The family of Kole's Grandpa Sprunger would like to thank everyone for their prayers. I was amazed how fast those prayers worked and don't say it was the morphine (Ha!Ha!). Anyway, he is doing very well. I went to the hospital the next morning to see a much improved patient. Both his color and liveliness was back, which was quite a transformation from the night before.


There is so much to be said about life, for our family, in the months since Thanksgiving of 2005. I feel there is a need to be bold about the hope we have found in God. I have been teaching, along with a dear friend of mine, a Bible Study which begins by stating most of the characteristics of the One True God. Of course God is so incredible, he somehow cannot be fully understood by words. But, we can get a glimpse of Him and that glimpse brings hope, peace, joy, love, and on and on. If one is missing the truth about God--hope, peace, joy, etc may be escaping that person. Never fear it can be had, easy enough. How? Seek ! We have, as a study group, grown in our faith because we have learned new truths about God. We have learned that he is Sovereign. In Psalms 24:1 it says "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it." Some other important facts about God is that he keeps his promises and that he provides for our deliverance. He not only delivers us from our sin, but he delivers us from trouble here on earth. Not always the way we expect or under our time frame. Yet,God is faithful and good. We will one day see His way and His time frame was best.

Deliverance? I have grown to love that word. I cannot help but think of Janni, Steve, Kole, and Jaelle. For what are we praying for? We are praying for their deliverance. The true story of Joseph begins with a promise and ends with deliverance. Joseph is promised that he will one day lead his family. If anyone has ever studied Joseph, they would say that Joseph ran into some bad luck in his life. Joseph was hated by his brothers, which can make life uncomfortable. But, when your own brothers turn their back on you, plot against you, and sell you into slavery ---well that just plain hurts. Joseph felt disrespected and despised. Those feelings have a way of discouraging and destroying a person. That was not the case for Joseph. Joseph,who at one time was a favorite of his wealthy "free" father, is now a slave in the foreign land of Egypt. He was also told that one day he would be the head of his family. Now, how is that suppose to happen? He was separated from his family and was not free to go back. Yet, he was not separated from God. In fact all he had now was God. Joseph was forced to seek God more than ever. One wonders if he at times doubted God's promise to him. In Genesis 39:2 it say "the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master (Potiphar). Later it said the household was blessed by God because of Joseph. Joseph was highly respected by his master and was put in charge of his entire household. When Joseph was placed in a place of temptation, by Potiphar's wife, he refused because he did not want to sin against God. He was not living with his family and life had some sorrow. However, he could see God's hand of blessing on him even in his present trial. Joseph stayed loyal to God. Next ,Joseph finds himself falsely accused and thrown into prison. His life seemed to go from bad to worse. Yet, God was with him in prison as well. Genesis 39:23 says "the Lord was with Joseph and HE GAVE him success in whatever he did". Not too many would call prison success and what about God's promise to Joseph to lead his family. Joseph seemed far away from freedom and success. Joseph was granted wisdom by God to interpret dreams. He was able to interpret two dreams in prison. Later, when the Pharoah of Egypt himself had a dream, Joseph was called in, to interpret the meaning. Yet, Joseph takes no pride in himself and his abilities. He said I cannot interpret your dream but God can. Joseph had some hard hard times and has now learned to lean on God. Joseph was sold into slavery at around 17 and did not get out of prison until he was 30. Joseph was able to,with God's help, interpret the Pharoah's dream. He was able to warn all of Egypt of the comming seven year famine. He had the wisdom to organize a method of storing and distributing grain during those seven years of severe famine. Joseph was put in charge of all of Egypt and later over all of his family.The promise was fulfilled. God keeps his promises. What looks like an impossibility with man, is in actual possibility with God. God used Joseph to not only save the lives of the people of Egypt, but also the lives of Joseph's own family back in Canaan. Later, when Joseph's brothers discover that Joseph was alive--they themselves felt fear and shame. But, Joseph humbly and lovingly did not blame them. He said "do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you" (Gen.45:5) Later, Joseph says "...and to save your lives by a great deliverance". God is about delivering us out of our trials. We realize as believers that we do not suffer in vain. That God has a good purpose for our trial and for Kole's trial. God is faithful to be at our side through the trial. He his faithful to grow us and to bring us closer to him. He may also use this trial to save lives. We pray that many of you out there who do not have hope --will now have hope in the Deliverer, which is Jesus. He is my family's hope and deliverance. He is the Keller's hope and deliverance. It promises in Psalms 25:3 that "no one whose hope is in you (God) will ever be put to shame". I am not worried that I believe in a lie. I am not worried that God does not exist. He has proved himself over and over through His creation, His living word, and His work in fellow believer's lives and my own. I also find it quite amazing that Kole's full name is Kole JOSEPH Keller. My mom said the other night that maybe God will use Kole Joseph like he used Joseph in the Bible. Anyone who knows Kole Joseph Keller personally, would also know that Kole has exceptional insight and has a way of being a "mover and a shaker". He's just like his aunt Jodi (ha! ha!). No, God has gifted him for some special purpose. We have to wait to see the fulfillment of the promise.