A VARIETY OF WARS

                                          A VARIETY OF WARS

     One night on the flight home from Houston where my husband Steve had tests at MD Anderson, we were privileged to be on the airplane with the body of an American soldier. The color guard was on the plane with us also.
     Upon landing in Tulsa, everyone on the plane sat in silence as the color guards exited the plane, removed the casket from the cargo, marched in silence and respect as they ushered the heroic body into the presence of the waiting family sitting in cars who were accompanied by police cars with flashing lights, an ambulance with flashing lights, and a hearse.
     After the awesome happening took place, the passengers on the plane exited the plane in silence and respect. All of this happened in the dark of night with only the flashing lights of the vehicles and the lights of the plane. What a wonderful experience to be a part of. However, it reaffirmed to me the horrors of war, that death is always a result of it, and families on both sides of the battle are changed forever.
     Steve had a melancholy reaction because it brought back to him all remembrances of the death of his brother Morris during World War II. His mother never got over it because Morris' body was buried in France. His mother never forgave the Germans for killing her son. When Steve sees visual events like this, he still hears the deep, gut wrenching wails of his mother from her room for days and days after receiving the news that Morris had been killed. Yes, he gave his life for his country so that others might be free, but his mother was never free of the grief.
     Then I realized that all the people we saw in Houston at MD Anderson are fighting their own wars, battles against cancer. They have loved ones and friends who are standing by them in support and prayers, just like the soldier did. Some of them will eventually succumb to the demon of cancer just like the soldier had to yield to death by the demon of war.
     They are all heroes in my eyes, the soldier in uniform in the casket and the brave soldiers fighting cancer evidenced by their bald heads, oxygen tanks, masked mouths and noses, gloved hands, wheel chairs, chemo poles and frail bodies. They are all heroes to me.
     GOD, PLEASE FREE US FROM THE EFFECTS OF ALL WARS, the wars for power by countries and the wars instigated by all diseases.
     HEY, HE DID. AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTIANITY, THAT HE SENT HIS SON INTO THE EARTH SO THAT HE MIGHT THEN SEND HIS POWER INTO THE EARTH IN THE PERSON OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT to heal diseases, to bring peace to all men, to comfort the broken hearted and to set the captives of addictions free. If we would only yield ourselves to His power we would end all the devastation.
     We've dropped the ball; God hasn't.

THE PERFECT MAESTRO

                                          THE PERFECT MAESTRO

     "Strike up the orchestra," I can almost hear God say during certain situations. I can imagine Him tuning up certain species of angels, calling them to do their specific duties in order for a situation to be perfected as prayers are answered.
     My husband Steve and I experienced the divine orchestration by God as He arranged and rearranged a tense situation for us.
     We had an appointment at MD Anderson with Steve's oncologist at 2:30 on Wednesday after my husband had completed his blood test, his chest x-ray and his CT scan the night before.
     After the scheduled appointment with the oncology doctor, we had allotted almost five hours leeway before our scheduled airplane flight took off for our trip home. However, our appointment with the doctor was delayed and he didn't even enter the exam room until 3:30. Things seemed to be getting complicated. We knew we still had time for the scheduled flight, but it would be close.
     Then the oncologist gave us some shocking news, that my husband had a blood clot in his left lung caused by the tumors but that it would be easily taken care of with daily subcutaneous shots in his stomach.
     The next statement of the doctor dropped a bombshell into our plans to make the plane flight. He said that we should go to the pharmacy at the Main Building on the 10th floor, get the shots, then come back to his exam room where Angie, his primary oncology nurse, would show us how to administer the shots. We surmised there would be no problem, that we could still make the plane flight.
    Enter the problem. The technician at the pharmacy said it would be an hour before the shots would be ready, making it impossible to make the flight.
     We caught the elevator, ran from the elevator to the doctor's office, waited to see Angie, the primary nurse, where we told her our dilemma.
Angie, smiling at us like she had been doing during the long afternoon, disappeared for a few minutes, came back and said, "Go back to the pharmacy and the shots will be ready for you." This was impossible because of the backlog of prescriptions.
     Running back to the elevator, then running down the hall to the pharmacy, we began thanking God for his supernatural orchestration for us, using Angie to intervene with the pharmacy in getting Steve's prescription bumped up ahead of the many, many other patients waiting for their own meds. Some of the patients were in wheel chairs, others on gurneys, others pushing chemo poles, others waiting patiently for their meds that would relieve their pain, heal their cancers, etc.
     As was predicted by Angie, the shots were ready for us. Steve grabbed the sack of shots and signed the proper papers.
     We raced again to the elevator, then down the hall to meet Angie who ushered us into the exam room. I commented to Angie that if she would turn around I would like to see her wings, because she was doing supernatural angelic work for us. God tuned the proper angel for this feat, Angie, who was in a fantastic mood for late in the day for an oncology nurse who had seen all kinds of devastating effects of diseases during the day. However, she could speak with the necessary authority needed to influence the pharmacy tech, something we had not been able to do.
     Angie hurriedly demonstrated the steps to us for giving the subcutaneous shots. No problem, we could do it efficiently when we got home. We left Angie's presence praising her for being an angel to arrange the impossible feat for us.
     Running back down the hall to the elevator, still praising God for His orchestration, Steve called Sam, the hotel shuttle driver whom we call St. Samuel because of his loving and caring ministry to the hotel customers who are in cancer treatment. Steve told Sam about our situation, that we had to make the flight, but our luggage was still at the hotel.
     No problem. The orchestration had already been ordered by God. Sam asked what our luggage looked like. Steve told him and Sam went to the storage area, got our luggage, loaded it up in his van, came to the Main Building of MD Anderson Cancer Center and picked us up. We got to the airport in time to make the flight back home.
     When Sam unloaded our luggage from the van, Steve quickly told him the good report, that the tumors had shrunk to the place of being almost invisible. St. Samuel gave Steve a strong congratulatory hug.
     Sam drove off with a big smile on his face. He had previously told us that if he hears one good report a week that it keeps him dedicated to doing his ministry of transporting patients from the hotel to the treatment center. Steve gave Sam the boost he needed to continue for another week.
     Thank God for the eyes to see that He has performed orchestrations for us, using Angel Angie, the nurse at the treatment center, and Saint Samuel, the shuttle driver, to manage to get us to the airport on time.
     When we think about the published facts we have learned, that 100,000 patients a day are treated at MD Anderson, we are even more thankful that Angel Angie was able to do her part of the feat in pushing Steve's prescription to the top of the long, long list, and that Saint Samuel was able to do his part in finding our luggage and picking us up in time for the flight.
     Listen for God to tune up the orchestra in your behalf in answer to your prayers. It happens trillions and trillions of times a day, and we often call it a coincidence. They really are orchestrations by a Loving Father in our behalf.
     Aren't we lucky children to have such a wonderful Maestro for a Father!

