Gift giving...not our idea, God started it! Blessed to be a blessing!

As a child, I remember my mom, as a single parent, struggling to make ends meet and then the holidays would be thrown on top of that.  I remember a couple of gifts that she gave us, as kids, that meant the world to me; not because they were exactly what I wanted, but because I know that it cost my mom everything and was a true sacrifice.  To most youngsters, getting a NKJV Study Bible  is not super exciting, but I remember opening that box and knowing that it must have cost a fortune, one I knew my mom didn’t have to spend, and feeling like she had just given me the entire world.  I remember getting a blue throw blanket with teddy bears on it that my mom knew I wanted, yet I knew there was no way she could afford that gift.  I was so filled with love and joy when I opened my present and that blanket was inside.  I know there were often holidays where people gave my mom money for groceries and gifts; if not for those people, some years we would have never had a Christmas.

As an adult, with a child of my own, I remember holidays where giving gifts sometimes was financially more of a challenge than others.  I remember literally going through Felicity’s toys and picking out ones she hadn’t played with in months, clean them up, box them, wrap them and give them to her again simply because we had no money.  And the joy on her face when she would say “Mommy, I had one just like this and lost it.  Thank you mommy.”  The joy on her face was priceless, even though it broke my heart that I had to take her toys and re-gift them; but the joy and excitement for her was just as if I bought it brand new.  Again, I recall times when people bought gifts for us to give to Felicity, gave us money for gifts or the one year that our church family bought our family Christmas.

I guess these experiences made me who I am today and the fact that  I love to give gifts.  I love giving gifts for specific occasions,  I love giving gifts when they are unexpected, I love listening to people and hearing their desires and being able to fulfill them, I love buying the gifts, I love wrapping the gifts in pretty packages, I love giving them, and I love seeing the expression on a person’s face when they open the gift.  I just plain love giving gifts.  Don’t get me wrong, I love getting gifts, but would rather give them any day!  The holidays tend to be a time when we all think of giving gifts, listening extra hard to what people say they want and the desire to reach out to someone who has less than we do.  It is the perfect time of year for people like me, who love to give gifts.  When I give a gift I never think about what they will get me, I expect nothing back except the smile and joy on their face when they open their gift.  Yes, I love getting gifts, but not a huge fan of surprises  for myself so giving gifts is a great thing for me!  My friends are so special and dear to me and giving gifts is my way of showing them how much I love and value them!  However, nothing brings me more joy than seeing a child get a gift.  A child has such innocence and are uninhibited when they open a gift; they scream, they shake, they cry, they have a smile that consumes their entire face.  Beyond that, there is just something about a child  getting a pretty wrapped package, shaking it, opening it (not afraid to tear the paper) and the joy and laughter that comes after they see what great thing is in that package.  Their joy is so contagious.  Holidays are the best time to watch children open gifts because they have taken time to make their lists and wait with total faith that the things on their list will be under that tree.  And even though they are confident that the items on their list will be under that tree, they still are totally surprised and excited when they open the packages and see that item.  Needless to say, if a child getting a gift brings me so much joy, a child without a gift during the holidays absolutely breaks my heart. 

Through the years, as people helped us, I always swore that our family would pay it forward every year.  We have always taught Felicity that it didn’t matter what we had under the tree, what mattered was that everyone had at least one gift under the tree.  I remember one year our church did a stocking thing for children in need.  Basically, a family paid $1 for a stocking and picked whether it would be for a boy or a girl and would fill the stocking up.  Felicity was about 8 and she was very insistent that she get 2 stockings for little girls.  When we asked her what she wanted to put in the stocking she proceeded to list off the the gifts she wanted.  We had to explain to her that this was ok, but if we did that we wouldn’t be able to afford those items for her; she said “That’s ok mommy…this little girl needs a Christmas too.”  So, we filled both stockings with the items on her list; a few days later, someone gave us an envelope with money that was the exact amount of the items in BOTH stockings, so we were able to buy Felicity those items too! Every year Felicity wants to make sure that other kids get Christmas and will always sacrifice her own gifts for other children.  It melts my heart to see the heart of my daughter and she understands the true meaning of gift giving!  She always gets her gifts, it may come a little after Christmas, but she never cares because children are her heart and their happiness is her gift!

This year is no different…I still love to give gifts.  In fact, we have already been blessed to be able to give our first gift to someone and the reaction did not disappoint!  We also have the opportunity to help a family that is dear to us, yet we have never met.

I don’t tell any of this for sympathy or for a pat on the back for what we do.  Each person has life experiences that makes them passionate about something and they act on it.  It takes ALL of us acting on what we are passionate about in order to change the world!  I tell all of this to encourage everyone, during the holidays especially, to act on what you are passionate about that can change at least one person’s holiday season!  It may be buying a gift for someone, having a family into your home for a meal, having coffee with someone who just needs to talk, serving at a homeless shelter, serving in your church, visiting the elderly, etc.  There are always people out there that need a blessing that you can deliver and the sacrifice is always worth it!  My heart is full of joy this season to know that God has blessed me so abundantly and will use me to bless someone else…after all, isn’t that what the season is all about?!  God sacrificed His only Son, sent Him to earth to be born as a human for the purpose of later dying on the cross for me.  The idea of giving sacrificially didn’t come from me or even from a human, but from our God!  How awesome is that?! 

This holiday season, I pray an abundant blessing over each one of you.  I pray that your hearts be full of joy!  Whether you are the one blessing someone this season or  you are the one receiving the blessing…May your hearts be full of faith, hope, love and joy!  And if you are the one receiving the blessing…I pray that God richly blesses you in the days, weeks, months to come so that you also can bless others in the same way!

God is up to something....miracles!!!

