I am not usually someone who likes to listen to music while I run. I really prefer to have a clear head and be free from distractions so that I can spend my time praying while I run. However, this week I was working on Sunday, consquentky couldn't attend church. I was craving me some praise and worship music. So I plugged my ipod into my ears and headed out. The first song on the playlist is one of my favorite Mandissa songs. Mandissa is this beautiful black woman with an incredible voice. I hope in pray that when I reach heaven I will wake up with black skin. I am convinced that if I can be morphed into a black woman, then I will be able to sing and dance like my heart really desires to. For now I have to settle for being a tone deaf white woman who dances like a white Baptist woman, aka, I can't sing or dance, no matter how hard I pretend.

Now Mandissa, she can sing and dance, again I am convinced it is because of her luscious chocolate colored skin! She was belting out the most beautiful words...."He is with you"....then she would sing about a number of places God shows up for you. One place is He is with you in the ICU. This line hit a chord with me. My bro-in-law's dad is facing some pretty major surgery soon and will undoubtedly end up in the ICU. I can't help and think about his wife Leanna (usually ICU patients are gorked out and don't know what is going on, while the family members carry all the burden at the bedside). I know she knows that God will be with her, even in the ICU, but I feel a real since of urgency to pray that she would know without a doubt that God will be with her as she watches her husband face this battle. I have a ton of respect for Leanna, she truly lives out her marriage covenant: In sickness and in health. I would have run away years ago, but she remains faithful.

A family from our church lived and breathed God being with them through a recent ICU stay. I love the F family. The F family is raising two sons. They are the kind of boys that I want my girls to hang out with. In fact, my very first memories of F son #1 was him bringing a bouquet of flowers to the Bible study babysitter woman. Yep, Mom F trains her sons to love and respect women and that is exactly the kind of boys I want my girls to be around. Anyhoo Mr F showed up in the ED when I was working and his diagnosis was SERIOUS, at any moment it could have turned for the worst. So for a whole week my thoughts and prayers were consumed by the F family...and I mean consumed. I get that way sometimes, I just can't let go of a plea or concern until God shows victory. God showed up and Mr F is safe at home raising those wonderful boys yet again!

Praise Jesus for Mr F's recovery I am going to get up and dance around like a white woman!!!