Trey Tuesday - April 15, 2014

Merry CHRISTmas!?

We have to celebrate Christmas if we are going to properly celebrate Easter - and vice versa! :)

Sounds confusing, yet God has it all under control!  :)

Imagine the Good Friday shouts of, "Crucify Him!" (John 19:6) being yelled at baby Jesus' birth....

Imagine the nail pierced hands healing the blind, raising the dead to life and changing the water into wine....

And imagine Jesus' voice that calmed the storms and the seas then crying out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  (Mark 15:34)
Sounds confusing to us, yet God has it all under control!  :)

Our hearts and minds jump to Trey and his family...living and loving their little baby boy, not knowing that one day he would have a dreadful diagnosis.

Sounds confusing to us, yet God has it all under control!  :)

At the Last Supper, Jesus shared with His disciples (and with us!) powerful words which bring us much comfort when we are trying to make sense of what is going on in our world.  "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”  John 13:7  What a great Easter reminder!  :)

Trey has some bloodwork and scans coming up.  Please pray for everything to go smoothly and cleanly!
Please also pray for peace and clear direction for Jay and Rachel as they continue to make decisions for Trey's treatment plan.

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a Baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”  Luke 2:10-14

Trey Tuesday - April 8, 2014

Do you hear what I hear?

While we are enjoying the chirps and tweets of springtime all around us, imagine the sounds that Trey and Bella and Joe are experiencing!  Imagine the sounds they are making!!!!  :)

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."  Psalm 150:6

This very special week at Disney World is a breathtaking example of this verse.  The kids may not realize the many hands and hearts that went into making this trip possible, but their shrieks and giggles and pleads for "more" are simply their ways of saying, "Thank you" to Team Mitlo One and "Praise the Lord" to our loving, caring Heavenly Father who makes this whole trip possible!

Please join us in prayer and praise this Trey Tuesday wherever you are (literally, emotionally, physically, etc.)  :)

"Praise the Lord.
Praise God in His sanctuary;
praise Him in His mighty heavens.

Praise Him for His acts of power;
praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise Him with the harp and lyre,
praise Him with timbrel and dancing,
praise Him with the strings and pipe,
praise Him with the clash of cymbals,
praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

Psalm 150

Trey Tuesday - April 1, 2014

Earnest

When was the last time you used that word?!?  Yet it is a common word and concept throughout the Bible!  Most commonly we read about earnestly seeking God:
"He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."  Hebrews 11:6
"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You" Psalm 63:1

What does earnest even mean!?!...intense conviction; seriously important!
Wow! Makes me wonder what I am earnest about....
Ask a teenager or a parent of young children...sleep is probably at the top of their "earnest" list!  Some adults may earnestly seek "more" - more time, more money, more room....
And others earnestly seek "less" - less debt, less weight, less stress...
What a fickle bunch we are! :/

Imagine a life of earnestly seeking to destroy cancer - without even knowing it!  That is the beautiful life of Trey!  Trey's doctors and nurses and parents and Team Mitlo One are on their knees and rolling up their sleeves to fight this fight for Trey while he lives a life of any typical 5-year-old: earnestly seeking to bother his siblings, watch his favorite shows, play his favorite games and dream about one day going to Disney World again!

Will you please earnestly pray for Trey?  With intense conviction and serious importance?

For Trey to beat this cancer!

For Trey to continue to be "healthy!"

For joy and happiness and great peace to surround his family!
And for dreams and gifts like Disney to earnestly bless the Mitlos!

"And being in anguish, Jesus prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."  Luke 22:44

Trey Tuesday - March 25, 2014

Trey is soooo....

Oh my!  Yes!  Trey is sooo....everything!  :)

When Trey is happy, he is sooo happy!  There is nothing like the smile on his face!  :)

When Trey is unhappy, he is sooo unhappy!  Forget Mama...If Trey ain't happy, ain't no one happy!

When Trey is in love with a new girlfriend who may have been visiting for the weekend, he is sooooooo in love!  :)

And when Trey fights hard, he fights sooooo very hard (whether he is fighting his parents or cancer!)  :)

And that is just how God would have it!  God's power and strength and might know no end, and Trey and his family and Team Mitlo One have that same spirit!

