Thankfulness Reflections Day 25

When I was younger much younger and living at home back on the farm I would run to the barn loft and just sit there with my dog. It was where I found peace. It’s where I first talk to God. I had no real relationship with Him; I had never given myself or my heart over to Him. I merely new He existed. I had knowledge of Him, but no relationship. Yet there I was my hair was probably wild, my jeans where stained with grass and mud, and I am sure I was having a bad day. As bad as they come in the juvenile sense of bad day, but there I was whispering up prayers to the Heavens. I can’t remember what about only that I was talking to God. I am thankful for that memory! But I am most thankful for the what happen next....

 It would be years later before I would truly find relationship with Jesus. It was one Tuesday night at small Baptist Church in the town I grew up in. I was a teenager at the time 14 to be exact. I was there with friends for a youth revival night; I was there to hang out with friends. I got much more than that. I didn’t even know I was searching for something, but I was. I was searching for protection. I wanted to protect my heart from the world around me. So that night I meet Jesus the ultimate protector from the world. I felt his love for me instantly, and knew from the start my life would be forever different. I am so very thankful for that day! I am thankful for a living God who's love always remains with me. No matter how broken I am He loves me! I am so very thankful for all He has blessed me with! I am really in awe of Him, and His saving grace! Because of Him I really do have so much to be thankful for!!!!! I am thankful I let my friends drag me to hang out at church that night!!!!

Thankfulness Reflections Day 3

Thankfulness Reflections Day 3

 

On this beautiful Autumn day when my heart is still aching with a sadness from our loss I find myself thankful for the prayers of others. Prayers of answered strength, prayers that cover us in peace. I am thankful for those those gentle prayers that are lifted to the Heavens in our behalf. Those beautiful answered prayers that make the days bearable, and the tears a little less. I am thankful for the people with hearts so kind enough to speak them. I am thankful for a God who weeps with me in my sadness, who loves me in brokenness, and who grants me mercy by answering prayers of comfort, peace, and strength.

GOD BLESS YOU

 

 I seek in prayerful words, dear friend,

My heart's true wish to send you,

That you may know that, far or near,

My loving thoughts attend you.

 

I cannot find a truer word,

Nor better to address you;

Nor song, nor poem have I heard

Is sweeter than God bless you!

 

God bless you! So I've wished you all

Of brightness life, possesses;

For can there any joy at all

Be your unless God blesses?

 

God bless you! So I breathe a charm

Lest grief's dark night oppress you,

For how can sorrow bring you harm

If ' tis God's way to bless you?

 

And so, "through all thy days

May Shadows touch thee never-"

But this alone- God bless thee-

Then art thou safe forever.

    

 - Author unknown (From Book: Poems That Touch The Heart  by: A.L Alexander)

Remembered

I read this prayer tonight that was composed by a sweet friend of mine.  A young woman with such a beautiful heart that holds such a powerful amount of love. Her prayer echoed so much of what I believe so many of us are saying and feeling as we walked through this day of remembering the tragedy that happen on September 11, 2001.  Thank you Billie Sue for allowing me to publish such a beautiful and heart felt prayer, and thank you even more for being such a bright light for Christ in such a dark world.

Photograph By: Sarah Worley

A PRAYER ON 9-11
by: Billie Sue Wilson
Tonight, I say a prayer
I kneel, knees to ground.
I close my eyes and take a breath,
My thoughts now making sound.
Father, I know I'm weak
I know I've let you down.
But this prayer is not for me tonight
It's for those all around.
You see, I am only one
In a land so distraught.
Where people do not offer love
Unless their love is bought.
I am no example,
I've let the world in.
But if You'll show your mercy
I'll start over again.
I know Your plan, God
For Your word has told.
I know You win at world's end
Your hand is ours to hold.
But, God, until that day
I see the pain surround
I don't know what we'd do right now
If heroes didn't abound.
Bless them, God--the brave
Who freely give their all
To protect what You have given us
Those who stand, and fall.
Protect us, God, from evil.
Hold us in Your hand.
Guide us through our troubled times
Beside us, won't You stand.
I trust you, God, always.
Through suffering and pain.
I know You have a plan for us.
For no loss is in vain.
I offer thanks, Dear God
For forgiveness of our sins.
All this I pray in Jesus' name
I love you, God. Amen.

