From Generation To Generation

I don't like posting two posts in one day, but my heart is so full tonight that I have to. Most will not understand, I'm sure, but some might.

As the beautiful full moon was rising high, all bright and shimmery, in the eastern sky, and the sun was sinking low in the west this evening, I took a turn around the yard, then settled myself into a chair on the front porch. One of the kittens jumped into my lap and snuggled herself into the folds of my sweater...safe, warm, and content.

As I watched the sun continue to sink, lower and lower, in the western sky, I watched as the colors faded from brilliant yellow and fiery red, to bright pink and muted purple, then on to dusky blue, then to ever-deepening shades of charcoal and gray. At some point in there the frogs began to sing and a barred owl called from across the way, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”

Friendly voices rang out, as did the clang of a hammer, as work continued on the project being completed across the street. The workers were trying to get as much work done as possible, before full night closed in upon them.

In the midst of it, I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I heard the mother's voice, as she spoke to her children. In another moment I heard my Woody Woodpecker-loving granddaughter and her brother, or perhaps her cousin, belt out in unison a chorus of “Ha ha ha HA ha, ha ha ha HA ha, ha ha ha ha HA!” then fall out into a fit of laughter. I couldn't help but smile myself, but then the tears came.

It all sounded so familiar. In another era the friendly voices ringing out against the clang of the hammer would have been my dad and a couple of my uncles; today it is a couple of my grandsons and their uncle...my son. The voice of the mother? That would have been my mom and an aunt; today it is a daughter-in-law. The children belting out the famous Woody Woodpecker laugh...well...that would have been me, with possibly a younger cousin or two in tow.

Anyway, it may sound a bit corny, but all these sights and sounds did more than just take me back to my childhood. It was a living testimony of one generation touching another. I knew my grandparents and my great-grandparents...my children knew my parents...then there was me, of course...my children and grandchildren. That makes six consecutive generations that the Lord has blessed me with the gift of knowing and it gives me new-found hope for the future.

I am overwhelmed with the Lord's goodness and I thank Him for allowing me to be a part of this life...right here...right now. It makes me want to do better...to BE better. It makes me want to be here for them as long as I can, to share in the passing down of the skills and traditions of the previous generations in a way that carries with it eternal value.

I can't really put into words all that I'm trying to say, but I am so very thankful to be a part of this circle of life...in this day and time...and I know that I am truly blessed beyond measure. Thank You, Lord!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4)

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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Returning to Center

This past year has been difficult, at best. As the one-year anniversary of John's death approached I found myself becoming quite anxiety-ridden. I was dreading it so badly! 

In fact, with much help from the enemy of my soul, I almost talked myself out of the trip to Arkansas.  We (my oldest daughter and her family and I) would be returning home on the actual day of. I had no idea how I would be on the days leading up to it, but God is good and faithful, and His leading is sure. He arranged things to ease my way and gave me the strength to do it...and it was THE BEST thing that could have happened. God met me there on that mountaintop in Northwest Arkansas. I got some rest, had a great time, and got a reset from the Lord Himself. 

John and I had been friends since childhood, but we didn't marry until 1988. By then, both of us, with children from previous relationships and much baggage, even as messed up as we were, had started moving towards the things of the Lord. 

We belonged to the Blue Springs Free Will Baptist Church and, it was there, that we, and our children, received a good foundation built on solid Biblical teaching. For the eight years that we attended there, we were taught the fundamental basics of Christian living and were challenged to pursue Biblical manhood and womanhood. We started homeschooling, as well, as we continued to seek God and pursue Him, His Word, and His ways as a family. 

With a solid foundation under our belt, we moved into deeper water than ever before when, at the Lord's leading in 1996, we moved to Liberal, Missouri, into ministry, and the greatest adventure of living by faith that we had ever experienced. 

We did great for the first several years. Then, at some point, we got sidetracked and off into a deep ditch of reformed theology that was not good, and it did much damage to us and our family. 

From there, in an attempt to get away from where we had been, we hopped as far as possible over on to the other side of the road, all the while doing everything we could do, to avoid going off into the deep ditch on that side.