Most of you know that I have been struggling with kidney issues since February; I have literally had at least one surgical procedure every month with a major one in May.  I have struggled with just about every complication possible and just been struggling to get well.  After my last procedure a month ago I was still feeling some pain in my right kidney; the doctor was concerned and scheduled me for a Renal Scan.  As I watched the scan take place I knew what I was looking at because I have had a few of these; my right kidney was not draining.  I became panicked and our family started wondering what we were going to do.  Friday the doctor didn’t have the results yet so we just went on wondering what surgery I was going to end up needing.  Saturday we went to the State Fair, convinced that this would be my last major event for a while since I would likely need surgery.  Sunday morning I shared with my fellow worship team members what the scan showed and that we were waiting for the doctor to figure out a plan once she read the final results.  During service, one of my friends felt led to have our family come forward and the entire church prayed for us and prayed that this attack on our family’s health would end.  Suddenly, I felt a peace that whatever the doctor said would be ok and it would all work out.  Monday morning I called the doctor looking for the results of my scan and the nurse said that they hadn’t got a chance to fully read them, but at a glance they looked good and that the doctor would call me Tuesday morning (today).  This morning the doctor called and said this, "Your kidney is fine.  In fact, your right kidney is actually working better than your left one now!  Your kidney function is well within the normal range and we just need to keep an eye on it.  But your kidney is fine."  I woke up yesterday and today feeling good, just super tired from all of the meds; I have some back pain, but believe that is because I haven’t had the steroid injections, I usually get, in about 8-9 months (I get them every 2-3 months).  As for my kidney pain…NONE!  I KNOW what that Renal Scan showed…that right kidney was not draining.  I also know that my God is bigger than a non-functioning kidney and can change things around in a heartbeat!  The key is to keep the faith and STAND…when you just don’t know what else to do….STAND on the promises of God.  The promises that say “By HIS stripes I AM HEALED.”  The promise that says “NO weapon formed against me shall prosper.”  Or the promise that says “Greater is HE who is in me than he who is in the world.”  God is still in the miracle business today, just as much as He was in Bible times…it is up to us to have the faith to believe and the strength to stand when circumstances tell us to doubt and accept defeat.  WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS!!!! 

Passionate Christian Life

After church today I really sat and thought about several things from service; a conversation that I had with a very wise, dear friend and then an amazing “step on your toes” kinda message from our pastor.  It really made me think about how Christians “do” religion or Christianity rather than “be” a Christian.  My friend and I were talking about a memorial service for a Muslim family that he was at.  As we talked about what they believe, I started to think about different religions and beliefs out in the world.  I look at how Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses go door to door to share their faith.  I see how passionately the Muslims pray to their god or how devoted they are to their beliefs.  It often makes me wonder…What would happen if Christians shared their faith like that, prayed to God like that and were totally devoted and sold out to the cause of Christ?  Can you imagine the impact we would have on the world? 

As our Sr. Pastor shared this morning, it can start with one simple statement on Facebook or Twitter; with one passing comment in the hall, office or elevator at the office.  It starts with looking at our promises instead of our problems and looking at others BEFORE looking at ourselves.

Don’t get me wrong…I TOTALLY struggle with this.  I have had friends delete me on Facebook because of it and I have had to go to them and repent and ask for a second chance.   There are at least 2 friends that I can think of right now that I still need to go to and repent and ask for forgiveness.  Will they forgive me?  I hope so, but that doesn’t even matter; what matters is that I go to them and repent.

If we live that passionate Christian life that I have spoken about, we may lose friends because they don’t know what to make of it, but rather than focus on that I think we need to focus on…What if our passionate Christian life inspires another Christian to do the same?  It is literally a ripple effect!

I don’t plan to change WHO I am, but I do plan to change HOW I am!  Every situation has a positive or negative spin we can put on it.  What would it say to the world around us if we chose to only focus on the positive in the situation rather than the negative?!  Anyone can focus on the negative and the truth is that most do!  I am striving to set a precedence in my life that I will focus on the positive and only speak the words that are positive and be careful about judging and work towards being that passionate Christian that, let’s face it, we are ALL called to be!

7 years...then the MIRACULOUS!

Dale and I always said that we would continually tell our story to be a testimony to those around us.  So, on this special anniversary, I feel so blessed to be able to tell an amazing and miraculous story of our precious Felicity’s life!

Seven years ago, today, Dale and I rushed a very sick Felicity to the hospital; we never thought that this trip would lead to one month in the hospital, nearly losing her and 7 years of health struggle.  On July 15, 2004, Felicity had already been sick for 3 days; by this point she couldn’t even keep water down.  Baptist Hospital immediately admitted her and there our long road began.  We were told that Felicity had an infection in her intestines and needed to be admitted and put on antibiotics.  After a week at Baptist, Felicity only got worse and, by this time, could no longer talk, walk or use the bathroom and she was so swollen that she gained 11 pounds and hadn’t eaten in 2 weeks.  The hospital’s only option was to send her to Children’s where they dealt specifically with children; here she was rushed to a room and hooked up to all kinds of things.  Within hours she was taken to surgery where she was given a platelet and blood transfusion to ensure she didn’t bleed to death.  They inserted a catheter into her abdomen to try to pull fluid out of her from failing kidneys.  By this point the infection had run so rampant throughout her body that her kidneys had stopped working and her blood was destroyed as the infection attacked her body.  After 24 hours of this particular type of dialysis, the docs determined that it wasn’t working and she needed surgery again; this time to insert a different type of catheter.  After surgery they immediately took her for dialysis.  Dale went with her and I went to her room to rest because we knew it would be a long night.  After 3 hours, for what should have been 2 hours, they brought Felicity back where they proceeded to tell me that Felicity had coded and had to be resuscitated; I nearly lost my mind and couldn’t imagine being Dale, who watched it all happen.  A few days later, her potassium got so high that her heart began to shut down again; we were awakened to a room full of machines and doctors trying to make sure we didn’t lose her again.  After a couple of weeks of watching our precious angel be sick and no sight of her getting well, our doctors told us the worst news we have ever heard…”call your friends and family in to say goodbye, we can’t do anything else to save her”.  Completely numb, we watched as everyone who loved Felicity came in to say their “good-byes”…I sat and just prayed that God would wake me up from this nightmare.  The very next day another doctor came into her room and said that he thought of something we could try, but that the top risk was death; at this point, we had nothing to lose…she was going to die if we didn’t try it, so we started plasma exchange.  Within 2 days Felicity began to wake up; within 4 days she could talk and by 6 days she could sit up in bed, walk and use the bathroom!  Then came physical therapy; we had to teach our 7 year old how to walk, talk and, yes, we even had to potty train her again!  On August 13, 2004 we got an answer to prayer when we were told we could go home.  We left with her still hooked up to a “pic line” for nutrition, but we didn’t care…it was home!  The words the doctor’s said haunted us though as he told us that she would never have 100% kidney function again and would be on medication for the rest of her life. 

For the last 7 years, we have fought for answers; we knew that something wasn’t quite right, but couldn’t put our finger on it.  We have prayed that God would heal her and stood in faith, knowing that someday Felicity would be whole and healed…the Word of God said so!  After countless trips to countless doctors and more tests than Felicity cares to remember…we got an answer, she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  BUT, this is certainly not where this story ends!  Remember the docs who told us Felicity would “never have 100% kidney function and be on meds forever”?!  In May 2011, we received the miraculous news that Felicity’s kidneys are at 100%!  This month we began the process of taking her off her medication and by Christmas she will only have her asthma inhaler on her medication list!  We are told that Celiac is a forever disease, but we also know that God has already performed countless miracles in her life; so, we sit patiently and wait on God as we know, without a doubt in our minds, that Felicity will see her body 100% disease free!  God has already saved her from death (twice), healed completely damaged kidneys and caused her body to function properly without medication!  We know that our God is so much bigger than these things and is certainly bigger than Celiac Disease.