Prayer For Max(Guest Writer)

This article was written by Mrs.Dusti Brook who's young son Max was born with a severe form of sleep apnea called hypoventilation. This is a section of Dusti's testimony showing what the Lord is doing in her life, and how she is allowing the Holy Spirit to take control of her fears concerning her son.

Being a mother with a child who has health concerns myself I felt the Holy Spirit use Dusti's testimony to give me awake up call on my own faith, and prayers for my child.  There is no doubt that having children with health concerns minor or major is a scary thing for a parent. It is what we do with that fear and worry that matters. Do we allow the enemy to control us with worry and fear or do we turn it all over to God, and have faith and believe in His all powerful healing. Do we allow the Lord to restore joy in our lives even during our trails.

Prayer For Max by: His Mother (Dusti Brooks)

“It is not wrong to feel fear. It is wrong to let that fear have the last word in your life. But instead of letting that fear disable your dreams, you start increasing your capacity for faith. You act on the part of God’s direction you do understand and leave the rest up to God.”

I went into this prayer and worship time (Awaken my House) with a heavy heart. I wasn’t sure why I felt this way, however I didn’t want it to hinder my time of worship. I began to pray. I kept feeling like I was hitting a brick wall. I just felt numb. I began to ask God why I was feeling so distant. I heard the Holy Spirit ask “ Why are you scared?” I knew exactly what he was talking about, I just wasn’t ready to address it yet. He asked again “ Why are you so scared?” I began to weep. I was so embarrassed to tell him the true reason why. I felt so selfish even thinking it, but I began to talk about what I had been keeping in for the past year.

I didn’t want to acknowledge my fear of why I was not trusting God for Max’s healing. I was condemning myself because our situation was not as bad off as others and telling myself I just needed to be thankful Max was not worst off. I was scared to ask God for an impossible thing out of fear of how foolish I would look if God didn’t come through.

I was scared that if I was too public with my believing for Max’s healing, that if he were never healed, I would be the one that looked dumb. Here I put myself out there trusting God to do something impossible and never see it happen, people were going to think, “Bless her heart. She really thought God still healed.” I felt like the sun was going down after two years of believing God for a sun stand still prayer. I felt like Jairus who had begged Jesus to come heal his daughter and on their way to her he gets the news that she had died and was told there was no need to bother Jesus anymore. I felt like because I haven’t seen the evidence of Max’s healing that he had been overlooked.

I repented for being prideful. I was so sorry for living in fear and doubting the power of God. I felt a wave of healing as I confessed this hidden fear in my heart that night.

Then I was reminded of Jairus’s story again. That even the sun went down on him with the death of his daughter however “Jesus paid no attention to what they had said. He told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just believe” (Mark 5:36)

That same night I kept hearing 9-5-08 roll around in my spirit. That is Max’s birthday. I asked the Holy Spirit what it meant and He said, I want you to pray from 9:05 to 9:08 everyday for Max’s healing. Am and Pm.

I just recently finished a book called “Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick. I’ve pulled some passages that challenged me in this journey with Max’s healing.

“Before we dare to ask God to do the impossible in our lives, we have to consider the cost that Christ has already paid. Then, in the light of that ultimate sacrifice, we embrace the same mind-set. No sacrifice is too great for the sake of God’s calling. And before God can do an impossible work in your world, you need to let Him to a deep work in your heart.”

This is where I was at that night. I needed God to do an impossible thing in my own heart to realize I was the very one holding back the move of God in my life. I was refreshed in a moment for what my spirit had been craving for a year. I was ready to get back in the game. I was ready to start running not just for Max’s healing but for the Glory of the Lord. To pursue the Healer not Max’s healing.

“That’s why audacious faith is so vital. It brings your unseen future possibilities into focus right now. It redirects your attention from what is right now to what you believe will be one day. And it ensures that you don’t give up in the meantime-before you ever get to see you dream become a reality.”

What do I believe will be one day? I believe that Max will breath on his own. I believe that he will not need a ventilator to breath for him. I stand firm that his brain stem will tell him that when his body goes to sleep that it will continue breathing. I see what doctors say will never be, a reality. I am so very thankful for the great doctors in Max’s life that take great care of him but THANK the LORD this is too big for them. This is an impossible situation in their eyes. "And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27). Yes I understand their reasons why Max will need a trach and be ventilated for the rest of his life, but it doesn’t out weigh the word of God. God said himself in Isaiah 45:23 “So turn to me and be helped—saved!— everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am God, the only God there is, the one and only.I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say.” Later in Isaiah 53:5 He says “ And by His stripes we are healed.” I have no reason to doubt. It was my pride that made me forget these promises.