And, please, don't misunderstand what I am trying so say. I'm not saying anything bad about people on either side. There are elements on both sides that are good, right, and Biblical, and there are many real-deal, born-again Christians on both sides, but there are also tares among wheat and misuses of fundamental beliefs on both sides and THAT is what we were always fighting to avoid.

Anyway, at this time, after an extremely difficult year of trying to find my way and place in life, I find myself emerging into a new season. At the family camp in Arkansas, I could, literally, feel myself returning to center. I realized that, not only as a widow, but as an aged woman (Titus 2), God still has a plan for me. I can choose to ignore God's plan and stay messed up like I have been, or I can choose to embrace God's plan and live it out on a daily basis.

Am I frighted? A little. Do I know what I'm doing? Not even a little bit! Do I still miss my husband? Of course, I do, but all the crying, fretting, and missing him in the world is not going to bring him back. So, what do I do now? I get center of the road, bide my time, and carry out John and I's original vision in a way that would be pleasing and honoring to him. I embrace Biblical womanhood, pour myself into my children and grandchildren, do what I can with what resources I have, and stay committed to God's Word and the teachings therein. 

That's my plan. What that looks like, at this point, I cannot say, but, day by day, I will rebuild on the basic principles that John and I learned long, long ago and will keep moving forward as long as the Lord allows. 

Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Is there anything that I can pray with you about? If so, please, do not hesitate to contact me. 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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The 21-Day Salad Challenge, A Liver Saturation Issue, and The Healing Process

Today marks Day #21 of the 21-Day Salad Challenge that I chose to take up. 

The rules were simple...a salad a day for 21 days, any kind, big or small...they all count. For accountability, I checked in with my aunt each evening, sending her a photo of each day's salad.

Most, if not all, of the salads that I chose to eat, started with a bed of romaine and spinach. To that various other ingredients would be added...red onion, green pepper, cucumber, grape tomatoes, grated carrot, feta cheese...perhaps shredded cheddar, a boiled egg, bacon bits, and/or garlic and cheese croutons. 

Some salads were a meal in themselves; others were served as a side-salad. All were enjoyed with Ranch dressing, which was a complete joy! 

You see, due to a liver saturation issue, back in 2016 I had developed an allergic reaction to anything with vinegar in it...ANY thing!!! Before figuring out what was causing the problem, the allergic reaction had become so bad that I ended up in an emergency room with anaphylactic shock. My heart rate was over 200 beats per minute, I had a raised and itchy rash from head to toe, and could not breathe. Thank God I was less than five minutes away from the hospital when the incident occurred. Otherwise they said I wouldn't have made it. I left the hospital with an EpiPen and strict orders to follow up with my regular doctor and an allergy specialist. The reaction had been caused by eating one bite of a taco containing one package of taco sauce on it at Taco Bell. I've never eaten there since.

It took a while to figure out what the underlying problem really was, but, once it was (a liver saturation issue due to too much Vitamin A), the allergy specialist at Springfield told me to stay away from anything with vinegar in it and warned me that places like Subway could prove deadly (open salad bins and so many sauces being used and distributed directly over top of them).

For over five years I have had to give up everything with vinegar completely and, for the most part, stay away from restaurants. If I did eat out somewhere, or at somebody else's house, I had to choose foods with no possibility of vinegar in them. (You would be surprised at what all has vinegar in it!) 

The issue pretty much eliminated salads of any kind even at home. Who wants to eat a bowl of raw vegetables with nothing to give it some flavor? 

For the past five-plus years I have had to stick with very plain food...cheeseburgers with nothing on the bun but meat and cheese, a plain grilled chicken breast with a baked potato, etc. I even had to be careful with meats (ground chicken contains vinegar) and luncheon and deli meats. Most are clearly marked as to containing vinegar and some just say that they are packaged in an "acidic solution"...that's code word for vinegar. It was cRaZy!!!

