He’s Singing Over Us – Time for Us to Sing over Him

A dear friend who is an accomplished vocalist and guitarist recently tripped going up deck stairs and broke her wrist. Surgery was required and thanks be to God the surgery was a success but a hard cast plus therapy is in store for her. This precious woman has been an incredibly faithful music leader for several faith-based organizations and her church. Can we imagine losing the ability (even temporarily) of a talent and ability that has been such a blessing to so many?

I pray she hears God singing over her as she has sung and played for Him so faithfully. Zephaniah 3:17 says: "The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.”

Here’s the thing about my friend and you and me. God is always aware of what is going on in our lives at every moment. And, even when we become children of God and are obedient to Him, honoring and serving Him, troubles may still come our way and our sunshine-filled days turn into rainy days, and even storm-filled days. This is where scripture tells us to “offer the sacrifice” of praise. We don’t always feel like praising the Lord in joyful singing. Sometimes we're down, depressed and hurting closing the shades, staying in bed and pulling the covers over our head, just makes sense.

But, don't go there. Instead, offer a sacrifice of praise! A sacrifice is something not easy to give. It costs something. It takes more effort than we can put out. Why bother? Surely God will understand. Yes, He might understand, but He knows praise defeats the enemy who is trying to get the best of us. That's why there are many scriptures that urge us to praise!

It is often called “a sacrifice of praise” in scripture. Hebrews 13:15-16 says: “Through Him, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” What? Doing good and sharing what we have are considered sacrifices of praise to God.

In our country, it’s almost impossible to not hear negativity – hurting people hurt people and things (i.e, lost lives, properties and beloved sites destroyed, and distraught and hurting people). Too often we are waiting on God to do something when He is waiting on us to make the first move. He has already made the first move by all that Jesus did on the cross. He has provided liberally for our salvation, our healing, our provision as well as other things too numerous to count.

It’s time for us to hit the ground running each day – with sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. Sometimes we don’t know where to start or what to say because we haven’t been used to doing it. But, let’s try it. Be specific. For example: “I praise you, God, for keeping my family safe from the C-Virus. I thank you that I’ve still been able to work. I praise you for my home, my car, my food, my clothes.”

It may not be easy to utter those words – but that’s what a sacrifice is. Praise changes us, as well as the atmosphere around us. It lifts the down feeling that settles in on us. Someone said, “You have to make your own sunshine.” Praise to God has a way of moving the clouds out and bringing the sunshine in. So, today, "God, we enter into your gates with thanksgiving and into your courts with praise!" That's the least we can do for He Who sings over us daily.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

The pandemic has kept me from my family and friends in Tulsa. I miss them all, including my "besties", Charles (Mick) & Sheila Michie. Usually, when I went to see them, I made sure it wasn't on Friday mornings because that's their day of being the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need Him so desperately as their Savior. They are passionate about their jail ministry. Before this pandemic, very little could dissuade them from their commitment to make an eternal impact on those they visit.

I remember Mick sharing with me about taking his computer in with him. He showed the inmates gorgeous videos of God’s creation -- waterfalls, mountains, etc. Most of those incarcerated have never seen or even imagined such magnificence. Beauty is definitely “in the eyes of the beholder”. Those of us who have visited those places have an appreciation for that beauty, but after visiting them many times, our out-take isn’t the same as those who can only imagine the beauty.

When we speak of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, we mean that it is a matter of our personal opinion. That is why we might see something that is so beautiful that it takes our breath away. But when we point it out to a friend, they might not appreciate it as much as we do. We can only imagine what beauty is to those who have never seen or known the beauty of God and His creation.

Can we even imagine what it must be like for a blind person who never saw color, objects, people, creation -- anything – but, suddenly sees for the first time? I read a story of a young man who had only known darkness and with an innovative and life-changing surgery, he could see. He woke up and saw a young nurse who was looking after him; he thought she must be the most beautiful girl in the whole world. Then another nurse walked in asking how he feels, and he thought that she was even more beautiful. Soon he was taken outside, and he saw the trees, the flowers, the blue sky, people with smiling faces, and he felt like he had died and gone to Heaven. He even asked the nurse, “Am I in Heaven?” All had been dark, but now he could see the light and everything was so beautiful!

As I pondered about “beauty in the eyes of the beholder”, I thought about the old hymn “Amazing Grace” -- how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now, I’m found, was BLIND, but now I see.” Oh, the grace that opened our eyes to the beauty of the redeeming grace of Jesus. Those prisoners, those living without hope and purpose and destiny, those who live in darkness and unbelief -- but then one day -- they meet Jesus and everything changes. They suddenly know beauty beyond description.

I’m still thinking about my friend’s dad who went to heaven on Thursday. If the beauty of God’s creation here on this earth is beyond compare, and coming to know the beauty of His redeeming grace – we cannot even fathom the beauty to looking on our Lord’s face and His redeeming grace for all eternity.

“As it is written: ‘What no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no human mind has conceived— that is what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

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.

"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."

What's Your Family Medical History?

A few weeks ago, I had surgery, and thanks be to God, I feel like a new woman now. But in preparation for that surgery, I had to consult with several doctors, and with each one, I had to complete a lot of medical forms that included questions like "What is your medical history -- have you or your family members had heart disease? diabetes? cancer? arthritis? etc." And, as a matter of fact....there were cases of those diseases in our family.

