Faith, Courage and Perseverence

I know a girl... well, actually a lady... I haven't known her long.  We met a few years ago in a Praying Wives group at our church.  She's an amazing person.  While we haven't known each other long, I feel like we've known each other all of our lives, like we are sisters.  Then again, we ARE!~We are sisters in the Lord!

This girl endures some of the most excruciating pain anyone on earth should ever have to endure as a mom.  She is watching her middle son fight the battle of his life... Cancer.  He's gone thru months of chemotherapy, has had leg reconstruction, lost his hair, has side pain, throws up... and the list goes on.  He even faces lung surgery soon, as some 'spots' have appeared there.  This son is only 14 years old.  

Through all of this, she still praises and worships our Lord and Savior!  She has inspired me and so many!  We all have stuff going on in our lives.  We all struggle.  But do we all remember EVERY DAY to stop and praise Him and thank Him?  She does even in the midst of this ugly disease!  

I know the Lord lends us our children and we are to do the best we know how with them while here.  Do we thank Him for this amazing gift each day?  Then to have to watch them when they're so sick and hurting so bad, to still thank Him and see the good along this path is nothing short of awesome.  I, for one, stand in awe of this lady and her family.

I was blessed with a little time this morning... visiting and sharing, as I have several times over the nearly 6 months since this ordeal began.  No truer form of Faith and Courage have I ever seen.

She recently posted the following on Facebook.  I just wanted to share with everyone.  Whatever you're going through right now, know that God is with you... He never leaves us or forsakes us.  His love endures forever.  I have grown so much in watching this family... and I stop every day in what I am dealing with and I thank God... for the gift of the friendship in this lady, and for all that He still provides.  Tracy Woolgar Floyd, I love you... and I thank you for your testimony that you share with all of us daily!  God bless you, God bless Nick, and may God bless Team Floyd!  

(When you all say your prayers, please add Nicholas and his family to your prayers... there is no such thing as too many!!)  THANKS!

By Tracy:
"So many times I look back as we take this very uncertain road and think to myself...Ohhhhh that's why, that's why this happened. Thank God that happened! Lord, thank you for the things that you reveal to me, the things that seemed to not be fair. Thank your for moving us to this smaller, easier house a month before Nick was diagnosed, thank you for moving us into a home with stairs that "caused" us to be aware, thank you for moving us next to incredible people that have supported us throughout this journey, thank you for the new friends you placed in our path who armored up and said we will fight this with you, and for the friends we already had that put on their armor and said we are here for the long haul. Thank you for the little scattered blessings we have received. Lord, my sister and my father...I can't even begin, thank you. 

It is always hard to watch as the effects roll in. His throat is sore, his spit is thick and his sparkle has dulled. This chemo really wipes one out. The feeding tube is his primary source of nutrition at this time. As hard as it is to put in sometimes, I can't express enough what a blessing that thing is. Watching the physical roller coaster of this road is a mental war in its own. Often times on these sullen days, the words "be still shhhhh" constantly run through my mind. Those seem to be my words of peace. Those words help my mind from going into places it has no business wandering to.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”"

memories ... or the lack of them!

Does anyone else out there have memory issues?  Granted, I'll be 55 this summer, but still!!  I have friends and classmates that are able to reminisce about things that happened 35 plus years ago, and I do good to remember their names!!  It's so embarrassing and frustrating.

I just learned that a classmate passed away this week.  While I remember the name, and his face, I can't remember much about him.  Thankfully, there are others that are able to remember him and share his life with all of us.

So then I start thinking of my own life and mortality... he was my age!  So many classmates have gone too soon.  But we are now "middle" aged if we live to be 110!!  OLD if we live to be 70!!!  Which makes me think that my memory ain't that bad then!  Haha!

I think of my salvation... of other's salvation that have gone before me.  I hope and I pray that they knew the Lord and that they are sitting at His feet.  I look forward to the day that I'm called Home, but pray that those that I love will come to know Him before I take that journey.

Today will be a day of reflection for me... reflecting on all of the friends that the Lord has truly blessed me with over the years...whether I remember them or not!~I know HE does!

He is my rock ... my fortress and my deliverer... He has my plans for my future... thank you Lord for my life and salvation... even in this time of aging!!

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Babies

Since the last time I wrote, a lot of babies have been born.  It's been a bittersweet week.  First a friend that I used to work with became a grandma again, and her son and wife named their daughter Melody!  :)  Made me smile for sure, even though I'm sure it wasn't because of ME!  haha... then another friend on Facebook became a grandma again.  THEN another friend that I used to work with became a grandma for the first time, and sadly her granddaughter died shortly after arriving.  This broke my heart.  My heart aches for them still.  But a few days later, we became grandparents again.  Colten Joseph was born at 11am on Monday, February 20th.  He is beautiful and perfect.  I almost felt bad posting photo's of him on FB, for I didn't want to hurt my friend's heart that had just lost her grandchild.