Anyway...long story short...I have only just recently been able to start adding things back to my diet that contain vinegar without incident. The first thing that I was able to add back in was mustard; then, Miracle Whip. Just within the past month or so I have been able to add ketchup back into my diet, A-1 Sauce (which I love and have missed soooo much!) and, yes, miracle of miracles, RANCH DRESSING! 

I tried ranch dressing a year or so ago on a chicken ranch salad and, nope, couldn't do it! I only had a small amount. I didn't have the breathing issues, but I did break out in welts that itched like crazy all over my ears, neck, and back. That was one of the mildest reactions to anything with vinegar that I've had since this ordeal started. Without the breathing issues and the welts from head to toe I knew I was on my way to recovery!

Praise God! Within the past few things seem to be normalizing completely. I'm still not ready to tackle apple cider vinegar and don't know that I ever will be again. THAT is what I was using regularly when all this started and sparked everything off, but, the point is, I am finally getting to a place that I can once again enjoy so many things that I've had to give up for so long and salad with Ranch dressing is one of them!

I cannot even begin to express the joy I have in, not only completing the 21-day challenge, but in knowing that this liver saturation issue is behind me, and that my body is healed! Praise the name of the Lord for His blessings are many!!! 

Until next time,

~Rebecca

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Update on Dh

It's been a couple of weeks or more since I've been with you all. That's because there is a lot going on in our lives right now. To keep it simple I am going to just cut and paste some of my recent Facebook posts to fill you in.

This is extremely long, but here goes...

Friday, April 9, 2021 - 

Prayer please. We are on our way to ER with John.

Saturday, April 10, 2021 -

Thank you to everyone who has been praying over John. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated and, please, keep them coming.

We really don't know a whole lot yet. After the mighty, wonderful, and miraculous things that we witnessed during John's last hospital stay, we were very optimistic. The bloating and swelling that he had been experiencing dissipated within a few days and things seemed to be returning to normal. Then, the bloating and pain started again and he started turning yellow. And when I say yellow, I mean YEL-LOW!

We went to our primary care doctor yesterday where great concern was expressed over color and weight-loss. More labs were run. They called us late in the evening last night with the results. John's bilirubin and liver enzymes were...like...three times higher than they were two weeks ago (which they were off the charts then)! Needless to say, we ended up in ER where John was admitted to Mercy for the second time in two weeks.

When I first started this post the gastrointestinal specialist hadn't been in yet, but he came in while I was typing and just left. They are doing a CRPC (a procedure to look inside the bile ducts of the gallbladder) tomorrow. If it turns out negative they are going to biopsy the liver.

The doctor was optimistic that the bilirubin numbers returned to normal so fast after whatever happened with the pancreatic mass/cancer/no pancreatic mass/no cancer episode two weeks ago. He said it is a good sign that something (maybe a small gallstone) is trapped in a bile duct somewhere; if not...then they search elsewhere and keep looking until they find the problem.

The ER doctor told us last night that this whole thing is so strange...that none of the symptoms or test results that they're seeing match the numbers and vise-versa...and that they should. He said that this is turning into a "bizarre and rare" case.

Please stand with us for another good report! I truly believe that God did a great and mighty work two weeks ago and that a complete healing is being performed by process.

If I know nothing else I know this: THAT GOD IS! That He is, that He is in control, and that He can, and does, do above all that we can ask or think.

Our faith is in God and the truth of His Word. Having done all to stand, we are still standing. Please stand with us in prayer and in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!

And thank you!

Sunday, April 11, 2021 -

I'm going to make this short, sweet, and to the point.

John has a hepatic duct obstruction. They will be transferring him to Mercy in Springfield where more testing and procedures will be done. This will most likely take place tomorrow.

Please continue to stand with us in prayer and faith as we continue this arduous journey. Thank you!

Sunday late night update...

Thankfully things moved along faster than expected and John has already been transferred to Springfield. I am home packing and trying to get things ready to leave here as early as possible in the morning. I have to stop at Walmart to have my tires checked, then I'm out of here!

The hospital only allows one visitor so I will be by myself. I'm hoping to get in on a hospitality room at the hospital, but, whether I do or not, I don't plan on coming home until John does.