“But perhaps God is calling you to lead the way so that others can see a different example of the true nature of faith- an example that will fill them with a longing to experience his power. And someone has to make the first move. It might as well be you.”

So after I read that I felt an urging to invite you to join me in this journey. That if you would like to join me in praying at either 9:05-9:08 am or pm or both, you can hook up with us for God’s glory to be seen in Max’s life. That in believing for Max’s healing it would challenge you to begin to pray audacious prayers for your own life, marriage, children, health, etc. “The measure of God’s abilities will always surpass the measures of our audacity. No prayer is to big for our God. No vision to sweeping. No risk too great.

God has never been nervous about His ability to live up to our faith in Him.”

“Faith is contagious. You will be empowered when you surround yourself with people who will help to bear the burden of your prayer. They’ll help you keep the vision in sight when there’s nothing to see. They’ll remind you of God’s faithfulness when your own faith is faltering. They’ll increase the effectiveness of your prayer exponentially by joining their faith with yours.”

So I’m ready to surround myself with people who will bear this burden in prayer. I’ve been very reluctant to be vocal about this area in my life because of my pride but since I have decided to crucify that daily, there is no reason to be embarrassed in God’s truth that is available for Max, and because I do not know when his healing will be complete, I’m going to run after God during this process. I am ready to covert this time of crisis into an opportunity.

“The story behind the glory . That’s called the process. But the process in invaluable. The process is a time of strengthening. The process in the place where you lay down your pride and learn to rely totally on God. Most importantly, the process is the way we grow to know God. And that’s really the whole point.”

“We’re asking God for something that only He can accomplish- and that only He can take credit for. When you begin to activate your faith and pray Sun Stand Still prayers, you’re doing more than just changing your life. Your placing yourself in the middle of a move of God.”



Max with Older Brother Clay

Dusti has shared once before here on the blog if you would like to read even more click Life with Miracles.



Thankfulness in November{My Savior}

Today I am most thankful for the saving power of Christ! I am thankful for his love, mercy, joy, hope, and blessings that He showers over me and my family! I am thankful that God does not make me earn his love!

Romans Road

Romans 3:23 - Righteousness = right relationship with God. We can't earn it, He does it for us through His Son.
Romans 6:23 - We all die, for an unbeliever it is eternal. For the believer, we step into eternity with Him.
Romans 5:8-12, 15 - Sin is the cause for all the problems, but Christ has come to reconcile man to God.
Romans 10:9-13 - v. 9, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (have eternal life, be reconciled to God.

When Angels Sing

This is my personal story of my prayer life as a Mother and the power that is in believing in God’s promises. This is the story of the day I heard Angels sing. My son Wesley has had multiple health issues for the majority of his life. One of those health problems has been a handicap in his right foot. Long story short, the muscles in his foot and leg did not function properly. Some muscles were over working causing other muscles to basically not develop. All these factors lead to discomfort and pain when Wesley was on his feet for any length of time. This included grocery shopping, zoo trips, playing outside, riding bike, pretty much anything that required him to be on his feet. We had already had one unsuccessful surgery at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital when Wes was a little under the age of three. I was broken hearted that my son was still in pain, and he was broken hearted that he still couldn't wear cowboy boots. The unsuccessful surgery was at no fault of the hospital or the doctors. We knew going into the surgery that it was all going to be highly educated guess work. There was no case on record quite like Wesley’s, so figuring out a solution was not as easy as referencing medical text books or phoning doctors with similar cases. One thing that made his case so different is the inability for doctors to pin point why the muscles didn’t work. All that being said, after the first surgery I remember thinking this is not the end....This is not what God has planned for my little boy. So, I continued the daily and multiple prayers for my son's healing (1 Thessalonians 5: 17, 18). I refused to believe he was going to walk around the rest of his life in pain.

