Prayer for Surgery

It is time for me to have yet another surgery, and although I have them a little more frequently than the average person, they can still be a little scary.  All the unknowns.

I used to work with Doctors, so I know that they are regular people just like us.  They have good days and bad days, days that they're distracted and days where they are very focused.  Nurses are of course the same.

Since the care of the Doctors and Nurses is so important in surgery and recovery, I like to pray before surgery (usually the day before) and specifically pray for the staff who will be coming in contact with me in the hospital.  Since I have been doing this (many years now) my surgical procedures have gone much better.  Plus, it's just an extra opportunity to pray for others.

I thought I would share a sample of what one of my pre-surgery prayers looks like.

"Lord, today I am asking for Your protection as I get ready to go in for surgery.  I ask that you would help the Doctors, Nurses, and Staff that will be involved with my surgery to get a full and peaceful night's rest.  I ask that they would be free from relational tension or life circumstances that could cause them to be upset or distracted during my surgery.  Please help them to have a great morning, that they would wake up and feel great, that their minds would be sharp and they would be in a good mood.  I ask that you oversee the preparation of the surgery room, place all the tools and equipment that you know are going to be needed in the right places where they can be easily found when required.  I ask that you would cause anyone who is sick or carrying any sort of bacteria or disease to go home or leave the hospital.  Please give wisdom, discernment, and compassion to the medical staff and help them to remember that I'm not just a numbered surgery but a real person with emotions.  Guide each step that my surgeon takes, let his hands follow your Will.  I ask that my recovery will go smoothly without sickness, infection, or anxiety.  Assist my body to heal quickly and completely and help me to be patient and to rest during that time.  Please bless the staff that are involved with my time in the hospital, for the years they gave to be educated and their dedication to serving others.  I ask that you would give me Your perfect Peace and help me to remember at ALL times that you are the greatest Physician of ALL!  Thank you for being with me on the mountain tops and carrying me through the valley's.  In Jesus name, Amen."

Praying for Healing

As I am sitting here typing out this post, I find myself faced with some new medical uncertainties.  In addition to my own circumstances, I have dear friends who are walking down a road that is also graveled with intimidating medical vocabulary and uncertainty.  

I have walked this road before, more than once, and yet I find myself still asking some of the same questions ....and occasionally being startled by the larger stones that roll across my path.

I've asked many questions over the past 11 years and God does answer them in time.  I would love to say that once a lesson is learned, I never return to it....but alas that is just not true.  Here I am, walking down the same dusty road.  But this time I am a little more prepared.

I have come to believe through prayer and scripture that I need to focus very carefully when I'm in a time that stretches my faith in such a way.  

Here is what I must do:

• Never stop believing that God can heal me in His perfect timing. (1 John 5:14-15, Jeremiah 30:17, Jeremiah 33:6, Psalm 41:3, Psalm 103:2-3, Jeremiah 17:14, Psalm 30:2, Matthew 7:7-8)
• Choose not to live in fear, for God has given me authority to bind and loose things on heaven and earth for my protection.  Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ came to give me abundant life! (Matthew 18:18, Luke 10:19, Isaiah 41:10, 1 John 4:4)
• Remember that no matter what my current circumstances, God's Will is to be my strength, peace, and hope. (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 2:11)
• No matter what is happening in my body, God can use it to His Glory.  In my weakness, He is made strong! (Philippians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 12:9) 
• I must keep my eyes focused not only on my time on earth but on the plans that God has for me which will last the rest of eternity in Heaven. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
• Since the Creator of the Universe and Giver of Life is looking out for me, I should not fear ANYTHING that comes my way, be it from man or from Satan.  (Romans 8:31-32; 37-39)

SCRIPTURES AS REFERENCED ABOVE:

1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Jeremiah 30:17 “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.”

Jeremiah 33:6 “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.”

Psalm 41:3 “The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.”

Psalm 103:2-3 “Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases”

Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

Psalm 30:2 “LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.”

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ”

Matthew 18:18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ”

Luke 10:1 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”

Psalm 2:11 “Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.”

Philippians 1:12 “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Romans 8:18-19 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.   For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 “However, as it is written:  “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him”

Romans 8:31-32 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us

Movie Review: What If....

What If....


Starring: Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules”), Kristy Swanson (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer), Debby Ryan (“Suite Life On Deck”), and John Ratzenberger (“Cheers”).