I have no information on when the surgery will take place, but will try to update again as soon as I can tomorrow. Please continue prayers our way...especially over John. Thank you!

Monday, April 12, 2021 - 

A quick update...

Am at Walmart in Lamar waiting on my car. Passenger front tire had belts showing. As soon as it's done I'm hitting the road. Have chatted with John a bit, but haven't heard anything from the doctor or hospital yet. I did manage to secure a hospitality room at Mercy for at least four nights.

Another quick update (Monday evening)...

I got a new tire at Walmart this morning (the belts were showing on the old one) and the guy told me I had a bad oil leak. I said, "How bad?" He said, "Bad enough to leave a trail of oil everywhere you go" and it was. I just grabbed a few extra quarts of oil, filled 'er up, and came on anyhow. I'll deal with all that later.

I got checked into the hospitality house and am two floors above John; as for updates or news concerning him...well...there really isn't any.

At Joplin there was much love, care, concern, and a flurry of activity to find answers and the sweetest, most caring doctors and nurses EVER, but here...there's been nothing. We've waited all day for an MRI that was ordered this morning and, basically, the gastro gal said they want to rerun all the tests that Joplin has already done. WHAT??? WHY??? We don't get it. WHAT is going on here???

Unless John needs something and calls them, we hardly see or hear from anyone. He hadn't been given anything to eat or drink since early yesterday (at least I think it was yesterday) and no one had even filled his water jug. When I arrived we hustled up some lunch (chicken broth, crackers, a fruit cup, and a high-protein Ensure, per his request, of course) and I filled his UNOPENED water jug myself. His lips were so dry and cracked that they were bleeding. I told the nurse to get him some Chapstick and she did. We are not impressed.

On the other hand...John's got a roommate...a 59-year-old terminal cancer patient named Tony. We've been able to visit and pray with him and his sweet mama off and on all day today and that's been good for all of us.

There's really nothing else to share. I just got done with supper and am heading down to the chapel, then to the shower. After that I'm going to bed. Hopefully, John and I will both sleep better tonight given that we're, at least, under the same roof.

Keep standing with us in prayer with us over this deal. We don't get what's happening but we have no doubt that the Lord is in it and many will witness His abundant mercy and grace through it in the end!

Blessings over all and good night!

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 -

Immediate prayer requested, please!

They did the MRI around 3:30 this morning. Now they're telling us that everything they told us in Joplin is wrong and that there is a pancreatic mass that is pressing in and cutting off the common bile duct from the outside and that there is every indication that it is cancerous.

Call me a fool if you want, but I do not believe for one minute that after two CT scans, two gallbladder scans, a liver scan, two abdominal scans, x-rays, an endoscopy of the pancreas WITH BIOPSY, a ERCP, and...I don't even know what else...that everything that they told us at Joplin is wrong!!!

They told us all this, then, immediately took John down for surgery. We barely had time to pray together and say goodbye before they whisked him away. They are repeating the ERCP and endoscopy. While they're in there they will do a biopsy and try to put a stent in to drain that bile duct. If they can't get a stent in they said that they would run a tube to the outside of his body to drain it from a different direction.

Please stand in agreement with us for a good report. We fully believe that when Jesus died on the cross for our sins that He himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses just as the Word says in Matthew 8:17 in reference to Isaiah 53:4.

He took it all at the same time! If we're saved, then we are healed! It doesn't matter how it looks in the natural!

Stand with us and be in prayer. I will give an update when I can. Thanks!

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 -

The results are in and we're right back to square one. John has been diagnosed as having inoperable pancreatic cancer.

We still have not seen the doctor that performed the procedure and took the biopsy, and we were told this morning that someone from oncology would be down to talk with us this afternoon, but no one ever showed up.

We are completely frustrated, but, even in the midst of totally not understanding any of this, we are not without hope. We still believe with all our hearts that the Lord is in this and that, in the end, it will all work out as a testimony to His goodness and faithfulness no matter what.

Please continue to stand with us as we continue to wait upon the Lord! Thank you all so much!