Wes taking a little rest at one of the early morning doctor visits

After almost 2 years of praying, we felt God leading us in the direction to find a new Doctor for Wesley, and I knew that there was one Doctor out there that God would gift with the wisdom to make my son pain free. This is about the point where I began saying, "I will just know the right Doctor that God has for us comes along". I said it would be as if hear the Angels sing to me from Heaven. So I would patiently wait for that moment of peace during all these trials (James 1: 2-8). We started the journey with a trip back to our home town of Livingston TN to visit a Doctor that has been looking after our families for several generations now. He gave us a couple of referrals. One of those referrals was to the Children’s Shriner’s Hospital in KY. My hopes were high. So we filled out tons of paper work, gathered all Wesley’s medical records, and said many thank you's to our Shriner's Sponsors. Now we just had to wait to see if Wesley would get accepted to be seen at the hospital. I literally jumped for joy when we got the phone call for the appointment. So off to Kentucky we went. I had been faithfully praying, and I knew that there were so many others praying faithfully with us. I just knew this was going to be it. I just knew that on this day the angels would sing. We meet with the Shriner’s doctors and staff. The whole staff was so very kind to us the whole day we were there, but they felt like the answer to Wesley’s problem was to leave it alone. At best, maybe he would grow out of it, and the muscle would begin to develop. My heart sank. I admit I was frustrated, heartbroken, and just emotionally drained by this point. I remember crying a little as we walked back to the car for the journey back to Nashville.

A couple months later we were off to our second referral. We went to a small town called Ringgold, GA to meet with a doctor who is based out of Atlanta GA. Ringgold is about 30 minutes outside Chattanooga. So we decided to stay all night the night before the 9am appointment. We swam in the indoor pool, Wes jumped on the big bed, and we ordered pancakes for breakfast. Wesley thought the whole hotel adventure was just grand. I think it’s the first time he remembered staying in a hotel. At 9 am the next morning Doctor Camasta walked into our lives and folks I heard the Angels sing (an amazing sense of total peace came over me). Dr. Camasta examined Wesley and looked up at us with total confidence and said I think we can fix this, and smiled this unforgettable sincere smile at me that I will never forget. I felt a sigh of relief escape my body as if I had been piled with a thousand pounds of extra weight that was now gone. I felt God at work and my prayers beginning to be answered. It was an overwhelming and humbling experience. I felt like I was glowing with love. I wanted to just tackle Dr. Camasta with a giant bear hug, and tell him how long I had prayed for him. Instead I decided to remain calm and shook his hand and said thank you so very much. Stephen and I both left the office smiling. I had always known that God loved me and would take care of me. I believed that with all my heart, and today I felt that love. It was a deep love. It was a never ending love. God had answered my prayers and it was beautiful. On November 4th, 2009 Dr. Camasta performed the 3 hour surgery to remove one muscle, and clip three others in Wesley’s foot. He also extended his Achilles heel.

Few hours after surgery

Recovery process this was about 5 days after surgery and is the first day really out of bed or off the sofa

The recovery was a painful process. It was hard to explain to my four year old that this was God’s plan. You will see you are going to be so much better soon. We had many sleepless nights, and Wesley was in a cast, moving around very little. If you know Wesley you know that moving around very little is just not him. He is very spirited and always on the go. About 3 weeks after surgery Wesley began to walk on his knees around the house. This was a pitiful sight to see, but it did not seem to bother him.

Don’t get me wrong, I am totally not perfect. I would often lose my focus on God, and try to go through days without Him, and let me just say those where some miserable days for me. I needed God to give me the strength to get me and my family through this, and I knew he would. God loves me. He loves Wesley, and He answered my prayer. My son Wesley while he still walks with a limp, and this journey is far from over he has now been pain free for year this November!!!!!!

Wesley riding a Bike this is a big deal for us!!!

Seeing God in My Rearview Mirror(Guest Writer)

This is a story about how one couple's life was filled with hope and love through the process of adoption and the power of God's plan for their lives. I am so grateful to my guest writer Lisa Coil for sharing this beautiful, heartwarming story with my readers. Thank you Lisa =).


Seeing God in My Rearview Mirror
by: Lisa Coil
For anyone who has ever traveled the stretch of interstate known as I-40 West connecting Nashville to Memphis, Tennessee, one can truly understand just how long and boring those 200 miles can be. Perhaps it's because there is virtually nothing from Nashville to Jackson, few towns and fewer exits. It was July 2005 and my two children and I were traveling from our home just outside Memphis to visit my parents just east of Nashville for a little summer vacation. The weather was beautiful, the sky clear and sunny, so began our journey just as we had done many times before. However, on this particular trip, from the driver's seat of my Saturn Vue, I caught a glimpse of God in my rearview mirror that I had never seen before. Let me tell you what I saw.

