It is Well...

"Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day.

At the very height of his financial and professional success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that Spafford had.

In 1873, Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy. He also went to join Moody and Sankey on an evangelistic campaign in England. Spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business. Several days later he received notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned; only his wife had survived.

With a heavy heart, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. It was on this trip that he penned those now famous words, When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul..

Philip Bliss (1838-1876), composer of many songs including Hold the Fort, Let the Lower Lights be Burning, and Jesus Loves Even Me, was so impressed with Spafford's life and the words of his hymn that he composed a beautiful piece of music to accompany the lyrics. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.

For more than a century, the tragic story of one man has given hope to countless thousands who have lifted their voices to sing, It Is Well With My Soul." From faithclipart.com

This guy kept perspective through it all!!!! That's my prayer right now. Don't let me give the devil a reason to smile.

"It Is Well" performed by Kutless


The news we are hearing right now is that I may have to stay in Zambia with girls until as long as early May. God, this is not what I signed up for!!! BUT, neither am I willing to abandon these precious children that we have been blessed to call our own. So the future looks HARD right now. A lot of things are still uncertain, but that's the one thing I'm certain of. It will probably not get easier anytime soon.

God has sent much light through the darkness, though. Just within 24 hours there has been a massive outpouring of prayer and love on us. I keep calling to mind scripture after scripture in a constant battle to keep my mind from going into the despair it wants to wallow in. A friend came over yesterday and reminded me that when Christ carried the cross it was NOT easy. He even asked the Father to let the cup pass from Him, but still chose the will of the Father over the easy way out. He did that to adopt me.

I'm still processing alot of things right now so I don't have much more to say at the moment. But alot of friends have been e-mailing me links to songs that have just really calmed my heart and kept me going. I wanted to share them with you all and let everyone know that we are gonna be ok because God is with us. Keep petitioning before the Lord for us! Thanks!


I knew what I was getting into by Misty Edwards

Never Once by Matt Redman

Help Myself to You by Kathy Troccoli

Blessings by Laura Story