Want Inspiration? Spend Time With Animals AND Kids!

Since a little girl, one of my goals in life was to be a mommy. I spent hours playing and being a mommy to my baby dolls. At 12, I started babysitting and my love for children became even greater. Later, my husband and I managed a daycare of 85 children. You must love children to run a daycare. We did!

My love for children is one of the reasons that I work at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. I thoroughly enjoy serving in Radiology where I can love on those with broken or fractured bones. Other kids have much more serious orthopedic issues. The love and care they receive are second to none. I feel like, in some way, I’m brightening their day and helping to dispel any fears that might have. So, of course, when asked if I’d help with the hospital’s Farm and Ranch Day on Saturday – I did.

I felt at home with all the farm animals. After all, I’m quite the ranch-hand, especially after my husband and I had 75-head of cattle and a horse on our 150-acre Oklahoma tract of land and helping out with my Austin family's many farm animals, including chickens. So, I was amused I was assigned to show the week-old baby chicks and the sweet children fascinated by them.

Most all the children have been or are patients of the hospital where they receive such amazing care. This day was, of itself, therapy. Children were able to learn so much about what farms bring us. A dairy farmer demonstrated how cows are milked these days – certainly not “old school” as he attached the devices that milk them. There was a western group there that showed kids how to ride and rope mock horses, get their photos taken on the stagecoach (me, too). There were grown egg-laying hens, pigs, goats, and a pool stocked with huge catfish where kids could fish and catch the fish. Miniature therapy horses were there that inspire and soothe patients who are learning how to use adaptive equipment like walkers and prostheses. It was an overall great day of family fun.

I was especially touched by this sweet boy on the tractor in the photo. Earlier, I saw him with his running blades prosthetics on getting knocked down accidentally by a little girl. He looked up at the little girl and said: “I’m so sorry!” As if, it was his fault. "What a little gentleman. You have taught him well. It wasn't even his fault!" I said to his mother. He was a champion and one of the children so blessed to have been cared for by this wonderful hospital of dedicated medical staff.

see hope and vision in these precious children. They are made to feel nothing is impossible in their lives. They can overcome any obstacle that they are facing. I’m reminded of a sweet song the children’s choir that I directed years ago sang. “I am a promise - I am a possibility - I am a promise with a capital - I am a great big bundle of potentiality - And I am learning to hear God’s voice - And I am trying to make the right choices - I’m a promise to be - anything He wants me to be!""

We can learn a lot from these kids. Many folks have grown bitter and disappointed through their years and have lost their hope and vision, so they want us to lose ours as well. They don’t feel like a bundle of potentiality, so they don’t want anyone else to feel like one either! This post today is to tell you “Don’t listen to naysayers. Listen to God. If He has called you to climb a mountain, cross a sea, teach a class, sing a song, make a speech, build a bridge, write a book, fly a plane, land a plane and even jump out of a plane -- then JUST DO IT. Make this your personal slogan: “I CAN DO all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. You are a possibility!

It’s Not Over Till I Win

Out of some pretty tough circumstances, my daughter wrote and recorded a song entitled "It's Not Over Till I Win". The chorus of the song goes like this: "I'm not givin' up. I'm not givin' in. I've got to keep believing. It's not over till I win! I'm not givin' up! I'm not givin' in. I've gotta keep on pressing on. Cause it's not over till I win." It was also the theme of her ministry events. Challenges didn't stop her. She simply pulled herself up by the bootstraps and declared "It's not over till I win!" I was cleaning out my closet yesterday and I found the t-shirt we wore that embraced the message. It resonated with me because I was thinking about a strong young woman and her mom who I follow daily on FB; both of whom have been dealt some tough hands, but watching them navigate through the maze of daily obstacles, has been both an inspiration and the model for which I choose to live my life. I believe Morgan's "never quit" attitude is the "It's Not Over Till I Win" attitude.

