Final Roadblock Removed!

Do you ever feel like God is calling you to do something? Perhaps it's even the worst thing He could ever ask you to do because you don't feel like it's supposed to be you to do it. What if it's repairing a relationship you didn't damage, could you pick up the phone, write a letter or even plan a face to face meeting to resolve the issue no matter how much it hurts?

I find that God can't move forward in our lives to bless us, to help us grow or to push us to become better people unless we are willing to submit 100% to His calling. Like I stated in my post yesterday, I want the 100-fold return. So when I asked God to show me any areas in my life he really wanted me to clean house on, he told me I had to make the first step in resolving the issue with my father. We haven't spoken in 17 years. It's not because either of us had issues with one another, we simply grew apart and for me, I personally believed, it just wasn't the time to have conflicts and unnecessary stress in my life. I also wasn't walking with Jesus back then, I kind of went my own way and resolved to pick God up again when I found the time.

Yet, when a young man I counseled back at the end of the summer just as he was heading back to college, we both had a god-like intervention. It was a tough time for both of us in what started out as simply friends getting together, but with God there are no coincidences. He had a plan that day. A plan to work a miracle of sorts in both our lives and for us both, it was a test of our wills, a test of faith, and a test of our commitment to Him. That was a huge turning point for both of us. We each had to resolve issues with our family. He did his immediately and for me, I did mine today.

The first person I really wanted to share it with was my friend and I got so much love and support from him. I felt it was time to call my dad. He had been inquiring about me and my family through my brother and even though I provided him with all my contact information if my dad wanted to reach out, he felt he needed to come from me. Well now, I know where I get my stubbornness from.

So lately, I've been tackling a study on faith with my husband. We've been learning how to walk closer with God's will for our lives and less than our own will. I've been learning how to put up boundaries to keep my inside and focused on today, learning to plant today seeds, and being a 100% committed to God in ALL areas of my life. Today, God called and said it was time to clean the whole house, including that closet in the back where I've kept it under lock and key.

Today, I refused to listen to all the lies of the enemy, because God said today was the day. Was He making me do it? Of course not! God doesn't force us to do anything. He simply asks. If we're 100% committed, the response should be an easy one, but for me, well, let's just say it was the hardest thing I believe God asked me to do. He wanted me to call my dad today. Why today?

Because (1) He asked. (2) I was willing to go all in, and commit 100% if God saw things that needed to be cleaned up in my life, and (3) it was my dad's birthday. A perfect segue into why I was calling today of all days. I didn't know today would be the day, God would call in His chips for this area of my life, but knowing how wonderful He's been moving in areas of my life, I didn't want this to be the one thing that would hold me back from receiving His best in my life. Who doesn't want God's best?

And let me tell you He has been working in mighty ways, but I can't share just yet. So when God called today, I had no excuse. I had to 100% committed for Him, or I wasn't. He doesn't want anything less from me. So after a lengthy prayer asking for Him to be with me, I rummaged for the phone number my brother gave me a few months ago, and dialed the number. I was kinda hoping it would go to voicemail, but you know God, He had other things in mind. My dad answered.

I don't know which of us was more shocked, me or him. He was surprised, but you can tell it was a great surprise. I had to hold back the tears as I wished him a Happy Birthday and remind him who was calling. Remember he didn't have my number with him, I'm sure. We touched base a little bit today, and I told him I wanted to call over sending a card to let him know I was thinking about him today. We spoke for about 15 minutes since he was heading into work, but I know today was the start of something amazing. I know one things for sure, my dad probably got the birthday gift he's been wanting for a very long time. For me, I was happy to know that I kicked the devil back into his hole, because now, my house is clean. I have 100% assurance I am not holding anything back. I've forgiven all the people in my life I have issues with and for once, I have opened the doors in all my personal relationships!

And you know what?

I feel GREAT!

and the best part?

God's got something coming and it's going to be mind-blowing amazing and I believe it's coming soon!

I hope this message inspires you to open those doors God's calling you to work on. While it may difficult, the enemy will try to remind you of all kinds of ways to avoid doing this, but like removing a band-aid, you just got to rip it off! It doesn't hurt half as much as you think it would, and it's sooooo worth it!

