Our Room With a View

After a sweet heaven-on-earth few days at Beavers Bend with my family, we parted ways as they returned to Frisco, and I headed to Tulsa because the next day I would be attending a Confirmation Retreat as a sponsor to a precious teenage girl. First things first when I go to Tulsa -- I go to see Mom and spend time with her while Karen and George get to have a date night. As it turned out, the night became one that we had to rush Mom to the hospital ER because of medical concerns, which ended up being two days of Mom, Karen and I being “guests” of the Oklahoma Heart Institute Hospital for Mom to undergo many tests and procedures. Thankfully, I can report, as of last night, Mom is back at home in Tulsa and I am back home in Frisco.After a sweet heaven-on-earth few days at Beavers Bend with my family, we parted ways as they returned to Frisco, and I headed to Tulsa because the next day I would be attending a Confirmation Retreat as a sponsor to a precious teenage girl. First things first when I get to Tulsa -- go see Mom and spend time with her while Karen and George get to have a date night. As it turned out, the night became one that we had to rush Mom to the hospital ER, which ended up being two days of Mom, Karen and I being “guests” of the Oklahoma Heart Institute Hospital for Mom to undergo many tests and procedures. Thankfully, I can report, as of last night, Mom is back at home in Tulsa and I am back home in Frisco.

God’s timing was impeccable. Of all times for me to be in Tulsa when I could be a moral support to Sis and help carry the responsibility of the next couple of days. Teamwork lightens the load. We grabbed a couple of hours of sleep with one of us in the chair and the other on the window seat. When the sun came up, that first morning and we looked out the window, we saw our view from Mom’s room. We realized we had a “Room with a View” in this 5-Star Hotel --er’ hospital! The gorgeous Tulsa skyline welcomed us to this new day of faith and hope. It’s a matter of perspective – being IN a room that accommodates every medical device and equipment imaginable which could accompany all kinds of concerns and wonderings about what this day and tomorrow could hold. Or, it could be looking OUTSIDE that room to the beautiful skies, the Tulsa skyline, as well as the fond remembrances of walking in Pro-Life marches, participating in charitable organizations benefits, remembering the Route 66 marathons that I and family and friends ran on those streets, the great restaurants and shopping that THAT VIEW gave us instead of worries and concerns.

A special memory that came back to us was 10 years ago when in this same hospital when Mom was a patient and we were snowed in for days. Karen and I were Mom’s roommates then and because of the impassable roads, medical personnel had to use vacant rooms to sleep in. We had other memories in this hospital as my sweet husband was in there two separate times. I reminisced about our “Trust Me and relax" message from God during times of overwhelming concern and worry.

Karen and I were Ron’s (my husband/her brother) prayer team. We would go for walks during “stressful times’ at the hospital. We could have worried, but we turned those times into opportunities for stretching our faith muscles. During one of those “faith walk” times, we noticed a mama cat and her baby kitten, lying on the grass at the corner of the hospital grounds. 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." After those sweet prayer moments, we could go to sleep….completely at peace, knowing that God would be orchestrating the plans for the next day. And, He most certainly did. That’s where we are with Mom. At 95, there are expected AND unexpected ups and downs along the way. After all, lots of body parts in these bodies that have many miles on them. You just never know when a replacement or tune-up is necessary. At the end of a couple of days of little sleep, we cherished our “Room with a View” because the view we’ve come to know is God’s view.

Maybe the view of your circumstances has you overwhelmed and your heart is heavy with troubles that loom in the “room” you are in. Maybe it’s time to take a little walk and have a talk with He Who knows everything about everything and He wants you to turn your cares over to Him. He knows what tomorrow holds, so why not allow Him to orchestrate the details? In the meantime, take a deep breath and RELAX…..God has got this! Turn that ROOM you are in, into a ROOM WITH A VIEW of God’s faithfulness, of His promises to never leave you or forsake you, of turning your mourning into dancing and the spirit of heaviness into joy. THAT room, my friends, is better than a 5-Star hotel!

RELAX!!!

Yesterday, it was in the low 40s in Frisco and it rained, literally, all day. My kind of day! I started out sitting in front of my fireplace -- sending love text notes to my children. I never made my bed -- just in case I wanted to crawl back in -- I did. After all, those 4 to 5 hours of sleep at night justifies a little nap during the day. I did lots of office work, made several important phone calls, had a sweet time of devotion, washed clothes, created this post (as well as a couple of other posts for another day -- time well spent), and I loved every minute of this easy-go, easy-flow, RELAXING day. I looked into my bathroom when I laid down for that little middle-of-the-day nap and saw those words RELAX and I could hear two reassuring messages from God.

1) RELAX -- I was feeling a little guilty about having such a care-free day, doing just what I wanted to do. But, then I remembered the last three weeks of call-of-duty with my grandsons and then my mother-in-law -- that were non-stop, sometimes exhausting days. Here's what I know. It's okay to have a day when we can just BE. After all, we were created by God to be human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. I know that many of my younger friends dream of days like this. I was you in my busy working days, wife and little children days, Bible teacher and speaker days -- and now I am here, in these days. You'll be here one day and I urge you to savor these days, because tomorrow can be amped up, full-on, all-out exhaustive days. These are the days to refuel and get ready for firing up for the next call-of-duty.

2) RELAX -- There are many things to be concerned about in my life, my family's life, our city, country and world. How can we relax when there's so much to do for God? After all, we are His hands extended. After all, if we don't go, who will? After all, if I don't take care of this and that, who will take care of it for me? Then, loud and clear -- I could hear God's voice in these words in Psalms 26:3, "Be still and know that I am God." When He said those words, He meant it for the many troubles in King David's life and times, and just as assuredly, He means it for you and me today. I don't think He meant for us to actually sit in a chair and be still, but I think He meant "Be still of worry, anxiety and fear." How many times did He say "Do not fear. Do not be afraid"? I didn't count, but I read in my Google search, 365 times. So, then, when God says to RELAX -- that means, fear is unnecessary AND is disobedient to God's command of "Do not fear!"

Isaiah 30:15 says “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel says: in returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength….” I've been at this journey of faith long enough to be convinced that in quietness and confidence in God’s faithfulness, we will be renewed and strengthened daily. The word for quietness in Hebrew means “repose”. And repose means calm, relaxed, free from all anxiety, to be still, to lie down with support underneath (like the green pastures in Psalm 23). That was my yesterday -- enjoying the green pastures of my Father -- and RELAXING -- because why should I worry or fret, when He can handle it all for 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 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.

Chill Out and Relax

Whew -- back home after 9 days away, and there's a lot of catching up to do! I'm recuperating from a cold, so, actually, I gave myself a little "relaxing" room in order to "chill out" about all those things that needed to get done today!

Literally, there are times I hear "Chill out!" from God -- when I'm rushing here and there and feeling like I must get "ALL of this" done today! I once lived by "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today"......and I had 20 hour days.....exhausted and weary, and looking and feeling like this little dog.

Join me in a new way of thinking...let's determine to pace ourselves, get the good rest we need so we can be as productive as we can be -- spirit, soul and body!! Then, let's determine to ease up on the HAVE TO'S and RELAX a little more, so we can enjoy the blessings that just might show up in the middle of relaxing!

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.