My agent was in town this week and we had a two-hour meeting during which we went over an eleven-page document that I had to complete so he could get a better idea of how to guide my writing career according to what I most want to write and when. One of the questions he asked was this: Name five fundamental assumptions that guide your life.

Here's how I answered that one: God is good. I can trust Him. Everyone is broken. Everyone is redeemable. Life is short.

A rather stunning reminder of that last one came my way this morning in the form of an email message from my brother's daughter--the one who just got married in June in Oregon. In it she informed me that her mom, Beth (who is close to my age), went to the ER in severe back pain a couple of days ago. And an MRI and CT scan revealed cancer in four spots on her spine, one in her ribs, one under her arm, and multiple spots in her brain.

My niece's husband wrote in a mass email to their friends, "Please keep Beth in your prayers, or send her some positive thoughts, or good energy or whatever it is you do."

Many who frequent this aspire2 blog believe in the power of prayer and can testify firsthand that miracles happen. So would you please pray for Beth--for her physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual health? In short, pray for shalom. And if you feel inclined to let her know of your prayer support, which I hope you will, would you please indicate that by leaving a comment? Or shoot me an email message via my blogspot profile that I can forward? And shoot a link to your friends and prayer groups asking them to pray, too.

Our family would be grateful.