Precious 25-year-old Morgan Watson had a relapse in June of leukemia that was almost debilitating from 2009 to 2015, but after 6 years of treatment and non-stop battling the disease, she was declared in remission in 2015. We can only imagine the heartbreak, disappointment and the potential discouragement that could have been hers, and her family. But from June to today, their journey has been quite to the contrary. Oh yes, there have been insurmountable challenges and setbacks, but I have watched Morgan and her mom, Salina Watson, be bright lights in the darkness. They have had so many reasons to throw in the towel and quit, but instead, they have celebrated life in such remarkable ways. They are the encouragers to us as they give positive quotes and messages to inspire us to be better, to think better, to live our lives better. This is an example of one of Salina’s posts:

“As I sat looking through my pictures this evening, I came across the one below. I took it last week while Morgan was still in the hospital, prior to her having a lumbar puncture, and having chemo administered into her spine. At first glance, you wouldn’t know that she had been given news of a relapse 2 weeks prior and that she would be having a procedure minutes later. Why? Because her attitude and facial expression were not a typical response that one would expect from someone on the same path. You see, the truth is, we do not always have a choice in our circumstances, but we do get to choose how we will respond to it. Inevitably, our response will determine our outcome. Our world can be falling apart, yet we can choose to take the high road and embrace it with a smile, knowing that we are better for it. Morgan understands this and sets a perfect example for each one of us on any given day. My hope is that by sharing this, you too will begin to see challenges a little differently, and find a way to embrace them with a 😊.”
Maybe, today, you feel like you have every reason in the world to quit. Don’t!! Just look around at those who have so much more reason than you do to quit -- but they don't. They soar, and people who soar, are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain about their lot in life nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they just refuse to be quitters; they won't allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under. They push through and pull up. QUIT is just not in their vocabulary!

And what was that I heard people say about quitting? "I can't because ........" REALLY? I'd say we have every reason in the world to pursue our dreams, our goals, and our visions -- we have too many blessings, have been given way too much, and BEST OF ALL, we have a Heavenly Father, WHO with "All things are possible!" We can! So let's just DO IT! "It's Not Over Till You Win!"

Dr. Whirlwind and Dr. Peace -- Relax. Trust Me.

Six years ago my sweetheart was in for another hospital adventure. We were still learning some very important lessons on our faith journey. I needed an extra dose of peace yesterday, so I thought about those lessons. I had some good reminders and thought maybe my FB family could use some of those lessons too.

During those times, our mode of operation was to seek peace first -- finding that place of relaxing and resting in green pastures -- before moving forward too quickly when making decisions or taking steps in our journey. We were faced with yet another major decision. Our primary Neurosurgeon (NS) was enjoying himself as he rode in the Tour de France. His partner was acting in his behalf -- handling our case. Unlike our Neurosurgeon, this NS was hyper, abrupt, negative, and sincerely lacked the "bedside manner" that we had been used to. When it appeared that Ron's kidneys were not functioning, when his legs were losing feeling, when a mileogram indicated that his spinal cord was being compressed, and when lab results were unfavorable, this NS said "I don't want to operate!!! I don't want to operate!!! But I will not have you go paralyzed under my watch, so I must operate! Tomorrow morning, we'll see what the lab reports say and then we'll operate if your kidney function numbers are better!! I'm posting NPO (no food or water) after midnight on your door! I'll see you in the morning" Whew!!! Whirlwind in……take a deep breath…..PEACE OUT!

It was then that I grabbed Karen's hand (Ron's sister) and said "Let's go for a walk around the hospital!" As we did, we prayed for God to encamp His angels around the hospital, for God's healing touch to Ron, for wisdom and knowledge to our medical team, and then, God gave us a sincere desire to see our stand-in NS touched by God's love, to witness the Light of Jesus in us, and to experience the same peace that we were experiencing. As we made our 6th round, we noticed lying on the grass at the corner of the hospital grounds was a Mama cat and her baby. They watched us intently, and never flinched. Immediately, we could sense God saying to us "RELAX -- peace -- I am with you -- Trust Me!" We made our final and 7th round, and just as we had not seen the cats in rounds one to five, they were gone on the 7th, but those words resonated within us. We came back to the hospital room and Ron, Staci, our daughter and her husband, Larry, were singing and praising God for the answer we knew He would give us the next morning. We went to sleep that night, completely at peace, knowing that God would be orchestrating the plans for the next day.

Early, the next morning, we were awakened by the lab technicians to draw the blood for the lab tests. At 6:30 am, our stand-in NS (aka Dr. Whirlwind) came in the room exasperated, saying "I'm so upset! The labs are not in yet and I have a surgery at St. John's in 15 minutes. I have a full day of patients that I will have to reschedule. Let me check your legs. They appear stronger. I believe you're stable. So, are we going to operate or not?" Ron, so at peace, replied, "I don't think so; I think we'll wait until next week!" Then Ron shared about his Dad's healing of cancer and lived another 15 years. We watched Dr. Whirlwind calm down, relax and experience a few moments of peace -- even though he was late for his next surgery. I asked him if he liked his work. He said, "Yes, but I can't stop thinking about it -- at work or when not at work." I said, "Then you are a dedicated, gifted physician and, obviously, God called you to do what you do. We're going to pray that He gives you balance and that you find peace." To that, he let me hug him and, in a complete shift in demeanor, he gave us his best wishes, and peaceably removed the NPO sign off the door. Ron enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Later that day, the lab results came in. Ron's kidney functions were drastically improved, his legs were stronger and we relaxed in knowing that God would cradle us in His arms….until our primary NS would return to Tulsa.