Thursday, April 15, 2021 -

I just got back from lunch and John is sleeping. I came up to my room to rest a bit, but before I do, I want to give you all a quick update. Let me start by saying that the roller coaster is headed uphill again!

The oncologist came in first thing this morning. She went over what type of cancer John has with us again and told us that the good news is there is no cancer in the liver or gallbladder. I asked her how can that be good news when a person has pancreatic cancer. She said that, normally, when pancreatic cancer is this far along, it has already spread into the liver and gallbladder. She said that, in John's case, it has not. She said that she suggested going a surgical route with chemo.

I told her that the doctor that did the endoscopy and took the biopsy (that I never got to see, but talked with briefly on the phone) had told us that the tumor was wrapped up in main veins and arteries and that it was inoperable. She said that, if that doctor told us that, then he had spoken out of turn and that it wasn't his call to make.

Dr. T. (the oncologist) explained that, while the tumor is, indeed, wrapped up in veins and arteries, that only one tiny tentacle is actually attached to any of them. She said that she believes that John is a good candidate for surgery coupled with chemo, but that they don't do that surgery here. He would have to go to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Dr. T. is sending the reports to the surgeon at Barnes to see what he thinks. If he thinks that John is a likely candidate for surgery, as well, then that is probably where we will end up. She also said that if the surgeon doesn't think that John is a likely candidate for the surgery at this time, then he might suggest chemo first to shrink the tumor, then go for surgery.

When asked about the prognosis with all the different scenarios, Dr. T. said that without treatment time is very short. With chemo alone, 2 years...maybe longer. With surgery and chemo she said that there is a very good chance of long life and a tiny chance of complete cure. She said she's seen it happen many times.

So...now we wait to see what the surgeon at Barnes says. Then, we will go from there. We have a lot on our plate right now and need wisdom and direction from above at every turn. We still stand in agreement for complete health and healing and this very well could be the path that the Lord uses to get us there. There is so much going on in my head that it is swimming.

I do want to thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers. They mean everything to us right now. Please...keep them coming!

Friday, April 16, 2021 -

It's been a whirlwind of a day, but we still don't know much more than we did. The best news to report is that our primary care doctor came to see John today and she is arranging that, when surgery time comes, that it be done at KU instead of Barnes, which is a HUGE answer to prayer!

John is feeling a bit low tonight (and so am I). His belly is really swollen and he hurts. He's hardly been able to eat or drink today and they have taken him off the IV. From what we understand, if his blood pressure remains consistent with where it's been and his kidney function improves, they plan on sending him home in a day or two.

We have no idea what the future holds, but we are learning to take one day at a time. Please pray for John tonight that God's peace would be upon him, that he would be able to eat and drink as much as he should, that his kidney function would improve, and that his blood pressure would remain consistent with where it's been (without the IV).

Pray, too, for John's ex-roommate, Tony, and his family. Tony was moved into a private room yesterday and his family called in. Tony will be sent home on hospice tomorrow morning. We have grown very close to this family in the short time we've been here and we plan on staying in touch. Please pray God's peace over all.

Saturday, April 17, 2021 -

It's been a whirlwind of a day, but we still don't know much more than we did. The best news to report is that our primary care doctor came to see John today and she is arranging that, when surgery time comes, that it be done at KU instead of Barnes, which is a HUGE answer to prayer!

John is feeling a bit low tonight (and so am I). His belly is really swollen and he hurts. He's hardly been able to eat or drink today and they have taken him off the IV. From what we understand, if his blood pressure remains consistent with where it's been and his kidney function improves, they plan on sending him home in a day or two.

We have no idea what the future holds, but we are learning to take one day at a time. Please pray for John tonight that God's peace would be upon him, that he would be able to eat and drink as much as he should, that his kidney function would improve, and that his blood pressure would remain consistent with where it's been (without the IV).

Pray, too, for John's ex-roommate, Tony, and his family. Tony was moved into a private room yesterday and his family called in. Tony will be sent home on hospice tomorrow morning. We have grown very close to this family in the short time we've been here and we plan on staying in touch. Please pray God's peace over all.