When Felicity was 3 years old, someone prophesied that she would be in the ministry someday!  In the last 7 miraculous years of her life she has led a little girl to Christ on the school bus, showed an example of what it is to persevere, stood in faith even when it looked impossible and can tell you, without an ounce of doubt in her mind, that God has called her to be a Missionary Pediatrician!  This, my friends, is the God we serve! 

We don’t share this story for sympathy or to get attention; we share it to encourage others to continue to stand in faith for whatever they are believing for.  We tell it to show others that God is still 100% in the miracle business and, lastly, to show others that God can use anyone and any situation to bring Him glory… that satan may try to wipe out God’s chosen ones, but God is so much stronger than that!  It is our desire that you pass this story along to others that they may find hope when things look impossible!

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NET)  “’For I know what I have planned for you, ‘ says the Lord.  ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you.  I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.  When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers.  When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you.  If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord.”

You ARE Beautiful....God said so!

Recent conversations in our home have prompted me to write this blog.  I do have two girls in my home, plus me, and I must say that I get angry sometimes at the thought of what society mentally and emotionally does to the young girls living in this society.  Our society plagues magazines, television and all forms of media with images of women who are super skinny, perfect skin and beautifully done make-up.  What they fail to tell the young girls who look at these images, with longing in their eyes to be just like the girls in the magazines, is that these images are edited, brushed up and often those that are honestly that skinny are not necessarily healthy! 

As a teenage girl, I personally struggled with this.  My pants were a size 14, I wore glasses and barely any make-up and felt like the biggest nerd on the planet.  Mostly without my family knowing, I literally struggled with food.  I tried desperately to be the “perfect” girl in hopes that just one guy would like me or for a just one second I could be popular!  Even as an adult, once I got contacts, was skinnier and figured out how to apply make-up…I still struggled with my image.  Yes, today I still do a bit…today we went to White Water and I definitely put mascara on to at least have something on my face!  However, I have also learned that I am beautiful just because God made me!  I guess a huge part of looking at myself differently came when I gave birth to a beautiful little girl.  The first thing I felt was joy, but as she grew older the more I realized that I had a HUGE job ahead.  It was my responsibility to show my daughter that society’s image is NOT the correct image.  At the age of 14 she wears very little make-up and even then I am very particular as to what colors she wears and how often.  I have already had to fight with the mental thoughts of her feeling overweight or  not as “pretty” as her friends.  Really, I don’t know how I managed to get her this far with a great self-image except that I busted my tail to show her through example that what other’s think doesn’t matter…God made her perfect! 

Now, as we have another beautiful daughter living in our house (no I didn’t give birth…she’s 20) I have realized once again how easy it is for young girls to fall into the trap of society’s perspective of what beautiful is.  Yes, those models look beautiful in their size 4 little outfits, but what girls fail to understand is that most of these girls are the least healthy.  There is a difference between being super skinny and being healthy….sometimes; I don’t for one second think that every skinny girl is unhealthy so please don’t take that wrong.  But if we really take a look at these ultra-skinny gals that society wants our young girls to view as “perfect” we will actually see girls who struggle with image, starve themselves and overall are not truly happy or healthy!  How sad is it, then, that our society tries to tell our daughters that they NEED to be just like that.

One of my girls recently said that she felt like she was fat…that broke my heart, because anyone you ask would say she is thin and beautiful.  I had to break it down for her that she isn’t fat…she is healthy and that she wasn’t before when she was thinner.  She is constantly checking her make-up and reapplying and I am constantly trying to give positive reinforcement that what she is doing isn’t necessary.  I am sure I drive her insane…she’ll get over it, but what I will not stand for is any of my girls to fall prey to society’s image of beautiful. 

The Bible says that we are “fearfully and WONDERFULLY made”.  God doesn’t make mistakes and there are no accidents.  We were each set on this Earth exactly the way God wanted us to look.  By saying we are anything less than the perfect image is to say that God made a mistake and God is perfect so mistakes in His creation are impossible.

I guess to close this off I just want to say

Daddy’s:  Tell you daughters DAILY that they are beautiful.  Pick out something about their appearance that you just love about them and that makes THEM special!

Momma’s:  Show your daughters that it is ok to go out in public without make-up!  Teach them about a positive and healthy image and constantly, yes it is a constant job, build up their self-image!

Friends:  Quit telling each other that you would be prettier “if” and start accepting each other the way God made you!

I told my girls just yesterday that we are going to have a day where make-up isn’t allowed!  Not because I don’t like make-up, but because I think we all need a reminder that we are beautiful just the way God made us and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”!

Are you talking about me???

So, I know we have all had friends on Facebook who say things like “I hate it when people…”.  I know I cannot possibly be the only one who reads these comments and thinks “Oh, no.  Are they talking about me?”  This week, in one day I had two friends post very similar comments and thought both times that they could possibly be referring to me.  Suddenly I got convicted about this feeling.  The first thing I thought about was: I sure am self-absorbed to think that every comment on there is about me.  The second thing I thought was: It irritates me when people think that when I post a comment.  The third thought I had was: I am always telling people that if someone gets their toes stepped on…they likely needed it.  This last thought is where the conviction came in.  If people make a comment on the internet and I feel like they are talking about me…obviously I am guilty of that at some point and to some degree.  As our pastor always says “Can I get an Ouch or an Amen?!”  This was certainly an OUCH for me!

Now I have always been the kind of person who tells you when I have a problem with you, but for some reason, in today’s society, it has become “ok” to tell everyone the problem one has with another via some sort of media or social outlet.  I just wonder why?!  The scripture clearly states that when you have an issue with someone that you are to go to that person ONLY and sort out the problem.  So what has made so many Christians “ok” with the social media method of sorting out a problem?

I will certainly say that I am VERY guilty of this same thing and have been convicted to the point that I will be working VERY hard to stop doing this.  As for the feeling I get that someone is posting a “beef” about me on Facebook…I am going to choose to read such posts and when I feel that it may be about me, I will use that feeling as an opportunity to work on myself and quit commenting like someone who is so self-absorbed to think that every post is about them.

Lessons learned while my daughter is at camp!