When our NS, Dr. Tomacek ada Dr. "Peace", returned, he reviewed all the excitement we'd been through in his absence and gave us his optimistic expectations about the surgery he would do in a couple of days. He told us that while in France, he went to Notre Dame de Lourdes. He said he saw thousands of people coming there for healing, and he prayed for us. I told Ron, "I choose to believe that Doc received a healing touch so much so that when he operates on Thursday, that his hands which were touched by God, will impart that healing to you." I was bold enough to believe that God uses many different ways to bring healing to us.

The next night, my sister-in-law, Karen, and my dear friend, Sheila Michie, and I, took another march/walk around the hospital. With the same fervor, determination, and faith, we expected the same peace that carried us that far in our faith journey to carry us through that surgery and onto complete wholeness. We looked for the Mama Cat and her baby. They didn't show up, but we still heard the words "Relax. Trust Me." And we did.

God Has a Plan -- STAND!

At age 14, I was a volunteer Candy Striper at a Dallas hospital. The unique title went with the candy cane, red & white-striped pinafores that we wore. In those days, I aspired to become a nurse, so I took flowers and mail to patients, refilled their water jugs, and other incidental duties. But, those plans were dashed when I married my handsome 18-year-old sweetheart when, at 17, I graduated high school. I became an office clerk to help put him through college. The next year, I gave birth to our son. If I had it to do all over again -- I’d do it all over again -- because that was the journey that God destined for us! Looking back through the rear view mirror and living with “if only” thoughts does not serve us well. God always tells us to press on, go forward, rise and shine, and "remember not the former things" (Isaiah 43:18)!

Unexpectedly in our journey of faith, I did become an “unofficial” nurse – not as I had dreamed it to be, but one God called me to at the time. My husband had a severe staph infection that required 8 weeks of antibiotics by I.V. After brief training, I was able to give him the I.V. three times a day. I’ll admit my hesitancy to take on such a critical responsibility that I had only witnessed the "pros" (RN's) perform in the hospital. At first, it seemed overwhelming, with so many sterilizing techniques, flushing the lines, clamping and not clamping, and calculating the drip timing, but I got it down quite well.

The challenges we faced were often daunting, and Nurse Donna continued to be on duty until my sweet man graduated to heaven. But, we never wavered from our STAND of faith. God’s Word was our surest foundation in every turn of the road in our journey. We knew our faith, as well as the prayers and support of friends and family, gave us the tenacity to "STAND" and press on to the finish line. These lyrics of gospel recording artist, Donnie McClurkin, “Stand”, undergirded us. I give these words to you to encourage you in whatever role you may find yourself in -- as someone’s nurse, caregiver, companion, friend, or, even to be the one that is the recipient of the love and care - wherever your journey takes you, today, or in the future, let these words resonate within you and encourage you to keep STANDING!

“STAND”, by Donnie McClurkin
Tell me, what do you give when you've given your all,
And it seems like you can't make it through?
Well you just stand, when there's nothing left to do.
You just stand, watch the Lord see you through.
Yes, after you done all you can, you just stand.
You just stand, and endure,
God has a purpose, yes, God has a plan.

Don't you dare give up through the storm, stand through the rain,
Through the hurt, yes, through the pain,
Don't you bow, and don't bend, don't give up, no, don't give in.
Hold on, just be strong, God will step in and it won't be long.
After you've gone through the storm, after you gone through the rain,
After you done all you can.....you just stand.

Take a Deep Breath, Chill and Relax....God Has Got This!

Day before yesterday, I had the privilege of waiting with a dear friend as her husband was in back surgery by the same Neuro Surgeon and in the same hospital, that my sweetheart was in four years ago. I had a flood of memories as we set there, and I reminisced to my friend about this one. I think it bears repeating to encourage us all to “chill and relax” during times of overwhelming concern and worry.

