Caroline

Caroline Grace Kellogg made her entry into the world on May 5, 10 days early. She weighed in at a healthy 8 ibs, 5 oz. Daniel’s mother was kind to stay with us for a couple of weeks while Hannah took care of her newborn. Siblings Nathaniel and Rebekah are happy to have a new sister. Hannah will need lots of prayers as she manages a household with 2 toddlers and a baby.

Sara announced her engagement to David Breitling with a wedding date set for 2 pm, August 3. David is chief tech officer for a company that does personnel background checks for various organizations. David has a strong and growing relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ. He has never been married, has high moral standards, and is very active in his church. I’m grateful that the Lord has kept me alive long enough for me to get to know David.

Martha has a new job working at a doctors clinic affiliated with partnermd.com - focusing on quality proactive health care with an emphasis on prevention. She will use her nursing and functional medicine skills as a ‘health coach’ to patients. The clinic is only a 4 minute drive from her house. Philip continues his work at our IMB office, about 8 minutes from their house.

Amazingly, my one child who hates to travel, will be taking a trip in June to Norway. Jonathan will be attending a music festival in Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. He will be part of a tour group along with about 50 others. Jonathan visited me last Saturday, along with David’s family, plus Sara and her David. Jonathan has lost an incredible amount of weight in the past 6 months.

As for me, I’m losing weight, too, but for a different reason! My appetite is very low. I’ve lost 40 pounds during the past 2 years. Digestive and breathing issues remain. I have tumors everywhere, large and small. Surely my time on earth is very short now; my ‘promotion’ could happen anytime.

I was thinking the other day that it would be incorrect to say that Mark has courageously battled his cancer. First, it takes no courage to accept what I cannot change, especially when the change will be for the better. Secondly, each one makes his own decision about dealing with cancer. I never tried to battle this one, but just allowed it to take its course. I had no treatments, no anti-cancer medications, no anti-cancer diet. In the end, I know the cancer will lose. Because God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), I will win. Because I have already passed out of death into life (John 5:24), I will win. Because God has prepared an incredible place for me in eternity (1 Peter 1:4), I will win. I am content to let this cancer do what cancer does, because in the end, I will win.