We Have An Enemy

I never have a desire to boost Satan in any way but the reality for the Christian is that he is our enemy,  He hates us for the mere fact that we absolutely beyond a shadow of a doubt love God the Father, His Son Jesus, and the precious Holy Spirit that we carry within us daily.  It is for that reason that he has a desire to take us out.  John 10:10 ESV tells us "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  Jesus died at Calvary that we might have life and to have it in abundance.  That's exciting to me because whatever the enemy might have planned for me the blood of Jesus covered up Satan's plan that I might have the abundant life that Christ died for in my stead.  Wow!  I know that Satan has some messed up stuff planned for me because 1st Peter 5:8 ESV tells me "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." He's looking for someone to take out and he does not care who you are.  The more you love God the better you are for him to take out. Therefore, I have come to understand that some obstacles that we go through are simply because of who we are in Christ Jesus.  Sometiemes our struggles are because of things that we have done so we must assess ourselves before laying the blame. 

I used to think I was the only one that the devil tried to mess with but I have come to find out if you love God attacks will come.  Actually, this a good tool to measure if you are headed in the right direction.  My husband used an illustration in a sermon not long ago and he said if you and Satan are headed in the same direction you will not run into each other but if you are headed in opposite directions eventually you will collide.  This is definitely true.  I recently heard an interview that Martha Munizzi gave.  She said that when God used her the greatest that Satan attacked her the most and made her feel so bad that she would go to bed and curl up in a fetal position and feel so defeated.  That is the way he wants us to feel and I to have felt this way but we must remember he is a liar and because he is on his way to hell he wants to distract our glory for God. 

During my recent situation I had my own battles with the devil.  It began when I had to complete my preoperative testing.  I had to complete the routine bloodwork, EKG, and chest x-ray.  I went to my primary care doctor after the testing to get the results of my yearly bloodwork and he had a very concerned sound in his voice.  He said "we have a few things we need to talk about."  Ok........what could be wrong with my bloodwork.  I had been fasting for 21 days and eating only fruits, vegetables, and grains so this should have been some of my better bloodwork.  It was not my bloodwork at all.   It was all great.  However, he had gotten a call from the cardiologist concerning my EKG.  I took a deep breath and said with a smile ok what is going on?  I have to have clearance before my surgery.  He continued by telling me that my EKG was abnormal and I needed to go to The Heart Center to see a cardiologist and to get some cardiac testing. 

Satan had attacked my mind concerning my heart since I was a young child.  I had alway been concerned about dying of a heart attack because everyone of my dad's siblings that are deceased as well as his father died of a massive heart attack.  I have even had a first cousin to die of a massive heart attack at a young age. Also, each of his living siblings have severe heart problems with the exception of one.  The pattern of their lives are everything is fine and boom.....dead.  I'm sure there were warning signs they ignored but I can't prove that.  My father was the exception.  He had a very strong heart and died of cancer. 

I had no signs of heart problems and now an abnormal EKG.  My honest first thought was devil you just won't give up.  I was not worried or saddened but I wanted to kick the devil in the face because I knew this was another one of his tactics.  My husband was a bit disturbed but I had to remind him that we are no different than anyone else.  It's life and we are living it.  Thank God one day He gave me a Word that changed my life concerning the troubles we may encounter.  He asked me the question, "Can I Trust You With Trouble?"  My answer was YES!  See we must remember that if we say we love and trust God and trouble comes along and we fall apart and act so defeated what does that say about the greatness of our God?  What is the sinner to think?  If He's so great why are you so defeated so I have learned that my greatest obstacles are my best times to give God glory because it is He that is going through with me. I am not alone and those around me need to see that I trust Him even when I am going through the most devastating times in my life.  I don't know a lot but I do know that God loves me and He is always with me. 

I go to see the cardiologistand they take another EKG in the office and he tells me my heart is fine.  :)  Hahahaha  Devil!  I asked him what was the previous problem with the EKG.  He said the technician placed the leads in the wrong locations.  However, since you are here we will do some cardiac testing to make sure everything is fine.  Usually, the testing is a two or three day process but God is so gracious.  The scheduler that I was assigned was one of our Walnut Grove parents and she blessed me on that day.  I told her I was off only that day and had meetings scheduled the next day.  She very kindly made some calls to her friends upstairs and got all my test scheduled for that day.  Only God can get you royal treatment like that.  She didn't owe me any favors but God put her in a position to bless me and she did.  As I tear up right now, I'm just grateful that God loves me so and I just want to make Him the proudest dad. 

