Steady On...

Edited to add:
I had a comment that questioned the verse I quoted from James. Yes, verse 5 is talking about "wisdom" but James' conclusion is "...for let not that man suppose that he will receive ANYTHING from the Lord..."
I think James says "anything" because he means "anything" including wisdom. But if he were only referring to wisdom, why use the word "anything"? I think James was making a point about guarding against vacillating between belief and disbelief.

A few years ago, my grandmother passed away at the age of 103. Before she passed, she had a huge tumor on the side of her face. It was disfiguring. My mamaw was ready to go on to heaven but the family prayed that she would be healed from the tumor before her journey "home." God answered that prayer and before she went on to glory, Mamaw's face was completely healed. There was no tumor at all! It was a Miracle.

God has instructed me to look only to His word. I must be obedient to that. When I look at His word, Jesus healed ALL who came to HIM.
This is MY child lying in a hospital bed. Medical intervention provides little hope for a positive outcome...that means there is not much hope for survival even with chemo and radiation.
This is life and death to us. We come to Jesus and Him alone for our hope. We do not look to the wisdom of man. We look to the power of God. My purpose is not to offend. My purpose is to go by the Word and that alone.

Yesterday I had a discussion with my daughter. We have had daily phone calls, FB communication and text messaging. She is a full time journalism student and works part time. She leads worship, playing her guitar. She is very protective of her little brother, especially now. We have been having deep discussions on the whole aspect of healing and miracles. You are probably not surprised that has been the topic of most of our family conversations.

Our family has no doubt that healing is God's will. Our family has no doubt that believing and not wavering in your confidence in God plays a large part in seeing healing and miracles manifest. James 1:6-8: "But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Fix your eyes on Jesus. Believe His Word. Refuse to doubt that He will do what He says He will. Unbelief is the enemy of faith. Settle it in your mind! When you have settled it, don't allow yourself to become unsettled. Don't be anxious about anything; Pray about everything. Everything you receive from God is received by FAITH. We walk by faith ~ not by sight.
So, steady on...saints...steady on.

Andrew ~ Eating but needs to eat MORE or feeding tube is coming. So we have to work on this TODAY. Has had physical therapy twice today and a visit from Rosie the golden retriever who makes bedside visits.

The nurse told Andrew he could have cake and ice cream if he wanted it because they want him to increase his calorie intake asap. When she told him he could have sweets, he glanced at me as if I were going to say something about the sugar. Oh...he knows me well.

The last cultures they have taken did not show any new bacteria growing so that is a VERY GOOD REPORT TODAY!!!

Because of that report they have changed his antibiotics to one that is more specific to the infection he is fighting.

According to the surgeon we will be here several more days.

Wherever we are...the fragrance of the knowledge of HIM is spread everywhere.

Love to you all!

It's A New Day!

Did you know that you may be the deliverer of a miracle? God looks for volunteers to carry out His agenda.
Several years ago, I heard a Christian woman say that God doesn't need her! What?! I think what she meant was God could use her or use someone else ~ that it didn't really matter. That sounds to me like someone trying to be humble. Like someone misunderstanding what "humble" really is.
Let's talk about "humble." The Bible tell us in Numbers 12:3 that Moses was more humble than any man on the earth. Think of all Moses accomplished as he partnered with God! God spoke with Moses face to face (Numbers 12:8). God's anger was aroused on behalf of Moses when Aaron and Miriam spoke against him. Moses' humility came as a result of the relationship he and God had. Moses was willing to risk the criticism and loneliness that sometimes comes about when one steps out and up to the plate to do what God has instructed. Moses cared more about God's opinion of him than he did of the opinion of others. That's what made Moses humble.

It seems to me that when we look through the Bible, we see that God looks for specific people to carry out his plans. All of David's brothers were marched out as candidates for King. But David was the one God chose for the assignment.

