Suffering, Featured, Family, Faith
Courtney Reissig
Sin is Like Cancer

One of the scariest things in the early days of my diagnosis is that the pathology was unclear. Best case scenario, the cancer was contained. Worst case scenario, it had spread beyond what they could imagine. This fear was heightened by the fact that all the normal tests that catch cervical cancer failed to detect mine. I was diagnosed long after they usually diagnose women. And that terrified every medical professional I saw.

Sin is Like Cancer

Family

Friday is for Food (a little late)

This weekend we had a marriage conference at church, which is why this post is a little late. I signed up to bring a dessert to the Friday evening session. Pretty easy, right. Well, I had been planning on making pumpkin bars all week because it's fall and it's a very "fall-y" food (even though it is 90 degrees and doesn't feel like fall). I went to Kroger on Thursday night to get my ingredients. I searched all over the baked goods aisle to no avail. I could not locate the pumpkin for the life of me. Finally I asked the stocker where the pumpkin was and he said "we don't have it yet. It's seasonal."

Friday is for Food

Daniel gets really excited around August 1 because August means it's almost fall, which means it's almost college football season. And it is now upon us. Last night we watched Ohio State play at the local Buffalo Wild Wings (because we don't have cable or the Big Ten Network). Tomorrow we will watch all of the television programming surrounding the first Saturday of college football season (and Daniel will study Greek vocabulary while watching).

Friday is for Fotos (and a bday tribute to my mom!)

July 23 was always an important day in my family growing up. But so were five other seemingly random days. July 23 is my mom’s birthday, and even though the rest of the world was doing their own thing on this summer day, the Tarter’s were celebrating. And we did this for every family member’s birthday. Birthday’s were (and still are) a big deal for us. It marks a beginning that will forever be etched in the mind of the one who gave birth to us. It’s a special day that no one else in the family can claim as their own (unless you are a twin of course!).

Friday is for Fotos

The top picture is from a family reunion we went to in Ohio. Daniel's mom's side of the family had a reunion and it was great meeting many of them for the first time! I learned so much about his family history, but unfortunately it was information overload and I can barely remember any of it. We got to put our names on the family tree, attaching ourselves to the Rower history.

The bottom picture is from my Grandpa's memorial service in March. This is his entire side of the family (my mom's family). It was the first time we had all been together in years and it was a neat time of remembering Grandpa, but also remember all of our times together as family.

Often we can get so busy with the present that we forget the people who have come before us. There was a time when they were my age, busy with marriage and life. But now they are either gone or aging. They have stories that matter. They have memories that mean something to them. And we can't forget them. Their life is the reason we are here. We are a part of them. For both Daniel and me it is through these families that we heard the Gospel.

I'm so glad I have these pictures. I want our kids (Lord willing) to someday see the people who have come before them and know that they are a part of these families too.

But I also want us to understand that if we are in Christ we are part of an even bigger family, with many saints who have gone before us. This family is not bound by genes, but by the blood of Another, Jesus Christ.

Friday is for Food: Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

I love everything about summer. The weather, the longer days, and especially the food! Summer is great for cold dishes. I found this recipe a few years ago and now I have no idea where I got it! It has sort of morphed into my own creation over these years, so I am not even sure how accurate it is to the original. Daniel and I really enjoy it and it is super easy. It also works well as a potluck dish. And you know how us church-folk love potlucks (or at least the Reissig's do!).