AND SO GOD SENT THE PLUMBER

                             AND SO GOD SENT THE PLUMBER

     As the day began, it wasn’t the best of days. In fact, it was one of the not-so-good days during my husband Steve’s chemotherapy regimen. He had gotten a fall cold with the possibility of it going into pneumonia, the oncologist said, so he was sent to the hospital for chest x-rays.
     Colds just seem so easy for chemo patients to experience when their immune systems are compromised, but allergies that develop into colds are pretty common in the spring and fall for Steve, anyway. The cold germ had made its way into my body, also, but I was trying to slough it off as best I could. We were both successful at trudging along, staying on top physically as well as emotionally.
     My most prized kitchen appliance, a hot water Insinkerator, had started leaking under the cabinet. That appliance had come in particularly handy during the chemotherapy because of the necessity of sterilizing all eating and drinking utensils. It was perfect for those tasks. It was still under warranty so it would be replaced free of charge.
     Steve called the plumber who had installed it. His name is Robert, and he’s a dear man we have trusted for several years to handle plumbing problems.
     Robert is dependable, prompt and efficient. In relation to the current problem, Robert told Steve to call the manufacturer and give them the information on the warranty and the prior purchase ticket, etc., and they would send a replacement. He mentioned that he would be at our house late in the evening to check on it. Easily taken care of, we thought.
     The call to the manufacturer was more involved than we anticipated because of the red tape which was required to get a replacement under the warranty, but Steve was able to do that chore on the telephone and fax machine.
     The day’s events had quickly grown into more trying activities than we had anticipated, but Steve was feeling up to the challenge, feeling good enough to handle the problem with the Insinkerator. He knew I was eager for it to be back into working order to make the tasks of sterilizing utensils easier for me. He took care of the task of dealing with the manufacturer easily; not speedily but easily. Task accomplished.
     At 4:30 our doorbell rang. When I went to the door it was Robert, the plumber. We had forgotten to call him and tell him that the manufacturer had not sent the Insinkerator yet. We both apologized to him for forgetting to call and let him know that the appliance would be shipped later, therefore saving him a trip to our house. He was gracious about it, letting us know that it wasn‘t a big deal. We discussed the fact that the appliance should last longer than the leaking one did, less than a year and a half.
     Robert left our house and started down the front walk, having gone down several steps. Suddenly Steve opened the door and said, “Just a minute, Robert. I have cancer. Will you remember to pray for me?”
     Suddenly Steve started crying, hearing himself say that he has cancer. Usually he only says that he is in chemotherapy, never claiming to have cancer. Starting to cry was certainly not Steve’s intention. He had not cried about the situation in the seven months since discovering the cancer, the two operations that ensured, and then the two cycles of chemotherapy.
     Immediately Robert turned around, bounded up the few steps, rushed up the walk to the front porch, grabbed Steve’s hand and started to pray for him. He asked God to heal and comfort Steve during illness. He prayed with anointed power, confidence, authority and love. After the prayer was over, Steve told his Christian brother Robert that he knew he was not going to die of cancer and thanked him.
     When Steve came inside the house, he was still crying, anointed with the power of God, still weeping tears of joy and awe that God had sent the plumber to pray for him. It was catching, I guess, because I started weeping uncontrollably, also. We sat in our recliners weak from the anointing of God, continuing to weep with gratitude that Our Loving Father had sent the plumber with His healing touch.
     Steve related to me that when the thought came to him, “Ask Robert to pray for you,” that he had refused to act on that command. Then it came again to his mind. He didn’t obey again. The third time it came, “Ask Robert to pray for you,” is when Steve opened the door and gave the request to Robert, who was God’s servant sent here to pray.
     Thank God Steve obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit. God knew that Robert would do what was needed, pray immediately for him.
     God sent Jesus to bring healing to the world. Jesus sent fishermen and a tax collector to take healing to people. He sent the plumber to deliver healing to Steve.
     Yes, God knows just who to send.

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

                                    OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

     There are several meanings for the word "babe". We know it's a slang term to describe beautiful girls. It's also a short term for the word "baby". We know a young girl who is a "babe" because she's beautiful, but she also fits the spiritual description of the word "babe" because she fulfilled a scriptural activity that is attributed to "babes" in the Bible.
     Lydia is our great niece, a beautiful ten year old girl. She is very special, as you will see from this story.
     My husband Steve was in his third cycle of chemotherapy for a rare form of cancer. It had been a real adventure for both of us, as you can imagine. We had received the depressing news from the oncologist that Steve would have to have six cycles of strong chemotherapy even if the cancer goes onto remission.
     God had encouraged us in this adventure, sending miracles our way through many exciting situations. We didn't expect him to use a "babe" to deliver the latest one.
     My cell phone rang one day as I was fixing lunch and I asked Steve to answer my phone which was sitting on the counter. That is the first time in the ten years I've have had my personal cell phone that Steve has answered it. My sister Lou was calling on the cell phone and exclaimed that she was so glad that Steve had answered my phone because she needed to tell him a testimony that would encourage him.
     Lou related that she had received a phone call from Lydia, her ten year old granddaughter, in which Lydia told of two dreams she had had, one in which she dreamed that the family home was being broken into by intruders at 3:30 in the morning. She woke with the realization that their home was safe, no invasion there. She told her mom about the dream.
     When Lydia's mom took her little sister to preschool that morning, she heard that the shed on the property of one of the teachers had been broken into at 3:30 that morning. Lydia and her mom were amazed at the realization that someone they knew had actually experienced the same activity that she had dreamed about.
     Then Lydia told her grandmother Lou that she had another dream, one in which she dreamed that Uncle Steve was free of cancer, after which she asked Lou a question,"Does Uncle Steve have cancer?"
     Lou assured Lydia that yes, Uncle Steve has had cancer. Lydia was astounded at the dream since she didn't remember knowing about Steve's condition, yet she had dreamed that he is free of cancer.
     God again fulfilled the scripture in Psalm 8:2 that says, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength."
     Lydia's dream certainly boosted Steve's spiritual strength, making him even more certain that he is cancer free and will remain cancer free.
     God used a "babe" in this instance, a beautiful babe but still a young child at the same time, to send His message of faith to Steve, confirming to him that he is healed and will remain healed, cancer free like in Lydia's dream.
     Can you see why Lydia is so special? She relays messages that strengthen people so lovingly. Steve is even stronger in his faith now, since God confirmed through Lydia that he is free of cancer.

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

               BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

     While gazing at the beautiful skyline of Houston in the distance, my husband Steve and I felt relaxed, rested and serene. How we got to the setting is a thrilling story, one you must hear.

     The previous day on the airplane flight to Houston I was musing with God, reiterating to Him how much I was anticipating the next brilliant composition He had arranged for us to enjoy, possibly on this trip. The words to a song came to mind, "His mercies are fresh every morning." I began to think how his blessings are also new every morning, his promises are firm every morning and on and on.

     We have experienced many magnificent miracles in our lives and we are sometimes overwhelmed by the genius of His mind in originating the events and planning the orchestration of them so that we are struck with awe every time when we see them unfold.

     On the plane trip my husband was a little nervous about taking another blood test, a chest x-ray and another CT scan in order to chart the progress of the chemotherapy cocktails he has been receiving for the past six weeks. However, he was excited, too, to see Our Heavenly Father's hand prints displayed in such a way that we could not miss them. We are forever in awe of His acts of love shown toward His children. When this event unfolded it went beyond our wildest expectations.

     When making the reservations at the suite hotel in Houston, Steve had requested a particular configuration of the suite we had enjoyed on the last trip which was only six weeks in the recent past. That room was what I would call a studio suite because it was a huge room with two queen sized beds, a TV viewing seating arrangement with a love seat and coffee table. It had a full kitchen and a huge bathroom. The room had served us perfectly and we requested the same type of room for this particular stay.   The reservation clerk had told him that there were other requests for that type of room, also, but that she would do her best to accommodate us.

     After the flight we were picked up by the hotel shuttle service and transported to the suite hotel. At the check-in counter we were told by the young lady in charge that there were no more rooms like we had requested, but that we were getting two connecting suites for only ten dollars more than the price of the studio suite.

     Steve and I looked at each other and laughed in a kind of a Hallelujah laugh, sharing the realization that this was one of God's kisses to us, another one of his surprises that He sneaks in when we least expect them.

We expected something thrilling but we didn't anticipate anything of this magnitude.

     When we entered the connecting suites we were delighted, thrilled and in awe. Steve had his own bedroom and full bath, plus an apartment sized kitchen. I had my own bedroom and full bath. The connecting living room and kitchen area was perfect for us with the large couch and flat screen TV, office desk with Wi Fi connection and a fully equipped kitchen. A shuttered door led outside to an 8 by 16 covered balcony which contained a patio table and chairs and two lawn chair recliners.

     Steve confessed to me that having two bathrooms met the desires of his heart because he was concerned about my ability to get enough sleep in a studio suite because of his frequent trips to the bathroom after consuming the huge amounts of water he is instructed to drink after the tests. Sure enough, the desires of his heart were met without his asking for them. He had his own bedroom and bathroom. I was not disturbed at all.

