Hello all! I just want to say we all can proud of our God! I have been watching Him sustain Janni and Kole up close! I am sure He is doing the same with Steve, though I have not been around my brother-in-law/coach as much to witness it personally. All I know is that Janni is very proud of her husband. In fact, she and Steve share their love and passion for God and for His work in their lives. I want to say a big thank you to Sarah Bricker who wrote the most kind and loving letter to Janni! Janni read it to me. My eyes filled with tears. Joy and hope came over me like a flood! We almost should publish it on the blog. Sarah's letter was written from the heart with such beauty! It proved to me that God was at work in people's lives and is real to so many.

Everyday Janni has a story to tell of God's deliverance. There has not been one time that Kole's pain has not subsided. God has been faithful to answer all our prayers. I was thinking to myself, after she told me the story of Kole claiming at least 60 miracles being performed on him--- especially in the last year and one half----that there are probably many miraculous works of God that have been performed on Kole and on us that we do not even know about! We have no idea how much God has protected us from all forms of dangers.

Leah, my six year old came down stairs last night and started telling me that she felt God was mean for allowing tornado's and Kole's cancer to come back. She had several other complaints! I asked her to tell me the story of Adam and Eve. And she did--- adding---an God allowed satan to come to Eve in the form of a snake and that was not nice either! At first, it was hard for me to hear her talk of God that way. Then, I realized that it was the enemy himself putting these thoughts in her head. I was able to tell Leah this and she began to understand. The enemy tells us that God is mean. God is never mean!!!!!!! I went on to say-- that you know God made your beautifully functioning and formed body. He made your eyes to see, ears to hear, and your lungs to breath, heart to pump, blood to flow and on and on. He made soft grass for you to play in. He made air for you to breath. He made water for you to drink! He made a beautiful world for us to live in while we are here. He also allowed for the enemy to live here. God's desire is for us to see the contrast between Him---who loves us so much that He would die for us ----and the Enemy---who hates us so much that he wants us to suffer and die with him! We would never appreciate God's goodness, unless we saw the contrast. We would never appreciate pain free heaven, without this painful earth! We would never be true individuals without a choice on who we are going to serve. At the end of my conversation with my daughter she came to this closure. She knows that since she has started praying every night for God to protect her from nightmares, she has not had them especially when she says "in the name of the Lord". However, she is not sure whether she loves God or if she just wants to avoid hell! I told her to start praying every night that God would show her how to love Him! It is amazing how this world keeps us distracted from a loving real God. His voice is drowned out by our t.v., stereo, ipods, computers, cell phones, fellow people, pets, and the like! To know the love of our shepherd we have to be sheep who listen for His voice and who seek to get to know Him through His Word! I believe that Kole has opened our ears and hearts! We have discovered a real treasure through this pain! God is such a treasure. He never runs out and is never limited to one person! We do not have to worry about splitting up the lottery money! There is 100 percent of God for everyone! To discover God's treasure takes turning down the media and turning up God's word and one's prayer life! I can remember going to bed many nights feeling so empty after spending hours watching t.v. . There is something about gorging the flesh on entertainment and starving the spirit of God and His Word! Once you discover how entertaining God can be, the lust of the flesh will loose it's hold! We will begin to discover that the enemy has been telling us a lie, saying that God is no fun and takes all our freedom away! The enemy has gone to a lot of trouble keeping us too preoccupied to seek God! It sometimes takes a struggle, like we are faced with, to discover our treasure! Nothing else seems to satisfy but God, when faced with life and death! God brings out life! The world brings out death! God brings out truth. The enemy brings out lies. God brings out meaningful full living that goes beyond all the material things we could possess! I have watched my sister find great pleasure in God, even though faced with great pain! How could pleasure and pain go side by side! It is only God! God alone satisfies. There is nothing like His dear presence in your life! Emanuel means God with us! We know God is with us!

Thank you God for taking care of my sister and her family 24/7. No one could do a better job than you!

Lord, we ask for your supernatural work in Kole's body! We ask you for your supernatural work in the lives Kole's story has touched! We ask for your glory to be revealed through this hardship!

Jodi