Let's continue this One Faith, One Family, One Fight for Trey!  :)

Our prayer this Trey Tuesday for Trey and Jay and Rachel as decisions are being made:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience" Colossians 1:9-11

Trey Tuesday - March 18, 2014

It's Everywhere!

International unrest, financial ruin, abuse, neglect, poverty, severed relationships, and oh yeah...cancer!  The brokenness is absolutely everywhere these days!

I heard an amazing sermon this past Sunday, and one sentence struck me hard:

~ Even among Jesus, brokenness abounds.

Think about it - As Jesus walked this earth He spent time among the broken:

The blind - Mark 8:22

The lame - Matthew 15:30

The sick - Matthew 14:14

The sad - John 14:1

The dead - John 11:35

And even the demon possessed! - Matthew 4:24

Yet God was faithful and fulfilled His purposes, even among the broken!

And He is doing the same in and through Trey! :)

Please continue praying for Trey to be healed from cancer!

Please also pray for Jay and Rachel to take their brokenness to God, to remember His faithfulness!

And for Joe and Bella to know that God is always up to something good! :)

And as Easter draws nearer, think on this theme of brokenness....God sent Jesus, wholly holy and perfect, to be broken, sacrificed, killed....so you could be made eternally whole!

"This is my body given for you" Luke 22:19

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."  2 Corinthians 5:21

Trey Tuesday - March 11, 2014

Shhhh....It's a secret!  :)

Jay and Rachel are planning a trip to Disney World for Trey and Bella and Joe!  :)
But don't tell the kids - it's a surprise!  :)

And just as kids would be kids, the Mitlo kids are going about their daily routines, clueless of the bigger picture - they are bickering with each other, complaining about homework and whining at bedtime, ...naive to the wonderful plan being thoughtfully prepared by their devoted parents AND FRIENDS!  (Thank you to all of you who are making this trip possible!)  :)

Isn't that just like each one of us?

God is always busy preparing a beautiful life for us, carefully weaving the events and people in our paths, building a future filled with life and love and hope and happiness!
And what are we doing in the meantime, while we wait for this unseen future?
We're probably bickering and complaining and whining!

The present circumstances didn't look too good for Jesus:
"This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross."  Acts 2:23, but yet we know the next chapter of His story!  "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here."  Mark 16:6

As we pray for Trey this week, please know that God has a Disney World type plan for Trey and his health and his everything!  Beginning with Trey's PERFECT blood work results today!  :)  Thank you, God!  :)  Please pray for the Mitlos to be at peace each step of the way.  Please pray for unity and clarity and much wisdom as Jay and Rachel make decisions for the available treatment option.  And as always, please pray for continued health and strength and joy for Trey!  (And for Joe and Bella, too!)  :)

And speaking of Trey...how does all this planning fit in to his sweet little life?
How does it fit in to each one of our lives?
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28

Trey Tuesday - March 4, 2014

Extremes!

Major Winter Storm forecast followed by a slight dusting of snow!

Black Friday shopping followed by January credit card bills!

Endless days of sedentary huddling near the heater followed by sweltering days scrambling across the blacktop in melting flip flops!  *I hope!  I hope!  :)

Fat Tuesday followed by Sacrificial Ash Wednesday and Lent!

This Trey Tuesday is devoted to praise!  Praising God that Trey has been enjoying NO extremes!  :)

Same old, same old winter humdrums of cabin fever and rivalry!  :)
Stable bloodwork and scans indicating GREAT "health!"  :)

Normal, every day childhood antics and Trey-isms!  :)

And speaking of extremes....Trey's current treatment option is an extreme one (as is every one!)
Please keep praying for Jay and Rachel as they have decisions to make.

Please pray for clarity and unity.

Psalm 66 for Trey!  :)
Shout for joy to God, all of Team Mitlo One and beyond!
Sing the glory of God's name;  make His praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds for Trey!
So great is Your power that Your enemies cringe before You.
All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing the praises of Your name.
Come and see what God has done, His awesome deeds for Trey!"