A Special "Guest" Posting

Hello to everyone out there - this is Liz Lundy (Barbara's daughter), and I will be your guest blogger for the evening. Given the current circumstances, mom is currently unable to get on the computer and reach out to everyone. So, she has asked me to write a little something and update all her friends (and family) on how she is doing :) Here goes nothing...

Yesterday (Tuesday) we went into Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami for the surgery. We were lucky enough to have Pastor Neil Hickem join us to anoint mom and pray over her before she went under. After we said our prayers and "see ya soons", they started the operation around 1 pm. We are blessed to say that everything went extremely well - no complications or delays during the surgery. Mom was able to go into recovery around 6 pm and was moved to her own room later that night. We kept telling her, "just keep clicking that Morphine button, baby!" 

After spending the night and morning there, she was released a few hours ago from the hospital and is now comfortably resting at home on her big bed with her new mattress. The journey is not completely over though. She has a road of recovery in front of her - but with God's strength and the support from all her loved ones she will hopefully recuperate quickly. The surgery also revealed that the cancer was slightly more progressed than we originally anticipated, but the surgeons thankfully caught it and removed all of the "infected" areas. We will have more answers about that in the upcoming weeks. Please continue to steadfastly pray that God will have his hand on her recovery and on any kind of other treatment that she might need. Thanks to everyone for the incredible outpouring of love and support that they have shown - she is truly BLESSED!!!

Faithfully

Jesus has power over life and death in the grave. That is something that we all need to hold onto when times come that we just can't control, understand, or change. Death is certain. That's one thing we will all have to do - and when others we love pass away, we need to hold on to the fact that Jesus has power over life and death. That comforts us. That strengthens us. That gives us hope in the eternal glory that we will all have - if we have faithfully given our lives to Christ.

We continue to live while others have gone on to be with Jesus. That can be difficult - but - Jesus has power over life.. as well. Our lives. His power will strengthen us through the sorrow. His power will strengthen us through the trials. His power will strengthen us through the things of life.... and that means joyful things as well as the sad. We have the power of abundant life that only comes through Him.

I need to live that way today.

Rick's mom, Rose, passed away one week ago.... and life has not been easy for the past three months leading up to this week. But, Jesus has given my family and I the strength to persevere through the most difficult of trials as we have walked this road of obstacles the size of the Grand Canyon. God made the Grand Canyon... as much as He made the vast ocean. We have just preferred to sail on that ocean and get polished by the pounding waves, rather than get crushed by the landslide of boulders that have come our way. That's how you have to do it.

And the result of that is a family that has prayed together, loved each other through this, and will walk together beyond this. Rose was loved deeply by all of us - her friends and family were many. She lived a life of plenty and plenty lived life because of her. We've got Chippie - her bird - to take care of now. And Rosie and Ronald... and Evelyn too. God picked this family to be a very unique bunch....and now He is going to watch His fruit blossom.

Stay close to your "bunch" today. Love them. Hug them. Encourage them. Tell them that God loves them very much. Keep them safe from the things that will hurt them.... keep them strong in the things that will protect them. Keep them all on the road of that leads to eternal life.

Happy trails to you....

Enough whining already!
Don't you just let everything get on your last nerve when you are up to your neck in "stuff" that doesn't really matter in the long run? So why do we do that? I know I can REALLY push it until I get to the point of aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh... but .... JUST before I get to the letter "aaaaa" - something kicks in. There's this little voice that always seems to turn up the volume to "listen" mode when that happens, and it brings with it a sense of "stop whining and do something better about it" conversation. I love when that happens. I can take a deep breath, blow out some of that yucky attitude that was brewing, and then regroup my thoughts to reflect the hope and joy that is deep within the foundation of who God wants me to be.
Do I really want to let others see Him through me as a complaining, talking head? Or, do I want them to know the strength to persevere through anything because I hear His still small voice inside of me telling me it's going to be ok? I think that's the better choice. And that's the great thing about God; He gives us a choice! We get to pick... Whiney Barbara? or... Shiney Barbara! As for me, I'd rather shine. Get out your sunglasses... the rough road sits before me.

So - this is what life is about. Family. Boyfriends and girlfriends, and fiances and dogs and cats and grammas and grandpas. It's about being together and loving one another through it all. That's what we do as a family unit. That's what we do when we love one another and support each other. That's what we do when we live a life that is honorable and true and holy unto the LORD.

2009 has arrived. We are still a family - but stronger than ever. RoseAnn and Ronald are part of the mix - and we're praying for completion in what God has for us.

Grandma is now in a respiratory hospital and is coming a little bit stronger every day. God works miracles.

I am still taking my steps towards the journey of recovery from my breast cancer . It's just a wave in the sea - and I'm going to get wet! - but it isn't something that will wash me away. Jesus knows - Jesus heals - Jesus restores whatever comes my way.

Life is good.

Live it. Experience the trials. Grow from them. Glorify God.

That's it!

Happy Trails.