There is no Journey Like the Journey of Faith

This day, 7 years ago, I wrote my first-ever blog. It was the beginning of the faith journey of our lives and I knew God wanted me to live our journey out-loud to document the abiding and constant love that we knew that the Father would pour out on us. We wanted our light to brighten the way for others who may have been facing similar situations. We were embarking on travels that were not without God's oversight and provision. While we had always considered our walk with Christ to be an amazing faith journey, with its many twists and turns and ups and downs, we were always secure in knowing He was on board with us, come what may. But, this new road we were on, was one that came out of the clear blue, unexpected and we needed to put on our combat boots and gear to handle this one. I invite you to read that post. You'll notice how full of faith, determination and great expectancy we were living in.

I know, as you read, you might think "Bless her heart, with all that faith, ultimately, their prayers weren't answered. Oh, contraire! They were answered when he survived the first surgery which the medical industry says is the most dangerous and life-threatening surgery there is. They were answered when God gave us a first class medical team that was second to none. They were answered when we would laugh and celebrate in the midst of the pain. They were answered when God supplied our needs during those times of loss of income. They were answered when friends and family members co-partnered with us in prayer, providing meals, and support. They were answered when doctors, nurses, other patients and visitors were touched by the strong courage we maintained. They were answered when the most incredible peace that passed all understanding kept our hearts and minds throughout the journey. And they were answered incredibly as this widow still maintains that trusting wholeheartedly in God's faithfulness is the ONLY way to handle life and all that it brings us.

What would I do differently than what we did? Absolutely nothing. We did exactly what God's Word says to do:
2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we live by faith, not by sight."
1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
James 1:3 "because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

https://livinginthepeacezone.blogspot.com/2010/04/our-great-faith-adventure-begins.html

Fighting the Good Fight of Faith

(This is one of my first ever blogs, June 12, 2010. I repost today because I thought, just maybe one of my FB friends could see how my Sweetheart and I "fought the good fight of faith" during his illness, 6 years ago. It blessed me then, it blesses me now -- NEVER stop fighting the good fight of faith!).

June 12, 2010: Our faith journey continues to keep us on our toes – endeavoring to be good soldiers with our combat boots on, armored with God’s Word, and completely surrendered to our Commander’s orders. We know there is tremendous value in “fighting cancer” with a good positive attitude and being nutrition-conscious! And we’re definitely doing that. But, most importantly, we are doing what St. Paul told young Timothy to do in 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of FAITH!” We are convinced that God is using our “great adventure” to not only cause our faith to be strong and unwavering, but we have a lot of friends, family members, medical team and acquaintances taking this journey of faith with us who are also fighting this good fight of faith with and for us!

Ron successfully completed the 3-days of cyberknife treatments to kill the second tumor that was on his lumbar-2 vertabrae. We’re still working on the pain in his lower back to diminish, but he is a brave, courageous soldier. There are days when we think about how “routine” our lives once were…..waking up, getting dressed, having devotion, eating breakfast, going to work, etc. etc. And then, this “suddenly” happened that certainly caused a totally new life perspective. Rarely did we take the time to focus on how green the grass was, how blue the sky was, how bright the sun was, and how precious were the days when we were pain-free and strong. Now, each day is one to be cherished!

I’ll admit we’ve had our share of crises, but I don’t think we’ve ever come to realize the preciousness of life like we do now! For many years I received those little e-mails from friends that talked about appreciating life…..and now I get it! Holding my Honey’s hand, kissing his sweet lips, smelling his wonderful smell (btw -- “Fierce by Abercrombie” -- LOL!), hearing his laughter when he’s watching the grandchildren, hearing him tell me once again “I love you” – all those things that were once “routine” are now so precious and dear to me!

The next phase of our journey will take place on June 22nd when he is scheduled for the surgery to remove the kidney that has the primary tumor (the real culprit of this whole deal) in it. The urologist is expecting to do a laparoscopic nephrectomy (much less invasive than standard kidney removal), which means smaller incisions and less recovery time. Please pray with us for that to be exactly what happens, that Ron will recover quickly and do great with just one kidney (thank God for this back-up system), and that this will bring much relief and wholeness to his body! We look forward to planting our flag of VICTORY very soon! We appreciate your prayers and support so much!