We found out my husband had to have another emergency surgery to, once again, remove the tumor that had returned on his vertebrae and was impinging on his spinal cord. It was then that I grabbed Karen's hand (Ron's sister) and said "Let's go for a walk!" (You know, like Joshua marching around the walls of Jericho.) As we did, we prayed for God to station His angels around the hospital, for God's healing touch to Ron, and for wisdom and knowledge to our medical team. As we made our 6th round, we noticed lying on the grass at the corner of the hospital grounds was a Mama cat and her baby. They watched us intently, and unlike wild cats, they never flinched. Immediately, we could sense God saying to us "Just like these cats….. RELAX – be in peace -- I am with you! Enjoy the journey." We made our final, and 7th round, and just as we had not seen the cats in rounds one to five, they were gone on the 7th, but those words resonated within us. We came back to the hospital room and Ron, our daughter, and her husband were singing and praising God for the answer we knew He would give us the next morning. We went to sleep that night….completely at peace….knowing that God would be orchestrating the plans for the next day. And, He most certainly did.

What is weighing heavy on your heart today? What troubles loom above you like dark clouds? If it’s possible, go for a little walk and have a talk with He Who knows everything about everything – give the cares to Him. He knows what tomorrow holds, so why not allow Him to orchestrate the details? In the meantime, take a deep breath, chill, and RELAX…..God has got this!

"V" is for VICTORY

Knowing my Honey would have a major surgery the next day, I called on my "walking/praying" buddies, Karen and Sheila. It was time to declare VICTORY as we made our seven laps around the hospital (like Joshua and his troops did, marching around the walls of Jericho). It was a hot day in Tulsa -- a heat index of 105 degrees, but when we started our "march", we felt a sweet breeze, fragranced with the flowers around the hospital. Looming up above were dark clouds, but we were enamored by the bright light that was behind them. We were reminded of the LIGHT of Christ and we had nothing to fear.

Such victory was in our hearts as we began our 7th Victory Lap. This time, we walked by Ron's room and and gave him the "V" is for victory hand sign. Soon, marching parallel with us, was a geese family, Mama, Papa, and six little ones. As we turned the corner, we heard "honk, honk, honk" and we thought our Geese Family had taken flight, but up above, flew a perfect "V" formation of geese and that was topped off by a lightning bolt across the sky -- God's exclamation point on our VICTORY!

That victory walk, and mindset, gave us the faith boost we needed for the next day. No, we didn't get the miracle victory we expected, but, without doubt, we knew our faith journey was guided by the One Who loves us most, desires to bless us with good things, and Who promises He will never leave us or forsake us. We continued to stand for our miracle, and though my sweet Honey's ultimate victory was a one-way ticket to heaven a few months later, my victory was, and is the same today "I am more than a conqueror" because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. Victory is IN ME! Our victories aren't defined by earth's space and time or, losses. They are defined by trusting in God's ways being the best ways, and that seals the deal EVERY TIME. 1 Corinthians 15:57 - "But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Bitter or Better?

I have an Aunt who has been in a British Columbia hospital for over 15 months now -- Crohn's Disease -- and, after all she's gone through -- so many surgeries, in so much pain, and many other complications -- she remains joy-filled, thankful, and continues to give God praise to be alive. Her faithful husband rides the bus for 45 minutes each way to go see her each day. I continue to tell them...."You are on assignment! People are encountering THE LIGHT when they see you! You have been seasoned with God's peace, His joy and His faithfulness.....'for such a time as this'! All roads of your life have led you to this time!"
And, I see that in my life.....the faith journeys have led me to this time of "singing in the rain", of "coming through the fire -- and not smelling like smoke"!
What have the experiences of your life brought you to? Are you bitter.....or better because of them? Are those problems making you....or breaking you? Are you a Victor or a Victim? Are you comforting others with the comfort that you've been comforted with? If you are....you KNOW you're on assignment.....are on purpose....living in GOD's master plan.....and are causing people to come face-to-face with a BETTER WAY! Indeed....you are BETTER and are a VICTOR.....and you're causing others to be that, too!

Dr. Whirlwind and Dr. Peace -- Relax. Trust Me.

Dr. Whirlwind and Dr. Peace -- Relax. Trust Me.
Six years ago my sweetheart was in for another hospital adventure. We were still learning some very important lessons on our faith journey. I needed an extra dose of peace yesterday, so I thought about those lessons. I had some good reminders and thought maybe my FB family could use some of those lessons too.