     I remembered that on our previous stay at the hotel I was intrigued by the huge balcony that I could see from our studio suite, and I wondered what the rooms are like that led to the balcony. Here we were, finding out first hand what they are like, and we were enjoying their luxury for three nights.    
     Previously, Our Heavenly Father must have made note of my curiosity about the rooms and in His generosity arranged for us to nestle down during this trip in the connecting suites. The scriptures say that He knows what we need and desire before we even ask. This blessing was evidence of the truth of that particular scripture.

     We reveled in the evidence of the abundance of God's love and power.
During our stay we spent every morning drinking coffee and reading the morning paper seated at the table on the balcony, also gazing at the beautiful skyline of Houston.

     We both felt completely rested when the three days were over, even though we had to meet several appointments on those days. The layout of the connecting suites was perfectly suited to our needs.

     Yes, His mercies are new every morning toward His children. We are so fortunate to experience His mercies and His blessings, all part of our privileges that come from being His children.

     I know that the joy we had from being on the receiving end were reflections of the joy that Our Heavenly Father experienced in being able to provide such a wonderful surprise for two of his children. Just think, he did the same type of blessing for a multitudes of His other children at the same time.

     It just blows your mind; doesn't it!

CHEMOTHERAPY HAPPINESS

                                 CHEMOTHERAPY HAPPINESS

      Finishing the first round of chemotherapy was a momentous day for my husband. He hadn’t sailed right through it, but he has made it through with some good days and some bad days.

     Many friends and relatives had contacted us to find out how it went, if he got sick, if he lacked energy and if he had experienced all of the usual maladies that afflict chemotherapy patients. In order to answer their queries but so as neither to bore them with minute details nor to speak negatively about the experience, I sat down and decided to write a short silly song describing the events of the past three weeks. When a dear friend expressed sympathy for us, I had quickly commented, “Some days are crappy and some days are happy,” and left it at that. When I began to tap into the creative part of my brain for words to rhyme with crappy and happy, they began to flow readily. This is the song that came together that day:

Chemotherapy Lamentations

Some days are crappy,

Some days are happy,

We have to be snappy

To turn crappy days to happy.

We learned that a nappy

Changes crappy to happy.

We wake from the nappy

A happy Mom and Pappy.

     I sent emails and letters to the inquisitive friends and relatives quoting the newly written silly song, hoping to show the caring ones that it wasn’t a bed of roses, but that we had finished the first course of chemo in a good mood and with some humor.

     The weekly Bible Study that I attend met the day before the beginning of the second course of chemo, and I felt that I needed to meet with my friends for encouragement and prayers. I needed an emotional boost as well as needing a few hours away from the cancer scene at home, though it had not been as depressing as I had anticipated it would be.

    When we all gathered together, my friend Marcia commented on the song I had written and proceeded to tell us about an experience she had had that would blow our minds. The tale involved the fact that she had read to her husband the song I had written to fill him in on what was going on at the Allen household during the chemo adventure. Marcia told us that immediately after reading the song to her husband their phone rang and a friend related something that required Marcia to find a certain book. Marcia knew that she had the book but didn’t know exactly where she had put it. She looked in obvious places to no avail. For some reason the thought came to her mind to look in the drawers in the bureau in the dining room. She did and could not find the book in any of the logical places in the drawers.

     She began to leaf through a plethora of greeting cards that she keeps on hand in one of the drawers to send to people, birthday cards, sympathy cards, friendship cards and others that fit many occasions.

     Toward the bottom of the drawer her eyes fell upon the front of a card that she had no memory of buying. The front of the card showed a dog in a bent over position straining to release excrement. Then in the lower part of the front of the card it showed the same dog with a grin on his face and saying, “Smile.“

She opened the card and the inside inscription read, ”Better to be happy than crappy.”

     Marcia knew immediately who should be the recipient of the card.

     As normally happens at our weekly meetings, we all ended up laughing hysterically, knowing that the card was a confirmation from God to my husband and me, alerting us to the fact that keeping a happy attitude relieves the crappy days of depression.

     We were all laughing at the anticipated reaction of my husband Steve, that he was going to think that the card added emphasis to the chemo song in a funny way. Were we ever wrong!

      I rushed home and gave the card to Steve. He read it and was struck with awe at the miracle of the card, that Marcia had a card in her drawer at home that said the same thing that I had written in a silly song. All he could say was, “I’m in awe.”

     I left home to go to the grocery store, anticipating the new and varied menu we would again have as his appetite came and went, ebbed and flowed for the next weeks. Driving in the car I was musing about his reaction to the card, which was not what we expected when the ladies sent it to him. Then the insight of God came to my mind. He said, “You didn’t know I was sending a message to him; did you?”

     That insight deserved a big, “Wow,” from me, which is often an unusual exclamation of praise to God that I find coming from my lips. Then I gave God another contemporary act of praise by asking Him, “How do you do that? How do you do these marvelous things for us?” I didn’t expect an answer because I know it already. It’s because he loves us so much.

     A miracle? Yes. Almost too astounding to believe.

     A message? Yes. Steve told me that the next morning at the doctor’s office he told a lady who was receiving chemotherapy infusions at the same time, “You can either be crappy or you can be happy.’ I believe God got his message across.

I’m still thinking, “How did you do that, Father?” I’m not really asking to see the working behind the scenes of how it happened, I’m merely exclaiming my amazement that He is able to keep us in awe of His miraculous ways.

     He never ceases to thrill us with the way He works. I just never expected Him to use a pooping dog, but He did and it got the message across.

