VDB Brothers & sisters in-law

How nice to enjoy the family togetherness!

This was a week-end of marathon visits.

Separate from this event Grant & Bonnie are marking the event of our 51st wedding anniversary-April 30.

Precious Lord take our hand , Lead us on help us stand. Guide our lives each hour of the day. Through storms and through light, grant us grace in your sight. May we trust you each step of the way.

Eventful year for Dave & Lora

2007 is an eventful year for our oldest son Dave and his wife Lora. They have both reached middle age :) 50 years! Healthy, Wealthy and Wise! Congratulations on a very special year!

SPRINGTIME WILL FOLLOW THE ICY WINTER!

We are enjoying daylight savings time but still longing for green grass and flowers

Precious Jewels His loved and His own.

Great Grandpa Grant & Adella

Great Grandma Bonnie & Neals

Children are a gift from God! Great-grandchild # 9

Getting acquainted with Ashley & Ryan Brewer's tiny week old son who was born in Sioux Falls on Feb. 28. He's light as a feather but wonderfully healthy. Big sister, Adella has been very gentle with baby Neal. Meet Cornelius John Brewer. (Deb and John's second grandchild)

Dave & Lora VanDeBrake family New responsibility for Shantel (our first grandaughter)

LOVE IN THE NAME OF CHRIST of Greater Sheldon has made a good choice in bringing Shantel (VDB) Oostra onto their part time staff. This month Shantel will begin as an Administrative Assistant for this wonderful ministry. Both Grant & Bonnie were in on the ground level organization of the LOVE INC concept in Sheldon. One thing we know for certain, God has and is richly blessing this outreach for loving in the name of Christ.

Shantel, John & family, Madeline, Maison and McKenna are standing just to the left of Dad & Mom (Dave & Lora)

Family on the left: Krista & Matt & Dillon Haanenburg. The Oostra's, Dave & Lora , Jill and Candice, Brian, Avery, Lydia & Brody Van Kley.

VALENTINE GREETINGS 2008

Madie, Maison & McKenna sent

VALENTINE greetings

IT'S A COLD AND WINDY DAY

WE CAN'T GO OUT TO PLAY

CAN YOU TELL WE'RE A LITTLE BORED TODAY?

Jesus, prop us up on our leanin' side.

We all could use a little propping up!! Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed, Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side. After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, 'Well sir, you see, it's like this...I got an old barn out back.It's been there a long time, it's withstood a lot of weather, it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years.It's still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit.So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time. I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask theLord to prop us up on our leaning side, cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning, at times.

.Sometime we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't.
So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.

'Stop telling God how big your storm is and start telling the storm how big your God is'.

VALENTINE'S DAY 2008 What a treat this morning to hear the chip, chip, chip of our neighborhood female Cardinal. Yes, they hang around all winter but there will be no love songs until spring really arrives! Still, the very sound of this little creature is a gift that says, "spring will follow soon". Seasons are a reminder ofGod's Faithfullness. New life, new hope and another season of new birth! Thanks Lord for HOPE!

Good Buddies

Hey, an updated pic of Dani & Michon celebrating an 18th b'day.

These are my good buddies! You guys must have

seen one of those cute squirrels that make you smile!

Grandaughters of the Heart

A GENUINE LIFT FOR THE HEART!

These two darlings came to help me out and to warm my heart today!

A lot of yakkin' and sharing! Some cleaning! Some bakin' & cookin'!

Some Fantasia and some Godfather's pizza. Some Quiddler and Flip Scrabble.

Dani (you're a part of my heart) Michon(you too are now an adopted grandaughter in my heart)

I love you guys for the fun and compassion you dished out!

Eagerly waiting!

Yes! Spring brings hope. Can we Iowans hold out? We have been in a deep freeze and it brings a longing for better things. Very similar to the hope for better health in the future when one is dealing with cancer. Thank you Jesus for HOPE!

The pic is from our downtown community floral beauty last summer. Love those digital cameras.

Yes, we're eagerly waiting for the return of the glory of "Pink Petunias"

Underneath are the Everlasting Arms

Wake up thoughts this morning came from a song. (The Holy Spirit quite often brings to mind some comforting thought from a song. No surprise since that's one of His titles, Comforter)

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the Everlasting arms.

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the Everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the Everlasting arms.

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the Everlasting arms.

Leaning on Jesus, Leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms.

Leaning on Jesus, Leaning on Jesus, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

Guess that's why this blog-LEANING ON JESUS

and it's not only day by day but often hour by hour.

Jesus knew mankind to the core. No one needed to tell Him how changeable human nature is.

Still, sometimes it surprises me. How "up and down" I can be. Yeah, even in a day or hours time. One minute stuck in a pity-party and the next feeling the Joy.

But I've sure noticed that focusing on the Big C takes away the focus on the little c.

With the joy of friendship/fellowship with our "Prayer & Share" gals who come every Tues. A.M. the focus will be aimed in the right direction.

Tuesdays are "GOOD" DAYS!

And I even have an appetite restored for yummy, tasty food. After chemo it's NOT there.

Still

The LORD may not have planned that this should ovetake me, but HE has most certainly permitted it. Therefore though it were an attack of an enemy, by the time it reaches me, it has the LORD'S permission and therefore all is well. He will make it work together with all life's experiences for good.

The Great Physician

There must be hundreds of thousands of us who are walking the valley with cancer.

The only one who really knows when these cells began messing up is The Great Physician.

For me that's comforting. "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book" from Ps. 139

As I anticipate the second chemo treatment using cytoxan and docetaxotere it's scary.

Guess that's why I chose "Leaning on Jesus" for this Blog.

Perhaps it's my way of journaling and talking my way through this journey.

I've been grateful for a Caringbridge site also.

Many in "The Family of God" have supported us through that site.

Not at all certain I'm gaining the skills to accomplish this Blog however.

I've been motivate by a neice who seems to have the whole thing 'down pat'.

I'm a bit envious