I completed the treadmill test, pictures of my heart by laying still in a tunnel for about 20 minutes, and an ultrasound of my heart.  I survived them all with no problems.  Yes, big girls can survive a treadmill.  :)  The result of all the testing was that my heart was healthy and I was cleared for surgery.  What a mighty God we serve.  I don't know if God and Satan had a conversation about me like they did Job, but if they did I all I can say is wow!   Now, on the other side of this I can see that what Satan meant for evil God turned it around for my good.  I no longer have to be defeated in my mind concerning my heart.  I now know it is healthy and it is my job to keep it that way by eating a healthy diet and getting the proper exercise. 

Oh, I didn't mean to leave you hanging in the air on yesterday concerning my diagnosis.  The praise report concerning my hystercetomy is that there was No Cancer Present!  I give glory to God for that. I am mindful to pray for others who did not get that report.  I am mindful to pray for the young mommy that I sat next to in the doctors office who just had a baby and is having to go through chemo.  I am mindful of the business woman who comes to get treatments between meetings. I am mindful of the child that can't play in the neighborhood with the other kids because of the disease he or she carries in their body.   I think there are times God places us in these places to see the faces of those we are to be intercessors for and I'm more than glad to do it.  So as you go along your day today please intercede for the mother, father, child, grandmother, and grandfather that you have never seen the face of but needs prayer.  We don't have to see a face or know a name to pray for the masses that need to be healed. Most of all don't forget to pray for those who are sin sick and need to be saved.   May God bless you as you pray for others this day.  I love you all.

Let the Healing Begin

The first few days I was home I felt great.  My mom is a nurse so I had my own private one.  She made sure in between meds via the phone that I was breathing deeply on my triflow, coughing until it hurt, and walking several laps around the house.  On the third and fourth day I was feeling the effects of a not so happy tummy and a fever that came in the evening.  I could not seem to get warm and lived between a blanket and laps around the house.  My poor husband worked himself to a frazzle taking care of me and would absolutely fall out at night.

Getting out of bed was a chore since I was getting up every couple of hours and I was afraid I was going to rip wide open. Also, I am a belly sleeper and sleeping on my side was yucky!  Every little thing I did pulled on my tummy muscles.  I could not believe I had been using my tummy muscles all this time to blow my nose.  It was crazy!

The second week,on Friday night, I noticed that my incision was oozing between my staples.  That didn't bother me I felt like it must have been something that needed to come out.  I just started placing gauze and bandages over it to keep it sterile.  On Saturday night a stream of something started to ooze and I started to become very concerned.  At 11:00 P.M. I did not want to alarm my mom who would have gone willd.  Tim convinced me to contact my recovery nurse who had been checking on me and she suggested I called the doctor just for safety purposes.  I really didn't want to go to the E.R. because the next day was Sunday and I didn't want Tim to have to miss church or be up all night and then have to preach.  So, I called the doctor who was so sleepy it was not a big deal to him.  He told me just to watch it and if it was still draining a lot on Sunday to call him.  I changed dressings about once every hour and was exhausted the next morning. 

At 4:00 A.M. Sunday morning Tim makes trip to get more bandages and gauze.  I had used a box of 25 overnight and feared I would not have enough until he returned from church.  He returned with lots of bandages and concern about leaving me.  I assured him I would be ok.  I ended up telling mom what was going on only to be sent my little brother to baby sit me.  LOL!  He was so sleepy I watched him sleep. 

God moved that morning that let Tim and I both know everything was going to be ok and he was free to go and preach.  I lay in bed very drowsy as he got ready for church.  A sermon came over the television entitled "The Woman With the Issue of Blood."  Through that message God gave my husband and I both a peace.  He prayed with me, we chatted about the message, he went to church, and I had no more oozing to the extreme measure.  Look at God! 

The next Tuesday I had a doctors appointment.  I had developed a siroma which is a pocket of fluid that didn't absorb which is quite common during abdominal surgery.  That is the main reason the doctor didn't want to cut me because he said that often happens whereas that is not something that usually occurs with the laproscopic procedure.  He informed me that he had to cut me because my uterus was the size of a large cantelope and weighed two pounds.  The normal size is the size of ones fist.  That day the nurse opened my incision and literally squeezed the extra juices out of me.  Thank God I didn't feel a thing because I was still numb around my incision.  Then, she packed my open wound with saline and gauze.  She told Tim to watch her and he could do it when we got home.  He felt very uncomfortable so we opted to get a home health nurse. 

