Courageous Life

Less than 24 hours Jessica and I are on a plane heading to the much dreamed about Nairobi. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thank you for all your support, prayers and encouragement. This trip would not be possible without YOU!! This week has been incredibly challenging with health issues and concerns but we are experiencing healing and truly believing that we are "supposed" to go. Amongst the many prayers and encouragements I have heard this week, one comment a friend made in regards to Jessica's 102 plus temperatures is, "what an inconvenience". I read that and thought truly that is all this is, "an inconvenience" at most and at least an attempt to tharwt our trip. But greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. Now, Lauryn is sick and to be honest I am fighting fatigue and a sore throat but it is all just an inconvenience. Still God is greater. Lauryn and I had some great prayer this afternoon and she is sitting up actually tolerating some ...

It has been an emotional ride these past 5 weeks. I have visited with family members of a special young women that passed away last November from Melanoma, spent healing time with one of my brothers, my oldest daughter turned 18, old friends from Maryland visited for a couple for days after 10 years of not seeing one another. Each of these events have been emotional from crying to laughing, from hurt to gratitude, from loss of the past to excitement for what lays ahead. Mostly for me much humility. Really there is so much story in each of these events I feel rich in the reality of Christ. He is the common theme in all these relationships. Reflecting in these moments I realize that His timing is perfect. I am strengthened by each of these relationships and ready as I can be for Nairobi. I will never forget joining hands in my living room with my family and Valerie's family as Rita (Val's Mom) prayed for us. Valerie was 25 when she died last November. Yet, in their gr...

Ok, How do you correct spelling esp in a title after you have saved the blog? I blame it my elementary education...those formative years I was in Australia. Seriously, is there anyway to fix this??? Anyone out there? RH

The last few days I am fighting this on again off again anxiety. I blame it on the fact I have been busy forming lists and scratching things off my list. Which I love to do...its just the lists have been very long. Last night when I was looking for my reading glasses( to work on my list) it was like the Lord entered my thoughts and said, " you need to correct your vision." I have been so focused my checklists of things to do and not taking time to be in the word. So I got my Bible,( and glasses..of course) sat and read. Very comforting to me. But this morning I had this anxiety that was growing quickly and I felt shaky. I honestly had this feeling of oppression. I started to pray and the scripture about God not giving us a spirit of fear...came to mind. The anxiety left. I decided to put my Bible in my purse and take it to work with me. Well, later at work, I was sitting beside this man's hospital bed, holding his hand allowing him to cry for awhileI(he is 50 needs hos...

People/friends think I am so nice. At least they let me think that. Today I called KLM/NWA to ask about the weight limit for our luggage and the cost of bringing an extra bag....seems we need to do that.... Well after the 6th "yes" and 6th time of stating and then I admit yelling the confirmation number into the phone receiving a calm, nice but not real voice saying each time, "sorry, my mistake let try again" I was unrecognizable even to myself. I realized I was screaming at a recording but couldn't help myself. Once I was finally put through to an agent (oh this was my second call because the first time we got disconnected) I noticed my seat assignments were gone, then I got this strange silence on the other end. I asked what was up and they said calmly, "there is a problem with you flight from Atlanta to Nairobi" How could that be I said. I booked these flights in April. No response just a connection to 'international". There I repe...

13 days and Jessica and I board a plane for Africa. Nairobi to be exact. At this point the struggles and miracles have left no doubt that this is a privelege in our lives. Today Pete Wilson at Crosspoint.tv finished up a series on Questions. Wow, there are so many and honestly not a lot of answers. Which is why I especially love attending Crosspoint. Strange you might say, but honestly I find freedom in that. I find that the things I struggle with and don't have answers to lead me to what is most important to focus on. It boils down to learning how to HOPE and that hope itself is not a scientific fact but a leap of faith. I find no better person to place my faith in than that of Jesus. Although placing my faith in him doesn't mean that my life has become simple, easy or even safe. What placing my faith in him has allowed is for me to experience a deep level of comfort and peace amongst pain, especially amongst my requests for physical healings that didn't occu...

Ok, here I go... off to the blogging world.... Why does this feel scary to me? I am only in my mid 40's and afterall isn't 40's the new 30's? I truly am excited to start this adventure if only as therapy for myself. Somedays there is so much tension between my heart and my brain I find it hard to think straight. Can you relate? Anyway, here I am if anyone would like to share in my journey and thoughts please do. I love company. Yesterday and today I worked with a patient who reminded me so much of my friend Melissa that died last July from lung cancer. Today was especially difficult. This patient's physical pain has been great and she keeps rubbing and pointing to the same location that I remember Melissa complained about. I do not provide bedside nursing, but I round with the doctors on patients who are admitted to the oncology service and help manage their care through their hospital stay and on into home needs. While I was in the room I actually had my fi...