Felicity is off at camp…2 ½ hrs away!  After we dropped her off I definitely had a major panic attack and just couldn’t shake horrible feelings.  I couldn’t place my finger on any one thing that had left me so sad.   This morning as I am sitting in my recliner and trying to shake these feelings, it dawned on me that I have been with Felicity constantly for nearly 7 years and she is now gone.  I always knew I had to let her go sometime and told myself that I was ready, but man am I not ready.  By the age of 14 most kids have gone out with their friends alone, had a lot of sleepovers, gone to camp and so much more.  Our lives certainly haven’t been like normal families of 14 year olds, but I always prided myself on having the ability to let go…well, I guess not.  I always told myself that I had the ability to let her go, but I have discovered this weekend that I don’t have the ability to let her go. 

I think that this year Felicity had to go to camp…not for herself, but for me.  I am having to learn that God has seen her through unspeakable health problems and has protected her over the last few years of terrifying things and He isn’t ever going to stop taking care of her.  I know that we have taught her to stand strong in her faith and have watched her witness to other kids and even lead one to the Lord and I now have to trust that we have fully equipped her to do life with God by her side and her momma at home cheering her on!  I don’t believe that it is ever easy to let a child go, but I have to trust that we have effectively equipped her and that God still has her back!  Camp isn’t for her to learn and grow, though I know that she will; camp this year is for this momma to learn and grow!  I am struggling to learn this and yet struggle to understand how I can so easily trust God to protect her life when she is on death’s door in the hospital, but have a hard time trusting Him to protect her at a simple camp.  I can’t answer the questions to the lessons I am to learn and know that God is teaching me as much as He is teaching Felicity; what I do know for sure is this: at a camp just outside of Wagoner, Oklahoma, is an amazing 14 year old girl with her amazing best friend who is turning that camp upside down for God while learning things about herself!  Although I am terrified about this phase of life, I do know that God is holding Felicity tight in His arms just like I have for so many years and He has her far more protected in His arms then I could EVER protect her in mine. 

So, as I think about the memories Felicity is making with her dear friend, I am also excited about the things I will learn this week and the relationships that I can grow by being here building stronger relationships with the people around me and renew my relationship with God.  Although, yesterday I couldn’t wait to pick her up from camp so that she was back with me; today, I can’t wait to pick her up at camp to hear the fabulous things she got to experience this week….just her, her bff, and God!

Seriousness of Celiac Disease and what it means for my child!

Have you ever had one of those situations where you try to explain something as best as you can and people still just don’t get it?   I have been having this situation when it comes to Felicity’s need to be Gluten-Free.  Some people understand that Celiac Disease means that Felicity cannot eat anything containing Gluten; this is absolutely correct.  However, there is so much more to it than that!  For example: If I want a piece of toast at home that is made from bread containing Gluten, I must either toast it in the oven or on the stove OR I can use the toaster, but then have to thoroughly clean the toaster so that Felicity can use it.  If we are having hamburgers and I lay a bun with Gluten in it on the counter and then lay Felicity’s Gluten-Free (GF) bun where the other one was laying…it is now contaminated and she can no longer eat her GF bun.  Sounds tricky, I know, but once you get the hang of it…there really isn’t anything tricky about it!  Well, I take that back…getting people to understand the concept of “cross-contamination” is nearly impossible.  I have a few friends who have latched on to the GF idea and anytime they bring us food or anything I know that the mom has taken great care to be sure Felicity is safe! 

Felicity is attending a camp this week and we are so excited; I hate that it is not a Christian camp, but there are no Christian camps in Oklahoma (that I have found) that offer GF selections.  Felicity is able to go to this particular camp because their first week of camp is GF Week!  This camp works with the Celiac Disease Foundation to make sure all food and snacks are GF and have no cross-contamination!  She is so excited because without this option, Felicity couldn’t go to camp this summer!  Later this summer, our church is taking kids to a 3 day camp in Southern Oklahoma and Felicity would love to attend with her friends.  Everyone is encouraging us to send her, but are not understanding how difficult this is.  I know I can pack her food and package it carefully and put it in a cooler; when she gets to camp though, that food will need to be refrigerated.  Now, suppose the kitchen staff tries to be helpful and put Felicity’s food on her plate and then add other things to her plate, things that contain Gluten or the pre-packaged food comes into contact with something containing Gluten like someone's glove; Felicity then can no longer eat any of the food on her plate because it has been contaminated.  THIS is my dilemma.  I would love to send Felicity to camp with all of her friends, but struggle because we feel like most of the people going to this camp with her do not understand the severity of our food dilemma! 

I do not, for one second, believe that people would intentionally harm my daughter.  I also believe that people are not stupid about this…they are merely uneducated.  The purpose of this blog is not to condemn people for their lack of knowledge about the situation, but rather to educate people.

EDUCATION:  There are over 3 million people in the United States with Celiac Disease.  With Celiac Disease a person cannot consume ANYTHING containing Gluten.  This means that it cannot be made with Gluten, cannot be processed where they process items with Gluten, it cannot come in contact with anything that contains Gluten and cannot be prepared with things containing Gluten.  In our home, this means that when I cook something that contains Gluten (which is rare), I have to sterilize and clean ALL surfaces that the Gluten containing item touched BEFORE I can place any of the Gluten-Free food on the same surface.  I have been told that you can liken Celiac Disease to a peanut allergy except there is no anaphylactic shock involved requiring a shot.  The ramifications of consuming Gluten for a Celiac patient is more of a long term type effect for some and for others they can feel sick immediately.  In a person with Celiac, as they consume Gluten it damages their intestines.  In Felicity’s case, it damaged hers until she became malnourished and was becoming more and more ill daily. 

So, yes…she could go places and take her own food, but if she doesn’t know exactly how it was handled she cannot eat it because it could be contaminated.  No, this is not a parent being paranoid at all.  This is all coming from a parent who nearly lost her daughter once and then was losing her to malnourishment because this disease went undiagnosed.  Am I over-reacting?  Possibly, but I am not willing for one second to take a chance with my child’s health.  Would you be willing to take that risk with your own child?  I would venture to say that no parent out there would risk their child’s health just so that they can go somewhere they think their child should go.  Will Felicity go to camp with her church friends?  We haven’t decided yet, but know that we are tired of feeling pressured by lots of people around us to send her because, after all, we can just pack her some food.  Our goal is to educate people about Celiac Disease and help people to realize that packing some food is not all there is to this illness…it spans so much further than that for us and millions, yes millions, of families in the United States who have a loved one with Celiac Disease. 