Think about the miracles that God does. Very seldom in the Bible do we see that God does a miracle without "partnering" with one of us! All of us can point to examples when God broke through time and space and touched earth without a human "partner." (The ten commandments, writing on the wall..etc.) Sometimes He sends angels. But most often miracles are "wrought" by the Power of God working in a human being.

Our part is to believe that God can and will do what He says He will. The Bible tells us that we have the mind of Christ but it also says you should "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." Phil 2:5.
See my point. We have the mind of Christ but must still let the mind of Christ be in us.

More later...

Our Miracle Child ~ Andrew!

Weeping endures for the night, but JOY comes in the morning. Tuesday night and Wednesday were very difficult days for us. I felt like I was losing my "fight." But my husband was able to be strong when I was weak. After surgery I slept on the sleeper chair while my husband waited on Andrew through the night. Even though I heard every monitor beep and every exchange of words, just being able to lie still was refreshing.
My husband and I have a pact. No matter what we hear, no matter what someone else's belief may be, we are taking our spiritual authority over our son. God gave him to us to steward his life and we intend to steward well while he is in our care.

(LET ME INSERT HERE THAT WE ARE SO THANKFUL AND BLESSED BY EVERY PRAYER YOU HAVE PRAYED FOR ANDREW. WE DO NOT DISCOUNT YOUR OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND SUPPORT. I HAVE FELT IT AND DEPENDED ON IT!PLEASE DON'T STOP PRAYING.)

We are the ones, who other than God, love Andrew the most in the world. We are the ones who conceived Andrew following a rough patch in our marriage. Andrew was our "miracle" child. He cemented our love and commitment to one another and to our family.
From the time Andrew was a little baby, he always had a smile. For a while, his dad called him "Smiley."
We want that smiling boy back again and we KNOW we will have him.

Yesterday I thought about the Apostle Paul's words, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor..."
In thinking of those words, I also thought about how we Christians believe that God has a purpose and a plan for each of us. I have asked God that Andrew fulfills the plan and purpose for his life. For Andrew to live is for the cause of Christ. I want our family's purpose and the individual plan for each of us to go forth. It is the enemy of our souls who attempts to thwart God's plan. He is the one who wants to take us out to keep us from fulfilling our purpose on this earth.
I want our family to go together (alive) in the rapture of the Body of Christ. This is what I am asking.

Again I am reminded of the scripture in Eph. 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or imagine according to the POWER THAT WORKS IN US, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
God does the miracle and the healing...but he expects us to do the work of believing, praying and receiving. And if you have ever been in a position where with man, the "work" seemed impossible, then you know how much "work" is involved in keeping your faith built up, your fear down and your belief in the POWER of God to manifest the outward sign of an inward healing.

It was Jesus, the Son of God, who said that with God, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).
Do we really believe that ALL things are possible with God? Do we REALLY believe that? Or is it just a comforting thought? Belief or thought? You must choose.
I choose to BELIEVE. I choose LIFE.

Our warrior, God's newest recruit in HIS army, ate a little bit of a banana today. He sipped a little bit of Ensure and reported it to be "nasty." Sergeant Mom had to get stern with him about eating real food because word has it that if he doesn't eat today a feeding tube will be necessary.
If you could see Andrew's shaved head, you would see he looks like he just got the "new recruit buzz." Still handsome though...just waiting for that smile!

Be encouraged today that whatever you are facing, WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Don't give up the good fight of faith! It really is a fight sometimes. Fight for your marriage, fight for joy and peace in your home, fight for your health, fight for your children's spiritual growth, fight, fight, fight soldier. FIGHT! Yes, the battle is the Lord's but he needs you to do your part. Why else would he tell us to put on the full armor? Because we have to fight.
Love,
Melanie, Dan, Audra, Avery & Andrew (Ted, too)
* All of our family and friends appreciate you sisters (and brothers) interceding and encouraging me...all of us. My husband has been so thankful for the support you have given me. It truly has kept me built up when I have needed it soooo much. And I am still praying for those of you who have needs.