If you want to contact me, leave me a message and I'll respond or you can ask me to pray for you. I know in the last days the enemy is going to seek to divide and destroy our relationships and it's time we got the construction business going and start to make repairs and build bridges. Let's put him out of business!

By the way, Happy Birthday again Dad!!!

Urgent Prayer Request Needed!

UPDATE: 10:33am - My husband called and found out that Ken isn't doing well at all since they brought him into the hospital. His kidneys are failing, one of his lungs isn't responding to the treatment and his heart is weak. They say that this is about as bad as it can get. They have him on the ventilator just to keep air flowing in him and that they will be doing exploratory surgery later to see what is going on with his lungs. ~ Please keep prayers going~ My hubby actually stopped by his room to see him even though he was sedated and he said, It was hard to see and a real awakening.

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My husband just got a call last night from his mom that his oldest brother, Ken is in the hospital in the ICU unit. Apparently he had a cold that he went to follow up with a doctor on Tuesday that put him on antibiotics to rid him of the virus.

However late last night his wife told my husband that for the past two days, he couldn't not remember where he was or even who she was. Last night she called for the paramedics who came and took him to the hospital.

This morning we were updated on his progress that they have him sedated and on a ventilator to help him breathe and he has severe pneumonia. They are still running other tests to see what is going on. My husband is on his way to the hospital as I type this.

Both Steve and his brother have not spoken in well over 11 years, not based on anything Steve has done but his brother can't get over his feeling to isolate and punish my husband for not being able to house sit for him some 11+ years ago. Silly isn't it.

He isn't a Christian and thus we could use God's strong hand here. First, the heal Ken and bring him back to full health.

2. Restore the relationship between brothers once and for all.

3. Restore the relationship between Ken and God and allow him to be touched in ways that he won't doubt for one minute who holds the keys to life.

I will keep you all updated on his progress. Thanks again for your urgent prayers.

Back to Square 1!

Just when you think your life is slowly changing for the better, you realize that you were headed down the wrong path anyway.

After today's failure of a doctors appointment, my primary care doctor wants me to be referred to both an OB/GYN and GI specialist. She basically acted as though today was our first appointment. I had to remind her of just what has been going on for 2 weeks now. She said she just received my CT scan which was faxed over to her on 12/4 and she is just going over the results of it today with me.

She said well I think you pain is coming from a multi-cystic mass on your left ovary that is 6.5 cm and needs to be removed. So you will need to schedule a doctors appointment with your OB. I explained I just did this last month when I was having this pain and the cyst was 1.8 cm but my OB said it was nothing to be concerned about and I have a history of having them come and go. She really insists this is the answer to my problem.

Then she also explained that I do have an inflamed colon and that should be addressed by a GI even though that probably isn't the cause of the pain.

Nice news huh? So we are back on square one, still taking the antibiotics for good measure, have to turn in a stool sample tomorrow to make sure the C-diff is gone cause they lost my first one I dropped off a week ago, went to the GI specialist today to get schedule for a colonoscopy on January 6th and I have an appointment with the same OB on December 22nd to go over those findings from the CT, since my primary thinks this is it!

So now I get to lie in bed, eating pain medicines to control my pain levels until my doctors can all decide on just what is wrong. My GI suggested it may be just all three combined and suggested I take Tylenol for the pain. Did they fail to understand I am living in my bed as much as I can, can't walk and eat pain medications? Suggestions anyone?

So you can see where I will be at for Christmas but think I need to blog at this time just in case anyone else finds themselves in this same medical boat. Please continue to pray for me and keep me in your prayers. I am confident that God will answer my prayers and heal me soon according as always to His will.

Asking for Sweet Prayers for Mea! ~ UPDATED!

Good Monday Morning everyone! I wanted to take today to share a special request from my little sister, Ann Marie. She called me on Friday to let me know about a special prayer request she has for her daughter, my niece, Mea! Here is the story from my sister:

Mea was approximately 6 months old when I was watching her play on the bed and realized her eyes were not dilating the same. On her well baby visit with the pediatrician I explained what I had noticed to him. Upon examination (shining the light in her eye), he as well noticed that her pupils did not dilate the same. We were referred out to a pediatric ophthalmologist who noticed a black dot in her left eye. After further examination, I don’t know the medical lingo for it, but basically, it was discovered that while she was developing in uteruo, the iris of her left eye did not fuse all the way closed – hence she has this hole in her iris. At the time after basic eye exams on such a young child (she was only 8 or 9 months old) he didn’t believe there would be any issues as she was still tracking objects and the main components of the eye was in tact.