You may feel free to share this education with people!  Feel free to also get more information from the Celiac Disease Foundation online at www.celiacdiseasefoundation.org.  I am also more than willing to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about this disease.  There is no cure for Celiac Disease, but there are things that we can do to help those with this disease…we have to start with educating ourselves and others!

The VISION

Last night I randomly woke up at 1:30am and could not get back to sleep.  I laid there for about 10 minutes before I finally asked God, “Ok, who am I supposed to be praying for?”  I then laid there and started just praying for different situations I know of and then just laid there and listened to what God may be trying to say to me.  Then, clear as can be…I literally saw inside my storefront that I have been dreaming about.  I saw the counters and layout of the Decorating Room, I saw the whole layout of the Baking/Work Room, I saw the Offices, and I saw the layout of furniture when you first walk into the store.  When I told Felicity, the first thing she asked is “How was it decorated?”.  I didn’t see that, but I do have some ideas on potential color scheme and a “proper” logo.  Around 2:30am, after I had seen every room of my storefront, I fell peacefully to sleep.

I don’t tell you all this to make you feel weird about visions from God or to make me sound good because I woke up and started praying for other people.  I tell you all this to let you know that it is ok to dream big, it is ok to ask God for a vision and it is ok to tell God the desires of your heart…in fact, He wants us to!  Yes, He is God and already knows the desires of our heart, but He wants US to ask for them.  This simple act of asking shows Him that we have full faith that He will deliver on His promises.  It is like handing a gift to someone.  If I take a gift to a friend and hand it to her, she must reach (the act of asking) for it in order to receive it into her hands.  The same thing applies to God!  He has our gifts sitting and waiting for us, we just have to reach out and receive them from Him!

Another lesson is to have the vision, plan it out, dream about it, pray about it and trust God for it to come to pass in HIS timing!  God knows when you are to have the desires of your heart and when you are ready for them.  My personal vision is to open a storefront in 2012, but I have to think about this…When does GOD want me to have it?  He may be ready for me to open it in 2011 or it could even happen later; I just have to listen to HIS leading and He will guide me where I am to go.

The next lesson, which I glean a bit out of Felicity’s desire to know how it was decorated.  As much as I would have loved to see that part of the vision, I have to trust that God knows what He is doing.  If He showed me the entire vision, it would probably scare me to death; that’s why He doesn’t show us everything at once.  This also allows me the opportunity to trust God more and allow HIM to be the one in control of the vision!  I fully believe that this vision is from Him; I don’t think I would be at all successful if it wasn’t.  I fully believe that He knows what is in store for A Taste of Heaven and that it is likely so much bigger than I have even dreamed it to be.  This is why I have to completely rely on Him with each step I take.

I have a dear friend who sees the vision God has given and has jumped in with both feet and is walking out the vision with me.  I love that God puts people in our lives that are there to hold us accountable, pray with us and cheer us on!  Without those people, I think the vision would be less fun and so much harder to work through.  You have to have people come alongside of you that have your best interest at heart and that are passionate about your vision!  The great thing is…you can be this person’s cheerleader, pray for them and hold them accountable in their visions too!

I am so blessed to have a friend who understands the vision and can see it unfold!  I am so blessed to have a husband who believes in me and believes I am talented and have the ability to do this! I am blessed to have a daughter that gets the vision and knows that I am not ignoring her because I am being selfish, I am stepping away for a moment for the sake of the vision and so she comes with me until I have done what I need.  I have these 3 people in my life (and so many more) who are cheering me on, believe in me, catch the vision and know that God has huge plans for this vision!  They are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of what they know God has given me as a vision!

I pray that in reading this you gleaned even a little bit about trusting God for the visions in your life!  If you have a vision and you don’t know which way to go…start with praying to God and listening to what HE has to say about your vision!

All I can say beyond that is…Get ready!  A Taste of Heaven is about to explode and it is gonna be huge!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Do you ever have moments where you just can’t see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and you feel like you will never get through?  Our family has experienced this for 6 ½ years and just felt like we were having to jump over one hurdle after another with no end in sight.  We prayed for that “light at the end” and just felt like we would never see it.  About a year ago, Felicity was transferred from her regular Nephrologist (kidney doc)  to a new one that joined the clinic.  I remember clearly the day that we went to her office; I was so angry that we were having to change docs and didn’t go into her office with a very good attitude.  Then we met her; she was such a kind woman, very gentle and seemed to truly care about what we had to say…she won my heart!  Then last year, in March, we were told that Felicity had Lupus.  We researched it and learned what we could do to help her and what we could do with the “hand we were dealt”.  In August we went back to the Nephrologist and she could tell that I was very upset about Felicity’s health and still felt like something just wasn’t right.  She then called a Rheumatologist and made sure we got in and explained our situation.  We went into the Rheumatologist and again, got a doc who was sent straight from heaven!  She took an hour and half with us; she listened to 6 ½ years of medical history and every detail that I thought would be helpful.  Then she said something that I will never forget…she said “Felicity doesn’t have Lupus!  She has all of the signs and symptoms, but doesn’t follow a single pattern.  I think she has Celiac Disease and this is what I want you to do…”  And the rest is history, we took gluten out of her diet and we began to see changes right away!  Her hair stopped falling out, she started gaining weight again, her joints didn’t hurt so bad; this winter, instead of living at the hospital for various illnesses, she only got sick once!  The changes were unbelievable!  For years Dale and I said that we only needed 1 doctor to listen to us and take us seriously…just 1; even if that doc didn’t treat the thing that was “wrong” with Felicity.  That change in doctors at the Nephrologist was our answer to prayers; she was the one who showed us that the “light at the end of the tunnel” hadn’t gone out…we were just on a curve and couldn’t see it!  Last week, Felicity went to her Neurologist and they told us that perhaps her migraines were caused by the Celiac and we can start weaning her off of her migraine meds; by Christmas she could be off of all of her migraine meds!  Today, we went to the Nephrologist and she too, said that Felicity can start decreasing her blood pressure meds and that her labs showed that her kidneys are 100% healthy!

