Write your plans in pencil, but give God the eraser~

Today, I saw a facebook post from a new friend of mine from across the globe. He said this " Write your plans in pencil, but give God the eraser, because He will remove the wrong, by replacing it with the best for you." Did you get that? Make all the plans you want, right down to every minute if you want...but write them down in pencil.

You can shave those pencils down to nubs if you want, writing down all every single plan you have for your entire life, BUT, give the Lord the eraser, because He is the one with the final say in your life and mine, whether we want to admit that or not. He is the one with the master plan, not us.

IF, you have the guts to put your faith and trust in Him and do exactly that what the Lord says by seeking His will for your life, everything will turn out just like it's supposed to for you. But, really, how many of us have faith like that? It's hard to put all your marbles in one basket as the saying goes, right? But when your basket is held by the Great I AM, it's an OK thing, don't you think? I strive to have faith like that each day, but I'm human and it's hard. But that is what I want to do and that is what I strive to do, each and every day. I want to embrace the Lord and all of His promises for my life.         

                                                         The Promise by Morgan Weistling

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Jeremiah 29:11 and it goes like this:

"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."

There it is, pure and simple and easy to understand for any one of us. He knows the plans He has for us, he wants to prosper us, He wants to give us hope and a future. What else could we want? What other questions could we have? He states it in the simplest of forms for even a child to understand. If you belong to Him, He wants to watch over you. He wants you to have a prosperous life. He doesn't want harm to come to you. He wants to give you hope.

What in the world could anyone of us ever want that didn't include those 4 words. Plan, prosper, hope and future. Pretty much sums it up, don't you think? Sometimes people say they don't understand the Bible. That it's too complicated. Parts of the Old Testament can get tedious at times, (even I can admit that) but then you come across a knock your sock off kind of verse like Jeremiah 29:11 ~~ He brings you right back down to earth. Anyone can understand the simplicity of that wonderful statement, right?

The key thing though, is our acceptance of that verse. Do we trust the Lord enough to know that He has our back (as they say in the great movie "The Blind Side")? No matter what happens, He will be there to come to our rescue? No matter how we mess up, He'll be there; there is no doubt about that, if you trust and believe.

Life can get really messy. The older I get, the more I realize what a profoundly true statement that is. When we get in trouble, and we will, it's just a matter of when, not if; do we know where to go to get our strength until the storm passes? Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." I say hold on to that verse with all your might and with everything in you.

                                                        Homeward Bound by Peter Ellenshaw


So that when trouble hits; you can RUN...not walk, out of the storm. Do not pass go, just sprint as fast as you can to the one that can really give you help and give you strength. Pick up your Bible and fall into the arms of Jesus. Go Home. He will never let you down. He will erase all of the bad plans that have fallen apart, and replace them with brand spanking new and more important ones, just the way He wants them. He's got your back and always has~~ if you'll just let Him in.


So, remember, go ahead and dream. Go ahead and make your plans. But write them in pencil, and don't forget to give to eraser to the Creator of the Universe, just where it should be! He holds Our World and the Universe in His Hands. Your simple plans are a piece of cake for him. Trust and Obey, for there's no other way!

                                                            Peace on Earth by Greg Olsen


My verses for today are in Red.


My prayer for today:


Dear Lord Jesus:


Thank you for new friends that enlighten with old truths. Thank you for your Word, that has everything to help us get through each minute of this life. Help us to rely on You during good times and bad. Help us to give you the eraser and have the strength to let go and let you write the New plans for us as we need them. We know, Lord, you only have good and prosperous plans for us because Your Word says so. Help us to trust and obey you, always~


I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus,


Amen

The lifelong blessings of a Godly Marriage

My husband Steve was here to visit me in North Carolina last week for 5 days. We had a wonderful time, as we always most always do when we're together. It started me thinking about our marriage and the 33 years that I have been blessed enough to call this "cool guy" (as he named himself,) my husband.

                                                Steve and I on our wedding day, May 1978

This guy I married is by far and away my best friend. I fell in love with him pretty quickly and married him in less than two years of knowing him, because I knew with everything in me that he was the man that the Lord had brought my way. I had no doubts whatsoever, and still feel that way today.

It's hard to believe that we've been together for 33 years now. I won't lie to you and tell you that everything has been wine and roses for all those years. We've had many times of discord, even of late, and we've had our issues as most marriage do. It's impossible to live with someone for a lifetime and not have them get on your nerves now and then. Anybody that tells you different is lying to you.