Fast forward to December 2008. Mea is 5 years old and we decide its time to have her see an optometrist just as a routine visit… it was discovered that her vision in her left eye (the problem eye) was much weaker than the right eye. Essentially her right eye was the one seeing for her. She was given a prescription for glasses and we were told that hopefully since the discrepancy was found at such a young age ---- (apparently your eyes continue to strengthen until the age of 9 or 10), that with constant wearing of her glasses, the glasses may help to bring her vision close to normal.

It’s now November 2009 and its time to see her pediatrician for Mea’s annual check-up. In discussion we talk about the visit last year to the optometrist and the discover of the weaker eye. The pediatrician immediately sends out a referral for the pediatric ophthalmologist and states he wants a medical doctor to see her. We are referred back to the same doctor we saw when she was a “baby”. So last Wednesday we go to see the specialist. Thankfully, I thought enough to request the records from the optometrists office to take with me and the specialist still had Mea’s records from when she was 8 months old! He has Mea complete a vision exam with her glasses on – at which I believe I heard him say, she failed. She failed with glasses on? K He then dilates her eyes and we wait…for 30 minutes. Mea says things are blurry and fuzzy and we try to make the best of our wait by me reading to her and giggling.

We are called back in the office and the doctor completes another exam of Mea’s eyes while they are dilated. We are then informed that Mea’s current prescription is too strong to which we are given a new prescription for glasses. Her right eye is the one seeing the whole world for her. Her left eye is basically just sitting along for the ride. Her brain appears to have shut off the visual cues that her left is functioning and able to see. We have six weeks before we are due back to see the pediatric ophthalmologist in hopes the new prescription has had some effect to stimulate the eye to work. If at that point the eye has not shown any improvement, he will have to “patch” her working eye to force the “Lazy left” eye in hopes to see and work. It comes down to, if we can’t force her brain to accept the visual cues, her brain my just shut out any information from her left eye – basically going blind in that eye.

I hope this is what you need and please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again so much! Hopefully some prayers are just what the doctor ordered!!!!.....

So I implore you to please pray for this sweet angel. She is 6 and has a heart of pure gold for God. May we stand united for healing in her eye and that in 6 weeks she will be healed. I ask for all my prayer warrior friends to please pass this request along and even link it to your blogs for prayer as well. We know God is faithful and we know he cares! Thank you in advance Lord Jesus, that even now you are working in her life to heal her. May you pour forth your grace and comfort on my sister Ann Marie that she will have the knowledge, bravery and strength to deal with whatever God's will is. In Jesus Mighty Name we ask this, AMEN! Please grab Mea's prayer button on the right and add this to your blogs. My thanks go out to Ms. Edie for doing this for me.

Please continue to reach out to Loren as well at The Magoos News as she has some exciting news to share with all of you prayer warriors! God is truly a magnificent God and will answer all our prayers if we ask it in His name and according to His will.

A Diagnosis and Treatment!

You know you just have those days where uncertainty about what is going on in your life, just drives you crazy with the unknown.

Last night I was feeling a bit down. Mostly because in my eyes life was going on around me, while I remained in bed resting, not much energy and still sick not knowing the 'why's' of it all. My oldest daughter went with friends to the movies and then to their homes to decorate for the holidays.

My youngest, Kailee, wanted someone to play video games with and to hang out with and watch movies downstairs.

Since I've been home and not sure what is been wrong, I've been cautious in keeping my sick self away from everyone. The only time I see anyone is the floating head that appears in between my door and the wall, inquiring if I need anything? The answer is always NO, I'm fine! Yet in reality, I'm far from it.

I'm lonely. I'm sick. I am worried about how long I'll be like this. I am sad that my favorite time of the year is slipping away, like sands in an hour glass, and through my fingers and still there is so much unknown.

That is until this morning. Poor Steve lay awake all night tossing and turning, wondering if he should take today off under the FMLA law, or go into work and deal with things when he got home. Such a struggle for him and I could feel his dilemma even this morning as he got up to get ready for work.

