Today, Glenn and I were able to attend the Bible lectures at Freed-Hardeman University. Rich in fellowship and faith, the atmosphere was encouraging beyond what I’d anticipated. Everywhere I walked, there were women who wanted to talk about Digging Deep and it made me so thankful for the Word that binds us together in a unity that is the unique tie that will extend beyond this lifetime. Everywhere I went, there were those who asked about the members of my physical family and who told me that they had been in fervent prayer for our family. It made me so thankful for the active advocacy of Jesus in the throne room of the Father, on behalf of His faithful. Everywhere I went there was laughter and the sound of Christianity in gathering places. It made me thankful for the assembling church that will finally come together around the throne.
There was a sister there who is headed for surgery in the morning, but who chose that encouraging atmosphere just prior to a day when she will either receive good news or resign herself to a long road of illness ahead. There were sisters who asked me to pray for specific things, like a husband who just became an elder in a precarious church situation, or foster children whose futures are hanging in the balance as courts make decisions, or grandchildren who are being raised by parents with mental illnesses, or for the steadfast faith of a son who is headed for USMC boot camp in this volatile world. There were heavy things to add to my prayer list last night as I redeemed my voucher, given through the Word, to beg to God, Himself. The heavy cross is the burden that, in turn, carries all heavy things to the One who lifts burdens. Nothing I could do on earth could merit what I can do before heaven; not by a long shot.
I’m so glad I went. At the beginning of the day, I thought “What in the world am I thinking? …Driving seven hours today to walk around a crowded campus and listen to lessons I could hear online while making some headway on this house or on the Easter dress I’m trying to make for Eliza or the bridal shower we’re planning this weekend or the four retreat lessons I’m trying to prepare for the following weekend or the Digging Deep lesson that will be discussed on the podcast in just one week…??? WHAT am I thinking, going there, where Glenn and I always see lots of old (I mean truly elderly) and eccentric men and women who claim they were classmates of ours? I mean, do I really want to do this?
As we prayed tonight before falling asleep (well, at least Glenn has fallen soundly asleep beside me here) we praised Him for allowing us to go and be encouraged. I know there are problems in the church. (There’s humanity in the church. Human sin is always the problem.) I know there are always plenty of things we could be making or accomplishing that will all be burned up one day. I get it that we cannot do it all. But I am thankful for days like today that show me, in a succinct lesson, the good that lives on in the body of the Lord. I’m thankful for the grandchildren who jumped up and down when they saw me in Auditorium A and who sat beside me while their papa was speaking. I am most thankful for the glad day, after I’ve left the planet, when we will jump for joy again and sit together again and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb!
She just keeps pushing them, putting in the effort to keep them going, switching hands every now and then, breathing deep and pushing them again. This morning Hannah woke up with an achy throat and body and she asked herself if she could really adult today. Then she put in a day of school, took them to piano and karate and gave the meds to the one who is getting past strep. She talked with their doctor and she postponed her own doctor appointment to keep their “swing” going. I asked her last night about doing something fun with a friend. She said “What would that even look like right now?’ She spoke twice last weekend at a ladies day and is gearing up to go speak four times at a retreat where we both will speak (and Colleyanna will, too.) Somehow she got one ready for a 59/60 on the Bible bowl test and she has three who are, altogether, doing 13 events at Lads to Leaders. Her house sometimes looks like a tornado has hit (like mine) and, on most weeks, a big colony of ants could probably live a long time in her van. She had to go around the outside of her house for one of the kids and make sure every window was locked last night before bed. Tonight she is vigilant with one who is afraid of the storms outside. If they only knew how big are the storms from which she daily protects them. (All good parents do this!) She travels four-plus hours (in a day) every other week to get the kids to an important appointment. She stays an extra 45 minutes or an hour after worship services so her kids can play foursquare and Frozen with the children of other faithful people. She has struggled through some hard things to keep them in the best academic and social place. Most of all, she is doggedly determined to give them the best spiritual place. She holds them up before God every day and night and she holds it together when I think I would buckle under the weight. She is thankful when I might be bitter; hopeful when I might surrender. I do not tell her enough, so 
children all over the kingdom, and speaking to ladies groups on a regular basis. (As an aside, we are equally amazed at the artistic talent that she has given the kids, because we KNOW it did not come through any Colley genes.) 
And speaking of the babes/ It’s always “out of the mouths of babes”…
Somebody in your congregation, if you are a young church, is already taking the time and effort to sanitize the nursery class each week. Every little plastic car that rolls on the table while they are singing “The wheels on the car go round and round…on the way to Bible class/“ has to be rubbed down with a germ-killing wipe. The linens on the changing table have to be washed 
and replaced. The table -top that has their little bucket safety seats has to be disinfected and the little clocks they hold during “Tick-tock, time for Bible class” do, too. The diaper pail has to be emptied.
Among the initiatives that President Trump
while 85,000 babies were born through IVF in 2021, more than 238,000 patients attempted IVF in the same year. If clinics created 7 or 8 embryos (children) for each of these patients (a conservative estimate), then that would yield 1.6 to 1.9 million live embryos. With only 85,000 of these embryos being brought to term in 2021, that leaves somewhere between 1.5 million and 1.8 million embryos being created, but never brought to term. Small numbers of these “extra embryos” will be retrieved later or adopted out, but between 2004 and 2019, there were only 8500 births from adopted embryos.