I heard something disturbing on Sunday afternoon. A friend from Missouri called to see how we were doing. Laura was napping so I took the call. We chatted for some time and then the friend asked, "are you guys getting an abortion?" I responded with a strong "no" and then asked about the genesis of the question. She heard from someone I have never even met that we were seriously thinking of getting an abortion. Ugh, how sick of a rumor is that? So for those of you out there who have heard this too, it's not true.

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Mark 9 is my story. You know, the Bible's Mark. And no, I'm not talking about the transfiguration. I've never known what it means to be transfigured or witness the conjuring of old prophets like Moses and Elijah. It's the dad who desperately wants his son to be healed that I resonate with in Mark 9. It seems to me that this dad will do just about anything, go anywhere and say just about anything to get his son to a normal state. When the dad and Jesus finally met the dad said, "if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus responded by saying, "everything is possible for him who believes."

The dad honestly exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."

This is where I stand in my own faith. I believe in Jesus: his life, his death, his resurrection but if I'm real honest, there is a part of me that has a problem with believing. If I'm honest then I'll admit that I'm not sure if a miracle can be worked for baby Ira. So I stand betwixt and between: in a state of belief and unbelief. My prayer is the prayer of the father's in Mark 9: I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.