Fire-Hot Love

Mark: Surgery Results -- from Pastor Jeff King

The doctor is very pleased with the way the surgery went.  Right out of surgery, Mark was able to talk, communicate, interact with complex ideas, understand the gospel, father his children, husband his wife, ask us to read Psalm 100, and speak God's truths to others. God and His angels were looking after Mark and granting us our desires and more on this front. For this, we do not hesitate to give God praise!

Spiritually, I say in all earnest that God has His obvious hand on our dear brother and sister. Mark and Anna possess a fierce, undeniable faith. For me, walking with Mark and Anna closely for the last several months of this unfolding tragedy has afforded me front row seats to a man and a woman who are being given abundant daily grace to walk in faith and grow in Christian maturity through the most intense physical trial I've personally seen a person endure.

Throughout this trial, Mark has shown me more of Jesus than I can express. His fierce love for the Lord has consistently overflowed to his family, doctors, and passerby's to his life, increasingly.  If ever there was a time in a person's life to be self-centered and consumed with the things on his own plate, it would be now. Instead of being self-consumed, I've seen Mark pour himself out in service for others, prayers for others, concern for others, and love for others.

On top of all this, Mark's lion-hearted love for Anna and his children has been equally fierce. I've seen in Mark what Solomon penned, “For love is strong as death, jealousy as fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.” (SOS 8:6-7) To see the look in Mark's eyes when he talked to Anna in the initial moments of waking up from surgery is to see a man with fiery love for his wife! Such love could never be faked or produced by man. This love comes from none other than the fires of God's steadfast unrelenting love!

Anna too is being given peculiar grace! Anna fiercely loves Mark. That is undeniable! Her honest, deepest desire through all of this has been that Jesus would be honored, exalted, and treasured. Anna has expressed a yearning that “Jesus would be seen as worthy.” Oh that we would all possess that kind of tender, vigorous, real, desperate, honest, fierce, gripped love for our Savior!

Mark and Anna, we love you guys and will keep praying that God gives Mark many decades to proclaim how worthy Jesus is of our praise and worship. May God increase our affections for Him as He has certainly given you a fire-hot love for Him and for one another. Thank you for pointing us to Jesus so well through this trial! We will keep praying hard on your behalf!

Great News -- Keep Praying

Mark: Surgery Update -- from Pastor Jeff King

Mark is now 2 1/2 hours into surgery and Anna has received two phone calls from the operating room stating, "thus far, all is going well." This is great news, but please keep praying!!  We sense that the body is praying for Mark and Anna lots!

Always By My Side

Mark's surgery has begun...thanks SO MUCH for your prayers!  More info can be found here Brain Mapping.

Below is a song that Ali recently shared with all of us through a text.  Such great truth as we lift up Anna and Mark to our faithful God!!!

Lyrics:
Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)
---Chris Tomlin

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light

Whom shall I fear

You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though troubles linger still

Whom shall I fear

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises

You are faithful
You are faithful

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the hold world in your hands
I'm holding on to your promises

You are faithful
You are faithful
You are faithful

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The one who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

A Different Kind of Race

This time last year Mark and Anna were trained for and ran the Kentucky Derby mini-Marathon together. A year later they are in a different kind of race, fighting an aggressive brain tumor.  Mark (age 33) was diagnosed days following Christmas 2012. Mark is a St. X and U of L graduate and Anna is a Texas Tech graduate who moved to Louisville to graduate with a Masters in Biblical Counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (and to meet Mark).  They have been married 4 years and are wonderful parents to a beautiful, energetic 3 year old daughter, a precious 1 year old foster son they are in process of adopting, and a newborn son, who came into the world on February 15th, 2013 -- not long after Mark’s diagnosis. Mark’s medical team in Louisville does not have the tools necessary remove the tumor so he is going to the University of California San Francisco for surgery in mid-April to remove the tumor.

Susan Ward (Mark's cousin) is dedicating her Derby Festival mini-Marathon race to Mark to help raise funds to offset the burden of his medical expenses. Below are two ways so you can help, too. Support Susan's run by making a donation. Every little bit raised will help--- 

• Online: There is a Donation option on the right side of this website. Click the button and make a donation to GronotteFund@gmail.com.  At the bottom of the Paypal screen select both: personal and gift options so NO fees will be incurred!  100% of the donation will go to Mark’s medical expenses.  
• Checks: Make it out to the Mark Gronotte Donation Fund and mail it to c/o Susan Ward, 10610 Taylor Farm Court, Prospect, KY 40059.  

In addition to the race, you are invited to attend a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser on Friday, April 26, from 6-10pm at Susan and David Ward’s Home (see above address).  There is no charge for dinner. Give what you can.  Feel free to bring friends and children!  All money donated will be given to the Gronotte Fund! RSVP to Susan Ward :: susangriffinward@yahoo.com :: 502-802-0667 or Rebecca Gronotte :: coralou23@yahoo.com :: at 502-802-8112.

***I have been asked about the difference between donating here and donating on Caring Bridge's site.  Caring Bridge offers a great service, allowing friends and family to keep up on medical updates online. All donations given to Caring Bridge's Website are used for their operational expenses.  His People Pray blog is run by Anna's sister who is blogger and able to service this website at NO cost.  ALL donations given through this site are used solely to offset the medical expenses incurred by Mark Gronotte!