Wow! January 5 already. Spencer is back in school today and Sydney and Brogan are bummed that they don't return until tomorrow. It is time for things to return to the normal routine. It is quite around here without Spencer and it has been a fun break and I enjoyed having him around. It is so hot here today and Sydney and Brogan have been perfecting their bicycling skills. Sydney with no training wheels and Brogan on the trike. We have just come in to cool off and Sydney wanted her nails painted.

I was contacted by my church to write a very brief summary of my testimony this past year for the monthly church newsletter. I am posting it in this blog for you to read. I hope you enjoy.

The view I had of life and the view I had of God’s presence in my life changed dramatically in 2008. The change began with signs that God provided my body. God gave me many signs something was not right, I made multiple visits to doctors and all the tests results were normal. God continued to give me “new signs”, and I did not want to continue to go back to doctors for more tests. During my prayer time one morning, after I had a month long headache that never ceased, God spoke to me and said “I have given you a headache for an entire month, what more do I have to do to get you to go back to the doctor”. I made an appointment that morning and the length of the headache was concern enough for the doctor to order a CT scan. This test found an un-ruptured brain aneurysm which would require open brain surgery to “clip” and prevent what could have been devastating and fatal if the aneurysm ruptured. God led us to Shands hospital in Gainesville through a church member. I was told it would be months to get an appointment there to see a doctor. However God is so amazing, within a week I was seen by a leading neurosurgeon that specialized in aneurysms with no outside referral! The surgery was scheduled for two weeks later.

As we tried to prepare for the following two weeks, we had many questions. First, what we would do with our three small children during this time. The anxiety I felt over this issue was even with pending open brain surgery. Then, the telephone rang one night and it was a sister of Christ who had heard about our situation and wanted to help. We did not know her that well personally, only through church, but we knew she was sent by God. No one could call that we would feel more comfortable and safe leaving our children with for several days, God sent the perfect person to ease my fears. The surgery and recovery period that was ahead was long and hard. However, God never left me and never stopped reminding me He was with me. He sent the perfect family member to stay for 2 weeks to help. Through Him, our wonderful church family brought over 60 meals. Incredibly, the meals ended on the exact day that I actually felt like cooking!! He sent countless sisters in Christ to care for our kids so Cortney could have a brief break. On one very bad day I received a card from a church sister who was out of state and had heard the news. The card read “There are greater thing than you can imagine ahead of you-and there’s a great God walking beside you. I know his purpose is at work within you as He’s guiding your life with wisdom and love”. The card even sang “How Great is Our God” when opened. Another particularly bad day, when I found myself questioning life, I received a card with the quote “never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”. I could list many other incidents of how God made his presence known, how He spoke to me but it would take a book. I am 7 months post-op and God continues through a variety of venues to let me know He is walking with me every day. In closing, I pray you will see more clearly, as I have, when God is speaking to you. I leave you with the hope that God provided me the morning of surgery. Hope when I awoke in the dark hotel room, feeling scared and alone, hope that comes from knowing who is in control of my life and destiny. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jerimiah 29:11