This story really began in 1997 when my husband was preaching in a gospel meeting near Manchester, TN. He left our home in East Tennessee to go begin the meeting when near the Monteagle Mountain his car broke down. He was stranded. He finally got the car to a station only to find out that is would take a few days to repair it. He called one of the members of the church where he was scheduled to preach that next morning to come get him. When the elderly gentleman arrived (a longtime friend of ours) his daughter and new grandson, Will, were with him. Evidently, Will captured the attention of my husband in a most unusual way. When my husband called me later that night most of the conversation was about the young Russian boy, Will, which he had met earlier that day. My husband had excitement in his voice that I had never really heard before. As the week continued with gospel meeting, I continued to hear about Will almost every night. Will had been adopted from Russia a few months earlier, and he now had a wonderful Christian home.

At that time my husband and I had been married for about ten years. We had gone thru endless fertility treatments and drugs. We had exhausted every resource we could find to help us conceive a child. We knew God was in control of our lives, and we trusted in his promise and plan for us. (" And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28) I had longed for children it seemed my whole life. I had never really desired a sophisticated career or to be a professional. I had always wanted to be a wife and mother, nothing more. I had a "hole in my heart that nothing seemed to fill." My husband was very happy with our life, just the two of us, but he was keenly aware of my heartache. He tried everything to fill my void, but nothing worked. We had spoken about adoption, but until he met Will, we had never gotten beyond the words. We kept holding out hope that I would conceive. We continued to serve God in every way we could, always believing that He had a plan for us, and that someday He would "fill the hole in my heart."

After the gospel meeting ended my husband returned home, his meeting Will lead us to a decision that would change our lives forever. We contacted Will's parents and obtained as much information as we could about their adoption process. We had many conversations with them and made the decision that God was leading us in this direction. So, the exhausting, yet fulfilling adoption process for us began!

In mid-October 2000, on Friday evening, our adoption facilitator called us from her office in Murfreesboro, TN to see if we could meet her for dinner. She wanted to introduce us (via photographs and video) to our son. He was the most beautiful, black eyed, brown haired baby boy we had ever seen. He was about 7 months old and we could bring him home, hopefully, by the end of the year. The next morning, my husband and I went on our usual 3-mile walk, and I as skipping and leaping thru most of it! The "hole in my heart" was beginning to close! My husband couldn't stop smiling, showing off the pictures and video to anyone one and everyone he could. Through exasperating paperwork and red-tape, through long and extensive trips to Russia, through snow, ice, and 14 hour long train rides, and more experiences than I can recount, we arrived at Nashville International Airport on December 23, 2000, with the greatest Christmas gift that anyone could imagine. Our son had made it home! He was ours, he was safe, and loved beyond measure.

Ivan and Lisa=Love At First Sight

Homecoming



In 2003, our son welcomed a baby sister! We traveled again to the other side of the world, Siberia, to embrace the baby girl that God had entrusted to us. She was 5 months old, she was tiny, she was an angel.....she was perfect. She was blonde headed and blue eyed, and now "the hole in my heart was filled and began to overflow."

Ms. Emma Claire



So you ask. "What did you see in your rearview mirror on that long boring drive on a July day in 2005?" I saw two sleeping angels, nestled snug in their car sears, heads turned to either side, and I knew beyond any doubt that God is love (....God is love 1 John 4:8). I saw His love and goodness. I say He longs to satisfy the desires of His children. I saw how he hears and answers our prayers (...The effectual fervent prayer of righteous man availeth much James 5:16) I saw how He careth for us like no other, how He hurts when we hurt and rejoices when we rejoice. I saw how He has a plan for us in His time, and His way. I saw how He blesses us beyond what we can ever begin to comprehend or imagine. I saw His unspeakable gifts (Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift 2 Corinthians 9:15). I had received two of them!

That drive for me isn't so long and boring anymore, I just take a few quick glances in my rearview mirror to remind me of all my Heavenly Father taught me that day. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with end. Amen" Ephesians 3:20

THE COIL FAMILY



Special Note: This story also appears in the Cookevilletimes.com