Much to my surprise insurance only paid for 3 days of services.   On the day of the tornados the nurse was caught between storms and could not make it. I knew Tim was not quite ready to take on such a big task.  I prayed about it and asked God to work it out.  The next morning after the first round of storms mom called and said she would come to take care of my incision.  God is just AWESOME like that!  Mom used to work the surgical floor at Huntsville Hospital. She came to fill me in. Hahaha (literally)!  Two days later the home health nurse returned to train and watch Tim to make sure he could fulfill the task.  He was great!  He has been stuffing me like a build-a-bear every since.  My incision is almost closed and I'm feeling stronger each day.  I am hoping to be able to do a few more things like picking up more than five pounds and lotioning my own feet after my next appointment on Tuesday. 

I am blessed to have a marvelous husband who took on many task like cooking and caring for a patient.  He has never once complained and even told me when I am well he will do more chores than before to help me out.  This journey that we have been on has taught me to be still and know that He is God and there is none like Him.  I knew it before but now I really know it.  We never know what for better or for worse will be but we vowed to be there through it all. I'm thankful that even through the uncomfortable spots my partner never left me in the fire (Fireproof).  He stood strong for me even when he was feeling weak.   Finally, I have learned that God has purpose in everything that He allows to occur in our lives.  Don't question....... just know that "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."  I don't know what is written in the next chapter of my life but I do know that I've been blessed to be a blessing and I'm annointed for such a times as this.  I know God has healed me because there is a great assignment on my life that I needed to be whole to fulfil. 

Thanks you for all the prayers, visits, flowers, gifts, cards, messages, meals, money and time that you gave to us during this time of healing.  Each one was greatly appreciated and we love each one of you!  Remember whatever you are experiencing you can heal from it but you absolutely must trust God! Phillipians 4:13 says,  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

There is Nobody Greater

I have been on a journey for the past few months and I finally am well enough to journel about it.  I am reminded of the song entitled "Nobody Greater by Vashawn Mitchell."  This song has become somewhat an anthem for my life.  I am a witness that with all the people that are on the earth there is NOBODY GREATER than my Heavenly Father.  The lyrics are as follows:

 [Verse 1:]I climbed up to the highest mountain
Looked all around, couldn't find nobody
Went down into the deepest valley
Looked all around down there, couldn't find nobody
I went across the deep blue sea
Couldn't find one to compare... to Your grace, Your love, Your mercy
Nobody greater, nobody greater than You

[Chorus:]
Searched all over, couldn't find nobody
I looked high and low, still couldn't find nobody
Nobody greater, nobody greater no, nobody greater than You
Searched all over, couldn't find nobody
I looked high and low, still couldn't find nobody
Nobody greater, nobody greater, nobody greater than You

[Verse 2:]
Nobody can heal, like you can
Oh Most Holy One, You are the Great I Am
Awesome in all Your ways and mighty is Your hand
You are He who carried out redemption's plan
You are He who carried out redemption's plan

If you have never heard this song I admonish you to go to you tube and listen to it.  It is life changing.  For the past eight years my doctor has been completing routine testing on my female organs monitoring a condition I had called endometrial hyperplasia. Endometrial Hyperplasia is a thickening of the lining of the uterus.  In the month of November following a D&C my doctor informed me that my cells were now changing and surgery was needed.  He assured me that I didn't have cancer but that if we didn't act appropriately the cells would turn cancerous.  I was prepared to go to surgery in December but things didn't work out that way and I am so glad.  God is a master planner!  I was trying to figure things out but He had already worked them out for my good. 

To my suprise my doctor referred me to an Oncology Gynocologist.  This as the enemy would have it startled me a bit because he (my doctor) made a big deal about the fact that there was no cancer present. If that is the case, why is he referring me to an oncologist?  I found myself heading to a doctors appointment in the very location I had to take my father just a few years ago for chemotherapy and he is no longer with me.  Yet, I decided I had to put my big girl smile on and do what was needed to be done.  I entered the oncologist's office in early December spent 3 hours there and left knowing that the surgery would be on February 15th, there was a 56% chance cancer could be present, I would have laproscopic robotic surgery but they may also have to cut me, they would check my lymph nodes during surgery and if cancer was present he would remove them, I would begin chemo and radiation soon after and depending on how I was feeling I would be out of work approximately two to six weeks.  Whew!  Thank God He had prepared me to know that there is Nobody Greater and He has my whole life planned out.  All I have to do is trust in Him!

Needless to say, I was not fearful and actually excited about the surgery because God let me know in my spirit that everything was going to be all right.  Is that saying that everything would go well? Is that saying that I would not die on the table or have complications?  No! It's saying that I had decided that whatever God wants to do with my life He can.  It is His!  I gave it to Him to do what He wills to do with it and whatever state I am in I am at peace.  (Thank you Lord for your delivering power!)