But here's the thing: Steve's always been there for me. He's been faithful. He's been devoted to me and our children. He's a tireless worker. He's given me the happiest times of my life. He's given me my two beautiful sons and he's provided me with everything a girl could ask for during this lifetime. He's stood by me during my illness and waited on me during my darkest days. He's rejoiced and cried with me. He's never complained about being stuck with a sick wife, instead he feels blessed that we haven't had to deal with something worse than multiple sclerosis.

Looking back now, I realize there's something so carefree about everything when your in those younger years. When you're in your twenties and have your whole life ahead of you, you think you have much more important things to do than to worship God. There are so many activities you're involved in. Often, either school, work, parties and friends, or other social events take up most of your time. You convince yourself you just don't have the time for God. You're busy living your lives and making plans. You're busy putting the puzzle of your new life together. Everything is so exciting, you think all you'll ever need is each other. Unfortunately, often God doesn't fit into those younger years of marriage. But He really deserves to, don't you think? I mean, He created you, after all! I wish the Lord could have been part of my life and marriage earlier in life, but hindsight is always 20-20, right?

                                         Jesus paid the price for you! Do you accept Him and His love?

Anyway, the awesome thing about God is that He is always there, but He's a gentleman. He's watching and waiting for us to come home to Him, but it has to be went we're ready for it to happen, because it takes some big changes on our part. It takes the surrender of our own will, to letting Him take over our lives, and many, many times it takes maturity and often even calamities to happen to us before we are ready to do that and let Him in.

It would be bring so much more joy to our lives if we would let Him in sooner rather than later, but for many of us, we wait until something happens in our life and we realize we can't handle it by ourselves, that we turn to God. For my dear husband, it happened when he got fired right after we moved into a new expensive home.

But as terrible as that time was for him, it also brought him to his knees and changed him into the Godly man that he is today. For that I will be eternally grateful! He found Jesus during that trying time, and it changed his whole perspective on how he lived his life and therefore it changed our life as a family too.

I had taken our kids to Church and Sunday school before, but now Steve was joining me and the kids for church. It was wonderful to be able to worship the Lord as a family. I became more and more active in church and he did too. The whole family was feeling more and more comfortable in the House of God, and I have to say....it was a joyous time in my life and I hope it was for the life of my family, as well. We became close friends with the Pastor and his wife because they had a son the same age as our youngest. We joined the church and had our kids baptized. We spent many wonderful days with our church friends and their kids. We went to youth events and church events and had alot of fun~

I began to learn what life was really all about through my faith in the Lord. Steve and I grew as a couple and as parents. Life was moving along great. Then BAM! I got sick, everything changed and the really tough times began. I found out without a doubt that my dear husband really meant it when he said "In Sickness and in Health." MS is not an easy disease to live with and that goes for the entire family. It was tough on all of us, but especially the men in my life.

                                Steve and I in San Francisco, in 1997, just 4 mnths before my dx with MS

Right about the same time, our oldest son entered high school. In the years that followed, my MS progressed and we endured the very turbulent teenage years of both our boys. I acknowledge that my husband and I have had many differences over the years, alot of ups and downs, and even some shouting matches (Even Jesus shouted and got angry in the temple, remember?) about the way certain situations should have been handled with the kids.

I've been wrong about a lot of things, and in many ways I wish I could have a do-over for those years, but life doesn't work that way. I am thankful that my husband has been forgiving of my many misconceptions and my confused mind during those years. I was very sick and unfortunately, it took it's toll on those closest to me: my husband and my boys.
                                                         
But now, we've made it through to the other side. We clung to each other and to the Lord during those tough times. I was blessed enough to have the CCSVI procedure for my MS in 2010, and that has helped me tremendously. I feel better now than I have in a long, long time. It hasn't always been easy for Steve and I, but we've done it and I know it is because we've both been deeply committed to our marriage, to each other and to those vows we said 33 years ago before before the Lord.    
                            

                                          Steve and I with granddog Buck in our NC home, August 2011  

Almighty God blessed us with this marriage and with these children. Through the many, wonderful (yet sometimes turbulent) years we've had together, we have both remained committed to each other and to our kids -- to our family.

