miracle

It Never Gets Old

March 4, 2019

We’ve had a very exciting week around here. If you are friends with me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve already heard that we have a new baby in the family. She was born to our youngest son and his wife, Scott and Angelina almost a week ago. We’re already head over heels in love with her. This grand-parenting thing just never gets old. We get old, so it’s nice to have some side benefits other than the senior discount at the grocery store.

Little Marian Rose is our fifth grandchild and we think she’s adorable. We were able to go see her on Tuesday night. On Wednesday night I came down with Influenza A so we haven’t see her since, which is killing me, but she seems to be settling into her routine just fine, despite the fact that I’m not there to cheer her on. I’m hoping to be well enough to see her again soon.

Marian was named after my mom, who is, as you might imagine, quite honored. Rose isn’t a family name, just one that they liked. And, she thinks you’ll want to know that those who love her most will call her by her nickname, Mari, with the possible exception of her namesake and great-grandmother.

Basically, the point of my blog today is to shamelessly share pictures of our sweet little miracle, so here you go:

She seems to be saying, “Enough with all these pictures already!” She’s got no idea what lies in store for her. I don’t have a great (and decent enough) picture of Mom and Dad so I’m going to use this one of them leaving the hospital. We’re so proud of them.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. Proverbs 17:6

In the Middle of a Miracle

June 22, 2015

A few weeks ago I attended a Leadership Development Night at our church. The teaching was on being a flexible and adaptable leader. Keith, our speaker for the evening, talked about how we need to embrace change, be ready for it to happen, and not get our undies in a bunch when we’re asked to do things in a new way – again. (Okay, he might not have mentioned the bunched up undies – I’m summarizing here.)

There was one thing Keith said that really hit home. He talked about how God’s desire is for us to do things with an honoring and positive attitude. Keith went on to say, “Emotional, mental, and spiritual maturity are created and demonstrated by our willingness to act above our feelings and negative thoughts.” Good stuff.

And then he got to one of my favorite topics of “choosing your words.” “Instead of just saying, ‘Fine,’” Keith admonished, “when someone asks you how you are, say, ‘I’m up!’ And if you’re not up,” he continued, “then say, ‘I’m getting up.’” Our words are way more powerful than we give them credit for being. But as much as I loved Keith’s admonition, “I’m getting up” just weren’t the words I wanted to use when answering the question, “How are you?” It just doesn’t flow out of my mouth very easily.

Fast-forward a few weeks to a four-hour stint in the car by myself. When I’m traveling alone, I find it helps the monotony if I can listen to podcasts. I started listening to a sermon from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. Pastor Steven Furtick is a charismatic southern preacher who I find usually has some good stuff to say. In fact, his sermon on “How to be Brave” was fodder for my last blog about the power in our words, only this time I can’t remember the title of his sermon and it really wasn’t so much about choosing our words. It did, however, give me the answer to my quandary about what to say when I’m really not all that “fine.” Pastor Steven was talking about the Israelites wandering through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. It was hard there in the desert and the Israelites weren’t really appreciating the journey, shall we say. And then Pastor Steven said (and again, I’m summarizing), “The Israelites didn’t know that there was a miracle on the way. It was hard in the middle of the dessert but their miracle was coming.”

And that’s when it hit me. I am in the middle of a miracle! Sometimes life in the middle of a miracle seems challenging and hard, like it’ll never change, just like it did for the Israelites who were hot, tired, and sick of manna. But the truth is, nothing is forever. Things are always changing and miracles happen all the time! So, I decided to use my “middle of a miracle” response when people ask me how I am.

“How are you doing, Nancy?”
“I’m in the middle of a miracle!” I respond with a smile.

My answer has received a variety of responses. Some people look at me like I’m nuts, and perhaps a case can be made for that. But other people will say, “Really? Tell me more!” Best of all is the change in me. Let me tell you, when I hear myself say over and over again, “I’m in the middle of a miracle,” I start to believe it and expect miracles to happen! Honestly, it’s a pretty awesome “place” to live. Want to join me?

By the way, if you want to hear an amazing “miracle story” this one from my friend, Jane, is my favorite! I especially love the words she chose to use while in the “middle of her miracle!”

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Proverbs 15:24

I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth this week. She’s an amazing encourager!

He’s Talking!

August 13, 2014

Shortly after my husband, John, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (a cancer of the blood) I was talking to my friend about it. She was telling me about her dad’s experience with Multiple Myeloma and his subsequent autologous stem-cell transplant (autologous meaning they use the patient’s own stem-cells). She told me that her dad was a new man after his transplant. “He had the energy of a 20-year-old,” she said. Truthfully, I didn’t need a husband with the energy of a 20-year-old although one with the energy of a normal 60-year-old would be nice. But that isn’t what happened.

Instead, John was tired all the time. Though he had just enough energy to go to work every day – that was it. When he was at home he slept a LOT and rarely did he participate in conversations. I’m sure he tried to as much as he could but there just wasn’t much talking going on. Angelina told me this weekend that the last time they were here she and Heidi (another of our daughter-in-laws) had conspired, when setting the table one night, to put John at a place he’d be most likely to talk! (That right there blessed me – that the girls would care so much about their father-in-law to try to think of ways to help.)

I’m not telling you all of this to complain. I’m telling you this because of what happened this past week.

On Sunday morning we were talking with our son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Angelina. John was regaling them with the tales of our mission trip to Moldova a few years ago and how we’d stayed at the home of a woman who didn’t speak one word of English. He told about the massive amounts of food she’d made for our breakfast every morning and how we had to walk through her and her husband’s bedroom to get to the only bathroom in the house (that was comfortable!) He went on and one about how she was so sweet and even gave us a gift as we left. As John was going on about the trip Angelina suddenly interrupted with, “John! You’re talking!”

It’s funny, when you live with someone 24/7 you don’t always notice how huge the change is until someone else points it out. You see, the reason that John was tired all the time, wasn’t talking, and quite frankly, wasn’t all that fun to be around is because of the Parkinson’s disease that had been previously undiagnosed. Fatigue and depression are some of the non-motor side effects of Parkinson’s, along with the more commonly known symptom of tremors. In fact, Parkinson’s has a plethora of symptoms including a “masked” face making the patient look somewhat mad all the time.

All this to say we have seen massive improvement of both mood and communication since John has started treatment for Parkinson’s. To top it off, John even suggested we all go to the zoo on Sunday afternoon when frankly, I could have used a nap. HA! He may not have the energy of a 20-year-old quite yet, but he’s a whole lot closer to 60 than he’s been in a LONG time.

And that, my friend, is more than just a little miracle for this week. It is a HUGE way that God has, once again, shown his unfailing love to me.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

On an unrelated note: please excuse the absence of my blog on Monday. My log-in page was shut down due to a security issue. Thankfully, I’ve got the best webmaster who happens to be my son, Adam.

Again today I am linking up to another blog written by an encouraging woman of faith, Holley Gerth.