Produced by: Pure Flix Entertainment and Jenkins Entertainment
Directed by: Dallas Jenkins

MOVIE SYNOPSIS

synopsis provided by 'What If - Production Blog

Fifteen years ago, Ben Walker (Sorbo) made a decision to leave his college sweetheart Wendy (Swanson), and ultimately his faith, in order to pursue a lucrative business opportunity. Now on the verge of marriage to an equally materialistic fiancé, he is visited by an angelic mechanic (Ratzenberger) who tells him that he needs to see what his life would have been like had he followed God’s calling. Suddenly, Ben finds himself married to Wendy with two daughters, including a rebellious teen (Ryan), getting ready for church on a Sunday morning, where he’s scheduled to give his first sermon as the new pastor.


If Ben wants to get back to his old life, he must first learn to appreciate the value of  faith and family, and perhaps rediscover the love of his life. In the tradition of It’s a Wonderful Life and The Family Man, What If… tells the story of a man whose glimpse into what he’s missing reminds him of what he truly wants.

15 years ago, Ben Walker left his girlfriend and his ministry calling for a business opportunity. Now with a high-paying career and a trophy fiancé, he is visited by an angel, who gives him a glimpse into what his life would look like had he followed his calling.

MOVIE REVIEW

Tonight I was looking for something to watch on Netflix and came across this movie.  I have to say that I will probably watch it again.  This is one of the rare Movies that can truly be labeled 'family friendly' and has a great moral.  What If...reminds us that you can get success from the world by making worldly decisions, but true happiness comes from following the path that God has for you.  In the end it also shows that you can come to a point 1/2 way through life and realize you were on the wrong path and make a decision from that day forward to make new choices.


I must confess that I used to watch 'Hercules' and seeing Kevin Sorbo in another role took me a minute to adjust to, however I believe he did a great job in making this character believable.


My thought as a Mom is that this would be an excellent movie to watch with your older kids (8-10+ depending on maturity level) or with other adults and make a point of having some discussion after the film about the choices we make in life.


For me I found it encouraging as I was reminded once again not to look to the world's view of success for my happiness.  I am so grateful for all the blessings God has already given me in the form of my family and friends.  If they were my currency, I'd be a billionaire!


Next time you're in the mood for a good movie, I recommend 'What If...'!


To watch the trailer of this movie, scroll down to the bottom of this page, pause the music player and click play on the video below:



What If Theatrical Trailer from Pure Flix on Vimeo.



If you have seen this movie or have any thoughts or questions, I'd love to hear your feedback by having you post a comment below!


Thanks and God Bless.

Faith or Fear

I've often given myself much more credit than I truly deserve when it comes to my faith life.  If you catch me on a good day I am likely to tell you that I have an Unshakable Faith that has seen me through many trials and will likely see me through ones to come.  But if I am honest with myself, and anyone who might ask me, I would have to say that the previous statement isn't exactly correct.

The definition to the words faith and fear are as follows:

FAITH

Strong or unshakable belief in something; something that is

believed especially with strong conviction; belief and trust in

and loyalty to God

FEAR

   A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, 

etc- whether that threat is real or imagined; the feeling or

condition of being afraid; an unpleasant often strong emotion 

caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.

Now if I take a look at my response to life's circumstances, and compare my responses or reactions to the definitions above, I find that I'm reacting with more FEAR than I am faith.  If we were to truly respond in FAITH.....a truly unshakable faith.....we would not be scared or disturbed by changing circumstances, Dr's diagnosis, strained relationships, financial hardship....or any of the many things that we can allow to effect us. 


I find that I most commonly label my fear as STRESS.  I prefer the word 'stress' over 'fear' because in my mind it sounds better.  Fear has always seemed to me to be an emotion that I either have to control or that I let control me, but stress on the other hand sounds like a force that is imposed from an outside source...and that sounds to me like something that I have less control of...or responsibility for.  (This is of course a justification that I have concocted to make myself feel better.)


The Dictionary defines stress as:

Stress

A specific response by the body to a stimulus (physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension), as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism; The physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another.