                               Our family after my CCSVI Liberation in North Carolina, September 2010


Our oldest son. Eric (Biff) is getting married this month. My wish for him is that he and his bride have all the happiness in the world. Happiness that is based on mutual respect, love, devotion and faithfulness. I pray that Biff will enter his marriage and take his vows before God very seriously.

Marriage is a wonderful journey between husband and wife that God has designed to be a lifelong commitment. I pray that my son will be half the husband to his new wife that my Steve has been to me. He's got a real role model to live up to and I hope and pray he's up to the task.

Once they are married, if my son and his new bride will both be will be devoted and faithful to each other and to God, He will surely bless them with a wonderful, enduring marriage and years of happiness, like we've had. If they can endure the tough times, (and they will come) I pray they can look back in years to come, like I can now and say, I have been blessed to be married to this person-  Thank you God.

                                          Our son Eric (Biff) and fiance Jessi, September 2010

I will never be able to thank my dear husband enough for being the generous, kind, faithful and
Godly man that he is. He is my rock and he is the biggest and best gift that God ever gave me. I am truly blessed and I will be forever grateful to the Almighty for putting him in my path.

My verse for today is the famous one about marriage from: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13. It really is true!

Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

My prayer for today:

Dearest Heavenly Father:

Thank you so much Lord for my husband. Thank you for bringing this wonderful man into my life all those years ago. I know he was a gift from you and I will be forever grateful. Thank you for the blessing of my children and being able to bring them up in a Godly home. Thank you for watching over all of us during those turbulent times. I pray that you will be with Biff and Jessi as they get married. Watch over them and bless their years together. Bless them with children and everything you want them to have in this life.

Thank you Lord for who you are. We are so thankful that turn to you with all our concern and all our praises. Great is your faithfulness to all generations who honor Your name.

In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen

My one year angioversary and I'm still going strong!

Yesterday was my one year angioversary as they are becoming known around the globe. It was one year ago, on August 19th, 2010, that I had my first CCSVI procedure in Tampa, FL. And wow, what a difference a year makes!

I clearly remember spending months and months researching everything about Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) beginning in late 2009 and into the spring of 2010, that I could get my hands on. I was on the computer 24/7. I was making new friends on Facebook and watching tons of Youtube videos, miraculously showing MS patients walking without assistance and even jumping!

I was learning more each day about Dr. Paulo Zamboni, (the brilliant doctor who discovered CCSVI) and Dr. Mike Dake (the first doc in the U.S. to perform the CCSVI angioplasty) and heard names like Jeff and Joan Beal (Jeff was the first patient to have the CCSVI in the U.S. and his unbelievably sharp wife Joan, who brought Dr. Zamboni's research to Dr. Dake and also started the CCSVI in MS Facebook page), Dr. David Hubbard (one of the first neuros to get onboard with CCSVI )Michelle Brown (founder of the CCSVI Alliance), Sharon Richardson, (President of the CCSVI Alliance and third person to have the procedure done by Mike Dake) and Denise Manley (CCSVI advocate extraordinaire) were rolling off my tongue. I was amazed and thankful for their openness and willingness to share their experiences with total strangers. Without them and the many other CCSVI pioneers, none of any thing I was learning would have been possible.

I began tapping into every resource I could to learn more about MS and CCSVI. I logged into the National MS Society and found their disappointing view of this new discovery for MS. I was so disappointed in them, having been a long time fundraiser and supporter of the NMSS, but I wasn't letting their warnings deter my enthusasium for this new course I was setting.

I was quickly becoming part of a new club that I never in my wildest imagination believed I would be in. These MS'ers actually had HOPE. They weren't just getting through the days the best way they knew how. They weren't focused on the latest wheelchair models or newest walker or cane on the market. They were looking to get rid of those things. They were sick and tired of being sick and tired. They had purpose and were excited to wake up every morning. They were banding together to help each other and to spread the news about CCSVI. WOW - I couldn't believe I was fortunate enough to have found out about CCSVI and found these new friends. TOTALLY a God - Thing.

My anticipation was building as I pondered the possibilities that lie before me. I was on a roller coaster ride trying to find someone in my area that might be actually doing this. Door were shut, and then, with God's perfect timing, doors were opened. Everyday when my husband came home from work, I greeted him with the news of the day about what I had found out. We were both getting excited and nervous about the prospect of me actually getting better, after living with MS for over 20 years. It was an unthinkable thought in many ways. I had been going downhill for so long. The thought of actually reversing that and going the other way was daunting to say the least. Yet, my husband knew that once I got my mind set on something, there is no stopping me, so even though he urged me to proceed with caution, he knew I was a freight train and freight trains are very hard to stop!

