Happy New Year!!

I'll count it a great blessing if there is but one person out there in cyberland who hasn't given up on this site and returned to find this post - thank you!

It seems that everyone lately is commenting on how fast 2009 passed, and Michael and I must chime in our "aye" to that sentiment as well. So much has happened this year, since my last post, so I will attempt to "briefly" update you all.

We underwent many firsts during this spring and summer, beginning with our first burglary in April. I came home from a brief trip to Walmart one Monday morning to find our front door kicked in. Thankfully, by God's grace, the apparent nature of the invasion allowed me to contact the police without putting myself in danger. The intruders helped themselves to various electronics and jewelry around the home (though I'm sure they were disappointed overall!!) Despite our sorrow over such actions, we were more than grateful for our safety and the protection of our landlord's home overall. God is good!!

A week later we embarked on looking to buy our first home (this was already planned prior to the burglary.) My parents were in town for a visit and we had a lot of fun beginning this process with them. After a month of twists and turns, praying and seeking, wheeling and dealing, God put His mark on one particular house and the door opened wide. We were able to move at the end of June and begin the process of painting, installing new carpet, and making this house our home. Once again, "kudos" to my parents who served us tirelessly in painting about 80% of our house. We couldn't have done it without them, and it certainly would not have been as fun!!

The summer was topped off with a gall bladder removal and a complete change in Lyme treatment for me, and the discovery of how severe the effects of Michael's mycoplasmal infection truly run.

In it all, God has been faithful, merciful, gracious, gentle and loving in so many ways. We praise Him for each day we have to learn about Him and be transformed into His likeness through joy and sorrow.

We hope that each of you are well and knowing the blessed peace that comes through fellowship with the Lord.

Happy New Year and Blessings in Him,

Darla

Hello Dear Friends

Well, my desire to blog a little more regularly is still not being realized; thank you for checking in, nonetheless. It seems that the days just fly by as Michael and I commit ourselves to faithfully attending to the daily responsibilities that God has given to us.

In addition to staying busy at work and ministering in our church, we have also undergone several new moments together on the health front. Since my last post, I have undergone a minor outpatient surgery to insert a port which replaces the picc line we had to pull in January. The surgery was very successful (praise God) and I officially completed my second month of IV therapy today - complication free. I am noticing benefits to the IV meds which is encouraging. Please continue to pray that the doctor will have wisdom in determining the source of other symptoms and the corresponding treatment.

Michael continues to work through his chronic mycoplasmal infection, and we learned this past week that he has severe allergies to wheat, corn, soy, peanuts, potatoes and tomatoes...hhhmmmm...explains a lot of his fatigue. We are in the process of determining which route we will take regarding allergy shots and adjusting to new menu planning and eating disciplines.

In the end, we are continuing to know God's GREAT grace through this interesting time, and are reminded that in the midst of benefiting from wise doctors and powerful medicine, that they all come from the hand of our Great Physician. We continue to trust in His sovereign plan regarding physical healing and wholeness and pray that your trust in Him is also being enriched each day.

Much love!

Darla

Still Alive in 2009

It has been a miserably long time since I posted which gives you indication to how busy life has been over the holidays. Michael and I are still alive and ticking and thankful for our faithful God who blesses His children every day!

Michael and I were able to get away for 10 days over the Christmas break to celebrate our anniversary at a wonderful B&B and then off to see family for almost a week. We couldn't believe how big our nieces and nephews have grown since this summer and it is a delight to know that they still want to hang out with Uncle Michael and Aunt Darla even as they approach the preteen years.

We also had a stowaway of sorts with us during the holidays - my picc line. After consulting with the doctors and praying for over a month it was decided that my neurological symptoms indicated the need for IV antibiotics. So, after Thanksgiving, Michael and I made an outpatient trip to the hospital where they inserted a catheter which allowed us to infuse antibiotics twice a day. It was a rocky road at first in trying to manage the side effects, and learning the routine of caring for the picc line was also an adventure. God blessed us with a great home health agency and very attentive nurses. We began to notice quite a difference in my improvement over the month, but we recently hit a snag in that my arm became swollen and sore which required the doctor to remove the picc line for fear of infection. Please pray for us and the doctor as we are still seeking to understand the cause of the irritation and the wisdom and necessity in installing another picc line, possibly next week. We know that God is faithful to guide His children step by step; we are learning to be satisfied with wisdom for only the next step and trust the rest of the process to Him.

