongly to me and this morning in church was no exception.  As we were singing the song "How Great is Our God" I was overwhelmed with the assurance that no matter what happens in the next few weeks, our God is Great!  There's a line in the song that says, "And all will see, how great, how great is our God"... That is my prayer through all of this – that God will be glorified and will make Himself known.  Our hearts are breaking at the thought of saying good-bye to Malachi, but we also know that He is the Lord's and God has a good plan for him.  I've been reminded that God has not called us to a life of ease and comfort, but to an abundant life. This means we are to embrace all that He has for us... the joy and the pain and that He will give us what we need when we need it!!!"

A quote from this weekend that struck me was this: "God is the God of all circumstances." Through the good times and the awful times too. Another e-mail I got today offered this, "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle!" I'm not sure what kind of battle you have in store for us, Lord. But we do know that you are capable. And you are loving.

To those of you praying for us, thank you for joining in the battle with us. We feel so blessed to be a part of the bigger family, the bigger community of God's people! And we love you for that.]]>renee's journal2008-01-20T09:15:02+03:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-3renee's journal2007-12-25T12:10:56+03:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-2]]>renee's journal2007-10-24T19:59:24+03:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-1renee's journal2007-10-02T21:26:37+03:00http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.delorenzoflyer.com/page7/page7.html#unique-entry-id-0
~~~Mike]]>