When everything came together and we actually sat before this new doctor, our Interventional Radiologist, Dr. Bulent Arslan, I felt hope and excitement coming from him too. It wa s pretty amazing. Hope from a doctor? Unheard of in most of the neurological community treating MS. Yet, this wonderful and caring man, who I have grown to love over the last year, was the single most compassionate doctor I had ever encountered. He teared up when he described his very first CCSVI patient only a month ago, who went from a wheelchair to walking after the procedure. He told me he was having a hard time believing it himself. He had only done two procedures at that point, and he was honest in telling me that angioplasty was not new to him, but this CCSVI procedure was new to him and he didn't know what my results would be. But, if I was up for it, he was up for it. I immediately felt at ease and confident in his abilities. I said let's go, and he agreed. We waited until after his vacation and proceeded on August 20th, 2010 with some pretty dramatic improvements. My CCSVI miracle had actually occured. God was faithful. I felt better than I had in many years and it was awesome!

                                    Me with Dr. Arslan and Barbara Garcia, (his first patient) at the

                                         CCSVI Walk-n-Roll Educational Event and Inaugural Walk in Tampa 3/5

Fast forward one year. CCSVI, Dr. Zamboni, the brilliant doctor who discovered it, and Dr. Arslan (Dr. A. as I call him) have changed my life forever!

Am I cured of my MS? No, unfortunately not, because I had years or damage that had been done that can not be reversed - not yet anyway. Has my quality of life improved? Yes, dramatically and that is what angioplasty can do for anyone who has CCSVI along with their MS. We are still in the baby years, learning about the connection of MS and CCSVI but we've come a REAL long way in this last year, baby. :)

So, how exactly, has my life changed? My debilitating head pain, that plaqued me since my actual diagnosis in 1998, is pretty much gone. My fatigue is dramatically lessened. I can actually go somewhere and do something without having to come back and lay down after 2-3 hours. Just those two things have made a huge difference in my life. But there's more. My balance is better, I can stand longer, and my cognitive abilities are much better. My bladder function is improved. My strength is better. I can stand up in the shower and wash my hair. I can sweep the floor. I can stand in the kitchen and cook dinner in 10 minute segments. I couldn't do any of that at all before CCSVI

I'm still having trouble walking and I still have numbness all over my body, but I can live with that and have been living with that since my dx. I still have MS and I still have bad days, but the bad days are few and far between, instead of commonplace like they used to be.

I had my second CCSVI procedure on May 20th of this year and have to admit that my results were not as remarkable as after the first one, but then again I wasn't nearly as bad going into this one as I was that first one a year ago.

CCSVI is NOT a cure for MS. But, it is a highly effective new treatment that is helping thousands of patients suffering with this debilitating disease improve their life. It is giving them HOPE for the first time in many years.

I am blessed to have had the CCSVI procedure, twice. It is without a doubt, the BEST thing I have ever done to manage my MS symptoms. I am forever grateful to the pioneering patients and doctors who came before me. Without them, I would have never found out about this, or been able to have the confidence to move forward in pursuing this.

After working with the CCSVI Alliance since last year and helping raise funds to educate others about CCSVI, I was asked to be on the patient advisory board and immediately accepted with pride.

I now spend much of my time helping to educate others about CCSVI so they, too, might be able to live a better and more normal life. I believe that this is my new God given role for my remaining days. To pay it forward as they say, to share what I have learned to help someone else in their daily struggle. I am blessed and I want the next person to be blessed too! I believe with all my heart that is what God wants me to do.

My verse for today

Hebrews 13:16

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

My prayer for today:

Thank you Lord Jesus for Dr. Paulo Zamboni. Thank you Lord Jesus for Dr. Mike Dake, Dr. David Hubbard and Dr. Bulent Arslan and all the other physicians and MS patients who helped me and continue to help others in learning about CCSVI. Continue to guide them in their quest for knowledge about the connection between MS and CCSVI so that they may help to end the suffering that this MS disease causes on so many. Help the healing continue for those being treated and anticipating being treated. Thank you for all the people, who so selflessly give of themselves everyday to help improve the lives of others

In Jesus Name I pray

Amen.