As for Michael, he is improving in his treatments slowly but is still wrestling with regular fatigue. His sweet doctor is continuing to monitor other peripheral issues which may be contributing to his health struggles, but we are so grateful that after years of chronic back pain such pain has subsided with the treatment of his infections - who knew!! We thank God that Michael is knowing what life is like without the pain.

While there is so much to tell about health issues, and while our health does greatly effect our daily lives, there is so much more to what God is doing in us and around us that goes far beyond our health challenges. We continue to be blessed to worship and serve with our sweet church family and are enjoying the priviledge of teaching in the 6-7 year old Sunday School class this year. Oh the things that children say! We were blessed to celebrate our second anniversary in December and recount the many things that God has done and shown us about Himself over the last 2 years. And, we are SO blessed with a loving family and friends who love and encourage us and who point us to the Living God!!

So, I hope that the future will bring more consistent posts, but in the meantime, know that we are well and pray that you too are basquing in the sweet mercies and love of our Savior.

Darla

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

With election day closing in so quickly I have found myself being more watchful of the national news and pondering more and more the ramifications of this election outcome. As I'm sure many of you can attest, such thoughts can be disturbing, even chilling, and I am quickly reminded of our reliance on a merciful God. While no candidate is perfect, as a God-fearing believer with a biblically founded faith, the choice in candidate is obvious.

In considering all the "what-if's" of the election outcome, my mind quickly goes back to thoughts and feelings that emerged during the Clinton/Bush Sr. election. How I dreaded the thought of a liberal president having his way in our country; yet I also understood that if enough of America voted for such a commander in chief that we as a nation needed to experience the consequences of this decision. And though the feelings that accompanied my thoughts about the future possibilities of such governance were less disturbing than now, I find that my comfort comes from the same source. The truth that we learned so long ago in that simple tune "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is the very theme of the Holy Scriptures: God is sovereign in all things. The book of Daniel says it so perfectly:

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

to whom belong wisdom and might.

He changes times and seasons;

he removes kings and he sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to those who have understanding;

he reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him." Daniel 2:20-22

As we await the results of Tuesday's election I pray that God in His great mercy will allow all things to be revealed about our candidates and that He will move in the hearts of Americans to choose the candidate that MOST represents His ways. I pray that He will save us from deception which could destroy the building blocks of the God-honoring principles which remain in our country. In the end, however, whatever He allows, my hope is in His sovereign, providential governance of this entire world. He remains faithful to never leave or forsake His children no matter how strong His discipline may be. May God have mercy on us!!

Darla

I Need Thee Every Hour

It seems like posting is a rare event for me lately and it is always nice when there is time and energy to sit down and write. If you are reading this post, I pray you are doing well and are enjoying the sweet mercies of our Great, Great God.

This week I was reminded of the fact that while this season of life certainly presents many unique challenges, as it does for many of you as well, it is not beyond the realm of our Father's sanctifying work. Quite the opposite, actually. On Sunday, during a conversation with a dear friend God convicted me that in order to know greater healing it was time to implement a new phase of my treatment plan: a change in diet. It will come as no surprise that sugar and white flour are very bad choices for a person with such diseases as these products only exacerbate the already chronic internal inflammation that the diseases cause. While my head knows such realities to be true, this sugar-loving, baking fiend could not muster up the energy to commit to such an endeavor despite the health benefits that it would bring.

However, this unexpected conviction that wisked into my heart on Sunday led me to start a sugar free, gluten free diet on Monday. Yet, as I began my early morning meal planning and shopping list, I was overwhelmed by my complete weakness to be disciplined in this area. The thought of not being able to enjoy such luscious treasures, especially in fellowship circles, was very saddening and served to immediately weaken my resolve. I found myself praying to God, who provides mercy in all circumstances, and confessing that my flesh was very weak and that apart from his daily power I could not carry out this much needed change in my life. I was humbled as I pondered the ridiculous nature of this struggle - my flesh loves food! How could I struggle over such a menial aspect of life - sugar and flour? How quickly I was reminded of the weakness of my flesh apart from His Spirit. And how delightful it has been to see Him faithfully give me the strength and desire I need to make such a dramatic change day by day, as I turn to Him.