There Is a River

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our God;

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our God;

So I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad.



There is a fountain full of grace and it flows from Emmanuel's veins,

It came and refreshed me; It came and it healed me; It came and it washed my sins away...

And I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad.

I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad.

Andrew's headaches are only relieved by morphine. He has asked me to sing over him and rub his feet. He talks very little. He is very tired of all of this. I have told him he will have to fight and not give up. I remind him of how determined he was to learn new skateboarding tricks.

Please pray for relief from the headache. Please pray that the infection leaves quickly. Please pray that Andrew keeps fighting.

Last night I asked if he wanted me to read to him. He said, "Read the Bible."

I read Psalm 27, 91 and 97. Then I told him the story of the persistent widow and how Jesus used this parable to teach us to keep on asking, keep on praying and not give up.

I told him somehow he had to look past the present circumstances because there will be an end to it. He asked me how he could look past what was happening. He asked me why God doesn't just heal him.

All I can tell him is that we have to keep praying and believing that healing will come because God doesn't lie and He is the One who tells us He is the Healer.

Then I sing some more and I rub his feet and his dad keeps cold cloths on his forhead and eyes. We thank God for what He has already done and for what we beleive He will do.

It is very difficult right now. But we still believe in a good God who is the Healer. We still believe for the miracle to be completed.

Seeking The Kingdom First

It's me. I have few words today. I have cried a river of tears in the past 48 hours. Although the first lab report showed no infection, infection came later. Andrew had to go back into surgery. The surgeon reopened the incision and cleaned out infection. Andrew's skull bone was infected so that was removed. He has a titanium flap to keep the shape of the top of his head. Because the surgeon needed to shave two wide areas on top of his head, we opted to have his entire head shaved. We just told him that today. I think that is the least of his concerns. His head is wrapped turban style and there is a temporary drain for the fluid and another drain that is deeper in his brain to drain spinal fluid.
So far the cultures that have been tested are good. The spinal fluid was sent to the lab a few minutes ago and we should know something about that in a few hours.

Specific prayer: Pray that test results are good ones. Pray that when Andrew is moved, the roommate situation will not be a source of stress. He is being moved today. We have no control over that. Picu is quiet and the nurses are great here. But we will not be allowed to stay here.
Andrew has had a headache today. He had Tylenol, then Percoset and finally morphine. Pray that the headache is gone when he wakes and does not return.We were told this morning to expect to spend about 2 weeks in the hospital.

Finally, pray for my husband, myself, our other children and my parents. This, obviously, affects the entire family.
We need your prayers to strengthen us in this battle for our son's life and health.
I need YOU, YOUR prayer, YOUR faith.
This is where I was directed in God's Word this morning: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" Matthew 6:33.
These are the very words of Jesus. They are precious to me this morning.
Again, thank you for praying for Andrew. We still believe in a miracle and 100% recover. No backing down. No giving up. No giving in. We owe that to our son.
Love,
Melanie & family

He's in surgery.

Just got an update that my brother is in surgery right now.
They are draining the wound on his scalp and cleaning it up.

Pray there is no infection and no more complications.

Thank you!

Audra

*They may do an MRI today.Pray it shows NO TUMORS!

Emergency. We need your prayers!

Please continue to pray for Andrew. Last night Andrew had a headache and was throwing up. My parents decided to take him to the ER early this morning.

We're just praying God orders all of my parents steps today in order to carry out the healing in Andrew's body.

I felt like God gave me 3 words to describe today...
Completeness
Wholeness
Rejoicing

I believe that TODAY is the day of completeness and wholeness and rejoicing! Thank you for continuing to stand and agree with us for a complete and total healing with absolutely no more invasive surgery, NO chemo, and NO radiation in Jesus name! We're asking for it all! Thank you and we love you!

Audra