THE ADVENTURE GOES ON

                                      THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES

      The first day of my husband's chemo ended up being a perfect day. I wish you could have seen us before we left to go to the doctor's office for the appointment which was set for 8:00. Even though I had made a chart, a list, and set all the meds out in order on the cabinet, we were like two ants scurrying around wondering exactly what came next. But he got the right meds taken at the right time.
      His appointment with the oncologist involved the doctor's wife, a pediatric oncology doctor, putting the first two meds into the port and inserting the line into the port which was eventually connected to the 72 hour infusion. The doctor's wife told my husband that she had to quit as a pediatric oncology doctor, couldn't handle the emotional hurts from losing patients.
     An infusion pump kit and med pack were supposed to be delivered within an hour after we got home from the doctor's office where he had received the first two chemo injections. Then we were supposed to call the oncology home health nurse who was supposed to hook the med pack and the pump up to the line in the port. That all worked out, the calls to the right person.
     Everything looked like it was going smoothly until the home health nurse noticed that there was no fanny pack sent to carry the infusion pump and med pack around my husband's waist so that he could be mobile during the 72 hour chemo infusion process. She called the oncology pharmacy supply in Tulsa and told them, and they said one would be sent out immediately.
     After signing all the papers, volumes of them, Michelle, the nurse, started working to hook up the pump and meds to the port. She couldn't get the pump to work properly. She and my husband both worked on it, locking and unlocking both locks over and over again, taking the batteries out over and over again, trying multiple ways to get the pump to work. The same error message kept coming up on the contraption. Michelle called the pharmacy supply in Tulsa again about the pump and the person on the phone coached her on how to get it started, which she already knew.
    They went over and over it as she did what the person told her, with my husband helping as an observer/patient. No luck. So the pharmacy supply in Tulsa said they were locating another pump and bringing it here in 45 minutes. At this point I was glad that I obeyed that inner voice that told me to have lunch for us early. Michelle had already been here approaching an hour.
     While waiting for the pump to be delivered, I mowed the front lawn and left my husband and Michelle to get better acquainted, talking about Weight Watchers and kids, etc. The 45 minutes turned into an hour and a half, but finally two ladies from the pharmacy supply came, apologized over and over again for what we all perceived was a faulty pump. One of the ladies began experimenting with it and found that it had the same error message. She took the batteries out, reprogrammed it, locked and unlocked it and, voila, success. The problem was not the pump. It was very hard, taking a lot of muscle, to turn the lock button all the way around to lock it.
     The ladies apologized over and over for the problem. I kept reiterating that the pump needed some alert written on it saying that it is hard to lock completely and the nurse must really use strength to lock it so she could get it started pumping. They agreed to put a note on the pump for nurses and patients in the future.
     My husband was getting a little tired by this time, but the ladies wanted to ask him about the cancer, his operation, etc. Ah, ha, now I was beginning to perceive the reason for the delay. My husband told them highlights, then he told about the surgeon saving his life. I jumped in the conversation (smelly as I was and still in my lawn mowing clothes) and told them about the miracle of the surgeon ordering the CT scan which showed the areas of cancer, about the surgeries, etc., thus saving my husband's life. We told them all about the surgeon telling me about the remembrance of his professor in med school who was athletic like my husband but found out in a CT scan he had liver cancer. So we told them how that memory crossed the surgeon's mind when he palpated my husband's hernia and the nodule in the groin area, and that that was what led him to order the CT scan.
     One lady quickly said, "I know who gave him that thought." I told her that I do, too. They both were thrilled by the story, saying it was a true miracle over and over again.
      I followed the two pharmacy ladies to their car while Michelle successfully hooked Steve up.
      Both ladies raved about the miracle, so I filled them in about the surgeon sending the path report back for a second testing after the path doctor said no malignancy was found. They gasped when I told them that the surgeon instructed the lab on the second testing to test for the most rare cancers because the tumors looked too funky to be benign. I told them the path report came back saying that the cancer, in fact, is a rare kind that only 200 people a year have. I then told them that MD Anderson confirmed it in their path report.         
       The ladies were thrilled again.  Both women asked if we minded if they tell that testimony. They needed our permission because of the nurse/patient confidentiality. I gave my permission, telling them that my husband had told a Tulsa lawyer the same story the day before when the lawyer called to see how my husband was doing. The lawyer had also asked my husband if he could tell the miracle story, to which my husband gave his wholehearted permission.
     One of the ladies said it sounds like they are all going to cover Tulsa with the miracle story. They left blabbering and jabbering about the miracle.
So, all things work together for good.
     After telling some of the miracle story, my husband was rejuvenated when the pharmacy ladies and Michelle left.
     It seems to me that the pump problem was an act of God so that the women could hear the story of the miracles. The two pharmacy ladies left walking on a cloud after hearing about God's miracles in this adventure.
     The wait was worth it! The patient certainly was not injured by it, although he told me that first day of chemo seemed like it was a week long with so many things going on.
     God doesn't toot His own horn, but we can certainly toot our horns for Him. It's called praise. When we tell others about God's miracles, it's like tooting a horn. It's kind of like having a parade for Him because He is so good.
     I'll join a parade for him every time.

GOD WHISPERS IN OUR THOUGHTS

GOD WHISPERS IN OUR THOUGHTS

     Major surgery was scheduled to be performed on my husband on July 12th, 2010. In fact, it was the second one in a two month period. Events leading up to that particular surgery were filled with God-incidences, not the coincidences that strange events are often called.

     A hernia in his left abdominal area was noticed by my husband in February, many months before the first surgery of June 9th. Also a strange hard nodule had appeared in his left groin area. His urologist in a large city advised not to have anything done about them unless they started being a bother to him because they were not serious. That seemed like good news. Little did we know what was going on inside my husband's body.

     The area around the nodule did become bothersome, so my husband asked his primary care doctor at his yearly checkup if he should have it checked further. That doctor set up an appointment with a surgeon for a consult, just in case the hernia needed to be repaired immediately.
     I went to the appointment with my husband at the surgeon's office. After my husband told the surgeon about the history of the two bothersome areas, the surgeon said he needed to palpate the two areas, which he did. It took all of two minutes.

     The surgeon commented, "I'm setting you up for an appointment for a CT scan in the morning. Is that convenient?"

     That was shocking news since we had been led to believe that the two areas were not any problem unless they became painful.

     At the followup meeting with the surgeon after the CT scan we heard more shocking news, that being that my husband had a nonfunctioning kidney and he needed to have surgery to remove a tumor on his testicle, as well as the hernia repaired. The surgeon said my husband needed to see a urologist and suggested a particular one for whom he had great respect.

     After an informative meeting with the urologist, the first surgery was scheduled. That surgery resulted in repairing the hernia and removing the left testicle because of the presence of a carcinoma. More surgery was scheduled later to remove the left kidney, the ureter tube leading from the kidney to the bladder and any other suspicious looking lesions.

     During the second surgery on July 12th, which was anticipated to take an hour and a half, well into the third hour a nurse came to the surgery waiting room, called me into a conference room and said the urologist who was assisting the surgeon wanted to talk to me. They had discovered multiple cancers in the left abdominal area.

     I was expecting to hear that the surgery was over, but the urologist came into the room with perspiration pouring from his forehead and began our conversation by asking me if I knew why the surgeon ordered a CT scan at the initial exam. I was clueless. The urologist said he was just curious.

     Then he proceeded to tell me that he had removed the cancerous kidney, the ureter and its large tumor, also a small part of the bladder. He said he had also removed multiple tumors from the adrenal gland and multiple tumors from the abdominal area. He asked again if I had any idea why the surgeon had initially ordered the CT scan after just a routine palpation of the hernia and the nodule. I became curious also.
     Then the urologist told me that he had to return to surgery since the surgeon was probably finished with his exploratory exam of the affected area. He informed me that the surgeon would be out of surgery to consult with me in a few hours.

     I was shocked at the extent of the cancer, but the urologist assured me that he and the surgeon had done a thorough job of removing all of the cancer; that, in fact, the surgeon was also removing a portion of the bowel because of a tumor on it.

     After another few hours the surgeon came to the surgery waiting room, sat down beside me and told me in detail everything he had done in the extensive surgery, telling me that the "mother" of the cancer seemed to be in the spermatic cord, which he had removed.

     I took the bull by the horns and asked the surgeon the same question the urologist had asked me, why did he order a CT scan at the first office visit?

     The surgeon began telling me his reasoning. He said that when he palpated the two areas at the initial exam that a thought came to his mind about his favorite professor in medical school, one who taught oncology. The surgeon commented that the professor was a tall, athletic, robust man like my husband. He related that the professor began to feel listless and weak, so he ordered a CT scan which showed that he had multiple cancers in his liver. The quick remembrance of that professor is what led my husband's surgeon to order the CT scan rather than just passing off the two areas of concern as normal problems for a man the age of my husband.
     The act of ordering the CT scan saved my husband's life. It showed the areas of major concern, the nonfunctioning kidney, the blocked ureter and the tumor on the testicle.

     I know for a fact that God is the one who whispered the memory about the professor in the mind of the surgeon. Then the surgeon acted upon the suggestive thought that my husband's problems might be more extensive than it seemed. Indeed they were.

     If the CT scan had not been ordered, the cancers would have grown until it was too late for my husband to recover from any treatment.

     As it turned out, my husband recovered from the extensive surgery quickly. Both doctors referred to my husband as amazing, a marvel and the strongest man they've ever seen because of his rapid recovery.
     The pathology report identified the type of cancer as a rare sarcoma of which only two hundred people are diagnosed a year. The surgeon ordered a consult with MD Anderson doctors. The oncologist at that hospital recommended traditional strong chemotherapy, no radiation, and said that the chemo will cure any remaining small cancers. Then he told my husband that he will not die of cancer.

     We know that the conclusion would have been different and it would have been devastating if the CT scan had not been ordered by the surgeon. It was the first step toward saving my husband's life. The second step was the extensive surgery performed by the urologist and the surgeon, being cautious to remove all visible tumors. The third step is coming up, which will be chemotherapy. The chemo which will do the final sweep of killing any remaining microscopic tumors.

     My husband owes his life to God's divine intervention in the matter. God whispered the memory of the professor into the mind of the surgeon. The two doctors assisted in saving his life with their diligence.

     Thank you God for your wise whisperings in the mind of the surgeon.