So, as I reflect on a week filled with His grace, I am reminded that the utter and complete dependance on my Father that I have witnessed in this physical area of life is the same dependance necessary in the spiritual realm. Though I may not see it as I ought to, I am equally dependant on Him to accomplish His holiness in me in all things. Whether it is having self-control to make wise food choices, the gentleness needed to deal with the wayward, or the humility to see my own sin instead of accusing another, the reality that Jesus set forth is always at play: "apart from me you can to nothing." It is true that apart from His Spirit applying His Word into my life I am not made new to be like Him. I will continue to harbor dark, ugly, enslaved areas of sin until I cry out "apart from you I can do nothing!!" I am comforted by the fact that as I remember and respond appropriately to my desparate dependance on my Creator and Savior, that He fulfills His desire to make me more like Him. Oh that I will remember the words of a fellow believer, "I need Thee, oh I need Thee, every hour I need Thee, o bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee."

Darla

Walking the Line

It has been 2 very busy weeks since I last posted and pray that all of you are doing very well. Last weekend our church, Redeemer Church, hosted a Women's Retreat with speaker, Carolyn McCully (see her blog here.) Carolyn has a book which will be officially released on October 1 titled "Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World". Carolyn did a thorough and God-honoring job of spelling out the historical seismic shifts spanning several centuries which have resulted in the great feminist quake of the 21st century - a disaster, founded on legitimate concerns, which could only be orchestrated by Satan himself by using the powerful tool of fallen humanity. I encourage each one of you to get a copy of her book as I believe every person will be challenged at some level to consider his/her concept of biblical womanhood - and manhood -and to bring every thought captive to the Word of Christ.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the retreat, Michael and I both visited with our doctors. We still have a significant period of waiting to get definitive results for Michael's condition, but his body's response to the meds seems to indicate that the body is actively fighting the Lyme disease. Please keep praying for definitive results over the next 6 weeks.

You may be wondering about the title of the post. Well, it is inspired by my last doctor's visit. During each appointment my doc conducts several exercises which measure the level of infection in the base of the brain and each time I fail miserably. You all are familiar with the sobriety walk (hold your arms out, look straight ahead and walk heal to toe). Well, this is a good test for such issues and, to my surprise, I have not been able to walk even one step without tumbling down. This past visit, however, was different. Yes, I looked a little bit like Bambi when he first attempted to walk, but I could at least "walk the line" without falling. This is a sign of significant improvement and certainly an encouragement for Michael and I both. We recognize that we still have a lot left to be conquered but we are thankful for the healing that God seems to be granting. Words cannot express our gratitude for your prayers and love as they are a visible reminder of our Great God's love for His people. Blessings!

Darla

Sharing the Load

We just learned this week that some dear friends of ours were also diagnosed with Lyme disease. For some it seems impossible that 2 couples in such close proximity could be dealing with the same disease, yet it is a reminder that Lyme is not as rare as many claim. So many go undiagnosed due to the limited understanding of Lyme being communicated in most medical schools; it is a reality that we struggle to imagine in a world filled with such great technology and vast information. However, it is a wake up call to the fact that we live in world created by an omniscient God and no matter how advanced humanity may seem, we can never outwit or fully understanding the work of a Mighty Creator, even when that work is cursed by the Fall.

Lest this sound depressing, and though we are not happy that our dear friends are also walking this road of many unknowns, it is a testmony to the fact that our Father blesses His children even in the difficult times. Instead of allowing us to walk this road alone, in His Sovereign plan, our Father has allowed us to share this time with other believers who can experientally "get it." Having the ability to sort through treatment options, the interpretation of tests, and deal with so many other questions that emerge in the journey with brothers and sisters is such a gift! So as you pray for Michael and I, please pray for our friends whose names I will leave off my blog at this point for the sake of their privacy. Please pray for great grace and wisdom, for financial provision and cooperative physicians, and that God will continue to mold us all into His image through this experience. May He receive the glory!

Darla