And I started thinking, as I encouraged myself with God's Word and faith, trust and hope, I thought, "What if there were a question on that form that said, "Have you or your family members had a history of notable miracles?" And, again, as a matter of fact....there were cases of those in our family.

For example: our daughter, Staci, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis -- diagnosis completely reversed (is a recording artist with a 5-1/2 octave range and public speaker today); my son, Ryan, had almost irreparable club feet -- completely healed (in fact runs 26.2 marathons regularly). Then, there's my father-in-law, who at age 62, had Lymphoma Cancer. After surgery, was told he would live, at best, six months, but, with his trust and faith in God, lived another 15 years. I was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis, but with God's guidance to natural health solutions -- I'm completely healed. How's that for "FAMILY HISTORY" facts? And how's that for "good genes"? I think we'll stake our claim on those genetics. I Chronicles 16:12 "Remember the miracles He performed, the amazing things He did and the judgments He pronounced!" No matter where you're at today....God is STILL a God of miracles -- REALLY....with Him, all things are possible!

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!

Our Chief Surgeon!!!

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Those are the words (God's words) that rang in my heart many times in the last 2-1/2 months since first receiving the news and diagnosis that Ron, my precious husband of 43 years, has renal cell carcinoma cancer and that he was facing the risk of paralysis if we did not immediately have a tumor that was compressing his spinal cord removed. That surgery, on April 12th, was very successful! Then we learned of another tumor that was in another vertebrae and, subsequently, had cyber knife radiation to destroy that tumor. Of course, the main tumor culprit was in his kidney, so this week, that surgery took place.

Ron's sister, Karen, gave us this beautiful picture of Jesus guiding the surgeon's hands. That is the mindset we've maintained throughout this journey. Prior to each of these surgeries, Ron has held the hands of the surgeons and prayed that God, our Chief Surgeon's hands, would be directing our surgeons' hands. And with each surgery and procedure, we believe we are moving one step closer to total healing. As I said at the beginning of this blog, finding that place of peace -- not fearing the path that laid before us, but trusting God for His unfailing plan to be in place in our lives has been our focus. That has been our coping mechanism during these times of uncertainty and turning to that place of peace and rest only found in trusting God and His unfailing Word. That peace is really….undescribable, but explained best in scripture…..Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." And Jesus Christ said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27.

Today, June 24th, we're still in the hospital as Ron recovers from the surgery on Tuesday (June 22, 2010). Two surgeons removed his gall bladder, right kidney and adrenal gland. Two immediate prayers were answered for us as all this was done laproscopically -- 4 small incisions instead of open surgery -- which means a shorter recuperation period. And we are at the new Oklahoma Heart Institute -- a division of Hillcrest Hospital -- not because of a heart issue, but because of God's favor to have a beautiful, new, private room and receiving excellent care. The pain from the surgery is gradually dissipating, dear friends are bringing us communion daily, and the prayers and encouragement of our faithful and loving family and friends are what is giving us the extra boost to "finish strong"!!!

Words we heard today: "Adversity causes some to break....and others to break records!" We're going for the gold and expect to break a lot of records!!

Fighting the Good Fight of Faith!!!

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 important, 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 do we take the time to focus on how green the grass is, how blue the sky is, how bright the sun is, and how precious are the days when we are 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!

Peace, Be Still

On this incredible faith journey, though we are confident in the good work God is doing in my sweetheart, I'll admit there have been highs and lows in emotions. Ron, is truly my hero, today, more than all of our yesterdays, as I watch him refuse to succomb to pain, as well as to the many voices he is hearing.

Last night was one of debilitating pain -- he said it felt like knives going into him -- the pain much worse than it was before the surgery -- trying to find a place of rest where the pain would not be so intense, he finally found his recliner in the den to be a place of comfort at 3 am in the morning. Thankfully, he woke several hours later with the pain much less intense.

Of course, I felt I needed to be my Hero's She-ro, so first thing, this morning, I called doctors' offices to voice my concern about this new-found pain in his body. Then all the voices began to increase in volume in our ears -- one saying, "it might be this"; "do that"; "take this medication"; "don't take that medication"; "eat this"; "don't eat that" and on and on! Before long, he and I, both, were a bundle of nerves. So, what do I do in times like this.....even before I call on God? Call my daughter! With always the just the right words, she immediately began to pray words of peace over us..."Jehovah Shalom (God our Peace), be very present with Mom and Dad!" "Mom & Dad, breathe in Jesus; breathe in peace!"

Immediately, the light bulb came on and, once again, the scripture, "Him I will keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on me" (Isaiah 26:3) came to me and my Sweetheart and I welcomed our Father God, Jesus, our Prince of Peace, and sweet Holy Spirit into our home and our day. We put on praise and worship music and the atmosphere that was prevalent with anxiety, concern and distraction, was replaced with calm peace and assurance that God had us and all our cares in His control and we have nothing to be concerned about. God knows about this journey we are on and has known about it long before we did.....He even knows the outcome! So why should we worry, fret or be concerned? I hear and share these words of Jesus with you......"Peace, be with you!"