     Thank you Dr. Robison and Dr. Daniels for taking the time to remove all the tumors, thus saving the life of my husband.

     We can even thank the chemotherapy for being the final gift of God in completing the life saving activities.

GOD'S ORCHESTRATION

                                            GOD'S ORCHESTRATION

     We have experienced the orchestration of God's beautiful symphony of events in thousands of different situations, but we never cease to be amazed at his efficiency and expertise in each and every series of circumstances.
     The situation in the current instance relates to my husband's diagnosis of cancer in multiple parts of his body, the miracles surrounding the diagnosis and the two operations, his speedy recovery from the surgeries, and then the events relating to our trip to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
     We had anticipated staying at a particular hotel in Houston, but we took the recommendation of the patient advocate information and decided to stay at the MainStay Suites. That particular hotel proved to be the right one. It was relatively new, had a wonderful breakfast which is much more varied than other suite hotels provide. The staff was congenial, efficient and helpful.
     Before leaving home my husband and I had talked about visiting Lakewood Church while in Houston because we had had a wonderful miracle experience at the church 19 years previously. Revisiting the same church was not a priority in your minds, just a passing thought.
     When we arrived at the MainStay Suites hotel we noticed a sign that said that anyone who wished to attend Lakewood Church could sign up for a shuttle. That seemed to be an accommodation that we had not expected from the hotel, which also provided shuttle service to MD Anderson medical buildings.
     My husband inquired about the shuttle ride to the church and was told that we should be in the lobby at a certain time and a driver would take us to Lakewood Church. That seemed simple enough.
     We showed up at the appointed time and the driver showed up a few minutes later. He engaged us in conversation during the ride to the church by inquiring about our satisfaction with the hotel, whether we enjoyed the free breakfasts and amenities, whether the staff was efficient, etc. We gave glowing reports to the driver and he seemed pleased. He told us that he, in fact, is the owner of the hotel and was glad to hear things suited us so well. My husband and I looked at each other and smiled, thrilled at God's orchestration of providing a driver for us who is the owner of the hotel.
     The hotel owner, who was acting as shuttle driver, said his part of the ministry of the church is transportation. When he drove into the huge parking garage he began looking for a parking space, which is very often hard to find since the church normally has 16,000 attendees on Sunday morning. He drove to the front of the bottom layer of the parking garage, began looking for an open spot, and noticed that a spot at the very front of the bottom level was vacant. He remarked that it was the prime parking spot and he had never seen it vacant, especially that late in the morning. It was the first spot closest to the entrance to the church. He continued to remark about the miracle of it being vacant, and so we told him about the parking spot angel that we have and that we were not surprised at all about its availability.
     We continued to tell him about God's angels having specific ministries for God's children. He was intrigued, but still amazed at the choice parking spot he had found.
     We followed him to the huge sanctuary telling him about our visit to the church 19 years earlier where God confirmed to me through John Osteen's mouth that I had been healed of cancer. He again was intrigued and asked me if I wanted Dodie Osteen to pray for my husband. I told him sure.
     He told us to follow him, which we willingly did. He led us through the long lines of people who were waiting to get into the huge auditorium, leading us to the bottom floor, telling the ushers that Dodie Osteen was going to pray for my husband. The head usher led us further through throngs of people, pointing out three chairs on the seventh row from the front. We took our seats and gathered our thoughts, amazed again at God's orchestration of getting us to the service in a car driven by the owner of the hotel who made it possible for us to have seats close to the front.
     Joel Osteen opened the service, after which the worship team leaders led the people in worship music. Then he said that their prayer partners wanted to pray for anyone who needed healing in their bodies, healing of relationships or prayer for other needs. The head usher motioned for my husband to come up the aisle to the front, motioned for me to join my husband, and we stood there for only a few seconds.
     The usher led us to a young woman who asked if my husband needed prayer for healing to which he answered, "Yes." Dodie Osteen came over to us, asked where we are from, told us that her husband had preached one time in our town, then asked if my husband wanted prayer for healing of cancer. Again he told her, "Yes." She began to pray for him, commanding that any remaining cancer would leave his body and then she prayed that God will give him supernatural strength during chemotherapy so that he would have no side effects from it. She had no way of knowing that that was a concern, the side effects of chemotherapy. We went back our seats with tears of joy in our eyes and smiles on our faces.
     God's orchestration continues to amaze us. How He accomplishes what He does is a mystery to us; but we are like kids, we continue to say that our Dad can do anything.
    Thank you God for your divine orchestration.
    Thank you for providing the owner of the hotel to be our chauffeur.
    Thank you for proving to the owner of the hotel that you care about small things like parking spots.
    Thank you for the authority you gave Dodie to command any remaining cancer to leave my husband's body.
    Thank you for the word of knowledge that you gave to Dodie about strength during chemotherapy.
     Thank you for your surprises that we encounter every day that prove that you are the Loving Father who provides everything your children need.
     Thank you for surprising us with your wonderful orchestrations.

A BUNDLE OF JOY

                                          A BUNDLE OF JOY

     I've heard of small bundles of joy, meaning newborn little babies who come into our lives to bless us and bring joy. I've never heard of an adult bundle of joy. But my husband and I met one in Houston at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The meeting was a chance encounter, but I told her that there are actually no chance encounters where God is concerned.
     I was taking a long walk on the Sky Walk between buildings while my husband was in a series of tests, and a small vibrant woman who was pushing her walker remarked to me that I looked so pretty in my green blouse. I thanked her and continued my speedy walk.
     Later, after my husband completed the first portion of his tests, the two of us went to one of the many hospitality rooms for cookies and coffee. We got refreshments from the hostess, then we sat in chairs by the door. We had also obtained a blanket in which my husband wrapped like a cocoon, because every health care facility sets the room temperatures low, low and lower. He was freezing.
     Into the same hospitality room walked the same woman who had commented on my green blouse in another part of the medical complex a long way from this particular hospitality room. She took a seat in another sitting arrangement but quickly noticed me in my green blouse and again commented how pretty I looked.
     We exchanged pleasantries about our favorite colors and then my husband joined in the conversation when we began to talk about grandchildren, one of our favorite subjects. It evidently was her favorite, also. We bragged on our grandchildren; she bragged on hers.
     Suddenly we started talking about another of our favorite subjects, God. We shared testimonies. She had wonderful ones and we had wonderful ones. She talked freely in her conversations about God's miraculous events in her life and we filled in with the astounding testimonies of God's presence in our current situation, which was Steve's operation, the removal of the cancer, and the reason for the appointment at MD Anderson. It is the king of cancer treatment centers of the world, as proclaimed by Steve's surgeon.
     The bundle of joy announced that she is a 25 year cancer survivor. I chimed in that I am a 19 year survivor. We had both been treated at MD Anderson. She began glowing as she related the events of her unfortunate ordeal which eventually had wonderful results. I shared my same miraculous results with her, sharing the miracles that God had performed in my life.
     Soon she had to leave the hospitality room for her doctor's appointment for a checkup. We hugged and remarked together that there are no chance encounters, that we both knew that our meeting was arranged by Our Loving Father to enhance the faith that Steve and I already had relating to his tests, the findings and the treatments.
     That particular day we needed to hear the testimonies of the bundle of joy to enhance our faith relating to our current situation. God arranged my wearing the green blouse that attracted her attention on the brief meeting in the Sky Walk. Then He led the three of us to the same hospitality room in the same building, of which there are many, many similar rooms in the medical complex. She took a seat near us before she noticed me sitting there in my green blouse that she had previously admired, after which the sharing of testimonies began. Her joy was contagious in the midst of serious events in the lives of all the people in the room, on the Sky Walk and in the huge medical complex.
     She brought to mind the scripture that says, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Steve and I left that hospitality room with stronger joy and stronger faith. I call it an infusion of faith and joy. The sharing of testimonies does that, infuses new faith and joy into us.
     Steve completed the next tests with a great attitude after the infusion from the bundle of joy. Those chance encounters are like kisses from Our Loving Father. It amazes me how He arranges them, but I'll welcome them every time,. 
     I'm still thanking Him for delivering joy to us from an 80 year old Bundle of Joy. She's probably continuing her ministry of distributing joy to other people in her small Texas town and wherever she travels. She told me that she was a cheerleader in high school and college. She's a cheerleader for God now. Her current team always wins. I'm glad we're on the same team.

