God is so good!!!

God is so good, God You're so good to me!

I don't know why I bother worrying. I am learning not to! God takes care of everything. He provides, He cares, He loves us so much! He so often shows up in unexpected ways bringing unexpected blessings.

My surgery is actually happening a week from tomorrow! The Lord has made provision for this to happen and I am so very thankful to Him!

The boys will be taken care of while Archie and I are away, the bills are provided for, we have a place to stay in Atlanta, and Archie has the time off of work!

Yes, I know, I am using a lot of exclamation marks, but I am feeling so incredibly blessed and I hope that comes across in this post. I want everyone to know that the God of the Universe is awesome, all powerful, amazing, AND He loves us! He loves you!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

How you can help

Many of my friends and family have asked how they can help as I prepare for surgery on Oct. 28th. I have had kind of a hard time asking for help. I feel very awkward about it. I am always telling other people to ask for what they need, to let people know what they need, and I think I need to do the same. So here goes...

1. Prayer. I need this more than anything else! The Lord knows all of my needs and He has the power and resources to meet every one of them. My specific prayer requests are as follows...
       ~That I will not need a bowel resection. (it is a possibility)
       ~That the surgery will go smoothly and the Doctor will be able to remove everything that shouldn't be in there.
       ~That I will be a witness to the Doctors, Nurses, and other staff that I come in contact with.
       ~That my boys would be well and well behaved as they stay with others during my time away.
       ~For safe travel to and from Atlanta.
       ~That I will stay free of colds and flu as I await surgery and during the recovery.
       ~For Archie and I to be able to navigate all of the fees, insurance, paperwork, etc.
       ~That the Lord will provide financially for the portion of the bill that falls on us.
       ~For quick healing and recovery after surgery

2. I still need a place for the boys to stay for a couple of the days that Archie and I will be in Atlanta. I have a couple of people who have offered, but am still working out the details. (Please pray that it will work out smoothly).

3. Since this is happening a lot faster and a lot sooner than expected we are not prepared to cover the deductible and up front fees. We have made the down payment to hold my surgery date, but we will need the rest of the deductible by the surgery date. Please do not feel obligated, but if you feel led to make a donation, my sister-in-law has graciously set up a page to accept donations. You can find that page here. If you choose to make a donation via paypal you can choose the friends and family option to avoid fees. If you would like to make a donation some other way, please let Archie or I know.

The Lord has already provided in so many ways. I went years without health insurance, and now we have it! We are so blessed to live near such a highly skilled Doctor who specializes in the kind of surgery that I need. Many of my friends prayed that I would have an earlier surgery date when I was originally told I wouldn't be able to have surgery until December or January, and it happened! October 28th is less than 3 weeks away now. I can see the Lord's hand in this, I know He will provide for all of these needs and I am trusting in Him. May He be glorified in my life.

God bless you!

From worry to worship

I saw a quote on facebook that was something about turning our worry into worship. It got me thinking.

I have always struggled with worry. I have memorized scriptures on the subject, prayed and prayed to be delivered of worry, and overtime, I think I have made some progress toward learning not to worry. Lately, I have had a lot to bring me to worry.

One of the things I have struggled with is how to stop worrying. I know that I should, but I have never quite grasp the how. When I read this quote the other day it got me thinking, perhaps the worry needs to be replaced with something good. The solution to giving up many bad habits is to replace them with good habits. Could this be the same with my worries?

Philippians 4:8 says Finally, brethren, whatever things true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.

This is one of those key "don't worry" verses, and I have known it for a long time, but it is only recently that it has really had the impact I think it is supposed to have on me. It is so practical, it is the how of not worrying. When the worries creep in I am to worship the One who is all of these things, true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy! I am to meditate on Him, and to worship Him. So lately, when the worries and fears creep in I begin to sing praises to the Lord God. I still do the other things I know to stay calm, deep breathing, eating healthfully, and such, but I think the praise of God is what really clears the worry out of my mind. Sometimes instantly, sometimes it takes a while, but when I worship the Lord, my fears are calmed and my worries fade.

Worrying is of no use, it does not add anything to a situation, but rather takes away from trusting the Lord to provide, to heal, to save, to do His work. If I replace my worry and fear with praise for God, it refocuses my mind on what is most important, Him.

Will I ever worry again? Of course, I am human and still in my earthly tent. Do I know what to do when worry creeps in? Now I do! Praise the Lord!