Perhaps I cannot always control what events place strain or tension on my life, but I can take control over how I choose to respond to it!  The truth for me is that my stress is actually a response to my fear, mostly happening because my circumstances aren't going the way I want them to.  We often have expectations that are not being met, and when this happens we DO have a choice to respond with FAITH or with FEAR.

If faith is truly UNSHAKABLE then my distressing emotions are in reality the opposite of faith because they are chipping away at my belief that God will have His hand on my life in the midst of ALL of my circumstances.   

Faith is a choice.....I must evaluate what I believe about God's character, this is the real heart of the matter.  God either created me in His image, saved me by Grace and the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary, and has a plan for me as described in Jeremiah 29:11, or He didn't.  Because I believe the previous statement of God is true, then I MUST choose to allow that truth to govern my every day thoughts and actions!  

Jeremiah 29:11

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."

PRAYER

Lord, please help us not to be distracted by the daily circumstances in life.  Help us to keep our eyes on YOU!  With you at the forefront of our thoughts, may we have PEACE, JOY,  FAITHFULNESS, & FORBEARANCE....all of which are fruit of your Holy Spirit.  Help us to truly believe your promises, help us to TRUST you and the reasons that you allow the details of our lives to stray from our self made plans.  When we don't like what we see or what we hear in this life, help us to see you instead.  May all of our actions bring you honor and praise!  ~ Amen

Book Review: Black - By Ted Dekker

Recently my 14 year old son and I read the book 'Black' by Ted Dekker together.  I had heard for a long time that this was a great book so we finally decided to take the plunge into the worlds of Thomas Hunter.

The book begins with Thomas and his sister Kara living in Denver, CO where Thomas works at a coffee shop and Kara is a nurse.  It doesn't take long before the story catches your attention as mobsters are chasing Thomas down back alleys and eventually shoot him in the head!  Now you may be thinking that is sure an odd way to start a book....the main protagonist gets shot in the head right out of the starting gate.  And if you thought that way, you'd be correct!  It is an odd way to start a book, but that is one thing that I am learning about Ted Dekker as I read his books....he likes to do things his own way and shatter any preconceived  ideas that you may hold about how to tell a story.

Thomas passes out and wakes up in a different reality altogether. He is in a black forest with terrifying evil bats and although it is scary and strange, it seems to be real.  He makes his way into the fantastical world of the colored forest, which is described in beautiful detail, complete with furry white bats, jewel colored trees, a world where evil is contained, and love abounds.  When he falls asleep in this world, he wakes up back in Denver.

Thomas learns in the colored forest that there will be a virus that will devastate earth as he knows it.  He learns this through the 'Books of History' which tell of a time long before the colored forest (which happens to be the time that Thomas is living in back in Denver).  As Thomas falls asleep (or is knocked unconscious) in one world, he wakes up in the other.  These transitions happen throughout the entire book, often leaving you right at the edge of wanting more information, then you pop back into the other 'reality'.

Thomas learns much of love and faith in the colored forest and discovers that there is a connection between the two worlds.  This book is action packed and did a very good job of keeping our attention.  This is not a book that you would read for an hour, then not pick it up again for a couple weeks, continuing on with sporadic reading since it jumps back and forth between two worlds with entirely different people, environments, and trials.

Black is technically Book 1 in Dekker’s 'Circle Series', which also includes Red, White, and Green (Green can be read as book 4 or book 0).  If that isn't enough, these books are only a piece of
'The Books of History Chronicle', which also include: Showdown, Sinner, and Saint (The Paradise Series) as well as Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, and Lunatic.  And which of the 3-in-1 series do you read first?  The answer is that it doesn't really matter.  Again this is one of the ways that Ted Dekker's writing differs from other authors.

I haven't read all of the books yet, but I've read enough to know that I love how the characters are interwoven into all the different books and the stories are inter-related.  It makes for an interesting (and longer) journey.

As for us, we hope that they make this book series into a movie series (much like they've done the Narnia movies), I believe it would be spectacular to see a computer generated colored forest with all of it's rare animals and humans with amazing abilities!

I highly recommend this book, but for parents with younger readers you should be aware that there are some scenes that might be too scary as evil is made into living characters and their acts are described with frightening detail.  There is also quite a bit about 'romance' and although not inappropriate, it may be uncomfortable or uninteresting to a younger audience.  I liked it, but then again......I love that sort of stuff.

So, if you're looking for a good book.....check out BLACK.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.