STANDARD SETTERS

                                           STANDARD SETTERS

     I always tried to figure out the meaning of the scripture that says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, God will raise us a standard against him." In my human mind one time I figured out that that standard was a flag that God would spiritually put in front of us that told the enemy to stop right there.
    That's logical and I banked on that for years. Yet, bad things happened to my family and me.
     There were other things I reasoned in my human mind, like the practice of speaking God's written Word and the enemy can't touch the situation. It worked some times but not always.
     Today I have a more meaningful revelation from the Holy Spirit for my husband and me.
     Cancer was found in the entire left lower quadrant of Steve's abdomen. The doctors suspected cancer and had even removed a malignant testicle and sperm cord a month ago. Their intent in the present surgery was to remove a non-functioning kidney and the ureter tube and a small portion of his bladder. They didn't anticipate the extent of the cancer when they opened him up to do their job.
     When we were in the pre-op room waiting for the time for him to go to the operating room, both doctors who were doing the surgery came in at the same time. My husband and I had discussed previously what we were going to say to them. He said he was going to tell them to operate on him like he was 30 years old instead of 74. I said I was going to tell them that they are going to operate on a man who is in the top ten rankings of swimmers in his age group in the U.S. and he wants to be the number one when he's 100. My husband frowned but I knew that, if given the opportunity, I would say that.
    The opportunity presented itself when both doctors came into the pre-op room. My husband was prevented from saying anything because he was taking a pre-op breathing treatment and had the breathing pipe in his mouth puffing away. My opportunity was there, so I emphatically stated to the doctors that they have a man who is not like other men, that he is a champion swimmer and in the top ten in his age group in the U.S. I continued to profess to them that he wants to continue to swim and become the number one swimmer when he's 100.
     They left the pre-op room and headed to the operating room, saying, "We'll do our best."
     When they got into his left abdominal area they found that he had malignant tumors everywhere in the area from above the kidney all the way down to below his groin area. They were up to the job. What they thought would be an easy operation that would take an hour and a half actually took over five hours. They poked and probed and cut and sewed until they got all of the visible cancerous tumors out of his body which took many more hours than anticipated.
     The doctors called him an amazing man and a marvel man because he won so many swimming gold medals while carrying around all that cancer in his body. They were amazed that he never had any pain, never had any blood in his urine. He was always the picture of health.
     During the operation they took out many, many tumors successfully, along with some organs. His prognosis was excellent. The doctors said there was a possibility that he might have radiation that will target the cancerous areas and that he certainly would have chemotherapy, which provides the last clean sweep to rid his body of all the microscopic tumors that were impossible for them to see. He took the news as if it was no big deal.
     While thanking God one morning it came to me, surely by the Holy Spirit who is the Teacher, that if we had not spoken his goals to the doctors before the surgery that they would have seen the extent of the cancer while operating, thought about his age, and they would have closed him back up and told him to have chemo and radiation and he probably would have died in a short time.
     The fact that we set the standard for them, to treat him like his body is the body of a 30 year old, and to fix him so that he will be number one in swimming competition when he's 100 years old, those comments set the standard. We spoke them out verbally to the doctors and they aimed to please, determined to treat him like he is forty years younger than he is, and to fix him so that he can get back to competing in swimming and winning gold medals until he's 100 years old.
     We spoke the standard and they performed the actions that would bring the standard into being. They could have closed him up without removing the large amount of cancer, but they didn't. They cleaned out the multitude of tumors, taking hours of their time to fix him, probably with other patients waiting for their services. The task didn't look too ominous to them when they were reminded of the standard we had set for them, to fix him so he can still win gold medals. They were up to the task and did their marvelous work, led by God's angels, I know.
     We can set our standards low or we can set them high. In this situation we had set our standards really high and the surgeons brought it into being.
     The scripture became real to me by this experience. The enemy had come in like a flood in the form of cancer. God impressed us to tell the doctors the standard that we expected. They did it according to our desire.
     When we speak words revealed to us by the Holy Spirit we are proclaiming our standards every time, and God's working angels will bring the standard into being.
     Knowing that a standard is really a goal or a desire or a wish or a prayer that is filled with faith, it will become a reality.
    My standards are perfection in every area of my life. I'm not standing for anything else.
    How about you?

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

                                             BIRDS OF A FEATHER

     Getting ready for surgery is more a mental exercise than it is an organizational one. Often the dread is overpowering and a black cloud hangs over the patient like a constant companion.
     My husband Steve had been pretty upbeat about his upcoming surgery but I could tell that his emotions were varied, positive most the time but then a wave of fear would pass over his mind with thoughts of the possibility of a negative prognosis after the surgery. I will have to credit him with the fact that most of the time he was upbeat.
     The day before the surgery I asked him a question I should not have introduced into our conversation. I knew better than to ask it. I asked as he came into the kitchen for breakfast, "Did you have a good night?" That elicited a report I didn't want to hear, "No, I didn't. I had a terrible night."
     As we all know, once the day starts off with a negative mindset, very often the rest of the day follows the same vein of thought. I didn't relish that pall hanging over our heads the rest of the day, possibly lasting into the day of surgery, which would be hard to shake.
     I began telling him about a testimony that our friend Diane wrote me in an email that very morning. The story was a follow-up conclusion to an ongoing problem that she had had for several summers. The past two summers swallows have taken up residence on her porch and they have been a real problem. They have dive bombed Diane, dive bombed her dog and cat, and have been a real nuisance. She has not been able to sit on the beautiful porch that she has decorated for a town contest. Enjoyment went out the window for her when the swallows decided her porch was the perfect place to nest. They were back again this year like vacationing relatives, making the summer unbearable again.
     Some other birds decided to inhabit her porch this summer also. A finch built a nest in her hanging basket that was filled with flowers. They were welcome because they did not have the habit of attacking man and beast the way the swallows did.

     Diane's son Chris and his girlfriend Babette came to visit and share some of the great wisdom they have gained in their many travels and meditation seminars. Diane told Babette about the swallows and told her about the finches and their nest.
     Babette remarked that she had a book that she wanted to share with Diane about birds and how they are sent to us with messages that we need to learn. She shared an unusual insight, that the finches were there in the hanging basket to bring peace between Diane and the swallows. My friend decided to read the book about messenger birds with an open mind after hearing that interesting comment.
     The next morning Diane prepared to take her dog for a morning stroll, a daily occurrence, and she was prepared to have to dodge the swallows and their dive bombing habits. However, as she gathered up the small dog in her arms and tiptoed onto the porch she was astonished. There were no swallows around. They were not there to torment her and her dog. As she walked further into the yard she was cautious but still noticed the absence of the swallows.
     As she ventured out further into the yard she heard the sweet voice of Babette back at the house saying, "I told you so."
     Surely she was right, the finches had come to bring peace between Diane and the swallows because now the swallows were not behaving like tormenters. In fact, they were absent completely.
     God's messengers of truth take many forms. This time it came on the wings of birds for Diane and for us from the mouth of her son's girlfriend Babette.
     My husband and I gleaned the overflow from the story. As I told it to him, suddenly his positive attitude was restored and his whole countenance changed. He began to speak positive things, which will continue into the day of surgery, I know.
     Then my sister-in-law sent a wonderful story about a sandpiper. I knew the messages were sent to let us know that the birds in God's dimension, His angels, were already doing their jobs of giving wisdom to the doctors to bring perfect results to the surgery.
     We expected the best because we knew that peace would be in the waiting room, the operating room and the entire hospital. Peace benefits everyone involved, just like peace was brought to my friend and the swallows by the little finches.
     I love God's messages of faith.