Now, not everyone’s “light at the end” will take 6 ½ years and not everyone will have to go through what we have to get there, but the message that I want to send in this is that the “light at the end of the tunnel” hasn’t burned out; it is still there!  You may just be rounding a curve that is blocking the vision of the light!  My message to you is HOLD ON and DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK!  I sit here writing this and thinking what would have happened if we hadn’t held on or if we had gotten too afraid of the dark to keep moving forward…that to me is even scarier than what we have gone through.  God is your light!  HE isn’t going anywhere, you may just be rounding a corner and can’t see the light shining!  BUT, if you keep holding on and keep walking through, rather than allowing the temporary darkness to paralyze you with fear, then you will get to the light at the end!  There is a part of scripture that I always tell myself and others when faced with something that causes fear, “God has not brought a spirit of fear, but of peace and of a sound mind.”  To me, what this says is that we should look to God for strength when we are faced with situations that bring fear.  It also tells me that if God didn’t bring a spirit of fear then that means that the enemy did bring it!  The enemy will do whatever he can to block your view of “the light” and cause you to be paralyzed in fear!  We cannot allow the enemy to do that!  Keep moving forward and keep heading towards where you know in your heart that light is!  Joyce Meyer has said before that sometimes you just have to do it afraid, but no matter what…just do it!  For years we were afraid of what might be wrong with Felicity, but we walked through that fear and came to where we are today!  Celiac isn’t a serious disease…it just means she can’t eat the same foods as everyone else; that is FAR less scary than all of the things we have been told was wrong with her!  And the best part…we have had the privilege of ministering to so many people as we walked through the darkness!  That is the great part about not allowing fear and darkness to paralyze you…there are people along the path to cheer you on, to help you, and that NEED YOU to help cheer them on in their journey!   Our hardships are NEVER for nothing…they are ALWAYS to bring people together, help each other and ultimately lead others to their “Light”! 

Are you allowing the darkness to paralyze you?  It isn’t too late…you know what direction the light is…just take the first step towards that light and grab hold of the people along the way that are cheering you on!  You have your own “fan club” and God is the leader of it!!!  Your light is just around that curve, but if you sit still, you will never get a glimpse of it!

Thoughs on Osama bin Laden's death...

I had determined that I wasn’t going to write about this topic because I am not 100% sure how I feel about it all.  Let’s be real though, people are talking about it and so I wanted to share some thoughts, even though they are mixed thoughts!  Let’s talk about the US killing Osama bin Laden!

I hate, like every other American, what he did in sending his followers to attack and kill Americans.  I am enraged at the thought of what he did on September 11, 2001.  I am thankful that the American soldiers have fought long and hard to put an end to terrorism and I believe every military man & woman and their families are heroes.  But let’s not fool ourselves; just because bin Laden is dead does not mean terrorism is dead.  I have no doubt in my mind that he knew at some point he would be captured and most likely killed.  I have no doubt that he took the time to train his leaders on what to do when that time came.  I also have no doubt that they are in the process of carrying out the next “phase” of attack.

Am I glad that Osama bin Laden is dead?  That, my friend, is a tough one.  Am I glad that the leader of terrorism is not able to terrorize anymore?  Yes, I am.  Am I glad that he is dead?  I just don’t know how to answer that.  I firmly believe that God cannot stand when people murder; I believe that He would prefer there not be war, but He is God and knows that sometimes it is necessary.  I also believe that God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell…even Osama bin Laden!  God sent His Son to die for EVERYONE; not just the people who do good or change.  God NEVER put a condition on His love nor did He place a condition on who His Son would and would not die for!  Yes, there were wars in Bible times, but that doesn’t mean that God liked it; there were evil people in Bible times too and God didn’t hate them!  The Bible talks about the end times and there being wars; so I firmly believe that this is something that was already talked about in the Bible, but that does not mean that God enjoyed it.

The Bible tells us that we are to love EVERYONE; especially our enemies!  We are to pray blessing over those who persecute us.  Is it easy?  Not in anyway.  Do I think that Osama should have died for what he did?  I believe that he definitely should have been punished for his crimes and death was the method in which it happened.  That doesn’t mean I think we should or shouldn’t have killed him and it doesn’t mean that I don’t respect and honor our troops.  In fact, I am thankful every day for those men and women who fight so that I can be a mom, wife, business woman and Christian!

 1 John 2:9-11  “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.  Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness had blinded him.”

Matthew 5:43-48  “You have heard that it has been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hat thine enemy’.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you , and persecute you;  that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  Do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your bretheren only, what do ye more than others?  Do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” 

1 John 4:20-21  “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And he has given up this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

These are just three passages of scripture that I found about loving our enemies.  Notice that in NONE of these does God command us to agree with what our enemies do and pat them on the back for a good job destroying us; He simply commands us to love them!  God doesn’t look at sin and wrong doing and say “This one was really bad, this one was bad but not too bad, this one can slide.”  Sin is sin and it is all wrong and all treated the same.  God hates lying as much as He hates murder.  Yes, Osama bin Laden carried out a very horrific and tragic thing; but he is still God’s child and God is saddened by the lie Osama chose to live and He is saddened that another one of His children must now spend eternity in hell.

That doesn’t make what bin Laden did any less horrible.  But hating him and rejoicing in his death only means that we have stooped to the level of the people that Osama trained to do evil things; it means that we have, according to the Word of God, murdered in our hearts!

I know that we all have mixed feelings about this and it is good to know that Osama bin Laden can no longer hurt anyone; but the bottom line is…a mamma’s son died, a child’s daddy is gone and a wife grieves the loss of her husband.  Yes, our soldiers died in this fight and I have no doubt that, sadly, more will.  But if we take a moment and view Osama bin Laden as God does…Osama was a son, a daddy, a husband, a child that God created!

I hate terrorism; I hate that ANYONE has had to lose their life; I hate that the World is in such turmoil; I hate that someone has to spend eternity in hell because he made very bad choices.  God’s heart is grieved that another soul is in hell…when God’s heart is grieved, ours should be too!

I know I will get a lot of flak from this blog and quite frankly…I don’t care.  I said what was on my heart and what I believe I was supposed to say.  If that makes for some haters…then so be it; the day I shut my mouth when God places something on my heart is the day I have given in to disobedience to my Father who paid the ultimate price for my life! 

Afraid...New Revelation!

I haven’t written in a while again because I knew what I wanted to write, but had such mixed feelings about it; today I will let loose and hopefully it will make sense!

As a mom I have always felt the need to always “keep it together” and not break down, not crack under pressure or show fear in scary situations.  I am so sure that all of you moms out there know what I am talking about!  Some of you that know me very well, know that I get very afraid of a lot things and I am not as strong as one might think!  Well, I am about to “let the cat out of the bag”.  I am having surgery in May and I am scared to death.  I have had a couple of major surgeries and have never been as afraid as I am for this one.  I am talking the kind of fear where you make your living will and pray that your family knows what they mean to you…THAT kind of fear.  I cannot even begin to explain it.  I feel like I am supposed to take care of everyone and I am scared to death that I cannot do “my job”.  I have literally had thoughts like, “What would happen to Felicity’s schooling?”, “How would Dale manage to work and care for Felicity?” and so on.  Yes, I know that God has it all under control and that I shouldn’t fear; bottom line though, I am human and it is natural to fear.  Believe me, I have quoted every scripture I can think of in hopes of it calming my spirit, I have tried to think about how healthy I will be again once this is all over and my kidney actually works, and I have played out in my head all the positives about this procedure; yet, I am still afraid.  Bottom line…I am more scared about this than I have been about anything in my entire life, I don’t know why, but I do know that I don’t like it. 

