You might remember Joanne.  She is the daughter of my friend Kay.  Joanne suffered a major stroke on January 11, 2011.

Today is Joanne’s birthday.  It is also the day that she moved to the rehab hospital.  Both these things made today very significant and special.

Joanne loves charm bracelets.  In honor of her birthday one of her friends asked us to wear our charm bracelets today and whenever we heard them jingle use that as a reminder to pray for Joanne.  Joanne, you got a lot of prayer today.  I hadn’t worn my charm bracelets in a long time.  It was fun to get them out and a joy to pray for you throughout the day today.

Yes, Joanne still needs our prayer.  Her husband updates her blog, with prayer requests almost daily.

This has been a big learning journey for me too.  Before Joanne’s stroke I was pondering the many hard things so many of my friends were walking through.  I posted this two days after her stroke.  And I’m learning a ton about prayer as well.  I wrote about one of my most significant lessons last month.

This is one of the Scriptures I most often pray for Joanne and her family,

Oh, the depth of the riches, and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be glory forever.  Amen
Romans 11:33-36