TRUTH DISGUISED AS MAXINE

                           TRUTH DISGUISED AS MAXINE

"Open my eyes that I might see visions of truth thou hast for me."

     There she sat again in the doctor's office, a vision of truth sent for me. The interesting thing was that she was a replica of the greeting card character Maxine, an extraordinary looking woman with white frizzy hair, small in stature, wrinkled face and arms, and she was sitting in the most unladylike pose reading a red leather New Testament. She was a picture straight off of a greeting card or straight off of an internet email message.

     I had noticed her two weeks before, on another occasion, when she and her husband entered the same doctor's waiting room. She had on a bright red blouse with red and white seersucker pants and bright red shoes. The colors were unusually vibrant for a woman her age, which was probably late eighties, but my eyes were drawn to her because of the bright colors which contrasted with her white medium length frizzy hair. The combination just seemed to attract my admiring gaze. Maybe the attraction was because I love bright colors, too, and the older I get the brighter my choice of colors seems to get, so I felt a kinship with her.

     On the second occasion I saw her when she entered the waiting room. She was adorned in more demure colors, varying shades of beige. However, I recognized her immediately because she wasn't easy to overlook. She and her husband returned to the same seats they had previously occupied on the first occasion, as if the seats were permanently reserved for them.
     I began reading the morning paper, occasionally glancing at the woman out of the corner of my eye. She seemed to be worth watching.

     I became completely consumed with reading a particular editorial in the newspaper and for a full fifteen minutes didn't even glance at the real life replica of "Maxine". When I finished reading the article my attention immediately went to the woman. She was sitting in the most awkward position, skinny legs wide apart, purse nestled on the floor between her legs, and she was reading the New Testament with concentrated intent.

     Suddenly I heard the real life "Maxine" profess these words to her husband, "We are so blessed." To which he replied, "Yes, we truly are."

     As an observer of the pair and an eavesdropper to their conversation, I became blessed as a result. It was as if God had sent the woman to remind me that my husband and I are also blessed. We were eagerly waiting for a conference with the doctor to discuss the results of pathological tests which might require serious procedures.

     My eyes were clearly opened to see the miracle of the situation, that God had orchestrated the chance meeting again so that I could see and admire the lady in her unusual sitting position reading the New Testament where God promises healing to his children, and then to verbally hear the proclamation of, "We are so blessed," to remind me of my own blessings.
    Blinders fell from my eyes and I was again filled with faith because of the vision of truth that He had for me. He used an unusual vessel, one who certainly got my attention. She was the cutest thing I ever saw, wrinkles, frizzy hair and all. Maybe she was an angel in disguise. If so, that angel chose the right disguise, the one of a greeting card character that I love. She quickly opened my eyes and ears to the message that God wanted me to hear, reminding me that I'm blessed beyond belief.
     Whomever you are and whatever your name is, you are "Maxine" to me, an angel in disguise sending a greeting to me.
     Yes, I am blessed. I got the message loud and clear, the message which confirmed a truth I already knew, but it reaffirmed the reality of my many, many blessings.

MORE HAND PRINTS OF GOD

MORE HAND PRINTS OF GOD

     Don't you just love to see the footprints and hand prints of God in a situation! You know He's there, you know He's working hard to perfect a situation, and then He sends some confirming visual prints and we are so very, very grateful. We become even more solidly filled with faith because His prints are His visual evidence that the matter is firmly in His hands and He is able to perform His wonderful works in the circumstance.

     My husband had a serious operation that resulted in a report that was shocking to us. We know our Heavenly Father is well able to do what He has promised to do, which is restore completely, but the report sent our minds reeling for a few hours.

     I began quoting a scripture, "The Son of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings," which is found in Malachi 4:2. The rest of that verse promises that we will go forth and grow up as calves in the stall, and we will tread down the wicked and they will be ashes under the soles of our feet in the day that God rises with healing in His wings.

     On the second day after we went home from the hospital a dear friend named Dorothy, a faithful member of the Praying Posse prayer group, brought a rare begonia plant to us and a card for Steve. When Steve opened the card it was like the pain medicine he had been taking for his body, only this was pain medicine for our minds.

     On the front of the card was the word "WINGS" in large, bold letters followed by a message that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Then the message on the inside of the card referred to faith being the wings that will lift us up.

     Dorothy had no knowledge that I had been quoting the scripture about the Wings of the Son of Righteousness, yet she chose the perfect card.
Any little hints of doubt and fear in our minds flew out the window as the Wings of the Son of Righteousness renewed our strength and lifted us up.

The card continued to do its mighty work, strengthening us while those same Wings of the Son of Righteousness completed God's work of healing.

     Another valuable hand print/footprint of God came the day before the operation. Marcia, another Praying Posse prayer warrior, brought to my house a banner she had purchased the prior weekend. The banner is by a new artist in town, a huge painting of two giant angels embracing each other. Their wings are prominent behind them. When I think about that banner it presents another visual representation of the Wings of the Son of Righteousness rising with healing in His wings to bring healing to God's children. Steve is a recipient of that powerful and loving healing.

     God continued to cover all bases in the situation, like He always does. He confirmed His promises and put us on the solid Rock again thanks to loving friends who willingly put the final seal of approval on what God has already guaranteed.

GOD'S FOOTPRINTS AND HANDPRINTS

                             HAND PRINTS AND FOOTPRINTS OF GOD

     When a doctor tells you his prognosis about a challenging medical problem that you're facing, his words stick in your mind, rolling over and over, even gaining more negativity every time they roll around. It's difficult to get your mind stopped from its spinning out of control, imagining every possible worse case scenario, even when the prognosis may have good possibilities. The negatives seems to take over, covering up the positives. Such it is with the human computer called a brain, one negative thing overrides all positive ones.

     My husband Steve had had surgery in which was found a tumor that has markings of being malignant. Even though the results of the final testing had not been revealed to us, our minds were running amuck with negative thoughts spinning out of control.

     I was reminded of the message that Jesus gave to people when he walked the earth. He told them to consider the lilies of the field, how they neither toil nor spin, yet their Heavenly Father adorns them with beauty. I knew that He was saying that we shouldn't let our minds spin out of control with negative thoughts. Yet, I was having trouble girding My mind down. I was not controlling negative thoughts the way I wanted. I couldn't get my mind quiet so I could finally get some sleep. It was definitely spinning out of control, controling me with thoughts of dread and doom.

      After laying in bed for an hour with no success in my effort to control the thoughts, I began to think a little prayer, okay, God, give me a scripture that I can play over and over again in my mind instead of dreadful thoughts playing over and over again. A scripture came to mind that I had only heard once, "Let God be true and every man a liar." That seemed remote from any relation to our situation, but the more I pondered it the more I saw that it related completely. It was telling me that I must let what God says about the situation be true and any negative prognosis we heard from humans be a lie. So the scripture really did relate to our situation because my husband and I both know that God said, "By His stripes you are healed," and no matter what any man says, what God says is the final word, the final proclamation.

      That scripture from our Instruction Book, called the Bible, rolled over and over and over in my mind, replacing the negative words of the doctors. It began to give me faith. It did what I wanted it to do, calmed my mind. In a few minutes I fell asleep and slept for three hours. That was just what I needed, rest for my mind and body.

     I woke with the scripture in my mind, "Let God be true and every man a liar."  It still brought me mental comfort beyond belief, just like it did during the night.

     After getting home from the hospital the next day, a card arrived from a friend who knew nothing about my experience the day before. It was addressed to my husband. Our friend Jane wanted to give my husband encouragement and faith that the final outcome of the medical situation would be positive and perfect.

     In her own handwriting on the card, Jane very lovingly told my husband how much she cares for us, and then she ended the note with this scripture, "Let God be true and every man a liar," Romans 3:4.

     We were filled with awe and wonder that God would give Jane the same scripture He gave to me about the situation, assuring us that God knows much more about it than any man or a team of men know. So we know what God says is true about it. And that truth is that the final outcome will be magnificent and perfect.