February 15th arrived and my loving husband and  mother were right by my side.  Mom brought the prayer team (her pastor and his wife) and we shared a joyous time while I awaited my opportunity. Mom's pastor even commented that I needed to get off that bed and go home there was nothing wrong with me.  That is just a testimony of how good and marvelous my God is.  We can be falling apart but there is a peace that can't be explained.  I don't know about you but I love him more today than I did on yesterday.  He gets sweeter!  My scheduled time of slicing was 1:00 P.M. but that didn't happen.  The surgery took place finally and  I awoke to a nice little pain pump in my hand and a cozy hospital room around 10:30 P.M.  I justed wanted them to let me sleep.  Tim spent the night watching me from a very uncomfortable seat and he sent mom home which I later found she wasn't too happy about.  :) After I realized I wasn't in pain I layed the pump aside and napped in between the nurse and tech visits. 

The next morning the doctor arrived and said he planned to fast track me and send me home that day.  I didn't even spend 24 hours in the hospital and they are sending me home.  That's what I call drive by surgery.  I walked although I was very dizzy from the meds, I tinkled, and I went home with 21 staples, a toy to blow on, and a smile. 

Faith Produces Miracles - Part 4

Let’s look at:  1^st Kings 17:15-16

II.  Unlikely Abundance

This woman must have recognized that Elijah was trustworthy and not ordinary. She’s in the presence of a man that is so blessed by God that He sends him carryout twice a day.  She must have seen blessing all over him.  In her hopeless situation, her faith produced her miracle. 

She prepared the cake, and Elijah sat down to eat it -- there was enough to go around for all three of them. The next day she looked and there was a little more cornmeal in her bowl. And there was a little more oil. She thought she remembered using it all up, but now there’s more. So she uses it and makes another little cake, and the three of them eat it. And day by day by day, God continued to provide for them. 

For over two years, Elijah, the widow, and her son were fed on a faith produced miracle. When everyone around them was struggling to get by, they had their needs met by God. It wasn’t a feast, it wasn’t steak and potatoes, but it is was food, and God was providing. God has a marvelous way of taking care of us. Sometimes God uses miraculous ways, and sometimes not. But he has always taken care of his people. Paul said it best in Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus."

It is our faith that produces miracles in our lives.  God has unlikely sources, unlikely people, and unlikely abundance waiting to bless us. Elijah had to follow God’s step by step process.  He had to:

       A. Tell the truth 

   B. Hear God   

C. Obey God

      D. Move with Go

         then he & others were   

            E.  Sustained by God

Faith Produces Miracles - Part 3

Let’s look at:  1^st Kings 17:8-14. 

II.  Unlikely People

Faith Produces Miracles!  Like a faithful servant Elijah does exactly what God has told him to do.  He makes the dangerous journey to Zarephath.  When he got there, he did not find a scene of comfort or abundance. The first widow he saw was on the brink of starvation. But he knew what God had said to him–the widow had been assigned to sustain him.  Have you ever heard the voice of the Lord and obeyed exactly what He said to do, but it seemed like you must have missed what God said, because what you found yourself in the midst of did not seem like a blessed place?  That’s where Elijah finds himself.  He leaves a dry place expecting to find blessing and ends up in another dry place. Hmmm! "By the way, Elijah, I’ve arranged room and board for you. I’ve picked out a poor woman who is about to starve to death. She’ll take care of you." If Zarephath didn’t make sense, that made even less sense.

Paul said in 1^st Corinthians 1:27 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”  God always wants us to keep on the forefront of our minds that without Him we can do nothing. But, through Christ we can do all things.  No, it does not make since to our natural minds that God would send Elijah to be sustained by a starving widow who is preparing her last meal.  However, we can’t possibly process within our finite minds such a mighty and infinite God.

As Elijah approaches the city gates, he finds this woman gathering sticks. As she explains, she is going to gather a couple of sticks and cook her last meal, and then she and her son will die.

Elijah does what seems to be a very cruel thing. He says to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.” You take your very last bit of food, give it to me, then you can have what’s left over.

That seems cruel. And yet Elijah is acting according to the Word of God. God told him to go up to Zarephath and said, "A widow there will provide for you." He didn’t say, "A widow there will allow you to starve, and she will starve along with you." God promised to meet Elijah’s needs, so that’s why Elijah makes this request of the widow, because he is confident that God is going to meet her needs and his.

God isn’t going to allow her to starve. He’s promised to sustain them. Now, you have to understand what this woman had. (She appears to be a young woman. She had just one child, and the child was very small. She must have had a very tragic life and had lost her husband at an early age). She was down to one bowl of cornmeal. She also had a little vial that contained oil, and she was going to prepare a little pancake out of the oil and cornmeal, cook it, eat it, and then die. She had just enough to prepare one little cake. Once she pours out the oil, there will be nothing left. That was her plan. That wasn’t God’s plan.