After he got out of the shower, he told me he was taking off as much time as needed for me to get well. We don't have any money to speak of in savings and his income means the world to us, so for Steve to say this, is a huge undertaking. We believe God will prevail in it all.

He called work and left a message and crawled back into to sleep a few more hours with me before I had to leave to drop off my stool samples back to the lab this morning. At 8am, I decided to call the doctors office to see if I could squeeze in an appointment due to any cancellations this morning, and guess what...? They had a 9:45am appointment. I told them I would take it and then I could also drop off my labs at the same time.

When I got into see my doctor my blood pressure was a bit on the high side 145/95, but I told her I was feeling much better. I had been diarrhea free for 36 hours and off the anti-diarrhea meds just as long. I also told her I cheated by having oatmeal and mashed potatoes yesterday.

She told me she knew what was wrong with me. She announced that I had an infection called C-diff, which most people only get if they have been hospitalized recently and have undergone a treatment with antibiotics lately. I did not fit the bill but she stated they are seeing more and more of it by people who haven't had any antibiotics. It's basically an infection of the colon which is what has been causing my diarrhea and pain. I will need to undergo two rounds of antibiotics and it should improve on it's own. No hospital stay or further tests required!

I will need to go in next week for blood work to ensure my infection is improving and then followup with her in about a week and a half.

All of this could have been determined with a simple stool sample that the doctors failed to give me when I was sent to the ER. That test did not get completed until I checked myself out and had given them a stool sample at 7:30pm that night.

Can you say praise God in the Highest? Can you say, Hallelujah for no hospital stays or further testing? Can you say AMEN when I say I am being healed by our great Healer in His timing?

I am still riding this storm, still having abdominal pain which the doctor said will clear up once the infection goes away as the inflammation is still present and tender. She also cleared me to begin eating normal food but advised to take it slow. So this morning I had scrambled eggs and toast.

Please join me in thanking God in our Heavenly home and for His beautiful son Jesus for keeping Their hands in my life and healing me. Thank you all for your beautiful and never ceasing prayers. May all the glory and honor be God's and His alone! Please continue to pray for Steve this morning that his employers will be understanding to his need to take some time off work despite the critical project Steve was starting on today! Please pray for Steve that he will have peace and comfort that his decision today was the right one and that his work will not retaliate against him when he returns tomorrow!

Faith to move mountains!

Do you ever find yourself wondering how so many Biblical figures had faith to do what most of us would believe to be impossible things?

I know you all know about my medical issues right now. Here are some updates. I am still experiencing occasional pain which I can control with pain meds I have until they figure out why I am having it. My never ending diarrhea since last Sunday seems to be slowing down and I haven't had to take any anti-diarrhea meds since last night at 9:30pm. For me, going 12 hours plus is a major miracle. I was also able to sleep off and on for most of the night last night. Not the straight 6 hours I was praying for, but I think God has answered my prayers enough that I am giving all of this to Him and asking Him to be my Master Physician and guide my hands in the paths of those He sees confident to treat me.

I am also confident that God will take care of our financial needs even those hubbies job continues to threaten him to get back to work.

During the midst of this storm, God is teaching us, to rely on Him. Turn our eyes on Him, or risk sinking below those turbulent waters. Once we change our focus and what we are looking at, God will take us by the hand and lead us to calmer waters.

I spent time reading chapter 11 of Hebrews last night to experience how bad things got for some of God's people and how He brought them not only through it but out of it as well. Just when you think it's impossible to see your way through, change your perspective, lay your eyes on Him and He will lift you up and carry you if need be the rest of the way.

I am also cheating on my clear liquids a bit since I haven't had real food since Tuesday. I had some of the best watered down oatmeal this morning and some mashed potatoes for late lunch. I can tell you since Thursday, I have lost 8 pounds already.

This is not the weight loss diet you want to be on trust me! I am waiting to meet with my doctor as soon as I can but am hopeful there will be a cancellation tomorrow so we can meet before Tuesday.

Please continue to offer up prayers and leave comments to encourage me through this time. Scriptures are great as well cause I am writing them down and keeping them with me to offer with my prayers to God.

"I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and take heart and wait for the Lord."~ Psalm 27:13-14 (Thanks Lisa Shaw for that one!)