While I write this, Jenny is in Missouri, and Jim and David are in Denver. I'm

on my own, but well supplied with food to pop in the microwave, neighbors to

check in on me, and a large assortment of birds, fish and a hamster to make me

feel needed! By the time we print this, everyone will be home, and I'm just

counting the days.

You all prayed a lot for Jenny this past month and she gave me permission to

share very personally the results of your prayers. This summer was to be her

"piano" summer. Early in the year we'd set aside special funds for extra

lessons and she planned on working real hard. The summer started out with her

teacher assigning music that seemed to be beyond her level and increasing her

practice time to three or four hours a day. The first few weeks were

frustrating and often tearful -- she didn't think she could do it. Then,

suddenly a breakthrough came and she began to improve rapidly and her

willingness to discipline herself blossomed so much that she couldn't wait to

get to the piano each day. But in her new-found excitement she popped a muscle

in her hand and then came frustration and tears because she couldn't practice!

At this point, we had a very crushed daughter.

Jim and I encouraged her to relinquish all her desires and dreams to God. It

was hard for her and for us as well. I remember her despair -- "What if God

doesn't want me to go on?" We could only assure her that if He didn't, He would

replace the desires of her heart with new ones. As Jenny continued to offer

herself up to God, her desire did not change, but she became aware of pride in

her heart and also of her inability to deal with it. Jenny was drawn to the

Cross. What she needed could only come from Jesus. She could not make herself

willing to give up her dreams, only to ask God to make her willing.

Very soon the Lord made His voice clear through a helpful letter and then a

sermon. God didn't want to take away the gift or the desire. They were not

wrong but were from Him and for Him. It was the pride He wanted to remove from

Jenny, and from us. He was dealing with the motivation of our hearts. Ps. 37:4

says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your

heart." A big thing that we came to see was that the breakthrough she'd

experienced was actually the grace of God on her life to fulfill the desire of

her heart. But we had not acknowledged Him or recognized Him in it. Therefore

we did not glorify and delight in the Lord and this opened the door for pride to

take root. I'm so glad God doesn't let us go on like that!

Jenny had lots of heartache, disappointment and crushed plans this summer, but

because her strength was in God, the Valley of Weeping became a Place of

Springs (Psalm 84:5, 6) and the Door of Trouble became the Door of Hope (Hosea

2:15). Jenny came out a different girl. How do I know? Last night she called

me from Missouri to tell me her scores weren't high enough to make the final

round. Was she disappointed? Sure -- but the last thing she said to me was "I

wish I had done better, but I just hope I was a blessing to someone."

When she gets home I plan to tell her what a blessing she was to me! As I

prayed for her last night I knew God had done an eternal work in my girl. And

through her I realized anew that earthly plans and rewards could never replace

Heaven's smile. Thank you for your prayers and loving support of Jenny. We

hope you are blessed by God's working in her life. Thank you also for your

continued prayer and support of our ministry here at Wycliffe. We love and

appreciate you very much.