When God Writes Your Story

In a couple weeks, Lee and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage.

Life is crazy, guys.

When I was young, I had it all planned out.  What my life would look like.

There are so many things that I had not ever dreamed of.  There are so many things that we have walked through in these years that I never could have expected.

But its a GOOD life.

If we had not been obedient to God's call to adopt, we would have an empty nest now.  Some days that seems like it would be nice:)  LOL.  But I think I would be lonely and not ready to be kid-free.

I think over the years, the churches we have pastored, people that have been in our life.  People whose lives have been affected because of our obedience to plant churches and reach the unchurched.   Our lives are a ripple effect.  We will never know how our obedience to the Lord caused ripples in the kingdom...

But obedience has always come with a price.

Obedience is better than sacrifice...but obedience often requires sacrifice.

Serving often requires a sacrifice.

But obedience also results in so many blessings.  Blessings that cannot be contained.

Yesterday, a friend said how I have changed the lives and future of my adopted girls.   But, oh, how they have changed me too.  Changed my future.  Changed my views on things.  Deepened my belief in God and His healing power.  I am not the same person I was ten years ago before I made this journey into raising children I did not give birth to.  They have taught me so much about what love really is.  What love and family really means.

I also never would have thought I would be celebrating 25 years of marriage in Belize.  Some friends in the church are throwing a party for us.  It will be different than a party in an air conditioned church building.  It will be better.  We will have it at a friend's restaurant...outside.   We will probably watch the sunset at the party.  The kids will run around in the yard, all good friends.  I will probably sweat a little, but so will everyone else:)  I will enjoy fresh Belizean fruits and Lee will enjoy yummy homemade desserts.  No running to Kroger to pick something up here.

I miss many of our American comforts, but in almost seven years, I have also gotten accustomed to so many beautiful ways of the Belizean people.  I feel like things are just more special and appreciated here.   Because things take more effort.

Since I have been home, I have recovered so well.  I have been pretty low key.  The nights have been cool.  The days haven't been too bad on the scale of sweat:)   God is good and definitely my healer.

Surgery Again?

You can just be going along and out of nowhere, life happens.

About a month ago, we had just returned home from the states.   It was a busy time for me.  Moving things around as all the girls moved rooms.  Going through things Tori left behind.  Going through clothes we had all outgrown or didn't need any longer.  It was a very busy time.  Cleaning the house and restocking groceries.

I had gone to my Net Thursday night.  Just getting back into the routine.

Friday morning, I woke up around 2 or 3 with pain.  I walked.  Drank tea.  Prayed for the pain to pass.  But it kept getting worse.  I couldn't lie down and rest.  Finally, around 5, I woke up Lee and told him I was worried something was really wrong.  Such intense pain in my side...that just wouldn't go away.

After talking to my mom, we began a very difficult journey just to get a sonogram and some pain meds.  We were unable to get a good sonogram until after 11am.  So all of the hours between 3 and 12 were some of the hardest I have been through in a long time.   I repeatedly threw up and the pain would just not budge, even with two shots of pain meds.  I have never cried out to the Lord so much.  Yet, I begged Him for just some relief.  At one point, I felt the Lord tell me, "There's healing in the water."  This is Biblical, but also from one of my favorite songs.  So, I filled the tub and got about 20 minutes of relief.  It was short in the span of time, but I was thankful.  Because God is compassionate and merciful.

Finally, at noon, after finding a stone in the duct of my gall bladder (which is why it was so painful), Lee took me to a brand new clinic here in Belmopan.  The Doctor I am familiar with, and she was so compassionate.  I was so weak that I literally collapsed on the bed, no longer having the strength to stand.  She gave me some heavy pain meds, and antibiotic and fluids.  I was finally able to sleep.  I slept from noon until about 6 the next morning.  I woke a few times but it was a very good rest.  I was thankful Lee was able to stay in the other bed in the room, so that I wasn't alone.

It was decided that the best thing was for me to fly home to Houston.  My family is there, so they could help take care of me and we have insurance there.

The Lord was in that decision.

I arrived at my parents around 9 pm on Saturday and set up a surgeon for Sunday morning.  But by midnight, the pain had "shifted" to my lower abdomen and I began running a fever.  I had a hard time walking, but felt I needed to tell my parents to go ahead and take me to the hospital.

After about 8 hours and many, many tests, it was discovered that I had an even more serious problem with one of my ovaries.  It was the Lord that I was in a place where they would find this.  The surgeon was able to take care of both things at the same time.

My parents took excellent care of me and I healed pretty quickly.   Since I have been home, my girls have been so great helping with things around the house, just happy for mom to be back home.


In everything, I always try to understand, WHY?

I am thankful and blessed that I was able to go for excellent medical care in Houston.  But I am also thankful for what the doctor here in Belmopan did for me.   I am mostly grateful for her and her nurses, who were full of compassion.  I am grateful for family that serves us.  My parents in taking care of me.  Wayne and Jodie picking me up from the airport and bringing my older kids for the surgery.  To see their faces brought me such peace.  Just having people around me.  And the way people here in Belize served my husband and girls with meals.  It meant more than I could ever say.

One thing that I did not know what how my diet would have to change without a gall bladder.

But can I tell you?  I feel better than I have in years!!!

I eat very low fat, no caffeine (yes, I have not had a coke in a month), little dairy.

But I am surviving.   Thriving.  I have so much energy.  I sleep so great now.  I walk with the girls and that has also given me energy.  I rarely have headaches now.  I could go on and on.  I just feel so great.  It is amazing how your diet actually does affect you!


Please continue to pray for our family.  We are in the final time of waiting for our Belizean citizenship.  We are also in the end stages of adoption of two of our girls.  We pray for these things every day.  Sometimes the waiting is so hard.  When there literally is nothing we can do, but trust the Lord.  But it is in those times, that He gets to show off, right?

Maybe you are waiting for something.

I love this song because in the waiting, He is There!!!


Take Courage