Now...here it is...Sunday, April 18, 2021 -

It has been a low-key, quiet Sunday. Not a lot has changed really. John is still bloated and the doctor is still saying that we will be out of here in a day or two. John did eat and drink more today, which is an answer to prayer and elimination processes seem to be functioning better.

I am tired as I write this post from my hospitality room. I am tired and I want to go home. Once I get there, I want everything to be "normal"...but it won't be.

I don't what the future holds, but I know the one that does. Pray for us. Pray for John. Pray for complete health and healing over all.

Thank you!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Latest Updates On My Dh

I know that some of you are awaiting updates on my dh. Here are my latest updates on Facebook...

John and I

Monday's post (March 29, 2021)...

"...They did the gallbladder scan today and it was clear, so no surgery! Praise the Lord! They had planned on doing the endoscopy today, too, but, due to a conflict in scheduling, it has been put off until tomorrow. They are planning on doing it around 11:00 and, once again, we are praying for a good report.

As a result of the massive amounts of IV fluids they've pushed, John has a lot of swelling. The doctor has ordered lasix to help pull it off.

This has been a wild and incredible few days with many emotions and lots of twists and turns. But, believe it or not, the doctor said she anticipates that John will be home within 24 to 48 hours. We give all the glory to our great and mighty God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think!..."

Today's post in full (March 31, 2021)...

"It's 8:20 a.m. and all is quiet. Things have been in such a whirlwind that I didn't even get a chance to post an update on John last night, so I will do so now. Again, I hardly know where to start.

John still has a lot of swelling due to the massive amounts of fluids that have been pumped into his body over the past few days to, not only, hydrate, but to keep his bp and heart rate normal. Both were very low at times, but stabilized completely by Monday morning.

Two additional abdominal scans were done...one Monday night; the other yesterday morning...to make sure that they didn't miss anything. Nothing was found.

The endoscopy was completed yesterday morning. They looked at the stomach and pancreas. When the procedure was over, the doctor who did it came in to talk to Amber and I and brought pictures. He said that John had a couple of non-bleeding ulcers, which was no bid deal, and that there had been a teeny tiny cyst in the pancreas, which they removed. He said he sent it to pathology (results within three days), but that it was not cancerous. He said he didn't know what it was, but that it should not have been there and that none of this made sense...that the numbers and initial tests didn't match with anything they were finding. He seemed a bit perplexed, but confident that everything was good. John could go home...provided that the other doctor agreed.

The other doctor agreed. She went over the final report with us and ordered up meds to be taken at home...an iron pill, a good multi-vitamin, probiotics, something to coat the stomach before eating due to the ulcers, and a water pill to pull the rest of that water off. Next thing we knew...we were on our way home!

Amber knew of course because she was will us at the time, but we wanted to surprise the other kids. Two of the kids called to check in while we were driving, so of course, I told them what was happening; the rest of them found out upon (or shortly after) our arrival. Tears of joy and celebration!!!

What a great and mighty thing the Lord has done! We can't explain it. THE DOCTORS can't explain it!!! But it's all documented and it's all true.

Even at that, though, John's body has been through a lot and will need time to heal and recover. He's still got a lot of water on him and that's got to come off and he needs a lot of good nutrition and to stay hydrated. He's got an appointment with our primary care doctor tomorrow and a follow-up with the gastroenterologist in April.

Throughout this experience I think our family has experienced every emotion known to man from one extreme to the other and more. We've witnessed a mighty move of God and miraculous intervention on every front as He has begun a work that will carry us through these dark and troubled times. What a testimony!

It is now 11:20 and I have still not got this post out. One of the gals at the hospital just called...I forget her title, but she is the one who calls after release to go over discharge instructions, medications, and follow-up appointments. Anyway, she was all abuzz! She rejoiced in being a witness to this "modern day miracle" (her words) and spoke of the goodness of the Lord.

People, it's real! God is real! And He loves each and every one of us soooo incredibly much! If you don't know Him personally...now is your time! Put aside your fears and doubts and just reach out to Him. Ask Him to forgive your sins and make Himself real to you! He will do it! Now is your moment! Time is super short so don't delay! We love you all!"