Why am I telling you all of this?!  Well, a couple of reasons: 1) I really need your prayers!  2) To let you know that if you are facing something that has you afraid…it is normal and you are not alone!

The Word says “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  How can I not take comfort in that?!  God says, “NEVER”, that means He will ALWAYS be there to comfort us when we are scared beyond words.  It means that He is holding us in the palm of His hands…the same hands that are big enough to hold the world, let alone the same hands that formed the very world we live in!  Does that mean I am any less afraid?!  Absolutely not!  I am still afraid and I believe God knows that; that is why He places scripture on my heart and friends to talk to when I need it most! 

Since we just finished with Easter, this all kind of made me think about Jesus on the cross.  God’s Son was sent to Earth for the purpose of dying on a cross…I can only imagine that Jesus was scared.  It even says in the Word that He was so upset that He sweat blood…THAT is pretty scared!  Thinking of this helps me to know that I am in good company!  Jesus was probably very afraid of what was about to happen, just like I am very afraid.  What strikes me about this though is that He knew that He would die and that He would be in paradise with His Father.  I believe, with every ounce of who I am, that I will be ok and will come through this surgery better than ever, but let’s suppose for one second that I didn’t.  What do I really have to fear?  I will be in paradise with my Father!  As I am writing this, something else just hit me…hold on because this is powerful…..God already has a plan for Felicity and for Dale!  He already has what will happen in their future very carefully orchestrated.  This plan will happen whether I am here or not; it isn’t my plan…it’s GOD’S!  I do not have to be on this Earth for God’s plan to unfold…it will happen with or without me!  Just like the plan for my life would unfold with or without the people in my life.  Just like God’s plan for salvation unfolded through Jesus, with or without the people in Jesus’ life!  God doesn’t NEED me in order to fulfill the plans and purposes for Felicity or Dale; He chooses to use me in the plans a purposes!

Wow, as I write this I have learned something and take something away that is so different than what I set out when I started.  This is definately taking a different turn and I believe that this is not just for me, but for someone out there that will read this; so please bear with me as I go on a different path for a minute!  I just love how God works!  God doesn’t NEED any of us to fulfill HIS plans and purposes in this world…He CHOOSES to use us to fulfill His plans and purposes! 

Basically, I believe that I will be ok through my surgery and I will be healthy and whole once again!  AND, Felicity and Dale will continue to fulfill what God intends for them whether I am down for a few days or not!  God will continue to use their lives whether I am down for a few days or not!  And it is ok if I am afraid; God created me so He isn’t surprised that I am having these human feelings of fear!

WOW…what a powerful revelation!  God chooses you and me to fulfill His plans and purposes; He doesn’t NEED us…He CHOOSES us! 

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.  Plans to prosper you, plans to bring you a hope and a future.”  That scripture says it all, “the plans I HAVE for you”.  Not the plans we have for ourselves…the plans HE has!  I know that what I was set on this Earth to accomplish isn’t done…so what do I have to be afraid of?  God chose ME to fulfill plans and purposes…He didn’t NEED me, He CHOSE me!

Lord, I am so afraid right now.  Please give me a peace to move forward in the plans that You have set before me.  I know that there is no obstacle set before me that I cannot face when You are orchestrating the plans and purposes!  You are a good God and I believe that you will protect me and my family as I go through this next little test of my faith!  I love you and thank you for CHOOSING me to be a part of the plans and purposes in this life!  I pray for those that read this blog.  I pray that whatever they are facing that has them afraid, that You would touch them and give them peace.  I know that You have chosen them for Your plans and purposes and that You can use them whether they are afraid, down for a few days or perfectly fine!  Thank you for choosing them to fulfill Your plans and purposes!

The Minivan Saga

Most of you know that I cannot stand to drive a minivan; I really can’t tell you what it is about them that I don’t like, I just know that I don’t like them.  On Saturday, my very stylish and beautiful Jeep died a very quick and painful death; I was then forced to lay it to rest and choose another vehicle.  Our awesome dealership worked with us, sold the Jeep to pay off our loan on it and had me go to the dealership yesterday to pick a new vehicle.  When I arrived, the owners son took me out on the lot and started telling me about this minivan; I cannot lie…I definitely tuned him out for most of it after he said “minivan”.  He told me that there was another Jeep on the lot, but it was 2 years older than the van, had more miles than the van and was more expensive than the van.  I kept thinking “let me see the Jeep first”, but what actually came out of my mouth was “sure, let’s look at the van”.  Chase then handed me the keys and told me to take it for a drive; the whole time I am thinking “Dear Lord, I cannot believe I am in a stinking minivan.  What the heck am I thinking?”  When I arrive back on the lot, Chase asked me what I thought and I told him I loved it…wait a second…what just came out of my mouth?!  I will admit it ran so smooth, it was big like my Jeep, it was pretty and it was very roomy inside; I just still couldn’t get past the fact that it is a minivan.  I went inside the dealership to sign papers and get stuff out of my Jeep to put into the van; the whole time I was in disbelief that I was about to drive home in a minivan…my minivan.  As texts poured in with people excited for me that I got a new vehicle I kept showering them with “but it’s a minivan”.  Then a couple of very wise friends pointed out that it is perfect for my business…think how many cakes I can deliver in that!  Felicity pointed out that we could take friends places and ride in comfort on trips!  Then I sort of started to view that van a bit differently, I started to envision my business and that van with a sign on the door with my business name on it and I began to get excited about the van.  Then last night, as I was going to sleep I felt a real conviction in my spirit.  I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying “Didn’t you ask me for a new vehicle?  Didn’t you say you needed something to drive?  Didn’t I open up doors for you to have a new vehicle?  Don’t you have a nice, new vehicle in your garage?”  Truth is…that’s right!  I asked for a new vehicle and I got one; I didn’t specify what I wanted except that it run and be bigger than a car and that is exactly what I got.

Yes, there is a lesson in this and no, it isn’t “be careful what you ask for”!  The lesson is: God ALWAYS has a plan!  Often times it isn’t what WE had planned, but it is always better than what we had planned.  I can see all the great things I can do with that van that would be more difficult in a Jeep.  God orchestrates things in our lives to be bigger and better than we can imagine!  You see, I had been talking about all these great plans for my business and that I knew it is what God wants for me, but never once did I think about how I would make deliveries for my business!  Guess what?!  God did!  God thought through EVERYTHING I would need for my dream to come true and HE made a plan for every detail…even the one’s I didn’t think of!