During those times, our mode of operation was to seek peace first -- finding that place of relaxing and resting in green pastures -- before moving forward too quickly when making decisions or taking steps in our journey. We were faced with yet another major decision. Our primary Neurosurgeon (NS) was enjoying himself as he rode in the Tour de France. His partner was acting in his behalf -- handling our case. Unlike our Neurosurgeon, this NS was hyper, abrupt, negative, and sincerely lacked the "bedside manner" that we had been used to. When it appeared that Ron's kidneys were not functioning, when his legs were losing feeling, when a mileogram indicated that his spinal cord was being compressed, and when lab results were unfavorable, this NS said "I don't want to operate!!! I don't want to operate!!! But I will not have you go paralyzed under my watch, so I must operate! Tomorrow morning, we'll see what the lab reports say and then we'll operate if your kidney function numbers are better!! I'm posting NPO (no food or water) after midnight on your door! I'll see you in the morning" Whew!!! Whirlwind in……take a deep breath…..PEACE OUT!

It was then that I grabbed Karen's hand (Ron's sister) and said "Let's go for a walk around the hospital!" As we did, we prayed for God to encamp His angels around the hospital, for God's healing touch to Ron, for wisdom and knowledge to our medical team, and then, God gave us a sincere desire to see our stand-in NS touched by God's love, to witness the Light of Jesus in us, and to experience the same peace that we were experiencing. As we made our 6th round, we noticed lying on the grass at the corner of the hospital grounds was a Mama cat and her baby. They watched us intently, and never flinched. Immediately, we could sense God saying to us "RELAX -- peace -- I am with you -- Trust Me!" We made our final and 7th round, and just as we had not seen the cats in rounds one to five, they were gone on the 7th, but those words resonated within us. We came back to the hospital room and Ron, Staci, our daughter and her husband, Larry, were singing and praising God for the answer we knew He would give us the next morning. We went to sleep that night, completely at peace, knowing that God would be orchestrating the plans for the next day.

Early, the next morning, we were awakened by the lab technicians to draw the blood for the lab tests. At 6:30 am, our stand-in NS (aka Dr. Whirlwind) came in the room exasperated, saying "I'm so upset! The labs are not in yet and I have a surgery at St. John's in 15 minutes. I have a full day of patients that I will have to reschedule. Let me check your legs. They appear stronger. I believe you're stable. So, are we going to operate or not?" Ron, so at peace, replied, "I don't think so; I think we'll wait until next week!" Then Ron shared about his Dad's healing of cancer and lived another 15 years. We watched Dr. Whirlwind calm down, relax and experience a few moments of peace -- even though he was late for his next surgery. I asked him if he liked his work. He said, "Yes, but I can't stop thinking about it -- at work or when not at work." I said, "Then you are a dedicated, gifted physician and, obviously, God called you to do what you do. We're going to pray that He gives you balance and that you find peace." To that, he let me hug him and, in a complete shift in demeanor, he gave us his best wishes, and peaceably removed the NPO sign off the door. Ron enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Later that day, the lab results came in. Ron's kidney functions were drastically improved, his legs were stronger and we relaxed in knowing that God would cradle us in His arms….until our primary NS would return to Tulsa.

When our NS, Dr. Tomacek aka Dr. "Peace", returned, he reviewed all the excitement we'd been through in his absence and gave us his optimistic expectations about the surgery he would do in a couple of days. He told us that while in France, he went to Notre Dame de Lourdes. He said he saw thousands of people coming there for healing, and he prayed for us. I told Ron, "I choose to believe that Doc received a healing touch so much so that when he operates on Thursday, that his hands which were touched by God, will impart that healing to you." I was bold enough to believe that God uses many different ways to bring healing to us.

The next night, my sister-in-law, Karen, and my dear friend, Sheila Michie, and I, took another march/walk around the hospital. With the same fervor, determination, and faith, we expected the same peace that carried us that far in our faith journey to carry us through that surgery and onto complete wholeness. We looked for the Mama Cat and her baby. They didn't show up, but we still heard the words "Relax. Trust Me." And we did.

Aboard Our Hospital Cruise Ship

Several years ago, while we were on the 2nd day of a cruise to the Southern Caribbean, we were just about to retire for the night, when all of a sudden, the lights on the ship began to flicker and then we heard, and felt, the engines come to a fast stop. It was a dramatic sight as people ran to their cabins to get their life jackets. Fear seemed to permeate the passengers. We know many were thinking…. "TITANIC!!!!" On the other hand, Ron and I, completely calm since this was not our first cruise, moved through the passengers to encourage, settle down and help the crew bring peace to the situation. Yes, we had alarming news and even the loss of many vital necessities aboard the ship became cause for anxiety and discouragement. Sparing the details, I'll tell you our cruise ended the next day because the ship's engine had caught fire and as the ship was towed to Montego Bay (150 miles away), several 747 jets awaited to take the 1,500+ guests back to our home destinations. Many people were so upset about the inconvenience and that their cruise had ended so abruptly, but Ron and I kept thinking "something good is going to come out of this". And, indeed it did -- not only did we obtain a full refund for that cruise, but we were given an 8-day cruise for free on the ship and time of our choice. In addition, when we took the next cruise, our flights were overbooked on both legs, so we chose to receive the flight dollars to delay to the next flight -- we received over $1,800 in flight dollars.