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Prayer and Praise

Greetings, Dear Ones!

It's amazing how quickly things can change. Wednesday afternoon I posted about my husband and I being under the weather, making a chocolate cake, and starting a new puzzle; a few hours later my husband was laying on the kitchen floor with his eyes wide open, but unresponsive. I thought he had had a stroke. I called 9-1-1 and, long story short, my husband in in the hospital with COVID-19. I can't be with him, BUT...he is doing very well at this point and, word has it, that he may get to come home soon! 💓

I am so thankful for the Lord's love, care, and protection! I am also thankful for all the folks that He has put in our path and into our lives, and for those that have been lifting us up in their thoughts and prayers. It means so much!

A word of advice...

Stay close to those you love and don't ever take a moment with them for granted. Things can change so quickly and, sometimes, the story doesn't end as well as ours has this time.  

Love and blessings to all and until next time...

~Rebecca

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Celebrating 28 Years Of Being Smoke Free 1992-2020

Photo Credit

I've done it again! I just realized that April 12th has come and gone and I missed celebrating the 28th anniversary of God's deliverance from a four-pack-a-day cigarette habit!

I know I've shared this testimony with you before, but it's definitely worth sharing again!

It was April 11, 1992 and, like I said, I was smoking four packs of cigarettes a day. (I had been smoking since I was 15, and was 31 at that point.) I had tried to quit smoking many times, but couldn't. Even though we weren't doing a very good job of it, John and I had committed our lives to the Lord, and were serious about getting our lives, and our household, in line with His Word. (Needless to say, we are still working on it!)

On the evening of April 11, 1992 I was sitting in a chair in our bedroom reading my Bible. I heard a voice, just as clear as day, say, "Throw your cigarettes and lighters away and wait 24 hours."

I immediately gathered up my cigarettes (I had an open pack, an open carton, and an unopened carton) and my lighters and headed for the trashcan in the kitchen. John was in the living-room and, when he saw me, he said, "What are you doing?"

Anyone who knows my husband knows that he HATES cigarettes (always has), and he hated me smoking them, but he was skeptical. He knew how many times I had tried to quit smoking before and how often I had failed. He knew how awful my lungs were. Not only did I smoke like a chimney, but I had chemically burned the lining out of my lungs a few years earlier when I accidentally mixed sulfuric acid and Clorox together in an attempt to unclog a toilet. (I ended up in a hospital emergency room over than one!) After that I could hardly breathe most of the time and couldn't even blow up a balloon for my children to play with!

Anyway, I threw the cigarettes away and I waited. That 24-hour period was one of the longest, most horrific times of my life, and, to be honest, I didn't think I'd make it through it. Yet, somehow, I knew, that if I did, the Lord had something very special waiting for me on the other side. 

Well, sure enough, the next night, on the evening of April 12 1992, I was sitting there reading my Bible. All of a sudden I had the most horrendous pain in my stomach. I looked up at the clock, and it was 11:00 p.m. I jumped up and had to get to the bathroom. I was in there until 4:00 a.m. My stomach hurt so bad! It wrenched in pain and I kept passing this black, tarry-like substance. When it was over, I knew that the Lord  had, literally, cleaned me out!

To this day, I've not been able to stand the thought of smoking another cigarette. I can't even stand the smell of one! It's been 28 years (and 2 days) and I STILL stand in awe of what the Lord did for me that night! It was a miracle! 

And, praise God! He is still in the miracle business today!!! Are you struggling with a cigarette addiction (or some other kind of addiction)? If so, I'd love to pray with you about it! Please, feel free to e-mail me privately at proverbs31heart@yahoo.com (please put PRAYER on the subject line so I don't delete it by mistake) and I will be happy to join you in prayer for deliverance from whatever it is that is holding you in bondage today. Be assured that the Lord is able! I've experienced it first hand! 

Blessed be the name of the Lord! And God bless YOU!

Until next time...
~Rebecca

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