As a Christian I still don't know why these things happen... the Lord definitely works in mysterious ways!  I'm reminded of the verse in Jeremiah... ""For I know the thoughts I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and hope. Then you will call upon ME and go and pray to ME, and I will listen to you and you will seek ME and find ME, when you search for ME with all of your heart." JEREMIAH 29: 11-13


So here we are, celebrating the birth of another grandson, rejoicing that he is perfect and healthy.  At the same time I pray for the family of the lost granddaughter.  Thankful that they know Him, and know the future, the hope and the peace that He still offers them.


God bless all these babies, the ones here and there with Him... they are our angels and our future.

mistakes along the way...

I know we all make them. But do ya ever think of the baby Christians or NON believers around you AFTER you've made them? How do you re-do that? I battle with the evil one daily, as he reminds me of all of my mistakes along the way. I curse him, and tell him there's no room for him in my life, but the flashbacks of my mistakes still haunt me.

I'm thankful that most of the mistakes have been changed or those that I made the mistakes with have come back around. I am not perfect. I am forgiven. I get stressed out just like the next person. The difference is, my heavenly Father sets me straight when I'm done having my little fit!! And I strive to do better the next day.

As a Christian, I struggle with staying "unstained by the world". I try to shine the light of Jesus. I try to be His hands and feet, then when trying to do this with an unbeliever, they can't see past a mistake I made awhile back. This makes me so sad. I see other people that are being hurt by these baby Christians and unbelievers and I get saddened all over again. So, I go to my closet and pray.

Why can't we all get along and learn from one another? I really really REALLY want to know this!! Without Christ, we are "mud pies baking in the elements of PREFERENCE and prejudice"! (Beth Moore~James~Mercy Triumphs) I emphasize preference because this is what I am fighting and a friend is fighting right now. Preference of others above us. I say it's ok...I know I've wronged these people over the years...but in these "mistakes", their best interest was always in mind.

So now I study today on Favortism. Oh brother! I'm going to get smacked around a bit again ~ I can feel it. But from these mistakes, I've grown. Don't mind me, I say...God isn't finished with me yet!!

still prayin...

Now the Billster is sick...I won't go into details that he so graciously shared with me on the phone! And yes, he's still working... he's a workaholic, and loves his job... but also because the boss is gone for the day and the other driver needs to leave early. So Bill requests chicken noodle soup for dinner and the bed to be ready as soon as he gets home and all day tomorrow so he's ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday. (By the way...my idea of a super bowl is a self cleaning toilet!!) Anyway... I continue to pray that the Lord go before him and keep him safe and that his tummy be calmed... AND that the Lord help that I don't get 'it'!

Good thing that one of my gifts is care giving. Doing my study this morning and it's perfect timing. (God's timing always is!!) :) Opening verse is: "Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27 Now I'm sure you're saying, okayyyy, but Bill's not an orphan or widow!!! No he's not... but he's in need. But my gift actually is caring for the elderly, or even just visiting them. I LOVE going to see them when they're lonely and/or in need. So let's say that Bill's my elderly for the day! HA!

Anyway, I'm also reminded that I can't be saved by deeds without faith in Christ! God COUNTS on us to care for the needy. But we have to commit to Christ's ethics and morals in order to minister to these needy! God is also practical. He doesn't ask us to do what doesn't matter! I've made up my mind who I want to be and I daily die to the worldly stuff... I am a child of God, caring for those in need... and today's needy is the hubby!

Blessings ya'll...for a healthy and happy weekend!

prayer...

The Billster is having a really bad day. Heck, he's had a really bad week on the job. This is nothing unusual. It's usually someone that's messing around and not doing what they're supposed to do that gets him goin...and I'm here to listen. Now mind you, I've been doing this for nearly 11.5 years and it does 'get old' on occasion. But I'm in a new mindset these days. I learned in my study today (or was reinforced) that anger doesn't bring about a righteous life that God desires. So,I listen to Bill, with intent ... with purpose. Then I pray for him when we hang up.

I was recently in a group of praying wives...praying for the marriages of those in our church and our own. We all have the book: The Power of a Praying Wife. In it states that all men have an enemy who wants to undermine what God desires to do in their lives. Women have that same enemy, but men seem to be more vulnerable to his attacks in certain areas. A wife can pray that her husband will discern the lies and hear instead words like "hope", "prosperity", "possibility", "success", and "new beginnings" and know that they're from God!

As a married couple, we are one... an assault on him is an assault on me. So I step in on his behalf and pray 2 Timothy 1:7...for a mind of power and love and self discipline, and NOT that of a spirit of fear!...or bitterness, or anger, etc.

Remember to stay in prayer for your husband's ladies... "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12