So, I still really don’t care much for minivans, but I am so very thankful that I have one and I can see all of the possibilities with mine…just because God saw the whole picture and didn’t listen to my rant about a minivan!  I have to think that He is up there smiling and as I was telling Him how much I didn’t want a minivan that He is saying “Would you just hush and give Me a second…I got this covered!” 

How often do we tell God what we want and when it doesn’t happen how WE have planned we get upset; in reality, God sees the ENTIRE picture that we can’t see and so He delivers in HIS time within HIS will exactly what we need for the bigger picture!  Man oh man…isn’t God so very, very good?!

Agree to Disagree?!

Wow!  It has been a long time since I last wrote a blog.  I have had so very many things on my heart and I was struggling to put them all into words, so I opted to just say nothing.  So, today I will just write and see what comes out!

We have all heard the saying, “We will just have to agree to disagree.”  This saying covers a myriad of things and is often a statement to end an argument or discussion that one sees is going nowhere.  This week I used that statement and for the first time it actually stung.  When I said it, I felt like it was ending a relationship rather than simply ending an argument.  So what then do we do after this statement is uttered?  For my personal situation, I know the topic that prompted that statement needs to be discussed, but I also know that no matter when, where or how it happens it will end pretty much the same way.  So, what then do I do?!  I uttered this statement because I know that I had very valid points in the argument…some points that I didn’t utter simply because I never want anything I do out of the goodness of my heart to ever be held over a person’s head.  I also know that this other individual made very valid points, although I personally feel like some of them are being held over my head.  I know that every time the topic is discussed it ends exactly the same…this person feels they are being wronged and I feel like this person doesn’t understand my perspective.   So, how long do we agree to disagree?!

The best response to all of these questions that I can come up with is…why does it even matter?!  In my points, to me I will always be right and to the other person I will always be wrong and visa versa.  I think that at some point we both just have to decide for ourselves what is more important…the argument and being right or the relationship.  For me, I know how I feel and this person has made it very clear how they feel and I know that neither one of us will budge from our views.  I have to decide…is the argument more important or is the relationship.  I personally choose the relationship.  The ONLY way I could ever win the argument is to hold things over the person’s head and I decided long ago that I would never be that kind of person, so I basically could never “win” the argument.  And realistically, winning the argument would most likely cost me my dearest friend. 

So what, then, about the other person involved?!  Well, I cannot choose for this person how they will respond.  I can only pray that our relationship is far more valuable to them than being right in an argument and that the only true “win” is to just move on and value each other the most.

I don’t know if this has helped anyone, if it did then I am pleased and if not, I at least shared my feelings and feel pretty darn good about my choice!

My only thought to each of you is this:  before you “agree to disagree” think about what you can gain and what you can lose by agreeing to disagree.  Is it really worth it to you?  Is being right more important to you or is the relationship your priority?

This decision doesn’t solve the overall issue, nor does it make me feel good about things that this other person said, but it does absolutely make me feel good that I chose to be a friend over being right.  That makes me neither right nor wrong…it makes me a friend first and everything else in that relationship is second! 

What are you priorities in relationships?  Would you rather be right or can you set some things aside for the sake of a valued relationship?

A series of amazing things has happened in our family over the past couple of weeks and I am so excited to share what God has done!

Many of you have followed the adventure of Felicity’s health struggle and have stood in faith with us for a long time for her healing.  In August she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and our lives since then have been an amazingly, exciting journey!

A couple of weeks ago Felicity got an ear infection…I know, I said she was getting well and then started with that!  Here is the great part…typically by the last week in January she has had several illnesses and hospitalizations.  Typically an ear infection would last her several weeks to a month.  NOT THIS TIME!  She made it until the last week of January without illness and within 2 days of the antibiotics she felt healthy!!!!

Last Friday, Felicity and I went to the mall to get some clothes; the plan was to hit a couple of stores and eat lunch.  Felicity and I spent at least and hour in the mall and Felicity did so WITHOUT her wheelchair!  For her this is huge because up until this time, she needed a wheelchair if she was going to be walking for more than 15-20 minutes because she would be in so much pain with her joints.

Saturday, Felicity was able to play in the snow for an hour (she only came in because I made her)!  To most, this is no big deal because your child can play in the snow with no problems.  For Felicity, this was the first time she was able to play in the cold for more than 5 minutes without extreme pain!

These 3 things don’t seem like much to most of you so then…What does all of this mean?!  It means that her body is coming into alignment with what the Word of God says!  We have believed that “by His stripes she is healed”, “no weapon formed against her will prosper” and so on and her body is finally lining up with that Word! 

A friend reminded me this past Sunday of something that I know, but needed to be reminded of…the enemy doesn’t like what is going on in her body; he will fight hard to make us think that she is not getting well.  Our job is to continue to stand on the Word because we know the TRUTH…she IS healed and whole!  As a Christian, this gives us proof that God is still in the miracle business and miracles are not just for the Bible times, but for today and tomorrow and every tomorrow yet to come!  As a mother, this is exciting because my daughter can experience a little more what being a “regular” 13 year old is all about!  For the first time in over 6 years…we get to consider what extracurricular activities she wants to be involved in!  Felicity can pick a sport to play!  Felicity can be a kid!!!!

What do I want you all to take from this?! 

1. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER lose hope!  If you are believing for something that will require a miracle…DO NOT give up!  Continue to stand in faith, quote the Word over the situation and know that God knows what He is doing…He wrote the rules and the rules say that you win!
2. Don’t allow the enemy to come in and lie to you and tell you that a miracle didn’t or couldn’t really happen!  It can and it will! 
3. Don’t ever take for granted the simple things in your life!  Your children playing in the snow is just an everyday “normal” thing…my kid playing in the snow is a sign of a miracle!  Your kid getting over an illness in a day or two is “normal”…for my kid it is a sign of a miracle!  Does your kid play a sport?  To you that is normal…to us, it is a sign of a miracle!

For those of you who do not know Felicity’s whole miracle FILLED story and would like to hear it, please e-mail me at talksstraightfromtheheart@gmail.com I love to share all of the amazing GOD-THINGS that have happened in our lives…it truly ministers to people and ministers to me when lives are touched because of our lives!

Please continue to stand in faith with us that the Celiac Disease will miraculously go away too!  I know that my God is big enough and powerful enough…Do you?