     Men don't know the inner workings and the final outcome of a situation. Only God knows them. So the limited knowledge of men, even doctors, make them liars because they haven't come to a complete knowledge of the truth about it.

     God confirmed though Jane that God's words are true and we can rely on them.

CHRONICLES OF THE PRAYING POSSE

CHRONICLES OF THE PRAYING POSSE

My praying friends and I have currently been named The Praying Posse because we know how to pray by interceding in the Holy Spirit. When we commit to something we completely commit to it. Miracles have abounded in powerful ways.
This story will warm your heart and bring God bumps to your skin. I used to call them goose bumps, but "God bumps" are similar. The only difference is they come quickly on the skin inside and out, they give a rush to the mind and bring joy to the emotions when miracles are reported in answer to prayers.
Over twelve years ago Cathi, one of the Praying Posse, came to Bible Study and asked that we pray for a young girl whom she and her daughter had observed sitting on the porch of a nearby school. The girl was obviously crying and Cathi knew that prayers were needed. We didn't know the need, just knew there was a person in need. So we started praying for the girl. In fact, Cathi said the girl looked like Sara, the daughter of a prominent local man. We all knew the man and the daughter, so we agreed to pray for her together as well as separately. We prayed together every week for a while, naming her name. Then we stopped naming her name, but we all consciously prayed for her regularly.
It turned out that the need was great because Sara and a boyfriend had killed some people on a crime spree while high on drugs. We began to include Sara's family, too, because the burden was insurmountable for them. Sara went to prison, sentenced to thirty years.
Our prayers intensified for Sara and her family. Sara was incarcerated in one of the southern states where one of the murders occurred.
Sara's mother found a way to handle her grief. She began to minister love and encouragement to women in our local state prison. She counseled them and taught educational classes to them every week, accepting them as her own family, making a difference in their lives.
Sara also decided to handle her incarceration in a positive way. She began teaching Bible classes and educational classes while in prison. Her ministry has turned many lives around and has prepared the other imprisoned ladies for life after prison. Sara and her mom individually, in different states, have brought dignity and respect and love to other women, a wonderful way to handle their grief and burden of guilt.
Through an article in the newspaper last week we saw that Sara was being released from prison after ten years. We were all elated, but nonetheless knew that our prayers for her will not cease because she will have tough times learning to live outside of prison walls.
God let us all know that we are still connected and joined through a miraculous way. The following paragraphs chronicle a wonderful God Incident. We used to call them coincidences, but now we know they are instigated by God so they are God incidents.
Marcia is one of the Praying Posse members. Her husband came home this week with a letter that was "mistakenly" placed in his post office box. The letter was from Sara but it was addressed to Sally a friend who is a also prayer warrior and who has a prison ministry. Sally's name was clearly on the letter but no box number was added to the letter. Yet the letter ended up in the post office box of Marcia's husband who brought it home and asked her to deliver it to the proper person. Only an angel of God could do that to let us know that we are all still connected and one familly by the Spirit of God. Sara addressed the letter to Sally, the letter had no box number, and somehow it ended up in Marcia's husband's post office box.
Yes, we will never stop praying for Sara. Why would we? God originally led Cathi to observe Sara crying before she was even arrested for the horrendous crimes, then she asked us to pray for Sara, which we have done all these years.
Twelve years later, during the week that Sara was released from prison, Marcia's husband finds a lost letter in his post office box addressed to Sally, a friend who has probably counseled and ministered to Sara through the mail all these years. And now Marcia has delivered the letter to Sally.
Yes, we have been called to continue our prayers for Sara. That letter was a red letter message to us to continue praying.
God has magnificent things for Sara's future. Forgiveness is a certainty. That forgiveness was bought and paid for over two thousand years ago by Jesus. Now Sara has a glowing future.
Thank you, God, for loving Sara and for sending the angel to put the letter in the wrong box (actually the right box) to let us know to continue our praying in support of Sara. You're a Great Dad.

IS FORGIVENESS APPROVAL?

A loved one named Helen asked me this week to expand on the term "judgment" for her. She opened up the discussion after I told her a testimony about a friend whom I just found out had had a ten year long affair. I related to Helen that my reaction to the news about the affair was that I was very disappointed in the friend.
The point of my telling Helen the story was to tell her the insight that the Holy Spirit gave to me about how my disappointment in my friend had quickly turned into judgment. In fact, my disappointment had immediately made the left hand turn into judgment, judgment of him that he had disappointed me and had caused a breakup of a family that I had considered an ideal family.
I had stewed in the teapot of disappointment for a few days before I realized that it was affecting me emotionally. I knew that I needed to pray for the male friend and his wife, who are both local civic leaders.
It was during that evening of concentrated prayers for the two of them that the words of God came to my mind that released me from the judgment that had originated in thoughts of disappointment. God reminded me of the background of the friend, and God told me that because of the friend's background that the actions of his years long affair were normal in his mind. I had forgotten that his mom had done the same thing for years and that the situation had benefited her and her boys because the man involved with his mom had supplied many things that the mom could never have supplied. So that was the programming for my friend, that it was normal behavior.
With that insight from the past, I was able to immediately release my friend from the disappointment/judgment that I had for him. I was able to let him go from my disapproval which would have surely emanated from me had I seen him at some social or business affair. With God's insight into the matter, I could understand my friend and his motivation and I could love him with an understanding heart. I could offer my love and help to him instead of a disapproving attitude or even an attitude of indifference toward him, which both had been seated in my disappointment/ judgment of him. I was free, because of God's insight, to love him since the disappointment and judgment were gone.
When I was telling the story to Helen, her reaction was an interesting one. An instant opposition to what I was saying was apparent, although it was a loving one. She asked that I explain judgment to her, because she never understood what I meant in my writings when I wrote that God says not to judge, that he says to forgive everyone for their offenses.
I was taken aback, wondering how many other people were stuck in the same demonic blinding in their lack of understanding of the very things that Jesus taught so many times.
As Helen continued to speak, it became apparent that she thought that saying that we must not judge people meant that we approved of their sins, their wrong choices, their iniquities, their law breaking, etc. She fully understood the fact that we must separate the sin from the sinner, but she was under the mistaken impression that refusing to judge him meant that we approved of the very misdeeds that plunged him into the unpleasant situation in which he found himself.
Helen and I discussed the insight that refusing to judge someone means that we release them from our condemnation, our disgust, our disapproval, our disappointment so that we can love them like God loves them, unconditionally, regardless of their actions. It means that we understand temptations because we are faced with them every day, and we understand the hereditary or experiential motivation of the person; and because we understand we can extend love and acceptance and help to them when we are in their presence.
True and godly compassion means that we understand and we extend love rather than condemnation.
Unfortunately every one of our actions sow seeds and those seeds will return to us. So every action, good or evil, has it's own results. We don't need to add our punishment to it. My friend's affair has already returned plants to him from the seeds that he planted, judging him by them. His family is broken. His children oppose him. His reputation is tainted. His wife has left him. He has suffered loss in many areas.
Now I can be compassionate toward him because of his losses. How fleshly of me to have had thoughts of disappointment and judgment of him, adding to his losses of my wanting to withdraw my friendship from him. Now that God has given me understanding and insight into the situation I can shower everyone involved in the situation with love and understanding instead of disappointment and judgment.
Helen is musing and meditating on the truths that we discussed. By speaking the insights that she got from our discussion, she was able to understand that forgiveness and lack of judgment has nothing to do with approval of something we consider evil, but it has everything to do with understanding and loving unconditionally regardless of the actions of others.
God does the same towards us. He lives in us, so He extends the same grace to others through us that He does toward us, covering everyone with love which smothers out even a multitude of sins and trespasses. Yes, God's love for me by His explaining to me my friend's motivation for his affair covered my disappointment and judgment of my friend and set me free from condemnation of him. The results were freedom for me and freedom for my friend from my judgment of him. Now I'm free and I can pray for his freedom.