Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:1-6 ESV)
This month has brought both solemn moments to remember and milestones to celebrate:
October 7 marked two years since the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250.
October 10 marked one month since the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
October 10 also marked three months since our son’s successful hip preservation surgery — a meaningful recovery milestone.
And there’s more good news: the family of 8-year-old “Cora,” who underwent extensive brain surgery on August 22, has received encouraging updates:
“We finally got part of her molecular testing results back… *part* of them, at least. We spoke with her oncologist this evening, and while the specific type of tumor is still not 100% conclusive, we learned that her case has been sent for further analysis to get a definitive diagnosis…What we *did* learn is something really encouraging — her tumor has the BRAF V600E mutation. This is actually really good news, because it means she will be eligible for a targeted oral medication instead of traditional chemo or radiation. 
This is a huge blessing and gives us a lot of hope.
[A few days later…] “Cora passed her swallow test!!!! She can take out the NG tube! She has been cleared to eat small amounts of non-sticky foods, thickened liquids and purées!!!! This girl was practically running down the halls to get her coffee!”
God,
Thank you, God, for your call to remember —
To remember what you did for the Israelites at the Exodus,
To remember your faithfulness as they wandered in the wilderness,
To remember your sacrifice through the bread and cup of communion.
Thank you for anniversaries that remind us of your enduring faithfulness, even in the midst of deep tragedy and devastation in Gaza and Israel. Thank you that even through horrific events, like the assassination of Charlie Kirk, you are still at work, using all things to advance the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Today, we continue to lift up the families, friends, communities, and nations affected by these traumatic events. We pray for healing where there is brokenness, forgiveness where there is bitterness, and for your true justice to be poured out in these wounded places. Where darkness feels overwhelming, may the light of your life shine even brighter.
And God, we continue to celebrate the ways you work through the medical field to bring healing to our physical bodies. We’re grateful for the encouraging reports about our son’s recovery, and for the progress we’ve seen in Cora. Thank you for the dedication and care of every medical professional who has been part of their healing journey — and for those who continue to walk alongside them.
We pray that you would continue to increase flexibility in our son’s affected hip joint. Strengthen his body and build his endurance as he goes through physical therapy and gradually returns to full activity. We ask that you use all of this to restore his gait and physical abilities to normal.
We pray that Cora’s final test results would confirm that the tumor is completely benign and that no further treatment will be necessary. We ask for full healing from her facial paralysis. We pray for a complete return to health, strength, and energy for Cora.
All these things we ask in the powerful name of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Great Physician, AMEN.