So here we are aboard our "Hospital Cruise Ship". When Ron had his back surgery in April, we took ourselves out of the "hospital" mindset while he was recovering, and let our minds imagine ourselves on another cruise. When Ron's dinner tray would come to our room (which we called "our cabin"), we'd have soft music playing and we would share the meal at a table in the room….and later we'd imagine walking the "Promenade Deck" as Ron needed to get his strength back by walking the halls of the hospital. But this trip to the hospital has been very different. One of the nurses, who was our nurse previously, remembered us and asked if we were on the cruise ship again, and my response was "No, not this time -- the waters have been way too rough and the storms have been raging way too much!"

We were admitted to the hospital last Wednesday, July 14th, because of the severe back pain that Ron was experiencing. He began to run 104 degrees temperature and the next day we found out that he had a serious staph infection coming from the original surgery site that would take weeks of treatment. But that was only the beginning. As the tests started to come back that the infection was improving, other symptoms and concerns began to arise, and the pain still continued to increase. As Ron would walk to the wash room, we noticed that his legs had weakened and became rubber-like -- and on three occasions he crumpled to the ground. Immediately, the neuro surgeon scheduled him for a milogram to determine if he had spinal cord compression again (as was in the first surgery in April, yet without neurological symptoms). In addition, lab tests came back showing his creatinine level (which measures the kidney function) was at 4.9 -- our physician came in and said, "He is in kidney failure!" And to add to the negative news, that evening we were told the results of the milogram, "Indeed his spinal cord is being compressed by a tumor that has reappeared on the T-11 vertebrae and there must be immediate emergency surgery to prevent paralysis." Suddenly, we were hearing…."TITANIC!!!" In the natural, it would be so easy to run to get our life jackets and be overcome with panic and fear, because, after all, his body is not in the same strong physical shape that it was in during the first surgery in April. Now, he has only one kidney, no gall bladder or adrenal gland; he is recovering from staph infection and we have been told he has signs of anemia. But, we continue to refuse to live in a state of alarm -- instead we dialed 9-1-1 (that is: Psalms 91:1 -- "He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.") We find that place by our trust and confidence in our Maker -- knowing that He has a plan in place and our part is to seek peace in the midst of the storm. The neuro surgeon left our room, fully expecting to perform the surgery the next day (yesterday -- Friday) if the lab reports were good, and we told him we would know the next morning what God's plan would be by the peace in our hearts. As a family, once again, we prayed, we worshipped God, we sang, and we celebrated the gift of knowing that tomorrow morning, we'd be right in the middle of God's plan. Friday morning came -- Ron's legs were stronger, he looked good, but lab results were not in yet that tell the team if he is ready for the surgery. The doctor's schedule was full with a surgery at St. John's at 7 a.m. and a day of patients to see coming in from all over the state. So the delay and the schedule were our first signals that haste should give way to rest in peace this weekend and get stronger to take on the surgery next week -- especially since our primary neuro surgeon will be back to Tulsa after being out of the country for two weeks. So that's what will happen….and oh, by the way, the lab work did come in and his creatinine level was down to 1.6 today -- normal!!! Thanks be to God!

Today, Saturday, is our son's birthday -- what a great surprise we received when, flying in from Seattle, Ryan, Shawntel and the boys walked into our room last night. Ryan said "There's no place I'd rather be on my birthday, than with my Dad". God did have a plan for this "hospital cruise" -- He knew our children and grandchildren would be here today to enjoy each other, laugh and celebrate. Yes, our "hospital cruise" continues for an extended voyage next week when we will move forward to another phase of our faith journey. Please pray for God's wisdom to our medical team, Ron's body to be fully capable of handling yet another surgery, and that all issues that have shown up in his body become normal. Thank you so much for your love and prayers. Your words of encouragement, your offers to help, and your sincere best wishes have been a true source of comfort to us! Happy sailing and cruising to you and we look forward to seeing you all very soon when we disembark at our Home Port of Call!